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"Cry Havoc"
By MissAnnThropic
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: None of its mine. I’m just a sad little fangirl that spends her days writing fanfic and watching taped episodes of my favorite shows. :(
Description: The evolution of Trip and T’Pol’s relationship following the events in ‘Harbinger’.
Chapter 19
Archer sat rigidly at attention in his command chair on the bridge as the Enterprise eased meter by meter closer to their destination. They had dropped from warp minutes ago and crept closer at half-impulse. The bridge seemed to be holding their collective breath as their eyes strained at the forward view screen. To the naked eye there was only stars and blackness, so while everyone stared ahead their ears were tuned to T'Pol's station.
T'Pol at last ended their wait. "Sensors are detecting two Xindi ships near the planet."
"Any sign of the third? The one the Ares chased here?"
T'Pol shook her head, a mannerism she had perhaps unwittingly picked up from her human companions but which tended to improve her interspecies relations. "No."
"What about the planet?"
T'Pol consulted her sensors again. "There is a portion of the surface that sensors cannot penetrate. The Xindi shield, presumably."
Archer sighed and frowned. "Then the team failed." The captain stopped to consider his options.
"Is there any indication we've been detected yet?"
"Not yet. Because Enterprise is a science vessel and the Xindi ships military it's likely our sensors are much more sensitive than theirs."
"Yeah, and their weapons are better than ours," Reed completed the train of thought from his tactical station.
Archer said, "Well, let's use what advantage we have at the moment. Travis, come to a stop and maintain this distance. Watch for any change that might suggest we've been spotted."
"Aye, sir."
Archer paced the bridge, his crew intently watching, while he mulled over possible courses of action.
Abruptly, Archer turned to Mayweather. "Ensign, you have the conn."
Admirably, Travis did not so much as blink in pause. "Yes, sir."
"Comm me the instant anything changes." He turned eyes to T'Pol then Reed. "Sub-commander, Lieutenant, come with me to the situation room. Baird," Archer looked toward the acting...chief communications officer. "Have Commander Tucker meet us there, contact Temoure as well." The Ares tactical officer had insisted on staying aboard Enterprise and assisting in the rescue mission.
With a series of assents, Archer left the bridge at a brisk pace with Reed and T'Pol on either side.
*****
Archer was too keyed up to sit down at the head of the table, so instead he stood and looked at his officers. On his left sat Trip, with T'Pol beside him. Opposite on the other side of the table were Reed and Temoure.
"All right, people, you know the situation. We need a way to get to that planet to look for our people."
"That will prove difficult," T'Pol intoned. "After the discovery of the Ares they will most likely be on alert for alien vessels, specifically of the Ares's make and design."
Archer nodded.
Temoure spoke. "There's a small moon orbiting the planet. That's how the Ares got close enough to observe the planet and send down a shuttle without being detected... at least until two more ships came up on our six. We kept the moon's mass between us and the planet-side base to avoid detection."
"Problem is," Reed said, "that now they have two ships patrolling the planet in orbit... we can't slip into the planet's range without being spotted by at least one of them."
"Correct," T'Pol said. "The ships are orbiting the planet at a constant 180 degrees from one another."
"Meanin' there's always a ship within range of detectin' any approach from either side," Trip mused.
"Which means," Archer said, "that we need some way to get rid of one of those ships long enough for us to get into the moon's shadow and launch a shuttle. Any ideas?"
"A distraction," Reed said with tactical succinctness. "Captain... are we certain we can discount the third ship that's gone unaccounted for?"
"No. T'Pol, there was absolutely no sign of the third vessel?"
"None, Captain. That does not mean it has not been on the other side of the planet from our scanners, however, or the possibility it is encased within the shielded base on the surface."
"We've never seen any indication that the Xindi ships can enter atmosphere," Trip pointed out.
"May I remind you that we know considerably little about the Xindi."
"Okay," Archer halted their building argument. "For now, we'll assume that the third ship was dispatched and not an issue on this mission."
"Reasonable considering the civil war the Xindi are engaged in," Reed commented. "They probably need all the ships they can get."
"I'll have tactical keep a close watch for it anyway, but right now we need to figure out how to distract one of those Xindi ships long enough to get closer."
Pensive silence stretched for long seconds.
Trip suddenly spoke up. "An antimatter explosion."
Archer looked at Trip.
Trip began to explain. "They're watchin' for the Ares, which is damn near identical to the Enterprise, right?"
Nods around the table followed.
"From the damage the Ares engines took I imagine the Xindi got a pretty good look at the plasma signature of a Starfleet ship. If that's what they're lookin' for then let's give them that to chase. I can rig a remote explosive into a torpedo case, place an antimatter capsule inside along with some plasma coolant, then when it's far enough away to warrant a look we'll detonate it."
"It might work."
Trip frowned. "Only thing is... to make sure it catches their attention we'll have ta leech quite a bit of antimatter from the warp core. Only way to make it big enough."
"I don't like that," Archer quipped aloud.
"Neither do I. It'll mean Enterprise won't have full warp capability until we can restock our supply, and goin' ta warp on low antimatter to matter ratios might blow an injector or two... worse case we could crack the dilithium matrix and effectively cripple Enterprise."
Archer tapped the chair back before him with his hands, drumming idly as he thought. It was a rash move, but if Trip suggested it then it was made with full knowledge of the consequences to the ship.
Archer looked to T'Pol. He trusted her to balance Trip's wild leaps with perfect logic and unemotional consideration.
T'Pol recognized her cue and spoke. "It is highly irrational, and illogical, to jeopardize Enterprise and consequently all of her crew, in the hope of rescuing four humans. However, if you are referring to the commander's plan to distract the Xindi vessel... I believe it is the most viable, expedient course of action currently available under the circumstances."
Archer pursed his lips. He had confirmation, begrudged though it was, from the two people whose word he trusted most.
"All right, Trip... get to work on that torpedo." He threw in as a last thought, feeling like it was more of a desperate plea, "Take only what you have to from the Enterprise warp engine."
"Ya don't have to worry about that, Cap'n," Trip commented. "I won't take a milligram more than I have to."
"Good. I'll be leading the away team once we're in a position to launch a shuttle. I'll be expecting you to join us, Sub-commander." T'Pol had more covert and stealth training than anyone on Enterprise considering her previous assignment before appointment to the Vulcan Science Directorate.
T'Pol nodded.
"Since we know we're dealing with explosives you'll be coming too, Malcolm. Temoure, you know the original mission profile and the details of the ordnance used, so you're going. Trip, we may need you if we have to manually lower the Xindi shields so Enterprise can fire on the base from orbit.
"Are there any questions?"
None.
"Then get to work, everyone."
All four present rose and moved toward the door.
"Trip," Archer called after his friend.
Trip glanced momentarily at T'Pol, meeting her eyes briefly (Archer had no doubt were the conditions less severe they would have touched fingers), then the engineer stopped and faced Archer. Once everyone else was gone Archer approached Trip, studied him, then said, "I want to know if it will be a problem for you to be on a dangerous mission with T'Pol."
Trip didn't flinch. "Done it before, Cap'n."
"She wasn't your girlfriend before. I want to know that you won't be distracted, won't let it interfere with your duty."
"We'll be fine, Captain. It won't be a problem."
"I'm going to hold you to that." Dead sincerity laced Archer's heavy words.
Trip did not waver, his stance and look even a little challenging.
With a releasing nod Archer dismissed Trip and the engineer disappeared to attend to the torpedo.
Archer felt a twinge of anxiety additional to the concerns of the mission nagging at him. He was coming to understand why the fraternization regulations existed, because for the first time ever he had the smallest bud of doubt about Trip's ability to perform his duty in the field under fire. In all honestly, he was a little worried about T'Pol's capability to go into a hostile situation with Trip, as well. This was not the kind of scenario in which he'd prefer to test the mettle and resolve of his two recently involved crewmen.
*****
Jonathan Archer had to practice great restraint not to fidget in his seat aboard the crammed shuttle pod. They were prepped for instant deployment, sitting in an unpressurized shuttle bay in full field attire and gear. Trip was in the copilot's seat next to him, intent on the shuttle's readings before him. Just behind the chief engineer sat T'Pol, one of her tricorders in hand. Behind Archer, Reed was a study of battle readiness, only matched by Temoure at the rear of the shuttle.
Archer had the impulse to pace, but it would lose its effectiveness to calm his impatience if he had to pardon and weave his way through all the bodies on the small short-range vessel.
It did solidify the fact that Archer hated to be away from the bridge when there was danger or action to be had.
"Travis?" he called once more into the shuttle's comm system.
From the bridge, Travis Mayweather answered, "Almost ready to launch the torpedo, sir."
T'Pol leaned slightly forward and offered plainly, "Once the torpedo has been launched it will be several minutes before it has reached a location and distance sufficient to serve our diversionary purposes."
Archer bit back a sigh and gave a wordless nod of acknowledgement to T'Pol. T'Pol began to sit back, as she did so tossing a quick glance at Trip directly in front of her. Trip was facing away from her, so he couldn't see the gesture, but all the same he cast his own fleeting look over his shoulder at her at the same instant. Simple, short, taking up no more than a second.
Archer's lips thinned in concern.
It seemed they waited hours, and the first sign of motion to break the stalemate came from Trip and T'Pol. As one they stiffened, shifted, and moved. Trip glanced down at the controls before him and his hands moved to poise over them in silent anticipation, and T'Pol secured herself more tightly in her seat in preparation.
Archer knew from that alone the torpedo had been launched. Trip was tuned to the sounds and vibrations of Enterprise with a chief engineer's acuity, and T'Pol's Vulcan senses were heightened in comparison to humans.
"Torpedo away," Travis's voice informed over the comm.
"Acknowledged," Archer returned. The next shudder, gentle and muted though it was, he DID feel. Enterprise broke from her stationary position, seemed to stalk at quarter impulse for ages, then abruptly jumped to three-quarters impulse. Archer could almost see them darting into the blind opening left by the investigating Xindi ship, dipping into shadowed cover of the planet's moon like a slinking predator on the savanna.
The mighty Earth ship had not even come to a stop in her resting hide-away when the comm came to life. "You're clear, Captain," Travis's animated voice said, and Archer needed no further encouragement. He punched the control that opened the launch bay doors and the shuttle dropped down into empty space.
After easily half an hour sitting in the shuttle, more or less blind to what was happening outside the ship, just to see something other than gray walls outside the view port was a relief. Instead it was a pocked, yellow sulfuric moon burgeoning in the right portion of the windows. They were on the dark side of the moon, blocked from the solar system's sun, so the yellow was sickly yellow-gray. The Enterprise pulled away from their launch location but came to elegant rest not far away.
"T'Pol," Archer asked without looking toward his science officer.
T'Pol was already consulting a console near her and reported, "One Xindi ship is pursuing the signature of the antimatter explosion. You have three minutes to reach the planet surface before the second ship comes back into range between us and and our destination."
Archer nodded and throttled the shuttle forward. The first part of the mission had to be timed so precisely that Archer knew it would have taken hours more were it not for T'Pol. They had to make sure the torpedo detonated at just the right moment to dictate the logical response of only one Xindi ship, the one inarguably closer, then counting on that ship's departure, the shuttle had to make a short window before the second Xindi ship orbited around into a position to detect their presence.
Archer didn't question T'Pol's fine-tuned timing, he just trusted it.
The shuttle shot out from the moon's shadow and mass and before them was a planet. Minshara-class, more continent than ocean but what land did exist doing so in thick stripes that wrapped the equator, thinned near the poles, each a jungle-like, verdant green. Good to T'Pol's word and her calculations, there was no sign yet of the other Xindi ship.
Archer vectored toward the planet with determination.
"The shielded base is on our main sensors," T'Pol said. "I am detecting an inorganic mass near the shielded area."
"Any idea what is it?"
T'Pol studied her readings a moment longer. "It appears to be the Ares shuttle." A beat's pause. "It has been destroyed."
Archer frowned. That wasn't good. At the very least it meant the strike team's presence was known by the Xindi. It suggested the first mission against the Xindi of this world had become more of a disaster than they had already known it to be.
"We'll land there," Archer said, "at least our shuttle's presence should be masked by the inorganic readings the Xindi already know to be there from the first shuttle."
No one offered a word of disagreement, not that Archer expected it, and within moments the shuttle was sliding hot through the upper atmosphere.
Soon thereafter, thick green canopies flew by under them, flash after flash of jungle blurring into a continuous emerald. Archer followed his sensors toward the site of the shuttle crash, flying low in hopes of skirting beneath any Xindi sensors, while Trip kept a careful watch out for any sign of the enemy spotting them.
The shattered shuttle pod was nestled in a pit of scorched ground and woodland, a perfect black bowl for the dead vessel. The gray of the shuttle's hull panels had been burned black, snatches of steel gray scarce amid all the carbon-scoring and soot. Everyone on board stole glances out the windows at the destruction. Temoure glowered and had to look away in sadness and disgust.
Archer lowered the Enterprise shuttle to a soft landing alongside the debris and quickly shut down the engines.
"Let's move, people," Archer prompted even as he left his seat, and no one had to be told twice. Quickly and silently the five crewmen slipped out of the shuttle and stole toward the tree line, headed for the nefarious shielded base.
*****
Archer moved with phase pistol drawn and his attention equally divided between the jungle around him and his Vulcan science officer. T'Pol was leading their advance, armed primarily with her trusty tricorder and an alien single-minded focus on its readings. Trip was to Archer's left, a pace behind T'Pol. Temoure was on Archer's right, scanning the forest intently, while Reed brought up their rear.
Archer had just noticed with displeasure that he'd been conveniently placed in the middle when T'Pol came to an abrupt halt.
Trip stopped on a dime and Archer only took a step more before drawing up beside T'Pol. Temoure and Reed followed silent suit.
"Captain," T'Pol whispered, "we are about to pass through the boundary of the base's shielding."
"Once inside we should get a clearer picture of what we're up against, right?" Archer questioned lowly.
T'Pol looked at him vacantly, the closest to a Vulcan shrug, then the team crept forward.
When they passed through the shielding they felt it, like static electricity sparking along their skin.
T'Pol stopped once more to confer with her handheld scanner. Archer looked up and saw the unnatural, blocky shape of a building rising from the treetops about half a mile away. The facility was disappointingly intact.
"Human biosigns, faint," T'Pol reported.
Archer surveyed the area, pensive, and regarded the distant building once more. T'Pol turned to him, eyes silently questioning. The others each in turn glanced at him.
"Let's try to locate the survivors first. Is the human reading coming from within the base?"
T'Pol shook her head. "A few meters in that direction," she gestured to the right with her drawn pistol.
Archer nodded and they moved off as a unit in the indicated direction.
Reed was the first to spot their target. T'Pol had been leading them in the right direction but her nose was buried in her tricorder, so Reed's voice was the first sounding of sighting their subject.
A human man lying in the undergrowth on his side, his back to the search and rescue team.
Archer and his men circled around the deathly still figure. Once closer, Archer recognized Mac Douglas, the Ares chief tactical officer. He did not stir at the arriving away party. He was curled on himself, a patch of blood staining the jungle ground around him.
Archer leaned down and touched the man's shoulder. At first he thought the man was dead but was proven wrong just barely by a rasping, rattling breath. Douglas wheezed weakly at the contact on his arm and cracked open glazed eyes.
"Douglas," Temoure leaned in toward his crew mate.
Douglas choked on a wet cough.
"The mission. What happened?" Temoure whispered.
Douglas paled, his eyes rolled, then his lips cracked open. "...Ca'ght... charge'set... det... det..."
"Detonator?"
A feeble nod. "W...west... det... west..." the Ares officer coughed raggedly and a trail of blood escaped his lips.
"Captain," T'Pol said quietly, "this man requires immediate medical attention."
Douglas's hand snaked out, shaky and weak, and scraped useless fingertips against Temoure's pant leg. "Det... charg'set... det..."
Temoure touched his colleague's hand. "You managed to set the charges?"
Douglas nodded in exhausted relief and gasped.
"We have to find the detonator, Captain," Temoure said directly to Archer.
"We will, once we help this man."
"Captain Archer, there's no telling how long those charges will go unnoticed by the Xindi, assuming they haven't been discovered already."
"I said," Archer clipped between clenched teeth, "AFTER we help him."
Douglas shook his head once, took a staggered breath, then exhaled and sagged. His chest didn't rise again.
Archer clasped the man's shoulder tighter, shaking him softly.
T'Pol shook her head as she consulted her tricorder. "His cardiac activity has ceased."
"We can still save him," Archer countered in determination.
Reed glanced down at the man's wounds and grimaced. "Captain..."
Archer seethed but slowly let go Douglas's lifeless form and turned to Temoure. "He said the charges had been set... do you believe him?"
"Douglas wasn't delusional, Captain. If he said they're set, they're set."
"Any idea where they would place the detonator?" Reed asked.
Temoure nodded. "A few ideas, places I would expect Douglas to hide the controls to blow the whole Xindi base."
Archer stood and looked at the surrounding area. "Time is not on our side, no telling how long Enterprise can keep from being spotted up there, so we're going to split up. Temoure, you say you think you know where this detonator might be."
"A couple of ideas."
"Okay, you cover one, Reed and T'Pol will cover another, and me and Trip a third, we'll check all likely locations in threes until we find it. Keep an eye out for any more survivors on the way. Once we find the detonator we'll secure it then come up with a plan to save the rest of the away team."
Temoure quickly directed the others to probable locations and the three groups split off.
*****
"Cap'n."
Archer, startled by Trip's soft voice, pulled up short and turned to the engineer. They had been slinking through the trees in the direction of a possible detonator site for five minutes in utter silence until Trip's call.
Archer saw his friend standing absolutely still and staring down at the ground.
Archer came up beside him and saw what Trip did. Another Ares crewman's body, this one undeniably dead.
Archer looked up at Trip and noted a strange mixture of fury, sadness, and illness on the younger man's face.
"Let's keep moving," Archer whispered, and without a word of complaint Trip followed orders.
*****
T'Pol's nose caught the smell before anything else tipped off the two-man team.
She slowed and Reed, after years of service together implicitly trusting T'Pol, slowed alongside her.
T'Pol looked around then followed the harsh odor.
It led her and Reed to Amanda Cole, or at least what was left of her.
T'Pol stopped well away from the body, discerning no need to get any closer when they could see and smell all they needed to know from a good distance away, and brought her communicator up to her mouth. "Captain."
"Archer here."
"We have found Corporal Cole; she is dead."
A slight pause, then the captain's reply, "We already found Slade, he was dead, too. Any sign of the detonator?"
"None as yet."
"Keep looking. Archer out."
T'Pol put her communicator away and glanced at her tricorder.
"Sub-commander," Reed urged.
"A moment, Lieutenant. I am detecting what may be a human reading near here. Somewhere in that direction," she indicated the thick jungle to their left.
"Temoure said one of the detonator's most likely location is straight ahead."
T'Pol looked in both directions, weighed their options, then stated plainly, "I will pursue the human biosignature while you continue to search for the detonator."
"Sub-commander..."
"We'll regroup back at the shuttle or when the captain contacts us."
Reed huffed, frowned, then nodded and headed off alone. T'Pol headed in the direction of the possible human signature.
Back to Chapter 18
Continue to Chapter 20
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