AN:I don't own anything related to Star Trek Enterprise

I hope you like the next chapter : )

I am really sorry for not updating regularly

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Chapter XVI

Fragile Bonding

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Cappa'Lann

"Captain R'ata!"

He turned around starring into the pipe of a phaser rifle. His eyes narrowed, anger written all over his face.

"Security arrest the Commander!" He shouted but only a handful of the guards left onboard took a step forward and where easily overpowered.

"Captain R'ata I am hereby taking command of the Cappa'Lann in the name of Chancellor Drara."

R'ata glanced around the bridge all officers present carried a hand weapon there was no way to escape alive.

"Cappa'Lann to Enterprise"

"This is Enterprise."

"I am Commander D'enecca ,the Cappa'Lann stands under my command, all onboard forces will be withdrawn."

Archer glanced around the room with a faint smile on his lips.

"I believe I speak for everyone here when I say thank you."

D'enecca returned the smile and nodded. "I wish to come onboard and discuss this...situation." "Certainly Commander I will call in the MACO's."

The transmission was cut. Archer gave the Tenndarian doctor a short nod and indicated the door.

"This is sub-commander T'Pol, all security personal seize fire. I repeat all security personal seize fire the situation is under control."

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Docking Port, starboard hatch

Archer extended his arm as the Tenndarian military officer walked onboard.

"Commander D'enecca welcome onboard I am Captain Archer."

D'enecca quickly extended his arm and shared the earth custom of shaking hands.

"So this is the scientific explorer Enterprise."

"United Starship Enterprise." Archer corrected.

"I am amazed of the destruction she is able to do." He said meaning the seizure of the Ta'Inn and Ta'Lann.

"I am sorry but your people gave no other choice."

"I am not blaming you for protecting yourself in fact I would have done the same."

"Tell me what is the situation with Cappa'Lann?"

"She is completely seized by my people and will not pose any problem Captain."

Archer nodded, satisfied with the answer presented. Hogan and T'ela arrived.

"I am sorry I was not familiar with the decks." T'ela excused himself.

"Doctor T'ela." The Commander acknowledged.

"Commander." He returned.

"I trust you know what you are doing?"

"Completely sir."

Their ranks were equal but T'ela still felt the need of saying sir.

"Let's continue this discussion in sickbay." Archer gestured for them to follow.

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Sickbay

The room was crowded by injured people but Phlox had drawn the curtain around the three biobeds in the back of the room.

"Any change?"

"Slowly to the better Captain."

Phlox said before attending to another injured crewman limping through the door.

D'enecca looked around, there were so many injured and he felt sorry for them but at the same time he was amazed by their survival since three Tenndarian ships had engaged the Enterprise in battle. Archer opened up the curtain just enough for the three of them to pass. Trip, Malcolm and T'Cey lay all unconscious. T'ela turned to face Archer.

"Captain I believe it's time to tell you the reason for all this. Five years ago our scientists reached the conclusion that in another 15 years our planet would die, the pollution in the air would have reached so high levels that new born and old people would die from exposure unless something was done."

"Our people lacked the full range of technology and our government lacked the sufficient strength to make the people to realize the full potential of the situation. Most of them continued driving their miniships for work, they continued to weaken the planet by taking down more of the forest and warm their houses with radioactive sources."

"Radioactive sources?" Archer questioned.

"Each house have a little nuclei that powers up the heating." D'enecca filled in.

"How is that possible?"

"It is a refined method and not so bad for the health as you might think." T'ela finished.

"It is heavily shielded and it is enough to drive the system for at least a period of 50 years the problem is were to dump it. Anyway the government tried to gain people's attention but once again failed. Chancellor Ajin and a couple of his staff came to the conclusion that the planet was doomed, there was no hope of springing life again. They started to spread propaganda about how beautiful our twin planet was and how evil the inhabitants were. That they would destroy our planet while we fought to restore it."

T'ela paused taking a deep breath.

"Since the restrictions of travel no one has been allowed to go to Tennaite and the channels of trade and news has been cut off. Without exactly knowing the governments intentions and without the proper knowledge about Tennaite most people chose to believe chancellor Ajin's accusations. He gained a lot of power and for a year he secretly ran the military complex in the Caccadella forest without anyone's knowledge."

"Chancellor Drara feared that Ajin would set his plan of colonizing Tennaite into motion. He managed to set together an assault team from a secret section in the military to infiltrate the base, me included. We were ten, that figure is now reduced to three. During the four years that we have been present most unfortunate accidents has been occurring and we feared we had been exposed by our actions. However when Admiral T'ann seemed to believe that he had eliminated all of us connected to Chancellor Drara we stopped our secret transmissions 6 months ago in order to give him a false sense of security."

T'ela looked at D'enecca who continued.

"Before the transmissions where cut we gained enough information about the place to know that they were experimenting with an alloy on Chancellor Ajin's orders but we didn't understand because they didn't seem to make any progress. A lot of friendly races has passed our system during the years but most of them chose to visit Tennaite."

"The ones who visited us are being brought down to the most stable environmental zone on the planet near the Caccadella forest."

"The C'Della city?" Archer asked.

"Yes. Your people helped our people with the alloy modifications in the big research building near the city centre."

Archer nodded.

"Chancellor Drara had people everywhere in the vicinity of the building as other races visited but all they did was to modify and sometimes refine our technology for handling the alloy, then they left. It took us two years to understand that the alloy was useless. Chancellor Ajin's research officers claimed that they were making progress and he told the people that soon the Tenndarian's would come to the paradise. The chancellor knew that the alloy was useless so it was only a diversion from what he was really doing. We had been fooled and back at the beginning, we had learned nothing for three years. Our people reported from the complex but had not gained enough knowledge about it's purpose."

D'enecca glanced at T'ela who continued.

"There were times when people from other worlds came to us and managed to break through our defences, most of them got their short term memory erased and was sent back to the city. Two times they have managed to escape only to be eliminated by the head of security a mad man called Heza. It would later be explained their captain that they had dies in a very unfortunate accident and that they were still searching for the bodies. When four of your people entered the complex I thought that this was yet another target that had to eliminated."

"You knew about Hoshi and Travis too?" Archer questioned.

"Not at first. I heard the klaxon indicating that someone was inside. The Admiral was furious and this time he didn't want their memories erased, he wanted them dead."

"I learned that they had escaped and wondered what they had find that was so important that the Admiral was ready to kill for it. I heard a shot echoing in the corridor and when I arrived I was curious to know why Heza had left a badly injured in the corridor not alerting a doctor. I was told he was a spy and that he should not be cared for. I waited till they had left us alone, they had exposed Lieutenant T'ead and there would only be a matter of time until T'Cey or myself would be under investigation if we did anything out of the ordinary."

"Before he died he managed to say three words: Scan, ship, Cappa'Lann. I didn't understand. I couldn't contact any members outside the complex that shortly after T'ead's death if I wanted to stay alive. I later learned that Heza had taken a captive and wanted to torture him for information and that the other one was dead, I were to retreat his body and get rid of it."

"I think I understand." Archer said suddenly.

"Captain?" The doctor questioned.

"Trip and Malcolm found detailed information about the Enterprise's weapons system and several other types of weapons and cloaking devices from various ships. Ships that has been visiting your planet. They scanned them from the complex under Admiral Tann's supervision." "And the best improvements were to be installed into Cappa'Lann." D'enecca said. "Scan...ship...Enterprise...Cappa'Lann." T'ela repeated slowly.

"Yes it makes sense! All the enhancements to the ship that didn't make sense..."

"The assassination attempts are also making sense doctor." Archer said.

"Who would be better qualified to assess the situation than a Chief tactical officer and a Chief engineer."

The doctor looked at him as realisation hit him.

"Of course, he knew that Lt. Reed was your Chief tactical officer. Suddenly the Admiral's actions makes much more sense. It wasn't until he escaped that the Admiral really lost. He came down to the infirmary with four armed guards claiming that it was crucial that we found the Lieutenant." "And he did." Archer said. T'ela's eyes landed on Malcolm's still form.

"I have the Admiral in custody and that's where he is going to stay until all this is cleared up." Archer turned to D'ennecca.

"Commander could you unlock Cappa'Lann from the Enterprise? That way we won't be such an easy target."

"I will see to it but I wouldn't worry." He smiled.

"There are no battlecruisers left and the miniature class cruisers pose no threat."

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The Complex

"Sir!"

One of the guards came running into the command centre.

"Not now I am busy." Heza said, a satisfactory smile on his lips.

"The Chief medical officer and the Captain are gone sir!"

"What do you mean gone?"

"They must have used the transporter while the forcefield was weakened."

"Give the message to Captain R'ata." Heza said angrily.

"R'ata is no longer in command of the Cappa'Lann."

"Of course he is!"

"If that where the case Heza, would you care to explain why Cappa'Lann is releasing her docking clamps?" A senior member of the command centre stab asked.

The question was left unanswered as a communications officer started talking.

"A transmission from Enterprise to Cappa'Lann was picked up ten minutes ago."

"Why wasn't it displayed immediately!"

"We where unable to do so it had been scrambled."

Heza threw the officer out of the chair and placed himself in it.

"It's the resistance group, fire at the ships!"

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Cappa'Lann

"Sir, incoming torpedoes from the ground!"

"Use countermeasures and contact the Enterprise." D'enecca ordered as he grabbed the nearest chair.

"I have her on link sir."

"I need the co-ordinates for the complex, I am intending to deliver a present."

Archer smiled ruefully and nodded.

"Hogan transfer."

"Transfer complete sir."

"Good, fire."

The peace in the Caccadella area was suddenly disturbed by a burst of flames as a twin torpedo impacted in the centre of the ground floor.

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Parliament of Tenndaria

Chancellor Ajin watched the destructive force from the Cappa'Lann drilling itself through the complex. It was all about to come out. He had failed to eliminate all of Drara's men and there was no longer a point of return.He quickly packed a few things and disappeared.

Chancellor Drara smiled in satisfaction as the first broadcast came displaying the complex to all citizens of Tenndaria. The people were frantic, demanding an explanation to why Cappa'Lann attacked their own planet. The doors to his office suddenly opened.

"Chancellor someone named T'ela wishes to speak to you from the ship."

"I'll take it here."

"Doctor." He acknowledged. "Good work."

"I have had good help sir."

"Chancellor Drara I presume, I am Captain Archer of the starship Enterprise. We have all the details, is there a place where we could talk undisturbed?"

"Well I haven't had the honour of visiting you Captain."

"I am afraid the Enterprise is falling apart."

"After all she has been through I am surprised she is still holding together."

"If you insist chancellor but you must dock at the starboard hatch."

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One chapter to go. I am very happy that I have managed this far.

Thank you for bearing with me : )