I don't own anyone or anything related to ST ENT.

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Chapter III

Strange Things Happen

"I am not sure if that is safe". T'Pol stated flatly.

"Either you and ensign Cutler take the transporter up here or you stay where you are." Archer gazed at his communicator.

"Very well captain. We request permission to beam onboard."

"Permission granted, and T'Pol?"

"Yes captain?"

"Is it so boring being on shore leave?"

"I don't require that type of actions to relax." She indicated the bar drinking.

"I see, Archer out." He fell back in his chair glancing up in the ceiling before reaching for the com button.

"Archer to Transporter room, please beam up the sub-commander and ensign Cutler."

"Understood sir." The crewman at the transporter pad said.

Jonathan closed his eyes for a moment, it was so calm onboard with only a skeleton crew and for the first time he had come to enjoy the silence. And for the first time in a month he had made contact with a friendly race.

"T'Pol to sickbay."

"Go ahead." Phlox said cheerfully.

"Doctor I have the samples that you requested."

"Very good can you bring them here?"

"I must point out they weren't happy giving away new research procedures to another race." "That is understandable, you didn't force them to did you T'Pol?"

"Negative doctor I simply told them about our starmaps, they found them very valuable."

"I believe their research about a local disease has the quality of curing the Denobulan nerve disease. Thank you sub-commander my colleagues will be pleased." He gave her one of his widest smiles.

Forest

After stumbling around in the forest for 20 minutes Trip shook the compass.

"Hey Malcolm? Is it just my head or is the compass spinning?"

Lt. Reed gazed at it obviously puzzled. The compass needle went round and round, he handed it to Hoshi not wanting to look at it anymore.

"Great, what are we doing now?" Malcolm sighed.

"I think we should take a look around this place." Travis nodded at a big black building. Suddenly a light beam searched the area and the four officers threw themselves to the ground trying not to be discovered.

"There's something very strange going on here." Trip whispered as he reached for his communicator.

"Tucker to Enterprise."

There was nothing, not even static interference. Malcolm opened his own. "Reed to Enterprise!"

"Nothing?" Hoshi asked dismayed. Travis shook his head in disbelief.

"Ackwain noungatha ackron descink katrana..."

"What the..." Trip started.

"Hush!..." Hoshi quickly silenced him.

"...was that?"

"Tenndarians?" Malcolm whispered.

"Hoshi? What are they saying?" Travis glanced around nervously.

"Not sure...ackron?" Hoshi tried the word.

"What?" Trip asked eager to know.

"I think ackron means espionage." Her eyes met his.

"We better tell the captain." Malcolm said trying to take in as much of his surroundings as possible.

"Hoshi, Travis?" Trip started.

"What is that!" Hoshi stood paralysed gazing at a couple of bright yellow eyes.

"Run!" Trip didn't have to tell anyone twice. They took off in the direction of the building complex.

"I strongly recommend the other way!" Malcolm screamed over some unidentified noises.

"We have no choice, we are surrounded!" Trip shouted back.

As they came closer they split up in an attempt to increase their chances of contacting Enterprise. As Trip and Malcolm entered the building quite easy they heard voices.

"Great, now we need a linguistic expert!" Trip said sarcastically.

"Trip, this is a military building." Malcolm said carefully peeking around a corner with his phaser ready. An alarm suddenly echoed through the corridors.

"I hope that wasn't us." He continued as Trip studied a panel.

"It has to be an access panel!"

"Yes in Tenndarian. You don't happen to have translator?" Malcolm replayed dryly.

Trip scrambled around in his pockets. "As a matter of fact I happen to have one here somewhere, why?" He handed the device to Malcolm who quickly attached it to the panel pushing several buttons.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought you might want English...or American."

"How did you do that?"

" I am not quite sure actually I have just learned it from Hoshi." Malcolm admitted. Trip tapped into the computer, more Tenndarian.

"I can't work miracles commander."

"Tennaite? Isn't that the twin planet of Tenndaria? Are they planning a war or something?" Trip said curiously. Malcolm pointed to the screen.

"These are weapons, this doesn't add up, the Tenndarian's aren't advanced enough to build these kinds of canons."

Trip tried to reach longer into the system. "Can't you get this in English?"

"I am not the linguistic officer." Trip nodded glancing down at Malcolm who was trying to change language. Accidentally he put his hand on the console. Trip just starred at the vision that appeared in front of him. "Malcolm? I think you should se this."

"That's Enterprise!?" Malcolm confirmed a bit surprised.

"That's Enterprise." Trip repeated. His suspicions had been correct.

Malcolm let his eyes wander over the console studying intensely for a while. "Weapons, our weapons array is very detailed."

They could hear distant footsteps. "I doubt that it is Hoshi and Travis."

"We better get out of here, now!" Drawing his weapon Trip sprinted to the opposite side of the corridor as the first guard came around the corner.

Coldly and steady Malcolm stunned the guard and nodded at Trip.