The captives
By panyasan
Chapter 17
The Conclusion – part two
Disclaimer : Enterprise and its characters are property of CBS/Paramount.
Time-line: Takes place between 2155 (after the events of Terra Prime) and the beginning of the year 2156, just before the start of the Earth-Romulan war (2156-2160).
Summary: The investigation into a Romulan spy operating within Starfleet leads to one prime suspect: Senator Tenson. When Starfleet officer Arling and his team go to bring her in for questioning, they fail to report back. A second team that includes Archer and T'Pol go in, finding Arling close to death after being shot by Tenson. The senator has escaped and the Enterprise crew is ordered to chase her down.
Author's note: Chapter 16 and 17 are from multiple points of view: Kov, Trip, Archer, T'Pol, Phlox and Malcolm. Thanks to my beta KKglinka.
- Starship Enterprise, launch bay -
T'Pol entered the ship with the captain. The first thing she noticed was the coldness of the ship. Outlined in the blue tints Starfleet seemed to like so much and the use of metallic materials, the temperature of the improved Enterprise made her shiver.
"Wait here," he ordered her. "We have two additions to our crew on this mission. Admiral Black has already arrived and is waiting in my ready room. Ambassador Soval is also joining us. When he arrives, you must guide him to the bridge. We leave as soon as possible. Every minute we wait gives Tenson more chance to escape."
T'Pol couldn't help that the thought of Tenson's name alone raised unexpected emotions. In the few minutes before the ambassador arrived, her mind went back to the mind-meld with Trip, the moment she had seen Raijin attack Trip.
Trip closed the door to one of sickbay's examination rooms. It possessed the typical smell he associated with medical wards, along with the ubiquitous blue décor. There were several small cabinets on the wall, in the corner a sink and water tub, two bio beds, two chairs and a table. T'Pol turned around to face Trip. She was not very pleased with the idea of a mind-meld to find the memory of the telepath's attack on Trip. T'Pol saw the danger in this activity, but apparently the others did not.
Trip slid his hands around her waist and pulled her close.
"Hadn't got my morning kiss yet," he murmured against her ear.
She pulled away and looked him in the face. Blue eyes with a sparkle of amusement met hers. It only fueled her disconnectedness and confusion which she focused hard to suppress.
"I think we have more crucial things to discuss than signs of affection in the morning. A mind-meld to disclose memories is not without danger, especially when that memory has been 'erased'," she said, trying to keep her voice neutral. "This is not like the meld we shared last night." She pushed the memories of that agreeable event aside.
"I'm aware of the danger, T'Pol." Trip squeezed her arms lightly. His eyes were serious again. The sparkle was gone and she regretted that it was her doing.
"Are you?" she asked him, searching his face.
"I am," he convinced her. "But I have to find the truth, T'Pol. I don't want to live with a gap in my memory. I have the same feeling now as when I woke up from my coma in the Expanse: That someone stole days of my life. This time the feeling is worse because they did steal, not only my memory of the attack, but my life, you. That's why I think we gotta do everything to find out the truth. I need you for this. Without you, we can't find the truth."
"I think you overestimate my influence, Trip," she replied softly.
"No, because it's your memory we're looking for. Remember? I never saw that blond woman that attacked me. You did, during mediation."
He was right. She remembered the vision she had during her mediation, the certainty she had known that someone had attacked Trip and the fury that had filled her. They hadn't told anyone it was her vision, instead of Trip's observation, because it was hard to explain. Even for her.
"There is no logical explanation for that event."
"Maybe there is." His voice cracked a bit and she saw lines on his face that indicated he was stressed. She had felt it before, just minutes ago, when they entered the room, but had ignored it. Trip's actions didn't seem to match with that emotion. Now she realized his remark about a morning kiss was his way of hiding that his emotions were running high or maybe a way to release some of his stress. She had learned the hard way that humor was used by Humans to relax in times of anxiety. His need to touch also indicated the same.
Trip took the lead. "Look, we can both feel each others strong emotions. I know you dream a lot about being attacked but dreaming isn't normal for a Vulcan. You've been through a lot – that could be an explanation – but maybe it has to do with you seeing the attack and feeling my emotions at that time. I don't know. Maybe you were sleeping, unconscious that the vision of my attack ended in your memory," he suggested.
Those were all scientifically unproven speculations, but one thing she could not deny: She had seen flashes of a blond woman with blue eyes and had known for certain she had attacked Trip. "If the truth is hidden in my mind, we must proceed," she agreed.
First she acted on what she had learned and went out of her way to make him relax. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. It always filled her with pride, a pride that she shouldn't feel, to notice how he responded to her kiss. It achieved her aim; his body lost its rigidity and, eagerly, he kissed her back. For a moment, feeling his mouth and tongue was the only thing that mattered. She broke off, and in his eyes was that glint of amusement again.
"Good morning, future Mrs. Tucker," he teased her.
She controlled her desire to kiss him again and laid out her plan. "First, I will attempt to make you relive happy memories. Hopefully it will stimulate your endorphin, seratonin, dopamine and oxytocin levels. They are neurotransmitters that protect the body and mind by helping to build up a resistance against stress."
He only smiled slightly, amused by her explanation and she proceeded. She placed her hands on his temples. T'Pol searched her memories for good ones to share with him. Then she realized that a lot of the happy moments between them were tainted by negative emotions: Stress, grief, confusion. Remembering their last meld, she opened up her mind to show him the only thing that she could offer: Her affection for him. Placing her desire for him under guard – that emotion was overwhelming enough that she feared it would interfere with the mind-meld – she focused deep inside her katra.
The next moment they were surrounded by streams of emotions: Protection, care, patience, selflessness, tenderness, power, passion. She felt Trip's body responding, his tender touch was on her back, his mouth on hers. For another brief moment they sank into this emotion, then she took his hand. "We need to go."
"Yeah," his voice, thickened with emotion, seemed to come from afar.
Their surroundings evaporated like fog and they found themselves standing on a beach. Seagulls were floating in the air, hovering more than flying. They could feel a soft breeze and faint drizzle from the sky. Her eyes went from the restaurant nearby to the picnic tables close to them. "This is Stenson beach."
She saw large rectangular, shining, glass-like objects, halfway tucked in the sand, in rows of five by five. When they examined them, they seemed to be giant information chips, like those used in a computer. Somehow their joined minds had created this image. She laid her hand on one of the squares and, staring into the glass, saw memories come flooding by, scenes from their life – silent, without a word - to be experienced again
She saw her and Trip standing in sickbay, watching over their sick daughter. She hung her father's da ek'zuru on the incubator and Trip nodded in pure understanding.
She experienced again Trip entering her cabin, crying. He sat down next to her, they held hands and grieved.
Other memories arose: Her and Trip holding each other, trying to sleep in a dark night.
Her entering his quarters – finding pictures Doctor Phlox had taken of their daughter on his desk. Standing frozen to the ground and staring at one picture without seeing, she had felt Trip's good arm around her waist. Holding her in an embrace, he comforted her.
The scenery changed and she saw a pale face with plump cheeks and red hair: Lieutenant O'Neil, Arling's assistant. She could see signs of curiosity and hidden glee in his features when he asked her about her relationship with Trip. She was tired to her bones, exhausted by grief, the interrogation and his voice wouldn't stop.
Then she found herself during that final investigative meeting with Trip, the captain, Doctor Phlox, Lieutenant Arling and his assistants Lieutenant O'Neill and Ensign Custer, listening as her addiction was revealed.
The scenery changed again. Now she observed she was in the same room where her verdict was delivered by the captain. She was going to face charges in a Vulcan court. When the captain left, she turned to Trip. He was angry and assured his help. He kissed her quickly and told her to meditate and get some sleep.
She saw herself meditating and going to bed, then saw Trip talking to Lieutenant Reed. Afterward, Trip walked toward the front desk of Starfleet Headquarters. The receptionist was pleased to see him and, with a smile, answered him. Trip looked disappointed over what she had said. He turned around, but then she called him back. The look on her face was all too familiar – a mixture of admiration and flirtation. She gave him a small piece of paper. Trip thanked her and she gave him the sunniest smile possible.
Next she noticed Trip was in his car, driving. It was getting dark when he stopped at a lonely street. She recognized the place – it was near Stenson beach. When he walked toward one of the houses, a door opened and a blond woman stepped out. An elderly woman had led her out. Trip stared at the younger woman's face. He said her name, astonishment on his face. Raijin. The blond woman froze, panic on her face. Then she jumped at Trip, hands on his face.
A piercing pain burned through both of them. The heat was unbearable. She felt him fighting Raijin off – he struggled – he fought – and the pain and fire become worse and worse – she felt sick – nauseous – like someone was crushing her mind and katra – then darkness came.
A whisper – "This you will remember – You wanted to say goodbye to T'Pol before she had to face the trial on Vulcan. I said, 'You are only a co-worker to T'Pol, so you have no right to contact her.' This you will remember -"
The message repeated itself, tormenting both of them with the sound of Tenson's voice and she decided it was time to end it. She reached out and found Trip. She retreated slowly, to finish the meld gently. It took a moment to register that Trip was trembling in her arms and terribly pale
"Gonna be sick," he muttered, still shaking. Then he broke off and ran toward the sink. She only saw his back, but she could hear him vomit.
She walked toward him, not sure what to do. She rinsed out the sink and gave him a glass of water.
Trip gargled, spit, then gulped some water. He put the glass down and pulled her toward him.
In his embrace she could feel his distress. On instinct, she pulled him closer, telling him to control his breathing like he was used to doing during their neuropressure sessions. His breathing became more even. She stroked his hair, soft strands of blond between her fingers. He reached up to grip her hands clenching them tightly with the desire to feel her. She opened her katra again to comfort him with all her love.
So they stood, until Trip spoke, "Thanks for going all the way."
They sat back in the chairs. Trip brought his hand to his head, like he was experiencing the same headache as she and he closed his eyes for a minute, leaning against the cushions of his chair. When Trip opened his eyes again, fully calm and in control, she noticed he wanted to say something. He couldn't, because the captain entered the room, asking them about the mind-meld.
Trip looked up. "It was Tenson," he answered, "and Raijin."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps in a Vulcan rhythm all too familiar to her. She focused again on the present and saw Ambassador Soval standing before her. He greeted her.
"Have you been apprised of our situation?" she asked him.
"In full detail. I understand that you and Commander Tucker had a mind-meld to retrieve his memories," he answered calmly.
"We discovered that Commander Tucker wanted to speak with Senator Tenson about my case. She was the liaison of Vulcan affairs at that time," she told the ambassador. "The senator had already left Starfleet Headquarters. When the commander went to her home address, he accidentally met Raijin, who panicked and attacked him."
"I heard the receptionist at Headquarters gave him the senator's private address. I thought only direct superiors and Internal Affairs are allowed to receive that information," Ambassador Soval remarked.
"That is true, but the receptionist wanted to help Commander Tucker in an attempt to gain his favor," she replied. "So, Senator Tenson had no reason to expect Commander Tucker at her house, where she had a meeting with Raijin."
"The final piece of the puzzle," the ambassador concluded. "Admiral Black, Lieutenant Arling and I have been investigating this case for a long time."
His remark confirmed her own hypothesis, after hearing Arling's dying words, speaking of her father, Karik, and Soval.
"I suspected as much," T'Pol remarked, "though it was not a development I expected, given the difficult relationship between Vulcans and Humans at this moment."
"I am the only Vulcan involved. Lieutenant Arling was very committed to Starfleet, but he was open-minded enough to ask for help if he trusted someone. He trusted me because there were indicators you and I were victims of the same spy they were trying to find."
At her questioning look, Soval expanded, "It is a simple story. After the investigation of Terra Prime, Lieutenant Arling felt his work was used to discredit you maliciously. He and his assistant, Lieutenant O'Neil, started to reexamine all the evidence in secrecy. After a couple of months, Lieutenant O'Neil indicated that he had found a crucial clue, but soon after that, he resigned from Starfleet and was nowhere to be found. When Arling searched for answers, he found out that O'Neil's girlfriend, Ensign Hayes, had been in a shuttle accident. O'Neil never visited her once in the hospital. The accident gave Arling an idea. He saw a pattern."
T'Pol understood. "The shuttle accident of your son and his family."
"Exactly. My son and his family were seriously injured by an accident after the events of Terra Prime. I was needed on Vulcan and therefore absent during the investigation of Terra Prime and your extradition to the Vulcan court. It is not unusual for people to use the same methods that worked for them once before. You silence your target by hurting their loved ones, in O'Neil's and my case, by creating an accident."
Giving more details, Soval recounted, "Admiral Black and Lieutenant Arling asked me for another reason as well. They needed a person with good knowledge of Vulcan language and history. Judging by his computer logs, O'Neil was busy during the time of his disappearance translating Vulcan words. I was able to reconstruct the original words he wanted to translate and form a sentence: 'Skil-tor ahkh svi'kashkau t'ausutra '. I told Admiral Black and Lieutenant Arling that this isa quote from Surak, a saying many politicians have used, and also the full name of a Vulcan rebel group we heard about."
"Lead by a man called Karik," interrupted T'Pol. "My father has the same name and used those words in his famous address to the senate."
She stopped. Turning to the ambassador, she stared into his familiar face. Memories of their long history surfaced. He had helped her, sometimes rebuked her, but had always had been honest with her. There had been a question burning in her mind ever since her father's name was mentioned in the investigation.
Settling her upraised emotions and addressing him by his Vulcan title, she asked, "Del'haiu, is my father alive?"
In the silence that followed her question, she could see his eyes, once more filled with disbelief that her father's mission had failed. That her father and his son, her first betrothed, had been killed.
His answer pierced through the silence. "I do not know." He paused, pensively. "We both know there was something wrong about the fact that we recovered all of the bodies of your father's crew and couldn't find his," he capitulated. "There is also the failed mission on Risa, when we tried to catch Minos, your memory wipe and his suicide. They were all indicators that there was more going on than meets the eye."
She saw a flash of annoyance in his eyes, before he continued.
"From the beginning, there have been rumors about your father, illogical ones such as: He was taken captive and not killed, or that he was a spy returning to his home world. I never told you anything about this. They were all mindless speculations, based on nothing but irrational hope. I have known your father since he was five years old. He was a true Vulcan, different in many ways, but his heart belonged to our planet. He tried to live like a Vulcan would, searching for his path in life. He was no traitor and the rumors died out quickly. I have not heard any rumors about your father in a very long time, until three months after you were imprisoned. A source told us that a man called Karik was a slave in one of the Romulan dilithium mines in the Dosa-system. He was known for helping other slaves and had formed group of like-minded Vulcans."
"This fits with Lieutenant Thott's story. The picture that she drew looked like a planet covered by snow, gray fog and rocks, a world of ice such as many that harbor dilithium. She told Lieutenant Arling that a man called Karik helped her escape. This is proof that my father is alive."
It looked like the ambassador hesitated for a second before reminding her, "Such a claim is not proof. You know it is merely a testament." He stopped walking and told her, "But there is more, T'Pol. According to our sources, the group also tried to show Surak's way to the Romulans. A strange idea, but a few Romulans seemed to have chosen the path of Surak."
T'Pol couldn't hide her astonishment. "They embraced the teachings of Surak? From what I heard, the Romulans are a violent race, filled with rage against us."
"It becomes stranger. Word is that these Romulans wanted to form a union with Vulcans. They believed that, in the past, Romulans and Vulcans were related. A ridiculous idea."
Thinking of the many history lessons her father taught her, she rebutted, "There are many stories about Vulcans leaving the planet and using a different interpretation of Surak's teaching."
"The Romulan life has nothing in common with Surak's teachings. The Romulans are not lost brothers," Soval interrupted her sharply. "No Vulcan can survive without following the way of Surak. Our violent past shows this clearly. There is no Vulcan connection with Romulans."
With a more neutral voice he continued, "If there was, we would be put in a very difficult position, now with this looming war between Humans and Romulans. What the group wanted is of no concern, T'Pol. The only thing you need to remember is that they don't exist anymore. Their ideas weren't met with approval. We heard that both the rebels and the Romulans following them were accused of treason and after a trial, put to death."
T'Pol felt her katra crushed by this words. Grief, pain and regret surfaced. She experienced that moment again, the loss of her youth when she heard her father had died. Apparently, she had held an illogical hope that her father was alive. Logic should dictate her thoughts. She gained control, but her slip had been seen by the ambassador.
His voice became stern. "T'Pol, we have no proof that your father was the leader of this group. It's more logical to accept that he died many years ago. We cannot change the past. Use your logic and make the following calculation: What are the chances, in a universe as big as ours, that your father survived, became the agitator of a rebel group, met a woman from another part of the galaxy, helped her escape and she ending up on Earth, spying for Starfleet?"
"The changes are approximately .0000321 percent," she calculated.
"Exactly. It isn't a logical course of events."
Was it the years spent with Humans, people who held hope as the core essence, or did the katra of her optimistic Human mate influence her to remonstrate, "You are correct, but I must point out that my experience with Humans has taught me that reality doesn't always follow logic."
For a moment, she thought that Soval was going to rebuke her again. Then she heard him say in a defensive baritone, "I will always follow logic, but indeed, life sometimes doesn't." In a different timbre, he proceeded, "Speaking of defying logic, how is Commander Tucker doing?"
"He is in good health," she stated.
Soval stopped and raised an eyebrow.
Their walk to the bridge had almost ended and they were standing just before the entrance.
"He asked me to marry him," she answered his unspoken question. T'Pol could not express how content she was with that outcome.
"It's good to see he is fulfilling his duty," Soval commented dryly, before entering the bridge.
T'Pol had always been afraid Trip would grow tired of her, that his interest was rooted in alien curiosity or the challenge that represented, that their species were too different to combine and he would turn away. Her assumptions had been unfounded. Trip had chosen her, not because of duty, or even because of the bond, but from his heart. It must be that same hopeful Human influence that she didn't want it any other way.
When she entered the bridge, the engines kicked in, the alloy hull shuddering under the pressure, and tensions rang high. The roaring of the engines vibrated in her mind together with a surge of satisfaction and pride that could only come from the ship's Chief Engineer. Within a second, the ship had reached its highest speed, piercing through time and space with ferocity. Enterprise was on her way.
In the ready room, the mission's importance showed in every officers' tense expression. Phlox looked at their young faces: Hoshi, Travis, T'Pol, Tucker, Reed and Captain Archer, accompanied by the elder generation in Admiral Black and Ambassador Soval.
Showing a picture of Senator Tenson, Captain Archer came right down to business. "Our mission is to retrieve this woman. Senator Tenson has been part of Starfleet Command and a good friend Earth's president. We have reason to believe she's been operating for a long time as a Romulan spy and is responsible for the death of at least four Starfleet officers. She fled, using an Orion ship, and we are heading to her last known location."He nodded stiffly to T'Pol and she took over.
"At those coordinates, we are going to trace the Orion ship's warp trail and follow her." T'Pol stopped. "May I make a suggestion, Captain?"
Upon receiving his permission she went on. "Taking into account that Senator Tenson wants to flee to Romulan space as soon as possible, and judging from the last coordinates, I assume she is heading to the Kajina system. The wormhole in the area is often used as an escape route. The Romulan attack on the Earth colony was in the nearby Dosa system. Two Starfleet ships, Columbia and Atlantis, are now returning to Earth after investigating the attack that has destroyed the colony. No Romulan ships have been found, but my advice is that they join us in case we do meet any Romulan ships that would want to protect Senator Tenson."
Captain Archer looked skeptical, but Lieutenant Reed said, "If I may say so, sir, I'm in complete agreement with Commander T'Pol."
So, Archer decided in favor. "Hoshi, contact Columbia and Atlantis. Explain the situation and ask their help, but first give your report on the Romulan database, especially anything about Tenson.
Hoshi gave her report in a calm and collected matter that made Phlox proud of her. "The database was written by Tenson. Once we were able to get past the encrypted codes, the Communications Department started to translate the data. If you analyze the information, a profile of the writer can be made. Tenson is devoted to the Romulan cause. She thinks Humans pose a threat to the Romulan way of life, especially the Coalition. She's old fashioned. Spying, attacking colonies, space wars, while staying unknown - she had no problem with that. She makes a reference to the nanites scheme, called Crawl in Romulan, but her formulation when she describes the plan suggests she thought it was sneaking up on the enemy and winning without a fight. She considered it dishonorable, lacking in pride."
"I would have thought she'd be delighted." Admiral Black shrugged and turned to his audience. "While is imperative we find Tenson, it's more important we stop her. She knows everything about our ships, our defenses, our command structure, our weak points. We must not allow her to aid the Romulans any longer, if we want to avoid being sitting ducks in this coming war."
All nodded in perfect understanding of the grim situation.
Captain Archer moved along. "We're also looking for information on the whereabouts of a person who helped Tenson with the nanites-plan: Raijin. We're all familiar with her." A picture of Raijin was shown. "This is our second aim. The communication team found new information about her in the database."
"Yes," Hoshi elaborated. "Raijin is from a species that are sold as slaves to owners who make money off their telepathic abilities. It looks like she worked for the Romulans before. When she was hired by the Xindi to examine our bodies for their biological weapon, she got an extra assignment from her owner, a favor for the Romulans. She had to bring in information about Commander T'Pol. The database mentioned that Raijin's slave owner had sold her daughter to the Romulans. From what I can tell, they used her child as leverage to make Raijin, who they see as a very talented telepath, work for them."
A mystery that had been simmering in the back of Phlox's mind finally had an answer. "That would explain Raijin's attack on Commander T'Pol in the Expanse."
"I thought the same," Hoshi commented. "From what I can tell, because Raijin already had medical knowledge about Humans and knew the Enterprise crew, including the captain, she was assigned to help the Romulans with Operation Crawl. The ship in the Kajina system was a pretense. There are lines in the data base that suggest that during that ship's discovery by Captain Archer, they had help from a colonist. They shot this man and tested the nanites on Captain Archer. Then they infested the ship with nanites, so that they would infect any Starfleet officers who examined the ship."
"They easily erased any memories of those events from the captain's brain," Admiral Black concluded. "One more thing: The late Lieutenant Arling, Ambassador Soval and I have been investigating the possibilities of a Romulan spy for some time. We're here because it turns out we have the same mission, so off to your stations and let's get this done."
"Yes, sir," the whole crew responded.
Phlox went back to his sickbay. His task was to examine every crew member and to observe closely those who were effected affected by the nanites, using remote monitors. After an hour and a half, Captain Archer informed him that Enterprise had reached the last known coordinates of the Orion ship and found a warp trail leading in the direction of the Kajina system. Crew members came and went and meanwhile he was busy monitoring the crew. Hours passed away.
It must have been about 40 hours after launch when one of the monitors starting peeping. It was one of the engineers and it looked like his transmitter was going on-line.
He hailed the bridge. "I have a security breach in Engineering. I am heading toward there and I could use security."
Lieutenant Reed answered his call, speaking softly, "You mean the nanite-transmitter is working and one of our engineers is getting influenced by the Romulans?"
Before Phlox could answer, a loud blast made all communication impossible. The ship shook like a leaf. Metal shrieked, followed by people screaming, then a hollow silence. Then the alarms went off.
"Red alert! All stations. Red alert!
Malcolm Reed hated his life and by the looks of it, it would end soon. It was all the Romulans' fault. Two minutes ago they had a visual on the Orion ship. Hoshi hailed the captain of the vessel. The Orion captain's face, bearing a smile he didn't trust, appeared on screen. When the captain talked with the Orion, he saw that Hoshi got a message. He signaled her to put it through to his console. Using his headset, he heard Phlox's warning that someone in engineering was acting as if the nanites were active, which meant there were Romulans close by.
Quickly, he called Archer and signaled with his hand to cut the transmission.
The captain didn't hesitate. "Do it," he ordered Hoshi and mid-sentence the Orion captain disappeared. "Full screen."
The screen showed a field of black, dotted with myriad stars with two ships that had come out of nowhere, lurking like vultures in the sky. Then a hard blow crashed into the ship, creating a roaring wave of destruction.
The Orion ship made a run for it.
"Captain," T'Pol looked up from her console. "Sensors indicated only Orion life signs on that ship. I have found 30 distinct Romulan life signs on one Romulan vessel, and 31 life signs on the other. All of them are Romulan, except for one obscure life sign."
"Tenson is on that ship; she must have transported to the second Romulan vessel," the captain concluded. Archer was barely able to finish his sentence, because the Romulan vessels started firing again. The bridge shook on impact, spurts of fire, machines going off line. Smoke appeared. Despite foreknowledge and preparation, they were helpless.
Not if he could help it. "Torpedoes, Captain!" he yelled behind his tactical board. He hardly heard Archer's answer, because his fingers were already on the buttons. Malcolm understood that they needed to defend against both ships while disabling Tenson's ship. Luckily sensors were working. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to distinguish between the identical birds.
A second later, he saw the torpedoes fly, aimed at the Romulan ship T'Pol had indicated bore Tenson. The ship swiftly turned and only part of its tail was hit. He cursed, then heard T'Pol's calm voice giving him the coordinates of a new attack. He suddenly loved all Vulcans, staying calm in the midst of chaos.
Soval had joined T'Pol, using the console next to her. Malcolm was sure that they both used every trick in the book to distract any incoming fire. T'Pol's fingers danced on the board, calmly followed by Soval. Without a word, Admiral Black took his position, next to Hoshi, calling out every bit of information the sensors and ship's reports were offering them.
Travis rolled and banked to avoid any hits, but all their work could not prevent a new wave of blasts near the port bay, rocking the ship. It looked like the Romulans knew where to strike.
"Polarized hull plating is holding at 60 percent," T'Pol reported.
A surge of adrenaline went through his blood. Briefly he thought of Rianna, how she once told him how he liked to look into the sky and blow things up. There was more to it. This was his heart's desire; this was why he served: To protect Enterprise and to destroy the enemy. He counterattacked, which resulted in several detonations on the right wing of the lead Romulan ship.
He was ready to coordinate another strike, but then there was nothing more than the sound of incoming thunder. The whole bridge trembled on impact, shrapnel flying. One, then two explosions followed, knocking Hoshi out of her seat in a stream of sparks. She hit the ground with a thud, dead weight. From his place he couldn't see her. She didn't stand up. His heart stopped. Not again.
"Sickbay, we need medical assistance!" he screamed but the lines were dead.
Then from the corner of his eye, he saw a bird approaching.
T'Pol gave the coordinates, he aimed, and a full spread of torpedoes pierced through the sky. Direct hit on their port bay.
He vaguely saw Soval, green blood oozing from a head wound, moving to Hoshi. He lifted her from the deck and Malcolm saw burn wounds and blood matted next to her right ear. It made him sick. Not her ears.
"I will take her to sickbay," Soval explained.
Brusquely, the captain, his face smeared with ash, turned toward him. "You're injured yourself. Stay in sickbay. Things may get ugly and we want to bring you back in one piece."
"I have no intention of breaking into pieces, captain and will return shortly," Soval retorted quickly and as he left the bridge, carrying Hoshi as if she weighed no more than a feather.
Admiral Black interrupted "We should try to aim for the bridge, the central area of the lead ship. According to what we know, Romulans are strictly hierarchical. Without a leader, there will be no attack and according to sensors, that's the ship Tenson is on."
The captain took his suggestion and added one of his own. "Travis, bring us in closer. Malcolm, you heard the man. Hit the bridge."
In a split second Travis moved the ship into a new dance and Enterprise surgedtoward the ship like a tiger to its prey. Malcolm spat his commands to the Armory. A volley of torpedoes found their way into the bird, shaking their target.
"Direct hit to the bridge," T'Pol commented. The other Romulan ship made a sharp turn and fired. A flash of fire crashed into the ship. Enterprise was trembling like a kite, caught on a strong wind.
"Direct hit to Engineering. Plating is down to 43 percent," T'Pol reported.
Admiral Black, who had been working to restore communication, brought some good news. "Communications is back on line."
"Quick, back off, we're too close," the captain ordered.
Travis moved the ship backward hastily, but the other Romulan ship made another go round. Malcolm felt the impact beneath his feet. When the movement died out, the bridge door slid open. Soval returned, taking his place next to T'Pol.
"Several hits on Engineering. Warp speed is fluctuating. Plating is down to 21 percent," T'Pol reported.
"Armory is functioning, sir," Malcolm said. "We should return fire. Not a second to waste."
"Maybe we should retreat. Engineering is heavily damaged and our hull plating is failing. Another attack may not be wise," T'Pol counter-argued.
"I agree," Soval remarked, "but if we do attack, I suggest we aim at Engineering."
"We're not here to hide. Fire, Malcolm," said the captain, making his decision.
Travis angled the ship, as Malcolm executed the order with relish. Their weapons fire slammed into the Romulan bird with obvious force, causing visible damage to an area next to the bridge.
Malcolm felt a surge of utter satisfaction, but his feeling of victory was short lived. Again the other ship moved forward, lashing a volley of torpedoes into their ship, causing several violent explosions in the Engineering section. T'Pol reported heavy damage and a dropping of their plating to 10 percent.
"Captain," Trip's voice came from Engineering through the intercom. "One more hit and the warp core is going to breach. We're not going to catch these guys if we're splattered in a millions pieces, so you better take T'Pol's advice."
"How on Earth..?"
"Educated guess. Get us out of here, while we still have some power!"
Malcolm saw the reluctance on the captain's face as well as irritation over being ordered to do anything by a junior officer. He was not willing to retreat, either. Not if there was any chance of catching Tenson.
The Romulans didn't gave them time to think because T'Pol detected another attack. "Incoming, starboard."
"Evasive maneuvers!" the captain shouted.
Travis' fingers moved, the ship took a sharp turn, twisted around and headed backward. This time the attack didn't reach its intended target.
"There is an M-class planet nearby to which we could retreat," T'Pol suggested.
"Permission to lay in a course, sir?" Travis asked.
Before the captain could answer, torpedoes shot into sight on their viewscreen striking the lead ship in silent impact. The Romulan ship with Tenson on board lit up like fireworks, before the area next to the bridge was exploding before his eyes.
"Columbia and Atlantis have come to our aid," T'Pol told the captain.
To his surprise, Malcolm saw that both Romulan ships broke off with great speed. It looked like the ship Tenson was on was the most damaged. The limping ship had trouble flying as quickly as the other ship. A flash of light and Malcolm saw the other ship used a tractor beam to pull the other along. According to T'Pol, they were heading toward the wormhole.
In hot pursuit, the three Starfleet vessels followed. The wormhole was in sight. The most mobile Romulan vessel released its tractor beam, leaving Tenson's ship on its own and shot into the wormhole.
Tensons vessel was dead in the water. They had her. Archer hailed the bird. Malcolm expected to finally see a Romulan face to face, but instead Tenson's head filled the screen.
"Tenson, you better surrender," captain Archer demanded. "We have three ships, your ship is heavily damaged and your aid is gone. We're going to transport you to our ship. All things considered, I think the ship is coming with us too."
Tenson grinned. She wore an immaculate, form-fitting uniform. Her hair was pulled neatly into a bun. She was totally calm and in control. With disdain she answered, "You are such a fool, captain. You have no idea. Making allies with a species you knew nothing about, believing that they just happened to fly by when your people reached warp."
Archer got angry. "I don't need lectures from you. Energize."
Nothing happened. Tenson stayed in her place and sneered. "Remember this: You will never see a Romulan alive. The dead one lives more and the captives are more free."
A glint of fanaticism and an indifference toward dying in Tenson's eyes, made Malcolm yell, "Reverse course! She is going to self-destruct!"
At the same moment, the transmission was cut off and on screen the Romulan ship turned into a huge orange fireball and collapsed into so much debris. Travis had instinctively put the ship in reverse as fast as possible. Nevertheless, the wave of destruction caught up, surrounding them in a stream of orange flames, pushing Enterprise forward, shaking the ship.
When the shockwaves faded and Enterprise was stable again, reports came pouring in. Engineering reported that they had some wounded and major repairs to complete. Trip also informed them that Ensign Trinaro had been acting weird, as Phlox had attempted to warn him he would. The engineering crew had apprehended and cuffed him and would escort him to sickbay. Phlox called in as well, with sad news. Two crewmen had lost their lives and 20 people were wounded, two of them critically.
Archer contacted the other Starfleet ships. Columbia and Atlantis went through the wormhole, searching for the other Romulan ship. They returned after a while, telling them they hadn't found any trace. Meanwhile, the science team investigated the debris of Tenson's vessel. She had done a meticulous job. Everything was little more than dust.
When they finally headed back to Earth, Malcolm took the chance to visit his team in the Armory, to compliment them on a job well done. Then he checked on his security men and paid a small visit to sickbay. One of his friends was there: Hoshi.
Phlox greeted him absently, busy as he was caring for multiple patients. Hoshi lay on a bio bed in a corner of sickbay, her eyes closed, bandage wrapped over the right side of her face, her long, black hair draped on the pillow. She was terribly pale.
While he stood over her, she opened her eyes gradually. They were dark with pain. "Itai," she whispered, before closing her eyes again.
Phlox went to her. "She is in a lot of pain," he explained, pushing a hypospray against her neck.
"Will she recover?" he needed to ask.
"I am hopeful," Phlox answered.
Alone in the crowd, he was about to leave, when Phlox walked up to him. "Lieutenant Reed, I am sure Hoshi will make practically a full recovery, as will all of my patients. " He gave Malcolm a big, encouraging smile, that did anything but. Phlox continued, "We found a cure for the nanites, we hindered the enemy's plan and the mastermind of the whole operation is dead. We are heading home and this horrible episode is over. It's over, Lieutenant Reed. That's something to be happy about."
Phlox was right, the eminent threat was over. However, seeing the dead in sickbay, covered under blue sheets, the wounded struggling and in pain, Malcolm had a gut feeling he would see this kind of scene many times in the years to come.
"It isn't over," he thought, feeling cold inside. "A bloody war just started. This is only the beginning."
A/N: Please read the end of this story in the epilogue.
Translation of Japanese word
Itai - pain