The Road to Cardion

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The Road to Cardion is part of an Alternate Universe created by A. Rhea King for the Enterprise crew during the first season of the series. We liked her stories well enough to create the "Alternate Universe" category. Eventually we will add more of her stories, but if you'd like to find out about the relationships established for this story, go to "Find" at www.fanfiction.net and type in A. Rhea King under "Pen Name." Click on her name and all her stories will come up.

The Road To Cardion

By A. Rhea King

Rating: PG-13, Action/Adventure, Drama, Alternate Universe
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Paramount
Summary: Follows Black Widow. Trip must deal with killing Bionq. T'Pol and Reed are stranded in the midst of a war.

Chapter One

T’Pol let out a sigh through her nose, masking frustration. Trip stopped working, looking up at her.

“What?” he asked, almost snarled.

“I told Ambassador Havet that you and Lieutenant Reed would be meeting him. How do you propose I explain this?”

“Lie. You’ve done it before. Tell him I came down with the flu or died. I don’t really care what you tell him, but I’m not going.”

“I’m ordering you to go.”

Trip spun as he stood at a speed that made T’Pol have to resist stepping back. Her husband had never struck her, but his increasingly violent mood swings were making her uneasy.

“Order away, T’Pol. I’m staying on Enterprise.” Trip walked around her, walking to the other end of room.

T’Pol pressed her lips together and followed him. She watched him put the tool away and sit down at a monitor to start working on something. She stood next to his arm, so close that he couldn’t move without running in to her. He stopped what he was doing, looking up.

“I’m not going,” Trip repeated.

“Charles—”

“Are ya deaf?” Trip yelled.

Everyone stopped what he or she was doing. T’Pol pulled her hands behind her back, looking at the floor. She didn’t start talking until the crew returned to their work. She looked at Trip. He was still staring at her.

“I do not know what is agitating you, husband, but it has become problematic. I will go. This time. When I return, I will expect you to have found some way to resolve your issue.”

“Is that an order too?”

T’Pol leaned in, keeping her voice too low for anyone passing to hear.

“I love you, but I will not tolerate you treating me this way, Charles. Unless you find a way to resolve this issue and refrain from focusing your verbal abuse on me, when I return, I am moving back into my quarters.”

Trip scowled at her. “Things get rocky and you want a divorce huh?”

“Vulcan’s do not divorce. When their marriages are not working, they simply sleep at opposite ends of the house.”

“Sounds like a divorce to me. I’ll have the papers ready to sign when you get back.”

T’Pol stood and walked away.

The shuttle pod launched and Reed turned it toward the nearby planet. Behind him T’Pol watched the navigation monitor.

“Lieutenant?”

“Hm?” Reed glanced at her.

“Have you spoken with my husband since we recovered Captain Archer?”

“Not really. Why?”

“Has he discussed…” T’Pol looked away, trying to decide what she wanted to say.

“Why he’s being an asshole to everyone and not just you?”

T’Pol looked at Reed. She nodded.

“To my knowledge, he hasn’t spoken to anyone about it.”

“Has Vardee discussed what my husband is feeling?”

Reed smiled, looking back at the controls. “She won’t discuss that with me. She says everyone has their right to privacy.”

“So she has said nothing?”

Reed looked back at her. “She’s said that Trip may be like this for some time but nothing more. I’m sorry.”

T’Pol looked back at the controls.

“Thank you,” T’Pol told him.

Reed turned back to the controls. “You’re welcome. Looks like we have a clear shot to land. I hope he gives us a fair price for the supplies we’re trading.”

T’Pol didn’t reply.

Ambassador Havet watched the monitor on his desk, his lips pressed into a tight line. Long, thin whiskers jutted from under his bottom lip and chin and under his jaw, moving and swaying with every movement of his face. He had a flat nose and egg shaped eyes. His skin, like all Jakisau, radiated with a glowing golden color that sparked in natural light and gleamed under artificial light. Behind him shapes of Jakisau passing could be seen through the translucent wall. His office door opened and he tapped a control, changing the screen. He smiled at T’Pol and Reed as they entered with his secretary.

“Sub-Commander T’Pol and Lieutenant Reed, is it?”

“Yes.”

He walked around his desk to greet them with a short bow at the waist. T’Pol mimicked the greeting, Reed did nothing.

“I’m sorry to hear your other crewman fell ill.”

“Thank you. Did you receive the items for trade?”

“I did!” He smiled, walking back around his desk. He tapped the controls and brought up the list. “I’ve marked what we can use for trade. You’ll receive full market value for the items, after inspection. I’ll arrange a temporary account to be opened so you won’t have to inconvenience yourself with carrying funds with you.” Havet tapped a control. “And I’ve arranged for accommodations at Guidance Officer Regia’s homes.” Havet smiled at the two. “And don’t let his wife talk you to death. She loves to entertain. I’m afraid she lives for it.”

“We appreciate your hospitality, Ambassador,” T’Pol told him.

“I’m glad I could assist. You can’t go far without repairs.”

“Indeed.”

The door opened and the four turned. A Jakisau soldier walked in, eying T’Pol and Reed.

“This is my Chief Military Commander, Ardek. I’m afraid he and I have a matter to discuss that requires my immediate attention. Terket,” he motioned to the secretary, “will show you them to Regia’s and tell them when the account is ready.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” she replied.

T’Pol and Reed left with the secretary. Ardek watched them leave before turning to Havet.

“Your Honor, you have to be insane!”

“Hold your tongue, Ardek.”

“Why would you risk allowing aliens to stay here right now?”

“They won’t be long. They didn’t need many supplies and I didn’t feel like being inhospitable. It wouldn’t say much for our species, now would it?”

“What other species think of Jakisau is the least of our concerns right now.”

“I know. Ambassador Doshal is attacking Ambassador Lartiz’s city. I’ve ordered troops to assist holding his borders, but it doesn’t look promising.”

“If he defeats Lartiz, he’s going to turn his forces on us.”

Havet tapped a control. It showed a battle being fought miles from the city.

“We don’t know that for certain, Ardek.”

“You know he will, Your Honor. Your idea of peace is a threat to all the ambassadors. If Lartiz hadn’t made the speech he had on peace, we’d be the first attacked.”

“Our people must stop warring like this. We can’t afford to continue. Our planet can’t take much more.”

Ardek charged up to the desk and slammed his hands down. “Then bring in the Gartian. Convince them that peace is in our best interest and convince them to help you end war once and for all, Your Honor. They can help. The resources they have holed up in their cause could solve everything if you would just convince them to help all eight sides including ours.”

“You sound like my son, Ardek.”

“That’s because he sees their strength, Your Honor.”

Havet sat down in his chair, shaking his head.

“The Gartian help no one but the dead and to end all this warring would put them out of business.” Havet looked up at Ardek. “And leave corpses scattered across our planet. No, Ardek, the Gartian are not to be allied with. You and my son are both wrong.”

Ardek turned away. “You should take your family and go to the safe house, Your Honor, until we know what the victor’s intentions are.”

“I’m remaining. Take my boys away. See to it that they are safe.”

“As you command, Your Honor.”

“And order more troops to the borders as well. Just in case.”

“As you command, Your Honor.”

“Take leave, Ardek.”

Ardek walked out of the room. Havet looked back at the blood shed on the monitor, watching it with mournful eyes.

Chapter 2

T’Pol’s eyes drifted open and she listened. Something had awoken her and she lay listening for it. She looked at the door separating her room from Reed’s. She resolved that it was nothing and closed her eyes.

A brilliant crimson light lit up the room and in a split second the wall and window facing the city blew into the room. The force of the explosion threw T’Pol from her bed and slammed her against the wall. She landed under the bed as a piece of wood from some nearby building crashed down on the bed, breaking the frame, but sheltering her. Ash and flaming shrapnel showered into the room and flammable objects ignited.

“T’POL!” she heard Reed yell.

T’Pol opened her mouth to yell, drawing in a breath. She cried out when pain raked across her side. She laid a hand on her side, grimacing at the pain her touch caused.

T’Pol drew in a breath of smoke and managed to yell ‘Lieutenant’ before she began coughing.

“Keep talking. I can’t see you.”

“I’m under the bed.”

T’Pol heard things crash and looked out into the room. All she saw was smoke and flame. Feet appeared in her sight.

“I see you,” T’Pol said.

Reed dropped to the floor and held his hand out to her. “Can you pull yourself out?”

T’Pol reached out and latched onto his wrist. He closed his hand around hers and with him pulling, managed to pull herself from under the broken bed. Reed put his arm around her, laying his hand on her side. T’Pol whimpered, trying to move away. Reed moved his hand to her hip. T’Pol let him lead her out, trying to block out the pain. They made it outside into a street of chaos. All around them Jakisau were running in panic. Dozens lay dead in the street or were wandering around stunned and dazed. T’Pol gasped from pain that jolted across her side when Reed yanked her to the ground. She looked up, seeing armed Jakisau running toward them, firing on Jakisau. Cries of pain and agony turned to screams as Jakisau were shot. Two Jakisau stopped at the two, staring at them. One lifted his phase rifle, fired past them and then ran after two escaping Jakisau. T’Pol looked back. Their hosts and their young children lay dead in the doorway.
“We must get to the shuttle pod,” T’Pol said.

Reed got to his feet and helped T’Pol back to hers. They came to an intersection and found Jakisau fighting at both ends. Reed yanked T’Pol back into a doorway before they were hit by the crossfire. T’Pol closed her eyes when the pain made her dizzy.

“T’Pol?” she heard Reed say.

“Charles—” T’Pol passed out.

Trip paced, a habit that was very unlike him. He watched the view screen with a hard glare. The view screen showed a destroyed city in the growing daylight with large fires in many areas.

“Hoshi, I want to know what’s going on down there. Now.”

“I’m trying, sir. I’m not getting a response from anyone.”

Trip stopped. “Can you detect their biosigns?”

“I’m scanning the coordinates of the house they were staying”

Trip waited.

“Sir, I’m not picking up anything.”

“Scan the area around the house.”

“This covers a twenty kilometer radius, sir. If I’m not picking them up they are either not in the area or they’re dea—”

“You’re out of line, Lieutenant!’ Trip snarled at her.

Hoshi didn’t look at him, just stopped talking. Trip resumed pacing. The bridge was silent, no one risking speaking to Trip. Hoshi pressed her earpiece in her ear and worked the controls.

“Sir,” Hoshi said.

“What?” Trip snapped.

“I’m picking up some chatter from the surface. It’s a military force. They’re reporting to someone, telling him that…” Hoshi closed her eyes, putting a hand on her abdomen.

“Telling him what?” Trip walked up to the railing.

Hoshi looked at him. “He says that Ambassador Havet and his family are dead. The other Jakisau is asking for confirmation. He saying they’re going to have to wait until the fire burns down to confirm.”

“Get one of them on.”

Hoshi worked the controls. “This is Enterprise. We’re trying to locate two of our crewmen that were guests of Ambassador Havet. Please respond.”

Hoshi waited for a moment. She opened her mouth to repeat the request and stopped.

“Sir… Sir, wait! Please. Lieutenant-Commander Tucker is in charge of our ship and he is requesting any information you have about our crewman.”

“Put him on the bridge COM,” Trip ordered.

Hoshi tapped a control.

“—and you will discontinue use,” a voice said.

“Who am I talking to?” Trip asked.

“That is no concern of yours. This conversation is over.”

“I DEMAND AN ANSWER!” Trip bellowed.

There was a pause.

“Fine. What do you wish to know?”

“Our crewmen were staying at Guidance Officer Regia’s house. We were able to get a visual of the house and scans don’t detect them in the rubble.”

“Then they’re dead.”

“Don’t you dare tell me that!”

“Everyone in that house was shot before it was bombed. My first officer saw to it himself. So they’re dead. If you know what’s best, you would leave this system and not come back.”

“I want their bodies if they’re dead.”

“Wrong answer.”

“Sir,” the crewman at the weapons station started, “I’m detecting a detonation on the surface. Scans are reading two land-to-space missiles have been fired. Trajectory indicates they’re aimed at our engines. Impact in two minutes.”

“Move us!” Trip ordered.

Travis yanked the yoke. The missiles appeared on the screen as Travis piloted away. One nicked the side of Enterprise as she pulled away, shaking the ship and blowing a hole twice the size of the missile.
“SEAL OFF THE DECKS!” Trip yelled at the crewman at the engineering station.
Travis brought Enterprise to a stop. Hoshi worked her controls for several minutes before yanking her earpiece out.
“Hoshi, get him back.”
“I can’t, sir. They’re jamming our scans and all frequencies. I can only get readings sixty kilometers above the surface.”
Trip glared at the view monitor.

“T’Pol, wake up,” Reed’s voice said. “Come on, T’Pol. You’ve got to wake up.”

T’Pol opened her eyes. Reed was crouched next to her, but he was watching the street beyond the doorway they were in. The ruined city was quiet. Not even birds were singing.

“Did I loose consciousness?”

“Yes. You have a goose egg on your head and your right side is bruised and gives under light pressure. I’m certain you’ve broken ribs.”

“How close are we to the landing pads?”

“I’ve no idea. I don’t even know where they’re at. We keep getting detoured by fighting. Everything is so different looking.”

T’Pol slowly sat up, holding her side. She looked up and down the street. Reed was right about it looking different. It was like the proud city had never existed.

“We must try to find it.”

“We can’t go anywhere yet.”

“Why?”

“There’s a sniper somewhere over there.” Reed pointed at a broken two-story house. “I’ve seen him or her kill seven Jakisau so far.”

T’Pol leaned back, closing her eyes. Reed looked back at her.

“Can you breath all right?”

“It hurts to breath.”

“You must have broken ribs then.”

T’Pol adjusted herself, closing her eyes.

“Trip must be out of his mind.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Our communicators appear to be jammed and surely they can see the cities been destroyed by now.”

“They’d scan for biosigns.”

“Hoshi would, I suppose. But we’re pretty far from where we were staying. I think.”

T’Pol didn’t comment. Reed turned, watching T’Pol.

“What do you suppose is making him so irritable?”

“I wish I knew.”

“Guess.”

“I don’t care to presume what is wrong with my husband, Lieutenant.”

They heard phaser fire. Reed looked around the corner, watching the sniper kill two more Jakisau. He frowned, turning back to T’Pol.

“I think he feels guilty about the whole mess with the Captain.”

“You should not guess either, Mister Reed.”

Reed smiled some. “I’m human. I’m allowed. He hasn’t said anything, but he started acting peculiar, unlike himself, there in the house. He’s been like that ever since.”

Reed looked back down the street.

“Perhaps,” T’Pol said. She whimpered when she drew a breath.

Reed looked at her. He reached out, squeezing her shoulder. T’Pol looked at him.

“Stay awake, all right? This loosing consciousness concerns me.”

“I’m very tired.”

“I bet, but you must stay awake.”

T’Pol eased herself into a more upright sitting position, grimacing. She looked up and froze. Reed looked up. A Jakisau in his mid-twenties stood before them, aiming his phase rifle at Reed. He wore camouflage clothing and a red symbol of a cross over a triangle was sewn onto his sleeves. Along the bottom of the triangle is the word ‘DASEX.’ He shot both of them. He looked down the street when he heard a noise. The sniper killed another Jakisau that ran into the street. He stepped over the two and forced open the door behind them. He pulled them into the house and crouched down at a window, watching the street. He pushed up his sleeve and tapped a wrist device strapped to his wrist.

“Point to LC. Respond.”

“LC,” a female answered. “Report.”

“I’ve come across two aliens, sir. They’re neutralized and one may be causality. Sniper in twelve kilometers. Orders, sir?”

“Is your position secure until we reach it?”

“There is one bird nearby, but otherwise it is secure, sir.”

“Bird will be taken out once we near your position. Hold it until we get there.

“Compliance, sir.”

Dasex sat down by a window so he could keep an eye on the street and his two captives.

Reed woke fighting. Hands quickly held him down which Reed quickly assessed belonged to five Jakisau.

“Easy! Easy! You’re not going to be hurt! Lie still,” someone said.

Reed looked up, seeing a Jakisau coming at him with a hypospray. He tried to dodge it but the Jakisau managed to get the hypospray to his neck and inject him. Reed half expected he would fall asleep or something worse.

“How does your arm feel now?”

Reed stopped struggling, looking up at the Jakisau.

“My arm?”

“It was fractured. You didn’t feel it?”

“I was ignoring it.”

“And how does it feel now? Did that help?”

Reed turned his attention to his arm. Seeing T’Pol injured he had decided against letting on that his arm was actually killing him. It hadn’t been rendered unusable so he’d concluded it wasn’t a bad injury.

“It aches some.”

“Relax then. If you break it before it mends, I’ll have to render you unconscious.”

“Who are you?”

“Keal.” He motioned the other Jakisau away. “We’ll be fine for now. Attend to your duties.”

Reed sat up, finding himself in a large cave that had been converted into an infirmary. He looked around him for T’Pol.

“You’re looking for the female you were with?”

“Yes.” Reed turned back to Keal.

“She had to be sedated so we could heal her injury. She’s in recovery right now.”

Reed started to get off the bed. Keal stopped him.

“Sit for a little bit longer.”

Reed submitted to Keal’s gentle persuasion. Reed watched the activity in the cave. Jakisau dressed in combat fatigues and bearing a patch like he’d seen on the one that had shot him were tending wounded and dying Jakisau.

“What does that symbol on the ones in fatigues mean?”

“The symbol of the Gartian.”

“The whom?”

Keal looked at Reed. “You’ve never heard of the Gartian rebels?”

“Should I have?”

“I assumed you were a guest of Ambassador Havet.”

“I am, or was, but he never mentioned rebels, Gartian or otherwise. Nor that the city might be bombed.”

“I’m sure he suspected an attack was highly probable, but he most likely believed Ambassador Doshal wouldn’t defeat Ambassador Lariz or wouldn’t do so as quickly as he did.”

“There’s more than one ambassador on this planet?”

“There are eight. Correction, there’s now only six. But I’m sure someone will be appointed any day now to replace Lariz and Havet. The individual governments don’t seem to mind placing Jakisau up as targets.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“As far as I know, perhaps since we’ve existed. My great-grandfather and his father died in a war. My father and eldest brother were injured in the war and I’ve lost two brothers to wars before this one.”

A female Jakisau walked up to them. “Excuse me, Doctor.”

Keal turned to her.

“The woman is asking to see her companion. Her doctor has taken her to the common room.”

“Arrange bunks for both of them.” Keal turned back to Reed. “How is the arm now?”

Reed flexed his arm, surprised to find there was no pain.

“There isn’t any pain. It doesn’t feel fractured at all.”

Keal looked at him, smiling. “We have fast medicine on Ardi Prime. The only real benefit of constant warring. It was good to meet you. Good life.”

“This way,” the female said, motioning him a direction.

Reed stood up and followed her. They passed into a narrow passage that had wide steps cut into the floor. They descended and came into a smaller cave. There were several couches and chairs here and many Jakisau were waiting. He spotted T’Pol sitting near a pool, watching something in the water.

“I’ll come back once I have bunks arranged,” the woman told him and left.

Reed walked down the gentle slope toward T’Pol, dodging Jakisau as he went.

“T’Pol,” Reed said when he was in hearing range.

She turned, watching him walk up. He noticed her arm was bandaged against her side, preventing it from moving.

“What happened to your arm?” she asked him.

“It was fractured. How are you?”

“The pain is less. My injuries appear to be healing at an abnormal rate. How did you fracture your arm?”

“When the wall was blown out of the house a piece of timber fell on it.”

“Why did you say anything in the city?”

“It didn’t hurt much.”

T’Pol looked back in the water. Reed turned his attention to it. Along the bottom were snake creatures that released a phosphorous gel of florescent colors. They moved at a snails pace, feeding off the tiny fish and plants along the bottom of the ponds and lakes of the caverns.

“What are they?”

“The Jakisau that brought me here called them Ulitar serpents, but from his description they sound more like worms. He said that they collect the phosphorous gel that gives off the light and use to expedite healing.”

Reed looked back at her. “Do you know where we are?”

T’Pol sat back in the chair, looking at him. She shook her head. Reed sat down in a chair across from her, looking at the Jakisau around him.

“They call themselves the Gartian rebels,” Reed continued. “The doctor I spoke with was surprised that Ambassador Havet hadn’t mentioned them to us. He also said that the fighting we were in has been going on for generations. Funny that was never mentioned.”

Reed looked at T’Pol when she didn’t answer. She was staring at the Ulitar serpents again.

“Are you all right?”

“I worry for Charles. He has no idea what has happened to us and with his current state, it concerns me how he will react.”

“You think he might start a war? I don’t think this race will notice.”

T’Pol looked at Reed. “I’m concerned he may send crewmen to find them, unnecessarily risking their lives.”

Reed leaned forward, laying his hand on hers. “You never use the word fight in any tense, T’Pol, so I know you’re very concerned, but don’t be. He may be upset, but it hasn’t affected his common sense. Surely he’ll know not to send anyone. I’d be more concerned that he’d leave with out us, personally.”

“For that I could forgive him.”

Reed sat back in his chair, holding T’Pol’s gaze.

Chapter 3

Trip passed the guards without a glance. He didn’t look up as he passed through the door and walked over to the keypad. Trip entered the code and stepped into the cell. He looked up. Archer lay on the bunk, restrained to the bed. He didn’t appear to notice Trip come in, just stared blankly at the ceiling. Trip walked over to the bunk and sat down on the floor. He leaned back against the wall.

“Gotta problem,” Trip said Archer.

Archer didn’t respond.

Trip hugged his knees.

“T’Pol and Malcolm went down to this planet, ya see. A war broke out and the city T’Pol and Malcolm were in got bombed. It’s all rubble down there and Hoshi hasn’t detected their biosigns. We talked to someone, but they shot at us and put up this shielding so we can’t scan. I haven’t heard hide nor hair of them for three days, Cap’n. And all that we can see with visual sensors is fightin’. Lots and lots of fightin’. How long should I wait for them, Cap’n? When should I tell myself that she’s not coming back?”

Archer muttered, “Bionq.”

Trip nodded. “Thought you’d say that, but forever’s too long. You know I can’t do that.” Trip looked at Archer. “Me and T’Pol had a fight before she left. The last thing I told her was I’d have divorce papers ready when she got back.”

Archer muttered something incoherent. Trip looked down at his legs.

“Love her,” Archer whispered.

Trip closed his eyes. He knew Archer was talking about Bionq, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Trip smiled, looking at Archer.

“I love her a lot. That was a pretty stupid thing for me to say, ya know that? Guess I’d better apologize for that when she gets back.” Trip looked at the floor again, adding quieter, “If she gets back. God, Jon, if that’s the last thing I end up having told her, I’d…”

“I want my wife,” Archer murmured.

Trip leaned forward, laying his forehead on his knees. “I love, T’Pol. I shoulda told her that before she left.”

Archer continued muttering, occasionally calling for Bionq.

Reed was roughly shaken awake. He sat up, staring at Isha, a sixteen year old Jakisau. She was standing at the foot of his bunk, watching him with a cool stare. Point Dasex was the one that had shaken Reed and was standing up straight. On the other side of the bunk, Commander Gephka, a Jakisau in his late thirties, stood at ease.

“Director Fardo wishes to speak with you and your companion. Come with us,” Isha said.

Reed looked at the bunk next to his. T’Pol sat on the edge of the bunk, watching the Jakisau.

“Your orders, T’Pol?”

She stood and he followed her. The three led them through tunnels into a room of chairs facing a monitor and desk. A tall Jakisau sat on the desk, reviewing PADDs as the Jakisau standing next to him handed them. He looked up, watching the two walk in.

“How are you two feeling?” he asked, motioning to the row of chairs in front. “At ease, soldiers,” he told Isha and the two Jakisau that brought them in.

Reed glanced back. The three stand straight, regardless of the order. Reed looked back around, finding T’Pol had sat down in a chair. He sat next to her.

“I assume you’re in command… T’Pol, is it?”

“Yes. I am the senior officer.”

“From what your doctors said, you two had no idea what was happening down here when Ambassador Havet invited you to the surface. I’m sorry to hear you lost your shuttle and supplies.”

A Jakisau rushed into the room and up to Fardo. He whispered to him. Fardo thought for a moment and nodded. The Jakisau rushed out.

“We’re about to move this base. The war is getting too close and only the wounded are remaining behind. However, we’re going deeper inland, so I will send you with a small contingent to the beach. The shielding doesn’t cover the last hundred kilometers to the water, so you’ll be able to contact your ship. You’ll have to be taken further north to be picked up. There’s a Hold at Mount Cardion that has mountain plain above it five kilometers long and eight wide. Your shuttle can pick you up there.” Fardo stopped when the same Jakisau came in with a PADD. He took it, reading it. He turned to the Jakisau. “Move all forces east. Tell the LC to hold the line until we’ve confirmed all refugees are safely out. Use any means necessary.”

“And the village, sir?”

Fardo sighed, looking at the PADD. “Annihilate slaughter forces, aid walking wounded, and dispose of all others. The line is to maintain position until we’ve confirmed Hold sixty-four is clear.”

The Jakisau took the PADD and left the room at a run. Fardo turned back to the two.

“You’ll leave at dark. That’s another six hours. Bearing, of course, that Ambassador Doshal’s forces don’t break through the front lines. Then we’ll be running out of here. Lead Commander Isha and her team were the ones that found you in the city and have volunteered to take you with them. They are escorting two teens to the same Hold.”

“Thank you,” T’Pol told him.

“You’re welcome. Do you two know how to use particle weapons?”

“Yes,” the two replied.

“Good. Isha, have them sent uniforms, packs and weapons.”

“Uniforms?” Reed asked.

“Yes. What you are wearing will be far too warm and what she’s wearing would be spotted in seconds. Isha and her team will refer to you as packages one and two. The teens joining you are packages three and four. Any questions?”

T’Pol and Reed kept silent.

“Good. See you on the other side, Isha.”

“Yes, sir.”

Reed leaned on his legs, staring at the floor. T’Pol looked at the wall. Reed looked up when Isha walked around in front of them.

“Follow me.”

The two rose and followed her and two Gartian rebels.

Reed and T’Pol followed Dasex through tunnels. They came around a corner and ahead was a vine covered opening. Isha and six other Jakisau were waiting.

“Men, this is T’Pol and Malcolm. They are packages one and two. I have determined that they have the necessary skills to assists us in protecting packages three and four. Yemstad, you are assigned to package three and Dasex you will cover package four. Civilians, you have all met Point Dasex and my first in command, Commander Gephka.” She motioned to the two. “This is Point Yemstad, Point Areki, Point Chief Baquelt, and Communications Lead Jajul. The boys are Garut and Wasteq. You will not refer to any of us by rank while we are in the field, no matter what you hear us say. The enemy can use that to their advantage. You will not use the word package at any time, only first names. T’Pol and Malcolm, you are to remain in close proximity of the boys and lay down cover fire only if ordered to do so. Civilians, do you have any questions?”

The two teens, T’Pol and Reed shook their heads.

“Then we move out.”

Isha turned, pushed the vines aside and the group followed her as ordered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Reed wiped his sleeve across his sweaty brow. He put his hand back on his rifle, watching the dense foliage around him. He glanced back when someone coughed.

“Halt,” Isha quietly said.

Reed looked at her. Her gun drifted up and she aimed ahead of her, using her scope to see ahead of them.

She motioned them to hide in the foliage on either side of the trail. Reed climbed into the foliage with Garut and Yemstad. He moved his rifle around, preparing to fire. A platoon of soldiers came into view. They were walking slowly, eyeing the jungle around them. Reed tensed his jaw, his mouth going dry. They were almost out of sight when Yemstad suddenly cried out, the cry ending in a throaty noise. The last soldier stopped in his tracks and turned. Reed didn’t take his eyes off the soldier. The soldier softly whistled, waving to the soldiers ahead of him. He turned and very slowly started back their direction. A second soldier trotted up to him, watching the first soldier’s back as they walked back down the trail. A hand grabbed Reed’s shoulder and he turned his head

Garut stared, petrified, at Yemstad. A constrictor was slowly wrapping around Yemstad’s neck, strangling him to death. Yemstad began to fight the strangulation. Reed pushed his rifle into Garut’s hands and crawled over him. Reed pulled Yemstad’s knife from the sheath on his belt. He reached out, grabbed the snake behind the jaw and shoved it to the ground, spearing the knife through the serpent's head. Yemstad started to flounder. Reed moved on top of him, using his body to hold Yemstad still. Over his shoulder, he watched the soldiers come closer. Yemstad stopped fighting when they were two meters from them. Reed didn’t move.

The soldiers disappeared back down the trail. Reed slowly moved off Yemstad, watching the trail. He began unwrapping the snake from Yemstad’s neck. The soldiers came back into sight and he laid still. They passed the group again, apparently satisfied there was nothing to find. Reed waited for them to disappear and finished unwrapping the snake’s body from Yemstad. He laid his hand on Yemstad’s shoulder, shaking him. Reed went cold when Yemstad’s head rolled to the side much further than it should have.

Reed looked up when Isha charged up to them. She stopped, staring at Yemstad. She knelt down beside him, laying her hand on his cheek. Her hand drifted down to the patch on his uniform. She ripped it off and pocketed it.

“We have to keep moving. Areki, tend to him.”

Reed stood and followed her back onto the trail. Garut ran up to Reed, handing his rifle back. He took it, watching the wide-eyed teenager.

“Are you okay?” Reed whispered.

Garut looked at him, shaking his head. Reed gave the boy’s shoulder a squeeze to reassure him.

The group stopped behind Isha. She used her riflescope to see into the dark jungle around them. She turned to the group.

“We’ll rest for a half hour. Try and get some sleep,” Isha told the group. “Areki, you’ll take first watch. Take a high position.”

“Yes, sir,” Areki said. He disappeared into the trees.

Reed sat down on a patch of grass. He let his head drop, rubbing the back of his neck. Garut sat down next to him, imitating him. Reed smiled.

“How are you now?” Reed asked.

“Better.”

“Good. We’ve some way to go, don’t we?”

Garut nodded. “Why does your voice sound strange?”

“Strange?”

“Yes. It sounds different than T’Pol’s or our voices.”

“It’s called an accent. Quite common of an accent in the country I come from on Earth.”

“It’s relaxing.”

“I’ve never been told that, but thank you.”

Garut nodded, looking away. “Did he die in pain, do you think?”

“No,” Reed lied. “He went peacefully.”

Reed looked up when T’Pol slowly sat down on his other side. She looked up and he followed her gaze. There was a small gap in the canopy and they could see stars sparkling through it.

“Somewhere up there is Enterprise,” Reed said.

“Perhaps,” T’Pol answered. “I worry this trek may be for nothing.” T’Pol looked at the ground.

Reed shrugged. “We won’t know until we try, T’Pol. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

She nodded. Reed watched her lay down on her back, her gaze returning to the gap. He laid down on the ground next to her, also staring at the spot. Reed smiled a little when Garut laid down next to him.

The group carefully forded the river, the current pressing against their legs and threatening to push them over. Ahead Isha climbed up the embankment and turned, scanning the jungle with her riflescope. He glanced back at Areki and Garut. Reed looked down when he stumbled, caught his balance and continued walking. He stopped suddenly, looking up. He could hear the drone of an engine over the water’s roar. Reed turned, looking both directions.

“Lieutenant,” T’Pol called.

Reed looked at her. She and Gephka were almost to the opposite bank. “Do you hear that?”

T’Pol stopped walking and listened. The sound of the approaching engine was growing louder.

“RUN!” Isha screamed at the four still in the water.

Reed turned to the two behind him. “RUN!” he repeated to them.

The two tried to run, but the current made it difficult to move quickly. Reed reached out and grabbed Garut’s arm when he was close to him. He held on tight to the young Jakisau’s arm, pulling him with him as he ran. T’Pol reached the bank but stopped, waiting for the three to reach her. The sound of the engine grew steadily closer. Garut slipped and fell, pulling Reed under. Reed tried to pull away but disappeared under the water.

“GRAB HIM!” T’Pol yelled to Areki. She started running back to them. A particle stream hit the ground before her and she jumped back, looking up. Isha was watching her, her rifle aimed at T’Pol.

“Don’t go back. They have to make it on their own.”

“He is my first officer. I have to go back for him.”

“If you are in command of your ship, as I suspect you are, they need you more than him. Think about your crew, T’Pol.”

T’Pol looked back at the river. Garut and Areki were searching for Reed. The sound of the engine could be heard over the water now. T’Pol turned to ask Isha for help.

“RUN, T”POL!” she heard Reed yell.

She turned back. Reed grabbed Garut and Areki by their shirt collars.

“DEEP BREATH!” Reed ordered them, and then yanked them under the water with him.

T’Pol looked up, seeing a watercraft coming down the river. T’Pol turned and ran up the embankment, disappearing into the trees. She stood with Isha, watching the craft speed around the bend and approach where the three had disappeared.

“You have no idea what a sacrifice he’s making for them,” T’Pol quietly whispered to Isha.

Isha looked up at her without a word.

The craft sped past. T’Pol moved so she could stay hidden but still see it. The craft disappeared down the river as fast as it had appeared. T’Pol ran down the embankment, reaching the shore as the three burst from the water panting for air. The three ran the rest of the way to the shore and the four scrambled up the embankment to join Isha and the Jakisau. The group headed into the jungle at a jog.

Trip tapped the controls on the situation room monitor, reviewing the telemetry photographs taken before the city had disappeared on the night side of the planet. He leaned on the console, mentally trying to determine where to have Hoshi scan next.

“Commander.”

Trip looked up. Phlox was standing on the stairs.

“Hey, Doc.” Trip turned back to the monitor.

Phlox walked around to stand opposite of Trip.

“When did you sleep last, Commander?”

“I’m not tired, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No. That’s not what I’m asking. When did you sleep last?”

“A few hours ago. Had a good cat nap.”

Phlox walked around to stand next to Trip. Trip looked up.

“You’re not my mom and you’re not my cap’n, Doc. Don’t lecture me about sleeping and eating and all this other shit that you seem to think you need to lecture me about.”

“I don’t recall lecturing you about any of that and I was simply coming around to see if perhaps a second pair of eyes could help with whatever you’re working on.”

Trip looked at Phlox. Phlox stood silently.

“Two days. It’s been two days.”

“Well, you’ll sleep soundly when we recover them, won’t you? I would like you to ask for some time off when they come back, if you don’t mind. I’d feel safer knowing you were fully rested and working on our warp drive.”

Trip smiled. “I promise to ask.”

“Good. How, can I help?”

Trip looked at the photographs. “This is where the barrier scrambling the sensors ends.” Trip pointed at a photograph. “But that’s nearly two hundred kilometers from the city. In spots Hoshi can get readings. Places where the land rises above the barrier or there is a deposit of some kind of mineral. I’m just trying to figure out where she should scan next.”

Phlox leaned on the console. “Let me study these photographs and see if I can come up with a good suggestion.”

Together the two began going through the photographs, quietly discussing possibilities.

Chapter 4

T’Pol pulled her blanket from her pack, unfolded it and wrapped it around Reed. He pulled it tight around him and sat down next to him, keeping close.

“That water was damn cold,” he told her.

She looked at Areki and Garut. They appeared unaffected by the frigid water.

“Why did you risk your life for them?”

“They’re risking theirs for us. Tomorrow we’ll be out of this barrier. Do you think they’ll still be there?”

“I don’t know.” T’Pol looked at him. “With your phobia, I can’t comprehend why you would have done what you did.”

“A pretty simple equation when you think about it. Hide or die, die or hide?” Reed used his hands to imitate a balance. He smiled, looking at her. “Do I want to see Kasbra, Jon and Vardee again?” Reed raised his left hand. “Or not?” Reed lifted his right hand. “Which do you think weighed heavier?”

T’Pol placed her hand on top of his right, lowering it below his left. She dropped her hand, looking at the Jakisau.

“If they aren’t there, Lieutenant…”

“We’ll cross that bridge if it’s there.”

“How can you be so optimistic?”

Reed smiled, looking at his hands. He held one up as if he were holding a cup by the handle and then he dropped it back to his lap. “Because, before we left Enterprise, Kasbra treated me to a tea party. We had crumpets, Castian tea and these wee little cakes. Just Kasbra and me. I have every intention of having more tea parties before she’s too ‘grown up’ to do such wonderful things with me. I have motivation to return alive.”

T’Pol said nothing.

“You been too quiet since we left T’Pol, even for you. Do you wish to talk about what’s bothering you? Is it Trip?”

“He and I had a fight before I left.”

“You never refer to your fights as fights.”

T’Pol nodded. “Anything I do agitates him into yelling and disruptive behavior.”

“May I ask what happened to start this one off?”

“Originally I had ordered him to join you on this mission, as you recall.”

“Yes. I did wonder why you showed instead.”

“It was because, once again, he suddenly changed his mind and refused to leave Enterprise.”

“That’s become rather regular, hasn’t it?”

“Too regular. It concerns me that he appears afraid to leave Enterprise.”

“Perhaps he is.”

“He’s become unreliable as my first officer.”

“And as a husband, from the sounds of things.”

“I can deal with it in my marriage. It’s my burden to bear because I promised to be his wife despite hardships. But I can’t allow this to continue as my first officer. The crew relies on him as much as I do. In that area this problem must be resolved.”

Reed nodded, looking at his hands. T’Pol's brow furrowed and she looked at Reed.

“I have never discussed my personal opinions with you before. This is highly irregular and I apologize.” T’Pol stood.

“T’Pol.”

She looked back down at him. Reed smiled at her.

“We’re in the middle of a jungle with a group of rebels in the midst of a war. Tell me something that is regular about this situation?”

T’Pol sat back down. “You have a very good point.”

“Not to mention that my wife is your best friend, your husband is my best friend. There’s nothing wrong with us discussing problems, professional or marital. And I feel comfortable talking to you about Vardee. I would like you to feel comfortable talking to me about Trip.”

T’Pol looked up, staring at the canopy overhead. Reed followed her gaze up. The two fell silent, each thinking about their spouse thousands of kilometers away. Neither saw Isha sitting in the dark of the jungle nearby, listening and watching the two.

“How far before we’re beyond the barrier?” Reed asked Isha.

“Another five kilometers.”

Reed looked ahead. Isha had suggested he and her take the rear today. Garut was trailing at the back in front of them, remaining close to Reed. Far ahead Reed saw T’Pol following behind Point Dasex.

“Is T’Pol your senior commander?” Isha asked.

“Of sorts. She has a field commission to captain.”

“What does field commission mean?”

“Our captain is currently indisposed and she’s assuming his command.”

“Why is he indisposed?”

“I’d rather not discuss that, if it’s all the same.”

Isha nodded. “At the river, she said you were her first in command and was anxious to rescue you. Are you two close companions?”

“First of all, I’m not her first in command, my best friend is. And I’m her friend, he is her companion.”

“Why would she say you were her first in command?”

“The situation was intense. It was merely a slip of tongue.”

“She made it seem like you were sacrificing a lot to hide you, Garut and Areki.”

Reed didn’t reply.

“Something else you care not to discuss?”

“I’m afraid of water.”

“Afraid of water?”

“Yes. It terrifies me to submerse in water.”

“I’ve never met anyone terrified of water.”

“Now you can say you have.”

“So when she said you were sacrificing a lot, she meant it took a great deal of courage to do what you did.”

“I suppose she did.”

Isha walked in silence for nearly an hour and Reed passed the conversation off as forgotten.

“You two are different species, correct?” Isha asked.

“Yes.”

“You act very different. She represses a great deal, you risk your life for strangers. Is that normal of your two species?”

“Her species repressing things, yes, but not all humans risk their lives for strangers.” Reed smiled. “But Captain Archer has largely influenced me in that respect.”

Reed noticed Garut glance back at Isha and then him. He said nothing. Isha also noticed the glance. She lowered her voice when she spoke again.

“You’ve taken Garut on as your responsibility when his guard was killed.”

“No. He took me on. I had no say in the matter.”

“He trusts you. I believe you’re influencing him.”

“Is that good or bad?”

Isha looked ahead without answering. Reed looked ahead, deciding she wasn’t going to.

“I’ll let you know,” she said after a while.

Reed smiled. “For someone your age, you are very mature, Isha.”

“My age?”

“You can’t be more than seventeen or eighteen.”

“Sixteen. Do not humans and Vulcans act as I do at my age?”

“Vulcan’s I don’t know about. For humans it’s rare for teenagers your age to act like you do. But then, if you were raised in the shadow of wars, I can understand the reasoning behind raising a child to grow up so fast.”

“I was raised to serve the Gartian.”

“Speaking of which, what are the Gartian? We’ve avoided soldiers that you and your men could have easily disarmed or killed. Why haven’t you?”

“We don’t kill unless we’re protecting refugees or stopping slaughter tactics. Our work is to aid the dead in reaching the next life and healing the innocent victims of war. Nothing more.”

Reed again saw Garut glance at them. Isha didn’t appear to notice this time.

“What are slaughter tactics?”

“Soldiers invading one Ambassador’s territory will send out platoons to slaughter villages and leave the corpses. It spreads disease and can weaken the other side by preventing them means to able-bodied men and women to enlist in the war. Most of the people in the villages are farmers and want nothing to do with their petty wars, but the Ambassadors don’t care. They’re only out to gain control of more land.”

“All of them?”

“Ambassador Havet was the only one that hasn’t been in generations. He was trying to get all Ambassadors to agree to peace. Ambassador Lartiz began supporting his effort a few months ago. Most likely that was the reason Ambassador Doshal attacked them.”

“You’d think they’d want to stop fighting.”

“They seek only revenge.”

“The only way Earth found peaces was when the rulers of the various countries decided it together, when we had nearly killed ourselves.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Several hundred years ago.”

“And you still consider it your burden?”

“Yes.” Reed looked at her. “And in doing so, we remind ourselves of why we need to avoid war, Isha.”

“But only after your leaders agreed to end it.”

“Yes.”

“And so Jakisau will never know peace. Until our leaders realize how pointless it is.”

“Unfortunately.”

Isha fell silent. Reed decided to let the conversation die as well. It was depressing to realize that, without saying it, Isha desperately wanted peace among her people, but she didn’t have the power to make it possible.

Trip lay on his bed, tossing a tennis ball against the top of his bunk. When his companel beeped, Trip jumped out of bed and in one step was across his room to his desk.
“Trip here.”

“Sir, I have Lieutenant Reed.”

“I’m on my way!” Trip ran out of his quarters.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Trip ran onto the bridge.

“Are they on the bridge COM?” Trip asked.

“Yes, Trip,” Reed’s static-y voice replied, “so don’t go saying anything bad about me or T’Pol.”

Trip smiled. “You have no idea how great it is to hear your voice.”

“Actually, I feel the same however I have good and bad news, I’m afraid. We have reached the edge of the barrier to communicate with you, but you can’t reach us here. I’ve been told that if you try to transport us, the warring forces will scramble the beam and essentially kill us. And you can’t set a shuttle pod down anywhere near where we’re at, either. It’s…well, you can’t.”

“Why are you being vague?”

“We can’t secure this channel on this end.”

“And that matters because?”

“If I give too much detail we may be found or blocked from reaching our destination. I can tell you that once we reach the place, you will be able to set a shuttle down and it should be far enough from the war to be safe. We’ll be going back into the barrier to reach it so we can’t communicate with you until we get there.”

“Is T’Pol okay?” Trip asked, his voice softening.

“Yes. She was banged up when the house was bombed, but she appears to be feeling much better.”

Trip smiled, looking down. “Take care of her, Malcolm.”

“You know you needn’t ask that, Trip.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“Tell Vardee and the children I’ll be back soon. I need to break off communication now. Wait for us.”

“I’ll be right here. Hurry right along.”

“We will. Reed out.”

“Ensign, alert me if they contact us again and be sure to tell Hoshi about this when she comes on,” Trip said.

“Yes, sir.”

Trip walked to the lift and stepped on. His finger hovered over the choice of decks. He tapped one. The lift slid down and opened. Trip walked through the quiet halls to the brig. The two guards nodded once to him as he walked passed them. Archer was sleeping. Trip entered the cell and sat down next to the bunk. Trip rested his head against the wall, closing his eyes and fell asleep for the first time in days.

The group wound their way through the jungle. As had become typical, they had fallen silent after their midday break. Reed looked up when he ran into Garut. At the front of the line, Isha was listening, her hand held up to signal them to stop. She turned, silently motioning to the five rebels. The rebels motioned the four to gather around. Isha pulled a flat device from Jajul’s pack and handed it to him. He tapped it to wake it and then tapped a control. A contour map appeared, showing shapes nestled into the two rising hills to the right. Turquoise triangles appeared on the screen with information next to them in Jakisau. Some moved, but most of them didn’t.

“They’re cleaning,” Gephka said, looking at Isha. “Orders, sir?”

“Annihilation. Jajul, remain with the packages and keep them out of harms way. We’ll alert you when it’s clear.”

“What are you doing?” Reed asked her.

“Stay with Jajul,” Isha repeated as she and the four rebels jogged off.

Jajul pulled his pack off and put the device back into his backpack. Reed looked at him and where the others had disappeared. He followed them.

“Malcolm, stay here,” Jajul said.

“What is annihilation?” Reed asked without stopping.

Jajul followed him. T’Pol and the two teenagers followed him. “They’re stopping a slaughter tactic.”

“Called cleaning?”

“Yes. This is a village of women and children. They kill everything in it to prevent the people from having more children and then burn the village to the ground.”

Reed reached the edge of the jungle and stopped. He could see the village below him and while he couldn’t make out details, he could see Jakisau running from other Jakisau and being shot down.

“That’s the sickest thing I’ve ever heard,” Reed said.

“It takes someone not of right mind to issue such an order,” T’Pol said.

Reed looked at her. She was watching the scene below with the most intense stare he’d ever seen on her face.

“He would never be like that. We wouldn’t let him,” Reed told her.

“Wouldn’t he? He doesn’t even know his own name.”

“We wouldn’t let him.”

T’Pol looked at Reed.

“Who?” Jajul asked.

Something exploded, making the two look back at the village. A house was burning, quickly spreading smoke and hiding the village from them. The five stood in silence, waiting for Isha to tell Jajul it was clear.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The four followed Jajul through the village, staring at the massacre around them. From babies to old whose hair and skin were darkening with age, Jakisau lay dead around them.

T’Pol slowed to a stop. A woman lay on the ground, her baby still clutched to her. A particle beam had burned a hole through the baby and the woman, leaving a hole three quarters its size in her back as it exited. Wasteq and Garut stopped in the center of the village together, standing close to each other for support.

Reed followed Jajul to Isha.

“Bury the dead,” Isha instructed Jajul. “I doubt you’ll find any alive. They’d been at this for some time before we could stop them.”

Jajul reached under his pack and pulled a stick device from it. There were five controls on it and three LEDs across the top. He tapped the controls and walked over to a corpse. Reed watched him point it at the corpse and fire. The corpse disintegrated into a fine white ash. Reed looked at Isha. She was typing on her wrist device.

“What can I do to help?” Reed asked.

Isha looked at him. She reached under her pack and pulled out a stick device.

“This is a Gartian shovel. It’s already set to bury. You aim it at the heart and push this button.” She pointed at the bottom button. “The green light comes on when you fire it. If you aim it and the yellow light comes on, wait for it to recharge. It takes seconds. If the red light comes on, call one of us. It means the Jakisau is still alive and we’ll try to save them.”

Reed looked up. “Where is your heart?” he asked.

She reached out, laying her hand on the right, just under his ribs. “Here.”

Reed turned and began working his way across the village.

T’Pol looked up, watching Reed. He aimed the device at a corpse and fired. She looked away, walking again. She passed a house and stopped. T’Pol turned her head. Though faint, she could hear a baby crying. She entered the house and the crying became louder. It suddenly became muffled.

“I will not harm you,” T’Pol said. “Please, come out.”

She waited but no one came out of hiding. T’Pol began searching for the muffled crying. She came into the kitchen, finding two dead Jakisau on the floor. The back door was opening and closing on the body of a third Jakisau and the crying was louder beyond the door. T’Pol walked to the door, putting her hand against it. It opened and she walked through, following the crying. It was coming from inside a wood shed and she cautiously walked around it. The female Jakisau quickly pulled the baby in her arms to her chest, staring at T’Pol with wide terrified eyes. T’Pol slowly walked up to her, kneeling down. The woman was shaking from shock as blood continued pouring from the wound on her side.

“I won’t harm you,” T’Pol told her. “I’m with people who’ve come to help. I’m going to get one.” T’Pol stood.

The woman grabbed T’Pol’s wrist. T’Pol knelt down again. The woman tried to speak but no words came out. With shaky hands she held the baby over to T’Pol.

“Anaia. Her name…is…” The woman died.

T’Pol caught the baby before it was dropped as the woman fell over. The baby screamed, shaking her small fists at the sky. T’Pol gently cradled Anaia into her arms, gently rubbing her belly and calming her. She got up and walked back into the village.

She walked to a porch free of blood or corpses and sat down on the steps. She shrugged out of her pack and pulled out her extra shirt. She fished through the pack, pulling out a nutrient drink. She ripped off a sleeve, dipped it into the drink and held it to the baby’s lips. The child grabbed her hand, pulled the wet fabric in her mouth and sucked it. T’Pol pulled it away to dip it in the drink and return it to the child’s lips, allowing herself to loose track of time.

“She must be the only things living here,” someone said.

T’Pol looked up. Garut was standing in front of her, wide-eyed and pale.

“I’m certain of it.” T’Pol looked back at the baby.

“Do you have children?”

“No.”

“You’re good at that.”

“I have a friend aboard my ship that has two children. I have spent a great deal of time assisting in their upbringing.”

Garut sat on the porch next to T’Pol. “Have you seen Malcolm?”

“No, but he is assisting the rebels in disposing of the bodies.”

“We call it burying, but…it’s not really. Burying means you have to put them in the ground.”

“Typically, it does mean that.”

Garut looked at T’Pol. “Is it true that not all humans help strangers like he does?”

“There are less that won’t than those that do.”

“Would you help a stranger?”

“Yes.”

“Do all Vulcans?”

“Not usually.”

“Then why do you?”

“I have seen the benefits of assisting someone I don’t know.”

“Seen the benefits? Don’t you mean felt?”

T’Pol looked at him. “No.”

“Vulcans and humans are so different. How do you get along with such huge differences?”

“Through compromise and communication. Both are necessary to establish and maintain a relationship without much conflict.”

“Much?”

“There will always be some conflict because of our differences, but it is easily overcome because humans and Vulcans communicate their opinions and both sides allow the other to retain their own opinion. Even if it isn’t a largely accepted opinion.”

“And what about among your own kind? Is that how you deal with conflicts?”

T’Pol looked at the baby. “Not always.” She looked up when a shadow fell over her. Isha looked at the children, her eyes stopping on the baby.

“Where did you find the baby?” she asked.

“Her mother was injured and dying. Her name is Anaia. We’ll have to take her with us.”

“I agree. You’ll tend to her until we get to the Hold?”

T’Pol nodded.

“We’ll be done soon. Make sure she’s well fed and changed before we have to move.” Isha turned and walked away.

T’Pol looked up suddenly. She turned to Garut. “I believe this child lived in the fourth house on the right. Go see if she had diapers.”

“Diapers?”

“Items they use to put on the child’s lower half until they can learn to control their bodily functions. I will need several of them.”

Garut jumped up and ran off to search for what T’Pol had described. T’Pol turned her attention back to Anaia.

Rain poured down on the group, drenching them and turning the ground to slippery mud. Add to that the slope they were climbing practically went straight up, and it explained why they were all covered in mud.

Ahead of T’Pol, Point Areki reached back, holding his hand out to her. She slapped her muddy hand into his and he held tight, helping her up the slope. Her arm reactively tightened around Anaia and the baby whimpered, tightening her tiny fists on T’Pol’s shirt. Ahead Reed held out his hand to her. She let Areki’s arm go and grabbed his wrist. Reed pulled back, helping her up the rest of the steep slope. The rebels started up the slope with Isha and Jajul bringing up the rear. Midway Isha and Jajul stopped, looking back. T’Pol followed their gaze. She could see the meadow they had just crossed and at least two-dozen soldiers were wading through the tall grass in their direction. She looked down, watching the Gartians and Isha hurry up the slope.

Isha led them into the jungle at a run. They came to another river and followed it upstream to a smooth cliff face. The river plunged over the top, creating a wide pool at the foot of the cliff. Isha motioned them to wait. She carefully made her way across the rocks and disappeared behind it. She suddenly appeared and waved them to follow. The rebels and Reed helped T’Pol across the rocks and into the shallow cave behind the waterfall.

The baby whimpered, waving a fist at T’Pol. She pressed her fingers to the baby's lips, softly humming to it. The baby yawned and she adjusted it against her shoulder, trying to get it to go to sleep. Isha moved to the edge of the falls, watching the jungle.

“How many did you count, Jajul?” Isha asked.

“I saw eighteen, but I’m guessing well over twenty.”

“They’ve been to the village I would guess.”

Isha turned, looking concerned. “This is most likely a place to be searched.”

Everyone waited for her to make a decision.

“Areki, scout for a better place. Keep us informed of their movement.”

“Yes, sir.” Areki left the cave.

Isha turned, again watching the jungle.

Chapter 5

T’Pol sighed, carefully adjusting the baby in her arms so it wouldn’t wake. It coughed some, 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 did find a well traveled alternate location 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 are several within fifteen meters of us, sir,” Jajul told her.

Isha lifted her wrist. “Is the alternate location 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, but we have to be silent. They aren’t far off.”

“You heard him. Don’t talk and watch where you step, people.”

Jajul took one of the children’s hands and he and Gephka left. Jajul returned to help the other children 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 found an animal trail 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 Anaia 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. Anaia 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 beside her, watching the soldiers.

Wasteq looked down at Anaia 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 Anaia’s cheek. It fit in the palm of his hand.

“She’s so hot and sick. They have doctors and medicine there. Anaia 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 are to make it to the Hold alive.”

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 Anaia 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 be only 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. Go.”

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 his wife and best friend. 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 a long 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 Anaia in her lap and began unwrapping the wet shirt wrapped around her.

“Let me see if my shirt’s dry, T’Pol,” Gephka said.

“Here,” Gephka handed her his shirt. “A little damp, but not like that one.”

“Thank you,” T’Pol told him.

A static-y 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 told him, looking at him.

“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.”

“Oh no. 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 holding off Hold primary and not abandoning. More troops are transporting through safety here.”

“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 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!” she bellowed.

The group leapt up and started running.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“The perimeter is in five minutes. Keep moving,” Isha barked.

The climb had become steeper and harder. The were loosing 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, Isha?”

“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 Anaia 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 Anaia 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 Anaia. 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. She will die here. I fear death every day?”

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 loosing sight of the battle below.

T’Pol held the small hand, staring at Anaia’s peaceful face. T’Pol didn’t move even when Phlox laid his hand on her shoulder.

“She’s gone, T’Pol.”

T’Pol let her hand slide away. Sickbay suddenly felt small and unfamiliar. Phlox’s hand on her shoulder was hard and heavy. T’Pol stood, stepping away from him.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could have saved her.”

T’Pol didn’t answer.

“What should I do with her body?”

T’Pol looked down at the baby’s face. She picked the child up, wrapping her arms tight around the small body. She kissed her forehead, still warm with the fever that had killed her. T’Pol turned, placing the baby in Phlox’s arms.

“Bury her,” T’Pol answered. She walked toward the doors.

“T’Pol.”

She stopped, turning her head to the side. “Yes?”

“With troops advancing and her ill, you did the right thing to agree to bring her back. A life is the sum of what it amounted to, not it’s length and she died with someone who loved her.”

T’Pol didn’t reply or move for a long couple of minutes. “Is that all?”

“Yes.”

T’Pol left Sickbay.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

T’Pol heard the door open on the lower level of her and Trip’s quarters. She lay still, listening to Trip cross the floor and climb the stairs. He walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her.

“Anaia is beautiful, you know that?” Trip asked.

T’Pol looked up at him. “You saw her?”

“Yeah. Last night I went to Sickbay to talk to you, but you’d left. Phlox let me hold her. She was too young to die.”

“She went peacefully. I just wish I could have gotten her medical attention sooner. I never realized how frail most humanoids are at that age. Even Vulcans, I suspect.”

Trip looked at her. “You look tired.”

“I am, and I’m sore from the extraneous exercise. Doctor Phlox gave me something to relax my muscles, but it’s not helping very much.”

“Should I try some neuro pressure?”

“No thank you.”

They were silent for a moment.

Trip clasped his hands together, leaning on his legs. “I guess Malcolm did a good job down there, huh?”

“He did, just as I’d expect of any officer from Enterprise.”

Trip looked at her. “I want you to take him on as your first officer. I want you to relieve me of my senior duties and give them to him. I’ve already talked to him about it. He said he would accept them if you offered the position to him.”

T’Pol slowly pulled herself into a sitting position. “Why would you ask this?”

“You need someone you can rely and depend on and he’s good that way. I’m a few sandwiches short of a picnic right now. Until I work through what’s eatin’ at me, I’m no good to you or this crew.”

“What is bothering you?”

Trip looked down. “I murdered someone. I don’t know… I just don’t know how I’m supposed to handle that, T’Pol. I’m can’t…figure this one out, honey.”

“You didn’t murder Bionq, Charles. She was going to kill you and you defended yourself. You did nothing wrong.”

“My hand, my pistol, my action.”

T’Pol laid his hand on him. Trip stood, pulling away from her. He walked toward the bedroom door.

“Please sleep with me tonight, Charles.”

“No. You don’t want to sleep with me. I’m filthy.”

“Charles.”

Trip stopped in the door.

“I need to feel you beside me tonight. I need you.”

Trip turned back. T’Pol’s head was hung.

“Why?”

She looked at him. “Because I feel alone tonight and I need my husband.”

Trip turned to walk out.

“At least give me your uniform, so I have something of yours with me tonight.”

Trip stopped, looking down. He turned, crawled up the bed and laid down. T’Pol curled up next to him, tightening fists around his uniform as she moved close to him.

“Just until you’re asleep, and then I’m going to the other room.”

T’Pol nodded, closing her eyes. In seconds she was asleep. But Trip didn’t leave. He laid awake all night, watching his wife sleep and wrestling with his guilt.

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A handful of people have made comments

Good story, with nice characterisation. Though Trip needs a big kick up the arse IMHO. Guilt is one thing but his prima donna guilt-o-rama is grating.

Every marrage has it's issues... but only a Trip and T'Pol marrage would be this hard! But I suspect if this ever were to happen they'd find a way. That's what makes them so perfect for each other!

I really liked these two stories, and I hope there is more to come in this series. I'd like to see what happens between Trip and T'pol as well as Archer's recovery.

Is my memory correct? The ending for this version of Cardion is different from the one at Fanfiction.net?

Is there a particular order I should be reading these stories here or at Fanfiction.net?

Good. Anaia was so sad! :'(