Entanglements

Part 10 - The End of the Experiment

"No, sir, they just fired. We tried hailing them, and we got nothing."

"Travis," he commanded, "let's pull back, closer to Amity. Hoshi, hail them and, if they don't answer, try hailing Scafen. Maybe he's got some ideas. Malcolm, arm torpedoes but wait for my signal."

"Yes, sir," Malcolm busied himself with fulfilling Jonathan's request.

"No response from either the Reptilian or the Insectoid ships," Hoshi reported.

"Try Scafen!"

"Yes, sir."

Scafen answered quickly. "What's going on?"

"You tell us! We've been fired upon!"

Scafen checked some sort of instrument in front of him. "Hail the lead Insectoid ship," he commanded to a woman nearby, "They have no business being in this sector."

The Enterprise rocked again. "We're going to start returning fire if this keeps up," Jonathan warned.

There was a Communications hail. "I've got Prala," Hoshi reported.

"Put her through, on a split screen," Jonathan commanded. "I thought you told us that they didn't want Amity, that it wasn't hot and rainy enough for them."

"Hail the lead Reptilian vessel," Prala ordered her people, "We'll get to the bottom of this." Her ship arrived in the area as Scafen's followed close behind.

"The Insectoid ship is ignoring our hails," reported the Xindi sloth Communications officer to Scafen. Their Bridge was rocked as they were hit by weapons fire.

"This is outrageous!" exclaimed Scafen.

"The Reptilian ships are charging weapons!" Malcolm called out.

They saw as the first Reptilian ship fired upon Prala's ship, the Mintrel. "Return fire!" she yelled at her Tactical officer.

The Reptilian ship came about and, instead, fired at the NX-01. "Permission to return fire?" Malcolm asked.

"Do it. Target their shielding."

Malcolm fired and that Reptilian ship turned about and fired, again, as another Reptilian ship followed suit. "Hull plating holding at seventy-three percent."

"Launch torpedoes," Jonathan ordered, "tight dispersal."

Malcolm nodded and fired. As he did so, the first Insectoid ship turned to help out the Reptilians, and it, too, fired upon the Enterprise. There were two other Insectoid ships, and they aimed and fired at the Xindi sloth ships.

The Mintrel turned and fired upon the first Insectoid vessel as Scafen's ship, the Thramb, positioned itself and began torpedoing the Reptilian ships.

There was a hail. "It's the Ohmaris," Hoshi reported, "Ketton is hailing us."

"Put him on," The captain then he turned to Malcolm, "Keep targeting the lead Reptilian ship, and target their weapons."

"Aye, Captain," Malcolm nodded, as the ship was again rocked, "Hull plating at fifty-four percent. Plasma leaks on C and D decks."

"Captain Archer," Ketton stated, "we are here to assist."

"Get the Insectoids off us," Jonathan requested.

"Right," Ketton looked to his side, "Hail the Insectoids," he commanded an officer nearby.

"We've tried that," reported Prala, "but they're not responding!"

"No response," added Ketton's Communications officer. Their Bridge was rocked, too.