8
A dungeon somewhere on Chalderon IV, 2134 hours, August 16 2151
Quick shuffling footsteps in the hallway outside the cell alerted Trip and Reed to the approach of someone who wasn't one of the guards. They looked at each other across the darkness while Trip moved to stand up next to the door. Neither one of them voiced the question they both wanted to ask, but it was answered a few seconds later.
"Trip, Malcolm? Are you in there?" The voice was low but unmistakably belonged to the Captain. Both men inside the cell smiled in relief and nodded to each other.
"We're here, Cap'n, and so's Jean."
"Good. I only remember the locking combination for one of the cells." He grunted, shifting his hold on something to try and get his hands free. "I just hope its the code for this one... and that our friend Lorrister knows his stuff. So far, though, he's batting a thousand."
While they were talking Reed sat up and gently shook Jean's shoulder. "Wake up, Ensign."
She was still using his chest as a pillow and had curled herself around his middle. When he spoke, she stirred slightly but didn't seem to wake up. "Mmhng."
He shook his head. She'd warned him that she was a very heavy sleeper, but he'd thought that she was exaggerating. Now as he shook her shoulder more roughly and she still didn't wake up, he realized that she'd been serious. "Ensign, you need to wake up."
She made a soft petulant sound and pulled the blanket closer to herself, nuzzling her face further into his shoulder and muttering, "Just five more minutes. I'm not late for my shift yet."
As amusing as this was, Reed was beginning to get annoyed. He decided to be patient but firm with her. He sat up slightly, forcing her to sit up as well, and then resumed shaking her. "Ensign, you're not on Enterprise and it isn't morning. The captain's here to let us out of the cell so we can escape."
Her eyes opened slowly and focused little by little. As soon as she was mostly awake she rubbed a hand over her face and gave a disappointed groan.
"Ughh. I was hoping it'd all just been a bad dream." She smiled weakly up at Reed who gave her a sympathetic shake of his head and a small grin as he pushed back the blanket.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Ensign, but it really happened."
There was a muffled series of tones as Archer activated the keypad and a rusty clank as he opened the cell door. He stepped partially inside and looked around at his people, making sure to hold the door open. "Everyone alright?"
They all nodded. "A few bumps 'n bruises, Cap'n, but other 'n that we're alright. So, uh, what's the plan for getting outta here?"
Archer came all of the way into the cell but still kept one hand behind himself to hold the door open while he talked with Trip. "We're supposed to go down this corridor and follow it for three turns. Then we take a left up a flight of stairs and after that Lorrister'll meet up with us and tell us what to do."
The engineer looked at his captain appraisingly. He trusted Archer unquestioningly, but ...
"Cap'n," he scrubbed a knuckle at his forehead and ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair. "Are you sure we can trust this Lorrister guy? I mean, he could just be leading us into another trap."
Archer nodded, crinkling his brow. "I've thought of that, but he's proven himself to be trustworthy. After Jean got caught he made sure the guards didn't know I was alive and sneaking around. He doesn't think his people have the right to hold us captive so he wants to help us escape. Besides, if it comes down to a fight he's with us and then he'll be able to see which soldiers are still loyal to him and who's loyal to Rostin. I've made up my mind, Trip. We're going to do as he says."
By now Reed was satisfied that Jean was fully awake so he left her and had been packing up the medkit while the other men talked. Once the kit was packed he came over to stand by Trip. It seemed like he had something to say and the captain nodded to encourage him. "Malcolm?"
He hesitated so the Captain pressed him slightly. "I'd appreciate your opinion."
"Well sir, from what you've said it sounds like this Lorrister can be trusted and I don't think he'll try anything funny, but his position is fairly weak from a tactical standpoint."
The pleased smile on Archer's face turned into a frown. "Go on."
"Sir, he isn't actually in charge around here and I assume that his influence is very limited. Even if he wants to help us I'm not sure that he'd be able to actually do it." After he spoke Reed looked over to Trip, hoping that the other man would back him up.
Archer stood in thought weighing his options and looking at his officers.
They're capable and intelligent people so if they agree that it's a bad idea... no. I'm the captain and I'm responsible for my crew's safety, and right now trusting Lorrister is the best choice I've got for getting my people out of here.
He shook his head. "I don't like it any more than you do, but its not like we have too many options right now. We're gonna follow his lead."
Neither of them looked too happy but they both nodded and started getting ready to leave. Reed double-checked that everything was put away properly in the medkit while Trip gave the cell a last minute check for equipment and Jean went to stand next to the captain.
"How are you doing, Ensign?"
She looked up at him and shrugged. "I'll be better once we're back on Enterprise, sir."
He smiled and patted her shoulder in a reassuring way, so he was surprised when she flinched slightly under his hand. Although he was confused he didn't get a chance to ask her what it was about because just then Reed and Trip came over.
"All set to go, Cap'n. After you."
He nodded and they all set out with Archer in the lead and Reed acting as the rearguard, just in case. They walked through the empty corridor, pausing every so often as though they were expecting several guards to appear the next corner. None did and they kept moving forward, eventually reaching the stairs. Once they got to the stairs there was nothing for them to do but go half-way up the flight and then wait.
This didn't suit Reed who, at a nod from the captain, drew out his phase pistol and continued up the stairs alone.
Meanwhile Archer looked his people over and saw that they were both sporting new bumps and bruises. "How've the guards been treating you?"
Trip shrugged non-committally. The interrogation had been brutal, but he couldn't see the point in telling Archer about it just then. The man had other things to worry about, and being told what had happened to all of them right then would only serve to make him angry and distract him. "Not too bad, I 'spose, but they haven't been treatin' us like royalty. They got rough during the questioning and weren't too gentle about putting us in the cell but they've treated us pretty decently for the most part. With a couple exceptions."
Reed had come back downstairs while he was talking and they looked at each other knowingly before glancing over at Jean. All three of them were unnaturally quiet for a minute or so, during which Jean hunched her shoulders and shifted uncomfortably.
Trip moved towards her and protectively put an arm around her. She smiled very slightly and leaned into him. Reed had started to come towards her too, planning to do the same thing as Trip, but instead he settled for just patting her arm reassuringly. In answer she nodded and mouthed 'thank you' to him.
It was obvious to Archer that something had happened to the three of them down in the cells, but he could wait to find out what it was after they got back to the ship. Right then, he wanted to know what Reed saw when he went up the stairs.
"Report, Lieutenant."
"Sir, these stairs lead back to the chamber we were brought into when we were blindfolded. There are roughly a dozen guards posted at all the exits and it looks like the next shift is about to come down to the cells. If you don't mind my saying so captain, we're sitting ducks on this staircase. Those guards will be coming down any minute now and they'll be sure to see us if we don't get out of sight."
"That will not be a problem." Lorrister stepped out of a small door to one side of the stairs and approached the away team. "This staircase is not used by the guards most of the time, only when they are all summoned to duty for an attack."
"It's about time you showed up." Archer smiled to show that he wasn't actually annoyed, while Reed eyed Lorrister distrustfully.
The lieutenant crossed his arms. "You certainly took your time getting here."
"My apologies, I had to avoid being seen. Fortunately I know this building well, including it's hidden passages. I do hope that the guards have not mistreated you," he added earnestly, noting the various scrapes, bruises, and the disheveled state of the escapees.
Trip gave him a hard, angry stare. "You might want to teach your guards some manners. They tried to have a good time with Jean. We had to fight them off of her." His voice was tight with anger and Archer could tell that the engineer was just barely keeping himself from shouting.
A look of understanding crossed Archer's face while Lorrister seemed shocked by this and bowed low to them. "I am truly sorry. If there is anything that I can do to make amends... "
"Just get us out of here safely and there won't be any hard feelings." Reed was giving him the same angry stare that Trip was, but he looked over to Jean to check that she didn't mind being spoken for. She answered with a silent nod and a tiny smile.
The princep bowed to them again, even more motivated to help them now than he had been before. "Very well then. If you'll follow me, I will guide you to the nearest exit. To reach it we will need to cross the main counsel chamber. These men are loyal to me..." he gestured to three soldiers who had emerged from the same small passageway. "They will loosely bind your hands with ropes so that it will appear to any observer as though they are guarding you. In this way I will be able to lead you across the counsel chamber without arousing suspicion."
Trip narrowed his eyes, thinking. "Hold on. You mentioned hidden passageways. Wouldn't that be less risky than crossing the main chamber?"
"Perhaps, but this way the fact that your cell is empty will not seem suspicious. If anyone claims that you have escaped, I will simply explain that I wished to speak with you in a more pleasant setting in a ploy to obtain information from you. This will give us more time to leave the complex and for my men to lead you through the woods to your vehicle."
The men looked at each other skeptically. "Bind my hands first," said Reed. "I'd like to examine the knots your guards plan to use."
When he saw that they planned to use a kind of knot which would come undone easily he voiced his approval and made sure that the guards tied everyone else's hands in exactly the same way. The whole group then proceeded up the stairs and into the counsel chamber with Lorrister in the lead, followed by the away team in single file flanked on either side by Lorrister's men and with the third guard bringing up the rear.
They made it halfway across the chamber without any problems, passing the dozen or so guards who were standing by the doorways. None of them batted an eyelid at the procession until four guards came running out of one of the stairwells leading to the cells.
"The prisoners have escaped! The prisoners have escaped!"
Suddenly all of the guards around the chamber tensed and came to attention like dogs trying to sniff out a scent. Lorrister and his group froze for an instant, but then he continued on forward and the away team followed. When the guards still seemed suspicious, Lorrister spoke up.
"Stand at ease men, there has been no escape. I needed to speak with these people and I did not want to do so down in the cells. As I have just said, there has been no escape."
The group of guards who had come up from the cells hurried towards the small procession. They were joined by Rostin, who had heard their shouts and came rushing out of one of the rooms adjoining the main chamber.
"Princep! I was not informed that you would be dealing with the prisoners." He approached the older man, wearing an expression of confused anger when he caught sight of Archer. "And– and you! You were killed in this very room, before my eyes!"
Archer eyed his enemy, a man who had captured, interrogated and imprisoned his people. "I got better." His voice was hard and his hands were slowly curling into fists. There was nothing he wanted to do more than knock Rostin flat on his ass, but knew that it was Lorrister's place, and not his, to set the man straight.
"I wasn't aware that you needed to be informed." When Lorrister didn't show any signs of backing down, Rostin stepped towards him so that their faces were nearly touching.
"You damn well were aware of it!" He hissed. "I think you've forgotten your place, old man..."
Lorrister drew himself up to his full height and towered over the younger man. "Do you mean as regional Princep and administrator of this facility? No, Rostin, I have. For too long, but not any longer. I'm taking back my rightful place as..."
Now Rostin had had enough. He was by nature a calculating man and not given to displays of temper, but this old man standing in front of him, acting as though he was still in charge was too much. Didn't this relic understand? He was a dying breed. I'll have to explain it to him. He grabbed Lorrister's badge of office, his staff, and tried to wrest it away from him.
Surprised by the viciousness of the attack, Lorrister fell back a few steps. One foot became tangled in the hem of his robes and he tripped, losing his balance and falling to the floor. He let go of the staff as he fell, using his hands to catch himself. Seizing this opportunity, Rostin swept up the staff as he continued forward, advancing on the older man and preparing to deal him a crushing blow.
Jean couldn't stand to see the merciless beating which Rostin was obviously planning on giving to Lorristor, so she stepped out of her place in line. Because the scuffle was only happening a few meters away, she didn't have to go far to break it up. When Reed and Trip saw her move they tried to stop her, but they weren't quick enough. They had a pretty clear idea of what she was about to do and they knew how Rostin was likely to react. They'd both learned – the hard way – that Rostin was not a forgiving soul. However, what took place next went so quickly that no one, except the two people directly involved in it, could have done anything to stop it.
Jean ran the few steps over to him and slammed into him with her body, throwing him off balance. "Hey, Rostin. Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" It just so happened that Rostin was only a tiny bit taller than Jean.
He whirled around, angry that his throttling of Lorristor had been delayed but also flabbergasted at the audacity of this prisoner.
"You foolish woman," he sneered. "I'll teach you to disrespect me."
She was about to grace him with a blistering retort when she found that, suddenly, she couldn't speak. He'd done something to her, but what? Confused and feeling strange, she looked down at herself. The pain made her woozy, as did the realization of what had just happened. She slowly turned back to the rest of the team, and they were appalled to see a metal hilt sticking out of her right side. A spot of bright red quickly sprung up around it, her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell to her knees, soundlessly crumpling to the ground.