Run of the Ship: Epilogue
Title: Run of The Ship: Epilogue
Fandom: Star Trek Enterprise
Rating: PG
Character: Reed, bit of Travis, Kelly, Rostov and an OFC, with some of the main cast sprinkled over it to top it off
Category: General, Humour, Action/Adventure
Spoilers: None. Could be set in season one, or after return to earth from xindi mission.
Summary: Almost the entire crew are on shore leave, a team of alien engineers are doing repairs onboard & the ever security conscious Malcolm remains onboard to oversee them. It seems his current paranoia is not ungrounded when they highjack the ship.
A/N: Not a sequel to, but in the same universe as Target Practise which introduces the OFC Crewman Angela Robertson, who Malcolm has no particular affinity for :)
Catch Up:
--PART 1--, --PART 2--, --PART 3--, --PART 4--, --PART 5--, --PART 6--, --PART 7--, --PART 8--
Malcolm rang the chime to gain entrance to the Captains ready room. When he entered the captain smiled at him.
"Malcolm, I’ve just finished reading your report," he said. "Under the circumstances you all performed amazingly well."
"Thank you, sir," Malcolm smiled.
"I’m going to recommend commendations for all of you," he continued. "Especially you Malcolm, as I understand it you barely slept or ate while you were out here," Archer said raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, well," Malcolm shifted, slightly embarrassed, from one foot to the other. "I hardly had the time," he defended.
"I’m sure. In fact I was surprised you took a break at all," the Captain commented.
"You can thank Robertson for that, sir. She all but ordered me to get my act together," he said.
"Really?" Archer asked. Malcolm nodded. "It seems you two can work together after all."
"Only in dire situations, sir," Malcolm said quickly. "I don’t think it’d work on a regular basis."
"Don’t worry Malcolm I wasn’t about to reassign her to the armoury. It’s just good to know you can work together with descending into physical violence," he said with an innocent smile.
"Yes sir. If that was all?"
"No actually, we’re about to unload our ‘passengers’, I wondered if you’d like to join me at the air lock?" Archer asked.
"Yes, sir," Malcolm said eagerly.
* * *
They met up with the security team escorting the prisoners to the air lock along the way. Malcolm threw a nasty glare at the Larackian who had attacked Robertson. The alien marauder grinned sadistically in return.
When they reached the air lock the Larackian Captain was waiting for them. Malcolm stood aside as the two Captain’s exchanged formalities and watched as the prisoners were handed over. The last, and most definitely least Larackian, was still smiling cruelly at Malcolm.
"How’s your little girl doing?" he purred, Malcolm bristled but remained quiet. "She bled so prettily didn’t she? So fragile and weak, so easy to harm," he continued, Malcolm’s jaw clenched and he tightened his hands into fists.
"Did you here her scream, little man?" the Larackian whispered, still smiling evilly. "Like a Pathetic. Little. Girl."
Without any conscious thought Malcolm swung his fist as hard as he could with all his body weight behind it, and it hit the alien’s jaw with a sickening crack. Seconds later he was lying on the floor in an undignified, unconscious heap.
Malcolm allowed himself a brief moment of triumph and smiled smugly as he looked down at him, before the Captain cleared his throat making Malcolm look up. Archer was looking at him reproachfully, but with a hint of understanding and amusement in his eyes.
"Sorry, sir," Malcolm apologised, insincerely.
* * *
"I hear you defended me today."
Malcolm looked up from his coffee and met Ela’s eyes.
"Maybe." He shrugged, and took a sip of his coffee. He contemplated the likelihood of the fact that she always seemed to corner him in the mess hall when he occasionally decided to go there in the early hours of the morning. It was a little suspicious.
"There’s no maybe about it, Graham was there, he told me all about it," she smiled knowingly.
"Fine!" Malcolm said in defeat. "Maybe I did, but he deserved no less."
"On that we agree," Robertson said still smiling.
"You know, I’m getting that surreal feeling all over again," he commented.
"What, because we’ve yet to say anything antagonistic towards each other?" she questioned.
"That would be why."
"You’re right," she grinned as she got up to leave. With a mock glare and a last smile she exited, adding just before the door closed; "You arrogant stuck up bastard."
"And now all is right with the universe," he said to the empty room.