A/N: Posting this chapter early because the time change here is going to mess up my morning tomorrow. Thanks for the reviews! I'm still writing as fast as I can on this story.

CHAPTER 20

Archer strode out of the ready room, Sato at his heels, and headed for the situation table at the back of the bridge. "Reed, T'Pol. Get over here," he ordered.

As his two officers made their way across the bridge, Archer glanced at Sato. She appeared to have recovered from the surprise of finding him intimately involved with another woman. Not that he cared, but it wouldn't have hurt his ego see a little bit of jealousy on her face. He'd installed her as his captain's woman, after all, even though he hadn't taken advantage of it. Quite the opposite. He thought he'd shown admirable restraint, especially now. He always became aroused at the prospect of battle.

Really, Sato ought to be grateful since he'd taken into account that she apparently had no interest in him on an intimate level. That's why he'd retreated to his ready room this morning and, ultimately, summoned Cutler. If he'd stayed on the bridge, constantly aware of Sato's presence, her wishes wouldn't have mattered a whit if he had decided it was time she was more than a captain's woman in name only.

But he had dismissed that idea for a number of reasons. First, she was much too valuable on the bridge to waste her time satisfying his personal needs. He'd been proven correct, of course. She'd come across another hidden transmission while he'd been occupied with Cutler.

Second, Sato had to be the least suited of any of those who had been his captain's woman. He also suspected that she might be a person who, once intimacies started, would expect things in return. He had an idea that she would ask to be returned to her own universe, which he wasn't about to do. And even if she didn't harp on that, the entangling intricacies that grew out of an intimate relationship wouldn't do anything but hamper his career. There were more than enough other women on board who appreciated, even craved, his attention when he needed it.

And finally, he didn't want to give Sato any reason not to trust him. He could imagine how a translator could twist things around in an effort to get back at him.

All those thoughts faded from his mind as he viewed the sector displayed on the situation table's screen. He quickly filled in Reed and T'Pol about the message Sato had uncovered, and what he had decided to do about it.

"The Andorians are waiting for their chancellor before they start the attack," Archer said. "But I've decided he's not going to get there."

"We're going after Shran?" Reed asked. "Do we know where he is?"

Archer looked at Sato. "Trace that transmission. Find out where the attack force is holding position. From that, we can probably figure out the route Shran is taking from Andoria."

"Use my station," T'Pol told Sato. "I've tied in the necessary programming from the communications console. Combined with the long-range sensors, we should be able to determine the projected course of Shran's ship." She looked to Archer. "With your permission, of course, sir."

"Get to it," Archer said.

Sato followed T'Pol to the science station. Mayweather, who had been standing outside the ready room, moved over to a position next to the science station. Despite having just been sated, Archer admired the view as Sato walked away. Enough of that, he told himself roughly. This was exactly the type of situation that had led him to decide not to become involved with her other than on a work level. She was a distraction he didn't need, especially since the next twenty-four hours could provide the biggest boost to his career since he'd been promoted to captain.

He looked back at the situation table, where the results of T'Pol and Sato's work would be displayed as soon as they correlated all the data.

Next to him, Reed snickered. "She didn't take it very well, I assume," Reed said.

Archer knew what he was talking about. He wouldn't be surprised if Reed had tricked Sato into ringing the chime to his ready room. It was in keeping with the man's twisted nature. "Actually, she took it remarkably well," he said, adding in a frosty tone, "not that it's any of your business."

Instead of appearing chastised, Reed actually smiled. "I was thinking more along the lines that Crewman Cutler might need some comforting, seeing as how the captain's woman barged in on her."

Archer wasn't fooled. Reed wouldn't openly hint to him that he was interested in Sato. "If Crewman Cutler will have you, be my guest, Mister Reed. But there are more than twenty-five women on board you can amuse yourself with."

Reed smirked. "I daresay I've 'amused' myself with almost every one of them. Can you blame me for wanting a perfect record?"

Reed boasting of his sexual prowess in front of him was going too far. Archer glared down at the shorter man, and was gratified to see the blood drain from Reed's complexion. The man realized he'd overstepped his bounds. Fortunately for Reed, the situation table lit up with new graphics at that moment, else Archer might have openly reprimanded him in front of everyone on the bridge. That was not something that would sit well with the tactical officer, who often relied on his ability to intimidate others.

On the situation table's screen, a yellow line representing the projected course of Shran's ship was winding its way from Andoria to a point a couple of light years from Panmikar, where a large blinking orange circle indicated the waiting Andorian fleet. As T'Pol and Sato rejoined them, Archer asked, "What about our other ships in this sector? Where are they?"

Reed entered several commands in the tabletop keyboard. Red circles popped onto the screen at various locations. All were much farther away from Panmikar than Enterprise, but they were even farther away from the projected course of the Andorian chancellor's ship. "Four fleet ships are on their way to assist us," Reed supplied.

"Who's the ranking captain of those fleet ships?" Archer asked.

"After yourself," T'Pol answered, "Captain Erika Hernandez."

Archer nodded, more to himself than in confirmation of T'Pol's answer. Hernandez was good. Not many women rose to the rank of captain in the Terran Imperial Fleet. The few who did had more determination than most men. In his opinion, having worked with her several times in the past, Hernandez was better than most of her male peers.

Even in his absorption with the topic at hand, he didn't miss Sato start at the mention of Hernandez's name. No doubt Hernandez was yet another person who had a doppleganger in Sato's universe.

"Send a coded message to all Imperial ships, but make it clear that Hernandez is in charge," Archer told T'Pol. "Their orders are to take up position near Panmikar, set up an ambush, and catch the Andorians unaware. But that may not be necessary. I'm betting they'll turn tail and run if Shran's out of the picture." He paused to look at T'Pol. "Best idea of where we can intercept Shran's vessel?"

"After tracing the origin of the embedded transmission and determining the most direct route to that point from Andoria--" T'Pol paused to push a button on the tabletop. She pointed to a new blinking orange circle along the yellow line. "--we should be able to intercept the Andorian chancellor's ship near the Falini system, provided we maintain warp four-point-five."

"Very good," Archer said. "Transfer the coordinates to the helm and set a course immediately."

As Reed and T'Pol went back to their stations, Archer looked at Sato again. She looked shell-shocked. Too many surprises in too short a time, he decided. At least she hadn't totally freaked out. She'd managed to hold it together. Once again, he was impressed by her resilience, the underlying steel that her delicate features disguised.

If his plan worked, she was going to need that strength tomorrow.

"I should get back to work," she said, restless under his scrutiny.

Archer shook his head. "You've done enough for today." He turned to the communications station. "Send any more transmissions we intercept to my quarters as soon as you get them."

A murmured affirmative came from Freeman, accompanied by a glare for Sato, as Archer turned away. With a wave of his arm, Archer indicated she should preceed him to the turbolift. When its door slid open, Archer turned to the ever-present but silent Mayweather and held up his hand to keep him from following them into the lift. "You're dismissed for the day," he told him.

Archer stepped into the lift alone with Sato, who was avoiding his gaze. They rode the short distance in silence. He was both amused and irritated by her obvious discomfort, but in the end, his admiration of her skills made those feelings irrelevant.

"You did good work today," he told her as they stepped out of the turbolift.

"Thanks," she said in a small voice.

He studied her face as they walked down the corridor. It was probably best that he'd pulled her off the bridge even though, technically, alpha shift wasn't over. However, he seriously doubted there would be any more clandestine transmissions. If the Andorians were smart, they'd maintain communications silence until the attack got underway.

He opened his cabin door, allowing Sato to enter first. She was almost bowled over by Dart, who in his enthusiasm at their return, jumped up against her, his stumpy tail wagging furiously.

"Get down, Dart!" Sato said with a laugh as she tried to fend him off. The dog didn't obey. He continued to lick at her face. She switched to German, commanding "Sitzen Sie!" Dart immediately sat.

Sato, still chuckling, wiped her damp face with the back of her hand.

That was more like it, Archer thought. She needed to relax. He needed her to relax, because tomorrow, she was going to serve as his translator with Shran. And it was going to take all of her finesse with words to capture Shran -- not kill him, as was expected under Imperial protocol.

Hoshi's somber spirits were lifted by Dart's enthusiastic greeting. One thing about dogs -- they were unconditionally happy to see you when you got home, no matter which universe you were in.

Her better mood didn't last long, however; she'd learned a lot of things today about this universe that were too disturbing. If anything, the revelations only emphasized that this was not her home, and she couldn't allow herself to start thinking of it that way. If she did, she might never find a way back. The impending Andorian attack on a human colony prevented her from being able to do anything about it for the time being, unfortunately; she didn't think it wise to ask Archer about it while he was concentrating on the upcoming confrontation.

"I'll have Cunningham bring us something to eat," Archer said, striding past her to the desk.

It looked like she was in for another dull evening of sitting around with nothing to do while Archer read reports or did paperwork, except that this evening there was the spectre of battle hanging over her. She surreptitiously watched Archer, so like the man she admired in her universe in appearance and yet totally different inside, as he settled in front of the computer and became engrossed in the information scrolling across the screen.

Now, with time on her hands, she couldn't avoid thinking about the most frightening thing she'd found out today. This Captain Archer was capable of cold-blooded murder. She hadn't really had a chance to think much about it after Tucker had told her. Too many other surprises had kept coming at her, one after the other. She felt like a leaf on a rushing stream, with no control over her direction, completely at the mercy of the current. The best she could do was hang on for the ride and hope for a smoother stretch to come along.

Hoshi tried to reassure herself that Tucker had qualified his comments by saying that it hadn't been proven that Archer had murdered Cochrane. She didn't know what to believe, short of asking Archer himself about it. Even if he denied killing Cochrane in revenge for his father's death, Hoshi wasn't sure she would believe him. This Archer was entirely capable of lying convincingly. Then there was the matter of his temper. She could imagine his reaction if he didn't want to talk about the subject. And finally, she didn't want him to think that she was afraid of him.

"I'm going to freshen up before dinner," Hoshi said, making her way to the connecting door between their cabins.

Archer, lifting a hand to signify that he'd heard her, didn't look up from his work.

She entered her cabin, closing the door behind her, and went into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face at the sink, then stood gazing at her reflection in the mirror. She remembered doing the same thing before she'd recovered her memory. Now, she wondered if it wouldn't have been a blessing if her memory hadn't returned. She could have been blissfully ignorant, taking what she encountered in this universe for granted, instead of constantly comparing it to her universe and finding this one lacking. Depressing -- and scary -- didn't come close to describing her circumstances.

With a sigh, she turned away from the mirror. Cunningham should be along with their meals soon. She considered changing into something other than the teal outfit she'd worn today, then decided against it. The only other items of clothing she'd even consider wearing were the new lavender jumpsuit or her own uniform. As for the rest of what was in her closet, those clothes could rot for all she cared, especially after what she'd seen this afternoon in Archer's ready room.

Thinking about the incident brought a blush to her cheeks. Damn this universe's Lieutenant Reed! He'd goaded her into interrupting the captain and Cutler. In the end, however, it was probably a good thing. She'd been worried that Archer would, sooner or later, want her to share his bed. He had placed her in the cabin adjoining his, and she'd have to be dumber than a box of rocks not to realize what type of woman was supposed to be in residence here.

Admittedly, a small part of her had wondered why Archer hadn't tried anything like that with her, especially since she'd woken up in his bed shortly after arriving in this universe. Now she knew why. She'd walked in on one tryst. Who knew how many others he'd had since she arrived in this universe? He didn't need her for that.

Now that she thought about it, though, it hadn't looked like Cutler had particularly enjoyed what she'd been doing. Hoshi had the impression that a request for something like that from the captain wasn't something to be turned down. For all she knew, he may have ordered Cutler to do it. In that case, she was glad she wasn't a member of the Terran Imperial military, else she'd have to disobey orders.

At the same time, her relief that he had an outlet for his personal desires was tempered by anxiety. There had to be a reason he'd put her in his paramour's quarters but hadn't wanted her that way. What if he changed his mind?

She opened the door between their quarters, determined that, once the battle with the Andorians was finished, she would do everything she could to get back to where she belonged -- whether she had this Captain Archer's approval or not.