Into the Valley of Death
By Jim Guy jimguy46@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: If I owned them I would be rich. Needless to say, I don’t and I am not.
Subject: The missing seven weeks on the way to the Expanse.
Archer sat on his bed in his quarters. He lay down and closed his eyes. Enterprise was on a new mission. A mission not of exploration but of war; a mission of retaliation for the attack on Earth. They had recently partially disabled the Klingon bird of Prey that his nemesis, Duras captained. Archer remembered how this mission had started.
Enterprise had entered the unexplored system and dropped at of warp 2. Ensign Mayweather had turned to the Ensign who just came on duty. “Don’t you mess up my ship, Thomas.”
“Don’t worry Travis, this is my ship also.”
Lieutenant Reed heard the exchange and grinned. “Travis when did you take over ownership of Enterprise? Here I thought it was mine.” He looked over at Hoshi and winked and saw her smile.
Archer watched the exchange and chuckled. ‘I’ll bet Malcolm was thinking, that he loves his position so he can look at Hoshi all shift and nothing gets in his way.
He noticed that Hoshi had heard the exchange between Mayweather and Thomas and saw Reed staring at her. Archer laughed to himself. Malcolm always does that staring thing and acts like he is so innocent. I bet Hoshi is thing that she will show him innocent tonight.’ He shook his head. “Mister Reed you have the bridge.”
Archer sat in his quarters reading the daily reports when the door buzzer rang. “Come”
“Would you like some company?”
Archer looked up at T’Pol. “Do you need to ask? I always need your company.” He got up and hugged her while planting a kiss on her lips.
“Bridge to Captain Archer.”
“Archer here.”
“Admiral Forrest, sir. It is encoded. Should I send it to your quarters?”
Archer looked at T’Pol. “No, send it to my ready room. I will be there in a minute.” He turned and kissed T’Pol again. “Duty calls. I swear I am going to disconnect the intercom.’ He smiled as he left her.
‘I won’t be far away, Jon,’
‘I know.’
Archer sat down at his desk and flipped on the vid screen. Admiral Forest’s face appeared on screen. His face was haggard looking and not at all happy. “Admiral. What can I do for you.”
“Jon, Earth has been attacked.”
T’Pol felt Jon’s mental shield go up and she not feel his thoughts. What she felt was a sudden flash of anger and shock before the link went dead.
The vid screen went blank as Archer leaned back in his chair. Anger flashed through his whole being and then numbness. He hit the intercom. “Hoshi come to my ready room.’
“Aye, Captain.”
A minute later the Communications Officer reported to the ready room. Archer looked distraught as he looked up at her. “Hoshi have all senior officers and Doctor Phlox assemble in the conference room in an hour. Any more transmissions, have relayed her immediately.”
“Aye Captain.”
Archer had paced back in forth in his quarters. He remembered the looks he got from his senior staff when he told them the news of the attack on Earth. Everything was drained from him and he could no longer feel the link with T’Pol, in fact for the past three weeks, he had not been able have a relationship with her. T’Pol had tried to console him, but he had brushed her away and he felt terrible.
They were on their way to Vulcan to deliver T’Pol back to her home. The door buzzer sound. “Come.” He was surprised when T’Pol entered. He had dreaded this moment. He had tried to make small talk, but she had countered every argument of his and ended it when she had told him, “You need me.” Instead of answering her, he had returned to the bridge and ordered a course change to the Expanse. Now they had been traveling to an uncertain future.
The buzzer rang and Archer got up to answer the door. He opened it to find T’Pol standing there with her hands behind her back.
“T’Pol, I am glad you are here. I have been a miserable person to you these last months. Ever since we got recalled.’
“Is that why you didn’t fight the High command when they recalled me?”
“No. I knew what we were going to do was dangerous. I didn’t want to put you in harms way.”
“Jon, we are on a Star Ship. Every mission, every away mission is dangerous.”
“I know, but I didn’t want to force you to come along. Then you told me I needed you. You were correct in more ways than one. I need you for the Enterprise and I need you for me. I no longer have a link to you and I miss that. I don’t even know why it went away or when.”
“I do. The minute Admiral Forrest told you of the attack, you sent out a flash of pain and hatred and put up your shields. I thought that you didn’t want me anymore.”
Archer walked over to her and put his hands around her. “I want and need you more than anything else in the universe. We will be the first married couple to fly into the Expanse.” He pressed his lips to hers and felt the softness. As their tongues intertwined, he felt something that he had not felt in a long time.
‘Jon.’
‘T’Pol I love you.’
‘If I ever act like I
have been doing, you have my permission to kick my ass.’
‘I would rather do
something else than kick your ass.’
‘And that would be?’
‘Let me show you.’ As they kissed, she unzipped his coverall and pulled them off his shoulders. Breaking the kiss she stepped back a bit and slipped her hands under his shirt and forced it upwards. She bent forward and traced his chest with her tongue while she pushed his pants and shorts down.
Archer groaned while she assaulted his senses.
‘T’Pol I have missed
you.’
T’Pol pushed him gently onto the bed as she shed her own
clothes. ‘You are my Adun, Jonathan
Archer and I will not leave you.’
Several hours later Archer doorbell rang. Archer and T’Pol awoke in each other’s arms. He sat up and covered T’Pol. “Who is it?”
Trip opened the door and walked in. “Captain, I need to speak to you.” He glanced over at the bed and saw T’Pol covering herself. “Oh, I am sorry Captain, Sub Commander, maybe I should talk to you later.”
“That would probably be a good idea Trip. Meet me in the ready room in a half hour.”
“Yes sir. Captain, Mrs. Archer, I apologize for the interruption.”
Archer turned around with a grin on his face as Trip left.
T’Pol arched an eyebrow. “What do you find humorous?”
“I don’t know who is more embarrassed, Trip or us?”
“I think commander Tucker is embarrassed for interrupting a married couple engaged in a romantic encounter.”
“He did acknowledge you as Mrs. Archer. Remember he is one of the few who know. He won’t spread it around.”
“Jon, do you think it might be time to tell the rest of the crew?”
“Maybe we should. It would explain why I want to expand my quarters and have you move in with me.”
“That would be logical.” T’Pol cracked a thin smile and lowered her eyes.”
Archer and T’Pol sat in the ready room when Trip entered with a Sergeant Major of General Casey’s Rangers. As he motioned to the two men to sit down, Sergeant Snowden gave T’Pol and hard look.
Archer waited until the men sat down. “Now Trip, what is this urgent matter?”
“Captain, since we are going into the Expanse and I think all personnel show be trained in combat arms. Sergeant Snowden has offered to train all personnel with his men.”
Archer nodded to Sergeant Snowden. “Sergeant do you have a problem with this?”
“No captain, I believe Commander Tucker has a valid point. I am will to train all humans in combat arms.”
Archer frowned and sat back. “Exactly why did you say all humans? Do you have a Problem with Doctor Phlox?”
“No so, although I believe Doctor Phlox, being a non-combatant might decline.”
“That is a valid point. Do you have a problem with Sub Commander T’Pol?”
“Sir, I was led to believe that this was an Earth vessel and that the crew was human. I did not know that we had one of them on board. I heard she was to be taken to Vulcan.”
Archer wiped his hand across his face. “Sergeant, Sub Commander is my Science Officer and she is my Second in command. As such I demand that you show her all the courtesy required.”
“I will insure that I am not associated with her when not on duty. In fact, Captain, If I need to see you, I will come to your quarters.’
Archer smiled. “Sergeant, I don’t know what your issue is with T’Pol. Have you ever met her before?”
“No Sir.”
“Then why do you have a hatred for her?”
“Sir, I looked up your records and Commander Tucker’s and your history of dislike of Vulcans is well known. I have nothing against Sub Commander T’Pol except that she is Vulcan.’
“I once felt like you do about the Vulcans. I may still harbor those sentiments for the High Command. I was very upset when Sub Commander T’Pol was foisted upon us and I even threatened to knock her on her ass. On numerous occasions she has not only saved my life, but that of several crewmembers and this ship. She even took a plasma blast to protect a Vulcan officer who was going to take her back to Vulcan against her will. That is the actions of an officer that I want to be on Enterprise.”
Snowden’s eyes started to soften. “She risked her life to save humans?”
“I do believe I just said that.”
“I see. Is there any reason why meeting in your quarters would be unacceptable?”
“I do not live alone, sergeant. You may have a problem with Mrs. Archer.”
“Mrs. Archer? I am sorry sir, I do not know the lady.”
Archer got up and went to stand by the chair T’Pol was sitting in. “Fair enough Sergeant. May I present Mrs. T’Pol Archer, my wife.”
Snowden’s mouth fell open. “You two are married? Whoa. Why didn’t General Casey tell me?”
“Sergeant up until know, only about five people know.”
Snowden let out a sigh and then stood up, coming to attention. “Sir, no one will know from me. Mrs. Archer, I apologize for my remarks. I still don’t like Vulcans, but if she is willing to save humans at the risk of her own life, I am willing to give her a chance.”
T’Pol stood up. “Sergeant on behalf of the Enterprise, please train the human crew to the best of your ability.’
Snowden shifted his weight. “Sub Commander, I invite you to join the training also.’
Archer smiled at Snowden and nodded. “All of you join me on the bridge.”
A few minutes later archer sat in his command chair. “Attention all hands. We are going into the unknown to fight a war. Starting tomorrow, all personnel will start being trained in combat arms by Sergeant major Snowden and his men.’
He stopped for a moment. “I also wish to announce that Sub Commander T’Pol recently accepted a new position, that of Mrs. Jonathan Archer. We were married on Dixie. Star Fleet and the Vulcan High Command have not be informed but will be shortly.” He walked over to T’Pol and kissed her full on the lips.
‘Jon, on the bridge?’
‘Why not? This is a
special announcement. I think you won Snowden over.’
‘I did nothing. It was
your eloquence that did it.’
Hoshi, Travis, Reed, Snowden and tucker stood and clapped.
Sergeant Major Snowden stood on a scaffold over looking a cargo bay as six Star Fleet personnel maneuvered through a maze of equipment and containers. Six of his Rangers waited in ambush. Phaser fired was sporadic as the two groups traded shots. The phasers were all on stun setting. A sudden burst of fire and the rush of several personnel fought until only one person emerged from the battle.
“Sub commander T’Pol. I congratulate you on surviving the first training session. Unfortunately the mission is to have all of your team survive. Doctor Phlox, will you revive all of the combatants.”
A few minutes later, everyone was assembled in the ready room with Snowden. He ran a video clip of thee exercise. “Can anyone tell me what they did wrong?”
Tucker stood up. “I didn’t see the guy who got me.”
Snowden chuckled. ‘That is quite obvious Commander.”
T’Pol stood up. “We acted as individuals rather than a team.”
Snowden looked at the Vulcan. “Yes. Exactly. That is exactly what you all did and that cannot happen. This war and war it is will need for all of us to be a team. Captain Archer requested us military types to give him some meat. We are only fifty and there may be times when every man and woman on this ship will need to protect the ship. Now we will run the exercise again.”
Fifteen minutes later Snowden again watched the simulation. This time five of the star Fleet personnel emerged on their feet and one was being carried. “Excellent. This time you fought as a team. However there is one thing I did not expect.”
Tucker panted heavily. “What is that?”
“You brought out your downed team member. We have a motto in the Rangers. Leave no one behind, dead or alive. You did well. I will be proud to serve in combat with all of you.” He climbed down from the scaffold and approached them. “Attention.” The Star Fleet personnel stood at attention.
Captain Archer, Sub Commander T’Pol, Commander Tucker, Lieutenant Reed, Ensign Sato, Ensign Mayweather, although you are not in the military, you have what it takes and I am proud to present a miniature Ranger patch to wear on your uniforms. He saluted each one as he pressed the patch into their hands. “Welcome to the Rangers.”
Archer sat in the Ready Room with T’Pol and Sergeant Major Snowden. “Sergeant major, I understand that everyone has completed their training.”
“Yes, Sir. Everyone on Enterprise has qualified in combat arms training. After a slow start, even Doctor Phlox passed with flying colors.”
“What do you think our chances are, Sergeant Major?”
“Captain, I am a soldier prepared to go into battle against an unknown enemy in unknown terrain and against unknown weapons. I feel like I am part of the 600.”
T’Pol arched an eyebrow. “Please explain.”
Archer stood up. “It is an old Earth poem that graphically described the destiny of those who rode with the Light Brigade against the Russian batteries positioned on the heights above Balaclava in the Crimea.”
“Yes Sir, and the part that I remember is
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred
T’Pol looked at the two men. “That sounds like a glorification of war. Totally illogical and very human.
Snowden
turned to T’Pol. “No Ma’am. The charge had lasted twenty minutes from the
moment the trumpet sounded the advance to the return of the last survivor. Some
700 horsemen had charged down the valley, and 195 had returned. The 17th
Lancers were reduced to thirty-seven troopers, the 13th Light Dragoons could muster
only two officers and eight mounted men and five hundred horses had been
killed.”
“T’Pol,
I think that the Sergeant Major is saying that just as the 600 rode into that
valley, the Enterprise is going into its own valley of Death.’
T’Pol
looked at the men again. “Then I hope that we are better prepared and learned
something.”
“Bridge
to Captain Archer.”
“Archer
here.’
“The
expanse is a half hour away.”
“Very
well. Archer out.” He turned to his wife and Sergeant Major. “Into the jaws of
Death,
Into the mouth of Hell rode the six hundred.”
The
end?
The
Complete poem of The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Tennyson
|
Half a league, half a
league, "Forward, the Light Brigade!" Cannon to right of them, Flash'd all their sabres bare, Cannon to right of them, When can their glory fade? |
Copied from Poems of
Alfred Tennyson,
J. E. Tilton and Company, Boston, 1870
www.oocities.org/zankoku1946