Do Unto Others

Star Trek: The Continuing Voyages of the Enterprise
A Virtual Season 6 Series

By Ginamr

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Only new characters and plots are mine. The original characters belong to Paramount. I receive no monetary reward for my work; my only reward is the joy of creating.

Author's Note:

I know I keep changing which canon details I'm including. I've decided for certain to throw out the fact from TATV that Trip and T'Pol ended their romantic relationship after Terra Prime as well as the fact that Trip dies in TATV. So this is your warning: what you're about to read might throw some canon you've been shown by B & B out the window.

Also, this particular story is a lot from Hoshi's point of view, but its still T'n'T Friendly.

Last Time on Star Trek: Enterprise . . . Avenge Thyself

Enterprise is sent to investigate when Starfleet loses contact with Sahara Colony only to find themselves victim to old enemies seeking vengeance. Archer and Trip work to stop the ship from being invaded while T'Pol, Travis, and Hoshi struggle to survive after the Shuttlepod crashes.

Ikaaran Ship,Arinthe-Captain's Quarters
February 11th, 2156-0723 hours

Esilia sighed and laid the texts aside before scrubbing a hand over her face. Archer had been taken in for questioning just over an hour ago and the Rihannsu's reasons for the interrogation still didn't seem right to her. From what she had seen over the last several days, Humans overall weren't a warrior race. If anything, they were explorers just like her people.

"What are we doing?" she muttered to herself.

Her doubts had become stronger with each passing hour and she now found herself torn between what the Rihannsu had told them of Archer's people and what she had observed with her own eyes. She couldn't equate the Humans that she had met with the warmongers that the Rihannsu had described.

Her features tightened and she clenched her teeth. She would speak to Archer soon with the explanation of assisting the Rihannsu with their interrogations. Her instincts told her that there was more to this situation than the Rihannsu were telling them.

The Northern Grasslands-Pyxis VI
February 11th, 2156-0806 hours

Hoshi looked toward the horizon, squinting against the harsh light of the sun, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. They'd been traveling for the better part of four hours and were at last nearing the mountains. The thick sands beneath their feet gradually became dry grasses. She reached for the water canteen she'd slung around her shoulder and opened it with her teeth before offering it to Mayweather, who shoved it back towards her.

"You go ahead. You need it more than I do," Mayweather said.

Hoshi gazed at him sternly and again pushed the canteen toward him. "You're hurt, Travis, and you're dehydrated," she insisted. When he opened his mouth to protest, she shook her head. "No more arguments. Drink up."

Mayweather smiled weakly. "Yes, ma'am."

Hoshi smiled in return before glancing around, attempting to regain their bearings while Travis took a drink of the water. "I think that we should go left and then come at the mountains from the west. There might be caves or rock cover to help us avoid direct sunlight until dusk and then we can look for more food in the morning."

"A logical suggestion," T'Pol complimented with a nod and Hoshi smiled.

The three rested for several more moments before resuming their previous route. Suddenly, they heard a familiar howl and halted in their tracks.

An unreadable expression crossed T'Pol's features as she focused on the sounds. "The creature is nearby . . . approximately 5000 meters south of our present position," she said.

"You mean they've been following us this whole time?" Travis asked, stunned.

T'Pol nodded. "Precisely."

"The best thing that we can do is to keep moving. I can see a cave up ahead. We should be able to lose them once we're inside," Hoshi added.

The others nodded and began moving once again toward the cool shelter of the cave, picking up their pace slightly in hopes of reaching them before the sun rose too high into the dusty sky.

Enterprise-Trip's Quarters
February 11th, 2156-1102 hours

Trip paced back and forth. He'd been confined to his quarters since yesterday morning when one of the Illyrians had caught him crawling through the ductwork. The same fate had befallen the other crewmen of Enterprise as they had awoken. Trip hadn't heard from Archer since the Illyrian guards had escorted the captain off of the ship. For all he knew, Archer was dead.

That thought brought the image of T'Pol to his mind. She and the others might be dead by now as well. Trip closed his eyes, drawing in and then releasing a deep breath, before focusing on the problem at hand. They were going to need a plan and, to put one together, he was going to need help. He felt a sense of deja vu as he pulled out several tools and went to work on jury-rigging the door chime.

Illyrian ship, K'Tal-Interrogation Room Alpha February 11th, 2156-1317 hours

Archer winced as a bright light flooded the room, effectively blinding him. Near the source of the light, he heard a female voice speaking harshly, but he couldn't make out exactly what she was saying. A few moments later, he heard the soft pad of footsteps moving toward him.

As his eyes gradually adjusted to the light, he was able to make out a pale-skinned female with wavy chestnut hair and grassy green eyes approaching. As she drew closer, he noted that a slight ridge rose between her eyes. The light flooding in behind her made her skin glow like Earth's moon in the evening sky.

The angelic woman laid a hand on his shoulder, her brow furrowed in concern. "Captain," she said insistently. "Captain Archer."

His eyes locked with hers, and he sucked in a breath at their enticing color. As he looked into her eyes, he found himself thinking that he was dead and this angel had come to carry him away.

"Jonathan," she bit out.

"Who are you?" Archer managed.

The woman looked toward the door with a worried expression on her face before turning again toward him. He felt her touch a finger just above his eyebrow and he winced at the sharp sting.

"You are injured," she whispered.

A ghost of a smile crossed Archer's lips and he let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah, I am."

She smiled sheepishly, gazing at him with sad eyes. "I apologize. Obviously you are injured. You have been tortured."

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"I am Esilia," she replied. "Captain of the Ikaaran ship, Arinthe."

The smile slipped from his lips. "You ordered the attack on my ship," he said angrily. "Why?"

Esilia's gaze dropped from his and she wrung her hands in her lap. "We were deceived. The Rihannsu lead us to believe that your people had instigated this war with conscious intent. We were merely trying to help people that we thought were the victims of intergalactic bullying." She sighed. "I fear that our good intentions may well have been in error."

"We didn't instigate anything. Not intentionally," he began. "They sent a few of their cloaked ships to spy on us. When we found out what they were doing, we tried to send a message buoy but they destroyed one of our ships."

Her brow furrowed. "It sounds as though they misunderstood your intent."

Archer grimaced and nodded. "That's our belief as well. Many wars on my homeworld started with a difference of opinion." He paused. "When did you come across them?"

"When we first encountered the Rihannsu in the minefield, we were not aware that the space was claimed. We were merely escorting the Illyrian vessel to its home planet when we were attacked without warning. When they at last contacted us, they explained that they were at war, and they thought that we were part of an enemy fleet headed for their homeworld. They told us of your species and your desire to conquer their world. Captain Roshan then told us of your attack on his vessel and insisted that we offer our services in helping to trap you."

Taking those coils from the Illyrian ship had been one of the hardest decisions he'd ever had to make, and it had eaten away at his conscience ever since. But Trip was right. He'd done what he needed to do in order to ensure Earth's safety. "Bein' Enterprise's cap'n is one of the heaviest burdens anyone could bear, Jon," Trip had said. "And I can't think of anyone who could bear that burden better than you have."

"I don't suppose that seeing the situation for yourself has changed your mind?" Archer asked.

She nodded. "As a matter of fact, it has. We have been deceived and I think Roshan knows that, too. However, he has such a strong desire to avenge himself and his crew against you that he cannot see the situation logically." Again, she paused. "These people are the conquerors, aren't they? They will want to conquer our world."

"The thirst for conquest is in their blood," Archer replied. "If you help us, I can protect you."

Her brow furrowed. "How?"

"My people have proposed an alliance," he offered. "All species that take part in it will protect and be protected by one another. If we work together, we could stop them from destroying our worlds."

"How many are a part of this alliance?" she asked.

Archer hesitated. "The alliance hasn't been formed yet."

Her brow furrowed. "You ask me to place my trust in a coalition that doesn't even exist yet?"

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes. "How can you ask me to risk the lives of my crew when you cannot even promise us your protection?"

"I can promise you my people's protection," he replied sincerely.

She paused and a grimace of uncertainty crossed her features. He knew that he was asking a lot of her, especially considering that they had only met several minutes ago; but this alien woman was his last hope of saving Enterprise and its crew.

"I don't know," she replied uncertainly. "I need more time to consider your offer."

Archer felt his heart jump to his throat. She stood and strode from the room with only a moment's pause. As the door closed behind her, he felt his hope fade with the light and he was once again enveloped in the eerie darkness of the large room.

Enterprise-Trip's Quarters
February 11th, 2156-1702 hours

Trip at last managed to patch into the system in Malcolm's quarters and, within a couple more minutes, he was also able to work out most of the static.

"Are you all right?" Reed asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But I'm worried about the cap'n. They took him aboard one of the other ships and he hasn't come back yet."

There was a pause on the other end before Reed continued. "I assume you have a plan?"

Trip grimaced. "This is as far as I've gotten. I don't think that we'll be able ta sneak somebody through the crawl spaces ta your quarters. The Illyrians are keeping a really close eye on them since they caught me comin' out of one."

"It's going to be a bit trickier this time, then," Reed said.

Trip hesitated, his brow furrowed in thought. "They only posted six guards on Enterprise, but we have two ships to contend with, and we've only got impulse and torpedoes. That doesn't give us much to work with as far as an old-fashioned cut and run. We'd need ta get somebody into the Armory without them being noticed. For that, a distraction would be the way ta go. Then we increase the detonation output on a couple of torpedoes and fire them from the Armory. With any luck, the Illyrians won't catch on to what we're doing."

There was a long pause on the other end before Reed replied, "But what about the Captain? Didn't you say they took him aboard one of the ships?"

Trip sighed. If the Illyrians didn't bring Archer back aboard soon, he was going to be forced to make one of the hardest decisions of his career. "We hope that they bring him back before we blow those ships ta hell. It's the way the Cap'n would want it."

Tertiary Chamber, Unknown Caverns, The Northern Hills-Pyxis VI
February 11th, 2156-1725 hours

Hoshi straightened when she heard footsteps echoing through the small chamber. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. She listened closely, expecting the footsteps to resume. When they didn't, she visibly relaxed.

"What?" Travis asked.

Hoshi paused. "I thought I heard . . ." She shook her head. "Never mind."

She then turned toward T'Pol who sat toward the corner with her back against the wall. The Vulcan woman had closed her eyes and appeared to have fallen asleep. Hoshi stood, grabbing the water canteen she'd refilled at a spring they'd discovered in the secondary chamber, and moved toward her. Hoshi then dropped to her knees and laid a hand gently on the woman's shoulder. T'Pol's eyes opened and met Hoshi's.

"You look thirsty," Hoshi said offering her the canteen with a slight smile on her face.

T'Pol paused a moment. Then, inclining her head, she took the canteen from Hoshi and drank from it. Hoshi heard the footsteps again and froze. She noticed that T'Pol had stilled as well. The two exchanged a significant look and T'Pol arched her eyebrows.

"Did you hear...?" Hoshi began.

"Yes. I believe that we are not alone in these caverns."

Illyrian ship, K'Tal-Interrogation Room Alpha
February 11th, 2156-1725 hours

"How many ships like Enterprise are there in your fleet?" the man asked.

Archer tried to regain his breath after suffering another hard blow to his stomach. Again, he struggled against the ropes that tied him to the cold wall. "What's...with...the blindfold?" he prodded. "Afraid I won't...take you seriously...if I see your ugly mug?"

Archer grunted as his cheeky attitude earned him a hefty punch to the right side of his face, and he then licked his lower lip, tasting blood.

"Must you persist with your witty remarks?" the male voice asked.

Archer laughed breathlessly. "What? You don't like prisoners with a sense of humor?"

"No," the man replied in an even tone. "Prisoners with a sense of humor become very tiresome very quickly."

"You know," Archer began. "You never answered my question. What's with the blindfold?"

Archer tensed, preparing for another blow and was surprised when the cloth was pulled away from his eyes. However, the room was very dark and even without the blindfold, he couldn't see his captor. As Archer's eyes began to adjust to the darkness of the room, he could just barely make out the man's heavy physique.

"It was to keep you from observing the way by which we brought you here. In other words, it was to ensure that you didn't know how to escape," the man said in a low voice. "Now...answer the question."

"Repeat the question," Archer parried.

Archer tensed and turned a cheek, expecting another punch to the jaw. He let out a yelp of surprise and pain when a heavily booted foot was rammed into his knee.

"Answer me now or I'll destroy your ship," the man snarled. When Archer didn't reply, the man growled. "You test my patience."

Archer let out a short, breathless laugh. "You're bluffing. I'm onto your little deception. You won't destroy Enterprise because you want to harvest her technology...to even the odds."

The man moved closer so that he was only millimeters from Archer's face. Archer found himself looking into a pair of deep brown eyes. "Then tell me something, Captain. Am I bluffing when I say I'll kill one of your crewmen for each hour that you continue this charade?"

The man strode toward the far wall, hissing instructions in a language that Archer couldn't understand. Archer tensed, torn between his duty to protect his crew and his duty to Starfleet...to Earth.

The door on the far wall opened just enough to allow a sliver of light through, but Archer still couldn't make out his captor's features. "Let me go!" a female voice demanded.

Archer recognized the voice instantly as that Ensign Alyssa Greensboro from Communications. In the darkness, he could just distinguish her form as she was forced to her knees in front of him.

When she attempted to stand again, the large man hit her hard across the face and the harsh contact of skin against skin echoed throughout the room. Archer again struggled without success against the ropes that bound his wrists and ankles.

"No!" Archer protested when he saw the man again raise his hand.

"Captain?" Greensboro queried softly, the fear in her voice obvious.

"It'll be all right, Alyssa," Archer reassured her.

He could almost hear the satisfaction in the large man's voice. "Now...let's try this again. How many ships like Enterprise are there in your fleet?"

Archer said nothing. The large man then raised a weapon to Greensboro's head, pointing it at her temple. Just as the man was about to fire, the ship jolted beneath them and caused the weapon to miss its intended target. The man cursed, dropped the weapon to his side and then opened what Archer assumed to be a communicator.

"What is happening?" he hissed.

There was a moment's pause before a voice replied, "We are under attack by the Ikaaran ship, sir."

"What?!"

Enterprise-Near The Armory
February 11th, 2156-1730 hours

Upon seeing the six guards standing outside of the Armory, Trip frowned and slinked back down the corridor to where the others were waiting. "Looks like they doubled up the guard since they caught us sneaking around," he muttered.

Reed nodded. "A little change in plans, then," he whispered. He turned to Corporal Cole. "Any ideas?"

Cole's brow furrowed. "We'll need a distraction."

Trip then flipped open the communicator and pressed his thumb to the button. "Anna, did you and Novakovitch secure engineering?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," came Hess's voice through the communicator. "We're secure."

Trip nodded. "We're going to need you to set off an explosion in the conduits near the Armory."

"Aye, sir. Hess out."

A few moments later, a loud explosion rocked the corridor and as Trip had predicted, three of the guards rushed toward the source to investigate while the other three remained behind.

"On the count of three," Trip whispered. "One . . . two . . . three."

Each of them ran at a guard, ducking weapons fire as they took the guards down with several well-placed blows. Unfortunately, the tallest man was able to warn the others via a communication device before he was knocked unconscious.

"Damn," Trip cursed when he heard several sets of heavy footsteps rushing toward them. He then turned to Reed and Cole. "You two get the torpedoes set and secure the bridge. I'll keep them distracted."

Before either of them could say a word, Trip took off down the corridor in the opposite direction, being sure to make a great deal of noise. Reed and Cole hid and, once the pursuing guards had passed, they entered the Armory.

Ikaaran Ship, Arinthe-Bridge
February 11th, 2156-1733 hours

The deck shook violently beneath Esilia's feet and she was nearly thrown from her chair when the ship lurched violently to the left.

"Set a course away from Enterprise!" Esilia ordered. "Let's see if we can't distract the Illyrian ship."

Chiela, the fair-haired helmswoman, shook her head. "They're not following."

Esilia's brow furrowed in thought. "Target their weapons."

Luksa from Tactical nodded and slid his fingers over the controls. "Direct hit. They're in pursuit."

Esilia stared at the viewer, her features twisted in an expression of determination. "Let's hope that this gives them enough time to escape."

Illyrian ship, K'Tal-Interrogation Room Alpha
February 11th, 2156-1727 hours

"Return fire!" the large man hissed. His reply was static. "Did you hear me, Centurion? Return fire!" Again, there was no response and the ship shook violently.

Archer at last managed to loosen the ropes binding him and took advantage of the man's loss of balance, then knocking him to the ground. Before the man could react, Greensboro punched him hard enough in the face, rendering him unconscious. Archer and Greensboro ducked two blinding flashes of light and each then aimed a kick at one of the men. The guards stumbled backwards. Falling to the ground, their heads collided with the stone floor and the men were knocked out cold.

"Nice hook," Archer said with a grin.

Greensboro smiled. "Thanks, sir."

"Let's get out of here," Archer said.

Each picked up one of the weapons that the guards had dropped and then exited the dark room, squinting as their eyes adjusted to the light. Just outside of what Archer presumed was this ship's launch bay, he noted that no one was pursuing them.

"They're probably a little busy keeping the ship from falling apart," Greensboro observed.

Archer glanced up and down the corridor to be sure before darting through the doors ahead of Greensboro.

Enterprise-Bridge
February 11th, 2156-1727 hours

"The bridge is secure, sir," Cole reported as MACO Captain Alex Brooks subdued the last of the Illyrian guards.

Reed nodded. "Commander Tucker might be in need of assistance," Reed began.

"I'm on my way, sir," Cole said, then stepping onto the lift.

Suddenly, the deck shuddered violently beneath their feet, and Reed had to grip the arm of the Captain's chair to keep from falling to the floor. "What in the bloody hell was that?"

Ensign Leah Wyatt rose from the floor, gripping the edge of the console to help her stand. She pushed several stray strands of blonde hair from her face before scanning the readouts on the Tactical console. "A Romulan ship decloaked a few minutes ago, sir, and is firing," Wyatt reported.

"Bring hull plating and weapons online. Prepare to return fire," Reed ordered.

Illyrian ship, K'Tal-Launch Bay
February 11th, 2156-1732 hours

Upon entering the Launch Bay, Archer located what appeared to be a shuttlepod. When he was sure that the coast was clear, he moved toward it with Greensboro behind him. Just before they reached the shuttlepod, Archer heard weapons fire and shoved Greensboro out of the way. The two fell to the ground hard, and Archer gritted his teeth against the sharp pain that shot through his left shoulder. Both crawled for cover behind a nearby console, returning fire.

"What now?" Greensboro shouted over the noise of the weapon's fire.

Archer glanced at the doors to the nearby shuttlepod, attempting to judge the distance. "You go first and I'll cover you."

Greensboro's brow furrowed. "What about you, sir?"

"I'll be right behind you," Archer assured her.

"Sir-" she began, but stopped at the stern expression on Archer's face and nodded.

Archer fired another volley before again ducking behind the console. "On three," he said. "One-two-three!" He began firing once again and Greensboro made a run for the open shuttle doors.

After ducking and dodging several weapons' blasts, Greensboro dove into the shuttlepod. She then peeked out and her gaze locked with Archer's for a moment. He nodded and fired as he ran. He managed to avoid several blasts that would have caused severe injury and then dove into the shuttle as well.

Greensboro immediately moved toward the helm, worrying her lower lip as she looked over the controls, at last entering the command that she thought would close the shuttle doors. The doors began to close just as several weapon's blasts pinged against the outer hull. Archer fired a few more times before the doors closed, disabling two of the three men following them.

Archer sighed in relief, then standing cautiously and sliding into the chair besides her.

"These are the flight controls," she said pointing to the panel directly in front of Archer. "At least I think so."

His gaze locked with hers for a moment before he looked down to study the controls in an attempt to figure out how to fly the ship.

"See if you can get the doors open," he said as the pinging resumed once again on the outside of the shuttle.

Greensboro nodded and within moments, the doors below them opened and the shuttle dropped out of the belly of the ship. Suddenly, the shuttle jerked and dove forward, forcing its occupants to grab a hold of something to keep themselves from being injured.

"The Illyrian vessel is firing, sir. It-" Greensboro began. Her brow furrowed. "The Ikaaran ship is now firing on the Illyrian ship."

The two exchanged a confused glance before Archer returned his attention to piloting the craft.

Enterprise-Corrido
February 11th, 2156-1729 hours

Just as Trip rounded the corner, a weapon's blast grazed his shin. He clutched the injured area, gasping in pain. The fast, heavy footsteps moved closer, and he grimaced as he stood and slowly made his way down the corridor, a sharp pain shooting through his leg with each step that he took.

As he turned the next corner, he could hear the footsteps drawing closer and closer. Within moments, they'd be right behind him. He forced himself around another corner before he collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily. It was then that the Illyrian guards came around the corner with their weapons raised. The lead guard smirked when he saw Trip sitting helpless against the wall.

This is it, Trip thought, closing his eyes in preparation for the pain that would precede his death. He heard an energy weapon fire several times, but he felt nothing. Opening his eyes, Trip found Amanda Cole standing over him with a phase pistol in her hand.

"I thought you could use a little firepower," she said, grinning.

Trip's lips turned up and he nodded in thanks. "The bridge?"

"It's secure."

Trip paused. "The torpedoes?"

Cole nodded. "Modified. The blast radius has been increased by 500 meters." She looked down at his leg, her brow furrowing in concern when she noted the burn on his shin. "We should get that burn treated."

Trip shook his head. "I'll be fine." Cole opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off with a stern look. "We don't have time for arguments, Amanda. I'm needed on the bridge."

Cole gazed sternly at him for several moments before sighing in defeat. She ripped the sleeve off of her uniform and tore it into strips, then wrapped them around the burn on his shin. He winced slightly in pain as she did so, but relaxed once she'd finished.

Once she was done, he stood slowly and Cole lifted one arm around her shoulders. "You're sure you're going to be all right?" she asked.

Features tight, he nodded. "I'll be fine until we're out of harm's way."

Suddenly, a violent shudder tore through the ship, and Trip cried out in surprise as a sharp pain shot through his shin. However, he managed to maintain his footing.

"We need to get to the bridge," Trip gasped.

Cole nodded sharply, steering him slowly and carefully toward the lift.

Enterprise-Bridge
February 11th, 2156-1738 hours

Another shudder shook the ship. Wyatt's fingers flew over the console entering commands at lightening speed. "Hull plating is at 30 percent and manual fire is operational," Wyatt reported.

Reed nodded. "Aim for their weapon's junction."

Wyatt keyed in the command and several moments of silence passed before she reported, "Minimal damage!" The ship lurched violently to the right, nearly sending Reed across the bridge. "Hull plating is down to 24 percent!"

Reed straightened. His features were taut. "Torpedoes. Same junction."

Again, Wyatt entered a command into the console and paused for a few moments. "The Romulan ship has been destroyed."

**

Trip limped onto the bridge behind Corporal Cole, only to find that the guards had been subdued and were still unconscious. "Report?"

Reed, who had been sitting in the captain's chair, moved immediately toward Tactical. "The Illyrian vessel is moving away in pursuit of the Ikaaran ship, and the Romulan vessel has been destroyed." Suddenly, the proximity alert sounded and Reed frowned. "Sir, there's an unidentified shuttlecraft incoming. Based on its design similarities to the Illyrian vessel, I'd say it's Illyrian."

"Target their engines," Trip ordered as he leaned against the chair for support.

"They're hailing us," Rodriguez reported from Communications.

Trip paused, his gaze locking with Reed's. "Standby, Lieutenant."

"Aye, sir."

Trip then turned toward Rodriguez. "Put it through." A moment later, Archer's face appeared on the viewscreen and Trip grinned. "I'm glad ta see that ya made it out of there in one piece, Cap'n."

Archer grinned wryly. "I'm surprised we did."

Trip then turned to Reed. "Stand down, Lieutenant," Trip said.

Reed nodded. "Standing down, sir."

"I think we've had enough adventure for one day. We're coming home," Archer said.

"Opening Launch Bay doors," Reed said.

"See ya soon, Cap'n."

Archer nodded and then the communication was cut.

"Sir," Reed said. "The Illyrian ship has been destroyed."

"The Ikaarans?" Trip queried.

Reed scanned the readings. "They've taken heavy damage, but their vessel is still intact."

"Ensign Rodriguez, ask the Ikaaran captain if she needs medical assistance or help with repairs," Trip said. "If she asks for medical assistance, put her in touch with Phlox in Sickbay. If she wants help with repairs, patch her through to Engineering."

Rodriguez nodded and turned his attention to the Communications console, entering several commands. Trip then made his way carefully toward the lift and headed for the Launch Bay.

Enterprise-Sickbay
February 11th, 2156-1802 hours

Trip gritted his teeth against the pain as Liz Cutler finished cleaning the burn on his left shin.

"Hold still," Cutler tsked.

Trip forced a smile onto his face. "Do I get a lollipop if I do?" he joked.

Cutler grinned. "I'll see what I can do."

Trip's gaze darted to the corner where Reed and Archer were talking animatedly. Archer nodded and watched Reed exit Sickbay before moving toward the biobed on which Trip was sitting. Trip straightened, immediately regretting his sudden movement as the pain shot through his leg. Cutler's lips turned up slightly, but she said nothing.

"How far are we from the planet?" Trip asked.

Archer grinned wryly. "Thirty-two hours at warp 3.5. Lieutenant Hess assures me that in three hours, they'll have worked out enough of the kinks to get her back at warp."

Trip sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just hope they're all right."

Archer nodded solemnly. "So do I, Trip. So do I."

Tertiary Chamber, Unknown Caverns, The Northern Hills-Pyxis VI
February 11th, 2156-2023 hours

A short time ago, Mayweather and T'Pol had closed their eyes to rest. Hoshi had tried to do the same, but had found that she couldn't sleep. When the footsteps began again, she'd grabbed the phase pistol from the bag and then set off to search the other chambers.

As she walked through the stone corridors, she had the sneaking suspicion that she was being watched. But each time she turned around, she saw nothing. Suddenly, she felt something slide over the back of her neck and she yelped, jumping forward a foot. Her hand flew to the back of her neck, and she felt several stray hairs that had come loose from her braid. She sighed, her racing heart calming as she realized it had just been her hair brushing against the back of her neck.

After searching several more chambers, she made her way back to the tertiary chamber. Another shadow on the rock wall caused her to turn abruptly and again she found nothing. "You're scaring yourself, Hoshi," she muttered. Shaking her head, she re-entered the chamber where Mayweather and T'Pol slept peacefully.

Underground Human Refugee Camp, Unknown Cave, The Northern Hills-Pyxis VI
Day 27-Hour 21.02

Eight-year-old Natasha Boroughs quickly slipped out of sight, her blue eyes wide with curiosity. The older lady had looked so much like her mother that Natasha had instantly been drawn to her. Natasha felt a shiver of excitement race down her spine as she realized that the older lady must be there to rescue the survivors of the attack.

She couldn't wait to tell her six-year-old brother, Ryan. He'd been whining about the insects that infested the caves since day four of their hiding and would be glad to return to the surface. Natasha returned to the camp to find her grandmother, Sara, filling the water canteens.

"Nanu!"

Sara turned, smiling. "Hello, little one."

Natasha ran toward her, grinning excitedly. "I saw a lady like us! I think she's here to rescue us!"

Sara gazed at her solemnly. "What have I told you about making up stories, Tasha?" she admonished.

Natasha puffed out her lower lip in a pout. "I'm not making it up, Nanu! I saw her! She had pretty, long, dark hair and smooth, tanned skin and..."

"Get to your chores, Tasha," Sara replied, cutting the little girl off.

"But..." Natasha protested. At her grandmother's stern look, she sighed. "Yes, Nanu." She then trudged away in a pout to do as she was told.

Captain's Log Supplemental
February 11th, 2156-0022 hours

While Commander Tucker is resting on Doctor Phlox's orders, Lieutenant Hess has been temporarily put in charge of Engineering. She and the Engineering staff have completed most of the repairs to the warp drive, but some repairs will need to wait until we return to Jupiter Station. For the moment, we will be able to travel at warp 3.75 and will reach the planet eight hours before we anticipated. Lieutenant Reed is putting together a rescue team. In the meantime, I'm meeting with Ikaaran captain, Esilia, in the morning to gain more insight into the Romulans' future plans.

Enterprise-Command Center
February 12th, 2156-1056 hours

Archer couldn't help staring at the young woman seated in front of him. From the moment Karyn had told him who Esilia was to him, he'd asked her dozens of questions, though he'd tried to do so discreetly.

The way that Karyn described her long, wavy chestnut hair and her piercing green eyes didn't do justice to having the woman sitting here before him. When Karyn had refused to answer certain questions, he'd invented the answers himself.

The woman he'd pictured was not only beautiful, but was as fierce as a lioness when defending her beliefs, with a sharp wit capable of stunning her opponents into silence.

But then when it was just the two of them alone, she was as sweet as the cinnamon rolls that his mother had baked every Christmas morning and as loving as a mother gazelle looking after her young. He also recalled several dreams in which he'd kissed her and the whole world had melted away.

Esilia cleared her throat and Archer's gaze dropped briefly to his hands folded on the table in front of him as he attempted to regain his composure. He felt his cheeks heat slightly when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her staring back at him.

"Do you know anything else about the Romulans' plans? It sounds as though you worked rather closely with them," Archer said.

Esilia shook her head. "No. We were only told of their plans in regards to your ship and, even then, details were not fully disclosed." She paused. "Though I do recall overhearing mention of an attack on a newly-constructed enemy station, but I was discovered before I could learn when the attack would take place."

Archer frowned. "Did they specify which station?"

Esilia shook her head. "No."

Archer was about to reply when Reed's voice came through over the comm. "Reed to Captain Archer."

Archer sighed, feeling the tension leave his shoulders as he stood and moved toward the wall near the doors. Pressing his thumb to the button on the comm. panel, he said, "Archer."

"We've arrived at the planet, sir."

Archer nodded and was relieved, yet he couldn't deny that he was somewhat disappointed to be called away from the woman that had become his wife aboard the other Enterprise. "Have Ensign MacNally put us in standard orbit. I'll meet you in the Launch Bay." He then turned to Esilia. "If you'll excuse me." Without looking back, he exited the room headed for the Launch Bay.

Northern Grasslands-Pyxis VI
February 12th, 2156-1138 hours

"Trip," a voice whispered. In his surprise, Trip failed to notice the rather large rock that was in the way of his next step. The sudden halt jarred his bruised leg and he cursed softly. Reed, Archer, and the other man turned toward him with expressions of concern on their faces.

Archer raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right, Trip?"

Trip nodded. "Yeah. My foot hit a rock is all."

"Be careful," Archer warned. "Phlox was reluctant to let you go as it was."

Trip grinned wryly. "I know. I will be."

"Trip," he heard the voice whisper again. T'Pol's voice. He turned around abruptly, his brow furrowed in confusion. When he didn't see her anywhere near, he realized that she must have been speaking to him through the bond.

A moment later, he found himself in the familiar white space with T'Pol standing in front of him. Without pausing to think, he strode toward her and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"Thank God you're alive," he said softly. "I was so scared that I'd lost you."

"I'm fine, Trip," she soothed. "We are fine."

He pulled back and cupped her face in his hands before covering her mouth with his, pouring his relief, his joy, and his love into the kiss. He then pressed his forehead to hers as he tried to catch his breath. "Where are you?"

"We sought shelter from the arid conditions in a cave in the northern hills," she replied.

Trip nodded. "I'll tell the others."

T'Pol paused. "Your search was delayed?"

"Yeah," he replied. "A group of Illyrians boarded the ship. Before anybody knew what was happening, they'd gassed us and knocked us out."

Her brow furrowed. "Enterprise . . . "

"...managed ta break free from the Illyrian and Romulan ships," he finished. "Everyone's safe thanks to the Ikaarans."

T'Pol arched an eyebrow. "Ikaarans?"

Trip nodded. "Yeah. Esilia." Amusement flashed briefly in her eyes and he grinned. "I didn't recognize the name at first. The Cap'n had to remind me."

T'Pol leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. "You must tell the others that we are in the tertiary chamber."

Trip nodded, capturing her lips once again. "Hang on. We'll be there soon."

"Be safe, th'yla," she said.

He blinked and he found himself back in the grasslands and realized that someone was calling his name.

"Trip!" Trip turned to find Archer staring at him with a worried expression on his face. "What's wrong? You've been staring at those hills for the last five minutes."

"That's where they are," Trip said jerking his head toward the hills that he'd been looking at.

Archer frowned. "How do you know?"

Trip shrugged. "We've looked just about everywhere else, and it makes sense that they'd hide from the heat in a cave."

Archer's frown deepened and he gave Trip a disbelieving look. He then shook his head and sighed, beginning the walk toward the northern hills.

Tertiary Chamber, Unknown Caverns, The Northern Hills-Pyxis VI
February 12th, 2156-1352 hours

Again, Hoshi heard footsteps moving toward them. But this time, she dismissed them as a part of her ridiculously active imagination. There was no one here but her, T'Pol, and Travis. She'd searched the caves several times over and her ventures hadn't turned up anything but water and a multitude of insects.

The footsteps drew still closer and shadows began appearing on the wall. She closed her eyes, willing the shadows away as she tried to calm her racing heart. Suddenly, she felt two hands grasp her arm and she struggled violently, lashing out at whatever creature had her in its grip. At last, her fist hit something and the creature cried out in pain.

"Bloody 'ell!" it cursed.

Her eyes snapped open and she felt her heart skip a beat. "Malcolm?" she whispered. Before he could reply, she flung her arms around his neck. "Oh, you have no idea how glad I am to see you! I kept hearing footsteps and seeing shadows . . . and I thought I was going crazy!"

"It's going to be all right," he soothed. "Let's get you back to Enterprise."

**

Trip felt his heart jump into his throat upon seeing T'Pol in her weakened state. He dropped to his knees, setting the phase pistol down beside her. He then laid a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "T'Pol," he whispered.

Her eyes opened slowly and she looked up at him unblinkingly. His lips tightened when he saw how out of it she was. Though she stared directly at him, the look in her eyes was glazed, as though she couldn't entirely comprehend that he was there. "What happened?" she asked softly.

Trip grimaced when he saw the bump on her forehead. "It looks like ya hit your head when the shuttlepod crashed." She drew her brows together and wriggled herself into sitting position, wincing as she did. He laid a hand gently on her chest to still her and she drew in a sharp breath, causing him to look down at where his hand lay. He unzipped the uniform that she wore and pushed the material aside to find her ribs bound.

"Your ribs, too?" he asked, his brows drawn together in concern.

She paused. "Yes. I recall Ensign Sato bandaging them." The sensation of his work-roughed hands brushing against her uncovered and unbound skin caused her to suck in a breath. He pulled back thinking that he had hurt her.

She shook her head and gripped his hand, placing it back where it was. "Your touch is soothing," she murmured.

For a moment, he stared straight into her eyes and didn't move his hand. A drop of water hitting the stone cave floor next to them brought him back to the present and he removed his hand when he recalled where they were and who was watching. Through the bond, T'Pol became aware of their very compromising position as well and a light green blush crept into her cheeks.

Suddenly, Trip heard the echo of footsteps and turned abruptly in the direction from which they were coming. T'Pol, too, heard the footsteps and froze, focusing on them. The others soon heard them as well and turned toward the source of the noise. Trip could see shadows beginning to appear on the walls of the passageway.

All four men raised their phase pistols, prepared to fire on anything that tried to attack. The figure froze, still hidden from view. Other shadows joined it and before any of the men could react, several pulses of energy weapon's fire were ricocheting around the chamber.

Without a second thought, Trip slid the phase pistol into the holster at his hip. He then scooped T'Pol up into his arms and ran for cover behind one of the large boulders, the sudden movement jarring T'Pol's ribs, causing her to cry out in pain. Just as he moved her, a weapon's blast struck the wall right where she'd been sitting. He let out a sigh of relief and thanked God he'd gotten her out of the way in time. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Archer and Reed rushing Travis toward the cover of the boulders with Hoshi providing cover fire.

Dodging several energy pulses, he ducked behind the boulder, setting T'Pol down as gently as he could so as not to further jar her ribs. He then peaked over the top of the ledge to see how the attackers were spread out and caught only a brief glimpse before he had to drop back down to avoid fire directed at his head.

**

As Natasha wandered back toward the chamber where she had found the tall, dark-haired lady, she heard weapon's fire and her eyes widened. Natasha had to tell the Sentinels who the lady was because if they killed her, none of them would be rescued.

Natasha ran as fast as her legs would carry her toward the chamber where the lady had gone. Once there, she stayed just out of sight, not wanting the Sentinels to see her. If they found her, she would be forced to return to their hiding place before she could tell them of the dark-haired lady that had come to rescue them. A moment later, she saw her and, without thinking, she ran toward her screaming, "No! Stop it!"

**

Hoshi froze when she saw the little girl run right into the crossfire. It was as though time had slowed. Suddenly, she found herself enveloped in a childhood memory.

Nine-year-old Hoshi was walking home from school when she heard a younger girl crying out for help. As she drew closer, she could also hear the cackling laughter of several older boys. She turned the corner to find a Vulcan girl who looked to be no more than three years old, being shoved about by three boys who looked to be about thirteen. Her brow furrowed and she wondered what a Vulcan was doing so far from the Interplanetary Compound.

Suddenly, the tallest boy pulled an energy weapon out of his pocket that Hoshi suspected he'd snuck from his parents' closet. The shortest and stoutest boy grabbed the Vulcan girl roughly when she tried to run away and flung her to the ground, all three boys laughing as she cried.

The tallest boy pointed the weapon at the little girl and made fake weapon's fire noises, causing the little Vulcan girl to wail even louder. At last finding her voice and her courage, Hoshi strode angrily toward the boys. "No! Stop it!" she shouted.

The boys looked up at her and smirked, now aiming the weapon at her and making the fake noises. She wanted to cry, but she held back her tears and stood her ground. When she didn't respond to the taunting the boys grew bored with her and returned her attention to the Vulcan girl. Suddenly, a bright energy pulse erupted out of the end of the weapon, hitting the girl right in the chest. The girl stopped crying and the boys stopped laughing, a silence falling over the group.

Hoshi stared down at the little girl's body, her eyes widening in horror when the girl didn't move. The boys scrambled down the dirt road, running in the opposite direction. The tears slid down Hoshi's cheeks and she, too, ran, too afraid to do anything else. When she returned home, she ran straight to her room and hid there for the rest of the night, trying to forget the Vulcan girl's pained expression and her glazed eyes as the life drained from her body.

"Stop it!" the girl shouted again, snapping Hoshi out of her reverie.

When Hoshi saw the energy pulse that was headed straight for the girl, she instinctively ran out from behind her cover toward the girl and pulled her out of the way just as the fire reached her. The two fell to the ground, Hoshi pulling the girl tightly to her and twisting so that her body took the brunt of the fall. Her eyes closed tightly and she prayed that the girl wasn't dead.

When Hoshi opened her eyes, the weapon's fire had stopped and Malcolm was at her side, laying a hand on her shoulder to ensure that she was all right. An agonizing, burning pain shot through her arm and shoulder, causing her to cry out at the intensity of it. Malcolm removed his hand immediately, a pained look crossing his face. The scent of burning flesh reached her nostrils and she fought down the bile that rose in her throat when she saw her burned shoulder.

"We need to get her to Sickbay!" she heard Malcolm shout, his voice faraway.

She felt a hand trying to pry her arms apart, causing her to instinctively cling to the girl tighter. The darkness on the outer edge of her vision crept in and she felt her body going limp as her thoughts began to blur. Moments later, she fell into the darkness, all thoughts of resistance dissolving as nothingness claimed her.

Captain's Starlog
February 12th, 2156-1623 hours

We have successfully rescued Commander T'Pol, Ensigns Sato and Mayweather, as well as several colonists that claim to be the only survivors of an alien attack upon the colony, which took place approximately three weeks ago. Though the colonists were unable to provide an accurate description of their attackers due to the smoke and dust, they have confirmed that their attackers called themselves the Rihannsu. Upon further investigation, we were able to link the Rihannsu with the race that we have been calling the Romulans. From what we've been able to gather, the terms Rihannsu and Romulan identify the same race. I will be meeting personally with their leader, Garrett Boroughs, for anything he has to add to the other colonists' accounts of the events after a brief stop in Sickbay to receive Phlox's report on the injuries of Commander T'Pol as well as Ensigns Sato and Mayweather.

Enterprise-Sickbay
February 12th, 2156-1630 hours

Archer entered Sickbay to find Hoshi sliding off of the biobed, wincing as the motion jarred her burned shoulder. He'd never known Hoshi to ignore Phlox, but here she was trying to sneak out.

"Shouldn't you be resting, Ensign?" he teased.

She tensed and turned quickly, her eyes locking with his. Upon seeing the smile on his face, she relaxed. "I was just going to check on the Commander," she said sheepishly.

He moved toward her and gripped her uninjured shoulder. "T'Pol is going to be fine. In the meantime, you need to lie still so that you don't upset your organic healer," he said, his gaze dropping to the slug-like creature that had fastened itself to her shoulder.

Hoshi glanced in the direction of T'Pol's biobed one last time before sighing and attempting to lift herself back up onto her own biobed. She winced at the pressure to her shoulder wound, gritting her teeth to fight back a gasp of pain as little needles of fire shot through her arm. Archer moved forward and gripped her waist gently, then lifting her carefully up onto the bed. Hoshi sighed as she laid back against the pillows and then closed her eyes.

"Get some rest, Hoshi," Archer added.

Hoshi opened an eye and smiled. "Is that an order?" she asked softly.

Archer grinned. "Do I have to make it one?"

She closed her eyes again, pulling the thin blanket up to her chin. "Yes, sir," she replied. Within moments, her breathing had evened out indicating that she was asleep.

"She'll be all right, Captain." Archer turned to find Phlox standing behind him with a small smile on his face. "As will the others. With a few days rest and an old-fashioned remedies, they should heal with no scarring or other ill effects."

"Thank you, Doctor. Contact Lieutenant Reed when Ensign Sato has been cleared to leave Sickbay. He'll want to help her back to her quarters," Archer said.

Phlox grinned widely and inclined his head. "I'll contact him the moment Ensign Sato is finished with her treatment."

Archer nodded before exiting Sickbay, headed toward the Command Center.

Enterprise-Command Center
February 12th, 2156-1650 hours

Archer paused. "So you don't recall what your attackers looked like?"

Garrett Boroughs ran a work-roughened hand through his blonde hair and shook his head. "No, Captain. I'm afraid not. Those of us that escaped to the caves barely escaped with our lives. We didn't take the time to analyze the appearance of our attackers. The dust and smoke were so thick that we scarcely found our way into the forest."

Archer nodded and picked up a PADD, staring at the contents for a moment before again meeting the other man's gaze. "According to the colony's final logs, things had gotten pretty desperate."

Boroughs grimaced, then shifting uncomfortably in the chair, his slightly heavy build causing the chair to squeak. "Yes, they had."

"But the transmissions that you sent to Starfleet told a different story," Archer added.

Boroughs sighed and nodded. "About three weeks before the colony was attacked, we noted the scarcity of game. At first, we thought it was the sandstorms driving them into hiding. But when the sandstorms let up after a couple of days, game was still scarce. We sent a survey team out to catalogue the wildlife and they never came back."

"My three crewmembers reported a group of hairless beasts that attacked them in our shuttlepod and then followed them into the hills," Archer began.

Boroughs' gaze dropped to his hands and he nodded. "Yes. That's what we think happened to our survey team and what we think happened to several of the other colonists, including my sister."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Archer replied.

Boroughs scrubbed his hands over his face. "So am I," he said. "Tish was a beautiful person and a wonderful mother."

The two remained silent for several moments before Archer stood. "Chef is about to serve dinner in the Mess Hall if you or the others are hungry." He smiled weakly. "I believe he's serving fettuccini alfredo tonight."

Boroughs nodded. "Thank you, Captain. I'll let my people know." As Archer moved to exit the room, Boroughs stood as well. "Captain?" Archer turned. "Is...is the young woman who saved my niece's life going to be all right?"

Archer smiled. "Yes, she is. Thank you. And if you'd like to stop by Sickbay after dinner, I'm sure that Ensign Sato would appreciate knowing that your niece is okay."

"Tasha is very worried herself," Boroughs said with a smile. "She seems to have formed quite an attachment to your Ensign Sato. Tasha says that she looks very much like Tish."

Archer's smile widened and he nodded before exiting the Command Center.

Romulus-T'Svik Complex-Cell Alpha-Six-Eight-Maximum Security Division
10th Day of Tasmeen, Year of the Set'leth-Hour 1359.12

The doors to Radaik's cell opened, but Radaik continued to stare at the wall. He felt a hand on his shoulder and tensed, preparing for his daily beating. When the violent battering didn't come, he turned to look his visitor in the eye.

"Admiral Valdore?" he said hoarsely.

Valdore grimaced. "Unfortunately, that title is no longer valid. But that is not why I'm here."

Radaik's brow furrowed. "Then why are you here?"

Valdore paused. "Though I am no longer taken seriously by the Senate, I have certain friends here at this complex who, for a small fee, would look the other way were I to free you from this cell."

Radaik narrowed his eyes. "And why would you do that, Valdore?"

"I have a mission for you, Radaik," Valdore continued. "Your experience and expertise regarding undercover operations makes you best suited for this assignment."

Radaik stood, attempting to level his gaze with Valdore's so that the ex-Admiral would not be looking down upon him like some sort of insolent child. "And what makes you think that I would be interested in this mission?" Radaik asked evenly.

"Not only will you be a part of destroying an enemy outpost, you will have another opportunity to avenge your sister's death," Valdore offered.

Still believing Valdore's offer too good to be true, Radaik then asked, "And what do you get out of this?"

Valdore smiled. "My dear friend, our end goal is one in the same! We both want Enterprise destroyed, and we both wish to avenge ourselves on the Humans who have insulted us."

Radaik nodded, thinking for a moment before replying, "I accept your offer, Valdore, only for the sake of avenging my sister's memory."

Valdore nodded. "I shall make the proper arrangements, then. Once I have smuggled you from this place, we shall go to the outer edge of the city where a surgeon will alter your features so that you may blend in better."

"I shall wait eagerly," Radaik replied.

Valdore then exited the cell with his guards close behind. After he'd gone, Radaik laid back on the pathetic excuse for a cot and closed his eyes. Excitement coursed through his veins at the thought of at last being able to avenge his sister's death. Tomorrow, his honor would be restored.