Before Days {Star Trek Enterprise Prime/Mirror Universe fan fiction}

Throwing Rocks at Looking Glass Houses

“Opportunities multiply as they are seized. “ – Sun Tzu 

=/\= 

“ … Prepare to receive instructions,” Hoshi Sato said. She cut the communications link herself. “They’ll never know what hit ‘em.” 

“’Course not,” Travis Mayweather said, “Our ship is amazing.” 

“My ship,” she corrected him, “is pretty damn slick. Warp Seven routinely! How high you think you can crank the Defiant up to?” 

“The controls say Warp Nine.” 

“Excellent,” she smiled and then lowered her sloe eyes, “Let’s let ‘em wait for a while, and stew in their own juices.” 

“You don’t want to act immediately?” he asked. 

“I would if I had the element of surprise. But that’s all right. I want them to squirm. And in the meantime,” she said, “I gotta take out the trash. Somebody relieve Mayweather at the helm.” 

A slight woman came over. “I’ll do it.” 

“Right, Pike,” Hoshi said, “you know I keep you around because you’re competent. I suggest you stay that way. C’mon, Travis.” They entered the Captain’s Ready Room and shut the door. He immediately began nuzzling her neck. “Not now!” she snapped. “We gotta deal with those conspirators.” 

“Oh, uh, sorry. It’s that you’re just so hot.” 

“Well, yeah,” she agreed, “but this can’t wait. Is there anyone you can trust in the MACOs, Security or Tactical?” 

“Hayes,” Travis said almost immediately, “maybe also Masterson and MacKenzie.” 

“Right. Reed is out of the question. Phlox said he’s got a fifty-fifty chance of surviving that Gorn attack.” 

“But Phlox is in custody,” Travis pointed out. 

“Yep. A traitor, along with that broad T’Pol. Who do we have in Science or Medical?” 

“Just Cutler. A lot of ‘em didn’t make it over in the escape pods from the Enterprise.” 

“Okay,” Hoshi sighed, “I guess we’ll hang onto her for another day. Navigation is loyal, though, right?” 

“Far as I know.” 

“Far as you know? You gotta know for sure, Travis! Do better next time.” 

“Got it. When are we gonna, you know?” 

“This room’s uncomfortable. It needs a bed or a couch or a cot in it, or something. What about Engineering?” 

“There’s no good place to do it.” 

“I don’t mean that. I mean, can we trust anyone in Engineering?” 

“Huh. Tucker’s sick but he’s loyal. His department is, uh, I’ll check. I dunno about Crossman.” 

“Very good,” she said, “You check everyone now, ya hear? Who’s guarding those two alien traitors in the Brig?” 

“Curtis and Hodgkins. Hayes gets MacKenzie and Masterson in to relieve them for the night shift.” 

“Okay, good. What about that torture chamber Reed was working on when he got mauled? What was that called again?”

 “The Agony Booth.” 

“Perfect,” she purred. “Let’s go take a walk.” 

They left the Ready Room and returned to the Bridge. “We’re out for a while. Uh, Hamboyan, hold command ‘til I get back.”