Civilized Savages
By Didi

Disclaimers: Star Trek is owned by the late and great Gene Roddenberry. I own nothing within this story except the improbable idea behind it. Paramount owns the rights to the show and I do wish they would run of the wonderful reruns of the older series. Please don't sue me cause I have no money and will have to pay you in lint.

Summery: When one of their own goes missing, Enterprise crew goes on a search as to why.

Acknowledgement: To my darling Julie who loves Star Trek and is always willing to listen to me either rag or rave about episodes. Always know that you're opinion is more important than the stupid producers.

RATING: Rated R for content.

Note: I know that Enterprise hasn't been on television for long and the characterizing of the characters on the show may not be accurate but it's the way I see them. Bear me with here as I attempt to give some life to this.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Eight
~~~~~~~~~~
Klingon Warbird Kollarg

The language in question really wasn't all that complicated in the ways of foreign languages. It was make up of sixteen syntaxes that comprised of fourteen polimo... well, sufficient to say that it was easy enough for her to lean in a day or two's time if Hoshi took her time, less if she was in a hurry.

And Hoshi was in a big hurry to get off this particular ship. Not only did Klingons eat live food, they also neither bathed nor wore perfume to cover the distinctively unpleasant odors radiating from their bodies. Shaking her head, the young Japanese linguist sighed resignedly. "This must be how T'Pol feels being around all the guys after they leave the gym." She muttered, her fingers working slowly across the vocabulary of words the computer has already distinguished from the conversation. She could almost make out what was being said.

The meal the night before was enough to make her dread breakfast, she could only imagine what kinds of new tortures the Klingon are going to find for her. Perhaps watching her turn the color of a gully fish was somewhat amusing to them, but it certainly wasn't to her abused stomach. The mead last night was the only thing that stayed down and now she's got a headache that size of Jupiter's third moon.

Customary as they are to not knocking, Klaang and his friends walked in without so much as a beep of the door. Hoshi didn't bother looking up; she was too deep into the world of language to be bothered with little things like three seven feet tall warriors standing in the doorway.

P'Mai watched the little woman with the corners of his lips curled in what could described as a smile on his face that looked strange on the usually serious faced warrior with eighty kills to his name. The tiny thing was certainly fascinating to watch with her dark eyes and strange behaviors. "Time for..."

Hoshi let out scream that came close to shattering the eardrums of all three warriors as she clutched at her heart, trying to return it to a semi normal rate. Staring at the three with wide frightened eyes, she gasped for breath.

Lucudur was the youngest officer on the ship; his hair was not as long nor as wild as his elders. It has yet had the proper time to grow and tangle. His ears however were every bit as sharp as his comrades. Almost wincing with pain, he grabbed his ears with his not so clean hands. "Does she always greet a man this way?"

Klaang frowned at the woman still staring at them as if they had all turned into some horrible creatures from deep space. "What is the matter with you?"

Swallowing hard, she hoped her heart wasn't going jump right out of her mouth. "What's wrong with me?" She was rather surprised at how outraged she sounded at the moment. "What's the matter with you people? Haven't anyone ever taught you to..." She couldn't remember the word in Klingon so she opinioned for English. "...to knock?"

"Knock?" Lucudur frowned, confused by the word. Obviously, there was nothing of the sort in Klingon language. "What is that?"

"Can you eat it?" P'Mai asked sincerely.

"We should eat now." Klaang announced with a quick glance for his comrades. They had insisted on accompanying him to get the girl, but now they were behaving in a manner that he was unaccustomed to. There was a strangeness going on here. "You need to eat."

"Not what you're giving me." She rubbed her stomach slowly, remembering the night before. She was hungry but the very thought of having to watch her Klingon captives eat was enough to make her want to avoid it at all cost, including a little spontaneous fasting. "I'll just stay here and work on this if it's all the same to you."

"You need to eat. You are weak." Klaang said wisely, nodding his head slowly to emphasize his point. "You will eat."

Hoshi ran her tongue slowly over her tongue wondering what in the world was making her so bold. Perhaps it was the knowledge that these Klingons had gone to a lot of trouble to bring her here because she was the only one that can do what she does. To kill her now would be rather silly. "And if I don't?"

P'Mai leaned over and got right into her face. The smile he wore was sickeningly sweet enough on such a dangerous face that it made her heart skip a beat. "Then we will simply have to find a way to get food into your stomach."

Sitting there a moment, Hoshi allowed her mind a nightmarish moment of imagination. "All right then I guess I'll go with you." She smiled weakly but backed out of the chair slowly, careful not to come in contact with the warrior. "But don't say I didn't warn you when I lose my stomach on your...huh...." She glanced down at the leather and steel feet of the warriors. "Boots."

"How does one lose one's stomach?" Lucudur asked with rapid curiosity.

The young ensign sighed with resignation. If the food doesn't do it, the cultural difference is going to be the death of her. Though if she was completely honest with herself, she was actually beginning to enjoy these little strange conversations. "This is going to be a fun trip."

~~~~~~~~~
Enterprise - Bridge

"Looks like they are not headed pack to Kronos, Captain." Reed's brows were now in a near constant knot. "From these trials, we're looking at a trial that converges with three other ships and headed toward another sector all together."

"Where in tar nations are they taking her?" Tucker muttered as he looked over Reed's shoulders at the Vulcan star charts. "There's nothing there but a couple of gas balls and empty waste baskets for space junk."

"Perhaps Commander," T'Pol said with her calm and stoic air. "The Trisellar Nebula is not their final destination."

"You mean they are going pass it?" Reed asked, his dark eyes filled with concern. "You've got nothing pass the thirteenth planet in that system."

"Our science team has yet to report back from a mission to...."

"In other words," Archer said looking over at the science officer. "You guys have no idea what's in that direction either."

The Vulcan's superior brow went up again. "That would be correct, Captain."

"Great," Archer muttered under his breath. He did not need this right now. With Hoshi gone, the crew picking up the tension from the senior staff and no accurate star chart to follow, they were possibly heading into some real danger. Not that he had any kind of choice at the moment. Hoshi was a friend. More than that, he had been the one to talk her into taking the assignment in space, where she was uncomfortable and skittish. For gosh sakes, the girl jumps at every little shake the ship makes. What was he thinking, bring a young vulnerable woman into a place like this? For all he knew, the Klingons kept harems. "T'Pol, is there anything you can tell us about where we're headed?"

The dark faced Vulcan woman moved from her science station toward the main computer console behind where Hoshi usually sat. "The Trisellar Nebula had been known to be a favorite among the Kocklonds to be used as a temporary station."

Tucker frowned. "Temporary Station?"

Reed sighed and shook his head. "You're saying that these Kocklonds uses it as a hide away."

"Kocklonds are what humans call pirates. They are very dangerous, very unpredictable."

Mayweather failed to keep his voice low as he muttered, "Very human."

T'Pol looked at the young man. "Precisely."

"Are the Klingons and these Kocklonds allies?"

The Vulcan returned to her station and stared with pouting lips at the Captain. "The Kocklonds have no loyalty to anyone, including their own kind. Klingons do not believe that any races is equal to their savage-like society." There was just enough contempt in T'Pol's voice to irritate Tucker.

"Oh now T'Pol, not all of us can be dull as dish water." He said with a grin. "After all, if the universe were all as 'logical' and 'controlled' as the Vulcans, we might as well all be dead."

Reed cracked a smile for the first time since waking up from this forced nap. Shaking his head, he wondered for a moment if the banter between the redneck American engineer and the stick in the mud Vulcan science officer was going to last through their entire mission. If it were, it was sure to provide a great deal of entertainment for the rest of the crew.

"What the hell would the Klingons want with Hoshi?" Arach asked more to himself than the rest of the bridge crew.

Tucker shrugged his broad shoulders. "Maybe they needed someone that is as fluent as Hoshi is with every language from this side of the Milky Way to...."

"Maybe they needed to trade her for some..." Mayweather realized what he was saying and felt infinitely silly. "Forget I said that."

"Gladly," Trip muttered darkly.

Archer sighed. This was beginning to look a little more complicated than a kidnapping. "The Kocklonds, are they friendly? For pirates I mean."

"Hardly." T'Pol replied, her tone completely devoid of emotions.

Reed glared at the science officer. "You know T'Pol, you could at least pretend to be concerned for Hoshi's safety."

"It is highly unlikely that Ensign Sato is in any real danger."

"What makes you say that?" Tucker asked, his eyes narrowing in suspension. They may have gone through a heck lot with the Vulcan, but his distrust in them were still here.

T'Pol turned her dark exotic eyes toward him. "The Klingons obviously want her for some unknown reason. They went to some considerable trouble to obtain her; including working with one that is outside of their race. It is very unlike the Klingons to not use their brute approach by taking Ensign Sato simply because they want her. They were careful to assure her safety in obtaining her. She is valuable to them at the moment. They will not harm her."

Archer nodded his head. "Agreed. Now lets find her before they no longer need her."

Reed frowned, his mind deeply troubled by the fact that Hoshi's chances of survival depended on her usefulness to the Klingons. "Lt. Mayweather, I'm going to transfer the course to you now."

"You draw the map and I'll follow it to the last curve." Travis Mayweather said, his usual boyish smile lost in the gravity of the situation.

Archer shook his head. He wanted to know why the Klingons had taken the girl in the first place. Scratch that, he wanted Hoshi back and then to learn why they had taken her. This little excursion in cultural expansion was turning into something none of them expected.

Civilized Savages
By Didi

Disclaimers: Star Trek is owned by the late and great Gene Roddenberry. I own nothing within this story except the improbable idea behind it. Paramount owns the rights to the show and I do wish they would run of the wonderful reruns of the older series. Please don't sue me cause I have no money and will have to pay you in lint.

Summery: When one of their own goes missing, Enterprise crew goes on a search as to why.

Acknowledgement: To my darling Julie who loves Star Trek and is always willing to listen to me either rag or rave about episodes. Always know that you're opinion is more important than the stupid producers.

RATING: Rated R for content.

Note: I know that Enterprise hasn't been on television for long and the characterizing of the characters on the show may not be accurate but it's the way I see them. Bear me with here as I attempt to give some life to this.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Nine
~~~~~~~~~~
Klingon Warbird Kollarg

"From what I can make out, there was an exchange of weapons for quite a bit of information. Something about the Celebration of Kain, security details to be exact." Hoshi frowned as she small recorder continued to play in her ear. The more she listened to it, the more she could make out but the less she understood. "What's the Celebration of Kain?"

Klaang grunted a non-answer then sat there for a long moment with his elbows on the table and his face set in a deep frown. "It is a day of feast on our home world."

P'Mai nodded his head; his much scarred faced deeply disturbed by this news. "All of Kronos rest of eight days to observe the passing of our great leader." Pouring himself some bloodwine, he handed a goblet to human female without thought.

Hoshi nodded her thanks but did not so much as glance at the wine. "Is there to be some kind of ceremony that would involve lighting something?"

"Yes," Klaang shook his head. The treachery burned his insides with anger. "The Chalice of T'Karona."

Hoshi groaned inwardly. The conversation was ridiculously difficult. It was like pulling teeth from some very badly behaved lions, always careful to pull one's hand back as quickly as possible so as not to get it bitten off. It was a slow and painful process. "And the Chalice is a representation of what?"

The six warriors sitting at the round table looked at her as if she was a complete idiot.

"Okay, look," losing her patience pretty damn fast for someone who was still in immediate danger. "I'm not from Kronos, I don't know your history, your culture or your habits. You want me help you, you're going to have to be a little more forthcoming with your side of the information."

Five of the six faces turned toward her dropped into deep frowns that made Hoshi want to rip her own tongue out. Her mother always said her wayward tongue was going to get her in trouble someday. Looks like that day has finally come.

"Polika," Klaang's gruff voice almost made the young ensign jump again. "Give the woman a copy of The Toctra."

"What's the..."

"A book of your history," P'Mai explained. He was the only one that appeared amused by her never-ending questions. "You will find all you need on our people in that book."

Hoshi forced herself to smile at him gratefully. But inwardly she was dreading the amount of reading it was going to take to go through lord knows how many centuries of Klingon history.

~~~~~~~~~~
Enterprise - Bridge

Macolm Reed has always pride himself in being one of the most patient men that ever had the good fortunes of working in Starfleet. But at the moment, he would give all the torpedoes in the storage bay to make the ship go faster than it's 4.1 warp. The waiting was incredibly nerve wrecking.

"Eat something," Dr. Phlox suggested as he took a seat across from the tired looking tactical officer. "A little nourishment will help keep your strength up since you refuse to rest."

"With all due respect, doctor, sleep is the last thing I want to be doing right now." Reed did not bother to add that his short nap not two hours before had been filled with horrible scenes of slave auctions and screams of horror that resembled a certain young ensign he lost to some violent aliens.

"Having trouble sleeping?" the wide-eyed doctor was looking at the Englishman with much fascination. "Perhaps I can suggest some warm milk and cookies. I believe you human's find it very helpful. Must be the melentonin in the milk that causes one to..."

"Malcolm, I.... Oh sorry." Cdr. Tucker inclined his head apologetically at the doctor. "Didn't meant o interrupt but I need the Reed for a minute or two."

"Not at all," the cheerful doctor grinned and waved them off. "Just babbling on about the wonders that you human find in the simplest things in the galaxy. My, it must be so fascinating to be human."

Tucker frowned as he led Reed away with a firm grip on the slighter man's arm. "I don't care how many times he looks at me with those funny eyes, I still get the feeling like I'm a bug in a jar."

"Is there any particular reason you're dragging me down the corridor like a dog on a leash for it is just for the sheer enjoyment of it?" Reed asked rather irritated by the fact that Commander Tucker appeared to have forgotten his entire existence.

"Oh sorry." Tucker gave him a small grin in apology. "Mind somewhere else all together.

"I can see that." Reed rubbed his elbow as if Trip's grip really had hurt him. "Now what can I do for you?"

The chief engineer led them through the corridor in silence until they came to an empty junction. "Listen, I wanted to apologize my behavior lately. Ain't doing anyone good me blaming you, you blaming me, least of all Ensign Hoshi."

"Ensign Sato." Reed corrected.

"Yeah yeah," Trip waved it away easily. "Looks, I'm just saying that I didn't mean to take my anger out on you or anyone else, just... I've got sisters of my own and..."

"Say no more," Reed nodded his head in complete understanding. "I apologize as well. Neither of us did a very good job but to be fair, we couldn't possibly have known or guessed that something like this was going to happen."

"Absolutely," Trip agreed enthusiastically. "The Klingons ain't the most social people we've met so far. How would we to know that they'd try something like this?"

"Yes and fighting amongst ourselves is hardly productive."

"Damn straight."

Reed held out his hand. "Friends?"

"You bet your knickers that we are."

"Knickers?"

"Never you mind." Tucker made a face. "Something my grandma used to say."

~~~~~~~~~~
Klingon Warbird Kollarg

Hoshi swallow hard and tried to push down the nauseating feeling at the pit of her stomach. If she thought the Klingons were savages before, the description of their mating ritual only sealed the deal. Shaking her head, she scrolled further along the achieves, thankful for their digital copy rather than what she had imagined would be a dozen books bound by the hide of their enemies.

The swishing of the doors opening gave her forewarning to keep her composure this time around. Polite little things like knocking on doors and bathing seemed to be a foreign thing to the rough and gruff Klingons. Though it was interesting for her to see little touches of softest behind some of the iron hard armor. For instances, she found out that that young Lucudur had been the one to decorate the door so as not to appear so harsh. And P'Mai had a rather bizarre sense of humor, but having a humor was a great improvement to the stoic faced Klaang.

"Klaang commands that you not be disturbed." It was more of an announcement than anything and the young Klingon, Frukra she believed his name was, appeared rather uncomfortable in giving it. "We feed you. Nothing alive." He made a face of distaste.

"Thank you." She said with a sigh, her back aching from the many hours hunched over a table with data pads and computer screens. "I really do appreciate your chef killing it before serving it to me."

"You are weak." Frukra said as he continued to study the young woman before him as if she was some exotic fish in a tank. "Why have you been chosen?"

"Because I'm good at what I do," she replied calmly hoping he would go away and leave her to her work. "Who else do you know can translate a language in less than three days?"

"But he need not marry you to gain your skills."

Hoshi's head whipped around so fast that for a moment she was afraid she may have given herself whiplash. "WHAT?"

Frukra frowned then leaned forward slightly. "I SAID, HE NEED NOT...."

Hoshi winced painfully and backed away from the bellowing voice. "You don't have to yelled."

Confusion was written all over the man's face, a rather strange expression on the warrior's face. "But you said..."

"It was a rhetorical question," she explained exasperated by the cultural difference in general. "I mean was why did you mean by that?"

Frukra wore an expression that could be construed as confusion on any other species but Klingon. "P'Mai said..."

"Gossiping as women do?" P'Mai asked from the open doorway.

Hoshi wasn't sure if she should take offense the gossiping women comment but considering both men were a good foot and a half taller than she, she chose to be wise silently. "P'Mai, Frukra..." She looked expected at the younger man as if to confirm his name, when he nodded, she smiled thanks in return. "Frukra said that Klaang was going to... to..."

"Take you as his mate," P'Mai finished for her when he finally noticed that her face was as bright red as bloodwine. "Yes, I shall convince him that it would be wise."

"Excuse me?" Her eyes bulged on her face. "Convince him it would be wise? Have you gone completely...." In her agitated state, she lost her gasp on the Klingon language. Shaking her head quickly, she reverted to English for a moment. "Mad?"

Both warriors looked at her funny.

"I'm not mating with anyone!" She shook her head as if to emphasize her point. "Not even going anywhere near him without a good ten foot pole. No way, no how!"

"You are upset?" Frukra asked as if unsure of the reaction they were witnessing.

"Upset?" She shouted, her fear gone with the wind now that her angry has been prodded. "You think that just because you say so that it's going to happen? Hello? What century are you people living on here? I'm not going to marry, much less mate, with anyone in this universe or the next. I still have my career to think about and life to get back to. And if you think for a second that I'm going to give up my career for the 'honor' of mating with some....some pain in the butt stubborn Klingon, you're out of your collective minds!"

It was a good thing that Hoshi had switched into six different languages, including Vulcan, Japanese and Russian, during her torrid speech or she may have gotten her head bashed in for irritating the heck out of the two Klingon warrior who exchanged expression of exasperation and disbelief.

"Problem?" Klaang asked for his position propped against the open doorway.

Hoshi glared at him with extreme irritation. "You promised to take me back to my ship once I've completed the translation."

"That is correct." Klaang stated, eyeing his comrades with a great deal of sharpness.

"You promise?" She asked, ignoring the two in the room. "You swear on your honor that I'm going to get to go home without a scratch."

From the expression on Klaang's face, he was not too thrilled with her phrasing of words, calling his honor into question. But apparently her cooperation was important enough for him to give a reluctant grunt of acceptance. "Yes."

"Good," she sighed and smiled suddenly. "Cause I think I've got it."

To be Continued.....

Civilized Savages
By Didi

Disclaimers: Star Trek is owned by the late and great Gene Roddenberry. I own nothing within this story except the improbable idea behind it. Paramount owns the rights to the show and I do wish they would run of the wonderful reruns of the older series. Please don't sue me cause I have no money and will have to pay you in lint.

Summery: When one of their own goes missing, Enterprise crew goes on a search as to why.

Acknowledgement: To my darling Julie who loves Star Trek and is always willing to listen to me either rag or rave about episodes. Always know that you're opinion is more important than the stupid producers.

Note: I know that Enterprise hasn't been on television for long and the characterizing of the characters on the show may not be accurate but it's the way I see them. Bear me with here as I attempt to give some life to this.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Ten
~~~~~~~~~~
Klingon Warbird Kollarg

Hoshi sat back as the six warriors crowded around the exact translation she had produced only two hours before. She was almost one hundred perfect sure it was perfect. With a little historical content threw in; she got it almost at once. Now all she had to do was convince several very suspicious and angry Klingons that she's done her job and would be better off on her own ship.

"As you can see," she pointed to the a sentence several paragraphs down on the bag raddled with words, "They are looking at a thermal nuclear device, something similar to the twentieth century earth's atom bomb. Hard to detect in this day and age, unless one thinks about using a heat detector, but who uses that anymore."

"And it will be placed in the Chalice?" M'Pai asked, his eyes dark with suppressed angry and narrowed in concentration.

"Once the Chalice is lit up, the heat from the fire will slowly eat through the nickel iron casing to the detonator. Once those blow, the chain reaction would cause the..."

"It will take all the capital with it." Klaang muttered loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear. "It is just slow enough acting to allow the traitorous swain to get away clean."

The young Starfleet ensign nodded her head and sat back. "That's the idea."

"This device," an older warrior with long gray hair that looked more rat's nest than a cat's hairball. "It is difficult to get?"

With s shrug, she pushed the date pad toward him "I don't know anything about these people or their technology but that's what they'll probably need to create something like that. But since we know that it the detonator will be transferred to them, tracking primitive components seems like a pointless exercise."

The older man nodded his shaggy head. "Where are they to pick up the device?"

Hoshi reached for the data pad on the table and pushed it toward the older warrior that asked the question, no longer watching her with such contempt. "On Station Pl'Annge." She looked expectedly at the others. "Anyone know where that is?"

Klaang frowned, his eyes studying the bomb. "It is on Cuztar."

The sigh escaped before she had time to reconsider it. Fortunately the others were not paying much attention to her, to intent on their mission. "And Cuztar is where?"

"Seven light-years from here. We've been tracking a Kocklond ship for sometime. Now we know why they are in headed for the Trisellar Nebula." Klaang appeared to be speaking more to himself than the others. "We must stop them."

The others nodded in agreement as the meeting broke up as quickly and loudly, with scraping chairs and grunts of dismissal.

Hoshi sat there slightly befuddled as to what has happened. When Klaang got up to head for the bridge, she scrambled to her feet and ran after him. Grabbing his arm, she had to put all her weight into it to get his attention. "Wait a second."

Klaangs eyes shifted to the two tiny hands clasped tightly to his metal incased arm before following it up to the arm then shoulder then face to the woman they belong to.

She let go quickly when she was sure she had his attention. "I would appreciate it a little more explanation on the matter if it's not too much trouble."

"What would you like to know?" Klaang asked, softly. It would not do for his warriors to see him indulge the woman this way.

"First of all, what are you going to do once you've got your hands on these guys?"

The warrior gave her a look that asked if she had completely lost her mind.

All the color left Hoshi's face as she realized his intentions through the intensity of his eyes. "Never mind, I don't want my suspicions confirmed." Shaking her head, she wondered how a culture as richly wonderfully as the Klingons, civilized in their idea of rights and honor, could be so brutally savage like at the same time. "Second question, how is this going to effect you taking me home?"

The Klingon frowned. "It will have to wait."

She nodded her head. She already knew that was going to be the answer to her question. "You have to save your empire first."

He nodded. "I will take you home after." He drew a dagger and crossed his palm with it, letting the scarlet blood drip to the ground. "You have my blood oath upon it."

Hoshi stared horrified at the blood. "Are you crazy?" She rushed to up her hand over the cut, trying to seep the blood with a little old fashion pressure to the wound. "You didn't have to do that! I would have believed you if you'd just say so." She shook her head and tugged ineffectively at the small scarf around her neck lately to keep the small of unwashed bodies away.

Klaang watched her with deep eyes that seem to see more. "You would make a good warrior one day."

With a laugh, Hoshi shook her head and bring the wound the best she could and wondered if Klingons have a med.-bay. "Thank you." It was as close to a compliment, not to mention thank-you, as she was ever to get from these people.

"If you eat more."

"Are we back on that again?"

~~~~~~~~~~
Enterprise - Bridge

"Sir," Mayweather frowned as he readjusted the ship. "I'm picking up another warp trail on the map."

"Where?" Archer got up to stand beside the young pilot.

"Right here, sir." Mayweather pointed to the digital star chart by his side. The grid was efficient enough for a quick look when the pilot needs it.

"Reed," Archer looked over at the tactician.

"Pulling it up on the view screen now, sir." Malcolm said easily as his fingers danced across the control panels in front of him. His face was set in a rather grime expression that did not bode well.

The rest of the bridge crew looked up to see the star charts displayed in all their glory. Following that was another chart with the four Klingon ships' routes mapped out neatly in blue and another three tracking from off right pulling up behind the Klingons. Lt. Reed had thoughtfully put the new comer to this little parade in red. They were all headed in the same direction. "Talk to me people, tell me something I don't already know."

"Sir," Reed's eyes were on the screen as his hands became still over the edge of his controls. "If I'm not mistaken, from the angle and speed that the second set is moving, I'd say they are not in any hurry to announce their presence to our kidnapping friends."

"Agreed," Archer pushed way from Mayweather's console and turned to Reed. "You think they mean to ambush the Klingons?"

"Hard to say sir," Reed answered honestly but nodded his head. "Three on four are not great odds but history has seen worse."

Archer nodded his head in grave concern. "And we have yet to determine which ship Hoshi is currently residing in." He sighed; this was becoming more and more complicated by the day. "Archer to Tucker."

"Tucker here sir," Trip's voice coming through loud and clear. "What can I do for ya?"

"Trip, you getting all this down in engineering?"

"Every last darn star and particle."

"I need a way to expose these new guys without giving ourselves up too quickly. Think you can do that?"

"Hum...."

"Sir?" Reed peeped up from this station. "Perhaps we can..."

"Mr. Reed," the corners of Archer's lips curved up at the deviously delighted look in Reed's eyes. "Why don't you go down to engineering and talk with Trip. I'm sure between you two, you can come up with something that will most likely impress me and tick off Starfleet."

Mayweather choked on his laughter while Reed gave a mock salute and left the bridge. It wasn't until the tactical officer had left did their until-now silent science officer speak up. "Was that wise, Captain? I've heard of Commander Tucker's many... ingenious pranks around the ship. With Lt. Reed still upset over Ensign Sato's disappearance, perhaps allowing them so much..."

"That's precisely why, T'Pol." Archer grinned suddenly at her. "There is no better motivation and inspiration than a little anger."