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Darkness Unfolding - Part 3

Author - The Watch Stander
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Darkness Unfolding

by The Watch Stander

Disclaimer in Part 1

AN: This is another short chapter, but I really need to establish the storyline and not jump right to the action or the end. It’s better this way as the characters get a lot of interplay and I really miss that on Enterprise.

******

Part 3

Archer watched Daniels closely as he ate and decided it was time for answers.

"So, Just why are you here?" It was a reasonable question and Archer expected an answer. He waited.

Daniels looked at both Enterprise officers as if trying to decide what to tell them.

Trip thought he looked like a cornered animal trying to find a way out of a trap.

Finally Daniels made his decision.

"I’m here to help you. There are decisions to be made in the coming days that have to be the correct ones or our future, including yours, will cease to exist."

Archer expected Daniels to say something similar to this and wasn’t about to let it drop so easily.

"What decisions?"

Daniels took a deep breath, trying to decide what to say and not say.

"The temporal war is still going on and your being here in the Expanse will only escalate it. I need to be here to ensure that things go the way they’re supposed to and the time line doesn’t change."

Archer wasn’t convinced. "I’ve heard this all before. Last time you pulled something like this, my crew was tortured and my ship almost destroyed. Why should I trust you?"

"You have to, Captain. Everything depends on what happens here." Daniels tried to be as open as possible with the men sitting across from him. He had worked with these two officers. Even served as Steward in this very room. "I can’t stress it enough!"

Archer sighed. He hated playing word games and twenty questions. He was borderline exhausted from the long duty shifts he’d been pulling after entering the expanse. Even the coffee wasn’t helping him.

"I need to know more of the consequences before I agree to help you."

Daniels looked thoughtful for a moment.

"All right, but I’ll have to tell you in private."

Trip looked surprised and was about to protest, but a quick look from Archer stopped him.

"Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’d better go to the bridge and help Malcolm look for pirates," Trip declared sarcastically as he rose from his seat.

After Trip left Archer turned back to Daniels. "I’m waiting."

“Captain, if you make the wrong choices in the next few days some of your crew won’t make it and this ship may not either."

"I’m on a mission to save Earth. I know there will be casualties, but this mission must be carried out at all cost. Everyone on this ship knows this and is willing to take the risk of not returning." Archer was angry now and not ready to let Daniels gain control over Enterprise and his mission without a very good reason.

Daniels looked closely at the hardened man before him. Archer had changed from the once naive Captain he had first met two years ago. Back then Archer would have done everything he could to save his crew and the mission take second priority.

Not now, the crew came second. Daniels began to wonder if telling Archer that his best friend would die would even effect him. Deciding to use that information as a last minute tool, he tried once more to reason with the Captain.

"I’m only asking you to take a different route than the one you’re on. It’ll cut your travel time by three days through this part of the Expanse. Your mission will not be affected. "

Archer looked at him, trying to figure out what Daniels gained by making him change his course.

"The only other route through here is through a black nebula. We are going around it to avoid the anomalies and the possibility of electrical problems with the ship as well as any problems with the warp core."

"I know, Captain. But you must enter the nebula, you have no other choice. If you don’t you’ll lose something very dear." Daniels paused and waited to see if the statement triggered any hidden memories from his conversation with Jon in the other time line. Sometimes there might be hints or flashbacks, other times you felt like you’d done it all before.

Archer kept looking straight at him, but didn’t show any sign of recognizing the word. "I told you I’m prepared for losses. It’s the way it has to be."

Daniels sat back, finally deciding to wait one more day to see if something changed and Archer might remember their prior conversation or the end results of that conversation. If Archer didn’t, then Daniels was willing to take a chance and go against his orders. He’d tell Archer just what would happen and hope that in the end Archer followed his advice.

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

TBC


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Two folks have made comments

aha, this is making more sense the further you go :)

Poor Trip, Typical Archer, ure so gd at this. Can't w8 for mroe

Very good, please post more!