"The Abduction of Captain Archer"

[Cptn Elias Moore 0]

Captain Jonathan Archer felt curiously like a lamb as he was "guided" through the dark, cramped corridor. Perhaps it was the not-so-gentle grip that his "escort" was maintaining on his arm. Perhaps it was the corridor's unmistakable resemblance to the interior of a slaughterhouse. Or perhaps it was just the Klingon reputation for brutality. But there was no mistaking the bad feeling that Archer had about this whole affair.

 

The "bad feeling" took root at the Denevan outpost. As expected, they received the Klingon communique clearing them for passage across the border. What they didn't expect was the indication that a "change of plans" was to take place. Archer's ride, the Lexington class ESS Aldrin, would no longer be meeting with a transport carrying a Klingon political officer. Instead, they were to rendezvous at a provided set of coordinates with a Klingon military ship that was to escort them to their contact. This change was apparently made for security reasons in the wake of a "political upheaval" on Kronos, the details of which were not provided. Though this development came across as mildly alarming, Command had stressed to Archer quite vehemently the urgency of this mission. He had no choice but to proceed to the rendezvous.

 

Sure enough, a Klingon Bird of Prey awaited Aldrin at the coordinates. Three Klingon Birds of Prey awaited Aldrin, in fact, as the original arrangements underwent yet another mildly alarming transformation. They ordered Aldrin to maintain a comfortable distance and to send Archer in a shuttle pod toward the central ship, where he was to be brought before the fleet's commander. Questions were asked about the alterations of the original plan, but these were ignored. Once again, driven by the urgency of the mission, Archer proceeded as ordered. But he did not proceed blindly--he'd made his own changes to the plan.

 

Archer's escort practically shoved him through the doorway leading into the Bird's command center. The old Archer would have protested, but the new Archer needed to be diplomatic and reminded himself, for perhaps the sixtieth time, that the Klingons were a very different people who had a very different way of treating guests.

 

The chair at the center of the Bridge swivelled around, revealing a Klingon with a very broad, tooty grin on his face and prominent ridges on his forhead. "So, this is Captain Archer, most famous among his people! I have looked forward to seeing you in the flesh, so that I might compare the man to the myth. I am M'ehl, son of M'ris."

 

"Why do three warships receive me?" Archer's tone was firm, but not hostile. Playing ambassador with a race that respected strength was sure to be a delicate balancing act. "I have come on a mission of peace."

 

M'ehl laughed heartily and slapped the armrest of his chair. "Peace? I know your peace, Archer. You would dare to annex the Klingon people into your Empire."

 

"It is not an Empire." Archer replied, his voice louder. "It is a Coalition of planets that respect each other's territorial borders and political sovereignty."

 

"Spare me your sweet talk!" M'ehl barked. "I have no interest in hearing it, as I have no interest in your 'Coalition.' The Klingon people have no interest in your 'Coalition.' We see it for what it is and we spit on it."

 

Archer frowned deeply and took a step toward the Klingon commander's chair; guards at the Bridge entrance followed him. "It's a good thing that I care little for what interests you. I was told that I would be receiving amnesty for my supposed crimes, so there is no reason for me to be treated like a criminal. Now, are you going to bring me to my contact? Or did you wait for me to come all the way out here simply so you could tell me 'no thanks' and turn me back around?"

 

"That is not the proper respect that I detect in your voice, Captain." M'ehl said through grit teeth. "This is why I curse your Empire! Humans are a weak people. You would expect us to follow you... even to stand beside you, as you claim... yet you have no respect for the Klingon race!"

 

"You have the nerve to say that after what I've done for your people?"

 

M'ehl again broke out in a hearty laugh, with several of his officers joining him. "What you've done for my people!? You speak of that Suliban nonsense? Few things in our Empire's history have been warped out of proportion so. No, Captain Archer, you did not prevent a civil war, you did not save the Klingon Empire, you did not help us avoid anything more than a minor nuisance."

 

Archer had to stop himself from mentioning Enterprise's role in the Augment gene crisis, a matter on which he had been sworn to secrecy. This one was not likely to care anyway. "My contact believes otherwise, and he is acting on behalf of your Chancellor. You will bring me to him at once."

 

M'ehl rose from his chair sharply. The two Bridge guards moved to flank Archer. "Wrong on both counts, Captain! The Chancellor has no intention of clearing your name and he wants no more to do with your 'coalition' than I do. You have no idea about what he believes or doesn't believe, because you have no idea who he is."

 

"I have stood before Chancellor M'Rek in the--"

 

"Chancellor M'Rek has been deposed."

 

Archer's brow furrowed. An ugly grin spread across M'ehl's face as he observed the reaction. This was now well out of the territory of 'mildly alarming.' "When did this happen? We began planning this meeting months ago; we should have been told about a change in power."

 

M'ehl laughed and signalled to the two guards. They grabbed Archer. "Should have been told! As if the Klingon Empire is under any obligation to keep the Humans updated on our affairs! Your arrogance runs thick. As does your duplicity--you weren't going to tell us that you brought Enterprise along, were you?"

 

Archer blinked but tried to keep a straight face. It was difficult to tell whether the Klingon was bluffing. His next words dispelled any doubt. "We've had enough contact with the pathetic Suliban to develop ways to pierce their feeble cloaking devices. I am not surprised that humans are now placing such things on their starships. A coward's approach to battle for a cowardly people."

 

Archer struggled against the grips of the guards. "Do you have any idea what you're starting, M'ehl?"

 

"Quite a good idea." M'ehl replied. He looked over his shoulder. "Weapons lock on Enterprise. Take him away." He instructed the guards.

 

Archer continued to struggle as he was dragged off the Bridge, but he knew that his situation was hopeless. He would have been thinking about the urgency Starfleet placed on this mission, about their desperation to gain an alliance with the Klingons in the shadow of the growing Romulan threat, about the fact that he was now imprisoned behind enemy lines because of their insistence that he meet with their 'trusted contact.' He would have been thinking about all of that if his mind was not preoccupied with the fate of his ship and his crew...