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"The Road to Cardion" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 5 T’Pol sighed, carefully adjusting the baby in her arms so it wouldn’t wake. It coughed some and nuzzled T’Pol’s shirt, but continued sleeping. The rock floor was cold and hard, numbing her butt. She adjusted her position, looking across the cave at Reed. He was sitting on a rock, staring at the floor. “Point to LC,” Areki’s voice broke across Isha’s wrist device. His voice was almost too low to hear. She lifted it to her lips. “Go ahead.” “I found a way up the cliff but soldiers are camping less than a kilometer from the falls. They’ve posted guards out.” Isha moved to the edge of the falls. “Jajul, visual.” Jajul shrugged his pack off, pulled out a flat device and tapped it. Turquoise colored triangles appeared and they slowly moved across the screen. There was on red square near the triangles. “There are several within fifteen meters of us, sir,” Jajul told her. Isha lifted her wrist. “Is the route suitable for packages and packing?” “Affirmative, sir.” “Secure transmit.” Isha looked at the device, pressing something. She crouched, showing the device to Jajul. He tapped controls on his device and a yellow circle appeared. “It’s two kilometers off, sir,” Jajul told her. He looked up her. “Permission to lead out, sir?” Isha nodded, standing. Jajul put the mapping device back in his backpack and pulled it on. “Wake the older children,” Isha told Reed. Jajul moved to the edge of the falls and disappeared. Gephka stood guard at the side, holding his phase rifle on the spot. Reed quietly woke the older children and helped T’Pol to her feet. Jajul returned. “Clear.” “Don’t talk and watch where you step, people.” Jajul took one of the boy’s wrists, and he and Gephka left. Jajul returned to help the other boy and T’Pol out. She looked down when the baby whimpered. T’Pol nestled it under her chin, whispering softly to it. The baby quieted again. The others joined them and they fell into a ragged line behind Jajul. He led them to an animal trail leading up the cliff and they began a slow climb up. Burdened with the baby T’Pol began to lag behind with Wasteq. Dasex dropped back, staying with the teenager as ordered. A high-pitched whine broke the silence. “Down,” Dasex ordered. The three dropped to the ground. The jolt woke Aina and she began whimpering. The night lit up with a Bright green light when the flare exploded overhead. T’Pol looked up. The rest of the group had disappeared into the dense foliage at the top of the cliff. She heard voices yelling and looked over the edge of the trail. Soldiers were running up the trail. “Dasex,” T’Pol said. He looked over the edge and then up at the flare. “When it goes out, we’ll move.” “How long will it be?” “Another two minutes.” “They’ll nearly be on us in two minutes. They’ll be able to hear us then.” “They’ll see us if we move.” T’Pol looked over the edge again. Aina coughed hard, trying to cry between coughs. “We have to move. Come on.” T’Pol climbed back to her feet and tried to run. Dasex and Wasteq followed her. The yelling of the soldiers grew louder when they spotted the three and they began firing at them. The three dodged particle beams. The soldiers, not exhausted or burdened, quickly caught up. Dasex dropped behind a boulder and opened fire at them. T’Pol stopped behind a boulder above him and began firing. Wasteq crouched next to her, watching the soldiers. Wasteq looked down at Aina when she started coughing. “Isha said the Hold was four days away,” Wasteq said. “Too far for help to reach us right now,” T’Pol said. Wasteq reached out, laying his hand on Aina’s cheek. It fit in the palm of his hand. “She’s so hot and sick. They have doctors and medicine there. Aina could get better.” “Take her,” T’Pol said, turning to him. “And run. We can keep them held here until you are safe.” Wasteq met T’Pol’s eyes. He reached out and yanked the pistol from T’Pol’s hand. He started shooting at the soldiers. “Get her out of her. Save her, T’Pol.” “You have to make it to the Hold alive, Wasteq.” Wasteq looked at her. “My brother made a deal so that I could come but I’m not the one that needs to make it there. Go. Make sure he and Aina get there.” Wasteq smiled, looking back at his targets. “Who knows, maybe one day when you’re old and gray, you’ll come back and get to see my nieces and nephews getting along and war will only be in history books.” A flare was set off and for a moment the two stared at each other. “You won’t leave this spot alive, Wasteq.” “I know.” T’Pol ran up the trail. Dasex looked back, seeing her leave. He looked at Wasteq. The boy nodded once to him. The two were able to hold the soldiers off long enough for T’Pol and the others to get away. # Trip stared at Ardi Prime outside the window. From here it looked no different than Earth. It didn’t look like there was any conflict happening at all. From here it looked like he could simply jump in a shuttle pod, fly right down, and pick up Malcolm and T’Pol. Trip sipped his coffee, looking down. He heard the mess hall door open but didn’t turn. “It’s late, whoever you are, you should be in bed.” He heard the person walk up behind him. “It’s Captain Archer, Commander,” Phlox said. Trip closed his eyes. “Time to get him high again, huh?” “I’m afraid so.” Trip looked at the planet. “It’s been a month and a week. What’s the dosage at now?” “We’re down to twenty-three cc’s.” “From twenty-five when we got him back. Makin’ slow progress, aren’t we, Doc?” “I told you this was going to take time.” “You weren’t lying. Give you that. When will he start remember who he is, you think?” “Not until I’ve gotten the dosages down to twelve cc’s, and then for short periods. Full memory recall won’t occur until I’ve started him on the placebo. That’s when the real work starts.” “When he gets psychoanalyzed every day of his life? Great way to live.” Phlox sat down across from Trip. “Is there something you wish to discuss, Commander?” Trip looked at Phlox. “You ever kill anyone?” “No.” Trip looked back at the planet. He stood. “Let’s go get this over with.” “Commander?” “Yeah?” “We have time to talk.” “Naw. Talking time is over. Besides, the only thing I wanna talk about right now is how to get T’Pol and Malcolm back in one piece. Everything else is irrelevant.” Phlox frowned. He got up and followed Trip out of the mess hall. # “How much further?” Reed asked. “Another four hours,” Gephka answered. “Do you think it’s safe to radio ahead and have them contact Enterprise?” Reed asked. Gephka looked at Isha. She nodded. “We’ll stop for a few minutes,” Isha said. The group stopped walking, sitting on logs and in the grass. Jajul shrugged out of his backpack and pulled out a long device. He fasted a connection to his wrist device and then entered information on his wrist device. T’Pol gently placed Aina in her lap and began unwrapping the wet shirt wrapped around her. “Here,” Gephka handed her a spare shirt. “A little damp, but not like that one.” “Thank you,” T’Pol told him. A staticky voice came across Jajul’s wrist device. “Hold primary responding.” “This is Communications Leader Jajul. Requesting relay to vessel Enterprise. Respond.” “Awaiting message.” “We’re four hours out. Advise vessel to send craft to primary landing area.” There was a long pause. “Hold primary, respond.” “Stand by, Leader.” Jajul looked up at Isha. She got up and walked over to him, kneeling on one knee and watching his wrist device. “Director Ardek is requesting to speak with Lead Commander Isha. Connect.” Isha took the connection out of Jajul’s and inserted it in her own device. “Isha responding.” “Ardek?” Garut asked. “My father’s Chief Military Commander?” “The same one,” Isha answered. “Isha,” Ardek said. “We can’t pinpoint your position. You have it scrambled, don’t you?” “Yes.” “Don’t reveal coordinates. Are you between the River Trietan and entrance?” “Yes.” “LC, you have a strong platoon coming from behind. We’ve been tracking them since late last night. There was activity near the falls that attracted our attention. We’re detecting a drop ship and it appears to be headed our direction. We intend on keeping Hold primary and holding our lines.” “We lost package four at the falls, sir.” “The lost package must have given you away. We have a perimeter two kilometers from the entrance. We can’t send troops forward without knowing where the drop ship is going. What is your status?” “Remaining packages safe. One causality but not a burden. Advise.” “Make for the perimeter. Fast. Expect resistance. Relaying message to Enterprise. Expect extraction as soon as the entrance is reached or before if necessary. Keep packages safe.” Isha looked at T’Pol, Reed and Garut. “Affirmative. Isha out.” Isha yanked the connection out. “Move out!” she barked, and let the group off at a jog. The group leapt up and started running. # “The perimeter is in five minutes. Keep moving,” Isha told them. The climb had become steeper and harder, and they were losing speed from fatigue. They’d stopped once for Jajul to check for Doshal troops and found they were closing fast. The group reached the top of a slope and stopped, standing still. Ahead of them was a clearing at least fifty meters wide. “Jajul, scan.” Gephka grabbed Jajul’s mapping device from his bag and handed it to Jajul. His face read what he didn’t say. They were in trouble. “What is it?” Isha whispered. “They are everywhere ahead of us, moving toward our forces.” “How’d they get ahead of us?” Reed whispered. “The drop ship,” Isha answered. “What’s behind us?” Jajul turned, scanning the jungle behind them. He looked at Isha. She stepped close, shaking her head. “This is not good.” Isha lifted her wrist device up, tapping it. “Isha to perimeter LC, respond.” “Go ahead.” “You have a platoon advancing on your position and another one behind them.” “Where are you?” “Between them.” “Stand by.” Isha looked back at the clearing and then back into the jungle. “Are you traveling with three packages?” “Affirmative.” “Transport for two has arrived and is waiting. We’ve been advised to move the perimeter past you. Advise to take shelter immediately. LC, out.” “Get down and take cover,” Isha ordered. They obeyed. “Provide back cover for the perimeter,” Isha ordered her men. “Confirm targets before firing. Let’s not kill our own, boys.” “Aye, sir,” the rebels replied. T’Pol took cover behind a large log, sheltering Aina with her body. An explosion broke the silence, scattering the birds. They heard a battle break out and as they lay, it quickly started their direction. “Where are those troops behind us?” Isha asked over the explosions and phaser fire. Jajul aimed his mapping device down the slope. “They are half a kilometer. They’ve picked up the pace. Sir, we’re going to be in the open very soon.” “Time frame, Jajul.” “Less than ten minutes.” “Has the perimeter made any headway this direction?” Jajul risked getting above the log to aim up the slope. “Affirmative. They’ll be within view any moment. Doshal troops have dropped drastically in number.” Isha got up and hurried over to T’Pol. She grabbed her arm. “We’re going to be covered soon and I’m sending Gephka with you to the landing site.” “What site?” T’Pol asked. “He knows the coordinates. You are taking Aina with you.” “I can’t.” “Yes you can. She won’t live if she stays here and if Director Ardek decides to evacuate the Hold, she’ll be left behind. She’ll die. At least if she goes with you she has a chance.” An explosion went off a meter from the log, showering soil over them and toppling a tree. It crashed onto the log protecting T’Pol and Isha. “I cannot take her. She must have family.” “Do you want her to die?” T’Pol looked at Aina. The baby was crying, but it was lost in the noise of the approaching battle. She shook her head. Isha grabbed her arm, making T’Pol look her in the eye. “Then take the child with you. If you care for her at all, don’t fight me on this. I fear death every day. Is that what you want for her?” T’Pol shook her head. “Then take her.” A Jakisau leapt over the log, dressed in a different type of fatigues. He turned to fire on the women but Isha beat him to it. In twos and threes Doshal soldiers leapt over the cover the group had taken and the rebels fired on them, aiding their advancing fellow Gartian rebels. Finally Gartian soldiers began pouring over their hiding places and setting up positions around them. “Gephka, take these two to the site. Areki, get Garut to the Hold.” “Aye, sir.” “Isha,” T’Pol said, wrapping her hand around the teenager’s arm. “Go, T’Pol. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll talk to my children.” “I know I will. Garut doesn’t seem like the type of Ambassador to let these wars continue like this.” Isha stared at T’Pol. “How did--” “Vulcan’s are intuitive. Thank you for everything, Isha. Be safe.” “You too. Not get your first officer and that baby out of here before Doshal troops reach us. Good life.” T’Pol got up, motioning Reed to follow. The two followed Gephka up the slope, quickly losing sight of the battle below.
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