Cage Match - pt 2

Cage Match

By Triplover!

Rating: Uh... I'll just say PG-13 because of violence and other stuff....
Disclaimer: The characters of the Enterprise are all Paramount's... because if they were mine... Enterprise would be off the air in a week, two weeks tops.
Archive: Sure, just ask me first!
Summary: When Trip and Archer get kidnapped, the captain and his commander are then pitted against each other for entertainment and it is up to T'Pol to get them back before they kill each other....

Part Two

Malcolm Reed and Travis Mayweather looked at T’Pol. They could see she was worried. Malcolm had teased Trip about the Sub-Commander many times but when he saw the look on her face he was surprised. T'Pol looked genuinely concerned but more than that, he could see she hadn't slept. It had taken him two hours to make the appropriate adjustments to the shuttle and most were trying to get their rest, including Hoshi. T'Pol hadn't slept a wink. "Don't worry Sub-Commander, we'll find them," Malcolm assured her.

Travis smiled. "No sweat."

T'Pol nodded though her worry did not disappear. "I have no doubt that you will."

Malcolm tried to smile as well but failed. "See you in a jiff Sub-Commander."

The two officers turned and walked towards the launch bay. Travis glanced at Malcolm and shook his head. "See you in a jiff? I think someone’s been spending too much time with Commander Tucker."

Malcolm chuckled. "Perhaps."

==

With Travis' expert flying the shuttle was able to land with no problems. Malcolm looked around at the beautiful planet surroundings. Malcolm had a bad feeling about this. Something didn’t look right. It was then that Malcolm's console beeped.

Malcolm looked down at his scans and held back a gasp. "There's a ship near this position!"

"You think they may have kidnapped the captain and Commander Tucker?" Travis asked.

Malcolm looked over at the ensign. "I'd say that would be a good guess."

"Should we hail them?" was Travis' next question.

Malcolm's head snapped up. "They've scanned us... they're coming this way!"

==

"Lock on their weapons and engines... but don't destroy them," Ja'hian commanded his tactical officer. The man nodded and commenced shooting the small shuttle that was identical to the first one they'd found. It didn't take long since the shuttle was quite weak. Ja'hian smiled. "The mother ship will be on the other side, ready phasers and torpedoes. As soon as we leave the planet’s atmosphere attack the ship and then jump to warp five."

The helmsmen and the armory officer both nodded as their ship moved up. Slowly they passed to the atmosphere to see a large vessel on the other side. The creatures' mother ship. "Fire!" Ja'hian yelled.

==

T'Pol held onto the chair she sat in as the ship shook, sending many to the floor. She looked at the ensign at the helm. "Evasive maneuvers," she called out.

He had already begun dodging the fire as soon as the last words were spoken. She could see his strain as he moved the ship trying to avoid the fire. The ensign at tactical looked up at T'Pol. "Phasers are offline."

For a second time the ship shook and the helm console blew, sending the ensign to the floor. She jumped over to him to check if he was all right… he was alive but burned badly. She looked at Hoshi. "Take him to sickbay." She then moved to his console but it was no use. "Helm is offline as well."

==

"Jump to warp," Ja'hian ordered. His helm officer looked back at him.

"We should do more damage... they could fix this fast," he told the commander.

Ja'hian walked over to his helm officer with a penetrating stare. "When I say leave that's what I mean. We are not going to cause these people any more damage than we have. We have already taken two of their men... let them be."

"They will be after us," the security officer joined in.

Ja'hian looked over at him. "Can you not hear my orders?"

Both nodded at him. “Of course sir!”

"Then follow them!" Ja'hian looked up, he was going to say the same thing but another had already spoken. It was the captain. "We will not be doing any more damage than necessary. Understood?"

The security officer and the helm officer looked at the captain. "Yes sir," they said in unison.

"Good," said the captain who then sat in his chair and looked at Ja'hian. "The humans are awake... go to the infirmary. Bornal just woke them a few minutes ago. They both have been informed as to what has happened. I want you to begin questioning them about their duties aboard their ship."

Ja'hian nodded with a smile. "Yes sir."

==

Trip could feel his head pound as he moved to a sitting position on the bio bed next to his captain. Doctor Bornal and nurse Uria had left him and the captain alone so that they could begin studying their genetic structure. Trip sighed rubbing his head. "Well isn't this fun," he muttered.

Archer snorted, "Oh yeah... this is just great."

They sat there in silence once again as both tried to figure out how in the world they had gotten into this mess. Bornal had told them that as soon as they reached their home world they'd be pitted against each other. For people who loved violence Bornal was quite pleasant. Trip had tried to get the doctor to help them escape but Bornal wouldn't even think about it. He may have been a pleasant man but he was obsessed with the game just as much as anyone else on their home planet. Uria was the same way. It seemed everyone on their world enjoyed the games. Trip and Archer were gonna be famous... just before they tried to kill one another.

Trip wouldn't hurt his captain... but with the serum they would be giving both him and his captain he wouldn't be in control. If T'Pol didn't come soon, she'd find one of them dead and the other standing over the body with hate in his eyes. Trip shivered. If it came to that he hoped his captain won. The captain was more important to Enterprise. If it came right down to it, Trip would rather lose and end up dead than know he killed someone who he considered his friend.

He gave out a long sigh and looked at Archer. Archer looked in deep thought as well. He looked worried as hell. Trip had to do something. The captain needed a distraction from his circumstances... he looked so stressed sitting on his bio bed. Trip knew this was the time to let what had been eating at him all day go. If he would be fighting his friend he wanted Archer to know that they were still close, even if as of late the two were hardly talking to one another. That wasn't Archer's fault. He had a lot on his shoulders. He was the captain; he’d had to give up all his morals just to save Earth. This was the time to tell him what he wanted to know. Trip took a deep breath. "Remember when you asked me what was goin' on with me lately?"

Archer looked up and Trip noticed the interest in his eyes. He nodded once as his eyes looked into Trip's.

"Well, the reason I haven't been sleepin' is because I've had a lot on my mind lately," Trip told his captain.

Archer cocked his head to one side. "What? What’s been bothering you Trip?"

Trip chuckled softly. "I dunno, Cap’n… everything’s been botherin’ me. Ever since we’ve left the Expanse I’ve had time to think and… all I can do is think back to what happened. One thing in particular’s been on my mind. It was right after we found one of the sphere builders in the expanse. Remember when we were havin' that trainin' session for all the senior officers by the MACO's?"

Archer nodded grimly. "What a mess that was."

"Tell me about it. You remember Amanda Cole?"

Archer again nodded. "Uh huh, she was one of the MACO's." Archer's face grew more worried once the sentence left his mouth. "Trip, what does Cole have to do with anything?"

Trip sighed before replying. "Well you see... Amanda and I were gettin' to be friends. Close friends. I offered to show her some neuropressure techniques T'Pol had taught me and she agreed. The next thing I know were becomin' fast friends. I could tell her anythin’ and we would have lunch together... I just had so much fun with her. Durin' one of the MACO trainin' sessions Amanda and I were sparrin'. T'Pol kept watchin' us but I figured it was somethin' else. T'Pol asked me bout Amanda and I told her Amanda was just a friend but she wouldn't believe me. She just kept fussin' bout it. Later me and T'Pol had our own session and things got a little... weird."

Archer took the time to process what he'd just been told. T'Pol fussing about a woman Trip was spending time with... wasn't exactly new though Archer always wondered why she gave him such a fuss about it. Then he thought about that word Trip had used... weird. What did that mean? "Weird huh? How so?"

Trip fidgeted somewhat on the bio bed before clearing his throat and looking down. "Well... uh... I sorta confronted T'Pol. I told her she was just jealous. We got in this debate about the subject until she mentioned Sim. She said Sim told her he had feelings for her. I was so surprised I didn't know what to say. Then she mentioned where he told her. In her room. That surprised me even more. I asked what he was doin' in her room and she asked me if I was jealous myself. I denied it at first but the truth was I was jealous... a little."

Trip jealous? Archer tried hard to swallow that but he couldn't seem to get past that. "You were jealous?"

Trip nodded. "I ended up tellin' her so only to get my mouth tackled by a very passionate Vulcan. The next thing I knew we were both... well you know. And let me tell ya Cap'n, if anyone ever said Vulcans weren't as passionate as human beings, they were wrong. Dead wrong. I had sex with her, Cap'n... I made love to the one woman on the ship that I spent two years fightin' with."

Archer's mouth was hanging open as a look of total and complete shock appeared on his face. He didn't know what to say. He just didn’t expect that… although he really should have after meeting Trip and T’Pol’s future kid Lorian. But still… this was different. Very different. They were together? All this time?

"Say somethin', Cap'n."

Archer was knocked out of his thoughts but still he couldn't get rid of the shock still on his face. He took in air and shook his head. "I don't know what to say, Trip. I'm speechless." It was then that one question popped into his mind. It was a question Archer feared. "Do you love her?"

Trip was caught off guard by the question. He'd never really thought about it much, not that he'd wanted to. He had a hard enough time getting his mind to accept that they had done what they did...even with all the time since that day! Trip closed his eyes and listened to himself breathe. Archer waited patiently for his answer. The engineer knew he had to say something. But what? Could he possibly be in love with a Vulcan? "If ya asked me that a few months ago when it happened I'd tell you 'no' at least three hundred times. But now, I don't know anythin' anymore. I can't stop thinkin' about her. I told her we should forget that it ever happened... but I can't forget. I’ve tried it for a while now but the fact is I don’t wanna forget that night…because it was the best night of my life."

When Archer heard those words he couldn't say anything else. Trip was in love...with T'Pol. The only question left was if T'Pol was in love with Trip. But it was then that the doors opened and another man, the same race as Bornal and Uria walked in. He frowned. "Where are Doctor Bornal and Nurse Uria?"

Trip and Archer looked at the man for a minute. Archer was about to say something when Bornal chose this time to walk out, a smile firmly implanted on his face. "Ah Ja'hian... what took you so long?" the doctor asked.

The man called Ja'hian sighed. "The captain ordered me to come here but engineering was having some difficulty... I went to help them before coming here."

The doctor nodded then walked over to Archer and Trip. "Well, these people are called Humans... or Terrans... you can also call them Earthlings. They are from a planet called Earth," said the doctor.

"Earth? I have not heard of it," muttered Ja'hian.

"I have. It is a planet I’ve heard the Suliban and the Klingons speak of all the time as of late. I have a Klingon friend that comes to the matches...I have a feeling he will enjoy this one," Bornal explained.

Archer stood his anger returning. "Why have you brought us here? Why did you kidnap us?"

Ja'hian laughed, "This one will do well in the match. What is his name?"

Archer was about to speak when Bornal spoke for him. "He calls himself Captain Jonathan Archer... but we have just now come up with his fighter name. We shall call him Vi'hil Hon."

Ja'hian's smile grew. "Dreaming fire... very poetic. And what of the younger one?"

Bornal raised his eyebrows. "My nurse named him. His true name is Trip Tucker but we have named him Ra'kogen."

At that Ja'hian again laughed. "Man of good arm? Hmmm, interesting. I believe these two will make an interesting battle. We are almost home… prep them for battle. Is the serum ready?"

"Yes, Commander. Whenever you're ready," Bornal replied.

Ja'hian nodded approvingly. "Good, the serum takes at least three hours to completely work…begin as soon as possible. I am needed back on the bridge but I will be in later to see how the serum has worked on these... humans. Oh and Bornal, perhaps you better put them in separate confinements when you give them the serum. Wouldn't want them to kill each other yet now would we."

With that Ja'hian left as Trip shivered once again. Wouldn't want them to kill each other yet now would we. The sentence was enough to make Trip queasy. He and the captain locked gazes. Trip again prayed that T'Pol would get to them in time.

==

"Report," T'Pol ordered as soon as she entered engineering. Lieutenant Hess walked over to her while rubbing her temples.

"Things are pretty bad here. We still don't have warp drive back on-line," Hess told her.

"How long till you can get it back on-line?"

Hess paused trying to do the numbers in her head. She then looked back at T'Pol. "Hours. I'd say about three."

"Lieutenant, the captain and Commander Tucker are both missing. Are you sure you can't speed things up?" T'Pol asked while trying to hide her exasperation.

Hess shook her head, "I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do. It will take at least an hour to correct the fact that we can't create a stable warp field in this solar system and then another two hours to repair the damage to our warp nacelles. We're stuck here, Sub-Commander. And there's not much I can do to change that for a while."

T'Pol let out a short breath and nodded. "Keep me informed of your progress. I'll be on the bridge."

T’Pol began to leave but then heard the com go off. “Riley to Sub-Commander T’Pol.”

“T’Pol here.”

“Malcolm Reed and Travis Mayweather have returned from the planet ma’am.”

“Understood. I’m coming up now.”

“Yes ma’am.”

==

Trip's breathing grew fast as Bornal took him away from his captain's side to the small room. In the middle was a chair, which Bornal pushed him into and began to restrain him with leather straps on his arms, head, chest and legs. Trip could hardly breathe with the tight straps holding him to the chair as tightly as they were. Uria walked behind the doctor with a tray. She put it on a small metal table next to Trip. Trip was able to glance at what was on the tray and felt his heart sink. There on the tray was a hypospray and tricorders. He also noticed some other pieces of equipment that he couldn't identify.

Bornal gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry about this Ra'kogen but if you are to fight you must take this serum." The doctor took the hypospray and moved it to Trip's neck. Trip tensed immediately as he sucked in a breath.

The hypospray hissed as the cold metal touched his neck. Trip's eyes shot open wide as he felt the liquid move inside him and through his veins. Trip fought against the restraints but it was a useless endeavor. There was nothing he could do. His emotions were already being clouded over by two stronger emotions. Hate and anger.

Bornal watched as the kind engineer's face contorted with new emotions that had just been released. The human let out a loud angered cry as he fought against the restraints. In three hours he’d be more animal than human. Bornal sighed and looked at Uria. "It seems the serum is beginning to work."

==

Archer's eyes widened when he heard the cry coming from where Trip had been taken. Doctor Bornal and nurse Uria walked out of the room and closed the door. Archer tried to get up but they had him restrained to the bio bed. He glared at the doctor and nurse. "What did you do to him?!"

Bornal moved his hands up in a gesture for him to calm down. "He's perfectly fine Captain. He is simply... angry."

"Angry?!"

Uria nodded. "We gave him the serum... it clouds everything else and brings his hate and anger to the surface. In three hours that will no longer be your friend anymore... his only wish will be to kill you."

Archer's heart sank as he heard them explain. So it was done. Trip.... Archer closed his eyes. "Why are you doing this to us?"

There was a silent moment as Bornal walked closer to Archer. "I'm sorry captain... but it is our job. If we didn't do this then who would fight in our matches? These cage matches are an important thing to many in this system. I myself watch the sport carefully. I hate to do this to you both but it is what I must do." Bornal then took off the captain's straps while Uria took a hypospray to Archer's neck. Archer could do nothing as they took him to his own room and moved him to a chair. Once they had him restrained Archer began to feel his legs and arms again. He tried to fight but there was no use. The leather straps prevented any way of escape. He would soon be like Trip. Filled with only hate and anger. And this time there was nothing he could do to stop it.

==

After many long hours T'Pol was getting weary of waiting for warp to be brought back online. She decided it best to help. She desperately needed a distraction, which was something the bridge was not providing. Her thoughts were centered on the whereabouts of Commander Tucker and Captain Archer. Helping in engineering, though, was not proving to be a big enough distraction. She had tried everything else and now it seemed engineering was not the answer either.

T'Pol finally gave up and walked out of engineering, leaving her duties with one of the ensigns. She walked back to her quarters slowly as her mind tried to find something else to think about. It was a useless endeavor... she knew this but yet she still tried, and failed. The door to her quarters opened and T'Pol took a step in to see her neuropressure mat lying on the floor before her. She moved it back to where it was supposed to be and sat on her bed. The events she now found herself in were beginning to wear down her control quite rapidly, though part of her did not care she was still finding it hard to accept. And yet she craved this... feeling. The feel of emotions running through her veins.

Worry was beginning to take over her. Not just for the captain and the commander but for herself as well. What if she didn't find them? She couldn't continue like this. Her feelings towards Tucker and the Captain were too strong. She wanted them back. She needed them back. T'Pol's eyes moved back to the neuropressure mat that she had put back in place.

Tucker. The man she had come to admire... respect. The man she had learned a great deal about yet still didn't understand. He was a man filled with emotions and yet could be so logical at times. T'Pol wished she could be like him. She wished so could control the feelings that stirred within her when Mr. Tucker was near. The feelings she would get when she looked into his eyes. It wasn't all sexual feelings like she had hoped it to be. There was something more there. She missed him. Talking to him. She missed being in the same room with him. She missed his laughter... even when it was at her expense. She missed his smile. But most of all, she missed his tenderness. How much he cared for her. T'Pol needed him. He was her future. She couldn’t live with out him… without Trip.

Then there was Captain Archer. Such a complex man. He’d been so determined to find the Xindi... and alienate himself from everyone until the danger to Earth was gone. T'Pol had grown to trust him... but in the Expanse she found it hard to maintain that trust in his judgment. But slowly he’d gained back her trust. She cared about him so much. He was her friend... even if he had been lost to her in the Expanse. Even though he had pushed her and the commander away.

Commander Tucker too seemed to think of the Captain as a friend. T'Pol could tell the commander deeply cared for Captain Archer. She had no doubt that the commander would willingly give up his life if it would mean saving the captain. She would do the same if necessary. She would willingly give up her life for Commander Tucker as well. But there was one question that would not leave. If she had to choose whom to save... who would she choose? That was a question she could not answer, because she feared what it would mean. Wouldn't the captain be more important than the chief engineer? So why was she so hesitant? It would be the more logical course of action. And yet she hesitated.

"Lieutenant Hess to Sub-Commander T'Pol."

T'Pol's gaze snapped to the comm. panel. Once she realized someone had called her she walked to the panel. "T'Pol here."

"We have warp, ma'am."

==

Ja'hian watched the viewer closely. There before him was the beautiful blue and purple world he had grown up on. His home. He couldn't help but smile. He hadn't seen the planet for nearly a month and it felt good to see it before him once again. Bornal stood next to him with his eyes on the planet just as deeply. Neither could speak. It was breath taking… such a beautiful planet. Finally their helmsmen sighed. "It'll be good to get back to her again. I haven't seen my wife in such a long time."

Ja'hian chuckled. "I myself have a daughter waiting for me. It will be nice to see her again."

Bornal shook his head. "It seems I am the only one unattached to another."

Ja'hian dropped a hand on Bornal's shoulder. "Don't you want someone to take your place when you’re gone? My daughter is already working towards my position. She will make a good commander. She will do this job well."

Bornal shrugged. "I don't need a successor."

At that the captain moved onto the bridge. "I've just finished speaking with the attendant. He has already begun spreading the news about the match. We are to make a lot of money for these two."

Ja'hian nodded. "Helm, prepare to land."

Part 3

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Seven people have made comments

PLEASE continue!!! let t'pol get down there in time!!!

Wow, does Archer ever have some ammo to use against Trip. I bet he was mad even before he got the shot! If T'Pol, doesn't make it in time,
can Trip win? :-)

I hope T'Pol gets to them in time then those wicked aliens are going to get their butts kicked and good! Ali D :~)

For the record Enterprise is my favorite show... that's why I would never try to take over it... the show is safer with me writing fan fic!

They just kidnap spacegoing species and use them for entertainment?
It sounds like a truly beautiful planet. A planet deserving of a few dozen photon torpedoes to brighten it up. A soon to be *lifeless* planet, due to the woeful lack of survival instinct among the population.

I wonder why they had not taken Travis and Malcolm as well. Four fighters are better than two, aren't they? But it is a great story and I am waiting for more.

Love this story please finish soon!!!!