CHAPTER 31

Archer leaned over T'Pol's shoulder, watching as a tiny dot on the screen on her console moved from the Klingon warbird down to the surface of the planet.

"There are two bio-signs, one of which is Human," she reported.

"Can you tell if it's Tucker or Reed?" he asked.

"No," she said. "And there are no Human life signs aboard the warbird."

Archer straightened up. "Can you scan the planet for Human life signs?"

"I already have," she said with a slight lift of one eyebrow.

Archer let out a frustrated sigh when she didn't volunteer any more information. "And?"

Glancing over at another readout, she said, "There are a number of Human life signs, as well as of other species. There is no way to pinpoint which of the Human life signs might be Reed or Tucker. However..."

Archer waited as she adjusted some settings. He knew better than to prompt her when she was evaluating data.

"All of the life signs are concentrated in one area," she said finally. With a sideways glance at him, she asked, "Is it time to 'make our move?'"

Archer walked over to his chair and sat down as he replied. "No, not yet."

"But, sir," said Shuemaker at the communications console. "We know from that transmission that they know there is at least one member of Starfleet in the Falcon's crew."

The captain nodded. "Yes, we do, Ensign. But we don't know what the situation is. We don't know which one of the two they were referring to." Probably Reed, he thought to himself with a grim smile before continuing, "And there have been no open signs of hostility. Until that happens, or until we hear otherwise, we stay put."

Come on, Reed, contact us somehow, Archer thought. We're in position. We didn't come all this way to watch from the wings.

Hoshi stumbled several times on the way back to the cell. Once, as she rebounded off a wall, Malcolm reached out to steady her and she slipped a knife, handle first, into his hand as unobtrusively as possible, guiding it to concealment under his breastplate as she leaned against him.

Took him long enough to catch on, she thought. She could have hurt herself, what with all the slipping and stumbling she'd been doing on purpose.

She caught his eye in time to catch the slightest of winks and an even slighter smile, before Shidak's guards broke them apart, shoving them to keep them moving.

They didn't talk until they were locked up. Peering out the small window in the door, Malcolm said, "They've all left, gone back up to the main level."

Hoshi sat down wearily on the ledge. Closing her eyes, she felt her body begin to shake.

Coming to sit next to her, Malcolm put an arm around her. "I do appreciate that you didn't let him cut my throat," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Don't joke about it!" she said. "It could still happen."

"I'm more worried about what's going to happen to you."

"If you're dead, it won't matter," she said softly.

She felt him settle back against the wall and heard his long exhalation.

"We are going to get out of here, aren't we?" she asked, trying to make her voice sound steady in the darkness but not entirely succeeding.

"I'm working on it."

She let him sit in silence, taking comfort in his closeness. He'd been careful not to bump her injured shoulder, which was now throbbing like the devil. She'd been reduced to cradling that arm against her body, as any movement sent a sharp stab of pain running from her shoulder into her neck. Trying to lean back to a more comfortable position, she gasped at the pain in her shoulder at the contact with the cold wall.

"The least he could have done was gotten some medical attention for you," Malcolm said angrily.

"He probably doesn't believe in doctors," she tried to joke.

"Some painkillers or something, then," he said in exasperation. "Surely he's got a first aid kit somewhere in this monstrosity of a castle. ... Where did you come up with the knife?"

The change in conversation threw her for a moment. "Oh," she said. "Shidak forgot to check my other leg."

"You carry a knife on each leg?"

"Only when I'm around people I don't trust."

"So," he said, "every time I undressed you aboard the Falcon and you only had one knife, you were only...half-trusting me?"

"There was that time in the shower. I didn't have a single knife anywhere on me."

"You didn't have anything else on, either," he chuckled, leaning over to peck her on the cheek.

"That's it? That's all I get?" she asked petulantly.

"That's all you're up to getting right now," he said firmly. "Besides, I've got to think of a way to get us out of here." He hesitated before commenting ruefully, "I think you've ruined any chance of Shidak trusting you."

Hoshi sighed. "I figured that out on my own. He thinks he's going to keep me here, and try to get Kleth to captain the Falcon for him."

"That will never happen."

Hoshi nodded in agreement, even though Reed couldn't see the movement in the dark cell. "Shidak thinks all Klingons are alike, ready to jump at a chance to move up in rank. He doesn't know my Klingons very well."

"Your Klingons?" he asked, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yes, my Klingons. My crew," she said, pride in their loyalty coming through in her voice.

"Where are we supposed to land?" Tucker asked.

"The coordinates are for the top of the only building in the compound," Kleth answered from behind him.

The Klingon had not been content to remain seated as Trip came in at a low level, making a wide swing around the fenced-in compound before turning around to skim over the building. He approved of Trip's manuevering. It gave him a good view of the layout of the compound.

"There!" he said, pointing out a large landing pad on top of the sprawling two-story stone building.

"Let's just hope it's reinforced enough to hold us," Tucker said, banking the ship to turn and come back for the landing. "This is gonna be a vertical descent on thrusters only. You might want to sit down, just in case."

Kleth took a last look out the front viewport. He could see a number of men gathered around the landing pad. Some of them were holding rifles. The others, he assumed, had hand weapons. What he didn't see was his captain.

Grumbling, he moved to sit down on the bunk and grabbed for something to hang on to as the ship lurched.

"Sorry 'bout that," Tucker called over his shoulder as the engines shut down and the thrusters kicked in. "I'm not used to drivin' this model."

The descent was smooth as the ship began moving slowly downward. There was barely a bump as it settled onto the roof.

His hand on the latch to open the hatch, Kleth said, "Let me do any talking, Trip."

"Don't have to worry 'bout that," the engineer replied. "But I'm right behind ya, just the same."

Kleth opened the door and stepped out, not intimidated by the armed men surrounding the vessel. He heard Trip climb out behind him.

"Isn't this the part where we ask to be taken to their leader?" Trip asked nervously after he shut and locked the hatch of the ship.

One of the man motioned with his rifle for them to start walking, but none dared approach them to relieve them of their weapons. In addition to a disruptor on each hip, Kleth had a long sword in a scabbard attached to his belt. Trip had a disruptor tucked in his belt and a dagger sheathed on his boot.

Kleth snarled as he passed the men, heading for a trap door in the roof where he could see stairs leading down. Upon reaching the stairs, he started down without sparing a glance for those following. Tucker clambered down behind him.

Two stories down, two more pirates were waiting. With a jerk of his head, one of them indicated they should follow him, and they set off down the corridor. Glancing back over his shoulder, Kleth saw only two of the men from the roof following them. The others must have remained behind to guard the scout ship.

A door was open at the far end of the hall, leading to yet another flight of stairs. Kleth stopped and growled. If they were to go down these stairs, they would be below ground level. It could be a trap.

"Where is Shidak?" he roared, his hand reaching for one of his disruptors.

"Right here, Kleth."

Kleth whirled, as did Tucker behind him, to see Shidak standing in one of the doorways lining the corridor.

"Where is my captain?" Kleth demanded, advancing on the man and having the satisfaction of seeing him take a step backward.

"She's down there," Shidak said, pointing to the stairway. "She was a bit...indisposed."

When Kleth made no move to back off, he continued, "We had a bit of a disagreement. Surely you, a Klingon, can understand how that can happen. ... I have an offer to make to you, Kleth."

Kleth growled, but his building rage was interrupted by the touch of a hand on his arm. Looking down he met Tucker's eyes, which were urging caution. The Human was right -- he should listen to Shidak first. Then he could tear the man to pieces.

Kleth was seething. Shidak had the gall to suggest that he, Kleth, should take over command of the Falcon and work for him, and leave his mistress behind here as the pirate leader's plaything. Yes, Kleth thought, Shidak knew something of Klingons, but not enough.

In a way, Kleth was enjoying the encounter, this strategic maneuvering of words instead of weapons. But his overriding concern was his mistress and her safety. All he'd been able to learn from Shidak was that she had been injured fighting him, and that Ma'Com was with her.

Kleth's smoldering rage narrowed his thought processes to a startling clarity. While most Klingons would have run the son of a targ through without a second thought, Kleth was not the average Klingon. His first duty was to his mistress, who had first claim on killing Shidak.

"I must see my mistress for myself," he said. "Bring her."

"But, surely, there is no reason for that," Shidak countered.

"I must see her to renounce my allegiance," Kleth said, telling the truth about how such things were handled, but not saying that he would actually do it. "And bring that other one, that Human who insinuated himself into our midst. I will kill him with my own hands."

A smile of anticipation crossed Shidak's face as he ordered his men to bring the pair.

"I must say," Shidak said as his men left the room, "I believe I will enjoy working with you, Kleth. You have a certain...directness...in what you do."

Kleth answered with a low growl, his eyes never leaving the man.

A few feet away, Tucker shifted uneasily. Kleth was aware that Trip had been slowly putting distance between them, so as not to make an easy target bunched together. These Humans constantly surprised him -- he hadn't thought Trip would be much of a fighter, but he obviously understood something about tactics.

The sound of footsteps interrupted any further conversation, and Kleth looked to the door in time to see Hoshi, walking on her own but with a bandage around her shoulder, enter the room. She was followed by Ma'Com and two of Shidak's guards.

Kleth saw Ma'Com touch his breastplate and make a flicking motion. Ah, so the little warrior did have a weapon hidden away. That was good to know.

"Kleth!" Hoshi said, rushing toward him, only to stop when he snarled at her.

"Kleth?" she asked, puzzled.

"Shidak has made me an offer," Kleth rumbled. "He wants me to captain the Falcon."

"And?" she asked.

Drawing his sword out of its scabbard, the Klingon said, "There are certain advantages."

Hoshi retreated a step and bumped into Reed, who pushed her behind him.

"You will remain here," Kleth told her, advancing on Reed, the sword held before him. "But first, I must take care of this spy who has taken over your bed."

Still slowly advancing, certain that Shidak couldn't see his face from where he was standing, Kleth tried something he had seen Hoshi do -- he winked. Reed immediately put his hands up at shoulder level, as if surrendering, but close to the opening where the knife was hidden.

Kleth lunged.