Chapter 2

Tucker was waiting impatiently for the Avengers chief engineer. The freak was supposed to be here ages ago. Finally the door opened and an Andorian with a Klingon forehead stepped inside.

"About time!" he barked. The Andorian jumped and looked up at him. "The Avenger has a million things needed to be repaired, now come on!" He pushed past the Andorian and led the way to the transporter pad. Five minutes later they were entering the Avengers engineering. "I want to know what the hell this is." Tucker brought up a schematic of the warp core and pointed to a layer that wasn't standard, in fact was something he'd never seen before.

"It's a protective layer." Shran informed him, "It helps protect the crew from the radiation. I had it installed when I became Chief Engineer."

"Oh, showing off for Starfleet, were you?" Tucker sneered, "Tryin' to look like you deserved the job even though everyone knows that you only got because of that whore of a sister of yours." Shran stiffened but continued his scans of the systems. He said stiffly,

"Two injectors will need to be completely replaced, and the exhaust manifolds are badly damaged. Another hit and I'd say our reactor would have breeched."

"Lucky we arrived to save your asses." Tucker wanted to get a rise out of the Andorian but he'd settle for watching him struggle to restrain himself. Shran said nothing and walked away from him down a corridor. Annoyed that he was being ignored Tucker followed him, "Hey!" Shran stopped and turned to face him. "You listening to me?"

"Yes sir." Shran stated.

"Well then answer when you're spoken to."

"What if I have no answer for you, sir?" Shran asked him. Tucker narrowed his eyes and shoved his face into Shran's, but the Andorian didn't back down.

"You had better remember your place Andorian! Just because your sister is the favourite concubine of the Emperor, doesn't mean you can expect special treatment by me."

"Wouldn't dream of it sir." Shran's voice was tight and angry but there was no taunting in it. Still, Tucker got really pissed off and he smashed his fist into Shran's jaw. Shran smacked into the wall, hitting his side against it. His hand flew to it and he winced. Tucker sneered at him again then barked,

"Get started on the exhaust manifolds now!" Shran straightened up, his hand still covering his side.

"Yes sir." He said sharply and hurried down the corridor. Tucker snorted after him and then returned to engineering.

"I hope we won't be disturbing him." T'pol looked at Soval who paused, his fingers hovering before the door chime button.

"We may be but this is really too important to wait for. He will give us another perspective on this situation."

"You value his opinion." T'pol still found it strange; their people hadn't gotten along with Thy'lek's when they met but the Terrans had become a bigger problem and both species stopped having any contact until both their worlds were conquered. Unlike Vulcan which was overtaken with surprising swiftness, Andoria was able to keep them at bay for years, they were only conquered when the surrounding planets were all overcome and they were surrounded. Even then they were resistant to being slaves. Now though, the younger ones particularly, were very loyal to the Empire, at least outwardly. Thy'lek wasn't one of them; at least that was her own impression.

"I do. He always has a… unique way of looking at things. I also wish to apologise to him even though it will hardly be enough." T'pol looked at him questioningly, "It was in attempting to spare me having to perform a dangerous task that Thy'lek was punished." If she prone to it she would have dropped her jaw. As it was she raised an eyebrow in surprise. Soval pressed the button and, after a pregnant pause, they heard his strong voice call

"Come in." Soval pressed the door release and it slid away. They stepped inside. Thy'lek relaxed as he saw it was them. He was standing with his hands behind his back, but he dropped them as the door closed behind them. In T'pol's own opinion he looked quite ill, and the brown ridges on his forehead didn't help him at all.

"Soval, and… T'pol, this is a surprise." He inclined his head to her. She returned the gesture.

"It is agreeable to see you again Thy'lek."

"Likewise. I apologise for my… appearance, but I wasn't really in a position to refuse the procedure."

"And that is one of the reasons I have come." said Soval, "I wish to apologise for having caused you such anguish." Thy'lek raised his hand a smile on his features,

"My friend it was my own fault. I was the one who spoke out of turn. I brought the punishment upon myself."

"You are too forgiving old friend."

"And you are too hard on yourself Soval. Please sit down." Thy'lek walked over to his desk and took a glass with a thick liquid inside it into his hand. He swallowed a mouthful and grimaced, he then looked at them as he sat down, "I would offer you some but this is the foulest thing ever invented, gagh would taste better I am thinking."

"Protein supplement?"

"Exactly, hopefully if I keep drinking it I'll get my normal skin tone back, and it'll help me get back to normal, hopefully." He drained the glass and pulled a disgusted face as he set it down.

"Have you been on bored the Defiant yet?" T'pol questioned.

"Oh yes, Captain Archer wanted to make sure I would hold my tongue and obey him. He cracked one of my ribs for emphasis." Thy'lek's smile turned bitter. "It's quite a ship I have to admit."

"Have you had a chance to review the historical database?" Thy'lek's antenna curled slightly and he looked amused.

"I wondered when we'd get to that. Always to the point aren't you T'pol? Yes I took a look at it, and had a laugh if you were wondering."

"What was so amusing?"

"Did you not notice that the names are all the same?" Thy'lek now openly grinned.

"I was paying more attention to the idea of this Federation." Soval tried to push the conversation in the direction he wanted it to go, but typically Thy'lek refused to be taken away from his amusement. He had once said to him,

"I have very little to smile about my friend, so whenever I do I hope you'll forgive me if I am reluctant to think of anything else." Thy'lek leaned back in his seat,

"I checked my own file and I think I spent at least a minute just laughing, thinking it was a terrible joke but no, it apparently wasn't. This Thy'lek Shran was a member of the Andorian Imperial Guard and he commanded a ship for twelve years called the Kumari. It was destroyed by a Romulan ship and he was rescued by his friend Captain Jonathon Archer." Soval raised his eyebrows sharply and T'pol's eyes widened. Thy'lek nodded, "It's true. It seems," he rose and began to pace slowly around, "that Archer and I met on P'jem, Archer was paying a visit during his ship's exploration mission, I was holding the monks hostage trying to find a subspace sensor array that was hidden in the monastery, which your people were using to spy on mine. Archer found it and gave me the information about it as an act of friendship and in the name of truth. This he did despite the fact that humans were in alliance with Vulcans for years. After that we continued to meet and we formed a very strong friendship until Archer dies; I… I actually make him an honorary member of the Imperial Guard after I'm made a General!" Thy'lek laughed bitterly at the ridiculousness of the very idea. "This Shran leads a much better life, he has a wife, he has children, he did well in every aspect of his life!"

"Maybe you could also have that." T'pol pressed. Thy'lek looked at her questioningly. "Imagine it. A Federation of Planets, where all species are equal, Human, Vulcan, Andorian, Denobulan, Tellerite. Imagine having the freedom of choice. Being able to do what you want." Thy'lek shook his head, a small smile on his lips,

"You have always been a little too naïve T'pol." She raised her head slightly in surprise. "You only think on the good of that kind of thing. You fail to think of the negative aspects of it which the Empire prevents."

"Such as?"

"Such as the fact that under Terran rule every other species is considered equal. We don't see Vulcans and Andorians and Tellerites, we see just people. Those barriers that the humans tore away when they made us all their subjects exist in that other reality. And what if the Federation is created, what if it doesn't work. You have to realise we'll end up having all the different species wanting to be dominant because they were all oppressed."

"Perhaps not, the different species are already working together in the resistance."

"For how long? Even after a hundred years of being members of this Federation Andorians and Tellerites still don't even remotely like or trust each other. I have no wish to see unity go to pieces in an attempt to follow the example of someone else's reality."

"Things will be different."

"They already are, in fact we are as different from them as can be and what if in order for one to exist the other has to as well."

"I don't understand what you mean my friend." Soval rose to his feet to meet Thy'lek's gaze. His friend was clearly getting distressed; he always thought so much that he often drove himself mad.

"I mean that what if for this 'peaceful' Federation to exist we need to have the Terran Empire. All scientists agree everything needs an equal and opposite to it in order for it to exist. It's a basic law!"

"You think in us creating a Federation the already existing one will transform into a Terran Empire?"

"A little dramatic choice of words but yes, that's exactly what I think. Or worse what if in creating a Federation and the other one is also in existence that two Empires will have to be created to compensate for it. I could not in good conscience bring down our lives upon some one else. I'd rather suffer it then know that I caused someone else to suffer it instead."

"We need to do something!" T'pol stood up, "Archer is going to kill the Emperor." Thy'lek looked at her then at Soval giving a look that clearly said

'She doesn't understand.'

"As I'm sure Soval told you T'pol, the Empire is indeed corrupt."

"I did, however she reminded me that Archer would ravage Vulcan should he become Emperor. He blames us for starting the war."

"That's ridiculous! The Vulcans were the last to join the rebellion."

"Indeed." Soval said no more, he let Thy'lek come to his own conclusions. He could almost see his friend's mind working, realising the implications of Archer being in control. He was certain he saw understanding in his friend's eyes. Then Thy'lek sighed and looked away.

"I'm sorry Soval but I can't help you. Archer told me if he even got an implication that I was working against him I'd regret it."

"He said that he would kill me if I did the same and I still am." T'pol refused to give up on him. Thy'lek fixed her with a levelled gaze

"Archer promised he'd have my older sister executed if he heard anything." Soval bowed his head slightly, he knew it was hopeless now; Thy'lek loved his family too much to do anything to put them at risk. He resisted the urge to sigh and merely said

"Will you report us?" Thy'lek looked at him and asked

"Now why would I report an event that never took place?" He smiled slightly at them and they both nodded in understanding. His smile faded and he said "I'm sorry my old friend."

"I understand Thy'lek." Soval did understand and he respected Thy'lek for his desire to protect his family. They left his cabin and Soval could have sworn he heard the distinct sound of a booted foot kicking a metal desk.

Night's Darkness