The library was magnificent. High shelves filled with scrolls were arranged in a horseshoe pattern around the central information area. Natural light filtered down through the transparent ceiling, enhancing the aura of sanctity that permeated the chamber.
"Have you no libraries on your world, Ensign Sato?"
Hoshi turned to smile at the librarian. "Not quite like this, I'm afraid." Her eyes wandered over the shelves. "Our data is stored and accessed through computers. We still have printed material, of course, but libraries like this one are rare." She sighed. "And most of the books are so old, they can only be displayed, not read."
The librarian appeared to consider this. "Our collection is available to all." One of his six stick-like appendages gestured to a nearby computer terminal.
"Even off-worlders?"
"Of course. You are an honoured guest."
He shuffled closer to join her at the console and Hoshi suppressed a shudder at his proximity. The M'Zurens, with their round furry torsos and spindly legs, reminded her of earth spiders; except that they were a thousand times bigger. The librarian helped her select several history and language volumes. Bobbing his head in apparent approval, he scuttled away to pick up the scrolls from robotic collectors located on each bookshelf.
She observed in awe as one collector soared up, stopping just short of the ceiling. The metallic arm reached out to extract a single scroll from the shelf before returning to a reachable height. Once the scrolls were gathered, the librarian escorted her to a reading area and left her ensconced in a large chair by the window.
******
Hoshi was engrossed in a scroll spread out on her lap when a tap on the shoulder made her yelp in fright. Twisting her head, she spotted Enterprise's armory officer standing just a few inches away. Though his expression was sober, a hint of amusement sparkled in his blue eyes. She glared at him, but he seemed unperturbed.
"Malcolm, what are you doing here?"
"Same as you, exploring."
"In the library?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I do have interests other than weaponry, Hoshi." Circling her, he plopped down in a neighbouring chair. The oversized piece of furniture made him look strangely child-like.
She shifted awkwardly. "I just thought you'd be with Trip."
He shrugged. "Trip wanted to stay at the complex, I wanted to see the city." He indicated the scroll in front of her. "Find anything interesting?"
Hoshi flushed. "Actually, I've been mainly looking at the illustrations. M'Zuren is kinda hard to read." She hated having to admit failure.
Malcolm nodded in acknowledgment.
She brightened. "But their calligraphy is beautiful," she said enthusiastically. She picked up a scroll from the table beside her and held it out. "Would you like to see?"
"Er, no, thank you. Are you ready to go?"
Hoshi blinked. "You just got here."
He gave her a bland look. "It's getting late, we don't want to miss the Festival."
Malcolm's uncharacteristic evasiveness made her slightly curious, especially since he didn't seem all that interested in the library. Then she remembered his earlier queries regarding her plans for the day and an unpleasant thought entered her head. Was it possible he had come to the library to check on her?
Watching him closely, Hoshi said, "Lieutenant, I'm perfectly capable of walking back to the visitor complex by myself."
His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. She scowled at him, infuriated by his silence and aware that he was far too astute to let anything slip that might confirm her suspicion.
Light click-clacking heralded the librarian's presence. "Ensign Sato, the library is closing now."
With an effort, Hoshi tore her eyes away from Malcolm. She rolled up the scroll on her lap and returned it and the others to the librarian, thanking him for his assistance.
The M'Zuren dipped his head and gave the typical response. "You are an honoured guest." She nodded and smiled at him, then marched away without looking at Malcolm.
******
Emerging into the warm fragrant air, they automatically started towards the visitor complex. Daylight was steadily fading and the plaza was deserted of both natives and other alien visitors. Soon, the sky was a velvety black sprinkled with twinkling stars, and the misty blue mountains Hoshi had used as a landmark earlier in the day had vanished.
Malcolm had refrained from speaking to her, for which she was grateful. She had calmed down a bit and was now feeling more than a little sheepish after her defiant declaration. The city looked very different by night, what with all the buildings closed down and dark. Hoshi realised she could easily have gotten lost. She was glad Malcolm had found her, though she'd rather share Porthos's dinner than admit it.
Navigating the winding streets was further complicated by the lack of lighting. She recalled Dr Phlox commenting that M'Zuren eyes were remarkably flexible, able to cope with conditions ranging from pitch darkness to blinding brightness. Presumably, the mostly inadequate street lights had been installed for visitors. Hoshi had the eerie sensation of travelling through an underground tunnel, in spite of the stars above.
Beside her, Malcolm unexpectedly slowed his steps, lagging behind and letting her take the lead. Hoshi ignored the twinge of anxiety she felt, mimicking his actions instead so that he was ahead of her once more. After just a few steps, he casually dropped back again and she stopped walking.
"Do you know the way back?" asked Hoshi bluntly.
He stared at her blankly. "I thought you did."
Shaking her head in exasperation, she withdrew her communicator. "Sato to-"
Malcolm's hand closed over hers. "What are you doing?"
Carefully, as she would to a small child, Hoshi explained, "I'm calling Enterprise. They can scan for our bio-signs and guide us to the visitor complex."
His grip tightened and he frowned. "Let's not be too hasty, Hoshi. I'm sure we're heading in the right direction."
"Really?" she asked, regarding him sceptically.
"Absolutely," he replied firmly. Hoshi wasn't fully convinced, but he was the superior officer. She shrugged and swept her arm out, gesturing to the path ahead. Malcolm let go of her hand and set off. She trailed after him.
******
According to her chronometer, they had been wandering aimlessly for nearly an hour. Malcolm continued to maintain his confident facade, despite having to backtrack after hitting a few dead ends. Hoshi hadn't even tried to hide her smirk, completely disregarding his annoyed glances.
They hadn't encountered a single other being. Hoshi knew that the Welcoming Festival was one of the biggest events on the M'Zuren calender, but surely they couldn't all be at the visitor complex. She dearly wanted to wait for Malcolm to admit he was wrong, however, her frustration was growing. She was hot, sweaty and her feet were beginning to hurt.
"Okay, that's it!" She stopped dead in her tracks. "Either we call Enterprise or the captain. Your choice, Lieutenant."
He spun around and raised his hand. "Wait."
She sighed wearily. "What's the problem?"
Malcolm hesitated. "We'll be the laughing stock of the entire crew."
Hoshi couldn't believe her ears. "Let me get this straight. We're trekking through this maze of a city because you don't want to put up with a little teasing?"
"A little teasing? Do you remember when Trip got pregnant? He still hasn't lived that one down!"
"Well, as I recall, you were one of the worst offenders. Need I remind you of the 'baby on board' sign you stuck on his back? Turnabout's fair play, Malcolm."
He crossed his arms over his chest, staying stubbornly silent.
Hoshi tried again. "Everyone gets lost some time, Malcolm. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."
He didn't move a muscle.
She groaned. "I'm not spending the rest of the night walking around in circles."
"We're not walking around in circles," said Malcolm dismissively.
"Oh no?" Hands on hips, Hoshi pointed her chin over his left shoulder. "Look over there, Magellan."
Wrinkling his forehead, he turned and froze. She took great pleasure in watching his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed convulsively. "That's the l-library," he stammered.
"Yes, it is," said Hoshi cheerfully. She whipped out her communicator with an exaggerated flourish. "Now, if it's all right with you, I'm going to call Enterprise." Malcolm's shoulders slumped and, avoiding her gaze, he nodded reluctantly.
"Sato to-" Bright light exploded in the sky and, in unison, they turned to look. "Oh, we're missing the fireworks," she said disappointedly.
Malcolm instantly perked up. "This is brilliant. We can follow the fireworks back to the visitor complex."
She stared at him. "What?"
"It'll be faster. Come on, Hoshi." Without waiting for a response, he strode off towards the fireworks. Gritting her teeth, she closed her communicator with a snap and stomped after him.
******
Given the winding roads of the city, they weren't able to travel in a straight line. Still, they were definitely getting closer to their destination. Hoshi would be quite content if not for the irritatingly smug smile that Malcolm wore. Her hand itched to slap the back of his head to dislodge it.
By the time the fireworks petered out, they were within sight of the town hall. If memory served, the visitor complex was just a short distance away. She breathed a sigh of relief. With any luck, they'd be in time to see the traditional dance.
Now that the fireworks were over, Hoshi noticed that the moon had risen, thankfully providing more ambient light. She could also hear the celebrations: music, laughter, growling. Huh? Coming to a halt, Hoshi focused on the faint sounds and caught a cry of pain coming from a different direction to the Festival.
"Hoshi?"
"Someone's in trouble." She determined the approximate location and ran towards it. Malcolm's footsteps echoed behind her. Honing in on the sound of scuffling, she pinpointed a dark alley. At the far end, she glimpsed two humanoid forms, struggling in the shadows. The larger figure slammed the other back against the stone wall.
"Stop!" shouted Malcolm, as he raced towards them.
The dominant figure snarled loudly, but didn't bother to look at them. He/She seemed to be throttling the shorter humanoid.
Malcolm drew his phase pistol and fired, hitting the wall next to their heads. The aliens broke away from each other. The brief flare of light from the beam allowed Hoshi to identify them and as the Klingon couple approached them, growling menacingly, something prickled at the back of her mind; something she had read in the Vulcan Database.
Keeping a steady aim on the male, Malcolm ordered, "Step away from the woman."
"Malcolm," Hoshi whispered.
He briefly glanced at her. "Not now, Ensign."
"How dare you attack us?!" roared the Klingon male.
"Attack you? We stopped you from attacking the woman," said Malcolm coolly.
The Klingons silently stared at him. Abruptly, the female threw back her head and howled with laughter. The male accompanied her with a rumbling chuckle, but kept a wary eye on the humans.
"I am Gahrok. This is K'Eyla, my mate."
"Your...mate?"
Gahrok grunted by way of confirmation.
Malcolm's phase pistol drifted down to hang by his side and he addressed the still chortling K'Eyla. "He wasn't hurting you?"
"Of course he was hurting me, you fool, we were mating!"
Hoshi didn't think it was possible for Malcolm's face to get any redder, but he was certainly giving it a good try. He seemed unable to speak, so she stepped in.
"I'm Ensign Hoshi Sato. This is Lieutenant Malcolm Reed. We apologise for our...interruption." She looked directly at K'Eyla. "We thought you were in danger."
The Klingon woman scanned her up and down disdainfully. "I have never seen your kind before. What are you?"
"We're humans, from the planet Earth," replied Hoshi.
Gahrok sneered contemptuously. "You look weak. I am surprised you had the courage to confront me."
Malcolm stiffened. "You'll find we're full of surprises."
Gahrok stepped closer, towering over the armory officer. Malcolm stood his ground and deliberately holstered his phase pistol. Hoshi's stomach clenched, but she locked down her emotions and prepared to back him up. The two males stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.
The Klingon suddenly grasped the human by the shoulders, grinning broadly and revealing large stained teeth. Incredibly, his eyes held respect. "Maybe not so weak, after all." He clapped Malcolm's shoulders hard before releasing him, making Hoshi wince in sympathy. "Come, we will drink together. Bring your woman," Gahrok said, leering at her.
"Oh, I'm not his-" began Hoshi.
Malcolm clamped an arm around her shoulders and pressed her to his side. "We'd be delighted to join you," he said hastily. Gahrok gave them both a feral grin and roughly grabbed hold of K'Eyla before heading out of the alley.
Malcolm followed, pulling Hoshi with him. Her nose scrunched in disgust. L'eau de Klingon was distinctly nausea-inducing. "What are you doing?" she hissed, trying to shrug off his arm.
"Didn't you see the way he was looking at you?" said Malcolm in a low voice.
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, for crying out loud..."
"Ssshh. You've been spending too much time with Trip." He freed her shoulders and gripped her elbow instead. "Look, we'll just have one drink and then excuse ourselves."
"Right. What could go wrong with that?" Hoshi said sarcastically.
******
The tavern was smelly, noisy and filled with a multitude of aliens. The only species Hoshi recognised as she looked around inquisitively were Klingons and Andorians. If not for the synthetic furnishings and M'Zuren bartenders, they could have been on a different planet. This place was unlike any other construct she had seen on M'Zur. Then again, their hosts did pride themselves on making all their visitors feel welcome, and she couldn't quite picture the Klingons feeling at home in the elegant, artistic visitor complex.
K'Eyla made a beeline for the bar, while Gahrok cleared a table simply by shoving aside three extremely drunk Klingons. Hoshi sat down on the bench, staying close to Malcolm. They'd had to leave their phase pistols at the door, resulting in one disgruntled armory officer. Surprisingly, the Klingon couple had relinquished their weapons without a single protest.
A tray carrying four mugs and a jug of some foul smelling liquid dropped on the table. K'Eyla filled the mugs to the brim and handed them out. Hoshi took a tentative sip and grimaced, immediately wishing she hadn't. She was positive she could substitute the beverage for Trip's warp coil cleaner and he'd be none the wiser. Next to her, Malcolm choked.
Gahrok laughed gruffly. "Toughens the sinews." He took a large gulp from his own mug.
"I'll bet," mumbled Hoshi.
"What brings you to M'Zur?" asked Malcolm hoarsely.
"The Festival," said K'Eyla.
Hoshi was confused. If they had come here for the Festival, what were they doing in this dump? She gave Malcolm a sidelong look. "Us too. Except we've missed it by now."
The Klingon couple exchanged a sly glance and Gahrok smirked at them. "You haven't missed all of it."
"The best part is yet to begin," said K'Eyla, giving them a wink.
Hoshi didn't understand. "What are you-" She broke off at a loud crash that came from the corner of the room. Chaos erupted as nearly everyone in the tavern got up and began fighting, as if in response to some unspoken signal.
She watched in shock as K'Eyla and Gahrok gleefully threw themselves into the brawl. The noise was deafening, sounds of violence mixing with unintelligible shouted languages. Malcolm was right beside her and she barely heard him cry out, "Bloody Hell!"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an enraged Andorian charging straight towards her. As the blue-skinned alien dived over the table, strong arms wrapped around her waist and dragged her out of the way. Before she could react, she was roughly hauled to her feet by Malcolm and pushed towards the exit.
"Hoshi, get out of here!" he yelled.
She was vaguely insulted that he thought she might actually leave him behind. There was no way that was going to happen even if the exit hadn't been blocked. Hoshi rapidly assessed the situation and decided she needed some temporary cover. Dodging flailing limbs, she ran to the bar and vaulted over it, landing fortuitously between two hunched down M'Zurens.
"Have you called for help?" she shouted at one of them.
He shook his head in a resigned fashion. "It will do no good. They will continue fighting until they are all unconscious."
"How do you-" Then it hit her. "This is part of the Festival?"
The M'Zuren nodded. "They are honoured guests," he said weakly.
Closing her eyes, Hoshi leaned her forehead against the bar. This was unbelievable. Someone needed to introduce the M'Zurens to the concept of moderation. She cautiously peeked over the bar and spied Malcolm sparring with the Andorian. He seemed to be holding his own, throwing punches with more exuberance than she had ever seen him exhibit before. Nevertheless, there were already several bodies littering the floor, and she had no desire to see Malcolm join them. She realised the melee was more of a wrestling match than a fight to the death, but he could still be severely injured. They had to get out of there.
Malcolm dispensed with the Andorian and nimbly leapt over the body to start in on a Klingon. Had he lost his mind?! Fortunately, the Klingon must have been at the tavern for some time because he swayed from side to side and his blows were more misses than hits.
An idea occurred to her and she swiftly surveyed the area behind the bar. "Is that a way out?" she asked the bartender, pointing to a half-open door. She felt a sharp stab of relief at his affirmative and ensured that Malcolm was still standing. This was going to be tricky enough without having to contend with his dead weight.
Rising to her feet, she took a quick look around before vaulting back over the bar and abruptly coming face to face with K'Eyla. The tall woman gave her a toothy grin. Damn! The Klingon swung a fist at her head. Hoshi instinctively ducked under K'Eyla's arm and moved forward, elbowing her in the lower back. She kept moving, trying to get away, but a hand seized her hair and painfully jerked her back. She was unceremoniously swung around and flung into the bar, only just managing to brace herself with her hands.
Hoshi looked over her shoulder and saw K'Eyla advancing on her. Pivoting on her hip, she side-kicked the Klingon in the abdomen. Her opponent bent over in reflex and she followed up with a hook punch to the jaw, causing K'Eyla to fall heavily on her knees. She grabbed a handy metal jug and slammed it into the back of the other woman's head, ending the fight and inadvertently sloshing the remaining contents onto her uniform.
Feeling pretty pleased with herself, despite her aching hand, Hoshi evaded bodies, furniture and flying objects to get to Malcolm's side. He was sitting on the floor with a dazed look in his eyes. Amazingly, his Klingon adversary was lying immobile beside him. Without preamble, she tugged him up on his feet. Never mind the crew, she was never going to let him hear the end of this.
******
Trip leaned against the shuttle, arms across his chest and tapping his foot. Most of the other alien ships had already departed, but they were still waiting for Malcolm and Hoshi. A short distance away, Captain Archer paced back and forth, checking the time every few minutes. The city was supposed to be safe for visitors and natives alike, so Trip wasn't worried. Yet.
Now that he thought about it, Trip realised he hadn't seen either of the two at the Festival. Hoshi, in particular, had been looking forward to it. The visitor complex and its grounds had been so packed, however, that he just assumed they were lost in the crowd. Since Malcolm had contacted him earlier to confirm Hoshi's whereabouts, he figured they were probably together. But where? He watched Archer flip open his communicator for the third time.
"Archer to-"
"Captain!" Trip stared beyond Archer. The two missing crew members had appeared at the periphery of the landing port, trudging towards the shuttle. As they drew closer, he noticed that Malcolm was clutching his ribs and his uniform was ripped in several places. Hoshi's normally neatly bound hair was hanging messily in her face, and there were dark stains on her chest and arms.
They passed the captain, who turned to keep them in sight, mouth hanging open. Malcolm kept his eyes downcast, though that didn't hide his nicely developing black eye. Hoshi looked madder than a riled up rattler, thought Trip uneasily. He opened his mouth.
"Not a word, Trip," growled Hoshi. Startled, he watched in silence as they boarded the shuttle. Dr Phlox's alarmed exclamation floated out through the open doorway. Trip sniffed the air curiously. Was that warp coil cleaner he could smell?
End
Warp 5 Complex
Star Trek Enterprise fan fiction archive
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Author's Chapter Notes: Thanks to Mara Greengrass for the beta, and boosting my ego! Feedback is always welcome. |
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