Chapter 3

"Hey! Shran!" Shran froze as he looked over his shoulder, causing the Orion woman (Maras) behind him, to bump into him. She gave an annoyed look that was characteristically Orion-like. They could turn anything into a seductive weapon. He gave her a quick apologetic look before walking over to Commander Tucker, who looked mightily pissed off for some reason. Then again, he wasn't really ever a ray of sunshine.

"Yes sir?"

"You're not going anywhere!" Tucker said sharply.

"Sir with all due respect, I'm under orders from Captain Archer. All non terrans have to leave the Defiant and go to the Avenger. I'm only here because Phlox wanted to give me a once over to see-"

"Do I look like I care about you and your new Klingon parts?" Tucker snapped, "The captain gave me permission to keep you on bored because I would only trust another Chief engineer with some of the technology on board the Defiant and much to my misfortune you're the only available one."

"Understood sir." was all Shran said even though he was tempted to say something very sarcastic, but he'd learned long ago to hold his tongue.

"Well why are you just standing there, come on! You can get your stuff now and bring it on board otherwise you'll have to do it later and I can't be bothered waiting. And the rest of you get going!" Tucker barked at the other aliens that had slowed their step to listen. Shran groaned inwardly, they'd all think he was getting special treatment again! He was never able to convince anyone he didn't want to be treated differently. He hung his head as he left Tucker, he really wished he could just go back on the Avenger and stay put. But no he had to go and pack what little he had and move onto the Defiant away from all his friends. He really wasn't fond of terrans.

"Sabotage the Defiant? Have you lost your senses?" Phlox gaped at the two Vulcans who were standing before him.

"You're the only non-Terran on the Defiant. Any of us would arouse suspicion." Soval explained, he hadn't realised that Thy'lek was still on board. T'pol moved closer to him,

"You heard Archer's speech. He's delusional."

"It's not a delusion if the Captain has the power to do what he says, and from what I've seen, he most certainly does. I should report you both." He turned away with the intention of leaving them and contacting Archer.

"Are you loyal to the Empire or not?" Soval's question was very insulting and Phlox whirled around,

"Of course I am!"

"Archer plans to kill the Emperor and take his place."

"The Captain has proven himself in battle. Perhaps he should rule the Empire." Phlox tried to rationalise.

"If Archer fails, his crew will have to answer for his crimes. We'll be executed." Phlox felt a stab of fear at her words.

"There's an old tradition. If someone saves the emperor's life, it's said there's no request he can refuse them."

"Consider the possibilities. A medical facility of your own with unlimited resources. You could conduct experiments you see fit." Phlox would admit it was tempting but he wasn't going to listen to them. Until Soval pointed out

"Don't forget the females." Now he gave them his full attention.

"Females?"

"You'll be able to choose as many concubines as you'd like." Now Phlox was interested.

"Hmm. I could choose anyone I wished?"

"Of course." Soval nodded

"Well I think I would like that Andorian that the Emperor favours, I hear she's very skilled." He was too deep in his musings to notice T'pol and Soval sharing a look. "If the Emperor were my patient, I'd be obligated to save his life. I suppose what you are suggesting isn't that different."

"So you'll do it?"

"Oh very well I will." Phlox nodded and took the padd being offered to him by T'pol. As he walked away, he didn't hear Soval say to T'pol,

"Thy'lek will never hear of this."

"Hand me a magnetic probe." Shran passed the tool to Tucker. He couldn't believe it! He was a Chief Engineer, non-terran or not, he could be doing much better things with his time then playing assistant to Tucker. He knew better then to believe the fact that Tucker had wanted him to stay on bored because he only trusted another Chief Engineer, because Tucker wouldn't trust a non-terran over a terran any day of the terran year. Nope, Tucker just enjoyed making snide comments at him and watching him fight to retort or, much more tempting, punch the man's lights out. So far he was able to quell the urges but he doubted he would be for much longer.

"So you feel special being able to prance around with those new ridges?" Tucker's voice was taunting. Shran gritted his teeth, he did not prance! He never had and he never would.

"Not particularly sir." He managed to keep his tone calm and bored as if he wasn't bothered by Tucker and his remarks.

"Good because you look more like a freak then your kind usually do."

"I know that sir." Still the calm voice.

"What did they call this piece?" Tucker pointed out a particular piece and Shran looked at it and, thankfully, was able to answer, Tucker kept trying to catch him out and make him look stupid.

"A baffle plate sir, I wouldn't recommend you remove it, I think you've been exposed to enough radiation in your lifetime." Tucker switched off the magnetic probe and looked at him in a dangerous way.

"Meaning?" he growled

"Simply that I would have thought you wouldn't want to suffer any more exposure the you already have and if you remove it you will either cause irreparable damage to yourself or blow up the ship." Shran held his gaze steadily. He'd kept his tone polite and conversational, so Tucker couldn't accuse him of mocking him. He smoothly commented, "I wonder who invented this duotronic computer system, it's very clever."

"Most likely a Terran." smirked Tucker. Shran was distracted by a sudden beeping from a consol. "What is it?" demanded Tucker. Shran quickly walked over to the consol and answered

"The warp field's fluctuating. It's a power drain… the primary EPS relays." Shran looked at him, "Will I alert the captain?"

"No. it's probably just a micro-fracture in the conduit. Do you really want to bother the captain with that?"

"Will I go take care of it? I know how to do it." Tucker seemed to be deeply debating it. On the one hand if he let Shran repair the micro fracture which required some skill, he'd be acknowledging that Shran did have some talent. Then again if he himself went and did it he'd need to leave Shran in charge, he was the highest ranking officer second to him. No way in hell would he let a blue skinned freak with Klingon ridges run his engine for even a nano-second!

"Go." he grumbled. Shran nodded then grabbed a case of tools. He walked quickly down to the EPS relays when the whole ship shook and he stumbled to the side. He swore softly in Tellerite as his still broken ribs got jostled. Then his brain kicked in action again. That had felt like an attack!

"Soval!" he moaned, they couldn't have! They couldn't really be that stupid! Could they? He quieted his steps and bit back a groan as he saw Phlox removing the plasma relays. Clever really, but incredibly stupid too. He chewed on his lip in a frightful inner debate. Then, unbidden, his sister flew into his mind. Tucker would be coming down any second to find out what was happening and he'd try to pin this on him, not Phlox. Lissiel would be killed. He couldn't let that happen.

'Soval forgive me.' He thought as he snuck up behind Phlox just as the doctor pulled out a communicator,

"Phlox to Soval. I'm finished here. Stand by to transport-" The Denobulan at this point turned around and saw him. He froze. Shran attacked. The two of them grappled and Phlox managed to kick him off. Shran pushed himself to his feet and leapt onto Phlox's back as he tried to escape. He brought his fist down onto the Denobulan's temple and he fell, unconscious. Shran clambered off him and then ducked as a consol exploded above him. He hurried over to the EPS relays and quickly began to reinsert them, putting the whole thing back together with the skill of a well trained engineer. Suddenly the communicator beeped and to his horror his friends voice came through and it sounded as panicked as he'd ever heard it.

"Soval to Phlox. Their power grid's being restored. What's happening? Doctor, respond!" He slid the last relay into place and the ship stopped shaking. The shields were back up. He grabbed the communicator and flipped it open.

"This is Thy'lek! Soval… I'm… I'm sorry." He never got an answer. He rested his arm on his knee as he knelt there, and bowed his head in utter misery.

Aw! Poor Shran! sob

Night's Darkness