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"A Woman's Deed" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 3 Phlox rubbed his face with a tired sigh. He turned when the Sickbay doors opened and watched T’Pol walk up to him. She looked as tired as he felt. “We both should be sleeping,” Phlox said, turning back to his work. “There is little time for rest right now. Have you made any progress?” “No. I’m synthesizing another serum but I haven’t tested it yet.” T’Pol looked at Archer. Like his fellow men, he was heavily sedated. The two women that had decided to help Phlox were going from man to man to check their vitals. T’Pol looked down at Phlox. “Do you have any hope in this next serum?” “About as much as I did the last one.” “When will you know the results of it?” “About the time you’ll be in the midst of negotiations, most likely.” T’Pol looked away. “Are you concerned the negotiations will not go well?” T’Pol looked at him. Phlox was watching her. “Yes.” “But there’s more, isn’t there?” T’Pol nodded, but didn’t tell him what else was bothering her. “I have faith in these women, T’Pol. I know that we will be successful. Who will be in charge while you are in negotiations?” Phlox asked. “Ensign Sato.” “How does she feel about that?” “I am unable to tell. So far she appears prepared for the task.” Phlox nodded, looking at the screen. “Alert me if you have any success, Doctor.” Phlox nodded. T’Pol left Sickbay # T’Pol turned around when she heard a beep come from the direction of the weapons console. Lieutenant Monroe frowned, shaking her head. “We have company coming, girls. Two very big, heavily armed, quite pissed, Xindi vessels.” “Have they detected us?” T’Pol asked. “Not ye-- Yes. And they’re locking onto us.” “What’s nearby?” T’Pol asked. “A moon, a gas giant with ice rings, and a lot of open space for running.” “Head for the ice rings, Ensign Burke.” She looked back at T’Pol. “The...ice rings...ma’am?” “Yes.” “I’ve never...” T’Pol, Hoshi, and Monroe looked down at her. She looked at each of them and then turned back to her controls without another word. “You haven’t what?” T’Pol said. “Nothing, ma’am.” “Are you concerned you will not be able to maneuver Enterprise among the ice crystals?” Burke used her peripheral vision to look at Hoshi and Monroe. They were watching her, but unlike T’Pol, there was something of a warning in their stares. “I can handle it, ma’am.” “Are you certain?” “Yes.” T’Pol pressed her lips together, deciding not to re-question her. They had passed the point of return hours ago and now they had only one direction to go. “The ice crystals range from a meter to three meters wide,” Hoshi said. “They’re made of H20 and CH4. They’ll cause enough interference to deflect scans, but the Xindi will still be able to pick up our engine heat.” T’Pol lifted her chin, an idea coming to mind. “We must go into the heart of the rings, Ensign Burke. Try to avoid damaging Enterprise as best as you can. Lieutenant Monroe, who do we have that can fly a shuttle pod?” “A shuttle pod? We have Xindi coming after us and you want to--” “With all due respect, Lieutenant Monroe, could you just answer her?” Hoshi snapped. T’Pol glanced at Hoshi, surprised by the Ensign's defense. Lieutenant Monroe looked own at her controls. “Quartermaster Benson and Ensign Roberts. “Have them both report to the shuttle bay and prep both pods for immediate launch.” Hoshi quickly obeyed the order. # Enterprise dropped from warp twenty kilometers from the ice rings and at quarter impulse flew into the ring. As it disappeared into the giant ice crystals, the shuttle pods launched from the bay and departed in different directions, away from Enterprise. # T’Pol sat on the edge of the captain’s chair, watching the view monitor. “Are both ships pursuing?” “Yes. They’ve just entered the ring behind us at half impulse.” “Can we say stupid? Probably men,” Ensign Burke growled. “If you could refrain from commentary, Ensign Burke.” “Sorry, ma’am.” The bridge was silent. “Full halt, do not cut the engines,” T’Pol ordered. Enterprise glided to a stop. Around them the ice crystals moved in their own random pattern, crashing into each other and scraping against Enterprise as they passed. “They are within two hundred kilometers and closing.” “Can you detect the shuttle pods?” “Not with all the interference these ice crystals are creating. They don’t put out enough heat to show up.” A loud bang resounded from the hull. T’Pol looked at Lieutenant Monroe. “Ice crystal. Didn’t scratch the paint too bad. One hundred kilometers and closing.” “Ladies, are you in position?” T’Pol asked, Two voices came across the bridge COM, “Yes, ma’am.” “Proceed on my mark.” The three waited. “Ninety kilometers...seventy, sixty. We’ve been detected and they’re charging weapons at fifty kilometers.” T’Pol stood. “We’ve been targeted at forty-eight kilometers.” “MARK!” T’Pol yelled. # Above the approaching ships the shuttles zipped out of hiding and started firing on the ice crystals. The crystals shattered into chunks of frozen water and methane and as more piled up they were forced around the Xindi ships. The crystals around the engines melted instantly, converting the methane to gas. # “Get us out of here, Burke!” T’Pol ordered. Burke steered Enterprise up. With a lot of scrapping and scratching, Enterprise shot from the ice ring as it begin to ignite. Behind them the shuttle pods chased Enterprise out of the fiery rings. “The troposphere of that gas giant is methane, T’Pol, and that fire is getting close to it. It’s going to create a nice sized shockwave when it goes, T’Pol. We shouldn’t be here when that happens.” T’Pol watched the fire leaping through the rings toward the planet. “Where are the Xindi ships?” T’Pol asked. “One is stationary, no engines. The other is trying to navigate out but appears blind.” “The moon would provide adequate protection from the explosion, would it not?” “Probably, but we have enough time to get out of here before then. “Are the shuttle pods docked?” Monroe checked. “Yes. Secure.” “Going to warp,” Burke said. “No. Return to the ring. Grapple onto the ships.” “But we just--” “NANCY,” Hoshi yelled. “JUST DO IT!” Burke turned Enterprise back toward the rings. She managed to grapple onto the first ship in one try, but it took her three tries to grapple onto the second ship. “Haul them behind the moon, release the grapples and go to warp four.” Burke obeyed, towing the ships behind the moon. She released the grapples and sent Enterprise to warp four. T’Pol sat back down, watching space speed past. The women didn’t speak a word of what just happened. # Several women had come to the bridge as soon as Hoshi had alerted the crew that they were in sight of the Xindi home world. They were stopped outside of sensor range, staring at a magnified image of the planet. “Are there any ships in orbit?” T’Pol asked. Monroe shook her head. “Nothing with teeth. I’m detecting two luxury ships and a handful of transport vessels. The transporters aren’t heavily armed and look to be interstellar craft rather than deep space. Taking the scenic route seems to have worked.” T’Pol walked around helm to stand in front of it. She crossed her arms over her chest. “What are your orders, T’Pol?” Hoshi asked. T’Pol looked down. “Contact the council, Ensign. Tell them we have come to negotiate a peace treaty.” Hoshi turned to her controls and sent the message on several frequencies. “Oh! We’re being actively scanned now, ma’am!” Monroe said. “We’ve got a few of those transporters heading our way, weapons armed.” “Hold our position, Ensign Burke. Take us to tactical alert, Lieutenant.” “Aye, ma’am.” Red warning lights came on around the bridge. “Any reply from the council, Ensign Sato?” “Not yet.” Six transporters surrounded Enterprise. T’Pol looked at Monroe. The woman was watching her monitors and controls. “Do not fire, Lieutenant.” “That would sort of defeat our whole reason for coming, wouldn’t it, ma’am?” Monroe glanced at T’Pol. T’Pol nodded once. “I’m getting a reply,” Hoshi said. “On screen,” T’Pol ordered. A humanoid Xindi appeared. He looked at T’Pol and then at the bridge behind her. “You sneak into our space and expect us to believe that you are here to talk peace?” “Yes.” “Where is Captain Archer?” “He is incapacitated.” “Who will be coming to the surface for this negotiation, then?” “Myself and another crewman.” “Just two of you?” “Yes.” “And is that other crewman Lieutenant-Commander Tucker?” “No, Councilor...” “Councilor Droli. I will only allow your Captain’s senior staff to meet with us. Any other crewmen aren’t worth our time, T’Pol.” T’Pol pulled her hands behind her, lifting her chin. “You apparently are very knowledgeable about Captain Archer’s senior staff, Councilor Droli, and being so knowledgeable, you should be aware that I am Vulcan and while I can negotiate for the humans and Earth, I am in no position to know what may or may not appease to them. And should the men of this ship die due to a virus that your people released while attacking us, I do not believe that Earth or humans will wait for you to attack them. They are aware that we were coming to speak with you. Are the weapons you were planning to send to Earth prepared to be dispatched? Because in two days, if they do not hear from myself or Ensign Sato, they will be sending a fleet into the Expanse, to this very location, to kill all Xindi alive and force your hand into a war four hundred years early. Are you prepared for a war, Councilor?” “You could not have contacted them before coming here. We would have intercepted such a transmission.” T’Pol’s eyebrow lifted. “Apparently you are unaware of the wealth of information that was given to Captain Archer to enhance our communication array and enable us to send information while outside of the Expanse to Earth. We also have attained schematics for the weapon you are planning to send to Earth. A weapon identical to it is awaiting dispatch from a human colony if they do not receive word from us to hold.” “And who did you get this information from?” “That is not important.” Councilor Droli looked down at a screen. Slowly his face told the women what they already knew – the schematics to the weapons the Xindi were building were in front of the Councilor and his bluff had been called. “You will wait,” Droli said and disappeared. T’Pol sighed. She heard the women behind her whisper among themselves, but didn’t turn to them. She was actually glad to have them back there, showing their support for what she was attempting to do. “Did we,” Burke started. T’Pol looked back at her. “Did we really send information to Earth? Do they really know about the weapon?” “No,” T’Pol answered, turning back to the view screen. “I am utilizing Captain Archer’s bluffing technique to force them into opening negotiations.” “He’s hailing us,” Hoshi said. T’Pol nodded. Councilor Droli appeared on the screen again. “Power down your weapons and shielding, and then you may proceed to the planet.” “With all do respect Councilor Droli, our past experiences with your race has not been that of a trustful one. I will order weapons powered down, but not shielding.” “I will allow this. Proceed.” Councilor Droli left the screen. T’Pol turned to find every woman aboard Enterprise was crowded in behind her. “Return to your stations immediately, ladies.” The women quickly dispersed. T’Pol walked over to the captain’s chair and sat down on the edge. “Take us into orbit, Ensign Burke. Power down weapons, Lieutenant Monroe.” “Aye, ma’am,” the two women replied, # T’Pol and Lieutenant Hess walked through the halls, passing worried women who quietly wished them good luck. T’Pol had a sense of displacement, aware that it was brought on by the lack of men. She still had reservations about the success of the peace negotiations. The two turned into a shuttle bay and crossed the catwalk to the ladder leading into the top hatch. “T’POL!” T’Pol turned, watching Hoshi run up to her. She was messing with something in her hands. She grabbed two ends of a gold chain and let it drop. It was a gold necklace with a small flower pendant. She held it out to T’Pol. “I know you don’t believe in luck, but wear this anyway. It’s helped me I don’t know how many times.” “Vulcan’s do not wear jewelry.” “Please?” “Give it to Lieutenant Hess.” T’Pol turned to enter the shuttle pod. Hoshi caught T’Pol’s wrist, turned it and pressed the necklace into T’Pol’s hand. T’Pol looked at her hand and up at Hoshi. Hoshi held T’Pol’s hand closed around the necklace. “I know we rarely see things eye to eye, T’Pol, but let’s pretend that today we do. At least keep it on you even if you don’t wear it. Please.” Hoshi let her hand go and walked out of the bay. T’Pol entered the shuttle pod. |
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