Enterprise: The Measure of a Man

Chapter 12
**Fan fiction only. Not for sale or profit. No copyright infringement intended.**

Not long after Trip left with Lysara, Sejenus reappeared for Archer. He was obviously expecting trouble: one of his hands clutched a strap meant to bind Archer's wrists, while the other held the leash-like apparatus that had once been used to pull him across the courtyard.

Archer was careful to remain docile, even nonchalant. Without getting up from his blanket, he nodded toward the restraints. "You won't need those," he said with a slight shrug. "I've been thinking about what you said before. About how it might be in my best interests to be more cooperative."

Sejenus paused, his mouth thinning with obvious skepticism. "Is that so?"

"Yes. The more I considered my options, the fewer I realized I actually have. I mean, we're likely to be trapped here for years, maybe more. You're proof of that."

"I daresay I am." Sejenus winced a bit, but Archer was sure he saw his grip relax on the bonds he carried.

"And then there's the question of where I could go even if I did manage to break free. I'm not exactly...well, dressed for a long journey. I assume that's by design, but it's effective all the same. I suspect I'd be recaptured before I got very far, and after that things would be a lot worse for me than they are now. As you can see, I've considered every angle from a logical standpoint. I guess you've been a good influence on me."

"Perhaps humans are wiser than I gave them credit for. Does your friend share this enlightened attitude?"

"To tell you the truth, his mind is kind of on other things lately. He seems quite...taken with Lysara. He was actually hoping she'd send for him tonight."

"She is well deserving of admiration."

"I guess I should be more appreciative of my circumstances, too."

"You certainly should. Being the consort of a powerful woman like Venda is an honor few males could even aspire to."

"I understand that you served her mother for many years."

"My role in her household was nothing like yours. However, I did esteem her. I feel that I owe her daughter that same loyalty. You would do well to notice the benefits such an attitude has brought me."

"Well, I do. That's what I'm trying to say." Pushing the blanket off his lap, Archer stood up and extended his wrists. "She's waiting for me, I assume. Go ahead-do what you have to."

Wordlessly, Sejenus looped the straps around Archer's proffered hands and began to pull them tight. Archer offered no resistance. Then, for the briefest of moments, the Vulcan hesitated before knotting the cords. It was all Archer needed. He plowed forward with his full body weight, bowling Sejenus off his feet and landing both of them in the hay.

Sejenus was stronger than he was, of course, but Archer's desperation gave him strength as they frantically grappled for the wrist-ties and the leash. Eventually, Sejenus' years of easy villa life proved inadequate against his captive's reckless assault. Minutes later, Archer had him hog-tied and facedown in the straw.

"I'll leave you with more dignity than you left me," he said as he peeled away Sejenus' outer garment, leaving him wrapped in nothing but a loincloth.

"You said it yourself," Sejenus groaned as he slipped away into the darkness. "There is nowhere for you to run."

"I'll take that chance," Archer called back as he bolted the double doors between them.

---

Wielding the candlestick like a sword, taking care not to accidentally walk right out of his makeshift toga, Trip inched his way along an endless corridor that seemed to stretch the entire length of the villa. Fortunately, this particular stretch was darkened, and no one crossed his path directly, though for a few moments he heard the muffled voices of at least two women talking and laughing in the distance.

Flattening himself against the wall, the candlestick poised to strike if necessary, he held his breath until the sounds faded away again. Not until he heard what he interpreted as a door clicking shut did he move forward again. He had no real idea how to get back to the courtyard, never mind make a break for the barracks where he'd left Archer. All he could really do was rely on instinct and no small amount of luck-the same luck that was keeping the hastily knotted bedsheet around his waist.

In the dim light, he spotted what looked like a doorway, presumably the same one he'd come through earlier. Suddenly, going through it again didn't seem like such a good idea. Maybe the same slaveboys who'd dragged him in here in the first place were waiting around for another summons from within. For all he knew, the courtyard was busy all night, with servants coming and going from the villa to the barracks. Maybe it would be safer to wait a while and see if it opened-and, if so, who came through it.

Pressing himself against the wall again, he took up a watchful position just to the right of the roughly hewn wooden door, ready to spring into action if the latch so much as jiggled.

Long before that happened, though, he felt, rather than heard, something else disturb the darkness. Trying not to move too suddenly, he began to turn his head to the side. He hadn't quite completed the motion when something seemed to push against him.

His mind registered confusion as his arm, and then his whole side, went inexplicably numb. The candlestick clattered noisily to the ground. He didn't even have time to utter a curse before everything went black.

--@@--


Archer wasn't sure how long he remained huddled in the villa's courtyard, hunched between two barrels of grain. Slaves, serving girls, and even two of the pig-faced guards crossed the yard a few times. One time a naked green-skinned lad dropped a bucket of water and another of the same species came over to slap the back of his head. While they were arguing, Archer felt a stabbing pain in his calf and looked down to see an enormous beetle-like insect biting his bare leg. He bit back a howl of pain and flung the creature away from him.

Somehow, being savaged by a disgusting bug just made his situation seem that much more futile. To begin with, how would he find Trip? Every moment of freedom was precious; Trip would understand that. Should he risk going inside the villa for him? Or should he try to get out of the compound? Malcolm, of course, was a whole other issue.

His fingers rubbed the sore spot left by the insect bite. Realistically, how far could he get, barefoot and draped in a stolen robe? Still, he refused to accept that Sejenus could be right-that it was better to submit than to fight, however ineffectively, against any further degradation.

The two slaves who had been arguing over the bucket suddenly broke off their conversation and began looking off into the distance and pointing.

Archer squinted as an unusual sound carried on the night air: a cacophony of raucous male voices, shouting in anger and steadily drawing closer to the fence that surrounded the villa. Lots of them.

The dropped bucket forgotten, the two green-skinned slaves turned and ran. Taking a chance, Archer crawled out from between the barrels and somewhat painfully hoisted himself onto the roof of the supply shed. From there, he could see over the fence and into the orchards beyond.

He stared at the unfolding scene in shock. A huge band of brigands was storming across the plain. The ragtag army was composed of males of all species, colors, and skin types. Most of them were still naked, but a few of them marched in bits of tattered clothes they had clearly snatched up en route. They carried weapons of all sorts-sticks, broken vases and parts of statues and buildings. They were heading straight for the villa, their arms raised in attack mode, a murderous chant on their lips.

Archer swallowed as he watched them draw closer. He approximated no more than fifteen minutes before reached the enclosure, which wouldn't hold them long.

Quickly he swung himself back off the roof and onto the top of one barrel, then leapt to the ground and ran back the way he'd come.

"No time to explain," he said as he entered the barn and quickly untied Sejenus. "Just shut up and come with me."

Sejenus looked less shocked than he'd expected when they got outside, and he pointed out the spectacle to the Vulcan. Already the men were much closer than they'd been moments before.

"I've been fearing something like this for many years," Sejenus said in a dejected voice, shaking his head. "Too many different species-too much untapped strength."

"We have to warn everyone inside," Archer told him.

Sejenus nodded. "Leave that to me. You wanted your freedom so badly-go, go now. I will not ask you to risk your life here, with us. I would only ask that if you find yourself among them, you remember your human capacity for mercy."

Archer stood for a moment, looking first at Sejenus and then at the villa. Then Sejenus pushed him away, and he ran.


--@@--


Trip came to on a bed, thankfully still wrapped-though just barely-in his sheet. His eyes widened in surprise. At first, he assumed he was dreaming when he saw the hazy forms of T'Pol and Hoshi standing over him. Then he thought he heard T'Pol's voice vibrating in his dizzy head.

"I regret having to disable you, Commander," she seemed to be saying. "There were others in the vicinity, and I saw no more expeditious means of handling a potential public meeting."

Slowly, it dawned on him that he wasn't hallucinating, after all. Trip sat up, shaking his head. "What the - ? When did you two get here? "

"We will explain everything later," T'Pol informed him. "First, where is the captain?"

Trip scowled. "Last I knew, chained up in the barn like a prize bull. I was on my way there to get him out when I apparently ran into a brick wall." His whole body, but especially his neck and shoulder, ached fiercely. "You neck-pinched me, didn't you? No wonder I feel like I've been dragged fifty kilometers by a shuttlepod."

"For the record, I thought it was a bad idea all along," Hoshi said, causing T'Pol to look slightly annoyed.

"As I've already mentioned, it was unfortunate but necessary. There was no time to negotiate our next move. We might have been seen at any moment."

"Well, never mind. I'm okay," Trip said. "Sort of."

Hoshi opened her mouth to say something more to him, but a sudden banging on the door to the room interrupted them. Thinking fast, Hoshi climbed onto the bed just as it flung open and a young, flush-faced woman rushed in. She stopped, astonished, when she saw T'Pol hovering over Trip, who was sprawled out on the bed with Hoshi straddling his chest.

"We decided to take advantage of Venda's offer after all," she informed the woman, who quickly recovered.

"Never mind that. You must both come at once. We have received a most disturbing report that the villa is under siege. Some sort of uprising among the laborers. Venda has ordered everyone to a more fortified section of the compound. We will gather in the audience room and proceed to safety as a group." She paused to give Trip a look of utter disgust. "Send this-male back to his quarters. Mistress Venda was most particular about who will be allowed inside the secured area."

"Give us a few moments. We will follow you," T'Pol said with such authority that the woman seemed to realize there would be no point in arguing. With a curt nod, she withdrew.

"An uprising!" Hoshi exclaimed, bewildered. "I didn't think that kind of thing went on here. You don't think the captain is involved?"

"Unfortunately, it sounds like the sort of the thing he might have engineered."

"Impossible. I was just with him an hour ago. But wait-if these gals are going door to door to get everyone up, they're going to see for themselves what I did to Lysara." Trip winced at T'Pol's disapproving expression. "Don't worry-she's not hurt, just out of commission for a while. I had to find some way out of there. The point is that I'm not going to be very popular when she spills the beans."

"Never mind-we'll be long gone by then. Can you lead us out of here, Commander Tucker?"

"I think so."

"Come on, then. We will take our chances in the open. Hopefully we will be able to locate the captain."

When they opened the door to the room, they found the formerly deserted hallway alive with women, all scurrying to the designated meeting place. In the atmosphere of confusion and near panic, no one paid them any mind. This time, not the least bit concerned about being seen, they found their way outside and saw that the alarm had not been in vain. They could only watch as a violent mob tore at the walls that had once kept the villa secluded and safe.

In some places, the attackers had simply ripped away the wood and stone that supported the flimsier sections; in others, they had set fires that burned along the edges and sent huge columns of black smoke billowing into the clear night sky. Though a dozen or so of Venda's pig-faced guards were attempting to stem the tide of the invaders, they could only do so much. And there were very, very few of them compared to the swarm that had gathered outside the walls.

Hoshi was the first to see Archer running toward them.

"Captain!" she cried out, waving. "Over here!"

Before he could reach them, a volley of lit torches flew through the air and breached the walls. Instantly a row of wooden sheds went up in a furious blaze. The leaping bodies of the assaulting force followed the torches.

In the confusion that followed, the three of them lost sight of Archer. Smoke rolled toward them like a gigantic black wave that smothered everything in its path. With the smoke came violent, flailing limbs and thrusting weapons. Desperately, Trip pushed T'Pol and Hoshi to the ground and shielded both women with his own body. Within moments, the courtyard was engulfed in a running, seething mob.