Catch Me When I Fall -- Tannith's Story - Chapter 3

Catch Me When I Fall -- Tannith's Story

by Rhylo

Disclaimer in Chapter 1

~~~~

CHAPTER THREE

Travis navigated the short-range, impulse-powered shuttlepod with consumate ease. The vessel had limited offensive capabilities in terms of weaponry, but it more than made up for it in manoeuvrability, yet it still came down to good piloting skills in the worst case scenario of them coming under attack. Travis had it down to a fine art. The plan was to set down somewhere less exposed than on their previous mission and keep the scanners operating on maximum to make another ambush less of a likelihood. That plan kinda got reassessed when Travis got a lock on something.

"I'll be damned!"

Archer looked across instantly. "What is it?"

"The distress signal we picked up before....and then lost? It's back, Captain.....Same frequency.....a little less clear....but it's definitely the same."

"Can you get a fix on it?"

Travis smiled, indicating towards the cockpit console. "Already have!"

Archer considered for a brief moment. "Adjust course as close as you can get without us being a sitting target."

"Aye, sir."

Closing in on the beacon, Archer spotted a small clearing in the distance coming up fast. "Set her down there, Travis."

"Do my best."

It was tight, but Travis was renowned for nifty little manoeuvres in tight spaces. He set the small craft down without so much as a scratch.

Everyone stayed eerily silent except for Archer who looked over at Travis. "Anything?"

Travis checked and double checked the sensors. "Nothing, sir. We're clear."

Malcolm was already deploying the phase weapons, giving the power cells the once over. He'd already checked them on Enterprise before leaving, but he was compulsively thorough by nature. If anything should happen he could be certain it wouldn't be down to his negligence. Satisfied everything was in order he manually flicked over the selector levers on the sides of the main housings....from stun to kill.

Archer opened the hatch door. "Okay, people....heads up! Don't take any unnecessary risks. Let's just find Trip and get back in one piece."

********************

From her vantage point a few hundred meters due east, Tannith watched the small, squat vessel circle overhead and slowly sink down out of sight. She was on top of a low ridge bordered by what had once been sun-speckled woodland, but was now mostly choking inhospitable thicket. Not too long ago countless species of herbs had grown in healthy abundance here. She had spent many an hour carefully selecting, pressing and drying them or helping her father distil them, turning them into potions to cure anything from toothache to septicaemia. It seemed like an eternity away now. Valsar and his men had sucked the life of this planet ~ and the souls of its people ~ dry.

Staying low, she followed the line of the ridge at a descending angle until the shape of the craft came back into view. The hatch door was already opening and seconds later three men stepped out, weapons drawn, cautiously surveying the area. One of them held something else in his hand. She wasn't sure what ~ some kind of sensor device maybe.

Tannith suddenly felt very alone and very scared. How was she going to approach these strangers? Could she trust them not to kill her? She slithered down a bit nearer, still keeping out of sight. Her indecision bred panic. She could feel her heart pounding ~ just as it had done when she'd found Trip. Even he had very nearly shot her.

The men were spreading out, moving with extreme caution. Tannith's thoughts shifted back to Trip. He was depending on her. She had to move. No time like the present.......

A hundred and fifty meters and still undetected, but they were going to spot her soon. She was running out of cover. A hundred meters.....fifty. Trip's words rang in her ears......Make or break.......Why had her courage deserted her?....Oh, God!

One of the men ~ the dark-haired one who was holding the sensor device ~ suddenly alerted the other two. They all looked over to the exact rock she had flattened herself against. Oh, God!....What if they fired?

The tallest of the three came a little closer. When he spoke, his voice was calm, but unmistakably authoritative. "We know you're there," he said, somewhat superfluously. "If you're armed, I'd strongly advise you to throw your weapon out. My men have you covered and won't hesitate to fire."

Tannith closed her eyes, summoning the courage to move as he went on.....

"If you're unarmed, please show yourself. We don't want to harm you. We're just looking for someone."

Make or break.....make or break. Taking a deep breath, Tannith slowly stepped out from behind the rock and started walking towards him, back straight, arms slightly outstretched to show she wasn't carrying a weapon. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"If you're Captain Archer......then I take it you're looking for Trip."

********************

Five minutes later they were back amongst the labyrinth of buildings that had once been a settlement, Tannith leading the way. Since they hadn't shot at her she had once again overcome her fear and just wanted to get back to Trip as quickly as possible. The end was in sight now. She felt sure Captain Archer would take her back to Enterprise and Valsar and this dreadful place would soon be a distant memory. A long time ago she used to believe in happy endings. Maybe they were still possible after all.....

Something hit the ground less than five meters to her left......It looked like a laser bolt. Tannith felt herself hauled off her feet as Archer pulled her backwards out of the line of fire. All four of them hit the dirt. Another blinding blast, closer this time....and another. Malcolm fired back in the general direction the attack had come from, but not with much accuracy, since he had no idea of the sniper's location.

"We're pinned down, sir!"

Nothing like stating the obvious, Archer thought. "Can you pick up anything on the sensors?"

Malcolm gave a quick shake of his head. "Can't get a fix. There's too much interference." Electro-magnetic emissions were sending the scanner's readings haywire.

Tannith thought she knew the reason. "They must have picked up my distress signal, just like you did. They'll be trying to trace it.....to stop more of you coming."

Malcolm and Archer exchanged confused looks.

"Your signal?" Archer muttered. So much for his 'commandeering a starship' theory!

Malcolm was getting increasingly agitated. "We can't stay here, Captain. They'll no doubt be sending a search party soon." The words 'sitting' and 'ducks' sprang to mind.

Tannith knew she had to do something. She couldn't let what happened to Trip happen all over again. Some good had to come out of this. She touched Archer's arm to get his attention and pointed to a narrow alley several meters ahead and off to one side. "About halfway down there's a doorway to your left. Look carefully and you'll see it......You'll find your friend in there."

She moved so fast she caught all of them off guard.

"Wait a minute!" Archer hissed, making a grab for her, but catching air instead. The girl had vanished into the shadows. Seconds later they heard another weapon blast, but further away. More followed, each progressively fainter than the last. She was drawing their fire so they could get to Trip. They raised their heads tentatively ~ nothing happened.

"I suggest we make a run for it, gentlemen!"

Archer took the lead, closely flanked by Malcolm and then Travis, each ready to fire covering shots, but there was no need.

Following Tannith's instructions they found the doorway on the left. She was correct. If she hadn't told them specifically where to look they'd have gone straight past it. With only the briefest of hesitations Malcolm went in first, shouldering the door open, phase pistol ready just in case. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. Standing somewhat unsteadily in front of him was a tousled-haired, shirtless Trip, weapon drawn and pointed straight at him. Fresh blood was starting to seep through the bandage on his shoulder.

Recognition dawned on both their faces quickly followed by relief.

"Nice timin', Lewtenant!" Trip managed to blurt out before crumbling to a heap on the floor.

********************

Having eluded capture, Tannith made it back to where the distress beacon was hidden. There seemed little point keeping it activated now help had arrived and left on it would only encourage Valsar's men to be more thorough in their search of the area. She knew the battery cell was almost depleted by the faintness of the pulsing LED on the front panel. It was a mere flicker now.

She flipped the switch and the beacon died. She doubted it would have started up again had she ever needed it. Now all she had to do was circle round and find Trip and the others. As she turned she felt cold steel at her throat. She blinked in horrified disbelief. Valsar's chief of security and main inquisitioner ~ a monolith of hidiousness named Torg ~ was at the other end of the weapon. The good side of his mouth ~ the side that worked ~ twisted up in a lascivious grin.

"I trust Valsar will reward me well when I return you to him.......Maybe he will let me 'have' you......before you die!"

********************

In the heart of the prison enclave Tannith was bundled unceremoniously into a cold, damp cell of a room. She remembered it well ~ it was where she had last seen her father. A rustic, timber-framed desk was pushed up close to the far wall and behind it Valsar presided ~ as ugly and menacing as her worst nightmares. He was a towering twisted monstrosity of a creature with a scarred, disfigured face and cruel, deep-set eyes hidden beneath a bulging, misshapen forehead. Strands of coarse greasy hair hung down in uneven clumps from his oily scalp. Everything about him was foul and putrid, like some squalid swampy slug.

Two of Valsar's henchmen had hold of Tannith, one on either side, pinning her arms painfully behind her back. They dragged her forwards as Valsar rose to his feet and hobbled towards her ~ relishing every moment of her anguish.

"Well....well.....Tannith, my little beauty." He grasped her chin between his filthy podgy fingers. "How long has it been?" He didn't wait for a reply ~ probably because he didn't expect to get one. He knew how difficult she could be without the proper 'inducement.'

Tannith pulled away from his grasp. His anger rising, Valsar nodded to one of the guards who roughly grabbed hold of her hair with his free hand, snapping her head backwards. She could smell Valsar's stinking foetid breath as he came closer and stroked her cheek ~ unusually gentle for him.

"I've missed you so much.......having you beside me. Surely you haven't forgotten how good we were together?" He let the inference hang in the air, his hand travelling downwards deliberately taunting her.

Tannith gasped and tried to pull away, but found she couldn't move.

The first blow came as a complete surprise. Valsar backhanded her savagely across the face, splitting her lip. She saw the second one coming out of the corner of her eye ~ delivered to her left temple ~ almost knocking her unconscious and leaving in its wake a nasty bleeding gash. The pain temporarily dulled her senses as she felt herself half-lifted off her feet and dragged over to the middle of the room. Through a dim haze she saw Torg enter her swimming field of vision. Had he been there all along?

Still dizzy, her head pounding, she was acutely aware of what happened next ~ powerless though she was to prevent it ~ as she felt her cloak yanked from around her neck. She heard the flimsy fabric of her tunic and long skirt being ripped apart as they were torn from her amidst raucous whoops of glee, leaving her shivering and exposed in the briefest of underwear. Torg's greedy eyes were all over her.

One of the guards then strapped a harsh leather cuff tightly around each wrist. The cuffs were joined by a short metal bar with a large ring in the centre. To this ring he attached a stout length of chain hanging down through a similar metal ring in the ceiling.This acted as a crude, but effective pulley system from which they suspended her ~ arms above her head ~ her bare feet hardly touching the floor.

Tannith was too dazed to resist. Even so, she sensed Valsar close by.

"Well, that's the pleasantries dispensed with.......Now let's get down to business.......Where's your starship friend?"

Tannith stayed silent.

"Oh, come, come.....Don't bother denying it. I know you weren't alone.......I just need to know where he is and how many others are with him."

Tannith squinted up at him, her eyes burning hatred. "Go to hell!"

Valsar smiled vilely. "Believe me, my dear......I've already been." He paced slowly up and down, partially dragging one leg ~ the remnant of some battle 'souvenir'. "Very well. I understand your unwillingness to co-operate.....stubbornness seems to run in your family.....but you must appreciate I don't have time for endless delays. I need answers and I need them quickly." He turned his gaze to Torg who was licking his lips in anticipation. "Begin the interrogation."

Tannith's heart pounded at the thought of what was going to happen to her. She was frozen with fear, something Torg picked up on straightaway. It seemed to accentuate his excitement. Circling round her like a predator closing in on its prey he delivered a crippling punch to her solar plexus, forcing every ounce of air out of her. Without giving her time to recover it was quickly followed up by one in the small of her back. Tannith couldn't even breathe, let alone cry out.

Valsar gave a depraved chuckle. "Does that loosen your tongue a little?......No?.....Pity." To Torg he added, "Continue."

Torg had found his stride now. He continued raining blow after crushing blow upon every available area of Tannith's small body. Huge red welts ~ the beginnings of massive bruises ~ were beginning to show up over her ribs and either side of her spine. After a few more minutes Valsar gave Torg the signal to stop.

"I will ask you again. Your starship friend......Where is he?"

"Probably light years away by now!" Torg interrupted, obviously finding this hilarious. He was immediately silenced by a daggered look from Valsar.

Again Tannith said nothing. She prayed Torg was right and that by now Trip had got away safely. She gasped for air, coughing blood.

"Your silence is stupid......you'll accomplish nothing but more pain."

Exasperation was creeping into Valsar's voice. Turning to Torg he pressed a small metal object into his hand. "Use the device," he mumbled ominously. Torg grinned, dribbling ~ unable to contain himself.

The 'device' Valsar was referring to was a particularly nasty instrument of torture capable of delivering electrically charged impulses at various degrees of intensity ranging from a small, but unpleasant electric shock to something that could fry every nerve cell in the body. No-one had survived more than Level Four.

The first charge sent a searing wave of agony down Tannith's left side causing her to retch violently. All that came up was blood. The charge caused a dreadful feeling of stinging numbness and loss of muscle control. Unable to support herself, she hung literally by her arms, her joints screaming as tendons and ligaments stretched beyond their capabilities. Another shock followed to her right side. The pain was excruciating ~ her shoulders twisting in their sockets. This time she did scream.

Torg was triumphant.

Valsar gave a sneering chortle. "At last! I think we might be getting somewhere." He stared closely into her agony-filled eyes. "Believe me when I've finished with you, you'll be begging me to die.......just like your father."

He nodded in Torg's direction ~ his signal to resume the interrogation.

Torg didn't need to be told twice.

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