A/N: Well, after my last author note (almost as long as a chapter!), this one's going to be much shorter. All I'll say is, Team Archer's getting up quite the head of steam.

Enjoy!

Violations

Chapter Six - Know Thine Enemy

17:03. And for the second time since they'd started this mission, Jonathan Archer was calling his crew into action, against another hostile threat. This time, though, it had nothing to do with whoever had attacked the Axnar ship, and killed its crew. No, this was far more personal. Driven by pure fury at what had been done, to one of their own.

While he shared their anger and disgust, Jon knew he couldn't let their feelings cloud their judgement. They were up against a resourceful enemy. A renegade faction, from an otherwise peaceful world. Luckily, he had just the people on his side who knew how to beat them, and who couldn't wait to do it. But as he'd just told them, he'd still take all the help he could find.

Some of it had already been offered. Thanks to another call to Starfleet, to an Admiral who was now as enraged as all of them were –

'…when you find them, Jon, give 'em hell…'

– and the intel that Admiral had subtly pulled out of Soval and his contacts, Jon knew just where to start.

"The Council on the Xyrillian homeworld are as horrified by all this as we are," he said at last, nodding towards his workstation, where he'd taken the call he'd just concluded when they'd arrived. "Their Governor Sha'len has already promised me their full support."

Despite the resulting silence, Jon could still read what the rest of his command team were thinking. They'd been deceived once already, by this seemingly friendly race – with devastating consequences. After what had happened to Trip, could they be sure they weren't being so cruelly fooled again?

Jon couldn't blame them. When that call had come through, he'd felt exactly the same way. But the longer he'd watched Sha'len and his reactions, the more his doubts had subsided. His instincts had told him that the shock and disgust he'd seen on the Governor's face had been genuine. And as he now quietly explained, the Governor had every reason to be appalled by what had happened.

"This Trena'l and his crew are rebel scientists. They're acting completely against their Council's orders, and this… research they've been conducting has been outlawed on their planet for the dangers it involves."

As he'd done before, and done so often in the past, his tactical officer was already right there with him. And when you riled it enough, Malcolm Reed's genteel reserve tended to go the same way as one of his treasured torpedoes. Especially when someone he cared about, part of his surrogate family, came under any kind of threat.

"So they're fugitives, then. Well, that certainly explains a lot about them," he muttered, half to himself – hesitating as he realized he'd spoken his thoughts aloud, but prompted by Jon's subtle nod to continue. "Their stealth technology, for a start. Why we experienced all those malfunctions with our sensors. And how fast they legged it when they were done with us."

Although he'd fully understood that little 'English-ism', Jon still smiled as he turned towards Hoshi. Not for her lingual skills, but another, equally valuable gift. What she lacked in tactical training, she more than made up for in the art of inter-species diplomacy.

"Hoshi, tell the Council what we're doing. Liaise with Governor Sha'len for any help we need. As I understand, he's already sent one of his own security teams to assist us."

Still shaken by what she'd been told, Hoshi was equally determined to play her part in resolving it. She couldn't have come through her own crisis of confidence without Trip's help. Now, it was time for her to return the favour, in whatever way she could. Answering her Captain with a more resolute smile, she watched his attention move on to T'Pol.

"They jammed our sensors the first time, so we couldn't see them, or recognize their threat. T'Pol, I need you to find a way past that. Work with Malcolm, find any weakness we can use to get past them. This time, I want to see exactly what we're up against."

As it had done so often in the past, her calmness helped to settle him too, enough to coax out another smile. In fact, Jon could feel the whole mood around him start to lift now, as his plan started to gather pace.

"Once we've found them, Travis, set your course, maximum warp. And since that brings me to you, Lieutenant…"

"…if we have to ramp 'em all the way to five, Captain, we'll get you there," Hess finished for him – a wry grin suggesting that bit about pushing her CO's beloved engines so hard might wisely be kept between them.

Returning it, if less freely than either of them would have liked, Jon nodded, then turned to Malcolm.

"Malcolm, go through your logs for their ship, its defences and systems. If it comes down to a fight…"

"…we'll be ready to take them down, sir. I can promise you that."

Equally heartfelt, there was another promise in his tactical officer's eyes. And now Jon really smiled. Reflected through every one of the faces around him, it wasn't just for him this time, or for Starfleet. It was for Trip. The colleague, the friend, the surrogate brother, who'd been so cruelly violated.

'We're going to find them. And we're going to make them pay.'

With their assignments now set, Jon could sense their impatience to get to work on them. He felt the same need to get things moving himself now, and dismissed them with an approving smile. They were the best crew in Starfleet. At times like this, it was an honour to lead them.

And speaking of honour - well, that brought him back to reality, and the calmly waiting presence behind him.

Not everyone had left him. As everyone else had filed through the door, just one person had stayed behind. Now their eyes met and held once more, finding acceptance now, for what both of them had to confront. He'd resolved the most urgent issues – to find the Xyrillians, and bring them to some sort of justice. But on a more personal level… yes, he could see in her eyes now, that she knew what was coming.

For the sake of a friend who couldn't do so himself, Jon took a deep breath, and quietly said it anyway.

"Before you get to work on those sensors, Sub Commander… you and I need to have a long overdue chat."