Star Trek Enterprise Bk. 03 - The War Ch. 07

Archer stood in his quarters and looked out of the windows at the infinite space before him. A new year had just begun and he wasn't sure how he could endure it. How could he expect his crew to continue on and keep fighting? Somehow they did and to everyone's surprise, they spent the entire year on pins and needles waiting for another engagement with the Romulans. Archer, in particular, expected to look out and see a warbird pointing their guns at them at any moment, but it never happened. Perhaps they too were preoccupied with repairs and trying to regroup. Maybe he had hurt them more than he had thought. The only loss they encountered was that of Shran. During a visit home on Andoria there seemed to have been an accident and Archer received word that his friend had died. The captain shared the news with the crew and he and his senior officers would open a bottle of Andorian Ale and toast their one time friend and ally.

Even without the constant battles Archer had no time for anything except rebuilding the fleet and trying to make it bigger, stronger and faster while also constantly trying to keep the coalition from dissolving. That in itself seemed to be a full time job. There were a few moments when they got to be the explorers they had once set out to be and managed to make even a few first contacts with other species. Archer still found himself with very little or no time at all to spare. There was always something that needed to be repaired, replaced or a meeting that he had to attend.

There was a brief moment shortly after the year twenty-one-fifty-nine began when he thought he could almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it was quickly snuffed out. For the next twelve months they battled against the Romulans no less than ten times with heavy casualties and narrowly surviving each time. One of the few exceptions to this was when the NX-01 along with the SS Intrepid and Republic were escorting a convoy of supplies through the Vorkado System.

This was as mundane a duty as you could have and should have been easily completed. The Coalition of Planets had constructed a medical colony on the planet Amaterasu in order to care for those who were sick and injured in battle. It was closer than trying to ferry them all back to Earth or their individual home worlds. The convoy was loaded with medical supplies and food as well as a few additional members of medical staff that could help and even fill in for those that were overworked and exhausted.

The assignment defined boring and humdrum even if it was extremely necessary. As they moved through space everything was going according to procedure until a Romulan warbird was detected. The IRW Aol'fvienn had just barely managed to survive a battle with an Andorian convoy and Captain Khazara had come into the Vorkado system hoping to repair his ship; he had not intended to take on three Earthships, at least not so soon after the Andorians. Even so, the Romulan Captain had never backed down from a fight in his life.

This seemed to be an unusual and fortuitous situation for the Earth vessels. Normally they were almost always on the defense, for once there was an opportunity to take the offense. Scanning the Romulan ship their sensor readings picked up the amount of damage the vessel had already sustained and the decision was made to have the Intrepid and the Republic pursue the Romulan vessel while the NX-01 stayed with the convoy. Long time friends since their academy days, Archer had every confidence in Carlos Ramirez who was captain of the Intrepid. So much so that he had loaned his own helmsman Lt. Travis Mayweather to his friend while theirs was still healing from a previous skirmish. He was level headed, smart and a very shrewd strategist. He had never made a foolish or impetuous decision in his life that Archer knew of and would have no issue getting an already damaged Romulan vessel to surrender and taking its crew as prisoners.

Captain Jennings of the Republic was far less seasoned then Archer or Ramirez, but had shown himself to be amply capable and understood that his colleague on the Intrepid was taking the lead in this situation. Both vessels positioned themselves fore and aft of the Romulan ship cutting off any escape. Captain Ramirez opened a channel of communication to the IRW Aol'fvienn and ordered it to drop its shields and prepare to be boarded. Khazara never answered nor did he drop his shields. He too had heard the stories of planetary destruction from Sela and was not about to allow his crew to fall into the hands of savages that could callously stand by and watch them die. No doubt they would simply torture his crew then kill them if he did try to surrender.

To Khazara, a man with no family of his own, his crew was his family and he was not about to allow them to fall victim to the human barbarians. He would rather die himself. The question was how to escape and he could think of only one way out of the precarious situation. Whichever way he moved, one of the Earth ships would always follow so the only solution was to take out two "Mogai" with one stone, so to speak. Leaning back in his command chair, Kamara ordered the shields extended to their maximum capacity. The captain's of the Intrepid and the Republic believed that the Romulan ship was preparing for battle and called for the polarization of the hull plating. It was too little too late.

From his vantage point, Archer could see something was amiss and the sensors on the NX-01 picked up on the shield energy build up. Everything in his gut told him that something was very wrong, but he had no idea what was being planned to warn the others, even so he told Hoshi to hail the captain of the Intrepid. It wasn't soon enough. It took no time for the Aoi'fvienn's shields to extend beyond its capacity instantly igniting the ship's warp plasma and sending a shockwave of energy through the two attacking ships. The force of the waves buckled and smashed the hull plating disabling the vessels and sending them flying backwards. No longer in danger, the Romulan vessel quietly went to warp and vanished into the reaches of space while the Intrepid and Republic sent out distress calls.

Shocked by what he witnessed, Archer's first instinct was to follow and blow the Romulan ship out of the stars, but he couldn't ignore the calls for help, nor the need to continue protecting the convoy. He ordered Dr. Phlox to get ready to take on casualties and the wounded. He went himself on board the Republic to assess the damage and was surprised not to find more crewmen injured or dead, although having even one was too many as far as he was concerned. When he beamed onto the Intrepid he found the damage more extensive. Travis Mayweather had received a head injury and a punctured lung from flying debris. Captain Ramirez had not been so fortunate. A portion of railing had detached in the melee and the force caused it to impale itself in the captain's chest and chair.

Watching them carry his old friend's body from the bridge, Archer found it difficult to contain his anger and outrage. He had lost too many close personal friends as well as so many crew members and still he had never laid eyes on a single Romulan. That very first day when they left space dock eight years before, Dr. Phlox and T'Pol had always reminded him to keep an open mind and not judge other species by human standards. He always tried to do that very thing. He even tried when they committed an unprovoked attack on Columbia and killed Erica Hernandez. How can you keep an open mind when a species you're never laid eyes on hates you so much that they want you dead and you don't even know why?

Ultimately Kamara's maneuver killed six and injured another fourteen crewmen. Perhaps this was not as many losses as they had experienced in other battles but it was still too much. Another casualty of the battle was that Archer no longer had an open mind, not when it came to the Romulan Star Empire. Yes, the Xindi had once killed seven-million humans and had wanted to kill more, but at least they had managed to meet and talk. There had been an opportunity to delve into what was driving the hostilities and then work together to prevent the deaths of either species. These Romulans allowed no such chances. There were no talks, no learning, only an all-consuming hatred. Archer wished he could feel some form of compassion for them, but after four years he wasn't sure he could muster a single tear if their race suddenly died tomorrow.

With the loss of Captain Ramirez, Archer became more withdrawn, although he never stopped doing his duty. He read reports, conducted all necessary meetings and conferences and did everything that was expected of a captain. His normal friendly, jovial manner was gone and he had begun taking his meals in his quarters. No one questioned his ability to command the ship, but there were still rumors regarding this sudden desire to be reclusive in his off time. Dr. Phlox attempted to counsel him, but the captain was unmoved. T'Pol reminded him of a time when he had advised her on the importance of fraternization and he knew she was right, but he still found it impossible to put on a calm reassuring facade when all the galaxy seemed to be setting itself on fire. It was easier to stay in his quarters and deal with it only when he had too.

Mostly Captain Archer questioned his decision to take that leap into space exploration by taking the Klingon known as Klang back to Qo'noS. From that moment it seemed like they had been swapping one conflict after another with one species and then another. First there was the Suliban trying their damnedest to upend time, the on-again-off-again temper tantrums from the Klingons, being caught between the Andorians and the Vulcans, of course the Xindi Conflict and now this. Where was all the exploration and discovery that he had once dreamed about? Yes, he had hoped to make first contact with different species and learn from them, but the vast majority of his knowledge seemed to be how to piss off each and every species he met.

Aboard ship things weren't any better. The stress of war and living in close quarters without a shore leave for the last few years was beginning to take its toll. The first internal skirmish flared up between the chef and Ensign Childs. It seemed the ensign wanted to try their hand at replicating their grandma's recipe of coq a vin. Unfortunately they had no idea what kind of wine went into the dish, nor did they have any, so it simply ended in a mess of wasted food and Archer trying to talk the chef out of finding new uses for his cleaver.

There were arguments over gum popping, drumming fingers, eating habits, whether or not someone was practicing proper hygiene... the list was endless! While he always knew that as captain you have a symbolic parental role of sorts, he had never actually thought he would be refereeing stupid arguments such as who would win in a hypothetical race, not a real one, but hypothetical. Even better was the tiff between Crewmen's Rogers and Stark over who was on who's side of their shared quarters. Holy shit, did the Enterprise need a shore leave.

The discontent continued to get worse until it started to trickle back to Starfleet headquarters and it became more than a little apparent that something had to be done. It was after the Battle of Sol in twenty-one-sixty that the NX-01 finally was ordered to the planet Risa for a shore leave. They were granted two days and two nights with half the crew going ashore then returning so the other half could go. Lots were drawn and Archer found himself with the first group. T'Pol had been so insistent that he go that he never even had a chance to look at the roster of who was listed in which groups. The sub-commander had long noticed how exhausted, depressed and overworked the captain was and was not about to let him put off his much needed rest for even two more days and nights.

Archer didn't realize just how right she was until he stepped into his hotel room with Porthos and set his bag down that first morning. He could see the blue sky and sunlight shining in through the balcony doors and smell the fresh air. Until that moment he hadn't realized how much he missed it all or how the mere sight of it seemed to stir some life back into him. He had brought two books with him in hopes of simply distracting himself from everything and everyone, but now that he was on the planet's surface he simply set them aside and went out to the terrace where he closed his eyes and allowed the sun to warm his face.

He could have passed the entire day in this fashion, listening to the waves crash onto the beach before him and petting Porthos. In fact, he fully intended to until he started to hear the music of a flute coming from the beach. Curious, he opened his eyes and looked out over the shore line searching for the source of the pleasant tune. He almost gave up until he noticed a group of about two or three individuals sitting together. Two of them were listening as the other, a woman, played the flute. This seemed an ideal scene to eavesdrop on as he allowed his mind to unwind, but then something else caught his eye... a worn, red backpack. Danaë's backpack.

Without thought or hesitation, Archer put a leash on Porthos and walked him down to the beach where the little group were sitting. The lieutenant had her back to him, but there was still no mistaking her blond, curly, well pinned chignon, nor her well worn white tank top and cargo shorts. The other two figures, a man and woman which he could now see were Risians, were too engaged with Danaë to notice him. The man had a stringed instrument that was no doubt native to his people and was attempting to play the same tune that the lieutenant had been playing. He was a skilled player and easily picked up the music as Lt. D'Arcy sang the words:

Sister of the seas

Wrapped in silken robes

Waves are falling at her feet

Play your haunted songs to charm the dragon king,

Winds are calling out your name

When the sun sets over cherry blossom skies

And the twilight fills the air

You can see the snow on the mountaintops

Through the veil of old Japan'.

Through the veil of old Japan will appear our Benzai-ten

When the song was over the group applauded each other then attempted to try combining the stringed instrument and the flute in a duet. The music started off beautifully, but caught up in listening to them, Archer's grip on Porthos' leash loosened. Seizing his chance the beagle took off, eager to greet the lieutenant, where he landed unceremoniously into her lap, his tail wagging in happiness.

"Porthos?" she said, stunned to see him suddenly on top of her, but then in the same instant she realized that if the dog was here... then so too was... instantly she stood while simultaneously turning to see if the captain was behind her. "Jon!" she blurted out without thinking.

"Dani," he answered with a smile. The two stared at each other unsure of what to say. It had been over a year since they had experienced even a few seconds of time alone or had the chance to speak of anything beyond engines, dilithium, coolants, tubes and wires. With the war and constant battles everything had been put on hold for so long that they weren't sure if there was even a relationship between them, although they still had no doubt of their feelings for each other. Suddenly remembering that they were not alone, Archer turned to the two Risians and introduced himself while snatching up his pet's leash and apologizing for intruding. The couple were gracious and understanding and while they would have liked to learn more about Earth music, they could see that Archer and Danaë wanted to be alone and excused themselves.

The two had a thousand things to say and yet somehow all they could do was look at each other. How many times in the last five years had they dared to imagine a moment such as this? So many nights dreaming and imagining the feel of the other person against them, their taste and scent. How many times had they wished to have one moment to once again walk in the sun together and not be afraid to show what they felt. The moment was here now and after so long they were still afraid to allow themselves the chance... still worried that someone, anyone might be lurking around the corner.

"I had no idea you were part of the first group, I assumed..."

"You assumed I was staying on board," he finished. Her own father had never been one to take leave of his ship unless he was given no alternative so she just thought it was a 'captain thing' and left it at that, until now. "Well, T'Pol insisted I go, something about a captain needing rest or some such logic."

"Wise woman," she laughed softly.

"I've missed you," he said finally. "I've missed us." He wanted to put his arms around her and hold her but he could be patient. If it was meant to be, it would happen.

"Me too,"she answered.

"So, uh, that's the famous flute." Archer pointed to the small gold colored instrument in her hand from which an ivory tassel hung, breaking the awkwardness of the moment.

"Yes," she looked down at the small woodwind for a moment in contemplation. "You know, I remember it being incredibly special and personal to him, but I never really understood why for a long time. To be honest I still don't exactly understand even after hearing the story behind it. What I do know for certain is that before the flute I used to overhear him talk about whether I should go live with my aunt Lotte and uncle Fredrick or if I should go to La Barre and live with my uncle Robert and aunt Marie. It used to make me sad because I couldn't understand why he didn't want me. On the night he got that flute everything changed and he made it clear I was going to stay with him. After that whenever I heard the flute I knew he was with me and would stay with me. It wasn't until after I had run away and began to really grow up and understand more about life that I realized that he had always wanted me. He just wasn't sure if he could give me all I needed as a single parent. I wish I could tell him he did just fine and how even now when I play it I can feel him, regardless of how many centuries are between us."

Hearing her story, Archer suddenly wished to hear her play it again. He had known for a long time that she had such an instrument, but until that moment on the balcony he had never heard it before. To him, how her father had come to own such a piece, or why it was special was unimportant. What he did know from personal experience was that shoulders of a captain are constantly weighed down with more cares and burdens than can be imagined. Those few notes did more to ease the weight than anything he could have imagined in the last few years. He had no doubt that it had been very soothing to her as a child.

"I don't suppose you'd play it for me?" Archer asked.

Danaë took his hand in hers and the two sat down on the beach and looked out at the water as the waves rolled in and out over the sand. Placing the flute to her lips and carefully moving her fingers over the small holes, she began to play 'Come Away With Me' while Porthos laid down at the captain's feet. Archer closed his eyes and let the soft breeze move through his hair as the sun kissed his skin. If only time could stand still.