Estellio
Rating: Pg-13 (T)
Summary: When Archer is kidnapped by unknown aliens and the Enterprise is dead in the water, it seems like there is no hope for rescue but there's more to this than meets the eye and it could have something to do with the child in T'pol's arms.
Tata: Ehem...well...(Shifty eyes) You see I'm from...Greenland? Yes, Greenland and we spell it that way there (Shifty eyes) Okay, okay, I admit it. I can't spell to save my life and I'm not actually from Greenland. Dying is when you dye something and I don't think Lorian would be so upset if she was doing that...unless it was than blue shirt of his. Anyway, sorry this took so long to update. I've been run raggad recently and I didn't notice I hadn't updated in so long. I should be ashamed. I would ask you to beta but considering there's only going to be three, maybe four chapters more, there isn't much of a point.
Edtheoldsarge: (Salutes) Probably not an actual Sarge or in my countries army but neh, okay, you'd kinda have to be Irish or Scottish to know this but Gaelige is the Irish word for Irish and Gael is the Scottish word for Scottish. They are both essentially the same language but eveolved from Gaelic, the orignal tongue used hundreds of years ago that hasn't been spoken in, well, hundreds of years. I forget sometimes that not everyone knows these terms. English isn't my first language you see, Irish is and I'm just so used to speaking and writing it that it slips my mind.
Firebirdgirl: dammit! Forgot the cliffy, I'll just have to give and extra hangy one this chapter...Okay, hangy isn't an acutal word but bear with me here.
IOIOIO
"Alright, pull." Trip reached forward and grabbed the lever in the roof of the Jeffries tube.
"God damn it boy, you're the Vulcan with superior strength, why aren't you doing this?" Trip grunted as he began to pull, throwing his whole weight into the simple act of moving the lever which, in his defence, was attached to a ten stone mechanism.
"Because I'm the better engineer and I have to make sure nothing blows up while you're transferring power."
"Oh, that was low, Lorian. You learned that off your mother, I'm a southern gentleman." Lorian couldn't help but smile at his father as he grunted and managed to pull the lever half way.
"Don't let it snap back up." Lorian warned getting a dirty look from his father. Trip eased the lever back up and sighed.
"Alright, that was the last one, now they're all transferred over the only thing left to do is head down to Engineering and manage the transfer of each and every cell. I'd hate to blow us all up." Trip crawled over to the hatchway and smiled uncertainly when he peered down. "What you doin' here? I thought you were in sickbay."
"I was." Rialta's head emerged from the hatchway and Lorian openly scowled.
"You shouldn't be here, not in your condition."
"Jeese, Techie. I'm only feverish, not pregnant."
"Nah, the boy's got a point, if you're not well you better let Phlox fix you up." Trip said, angling his body so he didn't fall down the hatch or thrust his rear into Lorian's face. Rialta laughed as if she found something funny and popped out of the hatch, sitting on the walkway behind it. She looked up and noticed the lever had changed sides.
"You're done." She said, almost disappointedly.
"Yeah, we're just about to head down to engineering. Care to come with? We could use your expertise." Trip slid into the hatch, grabbing hold of the ladder between Rialta's knees and getting ready to descend.
"She's not going anywhere, she'd in no condition…"
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TECHIE! I AM NOT AN INVALID! YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED OR CAPABLE OF MONITORING THE TRANSFER! YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF THE SENSITIVITY OF INTRICACY OF MY SHIPS SYSTEMS! YOU'D BE PLAYING IT BY EAR AND THAT COULD GET US ALL KILLED! I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE SO I'LL HANDLE IT!" She roared, her face yellowing with anger.
"But you are…" Lorian began and she cut him off again.
"Commander Tucker, leave! Your son and I have to have a few words…" Trip didn't need telling twice. Her quite voice was far more frightening than shouting and he slid down the ladder as quickly as possible. Lorian truly was his mothers son, no idea how to handle delicate situations like women.
Rialta stared at Lorian without saying anything. Her mouth in a thin line and her clear blue eyes crackling with rage.
"This is my business. Not yours. Do you meddle in the affairs of a Vulcan going through Pon Farr? No, you leave them to themselves." Lorian had never been one for tip toeing around matters such as Pon Farr like other Vulcans but he could feel his own anger rising at using such a biological defect against him. His Vulcan control kicked in and he checked it quickly, instead replying calmly and levelly.
"If a Vulcan undergoing Pon Farr continues to work then there is intervention and he is brought to help. I'm only trying to help, Rialta."
"Help?" She laughed cruelly. "Techie, don't interfere. This is a deeply personal, Katarian thing. Let it go."
"You need help! We'll get this over with then I'll help you."
"MAYBE I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP!" She spat and Lorian flinched, his eyes widening. She had struck a blow closer to heart than he cared to admit.
"I…"
"Techie." She began, a little more calmly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
"No, I think I understand exactly what you meant. I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you." She could almost see the Vulcan shields snapping down and remorse swelled up inside her like a balloon.
"Oh god, Techie, please, I didn't mean it like that." She reached out to touch his arm but he shrugged her off.
"Rialta. You're right. This is a private thing. I shouldn't have interfered." She grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and pulled him to face her.
"Techie, you don't understand what's wrong with me. Don't make presumptions about what you don't know."
"I know exactly what's wrong with you Rialta. I read the medical file you pulled up." Rialta reared back as if struck.
"You did what?" She breathed, horror reflected in her wide azure eyes. "Oh my God…Techie"
"My name is Lorian." With that the Vulcan disappeared down the hatchway. Rialta sat, stunned, for several moments before following him down.
IOIOIO
Trip looked up when Lorian entered engineering. He could tell that whatever words had passed between the two hadn't gone down well. Lorian was moving like a stalking panther, his calm face not obscuring the almost palpable anger crackling beneath the surface.
"Isn't Rialta coming?" Trip asked, gently probing for any hint of what occurred between them.
"She should be along shortly." Lorian said curtly, rechecking the preparations Trip had just made. A snide remark in the Jeffries tube was one thing, double checking his work was another.
"Don't worry Lorian, they're okay." He said, coming up behind him. He could see the tension in his sons shoulders and wanted to reach a hand out to soothe him but this was another Trip's son, he hardly knew this man of his own flesh and blood.
"This is highly advanced technology, even I have difficulty understanding it. It pays to be careful." The engineering doors opened and Rialta walked in. her face was as blank as Lorian's and Trip could read nothing from her. From his experience when a women had her shields up she was ready for battle and no one and nothing was safe. What was that saying about hells wrath?
Rialta hung back from Lorian and Trip, biting her lip and staring at the back of Lorian's blue tunic. She seemed to be considering something a moment then brushed past him, giving him the literal cold shoulder out of the way.
"Move aside Lorian." She said well after she had brushed him out of the way. Lorian stood, his hands still poised as if he were still standing over the console, glaring at her. He said nothing but straightened, watching her every move with a critical eye. Was it Trip's imagination or did the temperature just drop?
"I'll monitor the flow from here, I'll inform you when it is complete. Commander Tucker, I'd like you to go down to my ship and monitor everything from there. Make sure nothing blows."
"Are you sure you wouldn't like Lorian to do it? He's more familiar with this advanced technology than I am." Trip asked, both Lorian and Rialta stiffened.
"It's hardly Warp Science, Commander. Just make sure nothing blows up. I have faith in your capabilities as an Engineer." Trip smiled at her and nodded, turning to Lorian and seizing him by the elbow. Dragging him with him.
"You heard what she said, she wants you to monitor the flow from the other end. I am going to my quarters." Lorian said, trying to pull his arm away.
"Dammit Lorian! You have the finesse of a brick, you know that!" Trip said, his voice a few decimals short of being a shout. "You are the one that should be down there monitoring that. I'm damned if I'm gonna admit you're the better engineer here but you have more experience with this kind of technology than I do. Lorian, you're a fine Engineer but if you had half as much tact with women as you do with machines she wouldn't be half as pissed with you as she is. My first girlfriend, Anna, Rialta is exactly like her. Cold shoulder, passing you over, brushing you off. Petty slights that are unlike her because she wants you to realise that you've hurt her. For the love of god, go in there and kiss and make up."
"Kiss her?" Lorian asked, moving back slightly. "I think you are under a false impression of our relationship at the moment." Trip stopped and grinned.
"Therein lies the problem."
"Excuse me?" Lorian asked, losing his father's train of thought completely.
"Repeat what you just said, Lorian."
"Excuse me?"
"No," Trip slapped his own head. "You are being purposely dense now. What you said before that, about my impression."
"I said that I thought you were under a false impression of our relationship." At this Trip smiled.
"No, no you didn't. You said 'I think you are under the false impression of our relationship…at the moment.'" Lorian opened his mouth to protest or at least explain it away. "Please Lorian, give me some credit. It doesn't take a genius to see the way you act around her. You're a lot…I don't know, looser. You smile more, tell jokes, make physical contact. Just a brush of the arm, a hand on the shoulder, passing a data padd. Lorain, it's alright. I've actually gotta say it was kinda fun watching ye two. I know it's probably not your first crush but…"
"It's not a crush." Lorian said, stepping back, his eyes wide with indignity.
"Jeese, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I mean, she's stopped calling you by that cute little nickname she had for you. Techie was it?"
"She has made her feelings on the matter very clear."
"For the love of…Exactly like your mother. She has no finesse for these sort of things either but I don't suggest you just strip off in front of Rialta, I don't think that'll work for her." Lorian stood there silent for a moment.
"That was a little too much information." He said at last, not looking at Trip.
"Face it Lorian, your mother and I have had sex. Did you think you were brought by a stork? Now, this isn't about me and T'pol, it's about you and Rialta. Dammit Lorian, she wouldn't be this pissed about whatever was said unless she cared about you too, think about that. Now come on, lets head down to the shuttle bay." Trip strode on ahead of him leaving a slightly dazed Lorian behind him. He didn't have time for this, he had to keep his mind on the job. After they got the ship ready to jump there was still the matter of Scaron and…he didn't have the finesse of a brick. He could be quite smooth when he wanted, he just didn't want to be…
IOIOIO
When T'pol came to she found sickbay empty save for Captain Archer and an apparently sleeping Phlox. Throwing her legs over the side she made her way over to Doctor Phlox and shook him by the shoulder to wake him.
"Doctor?" She said softly, then realising the idiotism of whispering to a man she was trying to wake she said it louder. "Doctor!" Phlox jerked awake and spun to face her.
"Commander! You're awake!"
"This surprises you?"
"Well considering the fact that you and the Captain are defying all medical logic at the moment, yes! One minute your dieing, the next you're as healthy as you've ever been the next you're dead! I just can't keep up with this! No matter what I do, nothing seems to help at all and your life signs just go mad anyway! The Captain was dead for nearly half an hour then his life signs just went back to normal. That just does. Not. Happen." Phlox sighed and bowed his head.
"Perhaps it is the temporal flux we are in." T'pol offered, Phlox looked up and smiled.
"Either that or you and the Captain have become imperious to death."
"As nice as that sounds, Doc, I don't think that's the case." Archer groaned as he propped himself up on the biobed. "What happened? Last thing I remember is being on the bridge looking at the Traduit Nebula. Oh, I have a serious brain pain though."
"Brain pain?" T'pol asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Calling it a head ache would be far too much of an understatement. What's going on?" Phlox and T'pol shot each other incredulous looks.
"You really don't remember?" Phlox asked, getting up and taking out his medical tricorder.
"No, what happened?" T'pol stepped forward and cleared her throat. This was going to be very awkward.
"You were kidnapped by a Katarian named Rialta for the sake of protecting you from a time travelling mad man named Scaron who wants to kill you to make his version of the perfect future. Lorian is also on board with Rialta and a young girl called Lizzie who is yours and my daughter from the future. Do you understand?" John just sat there for a few moments, blinking at her.
"Woah…that's a bit much to take in…So, time travellers again? I thought we'd seen the last of them…Well…our kids from the future and yours and Trip's kid from the future are on board battling time travelling mad man…Hmm…You sure she's ours?"
"She does resemble you greatly." T'pol said, somewhat annoyed that he was more concerned with the child's parentage than the state of emergency they were in. Archer nodded again, trying to take in this new information.
"Alright…you understand I'm a little bit sceptical."
"Captain, the least of our problems are their parentage. The ship is stuck in a temporal null."
"What?"
"A space where time does not exist. As we speak we are losing time and matter and if we do not leave soon, we are all going to cease to exist."
"Can't we just get out the way we got in?"
"We are trying, Rialta's ship was drained of energy because her ship was not properly prepped for the jump. We are transferring Enterprises Energy to her to get out of the null but that is the least of troubles."
"Let me guess." Archer said, raising a hand to stop her. "That mad man you were talking about is on the other side of the null with a lot of big, bad ships?" T'pol's eyebrow arched up in surprise.
"Yes, you are remembering."
"No, I'm just getting used to this whole 'The universe hates me' kinda life style and time travelling troubles are pretty uniform after a while. So, what are we going to do once we get out of the null and face this…Scar guy."
"Scaron…We have not discussed a strategy yet." Archer smiled up at her, sliding off the bed.
"I suppose that's my cue. So where's this Rialta who's saving the day?"
"I believe she would be in Engineering or the shuttle bay."
"Alright, engineering is closer." Archer smirked getting up. "You know, apart from the knife in my head, I feel pretty good." He gave his back a little stretch and sighed. "You comin' T'pol?" He asked, grinning over his shoulder at her. Phlox smiled at her and made a 'shoo' motion with his hands.
"An empty sickbay is a happy sickbay. Plus, if you die on the way you'll possibly resurrect yourself in a few minutes so there really is no need to stay here." He punctuated the last remark with a yawn. T'pol nodded and followed Archer out the door. He walked in a way she hadn't seen before, swinging his arms and kicking up his heels giving an unusual bounce to his step. When they arrived in Engineering they immediately saw Rialta hunched over the console making adjustments every few moments.
"Rialta." Archer called and she waved him away.
"In a minute." She snapped, her hands flying over the console. Archer stood waiting patiently, a curious smile on his face for several minutes till Rialta gave a satisfied nod and turned to Archer. "Oh! John. I didn't know you were up and about again. What can I do for you?" She motioned him to walk with her as they headed out of Engineering and towards the shuttle bay.
"I was just wondering what we're going to be doing about Scaron once we get out of the null." Archer said, staring at the three small horns down the centre of her forehead.
"Oh, that's simple. I'm gonna fly out, lay down fire and streak in one direction while Enterprise streaks in the other. Because I'm faster than Enterprise I'll be able to get away easier so he'll think you're on my ship. For cautions sake, knowing Scaron, he'll send half his fleet after Enterprise but that'll give you a better chance to get away. If you follow the flight plan Techie made out you should be able to lose them in the nebula and if you pass close to the corona of a star, they wouldn't dare follow you, and you'll be able to get away. There's no guarantee but all the matters is you surviving. Not Enterprise."
"Woah, hold on. Enterprise does matter! There arealmost ahundred people on this ship and…"
"John, you are the founder of the…"
"Federation! I know! This is the same crap every time travelling meddler has fed me. I'm the one who unites the galaxy, brings peace to a turbulent universe, so on, so forth."
"…Well I wouldn't say you brought peace to the universe. Universal peace was really secured by the Klingons which is kinda ironic if you think about it." Rialta said, cocking her head to one side and matching Archer's glare with a somewhat vacant look.
"I wont abandon my crew." He said stubbornly. Instead of her putting up a fight, as he expected, she smiled.
"Yeah, I know. I know you too well John and I have just as much to lose as you. Here's what I'm gonna do. Enterprise follows the flight path, I take you to a nearby planet, drop you, swing back, sneak up on the bad guys, attack which should slow them down and allow Enterprise to get away and then Enterprise will swing back, pick you up, high tail it back to Terran space, I go home and we all live happily ever after in our respective time lines. Sound good to you?" Archer frowned, shaking his head.
"What if Enterprise is destroyed, I'd like to stay with my ship."
"Staying with it will get you killed. Their sensors are very powerful, they'll cut through your shields and hull with no problem. They find you're not here, they might lay off."
"What shields?"
"…Oh yeah, you polarise the hole. My gods, your ship doesn't stand a chance if you stay. So come on." Archer and Rialta entered the shuttle bay, T'pol staying behind and moving to a Comm. Trip and Lorian were already in the shuttle bay, sitting in the pilot and co pilots chair. They seemed to be deep in discussion when everyone arrived but stopped as soon as Rialta and Archer stepped in.
"Out of my chair, Tucker." She snapped and both Lorian and Trip stood causing her to grin. "Aw, that was kinda cute. I meant you Commander." She stepped past Trip and sat down in the chair, her hands dancing over the alien console easily. Archer saw Trip elbow Lorian in the side and nod towards the co pilot chair. Lorian shook his head and mouthed something back but Trip just grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him forward.
"What's all that about?" Archer asked T'pol as she stepped into the ship.
"I have no idea." She said as Trip walked the two steps to where they were standing.
"He's your son." He muttered to T'pol and leaned up against the bulkhead.
"Are we bringing Lizzy?" Lorian asked, watching Rialta work.
"It's too dangerous for her here…unless I drop her with Archer. There's too few certainties. This is why I never bring her on these expeditions. It's too dangerous for a child." Rialta said, frowning at the screen in front of her that displayed read outs in a foreign language.
"Too dangerous for anyone." Lorian said quietly and she turned to face him. Looking at him oddly a moment.
"I suppose…T'pol, Tucker, I'm about to send us back. You better get out of he Shuttle bay, I'll have to depressurise it immediately and fly off if I've any hope of the plan working. T'pol, you take control of Enterprise and I'll handle the situation here….better get Lizzy first."
Almost as if summoned Lizzy streaked through the doors to the cargobay, Hoshi running behind her looking run ragged. Lizzy leapt the last few feet and collided with Archer, fastening herself onto his midriff.
"Lizzy?" He asked, looking to T'pol for confirmation. She nodded once and Lizzy detached herself from Archer, flinging herself to her mother and latching onto one of her legs.
"You're not going without me, no way." She said into T'pol's thigh.
"My god, you have the hearing of a Ferengi!" Rialta said aghast.
"No, I just know how you think! I'm not too little to battle Romulans." Lorian smiled over at her and stretched out his hand. Lizzy detached herself from her mother and hopped into Lorian's lap, buckling herself in.
"You said it yourself, she'd be safer with us." Lorian said at the dirty look Rialta gave him for allowing her onto his lap.
"Alright, now, Trip, T'pol. Jump ship."
"I'm not going anywhere." Trip said crossing his arms.
"Damn straight, you're staying on Enterprise." Rialta snapped.
"No, I'm staying with ye." Trip smirked at her. "Just try and stop me."
"And you say he takes after his mother…" She snarled and turned her attention to T'pol.
"You know what to do."
"I am sure Lieutenant Reed will be able to handle it well enough."
"Oh my god! It's a family of freaking mules! No! My ship! My rules! Off! Off! Off! You too Lorian! All of you!" Lorian crossed his arms in imitation of his father and T'pol followed suit. "I hate you all! Fine, but Reed doesn't know anything! We just talked about it on the way down."
"Actually I briefed him while ye were arguing about seating arrangements in here."
"…Did I mention I hated you all?" She said, turning back to her console with a sulk. "Fine, but Hoshi is definitely not coming."
"Why not?" She asked, crossing her arms.
"Because…This ship is small enough as it is. It's a two seater and there are seven people in here!" Hoshi looked to Archer and he smiled apologetically to her.
"She's right, it is cramped. Go look after Lieutenant Reed." He said, Lizzy gigged getting a strange look from Archer, but said nothing.
"Yes Captain." She stepped outside of the ship and made her way to the bridge. So it was down to her and Reed now, time had an odd sense of humour.
"Finally, I'm getting my way." Rialta sighed, reaching across to flick a switch on the console and sat back, the ships door closing. "Alright, here we go."