"Archer to Major Hayes." "Hayes here. Go ahead, Sir."

"I need you in Sickbay. On the double. Archer out."

The abruptness in Archer's tone spurred Hayes to his feet and he was out the door of his quarters before his bootlaces were tied.

Hayes entered Sickbay a few minutes later to see Archer, T'Pol and Phlox standing around a tense looking Meara Shaw. What the heck is going on?, he thought to himself. On approaching the group, Hayes caught the end of whatever Archer had been saying to Doctor Phlox. "Do what you can, Phlox. I'll contact Starfleet Command and get their take on what - if anything - can be done to salvage the situation. In the meantime…"

Archer had heard Hayes enter the room and turned his attention to the MACO.

"Major. Please escort Ensign Shaw to the Brig and place her under guard. I'll be along to question her shortly."

Hayes slack-jawed reaction coupled with his hesitation was not what Archer had been expecting. "Excuse me, Sir?"

Archer's expression made it clear to Hayes this was not the correct thing to say under the circumstances. "Now is not the time to be questioning my orders, Hayes." Meara's voice broke through his stunned reaction. "It's OK, Major." She walked towards him. "I'm going voluntarily until this - misunderstanding - is cleared up."

"Whether or not it is a misunderstanding remains to be seen, Ensign." Hesitantly, but gently Hayes took her arm. She was looking defiantly at Archer. "Remember Captain. The simplest answer is usually the right one. I believe I've been taken for a fool and Enterprise has been sent unknowingly along for the ride."

With a look of abject confusion marring his face, Hayes turned them both and left Sickbay with Meara. Well, she thought to herself, at least now she realised why Section 31 had been so willing to loan her to Starfleet for this mission. The bastards. She would just have to trust that this ship and her crew wouldn't let this opportunity slip through their fingers because of a small, narrow-minded section of Humanity.

As they headed for the Brig, Hayes mind was reeling. He didn't know where to begin, didn't know if he should, if he would be stepping over some invisible line that allowed him to remain the impartial soldier. He looked at her. She was staring straight ahead, lips set rigid in a thin determined line, not giving anything away. He decided to keep his unsettled thoughts in check. He'd know soon enough what was going on when Archer came to question Meara. It suddenly dawned on him why Archer had requested him - and not any of the ship's own security team - to take her into custody.

Malcolm. He didn't know what was transpiring and Archer didn't want him to. Not yet anyway.

Hayes stood outside the Brig, trying not to look at his prisoner. He wondered to himself how he could have so badly misjudged someone. They had hit it off almost immediately, discovered common ground. She'd even defied a fundamental law of the Universe and managed to bridge the gaping chasm that had for so long separated he and Malcolm. He was certain that chasm would have swallowed up the both of them had she not stepped into the breach and so masterfully taken control of the situation. He glanced at her again. Her eyes were closed, she was sitting still - looking completely centred and calm - in her favoured cross-legged position on the floor. Hayes sighed. Whatever this was, it was surely some giant mistake. He just had to trust the Captain. He'd never let his crew down. He wouldn't start now.

Two hours later, Archer appeared. Hayes met his eyes but couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was an emotional person a lot of the time but he could pull a poker face out of the bag when he wanted. "How's the Ensign?"

Hayes looked straight ahead. "She's been a model... prisoner, Captain."

"Capt-". Archer raised his hand and gave a small smile. Hayes took this as a good sign.

Archer turned his attention to Meara who had risen from her sitting position to stand at ease in the centre of the room. He hit the comm panel. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Meara spoke for the first time since they had left Sickbay. "It wasn't my place, Sir. And anything that you were to discover had to come from Starfleet Command."

Archer pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. He hated being in the dark. How was he supposed to be an effective leader if he wasn't in possession of all the facts? "Well now I am in possession of the facts, Ensign. But before I release you I want to hear it from you."

So Meara told him. And Major Hayes got an earful the likes of which you couldn't make up if you were Arthur Conan Doyle... Her time in Section 31, gathering intel on Earth's new allies, the infiltration of the organisation by a Terra Prime operative and her discovery of said agent in their midst. Meara's abduction and torture, which evidently also involved the insertion of a virus engineered to harm the Klingons with the intention of starting a war that would unbalance any attempts at an alliance and undoubtedly throw relations with Vulcan and Andoria into disarray. It would appear, she speculated, that Terra Prime still had some hold in Section 31, but they'd have to address that matter after the mission.

"I trust you'll be discreet about this Major?" Archer said. "I'll be briefing the senior staff today."

"Of course, Sir." Hayes wouldn't know where to start if anyone asked him to put into words the story Meara had just shared.

"Phlox to Captain Archer." "You have some good news I hope, Doctor?" Phlox was the best at what he did and he didn't disappoint Archer this time either. "I think we have a solution, Captain, that ensures the well-being of the Ensign and the continuation of the mission... If you can send her along we can get started on the treatment. I understand time is of the essence." Archer gave a sigh of relief.

"As always, you're a lifesaver, Phlox." "Doing what I was born to do, Captain."

"Archer out." He turned again to Hayes. "Release our occupant and shut down power to the Brig, Major." "Yes Sir."

"I'm glad my misgivings were unfounded. Ambassador," using her real title for the first time since she arrived on board. "I'm not a fan of Section 31 but I have learned over time that I don't have to be a fan of everything that seems to make the Universe tick."

Meara gave him a smile. Archer realised that her place in this mission would indeed give it the best possible chance of success. "Chain of command can be a real ballbreaker sometimes, can't it Captain?"

"Never a truer word spoken in jest, Ensign. I'll check your progress after I've briefed the senior staff." "Very well, Sir."

"Care to accompany me to the Command Centre, Major?" "Of course, Captain." Hayes had visibly relaxed since Meara's revelations. She hoped she hadn't lost a friend. He gave her a curt nod, which Meara guessed for him, while on duty, was practically a hug.