STAR TREK: Endeavour: "Janus"

by Rigil Kent
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama
Rated: PG-13 … language, violence, and adult situations.
Summary: In the Mirror Universe, war with the Romulans looms and the plans of Captain Charles Tucker of the ISS Endeavour near fruition...

Disclaimer: Insert witty non sequitur here about me not owning a damned thing.

Author's Note: This is a Mirror Universe fic using many of the MU alternates of characters previously introduced in my various Endeavour fics. Janus takes place after the events of In a Mirror Darkly. It might be a little difficult to follow without reading them first. Like my previous fics, I'm writing this as prose and using the basic screenplay format (Teaser + 5 acts).

The revised look of the Endeavour was originally developed by Mark Ward for the NX Class Mod Pack for Bridge Commander, although it was credited as the NCC-05 Atlantis. Mr. Ward has graciously given me permission to use this "skin" for the look of Endeavour – if I had discovered this thing before writing Vigrid, the -06 would have looked like this all along.

This is another attempt to ignite the Muse - I'm up to act 4 with this story and I know how it ends, but said Muse is being ... difficult, and I'm hoping publishing this and getting additional feedback will help convince her to allow me to finish.

TEASER

The clank of boots upon metal warned her of her guest's approach.

Standing before the observation window of the construction facility that currently overlooked Jupiter, Empress Hoshi Sato the First turned regally, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. She was unworried should her guest attempt to assault her; a personal force screen belt scavenged from the Defiant encircled her waist, and her First Prince, Travis Mayweather, was less than a meter away. He was walking death with or without weapons, and had at least seven on his person at all times.

Face set in a fierce scowl, Commander Charles Tucker came to a stop three or four meters away from her and crossed his arms. To her surprise – and secret delight – he did not genuflect like so many others did in her presence. There was no fear in his eyes. Mayweather's expression darkened at Tucker's calculated insult, but Sato shook her head slightly.

"You are late," she informed her guest, and Tucker snorted.

"So?" he said flippantly. "I was busy."

"When I summon you," Sato stated coldly, "You will present yourself to me at once."

"Or what?" Tucker asked. He sneered, and the scarring on his face only magnified the expression. "You'll throw me in an agony booth?" Tucker nearly spat. "Death doesn't frighten me, Hoshi," he snarled, emphasizing her given name with contempt.

Sato nearly sighed. Since even before her ascension, Tucker had been difficult to control. More than any other person in the galaxy, she needed him alive to get Defiant fully operational and he knew it. Most of the primary systems aboard the starship were based on principles his alternate had developed, and Tucker had the only true insight into how that man's mind worked. On more occasions than she wanted to count, he had thrown that fact into her face, and remained unafraid of displaying open hostility toward her. Threats on his life only seemed to make him laugh. The continuing well being of a certain prisoner in Sato's control was the only thing that seemed to keep him in place, but even that was beginning to wear thin.

The engineer was getting dangerous.

"What do you want, Tucker?" Sato asked abruptly. From his place, Mayweather gave her a brief, incredulous look that she was bargaining with the recalcitrant engineer, but said nothing. He was good at keeping his mouth shut. "I need Defiant fully operational by October," she continued, "and the only way that is going to happen is if you are in charge of the repair crews. So what do you want?" She briefly considered smiling seductively, but he had never really seemed interested in her charms – not after T'Pol came aboard Enterprise – and the thought of taking him to bed was repulsive. His face had once been pleasing, but now? Now, she'd rather sleep with an Andorian than him.

"Two things," Tucker replied without hesitation. "One, I want my own ship." He gave the observation window a glance, once more sneering at the distant appearance of Defiant. "And not that thing. I want Endeavour." Sato hesitated at that; she had promised Reed the Endeavour. The MACO colonel could be assuaged with other things, though; the idea of him in charge of Internal Security very nearly brought a smile to her face, and she had long since learned that she could get Reed to agree to anything once their clothes were off.

"And the second?" she asked, already knowing what it would be. She wasn't wrong.

"I want T'Pol."