A Pact with Mephisto

Chapter 1

Disclaimer:  Don't own 'em, don't make money off 'em.

Notes:  Granted, this isn't strictly TnT smut, but it's got enough other smut in it to qualify for Decon, as opposed to The Bridge. (I asked.) And believe it or not, this is my first smutty fanfic.

How did "Empress" Sato build up her support behind the scenes of "In a Mirror, Darkly Parts I and II"?  I saw her character as more than just a "Captain's Woman", but a smart and ruthlessly calculating woman.

 Rating: NC-17 (TnT implied, Archer/Sato, Tucker/Sato, Reed/Sato. Yeah, the woman got around.)

Hoshi Sato reveled in secrets.

She collected them as one might collect rare coins or fine jewelry. From an early age, she had trained herself to use her senses to find them. Hoshi watched and listened, sometimes with amusement, sometimes with disgust, but she remembered every detail, no matter how trivial it seemed at the time. There were times when she employed the stealth of her ninja heritage; other times, she used the enthrallment of a mystical shugenja-ko. In every case, the end always justified the means.

Men forgot themselves in the depths of Andorian ale, or in the depths of a woman. Hoshi knew when to play the innocent geisha, serving ale and saké to make them forget. Other times, she coaxed them, teased them into a frenzy, and they spilled their secrets as they howled in release. It was an easy matter to exploit their weaknesses, to praise their virility no matter how potent they were or were not, to stroke their massive egos. They believed she was there for their own benefit, when the reverse was true.

And she enjoyed them as she rode them to oblivion. Finding secrets was hard work, after all, and if she had to endure a hideously boring evening, she could at least find some pleasure in the matter.

So she gathered her secrets and bided her time. They were all fools, these men. Maxwell Forrest and Jonathan Archer among them. When she finally decided to put her master plan in action, she needed allies more than ever; not thugs like Archer, but ones whom she could trust. But whom could she trust? She needed allies among Enterprise's crew and among the most overlooked men and women on board the ship: the Mobile Assault Command Operations corps, the MACOs.

Hoshi Sato was a patient woman, and watched and waited for the right opportunity. In the meantime, she endured the "affections" of being the Captain's Woman, night after night; first with Forrest, then with Archer. And with both, she took what she needed, and conveniently forgot the rest.

But there were certain things she would never forget.

Yelling and screaming were good ways to let out rage and frustration, and her cries bounced off the ceiling and the walls. The Starfleet-standard bunk thudded against the wall in a frantic rhythm as she clenched her hands in the sheets and deliberately moved her hips in response to Archer's manic thrusts. She refused to allow him dominance over her; she knew her defiance enraged him, and she goaded him on with her screams. He pounded into her mercilessly, over and over, trying to break her, and failing utterly.

She arched hard against him, squeezing him and forcing a tortured groan from deep within his throat. His eyes widened as spasms rocked his body and his control shattered, then he reared back and slammed into her, searing her from within. She endured the unwieldly jerking of his limbs, as if he was a drunken marionette with its strings cut. He moaned, then collapsed next to her.

The silence between them was deafening. Hoshi controlled her breathing and refused to let the shuddering sobs rise in her own throat. It's over. He's finished for now. He'll turn over and go to sleep and he'll leave me alone for a while. She deliberately turned her attention to what Archer had told her in his latest rambling. He was incensed over Max Forrest's refusal to go into Tholian space; the Tholians possessed a weapon against the Empire, and Archer was determined to take it.

"For the glory of the Empire," Archer had sneered. She repressed a snort. It was more for the glory of Emperor Jonathan Archer. She knew his ambition wouldn't stop at just command of the Empire's flagship. He wanted the seat of the Emperor for himself and she'd convinced him that she would be content to be Empress at his side.

Max Forrest had forbidden her to go back to Archer. It was too dangerous; Archer was a nutcase, an unstable psychotic. But even unstable psychotics had their uses. And Hoshi needed Archer at the moment, but once his usefulness was ended...it was the promise of a bright future in the midst of a dark present.

She felt his hand in her hair. "Enjoy yourself?" he asked without rancor.

"About as much as you did," she answered, as she hid a wince. Archer saw it and chuckled.

"Sorry about being a little rough."

She closed her eyes and thought, Bastard. Aloud, she said with a hint of sarcasm, "You're never sorry about that."

He leaned over her, the warmth of his breath on her cheek. "You enjoyed every minute of it, admit it."

"Don't flatter yourself too much, Jonathan." She refused to look directly at him, but she heard the irritated hiss of breath and smiled inwardly. "So, what are you going to do?"

"About what?" Now his voice was wary.

She opened her eyes. "You aren't going to accept Captain Forrest's order of non-interference, are you?"

"Would you?"

Hoshi shrugged and persisted, "Are you?"

"Forrest is a fool. He's allowing the salvation of the Empire to slip right through his fingers," Archer muttered darkly. "I won't stand by and watch that happen."

"I didn't think you would." Finally, she met his eyes and shivered at the madness she found there. "Assuming you're successful and we make it out of Tholian space with their secret weapon...do you think the rest of Starfleet will just fall in line?"

"I think they could be convinced, once they see the direction the wind's blowing. Don't worry, Hoshi. I have everything under control."

She said nothing at the arrogant confidence of his voice. We shall see, Jonathan Archer. We shall see who is truly in control here.

Hoshi had warned Forrest about Archer's treachery, but her warning fell on deaf ears. She wasn't surprised when Archer locked the Enterprise's navigational computer on a course towards Tholian space. She simply withdrew and watched as the two alpha males growled and postured at each other. It was uncouth to laugh at them, but she did, in the privacy of her own thoughts.

In the meantime, she put her own plans in motion. She slowly, but surely gained the support of the junior members of the crew. A whisper here, a judicious prodding there, and Hoshi's influence spread under her silent guidance. Yet, there was one section of the crew that she could not touch. Major Malcolm Reed's MACOs. The MACOs rarely socialized with the Starfleet contingent of the crew and held themselves apart from everyone else. They were both respected and feared.

They drove Hoshi crazy, and the one who was first and foremost on the list was Major Reed himself. His penchant for torture was well-known among the crew, especially concerning the new Agony Booth. He was a sadist, but a different brand from Archer or even Phlox. Reed was quiet, and as she was well aware, the quiet ones were the most dangerous.

She sat at her station on the Bridge, listening to possible enemy transmissions. The turbolift doors opened and Lieutenant Commander T'Pol stepped out. She surveyed the Bridge with cool aplomb, then made her way to the science station. Hoshi thought, Well, well, on time, as usual. I wonder when her 'pon farr' will come around again, and whether Charles will do her another 'favor'. He said she needed some pointers in certain areas. T'Pol was Forrest's creature, his lapdog, for the captain indulged in her whims far too often. 

Hoshi hated her. T'Pol looked upon her with an expression of faintly-disguised disdain as she claimed her station. Then Hoshi felt someone else's eyes on her. Speak of the devil, she thought.

The major himself sat there at the Tactical station with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. She assessed her enemy: a man who seemed to be in perfect control, but she saw the underlying emotion in the blue-gray eyes, the purpose in his every movement. She watched as his slender fingers manipulated his board, and despite herself, wondered how those fingers would feel on her body. A pleasant blush spread over her at the thought  and she deliberately crossed her legs under her console.

He couldn't have seen, but she had the feeling that he missed nothing. And indeed, the smirk widened a fraction, and he deliberately brought his hand to his chin in a contemplative gesture, one slender finger tapping against his cheek. Hoshi took a deep breath and turned her attention back to her console.

Oh, this will be quite a challenge. Prepare to be boarded, Major. She frowned as if finding something unacceptable and manipulated her board with graceful movements, biting her lip as she concentrated. Then she straightened and rolled her neck, as if trying to get the kinks out of it. The short top of her uniform rode up as she stretched upward; shadows flittered across Reed's face, but to the man's credit, he didn't react further.

"What do you think you're doing?" a low voice hissed in her ear.

She turned towards Archer and raised her eyebrows coolly. "I'm working, Commander."

"Working," he repeated with a hint of irony.

"Working. Is there anything I can do for you, Commander?"

Archer's mouth turned upward. "Not at the moment. Perhaps later."

"Perhaps." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dangerous expression on Reed's face, but she didn't acknowledge it. She knew that her position was by no means assured, and Archer wanted to remind her of that fact. For now, she acknowledged the warning and accepted it. Satisfied, Archer backed off and stalked to the opposite end of the Bridge.

A soft voice echoed in her earpiece. "Tucker to Sato."

"Yes?" she replied.

"Beta shift, my quarters."

She tapped her answer, then closed the channel. Three hours later, at the end of Alpha shift, she allowed her subordinate to take her station, then made her way to the turbolift. Neither Archer nor Major Reed made any move to intercept her as she made her escape. Hoshi sighed in relief as she looked forward to the relative privacy of her quarters.

"Lieutenant Sato? May I speak with you for a moment?"

She slowly inclined her head towards the speaker: a pleasant-looking, dark-skinned man in a MACO uniform, his dark hair cut in a flattop and a single diamond stud in his right ear. Hoshi tried to remember the man's name, then glanced at the name patch on his shoulder. T. Mayweather. Of course, Sergeant Mayweather, known as "Silent", for he rarely spoke aloud. One of Reed's lackeys.

But as she looked into his deep brown eyes, she instinctively sensed a fellow soul, one who spent his life watching and waiting. And Hoshi knew that this man was her means of gaining control of the MACOs. Not Reed, but Mayweather.

But that still left the question: What was she going to do with Reed? Hoshi smiled and thought, The original plan hasn't changed. Reed won't know what hit him.

Aloud, she said, "Of course."

Hoshi gestured for Mayweather to follow her into the turbolift. And she felt Reed's eyes on her as the doors closed.

 "...An' he said, 'I'd like to see you try.' That limey bastard. I'd love to throw him into his own contraption and fry his ass to a crisp."

Charles Tucker's low growl vibrated dangerously deep in his chest. Hoshi smiled secretly as she rested her cheek against his heart, her long black hair tousled with sweat. "The Major seems quite proud of his new invention, doesn't he?"

He snorted in derision. "He's the lord of his own fiefdom, those MACOs. No one can touch 'em, not even Forrest. Far's I can tell, they think they're God's gift to the Empire, and Reed's the worst of 'em."

She raised her head to look at him. The fire in his one remaining eye blazed hot, like a blue flame. Hoshi gently touched the uninjured side of his face; he would always be handsome to her, and she would always treat him with respect, even with his ruined features. "You hate him that much."

"He's a thug and a bully, Hoshi, an' I hate bullies."

She nodded again and tightened her grip on him. In response, he brushed his lips against the side of her neck, and she shivered involuntarily. "But as you said, he's in charge of the MACOs, and even if you wanted to pitch him out the airlock, you can't."

"Yeah." His tongue teased her ear, causing a sharp pang of pleasure deep within her gut. "Mister Perfect Soldier wants everyone to believe he's in complete control, but I know that there're people who won't shed a tear if he gets blown up doing something stupid."

"Of course. I'm sure there are people who'd think that of any one of us, but Reed...he's an enigma. No one knows a lot about him or where his loyalties lie."

"That's the big problem. I don't think even Forrest trusts him. I know Archer doesn't." A slow smirk came over Charles's face. "You ain't thinkin' about seducin' Mister Perfect Soldier, are ya?"

"Not my type...but I wouldn't mind the challenge," she said lightly, running a hand down his chest and up his inner thigh, and he drew his breath into a sharp hiss.  "If the opportunity ever arises-"

He growled playfully and flipped her over. He winced with the movement; his time in the Agony Booth had been a harrowing experience, and Hoshi felt the anger stiffen his muscles. "'Nuff of that, woman, you're ruining my mood, and I've got the late shift tonight."

She murmured in surprise as his mouth claimed hers in a hungry kiss. Despite his words, she knew he hadn't forgotten his rage at Reed for what the major had done to him, She gasped at the angry assault on her lips, on her breasts, at the core of her being. He needed the outlet, one that she was willing to give to him without reservation and without shame. She dug her nails into his shoulders and back, arching her body under his onslaught, accepting his rage and adding it to her own. He hurt her, but also gave her a pleasure she couldn't do without.

The backbone of her resistance snapped, and she burst into flame under him, a split second before he followed, pouring the last of his onslaught into her body. Then he collapsed on her, every muscle trembling with fatigue and pain, great sobs torn from him. Hoshi gathered him up in her arms and soothed him into a troubled sleep.

She lay in the dark as he slept, and thought, Reed will pay for what he's done. I will break him and any MACO who stands in my way. That will be my promise to you, Charles. He will pay.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

And just outside the Commander's quarters, a silent shadow smiled and went on his way.