The Good That Men Do - Andy Mangels [103]
Archer rubbed his chin as he considered his next move. “The heading they’re on takes them right toward the heart of the Romulan Star Empire. In another day, they’ll be even closer. Going after them is incredibly risky.” He put the padd down on the table and looked up at T’Pol. “But that’s not the worst of our problems.”
The Vulcan first officer raised her eyebrow inquisitively, but said nothing.
“Gardner just ordered us back to Earth,” Archer said. “Now.” He related the rest of his conversation with the admiral, while T’Pol listened without comment.
“This puts us in a bit of a bind. We know that the Orions took the Aenar, but we have no solid proof yet of why. The only clear information we have on the Aenar’s current whereabouts comes from Shran’s psychic link to Jhamel.”
T’Pol moved one of the ready room’s other chairs out and sat down in it. “Captain, given everything we now know about the Aenar abductions, and the information you obtained on Rigel X about the Adigeons, the only logical answer is that the Aenar are being delivered to the Romulans. The Romulans have only one purpose for the Aenar: to pilot their telepresence drones in attacks against their enemies.
“So the question becomes, which world will be their first target? Will they attack Earth, in an attempt to disrupt or even destroy the Coalition? Or will their initial target be Coridan, a prospective Coalition member that possesses more dilithium wealth than the rest of the Coalition combined, and which reportedly has much faster ships?”
“Which do you think it is?” Archer asked.
“The answer to that remains unclear, given our current information,” T’Pol said. “But we are relatively certain that stopping the delivery of the Aenar to the Romulans could greatly hamper whatever plans the Romulans are making, whomever they are making them against. Securing the Aenar would therefore be an offensive tactic rather than merely a defensive one.”
Archer interlaced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “If we go to rescue the Aenar, we’re disobeying a direct order. Which could have serious repercussions, even if we’re right.”
T’Pol tilted her head slightly, and the merest hint of mischief crept into her eyes. “Did the admiral give you explicit directions to begin your journey to Earth as soon as you broke contact?”
Archer smiled broadly. “Not explicitly. He said it would be in our best interests to do so, and noted that he’d see me within a week.”
“Then you still have some six days and twenty-three hours in which to arrive,” T’Pol said, looking out the viewport, her expression changing from mischievous to calculating. “We are within a day of catching up with the ship carrying the Aenar. If all goes well, that diversion should prove to be a brief one.” She paused for a moment, then turned to look directly into his eyes. “Should you decide to make that diversion, of course.”
“I’m sure we’ll still catch hell for this, but Gardner wasn’t all that precise in his orders, now that I come to think of it,” Archer said, tugging the waist of his jump-suit down as he rose to his feet. “I don’t see any reason we can’t make a brief course diversion. We’ll just have to make up for the lost time double-quick on the way back home.”
Archer pushed one thought into the back of his mind. All of this supposes that we’re the ones who come out on top in the fight to free the Aenar. Can’t assume that the Romulans on that ship will be pushovers.
On the bright side, if we don’t win, I probably won’t have to worry all that much about the wrath of Sam Gardner.
Thirty
Friday, February 21, 2155
Rator II
TRIP STARED, GRIMLY FASCINATED, as the barrel of the disruptor pistol swung in his direction and remained leveled directly at his face. Switching his grip so that he held the weapon in both hands, Ch’uihv regarded him through narrowed eyelids.
This is it, Charles, Trip told himself. Time seemed to slow down precipitously, the way clocks did aboard space vessels that accelerated nearly to light speed without actually going to warp. He was hyperaware