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"Imbalance" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 5 : DAY FIVE Aup’r glowered at the Gartil ship. “It’s been more than a day,” she growled. “Trip could contact them and ask them to leave us,” Archer offered. “I don’t want to raise any more suspicion.” She started pacing again. Archer glanced at T’Pol and then Trip. Aup’r had put them on either side of the view monitor. Aup’r stopped in front of helm, looking into Archer’s eyes. “I can help you find the Xindi weapon, Jonathan. We can defeat them. They aren’t smart enough to protect themselves. They fight all the time. All you have to do is this one delivery, and then I’ll show you where they are.” Archer stared into her eyes, seeing intense desperation in them. He imagined she carried as much pain as she did revenge, but that didn’t make what she wanted to do right. Yet, if she was trying to convince him to play along with her, he might be able to use the moment to his advantage. “Why would you do that?” “The Xindi don’t care who they kill. They’re nothing more than animals with technology. They should be stopped. I’ll help you.” Archer saw Trip slowly rise to his feet and began working his hands out of the ropes. Archer focused on keeping Aup’r’s attention. “I don’t believe all Xindi are like that. It’s been my experience that it’s usually leaders that force or deceive people into war,” Archer told her. “War could be avoided if I could just talk with the leaders, but it won’t be if we drop your weapon on one of their colonies.” “But if you kill all of them, then you will kill their leaders. There wouldn’t be anyone to send the others to war. They’ll scatter.” “That isn’t a good enough reason to kill innocent people, Aup’r. There have been more times than I can count that I’ve been nearly blinded by the same vengeance you’re feeling. I can’t let it rule my decisions.” “But it will make you feel so much better, won’t it? To kill those that killed so many of yours?” “No. To seek vengeance never makes you feel better. It only kills who you are.” Trip pulled his hands free. He moved slowly around to Hoshi’s station and slipped under the console into it. Crouching down to keep out of Aup’r’s peripheral vision, he began working the controls. Archer moved to the end of helm, drawing Aup’r’s gaze with the movement. “That’s not true! If you kill them, you will show that you’re stronger than they are. The survivors will never risk attacking you again!” she asked. “Aren’t you a survivor of a race they nearly killed?” Aup’r shifted her weight to turn toward Trip and he quickly disappeared under the consoles. “So?” “And has that stopped you or the other survivors from seeking revenge? Or made it worse? When does the circle of vengeance stop, Aup’r?” “Humans are very strange,” Aup’r said. “You don’t even want to avenge the deaths of those you know.” “That doesn’t make us strange,” Archer rebutted. Aup’r turned back to Archer. “What does it make you, then?” Trip peeked over the top and went back to work. “Stronger than those that would try to kill us.” Trip slipped under the controls and returned to his spot. He sat down on the ropes, holding his hands behind his back like they were tied. Aup’r smiled. “As I said, humans are strange.” She turned away, looking out at the Gartil ship. Archer’s com beeped. “They’re hailing us,” Archer told her. She walked over to T’Pol and held her rifle on her. “They’re expecting the captain,” Aup’r said to Archer. Archer got up and pretended to untie Trip. The two returned to helm and Archer responded to the hail. Kizur appeared on the view screen. “We’ve reached the end of Gartil space,” Kizur told Trip. Archer looked down at a monitor when a message appeared on it: We need the exact location of fugitive. Transmit her coordinates. “Glad to hear that,” Trip replied. “We appreciate your escort.” Archer brought up an onscreen keyboard. He looked back up as he typed in the coordinates with one hand. The message cleared and another appeared: We have isolated the collar frequencies and are disabling them. Stand by. Archer bobbed his head once, as if agreeing with Trip. “We appreciate your understanding. Are you sure you won’t reconsider meeting with our president?” “I’m sorry. We can’t.” A message appeared on the monitor: Collars disabled. Security personnel prepared to transport. Awaiting confirmation to proceed. Archer typed in: YES. “Well, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Kizur said with a smile. “Please contact us if you wish to cross our space again.” Trip nodded. Behind Aup’r two Gartil security guards crept in from the hallway off the bridge. Neither Trip, Archer nor T’Pol made any movement that would give them away. “I did have one question, if you don’t mind,” Trip said. Aup’r looked at Trip. “By all means.” “Do you know where we can get some decent Terillium-D ore?” “As a matter of fact, there is a mining colony not far from here. You should visit them.” “That would be great. My Chief Engineer has bee--” The guards lunged at Aup’r. Hearing the movement, Aup’r spun around and shot one square in the chest. He disintegrated. She turned her rifle on the other. Aup’r grabbed the collar control off her belt. T’Pol lunged for it and fought for control of it. The control flew out of Aup’r’s hand, hit the view monitor and shattered. Aup’r screamed at T’Pol and smacked the Vulcan across the face with the barrel of her rifle. T’Pol flew back into the railing surrounding weapons, hit her head on it and slid to the floor. Aup’r swung her rifle around to shoot her. Trip charged, slamming her against the wall. Archer ran over, grabbing Aup’r’s rifle and struggled to pull it away. Two more Gartil and Kizur transported onto the bridge but even with their help, the five were no match for Aup’r’s strength. She grabbed the rifle’s butt and barrel and shoved it against them, forcing them to fall back. Aup’r aimed at a Gartil. Archer slammed his shoulder into her breast and threw her off balance. She swung to punch him and he grabbed the rifle, pushing it up and pulling back at the same time. Aup’r pushed Archer back against helm, struggling to pull the rifle away from him. Aup’r kicked him in the stomach and he grunted, but it only made him tighten his grip. He heard a phase rifle go off For a split second he’d been shot, but reality hit as Aup’r crumpled to the floor. Archer looked up, seeing Kizur preparing to fire again. “NO, KIZUR!” Archer yelled at him. “She’s dying. Don’t shoot again.” He backed off, lowering his weapon. Archer knelt beside Aup’r, watching tears slide into her hair. “I didn’t expect this, Aup’r. I didn’t want you to die; not after all you’ve lost.” Aup’r smiled a little. “Never realized you were the emotional type, Captain Archer.” Archer smiled. “I’m full of surprises, Aup’r.” “You really don’t want to kill them, do you?” Archer shook his head. “I’ll help you. The coordinates of... Of their home world... Are...” Aup’r exhaled her last breath. Archer heard Kizur move. “Transport us aboard,” he told his ship. Archer looked up at him. “You know where the Xindi are, don’t you?” Kizur lifted his chin. “If I did, I am not authorized to release that information to you.” Archer stood to confront him, but he and his men vanished, taking with them Aup’r’s body. Archer felt cold and helpless. He believed Aup’r did know where the Xindi’s home world was. If he’d had a little more time, he might have even been able to convince her to abandon her mission and join his. Given a little more time... “She was probably lying, sir,” Trip said. Archer pulled himself to his feet. “Release the crew and put us back on course. I’ll be in my ready room.” Archer staggered to the door. |
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