Chivalry is Dead

Chapter 5

Chivalry Is Dead, Chapter 5

By Peter Simons

THECURSOR's Note: Dear Readers, I am THECURSOR and therefore quite important but I am also a college student and therefore, quite busy. Due to both of these little sticking points, I'm turning over the rest of my writing duties on Chivalry to an evil hench man, Peter Simons, who thought he needed the practice and, I assume, wanted to be like my personal "Darth Maul"-type lackey-guy. From here on out, this is all in Peter's hands. Peace out, and may the force be with you.

Author's Note: Since THECURSOR is swamped, I have had the privilege of inheriting his wonderful story, so that I can screw it up as I see fit. And that's just what I will do.

Captain Thornbow was annoyed beyond description. This whole mission sucked. His job sucked. Frankly, his life sucked. Ever since he had agreed to work for the Betazoids, he had spiraled downwards into perpetual depression. All of the crew had. They were Nausicaans, god-dammit, not some fancy pants border patrol for a bunch of xenophobic idiots who ran around butt-naked all the time!

He had wanted to be a pirate. A real bad-ass pirate! And what he had become? An errand boy for the Betazoids. Pathetic.

»What's the matter with these people?« he snarled at his first officer. »Is there a nest somewhere, or what? Where does that bloody ship come from?«

»The patrol only reported the Vulcan ship, Sir. Apparently the other vessel arrived while they were headed back to Betazed.«

»Idiots. They are all idiots. Why didn't they destroy the stupid Vulcan vessel while they had the chance? By god, this mission sucks.«

»The other vessel is heavily armed, Captain. Our phaser blast damaged some secondary systems, but nothing more.«

»Great. Just great. Give me something to work with, people. Suggestions?«

»We could fall back and return with another cruiser?«

»How is that gonna help us mopping these ships off the face of space right now?«

»Uh ...«

»You know what? Set a collision course and go to full impulse!«

Most of the crew were very concerned about their Captain's mood recently. He had been depressed for months - they all were -, but by now he had become outright suicidal.

»We could de-cloak, Captain. Then we'd have more power for the weapons and-«

»Fine. Fine! Disengage the cloak, if that is what you want to do. But first navigate us into some bad-ass position right in front of their bridge. I want to hear their teeth shaking while they surrender!«

Ensign Hoshi Sato tried desperately to regain her senses. She reached for her console and used it to pull herself back up into her seat, but it took her ages. She shook her head and breathed deeply. Then she heard the Captain enter the bridge.

»Report.«

»We are being hailed, Captain, but I cannot pinpoint the location. It appears-«

»I can pinpoint the source, Ensign.« Archer said in a weird tone, which caused Hoshi to turn her head and to look at the view-screen. A nasty combat cruiser had just materialized right in front of them.

»Open the link, Ensign.« Archer ordered without taking his eyes off the other ship. The image was soon replaced by the one of an ill-tempered Nausicaan male. He stood in an oddly shaped and colored bridge together with at least one more Nausicaan. He studied them with obvious disgust.

Right at the moment Archer raised his voice to speak, the alien Captain interrupted him with a tirade.

»You guys are a bunch of idiots. Honestly. We fuck up one of your ships. What do you do? You send another one. What kind of species are you?«

»This is an Earth vessel; we are Humans. Allow me to-«

»Well, for all I know, you are dead Humans. I am sure your cutely pointless scientific sensors can determine that we carry a shit-load of independent phaser arrays?«

»I have noticed, yes ...«

»And if you look at the cannons, you realize that they have two sides once I press a button here. A good side - and a bad side. I mean, the visual design of the thing makes it pretty clear, doesn't it?«

»I am not sure I follow?«

»What I am saying is that we design these phaser arrays so that even the last dumb-ass can see he is on the bad side. God, just talking to you makes me depressed! Listen, I have to speak to my people here for a moment, and then I'll let you know what we'll do, okay? Hold on a second.«

The audio channel went silent. And so was the Enterprise bridge for a long moment. They watched in stunned silence how the alien Captain began to shout and gesticulate wildly on his bridge.

»Nausicaans, this mission sucks. Working for the god-damn Betazoids sucks. I say: I have enough of this shit. You know what we'll do? We'll tell these idiots to get lost, then we'll go back to Betazed, fill the ship up with naked females, and make our way to Orion and a new future. I say: We are going to be pirates. Bad-ass pirates. Not some stupid errand boys. Are you with me?«

They answered him in a thundering choir: »We are with you, Captain Thornbow! Until death!«

 »Three, maybe four direct hits with their main array could disable our hull plating, Captain. But depending on where they hit, the damage could reduce our capa-«

»I get it, T'Pol. We shouldn't exactly provoke them, but from what I have heard, I think we won't have a choice.«

»Audio is coming back online.« Hoshi announced in a quiet voice. Then the voice of the Nausicaan Captain was heard.

»Are you listening? Good. This is how we'll do it: We go somewhere else and take care of more important things than this shit. So if you want to stay here, you'll live for about three more hours. That's when the other cruisers will arrive. If you want to live, you really shouldn't stay here. It's contradictory. Got it? Get lost!«

The view-screen switched back to the Nausicaan ship in front of them when the transmission ended, so they were all treated the sight of the other vessel simply vanishing within moments.

 This day sure was eventful, Archer thought with a bitter taste in his mouth. T'Pol had made it clear that ENTERPRISE could match one Nausicaan combat cruiser, but not two. And they had little reason to doubt that even more were headed to their position. Their sensor distortion fields made this whole affair even more dangerous! They simply couldn't protect the heavily damaged Vulcan ship and stay alive at the same time.

He hated it, but he had to withdraw.

There was no way to repair the Vulcan ship in that time frame. So he had agreed to take the 42 Vulcans aboard ENTERPRISE and to transport them to the next suitable refuge. They would abandon the SURAK'S PATH.

And to top it all off, he now stood in his ready room, in front of T'Pol and her sister. It was a surreal sight, in a way. They looked alike, but their demeanor was so different that it was hard to believe they were related. Seri was rather cute, actually.

»Thank you for coming. There are a few administrative details we need to discuss. We have to assign our Vulcan guests to crew members with whom they'll share quarters with. It's inconvenient, but we simply don't have enough room.«

»The cargo bay would accommodate our guests suitably enough, Captain.« T'Pol replied in an icy tone.

But Seri laughed in response: »You want to have me and my sister share a room then, Captain. That would be interesting.«

»I bet it would.«

T'Pol panicked. If the Captain gave that order, she would be insane in less than 6 hours. She had to make another proposal quickly!

»The most logical approach would be to have these officers share quarters who work in a common field. This way, the ... sudden opportunity could be used for scientific exchange.«

To her surprise, her sister's face brightened up visibly.

»I agree, Captain. That is the best approach.«

Where did this sudden twinge come from?

»Good. That was easier than I thought. We also need to speak about where we should take you to, Dr. Seri. We could contact the Vulcan High-Command ...«

»I doubt they will be interested, Captain Archer. We will most likely have to contact our relatives through private channels to set things in motion. But it would suffice if we reached a Vulcan colony or a colony of a species who has relations with Vulcan. We could organize our own transport from there - and could cease inconveniencing you and your crew. I apologize.«

»Don't worry about it, Dr. Seri. I have talked to Dr. Phlox a few minutes ago and he was optimistic that your injured crew members will fully recover. Your captain has made particularly good progress.«

»Can he see visitors?«

»You'll have to talk to Phlox about that, Dr. Seri. I have no authority in his sick bay.« Archer replied with a chuckle. It was amazing. For a moment he had completely forgotten that Seri was a Vulcan! He looked at T'Pol, slightly perplexed at the difference between them. She stood rigidly next to her sister, seemingly disinterested in the discussion.

And indeed, T'Pol hadn't been interested in the discussion, because that twinge she felt simply refused to go away. Suddenly she had realized something. Her sister was an engineer. Quantum Engineering. Warp theory was one of her interests.

That would, according to her own proposal, invariably lead to Commander Tucker. It was only logical. Given how many character traits they shared - lack of proper understanding of logic, lack of discipline, impulsiveness, etcetera - they would get along exceptionally well. Which was important, if they had to share a room day and night.

Then the twinge had increased into an outright painful knot in her stomach.

»All right. Dr. Seri, if you could tell your crew's navigator to get together with Ensign Mayweather, then they can collaborate on finding a suitable temporary home for you and your colleagues. I understand your star charts and databases have been rescued?«

»Yes, Captain. I will relay the message to Dr. S'Vera.«

»Good.«

Captain Thornbow raised his eyebrows in dismay when saw his crewmen carry yet another unconscious Betazoid into the cargo bay.

»Shit, 42 of those chicks is way enough, pirates. They'll go on our nerves with their empathy crap until we've reached Orion, remember? I sense that we shouldn't overdo it, if you catch my drift.«

»Captain, we need as many as we can carry! Do you have any idea what precisely their empathy crap makes them worth on the market?«

»Darn good point!«

 T'Pol walked through the ENTERPRISE's corridors and wondered about that knot in her stomach. It did not distract her! She was in perfect control. Yet her scientific mind dictated that she understood the reason for this unexpected sensation. Why did it not go away?

It was Commander Tucker's fault! She knew it. He had ended their agreement; he had to be suffering from some form of emotional withdrawal because of his lack of sexual activity. Surely this would upset his primitive Human metabolism. Irrational behavior had to be expected from him. Her sister was an incredibly undisciplined person. What if ...

No! She could not allow that. She realized, the unexpected sensations were readily explained.

She was worried about her sister!

She had to protect her from Commander Tucker's animalistic instincts. And she knew exactly how to do it.

»Commander Tucker, we need to speak for a moment.«

Trip looked up from his dinner. He sat alone at a table in Mess Hall, near the window. He had drifted in thoughts. And suddenly the subject of these thoughts stood right in front of him.

»Do we?«

»Yes.« T'Pol simply said and sat down next to him without waiting for further invitation. »You know that most of the crew will have to share quarters with a ... guest from the Vulcan crew to accommodate them?«

»Yes, I heard that.«

»Are you comfortable with sharing your living space with an unknown person?«

»I guess it can't be helped, can it?«

»It can.«

Trip looked at her raised eyebrow and wondered what exactly she meant. He was thoroughly confused.

»I am not sure I follow, Subcommander.«

T'Pol suppressed a tingle of annoyance before she concluded that she would indeed have to spell it out for him. He probably didn't dare to think that she would accept him back for sexual activity after all his irrational behavior.

»Our relationship has been ... intimate, Commander. It is logical to conclude that us sharing quarters for the duration of this unfortunate situation would be the most productive solution.«

»I beg your pardon?«

»You could move into my quarters, Commander Tucker, and your room could be made available for two members of the guest crew. It is the logical solution.«

Trip's head buzzed. He fell back in his chair and sighed. What was happening here? What was he going to say to this? A few days ago, he would have jumped at the chance. Sharing quarters with T'Pol? Hehe, sure thing! But now, he wasn't sure about that anymore. What would happen?

If they slept with each other, it would drive him insane. Sure, she couldn't just throw him out anymore, once they shared quarters. What probably meant that he would sleep on the floor. And every now and then, when she felt like it, she would call him into her bed to copulate her suppressed emotions out of her brain. Like the lap dog she saw in him. Thanks, but no thanks.

And if they didn't sleep with each other, it would drive him insane even faster.

»Forget it.«

»I beg your pardon?«

»I said: Forget it, T'Pol.«

T'Pol blinked in an attempt to clear her thoughts. The knot in her stomach suddenly hurt. And the pain jumped from there right into her temples when she heard the voice of her sister.

»Commander Tucker, I hope I am not disturbing?« Seri shot T'Pol a worried look. Her sister had a strange expression on her face. She looked as if she was about to have a violent outburst.

Trip laughed in a bitter tone before answering her: »Of course not. What could you possibly disturb?«

Seri studied his face for an instant. He appeared to be agitated. She still didn't understand what had happened between them earlier. She just hoped his agitation was not directed at her!

»I was the acting chief engineer on the SURAK'S PATH, Commander, and since you are ENTERPRISE's chief engineer, we have been assigned to ... um, share quarters.«

Trip's head spun now. Honestly, why don't we all three move in together! Where is the problem? Are you all NUTS??

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply to calm his nerves. He imagined the rough sea. He controlled it. He could make the waves dissolve. And then the sea was quiet. There was calm.

Trip smiled happily. T'Pol had taught him that.

He shouldn't have thought that, he realized when his head began to spin again.

»If it is an inconvenience for you, Commander, then I-«

Suddenly Trip knew exactly what he was gonna do.

»No, Seri, on the contrary ...« He turned his face to T'Pol before going on.

»It is a pleasure for me.«

 T'Pol watched her sister and Commander Tucker leave the Mess Hall together. For her, time stood still in this moment. She fought hard!

This was NOT her fault. It was Seri's fault! She had always taken things from her! This was so typical for her. Why had she to interfere? What business had she with Commander Tucker?

She forced her thoughts into order with an inhuman effort. She blinked, then looked down on her shaking hands. She could not face these emotions right now, she realized. She would lose it. She would decapitate two or three random crewmen on the spot, if she gave in to her emotions now.

She had to distract herself!

T'Pol blinked again, then raised her head and looked into the room. There had to be something that could distract her? She spotted Ensign Sato apparently on her way to the table Lieutenant Reed was sitting at. They were in hearing distance for her. Good. This should distract her nicely.

 »There he is.« Hoshi thought with a purr. She had waited patiently. She had known this deliciously stiff Englishmen would be hers some night. And now life had dealt her a hand that was unbeatable.

She knew that Malcolm had probably become an armory officer to hide his insecurities behind large guns. Yeah, sure, he had a big mouth and a bad reputation among San Francisco's barflies - but faced with a real woman, his charm manifested itself in diamonds such as uh ... I have to go on duty.

But not tonight. She was determined. He should stop wasting his time with cheap girls and GROW, for crying out loud. He needed a wake-up call. She would show him what the difference between her and some space flossy was.

She grinned evilly while crossing the last two meters to his table. He would have no idea what had hit him. Her friends in college had always envied her for that special talent she had. The talent that would break his will very soon now.

She could blush on command.

It had never failed her once.

»Oh, Hoshi. Good evening.«

»Good evening, Lieutenant. Do you mind if I sit down?«

»Please do. How was your day?«

»Ough, don't ask. It is a mess. I am supposed to share quarters with the SURAK'S PATH communications officer. But it's all one big problem.«

»Why is that?«

»She is married. She and her husband would like to stay together, but it doesn't work out with the rooms.«

»Apparently they haven't been married long.«

»Have you been assigned a Vulcan guest?«

»No. There was no armory officer on the Vulcan ship! Can you believe that? They consider warfare illogical.« He shook his head in disbelieve.

»You don't have to share quarters?«

»No.«

»Consider yourself lucky. I tell you, it broke my heart to see the disappointed look in their faces.«

»That's a rare sight on a Vulcan's face.«

»That's what broke my heart about it! I swear, if I had known a place where I could go, I had moved out and let them stay in my-«

The moment of truth had come. She stopped talking in mid-sentence and looked at him wide-eyed, then raised her right hand to her face and covered her open mouth with her palm, apparently in shock. And then she blushed as hard as she could.

She would call it the Waterloo Blush.

 Malcolm tried desperately not to laugh heartily at the sight of her. He guessed, her mouth had been quicker than her mind just a moment ago. Hehe.

He looked at her bright red face, but she avoided his gaze shyly. God, she was cute sometimes!

»I ... um, Malcolm, I am sorry. I have no idea why I said ...« she began, but trailed off and blushed again, even harder than before.

That was what was so great about Hoshi. She had an innocent quality to her that Malcolm found attractive. He didn't appreciate pushy females who did nothing but manipulate you, demand things from you, play games with your mind. It found them scary, to be frank.

Hoshi wasn't like that.

She was pure. Essentially feminine. Protect-worthy. He felt like a man around her.

Part of the reason for that was that she had a spectacular body, and Malcolm had the image of several spectacular things their bodies could do together in his mind. This chance was too good to pass up on.

He would take advantage of the situation.

»Hoshi, by all means, there is no need to apologize! On the contrary, I had the very same idea. If you moved to my quarters for the time being, the married couple could live together. It is a matter of good hospitality, actually.«

»Oh, they would be so happy if that were possible, Malcolm! You really don't mind?«

»I think the idea is splendid.«

 T'Pol watched Hoshi and Malcolm leave the room together, all the while a massive sledge hammer crashed into her head from the side. And again. And again.

She needed to meditate. She had to be alone, and she had to meditate. Right now!

»Subcommander T'Pol?«

She looked at the elderly Vulcan woman who had appeared next to her table out of the sudden.

»My name is V'Tan. I was the science officer of the SURAK'S PATH ...«

TO BE CONTINUED