Chapter Twelve
Unconquered
(*Author's Note: This chapter contains a particularly violent scene. I hope it is not too out there or distasteful for your liking, but I encourage you to give it a chance. Thanks for sticking with me, here goes).
Trip had Kaatia contact Klegg's ship and arrange a meeting. Typically this is not something Klegg would have done, have a meeting with anyone. Lisyrians didn't talk, they conquered, killed and enslaved. But this request had amused Klegg and he couldn't resist.
It was hard for Trip to face his tormentor, but he did. It had taken everything in him to be in his presence without trembling at the sheer terror Klegg was capable of striking in him, and for a few moments he had to resist the urge to run away and hide. Trip had to summons strength from some place he didn't even know existed to stand in Klegg's presence, look him in the eye and speak to him for the first time as a man, not as a slave or a pet.
Trip had learned from Kaatia and Malvek of an ancient ritual that the Lisyrians of old sometimes practiced, called the "Wast-au-Nafari." It was where two warriors or Kings made a deal where they agreed to a fight to the death. The winner, took command of the other's kingdom or territory without engaging in a battle. Trip made such an agreement with Klegg. They would settle their dispute one on one. If Klegg won the battle though, instead of killing him, he would take Trip as his slave and he would take command of Invictus. If Trip won the day, that is if he killed Klegg, he would take over command of his ship and the other Lisyrian ships waiting to join the war as allies to the Romulans.
Although they had made a deal, Trip did not trust nor believe anything Klegg said. He knew Klegg would not honor their agreement and Trip had no intention of becoming this bastard's slave again. He told Malcolm that if Klegg won the fight and attempted to take him, that Malcolm was to set his phase pistol on kill and to fire upon him. He would rather die than be Klegg's slave. Trip also made Malcolm promise to do the same if he became out of control and could not come back to himself after the fight. Then he told Malcolm to have Invictus fire upon the Lisyrian ship and make a run for it. Klegg however, made no such back-up plan. He did not expect to lose.
Trip and Klegg met in the gym on Intrepid. Klegg had five of his henchmen with him. T'Pol, Malcolm, three MACOs, Kaatia and Malvek and the three young Lisyrian males all stood on the sideline watching. T'Pol was so nervous that Trip had made her put up mental shields and he in turn put his own up to block her out. He didn't need to feel her anxiety and his too. Malcolm stood stoically. He thought this was madness. Klegg was eight feet tall and twice as big as Trip. He looked like he could crush Trip's head with one hand. But, Kaatia and Malvek knew better. They knew what the blood rage could do to someone, even a human. Trip had just as much chance to win this fight as Klegg despite his size.
The fight had been going on for a few minutes. Klegg had been surprised that he had not been able to subdue Trip immediately. He was too fast and agile. But he had finally gotten Trip pinned against the bulkhead with his massive hand around his throat. He could easily have crushed his wind pipe but Klegg wanted Trip alive. That was his weakness. One of Trip's eyes was almost closed and he had a small cut above the other one from the beating he had already taken from Klegg, now he had Trip in a very vulnerable position.
Suddenly, Trip head butted Klegg. Of course it was not strong enough to knock Klegg out, only to daze him, but it was enough to cause him to stumble backwards. Trip fell to the floor when he did so. But Klegg recovered quickly. He grabbed Trip and threw him across the room. He landed hard and blood spewed out of his mouth. He his right side where he felt pain surge through his body once again, no doubt from fractured ribs. T'Pol tried to go to him, but Malcolm grabbed her.
"T'Pol no!" Malcolm cried out.
"He is hurt!" she said in an exasperated voice. "I cannot let this…this animal kill him!"
"Do not interfere," Kaatia said. "Trip knows what he is doing."
"He is my husband!" T'Pol shouted. "I will not lose him."
"You will if you interfere!" Malvek said. "You will only serve to distract him. Let the fight continue." Malcolm reluctantly put his arm around T'Pol's shoulder and pulled her back. T'Pol threw him an angry glare and jerked away. But, Malcolm wasn't bothered, he just didn't want T'Pol to make matters more difficult for Trip. He would stun her if he had to.
Kaatia ran to Trip as Klegg drank water, smirking and looking on. "Trip," Kaatia began, "You must access that which is in you. You must do it now."
"What if I can't control it like I did the other day," Trip gasped, "what if…?"
"You do not need to control it, you need to unleash it. Now is the time, enter into the blood rage…allow it to consume you."
"If I do… I'll enter into the… blood chill!"
"Yes, you will, then you can kill him!"
"I don't want to hurt anyone else…what if I can't come back to myself?"
"You can do it! If you cannot, I will kill you myself, now go. Embrace who you are and what you are! Kill him!" Kaatia then with one swift movement, jerked Trip to his feet and pushed him toward the enemy.
Klegg had been watching and listening. He was infuriated. He began to run toward Trip. He did not expect what happened next. Trip started to run toward Klegg. When he was close enough, he did a flying leap against the wall to push off and propel himself at Klegg. He was able to knock him down and kick him in the face several times with his booted foot. Klegg started to bleed. He was dazed as well.
Trip didn't relent. In another swift movement, he leapt to his feet, and reached for a metal rod from one of the weight benches nearby. He began to beat Klegg with the rod as he lay on the floor trying to recover from the first assault.
Trip knew it would be hard to break one of Klegg's bones, but he targeted his massive right arm, assaulting it over and over again, until Klegg finally found the strength to take hold of the rod with his other hand. He used it to hurl Trip away from him. Feeling that he might possibly lose this fight after all, Klegg used everything at his disposal. He began to taunt Trip.
"Beautiful One," he grinned, "you are more formidable than I gave you credit. No matter, you are still my little animal!" and he laughed deeply. Trip did not respond.
"Remember all the lovely beatings I gave you back when we were together? It will be so again. I can hardly wait. You were always so delicate, so lovely, and so beautiful!" Trip was getting angrier and angrier. He felt himself losing control. Klegg took that opportunity to leap up from the floor and backhand Trip with one powerful blow. Trip went hurdling backwards. Klegg hurried toward him and snatched him up quickly and pushed him against the wall choking him with his left forearm. T'Pol gasped. Kaatia and Malvek looked away. Malcolm shifted back and forwards on his feet, not knowing what to do.
Trip was losing consciousness. He could feel his windpipe collapsing. He couldn't breathe. His life was slipping away from him, and he knew it.
"Trip!" someone yelled. He wasn't sure who it was as he could only feel his blood boiling within him. He looked at Klegg directly in the eyes. Klegg only laughed. Trip hated him and he knew he would never be his slave again, and he certainly wasn't going to let this bastard kill him. Trip closed his eyes and when he opened them, they had turned red hot, and he could feel the red veins begin to pop out of his neck and face. Klegg was so startled that he let Trip go and backed away.
"How, how is this possible!" he bellowed, "how does he possess the blood rage?!" But Trip could not hear him, he couldn't hear anything. All he could hear, sense or feel, was "kill!"
Trip leapt to his feet and ran toward one of Klegg's henchmen. He flew into him so quickly the Lisyrian did not have time to react. Trip hurled him to the ground and grabbed his massive sword from the holder. He turned quickly, twisted it around several times and flung it at Klegg. It landed in his midsection. A shocked Klegg looked at the sword and dropped to his knees. Trip watched him, pacing the floor backward and forward, waiting to see what would happen next. Klegg pulled the sword out of his body and held both hands over his wound. Trip knew that this would not kill Klegg, but it was enough to slow him down.
At that moment, while he still had any presence of mind, Trip allowed himself to remember what Klegg had done to him. He thought about the war, and how the Lisyrians were interfering in it. The Romulans were aggressive and hostile, they sought to conquer. The Lisyrians were sadistic, savage and cannibalistic. This union could not happen. Trip would not allow it. Suddenly his eyes went black. Like deep, dark pools of quiet rage. Black veins protruded from his face and neck. Everyone gasped. He was no longer fully conscious of himself as a human being, a Star fleet officer, or a Captain. The only thing he could process now was the death of his opponent.
Various images of how to obliterate his enemy began to flash through his mind. The one that stuck was from a story he had heard as a child, although Trip was unaware that that was where the image had come from. It was the image of a lion in the hands of a human being, empowered with supernatural strength, and how this mere mortal was able to kill the beast with his bare hands. With nothing but that image in his mind, Trip leapt upon Klegg knocking him hard to the floor. The beast within him had fully emerged and it was in control now. He grabbed hold of his tormentor's mouth and pried it opened with two hands as the monster screamed until he could no longer; as this mere mortal, empowered with a strength he neither asked for nor wanted, broke both of his opponent's powerful jaw bones. Then he did the unthinkable.
An enraged individual, whom no one present recognized, reached down the massive creature's throat and yanked with all his might and started to rip out the life line of his enemy. If the whole thing had not already been shocking enough, he then grabbed it between his teeth and tore it out completely. Klegg fell over dead, much to everyone's horror and surprise.
Trip was on the floor with his right knee bent to the floor while balancing himself with his right hand. His left hand rested on his left knee. He was not moving, except for the heavy rising and falling of his chest as he breathed deeply. He had an overwhelming urge to devour the life line. He could smell the blood on his hand and feel the flesh in his teeth. He was out of control. Then he rubbed the bloody life line on his face and across his lips.
"Trip!" T'Pol yelled and ran toward him.
"T'Pol don't!" Malcolm yelled. "He's not Trip right now, he doesn't know you!"
"I must go to him," she said pushing Malcolm away.
"Kaatia, Malvek!" he yelled, do something!"
Malvek stepped in front of T'Pol, grabbed her and held her. T'Pol struggled to get free, but was no match for the powerful Lisyrian as Kaatia ran for Trip. "Don't do it!" she shouted. "Listen to me Trip, come back to us! It is over, you must now resist what you are feeling!" Trip looked at her with his black pools. The veins were pulsating in his face. He wanted to consume the life line, he wanted to kill everyone in the room and consume their blood.
"No Trip," Kaatia cried. "You do not have to do this, you do not want to do this," but Trip did not budge. "Commander Reed, bring her!" she cried out. Malvek let go of T'Pol and she, along with Malcolm and Malvek hurried over to where Trip was.
"Speak to him," Kaatia said to T'Pol, "bring him back."
"T'hy'la," T'Pol began shakily and from a distance. "You are not…one of them. You are human…you are no cannibal, and you do not consume blood. You are my Ashayam…you are my K'diwa. Trip!" Suddenly he dropped the flesh in his hand and flew over to T'Pol in seems like a flash. He grabbed her around her throat and began to choke her with one hand.
"Trip no!" Malcolm screamed and reached for his phase pistol. He did not want to fire it, but he had made Trip a promise. T'Pol held her hand up to Malcolm. Then she placed it against Trip's face.
"My mind to your mind," she said in her head. "Your thoughts are my thoughts, our minds are one." It took a few seconds but she was able to enter his mind. It was confused, chaotic and dark where he was, but she entered anyway. She began to show him their life together, the neuro pressure sessions that brought them together, the first time they made love, the last three years of their life on Enterprise and Intrepid, the child they shared and lost, the love they shared, like no other. "Re…mem…ber," she choked out. Then the grip around her neck began to loosen.
Within a few moments his eyes began to lighten. His breathing became even and his mind began to settle and focus.
"Re…mem…ber," he growled.
"Re…member…who you are," T'Pol gasped. "What you are."
"I…am," he started.
"Y-yes," T'Pol replied, his hand still loosely around her neck. Everyone watched nervously waiting to see if their Captain was still their Captain, or if the beast had overtaken him.
"Ashayam," she said.
"A…sha…yam?" he replied in a heavy voice.
"Ki'diwa."
"Ki…di…wa?" he repeated as if he were asking a question.
"Adun."
"Adun."
"Charles… Anthony…T-tucker," T'Pol said, her voice unsteady.
"The…the third," Trip said slowly, in his own voice.
Suddenly he was back in the gym as his eyes resumed their natural color. He gasped when he realized his hand was around T'Pol's neck. He let go and she fell to the floor. Malcolm ran over to assist her. He looked at his bloody hand and a shocked look overtook his face as he doubled over and fell to the floor. Then he became horrified as he realized he tasted blood. He began spitting it from his mouth. Kaatia ran over to him.
"Do not swallow," she said, "you cannot consume any of the blood." Malvek suddenly appeared with water.
"Here," she said. Trip took the water and filled his mouth, then he spit it out. He did it again and again.
"Klegg?" Trip asked.
"He is dead," Kaatia said. "You defeated him, he is dead." Trip shook his head several times, then slowly staggered to his feet. He looked over at T'Pol. She looked at him with moist eyes, then hurried over to him. They fell into a hard embrace.
"It…is…over," she said in a stammered whisper.
"I hurt you!" he said alarmed, looking at her neck where bruises were already beginning to form.
"No…you did…not h-hurt me. You…saved me, saved…us all." Trip looked at Malcolm and over to the other side of the room where the Lisyrian soldiers stood. Trip broke away from T'Pol and walked toward them. He had known that he could speak to the Lisyrian soldiers with authority only if he killed their leader. When he approached them, they threw down their weapons and bowed to him.
"Master Tucker," they said.
"No, no, get up," Trip demanded. "I don't intend to enslave you. That's not our way. What I do want however, is for you to take me to your ship. You tell your people what has happened here today. Then you contact your other ships, tell 'em that they are to stay the hell out of this war! Go home, do you hear me, I want you out of this sector of space, never to return!"
One of the Lisyrians bowed slightly. "As you wish, Master Tucker. We are not as dishonorable as you may think. Klegg was a ruthless leader and many of us were enslaved to him. We had no desire to involve ourselves with this useless war. But at his urging, our government gave us no choice. We have been in a civil war on our planet for many years defending a way of life that is no longer wanted, nor is honorable. The Romulans promised our leadership that if we helped them win their war that they would help us win our war against the rebel insurgents and take control of our home world once again."
"The Romulans were never going to help you win any war. They consider themselves conquerors. They would have only enslaved you along with the rest of us if they were to win this war," Trip explained.
"Master Klegg had great influence on our world," the Lisyrian soldier replied. "Now that he is dead, many will abandon the old ways. Some will resist, but we are pretty certain who they are. Some of his loyalists are on the ship. We will have to overtake them."
For the next hour Trip, Malcolm, about 15 MACOs along members of Reed's security team, escorted the Lisyrian soldiers back to their ship. The lead soldier told the others what occurred on Invictus, and that Trip was their new Master. Some tried to fight and over take them, but the majority of the Lisyrians helped the humans maintain control. They wanted no part of this war.
The lead soldier contacted the remaining Lisyrian ships in the sector as Trip and the others looked on. He ordered them to return to their world and that this collaboration with the Romulans was over. Trip ordered them to stay out of the war and to get out of this area of space with a quickness. Invictus escorted them to the area of space that contained the vortex that would lead them back to their world, and watched them enter it. Some of the crew thought they should have blasted them out of the sky, including Malcolm and T'Pol. Others thought they should have at least taken them prisoner. But Trip was trying to hold on to whatever humanity he had left in him after what he had done. He did promise them however, that if he ever saw them again, it would be the last time.
Trip was glad that only three MACOs, Malcolm and T'Pol had seen what he had done to Master Klegg. He noticed than when he spoke to the MACOs or came near them, they reacted oddly. They always took a few steps backwards and they would not look at him in the eye. They were obviously very disturbed by what they had witnessed. Trip was sure that his entire crew would look at him totally different if they had seen it, so he admonished the young MACOs to keep it to themselves, to forget it ever happened. He also told Malcolm to pull the ship's recording of the incident and to destroy it.
Trip wasn't even sure how Malcolm and T'Pol saw him now. Did they see him as a savage beast, able to kill without hesitation or remorse? Did they see him as an uncontrollable animal? How could T'Pol continue to want to be with someone who had such a thing inside of them? But right now he couldn't even think about the implications of his actions and what they meant going forward. They were still in the middle of a war.
Within minutes of Trip returning to his ship, five Romulan and two Lisyrian ships decloaked before Invictus could leave the area. After what must have been a hostile communication, the Lisyrian ships fired upon the Romulans. They engaged in a battle and the two Lisyrian ships were destroyed along with two of the Romulan ships. While the hostiles were fighting one another, Invictus took that opportunity to flee the scene.
After the battle, the three remaining war birds began to pursue Invictus at warp speed. Unfortunately, Invictus detected three more war birds on long range sensors on an intercept course. Twenty minutes later, Invictus was facing the three war birds and they engaged in a battle. The three birds they had outrun, soon caught up with them and joined in the fight. Invictus separated and Victoria and Tuscany quickly took on three of the alien ships together. Intrepid battled the three remaining ships, dispatching one of them after a vicious battle.
Someone must have told the Romulans that ramming the human vessels was the most effective way to destroy them because the two remaining ships lined themselves up side by side and headed for Intrepid. Tuscany and Victoria were too busy to assist Intrepid which had sustained damage and her shields were down to 19%.
When Trip saw what was happening, he had to think quickly. He tried pulling up, but the birds compensated and continued to move forward in Intrepid's path, intending to ram their ships into it. They lined up and headed for her again. This time Trip got an idea. As the enemy vessels raced for his ship, Trip made a ship wide announcement that everyone should hold on to something. He then ordered Travis to turn the ship onto its side. He started inverting the ship and just as the enemy ships reached Intrepid, Travis flipped her onto her side and instead of the enemy ships crashing right into Invictus, it narrowly and abruptly slid between them. But one of them did hit the massive Intrepid and flew into a million pieces, causing more damage to Intrepid, but not enough to disable it. Trip then had the helmsman to bring the ship about and with guns blazing began to pound the remaining ship. By that time, Victoria came to her aid. Together they destroyed the last Romulan ship.
After the battle was over, Trip, T'Pol and Malcolm surveyed the damage. They made sure the injured were cared for and began their journey back home. Now it was time for Kaatia and her friends to decide if they would go back to the planet they had colonized or return to their home world. They decided upon the latter.
The Next Day.
Trip, T'Pol and Malcolm walked Kaatia, Malvek and the three male Lisyrians to cargo bay three where their ship was stored. They all said their goodbyes, then allowed the two females a few minutes alone with Trip.
"Knowing you has been a life-changing experience for us," Malvek began. "I don't know if we'll ever see you again, but I for one will never forget you." Trip smiled.
"Well, I don't think forgetting you ladies is even possible. Thank you for all your help, for everything," he said. Then Malvek stepped a little closer to Trip. He did not step back nor flinch in any way. She then hesitantly took both of his hands in hers.
"I am glad that you no longer fear us," Malvek said. "You are a remarkable individual. I wish only the best for you and your mate," she said as she glanced over at T'Pol, who stood by looking on. Trip smiled again.
"Thanks sweetheart," he replied, then kissed her hand. Malvek and Kaatia looked at one another with a shocked look on their face. Then Trip moved over to where Kaatia stood.
"You're one of the bravest individuals I have ever known," he said to her. "I owe you my life."
"No more than we owe you ours," Kaatia smiled.
"No, I mean it Kaatia. I've never even thanked you properly for taking care of me way back when I was on your ship being abused by Klegg." Trip was able to say his name now with ease. "You saved my life then and you've done it a couple of times since you've been on my ship. I never would have been able to control the rage without your help, and I never would have been able to defeat Klegg. Thank you…my friend." Kaatia looked down a moment. Then Trip gestured for her to lean closer to him. He surprised everyone when he planted a kiss on her cheek. She smiled and put her hand over her face where he had kissed her.
She hesitated for a moment, then Kaatia quickly leaned over and licked Trip on his face and his head with her massive tongue several times. "Now that's a kiss!" she beamed. Everyone stood there stunned for a moment as Trip just stood there wide eyed, not moving. He touched his wet hair which was now sticking straight up on his head. Then he broke into laughter. They all joined in.
Three Weeks Later.
Weeks passed and there were no sightings of any Romulan ships. Considering what Trip and Invictus had done in the last few months, the corps of Admirals had to admit that Captain Tucker was a hell of a leader and a warrior. Trip and several of his officer were awarded medals, and even Admiral Black had warmed to him. He told Trip that he had been wrong about him, and apologized for doubting his resolve.
Admiral Wells fell all over himself and acted as if he were Trip's new best friend. Gardner however, remained distant. But Trip was just happy that the war seemed to really be coming to an end. However, he warned Malcolm, T'Pol and his entire crew to be ready, to be on the alert, just in case the enemy reasserted themselves.
Travis Mayweather was just happy to have the Lisyrians off the ship and back in their own space. He had felt so guilty after seeing the affect they had had on his Captain. Now he just had to figure out how to get from under Harris' control and disassociate himself from section 31 before he was in too deep. Little did he know but he was already in too deep.
Malcolm and Hoshi were looking forward to some leave time. They planned to disappear somewhere on Earth, either Brazil or Japan, where they didn't have to sneak around. They knew that they had to make a decision about their relationship and their future with Starfleet if they were to continue with it. But right now, they just wanted some time off to be together.
Trip and T'Pol were looking forward to vacation as well, but unfortunately, they still had to sneak around. Except when they were on Vulcan. While Trip had won most of the Admirals over, their marriage was still controversial and their superiors were not sure how to handle it going forward. Most of them just felt like they should just ignore it, but Trip and T'Pol wanted to get married officially in front of the whole universe. Starfleet worried however, as to how this would affect their non-fraternization policy across the board. Trip had argued that perhaps it was time to do away with it altogether.
But this moment in time was not the time to fight that battle, after everything they'd been through, a vacation was their highest order of business. They planned to visit Jon and Erica on Earth, see Trip's family, visit Vulcan, then spend the rest of their leave on the tropical planet of their choice, alone. They had earned it.