A Pact with Mephisto

Chapter 5

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

Notes: If you watch the scene where Archer makes his grandiose speech in the Cargo Bay, notice the make-up of who's there. T'Pol, Soval, an Andorian, an Orion woman, Phlox, Hoshi, Charles Tucker and others. Why these people in particular (esp. the non-Terrans).

Hoshi still wants to spare T'Pol for Charles's sake, until T'Pol downloads the Defiant's schematics. This act of treason negates her promise to spare her. And how did she know exactly what T'Pol did on the Bridge?

Rating NC-17

"Mayweather to Sato."

Hoshi nodded at the comm officer,  who then accepted the call from Avenger. "Go ahead, Sergeant Mayweather."

"We'll be beaming back to Defiant in an hour, Lieutenant. Captain Archer 'requests' that personnel assemble in Shuttle Bay Two before our arrival."

She heard the quotation marks around the word 'requests' and stifled a groan of disgust. "Acknowledged, Sergeant---"

"List of personnel to attend follows.  Make sure everyone on it is present. Mayweather, out."

"What-?" Hoshi didn't get a chance to ask what he meant by a list of personnel, but the comm officer turned to her again with a PADD. He silently handed it to her and she scrolled down the list of names.

T'Pol. Tucker, Charles. Soval. Phlox. Irek. Sharra. Sato, Hoshi. Over half of the names were of non-Humans. Why this particular group?

Hoshi knew why. She hid a secret smile; Archer's actions were so predictable that she nearly laughed aloud.

He stood proudly on top of one of Defiant's shuttles, high above the crew's heads, and Travis watched from the upper walkway. Charles glanced over his shoulder at her with a sour expression. She only nodded at him, then turned her attention to the rest of her surroundings.

Of course, she recognized T'Pol and Phlox, and an older Vulcan with a goatee named Soval, who was a crewman on Avenger.  Irek, an Andorian crewman. Sharra, an Orion. Hoshi guessed she had her pheromones surgically removed when she was pressed into service. Hoshi stifled a chuckle; Sharra couldn't control the men on board for her own nefarious purposes. 

Archer began his grandiose speech, and Mayweather watched from above. Hoshi schooled her face to perfect attention, but the more Archer rambled on, the less she was able to hide her disgust. The man's abilities definitely didn't match his delusions of grandeur. She glanced over at Tucker, whose face was impassive, but the fire in his one good eye spoke volumes.

The rest of the audience didn't seem all that impressed with Archer's speech, either. Hoshi noticed the look that passed between T'Pol and Soval and her suspicion of both of them increased. If she, Hoshi, were a non-Terran, she would be plotting to destroy Archer...and perhaps even Defiant itself. Both T'Pol and Soval had seen the might of this starship. Its loss would be a victory for the rebellion.

Archer suspected every person in this room of possibly betraying him. If Malcolm were here, he would also be standing next to her, seething with disbelief and rage.  Every person in this Cargo Bay was a potential traitor; either Archer believed Malcolm was no longer a threat, or that the Major could easily be neutralized. Archer's speech was meant to be inspiring, but also a warning to those who might think of assassination.

"With your help, I will return to Earth and restore the Empire to its former glory. Let us advance where the omens of the gods and the crimes of our enemies summon us! The die is now cast! Long live the Empire!" Archer finally ended his speech.

"Long live the Empire!" they all chorused. Some of the officers saluted while the others broke into applause. Hoshi, for her part, raised her hand in a casual salute, not quite convinced of Archer's sincerity. Archer's hazel-green eyes glowed with self-congratulatory pride, and as those eyes bore into hers. She read the unspoken order: My quarters. Now.

She watched as Archer whispered something to Mayweather before leaving. Travis didn't quite roll his eyes, but he nodded as the captain disappeared. As soon as Archer was gone, Travis nodded at the assembly and said, "Dismissed. Get back to your posts before I have to shoot you."

Everyone scattered, but not before some of them gave Hoshi a questioning look. Hoshi nodded, then glanced up at Travis, who also nodded. They needed to make their move, and soon. She noticed T'Pol leaving with Soval as well as Charles's glare as the duo left the Cargo Bay.

So, a little jealous, Charles? Don't you think she'd side with her own people, even though she's sharing your bed, your office, and turbolifts two and three, and crawlway numbers ten, twelve, nineteen and thirty four? Hoshi watched as the engineer stalked away towards his domain with a murderous expression on his ruined face. 

T'Pol was a prideful woman, and if there was a chance to help the Vulcans' cause, she would do so. Hoshi's anger at T'Pol grew as she thought of how she was toying with Charles's emotions. There was more than lust on Charles's side, but Hoshi doubted it was the same for T'Pol.

Bitch. She'll pay for playing with him. Vulcans don't love; it's all a 'logical' experiment for them. A 'scholarly exploration'. Hoshi left the Cargo Bay and headed for the captain's quarters. She would ask Archer to kill T'Pol, and only then would Charles be free of his misery. He deserved more. He deserved better.

It was the least Hoshi could do for him.

Archer didn't need much convincing at all. She used all her wiles and skill to take the edge off his manic mood. He could be playful, even tender, during these times, and the contrast was startling. For a moment, she could see how his counterpart could be so beloved in the other universe. It had been the same with Malcolm, during their short time together...

Dammit. The memory destroyed any ardor she felt, and she was forced to fake her own release so it would be over sooner. She lay there next to him, in complete darkness. As the hours passed, she dozed a little, but woke up when he got up to sit on the edge of the bed. She felt his tension and tried to reassure him.

"My senior officers don't think I can do this."

She hid her disgust at his self-doubt. He was comparing himself to his esteemed counterpart again. Oh, for Gods' sake. He thinks he can be Emperor? Not with this weakness. Aloud, she reassured him, "They'll come around."

"T'Pol doesn't approve, either. I can see it in her eyes."

Why did he need T'Pol's approval? Hoshi seized the opportunity to be free of her rival once and for all. "Maybe it's time to get rid of her, now that this ship's operational."

 "Not just her. We'll get rid of all the non-Terrans. I'll transfer them off Defiant."

She was genuinely surprised at the depth of his paranoia. "All of them?"

"The rebels have spies everywhere. I can't afford to have a single alien aboard my flagship."

Hoshi understood his reasoning, but thought, Treachery can also come from a Human face, Jonathan. Have you even thought about that? She kept her tone light. "I hope you're not planning on getting sick anytime soon. In case you haven't noticed, your doctor is an alien."

"I've got nothing against Phlox. His people aren't rebels. It's not in their nature. He can stay." He began kissing her once again, finding all her erogenous zones, causing waves of pleasure throughout her body. A coldly rational part of her needed to ensure her own safety, or Archer could transfer her or kill her outright. She wanted that reassurance.

She was going to make sure Archer wasn't going to forget who was satisfying his every whim. Her fingers clenched his shoulders as she tried to get the words out of her mouth. "I've never been the consort of an Emperor before. Is there anything I need to know?"

 "I think you--" He gasped as she snaked her hand down his abdomen to his swollen member. He eased her back down to the bed, and as he pushed deeply into her, he whispered, "I think you've got the basics down." 

Travis told Hoshi how he had escorted T'Pol off the Bridge and to the transporter room. He'd watched as the Vulcan and the other non-Terrans disappeared in sparkles of light. They were all on Avenger, all but Phlox. Hoshi was about to breathe a sigh of relief, when Travis noted an odd detail.

"She was at the science station, but I swear she was doing something other than running scans. Just a feeling I got from her. I think it's good that Archer kicked her off the ship. I don't trust her."

I don't trust her. Did Travis interrupt something? T'Pol hadn't resisted her transfer to Avenger, and now that all the non-Humans were on one ship...it set off alarm bells in Hoshi's mind. They were all in one place, save for Phlox. Archer didn't believe the Denobulan capable of treachery, but if someone dangled the right opportunity in front of Phlox's nose, even he might be tempted to betray the Empire.

Hoshi trusted her instincts and they all screamed betrayal. Damn that Vulcan...she still had had a glimmer of hope of leaving her alive, for Charles's sake. After all, she'd promised him. And if T'Pol had indeed done something to endanger them all, her life was forfeit.

Hoshi needed to find out exactly what T'Pol had been doing on the Bridge. She tapped her private comlink; she had plenty of loyal contacts within the Science and Communications departments, and the  comm department on Avenger owed her some favors...

"Phlox to Sato."

She smirked and thought, Speak of the devil... "Yes, Doctor."

"You wanted to know when he was awake. Well, he's awake."

"I'll be there in a few moments, Doctor." First things first. Professional, then personal.

Malcolm sat up in the biobed, obviously still in some pain, despite the opiates running through his I.V. One side of his face was shiny with burn ointment, but the skin underneath was pink with regenerated cells. Nevertheless, it was going to scar; not as badly as Charles, but Malcolm would also carry the reminder for the rest of his life.

Hoshi privately thought that it made him look rugged, in a twisted sort of way. He seemed absorbed in whatever was on his PADD and she thought he didn't notice her standing a few meters away. Then he spoke without lifting his eyes from the screen. "Hello, Lieutenant. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

She deliberately put her hands behind her back as she approached his bedside. "I came to see how you were doing."

"Bloody good of you." He finally looked up at her, his gray-blue eyes unreadable. "You're the only one who's bothered. Except for Phlox, of course."

She frowned at the relative quiet of Sickbay. "Where is Phlox? I thought he'd be here."

He smirked and replied, "He received a call from Avenger. A medical emergency."

Hoshi saw the knowing gleam in his eye and an answering smirk tugged at her lips. "You don't believe it's a real medical emergency."

"Lieutenant Cutler mentioned that Archer transferred all the non-Terrans to Avenger, except for Phlox. That's a deadly tactical mistake. Now the ratio of them to Terrans on that ship is off and I'm sure they wouldn't pass up this opportunity to gain control."

So his train of thought matched hers exactly. Perhaps he could lead a squad of MACOs onto Avenger and take over the ship. Malcolm would have his own command, to do what he will...she stopped that thought cold. No, that sort of power would put him at odds with her plans. She wanted him as an ally, not an enemy. Malcolm Reed as an enemy was a dangerous prospect.

But she didn't want him as Emperor, as much as she didn't want Archer on the throne. Charles had no ambitions for ruling the Empire; all he wanted was to study Defiant's new technology and improve it. 

Damn you, Malcolm Reed. You still have some hold on me that I can't break. If he'd died in the blast, she wouldn't have this dilemma right now. Damn it all to hell.

Her smile was predatory as she asked, "So...what would you do, then?"

"Destroy Avenger, with all the non-Terrans on board," he answered shortly. "Just to be on the safe side."

"And about the ones who are still loyal to the Empire?"

He paused for a moment, then carefully shrugged. "Collateral damage. You can't avoid that in war."

She regarded him with a thoughtful expression. Of course, he would see the situation from a tactical perspective. Archer wasn't a strategist; Malcolm was. That failing would be Archer's Achilles heel. Never underestimate your enemies, or potential enemies. 

Her own PADD beeped and she glanced at it. The message made her smile and murmur, "Ah, not as secretive as you think, T'Pol. How discourteous of you."

"Schematics. She's downloaded Defiant's schematics. I believe Mister Tucker would be quite incensed when he finds out she's betrayed him." At her sharp look, Malcolm shrugged again. "Security protocols alert me to any unauthorized access to any of Defiant's databases. It was a simple matter to trace which database she looked at."

Again, parallel thoughts, and this was the evidence against T'Pol that Hoshi needed. Her plans were falling neatly into place. "I'll beam aboard Avenger and have a little chat with our treacherous Vulcan."

Malcolm nodded and said, "I suppose an anonymous message in Tucker's box will let him know about his paramour's activities."

She started in surprise at his words. "I thought you and Charles didn't get along."

His eyes glittered in the low light. "We don't. This is purely professional."

"Ah." She nodded, then said, "All right. I'll be back soon, Malcolm." She turned and was about to leave when his hand shot out and gripped her arm. 

"Once Archer is gone, I'm willing to renegotiate our terms."

She gritted her teeth at the iron-clad grip; his fingers would leave a bruise for all to see. "What else do you want? The Defiant for yourself?"

The predator grinned at her. "I want you by my side, Hoshi. We rule. Together."