J. B. Tilton/Page 4
EIGHT
"Everyone, out of here," Archer ordered as the demon advanced.
"It won't do any good," Piper said. "It won't stop until it competes its objective. Mainly, getting to us."
Piper turned toward the demon and brought her hands up. She tapped into her explosive power and the demons chest exploded. Just as quickly it reformed as if it had not been attacked. The demon howled.
"DaHjaj 'oH QaQ jaj Daq Hegh", screamed the creature.
It raised the dagger it had and threw it at the group.
"Dagger," Paige called out.
The dagger suddenly orbed to her hand. In one reflexive move, Paige threw the dagger back at the demon. It struck the demon in the shoulder and the creature howled in pain. It wrenched the dagger free and snarled at the group.
"Klang DichDaq ghaj Daj," the demon screamed. "Archer DichDaq vaD Daj."
Suddenly the demon simply vanished from sight. The crew of the Enterprise watched in fascination as the creature disappeared. The sisters were hardly surprised. They had witnessed countless demons simply vanish from sight.
"What the hell was that?" Trip asked.
"That's the demon we're after," Paige said. "And that's the same language it spoke to us the first time."
"Captain," Hoshi said, "it was definitely Klingon. It said something about Klang and your dishonor."
"Are you sure?" questioned Archer.
"Yes sir," Hoshi said.
Archer walked over to the wall and pressed a button on the wall.
"Bridge, this is the captain," he said. "Go to yellow alert. Have security search the entire ship. We seem to have a Klingon intruder on board. And do a full sensor sweep of the area. I want to know if there's any ship out there, I don't care how far away it is."
He pressed the button again and then turned back to the group.
"Well," he said, "it seems that at least part of your story may be true. Malcolm, put guards on all sensitive areas of the ship. Make it a double guard. And give them orders to shoot to kill. That thing withstood four phase pistols on full. I don't want the guards taking any chances."
"Captain," T'Pol said, "surely you don't believe the Klingon was a demon?"
"Right now," Archer said, "I'm not discounting anything. It just vanished. That's not something you see everyday."
"It is possible," said T'Pol, "that some form of transporter beam was used to extricate the Klingon from the Enterprise."
"Doesn't anything bother you?" Piper asked, noticing T'Pol's lack of emotional response. "That thing could have killed us all and you're as calm as a cucumber."
"Vulcans repress their emotions," Trip said. "Most humans find it somewhat annoying."
"We can discuss that later," Archer said. "For the moment it seems our guest has left."
"He'll be back," Phoebe said. "Demons don't give up easily."
"Let's get back to the situation room," Archer said. "I have a few more questions I'd like to ask."