I opened my mouth to protest but it quickly turned my face into a look of shock as I felt my self being transported off the Enterprise, the last thing I saw was Jonathan lunging towards me trying to catch me before I disappeared.
I reformed on a strange transporting platform, which I recognized instantly as on the Xindi ship. Son of a bitch, I thought, that's why he took that single blast to knock out our shields just to use me as hostage and Jonathan's lingering eyes had given me away as the perfect emotional target. I was on my guard ready as two Xindi came into the room and dragged me out I twisted in their grip but they held me fast. We walked onto the Xindi Bridge and I saw Archer's face though the screen. I felt another pang in my heart as I saw him and all of a sudden I had a desperate urge to get back to Jonathan and the Enterprise. I lashed out and kicked the first Xindi in his side then the other in his head.
"Captain!" I shouted as I ran to the nearest console "Aim for their shields now!" as ordered as I attempted to lower the shield manually. It was all happening so quickly that Degra didn't have a chance to react until he produced a hand held phaser and before Enterprise could fire at their shield emitters or before I registered Archer's shout,
"Lookout Rachel!"
I felt a hot searing pain in my chest, Degra had fired his weapon at me, everything started to swirl black around me and before I lost consciousness entirely, I managed to disrupt the shield harmonics so their shielding was lowered by 50, but not enough I thought as I faded out to Archer's voice shouting
"Degra, you son of a bitch!"
Oh god! Jonathan said to himself as they brought my unconscious body in full view.
"Archer, before you go and try anything heroic, I have a phaser trained on her that will be set on the highest setting and can be shot within an a moments notice, we will give you 6 hours to disarm your ship and prepare for a boarding party and we officially take over your petty human vessel.
"And just say we don't want to do that…" Archer offered being sarcastic, knowing full well the answer
"You will never see Captain Robinson here again." He threatened and then he cut the transmission.
The senior officers had gathered in the meeting room, to decide Enterprises next course of action. While all the other officers had taken a seat Jonathan could not keep still and began pacing the room.
"Damn, that Degra! How the hell could he have known anything about how I feel about Rachel? How?" he was fuming.
"Well with all due respect Cap'n it was pretty obvious." Trip stated
"Trip, goddammit! This is no time for your jokes!" Jonathan shouted as he slammed his fist on the table.
"Whose joking Cap'n? It's true" Trip stated matter-o-factly.
Jonathan sat down in his chair with his head in his hands,
"Look what I've done now; I've jeopardized her and the crew's life"
The crew remained silent, unsure of what to say to console him, T'Pol offered an answer that was certainly unwelcome at the time but cleared Jonathan's head. "Captain, this is why I don't get involved with my colleagues, you should have been wise and more efficient in hiding your emotions at such a critical time, however I accept your inability to do so as you cannot change the fact that you are indeed human." She stood up now and walked over to the Captain sitting in his chair "But now, you must focus on how we are going to rescue her and prevent Xindi from taking control of Enterprise."
Jonathan slowly rose his head out of his hands "T'Pol, you are right, let's get to work people." Half an hour later… "Okay crew, this is what we are going to do, when the 6th hour comes by, we will station the marines at the docking port door, to deal with the incoming Xindi, this assault will be lead by Lieutenant Reed, is that understood Major Hayes?"
"Perfectly clear sir!" he replied.
"But the crucial thing about that attack is it's a diversion for us to board their ship simultaneously. We then proceed to find Captain Robinson, after I disable their shields from the inside, we are instantaneously transported back to Enterprise and then proceed to attack their ship until destroyed, there's no letting them go this time!"
"That sounds logical" T'Pol affirmed "However, Doctor, I think you should prepare for the eventuality of Captain Robinson being injured as she couldn't have taken such a blow lightly.
Dr. Phlox nodded.
"Let's go everyone let's get ready!" Archer said as everyone stood up and rushed out of the room.
"Good, good Archer, for once you are listening to me and accepting our power over you" Degra, replied at Jonathan's statement that Enterprise was now disarmed and waiting for the boarding party.
"We are just now waiting your men to arrive, I have sent some crewmen to greet them, and we succumb entirely to you. What about Captain Robinson? Bring her with you" He said, staring resolutely into Degra's eyes, hoping against hope that their plan would work, knowing it was not going to be easy.
"Oh, I never said I would give her back to you, just that I wouldn't kill her, I could use a girl like her as a servant, I'll soon break her spirit…Excellent, we'll see you then I suppose." Degra replied cheerfully and ended the transmission. Archer stood there by the helm for a full minute, just letting sink in what Degra had just said. The realization of the consequences of failure arose in a clear light. He would lose Rachel forever...
"Captain, they have just lowered shields and boarded Enterprise"
"Initiate site-to-site transport!" and Jonathan disintegrated off Enterprise and aboard Degra's ship.
"I've just got word from the Captain; they are due to arrive any minute now" whispered Malcolm to Major Hayes, who had his team spread out covering the door entirely and would be ready to surround them the moment they arrived.
Transporter beams appeared and with them brought the life forms of the Xindi, the lead Xindi stepped forward
"Thank you for the kind welcome" he sarcastically remarked but the words froze on his lips as the noticed Major Hayes, Lt. Reed and the whole security team with guns trained on them, "Get back to the ship" he hissed but before they could even move… "Fire!" and the Xindi boarders were destroyed.
Jonathan was fortunate that he wouldn't face much opposition as he couldn't be seen. He was wearing a light distorter; Commander Tucker gave it to him right before he left. It the made the light that hit him reflect back in a light wave that was undetectable to the naked eye, Xindi or Human. He ran down the corridors, searching frantically, recognizing that he had little time before Degra realized he was set up. He was about to burst with frustration when he heard a familiar voice.
"Who the hell do you think you are, keeping me locked up here! Your quarrel is not with me or the Enterprise or even Earth, but with your own stupidity and insecurities!" I hollered at the guard sitting with me in my cell, I had regained my consciousness after a short time, I still felt ill, but I wanted to let him have it. My last outrageous attempt to stir him up worked
"What did you say to me human? Would you like to repeat that and see whether you like the taste of my fist!" he raised his hand to hit me, I flinched, but registered shock on my face when, the Xindi guard's hand was suspended mid-air and he was struggling against something. All of a sudden, Jonathan appeared as he was taking a pin off out of his jacket.
"Jonathan!" I said surprised, I wanted to throw my arms around him in a tight hug for coming after me but unfortunately the Xindi guard was going to complicate things.
"You!" he reached for his communicator "Degra –"he stopped, Jonathan had a blade at his throat.
"Yes, what is it Lieutenant? I'm busy" Degra had answered his call. Jonathan pressed the blade harder against his neck. The Xindi commander's eyes were full of fear
"Oh nothing Degra sorry for the interruption, just a little disturbance with the female, it okay now." Degra chuckled
"She will make a fine slave!" then he ended the communication.
Not wanting to risk the Xindi again attempting to alert Degra to our presence, Jonathan struck out with another kick to the head which knocked him out. He then turned to me, his eyes full of concern.
"How are you feeling?" he put his arm around me; I buried my face in his jacket "Thank God, you came!" I stood there holding him for a few moments, when then I remembered that I was still angry at him and I had my 'strictly professional pact' to uphold, so I let go and found something to distract his attention.
"Look a control panel, here I didn't notice it here before" I rushed up to the panel. "Maybe, you should have spent less time yelling and more time searching" Jonathan suggested playfully. I blushed,
"Oh you heard, I was just causing trouble for them Xindi is all." I paused for a second, trying to find a cover for my embarrassment, "Jonathan, we can disable their shields from this console as this contains access to the main power grid!"
"That was part of out plan, first we download their database which will hopefully give us the weapons location, then, the second we disable the shield grid we will be transported out of here and back to the Enterprise then to destroy the Xindi ship once and for all" Jonathan replied grimly.
"Let's get to work" I said, smiling at Jonathan, which seemed to raise his sprits to work harder, because he downloaded the database and disabled the shields in less than two minutes. A few seconds later, we were transported of the Xindi ship, the last thing we saw was four Xindi officers rush up to the cell in time to see us disappear.
It's good to be back on Enterprise, Jonathan thought, when this is over I am going to talk to Rachel and settle our problems. In the meantime…
"Travis recommence attack maneuver Robinson" He glanced over at me, I had a disoriented look on my face, the next second I fell on the floor. Dr. Phlox rushed to sit me up. Jonathan started to go over to see me himself when Travis informed him;
"We're in place Captain"
"Malcolm, fire at will!" Jonathan cried
The explosion was blinding, with the shockwave of the blast just washing over us, Jonathan sank down in his chair relieved that it was over and that now Enterprise had the coordinates of where the Xindi super weapon was being built. But now he had a more pressing concern, he would never forgive himself, if I didn't make it. He watched two of the medical staff carry me out on a stretcher with a grim expression on his face. He felt a hand on his shoulder, it was T'Pol,
"She will be fine Captain, and she is strong."
He nodded his head in agreement, but still sat there worrying about me,
