Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise is the property of Paramount; I am just borrowing the characters and setting for a little while.
I am new to the Star Trek Enterprise universe, having been without a television since the year 2000. The Dvd's were a recent acquisition and have inspired me to rewrite canon.
This was to be a finale fix… but it turned into an adventure, murder mystery.
Synopsis: A continuation of my murder mystery loosely based on TATV. (very loosely) Nelson is outed and the Tuckers make arrangements to get off planet.
My series seriously departs from canon and is admittedly AU… as many are.
By the way, this hasn't been beta'd, this is my 13th submission after being away from writing for 15 years. Reviews are welcome.
Feel free to post these to other Trip/T'Pol sites. Just attribute them correctly.
* * * * * *
The crew's animosity towards the Dauntless' new captain filled the ship like the scent of dung on your shoe.
From the moment the starship left space dock for the Barrens, the crew were guarded and paranoid of their captain's every move. Their new CO had a reputation for a cold hearted loathing of his crew mates when he was their XO... the very same crew that captain now commanded. Glares from staff seemed to be even more accusatory than normal... as if they knew he had something to do with their beloved CO's disappearance.
After all…they would be right.
Acting Captain Jack Nelson sneered.
Stupid bastards, sheep... everyone one of them... sheep.
Nelson knew he was a cold hearted bastard... but he took comfort in the fact his crew was so perceptive. He hadn't given them that much credit as their XO; it was odd that they got it now that he was their commanding officer. He sneered at their over arching stupidity. Feeling compelled to take a firm hand, he had at first been overbearing with his crew. But he knew fear was no way to win over his former crewmates' trust. The crew was going to have hard time accepting him as their new CO, especially in light of the new rumors that Captain Erica Hernandez was now listed as a missing person.
His psychiatrist, Captain Lockwood, had made it clear that he pulled the strings that put Nelson in the first real command position of his career, however long it lasted. Nelson had been told to be off Enterprise and out of the Sol system before the syndicate's entire plan fell apart after its discovery by Starfleet 1 week ago. He knew that if it weren't for his shrink, Nelson would still be on Earth possibly facing theft charges... and if the Denobulan doctor had had his way, murder. It rankled that he owed the psychiatrist not just for his life but for what was left of his ignominious career.
Lockwood's plan, as explained to Nelson, was for Erica to be held incommunicado just long enough for the Dauntless to leave the system and lose radio contact with Starfleet. If the Dauntless' CO wasn't available to report to her duty station, her heroic XO would step into her position. Once under way, the Captain would magically be found in some dingy backroom on Earth. It wasn't any of his business just what Lockwood had done with Erica; she could be dead for all he cared. And if she was... so much the better, it would be one kid he wouldn't have to pay for. Erica always had stood firmly in the way of his plans. So what if he had used her unmercifully... she was just another means to an end.
Nelson shrugged. It didn't matter at this point whether he was prosecuted for one murder or five. There was just one cure for the power the shrink had over him... Lockwood would pay for getting in his way... as would Kelby and Erica. Nelson was painfully aware he had put off eliminating the engineer thinking he could be of use for just a little while longer.
Just getting sentimental in my old age.
In two days time they would reach the barrens. There he was set to rendezvous with the syndicate and finally be rid of Starfleet and its sticky sweetness.
Two days and he was free to start another life.
He couldn't wait.
Stupid bastards.
Sheep... everyone one of them... sheep.
* * * *
Nelson paced the bridge, back and forth between turbo lift and the command chair. He watched his command crew attending to their jobs, avoiding eye contact with anyone. He maintained his usual sullen affect.
Run silent, run deep.
Nelson snickered at the irony. The Dauntless was to stay at high warp for an extended period to prevent any Starfleet official from communicating with his staff. All communiqué's that would have ordinarily gone to his subordinates, he made sure to intercept. Once they were out of the system there was no way to send outgoing packets except during their pre-scheduled twice daily drops from warp. During these drops they would quickly trade communication with Starfleet. Only the most classified of outgoing communiqués would warrant slowing the ship down to impulse at any other point during the voyage.
Nelson was unaware he had begun to run out of time.
Starfleet was on to him.
It was during one of these scheduled drops that a comm request was forwarded to the helmsman for an emergency exit from warp at 2200 that night. Confirmation was sent back to Starfleet. Ensign Takashi, the communications officer, stood at the ready, aware that only the most top secret of messages were sent during moments like these.
At 2200 the ship slowed.
The helmsman nodded to Takashi who listened for the signal from Starfleet on a secured band. Once it came, she glanced up and let out a deep breath. The incoming call was urgent and for the XO's eyes only. Rising from her chair, she stepped close to the blue Andorian seated in the command chair and leaning over she spoke softly into his ear. He nodded almost imperceptibly, his eyes flickered to hers making momentary eye contact. She stepped back to her station and transferred the call to his quarters.
Dauntless' new XO, Commander Shran, stepped away excusing himself from the bridge and passed the con to Delta shift's security officer. After taking the lift to his cabin on B deck, Shran entered his quarters securing the door. Sitting at his desk, he entered his exec code and accepted the incoming call using appropriate security codes. His eyebrows rose when he noted the sender.
Nelson has got to be in deep for a Rear Admiral to be calling.
The image of Admiral Tyson nodded to the XO.
"Good evening Commander, sorry for the need for subterfuge but we are dealing with a sensitive situation. I am calling to inform you I am ordering you to relieve Commander Nelson of duty. As of this point in time, you are acting captain. You will find the necessary orders and protocols to negate their command codes in the accompanying communiqué packet. The two men are to be arrested, taken into custody immediately and transported back to Earth ASAP. Copies of the orders have been sent to everyone under your command except Nelson and your chief engineer for obvious reasons."
"Yes, sir...what are the charges?" Shran had heard some nasty rumors that linked Nelson and Kelby with a recent death of Enterprise's chief engineer. Tyson began to elaborate on the charges against the two men, giving full credence to the rumors that ran rife through Starfleet. Commander Shran nodded, listening intently. His mouth hardened into a grim straight lipless line when he was informed of the charges of murder, theft and fraud. Security was to apprehend Nelson and Kelby alive if possible, dead if the two gentlemen gave any trouble at all. Shran hoped for a little resistance… he'd like to see them both very dead.
"Get on it, Shran." The Admiral shook his head. "Nelson should never have been allowed to command Dauntless. Jack is lethal, Shran, treat him as such."
"I'll report back to you once we have the men in custody, Admiral."
"Good luck, Captain. I have the funny feeling you'll need it. And be careful." Tyson nodded and reached over to end the call.
Shran switched to the screen showing the admiral's communiqué and the emergency protocols necessary to secure the lock out of Nelson's and Kelby command codes. He accessed the codes, making sure that transporter, shuttle bays and any egress off the ship were secured. After checking the whereabouts of the two officers he then grabbed his disruptor, hitting the power button. Disruptors had no stun setting. There would be no quarter given today, Nelson was accused of murdering a fellow officer.
Before stepping out the door, Shran struck his comm button. "Shran to Commander Talon… report."
After a few moments, he heard the tinny voice of the Vulcan Science officer over the comm, her response weak and indistinct from having been woken from a sound sleep.
"Talon here."
"Get dressed, Commander. Meet me at D deck's shuttle bays on the double." He paused. "And bring your phaser, set to stun." He elaborated on what they had to do and why.
Talon's eyes opened wide as she listened. The murder of a fellow officer was the gravest charge that could be made in Starfleet. An incoming message from the bridge interrupted their conversation.
* * * *
Nelson was just drifting off to sleep in strange quarters when he felt the ship drop out of warp. He glanced up at the clock by the bed, it was 2200.
Must be a glitch in engineering.
He drifted back to sleep, covering the female security officer's body with his like a warm blanket. Minutes later it registered again in his dozing mind that the ship was still and quiet.
He glanced up at the clock.
The chronometer read 2240.
The ship had been out of warp for over half an hour.
Nelson lay back against the bulkhead watching the stars through the port. They weren't just at impulse as they would be if it was an issue with the engines... they were stock still in space. An emergency that would slow the ship to a standstill would warrant informing the Captain of the situation. He ran his fingers through his hair and glanced at the woman still slumbering on her bunk. Had they tried to contact him and failed to find him?
What the hell was going on?
He rose and walked to the port.
Why wasn't I informed? I'm the god damned Captain.
The long stop could only mean one thing to someone as paranoid as Nelson… an internal communication had been prearranged with a member of his staff. And he knew just which staff member was in his quarters talking with Starfleet Command. If his XO was involved in his arrest, Nelson would be a dead man. Tucker had been Shran's friend... Shran was Andorian. And Andorians were known for their tradition of exacting revenge with no messy trials to get in the way.
Survival had to come second; Kelby's death had become his first priority. Any time he wasted was practically a gift to the XO. The engineer had to die and die now before he could shoot off his mouth and ruin everything. With the twit out of the way, it would be his word against the alien doctor's. He glanced up at the clock over the bunk. Nelson had to work to keep from panicking so he could think clearly.
It figures that they would wait 'til after hours to call Shran.
Pulling on his sweats and tee shirt, Nelson bolted out the door and used the turbo lift to get to his quarters. He entered the cabin and grabbed the phaser on the desk. He powered it on and set it to kill. Tucking the weapon into this belt, he grabbed his ID cards and nearly ran out the door, turning to lock his quarters with his now inoperative command code.
Entering the turbo lift, he punched for the bridge. Nelson bent over nursing a stitch in his side and made a vow to work out more once this was over. The lift seemed to be stuck between decks. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm, kicking the doors idly.
Why is this taking so long? Probably Kelby's fault, the man can't do anything right.
Easy, Jack, no one knows a thing just yet, don't give it away.
The doors opened. Nelson stepped onto the bridge and locked eyes with the comm officer who visibly paled. Scanning the room, the security station was conspicuously empty. He turned and ran back into the lift. The doors slid shut. He glanced at the lift chronometer, the time was 2248.
Not enough time.
The comm officer watched the departing CO and routed a message to the XO, interrupting the briefing to Talon, with just 5 little words.
'Nelson just left the bridge.'
* * * *
Shran returned to his conversation after the call from Takashi. "Talon... apparently Nelson just ran out of the bridge. The turbolift indicates he's on his way to D deck. I am betting he'll make his way to the shuttle pod bay. His codes have been nullified so he can't leave the ship but he probably has a weapon. Meet you and a security team at the shuttle bay doors. Shran out."
Something in Shran's voice drove Talon wide awake, her attention focused on one thing and one thing alone. The murdered engineer had been the Andorian's friend and Andorians were known for their skill at exacting revenge. Talon was determined to get between the XO and the two accused simply to make sure they were kept alive. Dressing hurriedly, she picked up the phaser lying on the desk, thumbing it to the on position and debated on setting it to stun. A muscle in her cheek started to throb.
"Talon to Security….Where's Kelby currently?"
"He's in his D Deck's quarters sleeping…alone. Why?"
"I'm locking his quarters, no one in… no one out. The Admiral has relayed to us that Nelson and Kelby have just been relieved of duty pending court martial. We are to apprehend both of them for transport back to Starfleet. Nelson is on the run. At the moment he's on his way to Kelby's quarters. What he plans to do once he gets there, we can only guess. The doors will be locked so he can't reach the engineer. Shran is on his way to D Deck shuttle bays to intercept the CO before he can get off the ship. How far are Kelby's quarters from the shuttle bay?"
"About 50 feet, sir. "
"Have security team… say 5 men…meet command staff in the hallway outside Kelby's quarters. We can strategize from there. Can I have a mark on Nelson's whereabouts?"
"I believe he's just stepping out of the D deck turbo lift."
"Nelson codes are nullified so he's locked out of all egresses off the ship. The shuttlepod bays are the logical place to go if he wants to leave the ship alive. We may have to make a stand there. Have your crew bring weapons set to stun and full restraints. They are to be taken alive if we can. Talon out."
The door slid shut silently behind her as she raced out the door.
* * * *
Nelson stood waiting for the lift door to open. He rang the bridge for help but no one answered his comm signal.
Just where the hell was everyone?
Stupid question, Jack.
Don't look behind you, just keep moving.
The doors finally opened and Nelson dashed down the hallway, entering his command override into the lock on Kelby's cabin door.
The door didn't open.
He reentered the code, including his thumbprint. The door still wouldn't open.
Shran's ahead of me.
I've got to get out of here.
The shuttlepod… it's the only way off this bloody ship if I can't use my codes.
Nelson ran back down the hallway and banged on the shuttle bay doors.
* * * *
Shran ran out his cabin's open door and into the stair well, leaping from down the stairs 3 and 4 at a time using the rail as the only constant support. Pausing at the C deck landing, he thumbed his disruptor into the on position and felt the electric shock from the charging weapon against his hip.
The humans have an axiom: "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."
He burst out onto D deck and ran for the shuttle bay.
A manic little smile began to crinkle the edges of his lips and his head bent much like a steer getting ready to ram a fence.
A life for a life.
* * * *
"Dammit, OPEN." He screamed, hoping someone inside the bay heard him. Running footsteps entered the hallway and a hand grabbed his shoulder spinning him around. Nelson was shoved to his knees and his phaser was pulled from his grip. He heard the grip shatter against the far wall where it was thrown full force.
The smooth cold barrel of an Andorian disruptor pressed hard against his skin. A static electrical pulse from a short in the weapon discharged into the base of his head causing his head to tingle. He felt Shran switch off the safety. The whine from the badly tuned Andorian disrupter rose as Nelson breathlessly counted… one, two, three, four seconds. Now fully armed, the weapon was quite capable of leaving no evidence he had ever existed. Still kneeling on the deck plating, Nelson smiled and felt confident he would beat the Andorian to the punch.
Shran couldn't kill me.
He's gotten too soft working for Starfleet.
But before he could speak, a soft voice from just behind his ear sent chills up his spine. "You've been charged with murder, Commander. I have been given the authority to relieve you of duty." The honorific was clipped and insinuated that it was a good substitute for the term he really wanted to use for his former CO.
The barrel remained fixed to the back of Nelson's neck, its discharge continued to make his head buzz. Then he heard an even quieter whisper as the grip on his shoulder tightened, "Please give me an excuse, any excuse, so I can use my disrupter, Commander." He could picture the smile on the Andorian's face at the thought of transforming him into atoms. The finger tightened on the trigger; the housing creaked from the stress.
"I can't think of a better revenge for the taking my friend's life." Shran hissed softly.
The former captain exhaled slowly, counting to ten and debated head butting the rangy Andorian. Nelson knew instinctively he had underestimated the killer that still dwelled in his XO.
An eye for an eye.
He heard voices from down the hallway becoming louder and collapsed against the floor. He rolled his face away from the crew to preserve some sense of face.
I am so screwed.
The disruptor never wavered.
Many hands pushed Shran aside and grabbed Nelson shoving him forward. He thrust his arms up in the universal symbol of surrender. Restraints encircled his feet and knees, forearms and wrists were cuffed roughly behind his back. Nelson's body was thrown to the floor face down and the restraints tightened even further. He lifted his head, looking up at Shran and the disruptor that was still leveled a few inches from his temple. Occasionally the weapon dipped against his skin, giving him a shock just so he knew he was still under threat. Shran reached down, removing Nelson's locator pin and insignia to prevent any unexpected beam outs.
A smile crossed Nelson's features for a moment as he laid his cheek to the cold floor of the hallway. "You've won. There's still time to get rid of me. I'm sure that no one here will stop you." Nelson shrugged, hoping his ignominious end would come quickly and relatively painlessly. He had no stomach for Starfleet's brand of justice. Better to die now than languish in a cell for the rest of your life.
* * * *
Talon keyed in her command override into the keypad on Kelby's door. The door slid aside silently revealing the little bully poised for fight or flight. Kelby came barreling out the door phaser in hand, intent on getting past the security detail waiting for him. Turning to shoot, he blundered into the last man and they both went down to the decking. Kelby recovered first and ran down the hallway leading to the shuttlebays. He fired at his pursuers, the decking smoked from a phaser blast set to kill. Security scattered.
"Talon to Shran. Your package is being delivered as we speak. His phaser is set to kill."
In the hallway outside the shuttle bays Shran rose, taking his disruptor from the side of Nelson's head. Reaching over, he took the phaser from the floor where it had been thrown. Ignoring the broken handgrip, he thumbed the weapon to stun and turned as he heard running footsteps. Weapons were raised and pointed. Three phaser bolts hit the charging Kelby, lighting his body like a neon sign. He fell to the deck plating.
The Andorian stood over the beefy engineer and nudged the body with his shoe.
"Is he dead?"
Bending down Dauntless' head of security Lieutenant Porter checked Kelby's neck for a pulse. He looked up at his CO after removing Kelby's locator pin and insignia.
"No such luck, Commander. He's still alive."
Satisfied that the man still breathed Porter turned Kelby over on his stomach and secured his hands and feet just as they had Nelson. He had no respect for a man purported to have murdered his own commanding officer and cinched the restraints unnecessarily tight. Stepping away he made room for the ship's doctor who passed his tricorder over the body and verified that Kelby was simply unconscious and in no obvious distress. Med staff arrived with a transport pad; Kelby was lifted bodily and placed face down, his arms, legs, waist and shoulders strapped down securely. Still trussed like a pig on a spit, Nelson watched as the unconscious engineer was removed from the room.
I'm next, dammit.
Stupid little peon… I should have killed him when I had the chance.
I'm going to hang anyway, might as well have hung for that too.
"Is the situation here secure, Captain?" Talon stepped into the hallway and looked down at Nelson noting that he was trussed up tightly. "We are on a heading back to Earth, Shran. Estimated time of arrival is 22 Earth hours." Talon placed a hand on Shran's shoulder. "There are to be 4 guards at all times. As your acting XO it's my responsibility to make sure the men survive to appear at their court martials. Do I have your word he will arrive alive, Captain?"
With a nod of his head, the frowning Shran glanced up at his tall Vulcan XO. "It isn't my preference but I'll honor the requirement. Alive it is."
"And in one piece, Captain." It was a statement, not a question.
Shran sighed. "And in one piece." He looked down at Nelson, lying on the decking, his face damp with flop sweat. He picked up his disruptor keeping it aimed at the murderers just in case he got the chance to rid his ship of vermin. Tucker had been a friend… a good friend. It took every bit of professionalism he had to stop himself from taking the lives he felt were owed.
The second transport arrived. Nelson was lifted and restrained face down to the gurney, straps tight against his skin. Talon bent to speak with the former officer. "You'll remain in restraints until we reach Earth, Nelson. You will be given no opportunity to escape. You're to speak to no one; no one is to speak to you. I'll keep you alive, Jack… but only just."
Reaching down Talon laid a sharpened fingernail to Nelson's cheek and drew a thin straight line that immediately became bright with blood. She leaned a little closer. "We have your little girlfriend in custody, would you like to see?" Gesturing to the security officer, a barely dressed Ensign was brought in bound as the others were. Talon motioned for the group to proceed to the brig, taking satisfaction with the struggles of the female security officer she had had taken into custody.
The Andorian stuck close to the sledge, accompanying Nelson to the brig and supervised the procedure that fastened him face down onto a clean metal bunk with no mattress. Shran ordered that no attempts be made to provide even minimal comforts. His agreement with his XO only extended to keeping them alive. Nothing had been said about their condition otherwise. No one was to communicate with the two former officers for any reason without the his permission for the next 22 hours. And if the accused was found to be harmed in any way, it was made clear to the guards that a court martial would follow.
An unconscious Kelby was given similar treatment and fastened to a bunk at the other end of the cell block, as far away from Nelson as they could get him.
Satisfied with their protocols, Shran entered the turbo lift and set out for the bridge. He stopped the lift between floors and straightened his attire, unclipping his whining disruptor to power it down. No sense in scaring anyone with the noisy weapon. It had served its purpose and sent the perpetrator the appropriate message.
On reentering the bridge, Shran disappeared into his office. He keyed the comm and Admiral Tyson answered immediately.
The admiral smiled when he heard that the two men were in custody with no incident. Tyson thought the Andorian looked disappointed that the former CO had given him no reason to dissipate his molecules into dust. Kelby's continued unconscious state sounded worrisome but Tyson was confident that Starfleet medical would ensure his survival. In addition to the damning forensic evidence, he needed Kelby to give testimony against Nelson. His involvement wasn't critical but it was preferable since prosecution in this case would be… problematic. The admiral congratulated Shran for his speed in apprehending the criminals and Shran, in turn, asked the admiral to extend his condolences to Tucker's widow. The final pleasantries were exchanged as was the expected time of arrival. Never in his years in Starfleet had anything shaken Tyson to the core as this case did. So many officers compromised all for the sake of money and revenge. Turning away from the comm, the admiral ended the call.
Shran sank back in his chair and finally allowed himself to process the information he had received over the last hour. His mind went to his life before Starfleet and his friendship with Commander Tucker. Underneath it all he knew that if given the chance he would not hesitate to avenge his friend's death himself. He reached for the bottle of scotch that he knew was always left in the CO's bottom desk drawer and smiled as he pulled down a glass of the shelf.
Drinking down the first half glass of his captain's scotch, he realized that maybe he wasn't as civilized as all that just yet.
* * * *
The announcement finally came over the comm informing crew of the change in command. Nelson had won no friends during his 24 hours in command of the Dauntless and knew one female crewmember in particular who would be relieved to be shed of him. Various bets would be paid off that were made on the length of his command. Ironically he knew that the Vulcan XO/science officer would be the clear winner with a guesstimate of 48 hours. His command had lasted just 46 hours from the time He took Hernandez' duty station to the moment he was thrown in the brig.
Jack Nelson chuckled to himself.
I bet 46 hours is a new low.
Jackie, my boy, that should put you in the history books.
There was a change in background noise as the ship returned to warp. He laid his cheek against the cold metal of the bunk and closed his eyes.
This battle was over, Starfleet had won.
* * * *
Well," T'Pol put her arms around her spouse and allowed Trip the full experience of her emotions through the bond as proof of her devotion to him, "I need to call my father so we can make appropriate plans."
Trip watched his wife's lovely form disappear up the stairs and let out a deep sigh running his fingers over the front of his tee shirt.
Life is good.
Chuck Tucker leaned over the stair railing and called down to his son. "Yo, Trip! Someone wants to talk to you bad, son. Get your sorry ass up here."
Trip had just started to walk up the stairs behind T'Pol as Malcolm and Hoshi came in through the foyer. He wave to his friend. "I have a call, come on up." Both men ran up the stairs for the upstairs office, pounding up the steps one after the other. They had the same thought, hoping to find out they were out of danger. Phlox came out of his room, followed them in and closed the door to the office behind him.
Trip sat down at the comm and dialed in the security protocols. Taken aback he stared at the image of Rear Admiral Gray Tyson. He cursed himself for acting unthinkingly and answering the comm as anyone normally would. He nodded to the Admiral. This was his first encounter with Starfleet since he traveled with T'Pol from his own continuum… and he had no clue what to say. The admiral seemed to be at a loss as to what to say as the silence grew between them.
"Ahh… good evening admiral." Panic ran through his mind as he leaned back in his chair.
Aww, f---. What did I do?
Since Tucker's counterpart had been horribly murdered in this continuum, his being alive was going to have to be explained. He kept hoping that maybe the man wouldn't recognize him since he was in civilian dress.
Tyson's face finally broke into a genuine grin. "Welcome back, Commander Tucker."
Aww, f---. He knows me.
Trip struggled with what he was going to say. "Ahh Admiral... now, I can explain..."
Tyson motioned with his hands for Trip to chill out. "Just calm down, Commander, I happen to know your current history so don't get your back up. I called wanting to talk to you specifically. We have a select group working on making your reentry as painless and purposeful as we can. The main reason I called is that I have one bit of good news. Both Nelson and Kelby were apprehended without incident and are now in Starfleet custody." The two men stood and gave each other high fives.
"Your old friend Captain Shran played a prominent role though I'm afraid he wasn't happy with the requirement that the two gentlemen remain alive. The prisoners will be returned to Earth sometime around mid-night tomorrow." He turned to look at the doctor. "Your autopsy, Dr. Phlox, was unusually complete. From your findings we have a good idea of the sequence of events and can proceed with charges. For the moment Kelby is our one weak link… hopefully he will be willing testify and plea bargain down from a murder charge to simple manslaughter." Tyson sighed. "Thanks for your good work."
Phlox nodded. "Glad to see you concur with my findings. I am more convinced than ever that Tucker was murdered. Did you have a chance to go over my report regarding Archer's role in the murder?"
"Yes, doctor. As you know we have gone ahead and filed charges accordingly. A search of Archer's quarters has provided our prosecution team with invaluable evidence. However you are all in more danger than we realized. They were working with a syndicate of mercenaries who stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Reed?"
Malcolm stepped up to the comm. "Yes, sir?"
"Place transport inhibitors on everyone including yourselves. We can't take any chances that you'll be used for bargaining chips."
"Yes, Admiral. I have inhibitors ready. I'll get them on everyone before we launch."
The admiral nodded. "Proceed as quickly as you can, Lieutenant."
For some reason, Trip felt himself getting a bit irritated. He could just imagine the uproar if the press stumbled over his existence. "Admiral, just how do you plan to prosecute someone if the dead man just happens to still be alive?"
"Commander, we have a body, a method and a motive. Unfortunately, in order to protect Commander Tucker's remains from outside interference, we had his body exhumed this evening and his stasis pod placed in a secure location. I have not yet notified Commander T'Pol of this fact. Could you could talk with Mrs. Tucker for me Phlox?" The Admiral directed his gaze towards the physician.
Phlox nodded.
This isn't a conversation I am looking forward to having.
"Gentlemen, it may take some time but we do plan to charge all four men with his murder. Incidentally we are beginning to pick up co-conspirators. The challenge at the moment is that we have to define precisely who 'Tucker' actually was. I think we have developed an adequate cover story all thanks to your co-worker. This entire incident will be prosecuted in house; these men will disappear into a very black hole once they are court martialed for murder. Just trust us on this."
Yeah right.
And I'm the bloody queen of England.
Trip's curiosity got the better of him. Two had been apprehended but he regarded the Captains as the much larger threats. "Where are Archer and Lockwood?"
"Both still at large, both armed and dangerous. Your plan to return to Vulcan is still the best option until we can get these two into custody. Lockwood is obviously going to get as far away as possible and will be in no position to be a worry to you until the syndicate finds him. Captain Archer however is an unknown.
"Admiral... Elizabeth had a Vulcan mind bond to her father. He said goodbye to her as he died. According to the nightmares my daughter is having, Archer had a direct hand in the murder." He wasn't going to inform anyone that he now carried Tucker's memories... but the Admiral had to know the extent of Archer's involvement.
"Thanks to Phlox, the forensic data shows conclusively that he was directly involved moments before Tucker died. We found additional evidence in his quarters. We also have someone that can attest to his presence in engineering that day. The witness and the preponderance of evidence made it clear that Archer has no intentions of surrendering voluntarily. And given his current unbalanced state of mind, I doubt that we will find him until it's a time of his choosing. It's a sad state of affairs, Commander."
"Unbalanced? The man's psychotic... Don't tell me you empathize with the bastard?"
"Having a human hero involved with a murder and such unsavory elements as the syndicate puts Starfleet in a precarious position. Archer left behind a resignation of sorts which made it clear he is no longer a Starfleet officer. However he stole Starfleet property on leaving the Enterprise. We intend to regain said item and prosecute to the fullest in addition to the charges of accessory to murder already laid. Other charges are being filed as we speak. Murdering Tucker wasn't his only crime."
"He took a Starfleet shuttle-pod, right? He won't have too large a range and couldn't have gotten too far."
"A shuttle pod isn't exactly easy to find given its size and has limited warp capacity. Even with pre-preparation, the shuttle has limited range. A flight to Vulcan would take weeks."
"Well… one of them will be easy to identify. The pod he will likely use has a stutter in one injector; its warp signature is unique. The other pod has a power drain and can't go more than warp one. It was only good for away missions to planets close by. I doubt he would pick that one to escape in. The aberrant signature should be on file."
"Thank you, Commander; this information should help us identify his craft once we find it. Either way... you all need to get off Earth. Both Lockwood and Archer have left the system... but they could return at any time. I trust T'Pol's father can protect you adequately once you reach Vulcan?"
"Yeah, Storn has quite the fortress. My wife was just about to call him to arrange our stay. Phlox has transport arranged and we should be leaving within the hour."
"Excellent."
Malcolm leaned over. "You said that a syndicate is involved. Do we know which one and can we expect them to become involved in our stay on Vulcan?"
"Unfortunately yes... it appears that your Captain had grander designs for system domination than Starfleet was capable of fulfilling. When you reach Vulcan, I'll be sending the classified file to our headquarters there. You can read it at your leisure once you're in a secure setting." The admiral drew back from the screen. "Again I have to again welcome you to our world, Commander. If it's any consolation, your loss was felt up the chain of command not just because of the circumstances but because of the loss of your skills. You were a huge asset to the company. As to your future... if you wish to remain with Starfleet, we can make it worth your while."
Mollified for the moment, Trip decided to lay it all on the table. "I'll stay only if I can remain with my family, Admiral. I'm not taking any more chances with my life... especially at the hands of my fellow officers."
"I'm not surprised. This has made me think twice about remaining with the Company. But I think we can work with your requests. Now good evening to you all… I'll speak with you once we have found the others. Good night Commanders, Doctor, Lieutenants." Tyson ended the call leaving everyone looking at each other astounded by the conversation.
T'Pol entered the room and tapped her husband on the shoulder. She motioned for him to join her in the other office. As Trip left his chair and sat behind her as she prepared to dial in her father's comm line. She checked the computer's chronometer. It was mid morning on a Vulcan weekday. Storn, by habit, did not leave home until mid day preferring to work in his office on the cool side of the house. She dialed in his home office number.
Her father answered almost immediately.
Storn smiled when he saw T'Pol. "And to what do I owe the honor of this call, daughter."
"Hello Father. Commander Tucker and I find ourselves in an awkward position. There has been a serious security breach and Starfleet has ordered us to leave Earth. It has been suggested by security that we occupy the safest location we can find for our own protection. I was wondering if we could stay in your compound for the duration rather than stay at our home in the city. We will of course have the children. Also three crewmates and Trip's parents will be accompanying us. We plan to have our son's naming ceremony while we are there, the Tuckers would like to attend."
"Ahh… I received a call from Rear Admiral Tyson and was expecting you to contact me... the situation is alarming at best. Is the Commander there?" Storn looked concerned enough to give T'Pol pause. She beckoned to her husband who stood in the doorway listening.
Trip stepped beside his wife and knelt down, looking into the screen. "Hey Storn, yeah, I'm alive... despite reports to the contrary." He could just imagine the reports his Romulan father in law had received. Storn's intelligence network rivaled Starfleet's; no doubt word of the accident had reached him. "How are you and T'Les?"
"I am much relieved now that I see you in the flesh. It means I won't have to tell your mother in law of the intelligence I received of your untimely demise a few weeks ago. It wasn't a conversation I was looking forward to having, you know how she gets." He grinned at the discomfort obvious on Trip's face. "You and your group are all welcome here at the house."
"We are leaving shortly on an Interspecies medical transport that our doctor has arranged. I believe that makes 7 adults and 2 children, 9 guests in all. We can stay in our house in town if it's an imposition… unfortunately the Admiral's orders were quite clear. He wanted the safest location, ergo, your compound."
"Your mother will be gratified to have you and your entourage staying with us. Any chance to be around our grandchildren will make her… eh… agreeable. Our house will hold 3 times as many quite comfortably. I'll ask your mother to arrange transport or you could come straight to the compound by shuttle. We'll bring over the baby things you left at the house this evening. Child proofing the house will take a day or two. We'll have staff put all the breakables up high so Elizabeth can run all she likes.
Where will you be having a naming ceremony for our grandson?"
"In your courtyard... given the danger to us, anywhere else could become problematic."
"We could have it here then. I'll contact the priests and arrange things. Any idea how long you'll be here?"
"As of this juncture in time… no, I have no idea at all. Until these men are caught, we are all in danger. There is no telling when they will be apprehended."
"And Archer? When will he be caught and punished for this outrage?"
"I have no idea, father. This is all very new to me. Until recently I had no idea..."
"I didn't mean to upset you, child. Given the way the man looked at you, the lengths to which he would go to possess you don't come as a surprise, not to me."
"I would prefer not to discuss it."
T'Pol straightened and fidgeted indicating to her husband that the subject was closed.
Storn nodded. "I will honor your request. In this matter, nothing is to be said in front of your mother. I have shielded her as best I could from the rumor and innuendo swirling around the two of you." He paused. "Another issue has to be dealt with. And now that your two children are of an age to tolerate medical procedures... there is something we need to discuss."
T'Pol looked over at Trip and raised an eyebrow. Her spouse shrugged in response.
"Father, I think he has acquiesced."
"Then we'll look for the 9 of you in two days time. Do you know what kind of transport you'll be using? I understand that Vulcan has endowed the medical corp with a number of high warp ships. Have the pilot contact us once you're underway. Give my love to my grandchildren and a welcome to your in laws and co-workers. Good day Commander Tucker. Good day little one."
"Good bye father." T'Pol ended the call. She turned to her husband. "You're aware of what he's talking about?"
Trip fidgeted before speaking. "I can guess that it's the longevity thing?"
T'Pol gave a half shrug. "You did promise to think about it once our children were born."
"The whole thing just gives me the creeps. But as you say... it's the logical thing to do."
T'Pol stood and took her husband by the shoulders, looking him straight in the eye. "Is it irrational for me to want to have you with me for the rest of my life? My father has offered to help us even the playing field so to speak... I say take it. If we stay in space, we probably won't live out our natural spans. But after the last 3 weeks, we can't afford to take the chance of leaving our children orphans."
Trip ran his hand through his hair. He knew she was right… he had to take advantage of whatever her father offered. But for some reason he had a hard time agreeing to the procedures.
T'Pol gave him a shake. "Given our recent experience with death…I don't take this lightly, Trip. We had a hard lesson. Never in a million years would I have believed that your death would kill me. Now we know for a fact that when your death comes in 50 or 60 years... I have to conclude that I will die shortly there after. There is no way to sugar coat this. Is it selfish of me to want us to live out our natural spans together, to see our children and grandchildren? "
She watched his face for his next reaction. "Remember what happened to your body when I died. Do you want to condemn me to that?"
Trip winced, thinking about the experience, remembering how his body was slowing shutting down in the face of her death in his timeline. If T'Pol hadn't found him, with Phlox's help he planned to end his pain on his own to avoid what he was enduring. He looked up at her and made eye contact. It may have been his counterpart's pride that made him choose not to go through the injections, but now it had changed to become a biological imperative.
Live longer or I kill her too. No heroics, no equivocation.
"Okay, you're right. I'll go through with it." He gave his wife a hug and a slight smile. She stroked his chin and gave his a shy kiss. Sighing because they had a houseful of people and no privacy, he broke off the kiss and went back into his office, closing the door behind him.
"Malcolm… I have a question." Trip sat down and turned to his friend with that look he got every time he lost patience with his friend. "Just what did you tell him?"
The tactical officer fended off the accusation with hands up, palms open. "It wasn't me."
The doctor interrupted. "It's not the Lieutenant's fault, Commander. I have spoken with Tyson periodically during the last week with updates on the situation. We have discussed strategies for prosecution of the case against Nelson and Kelby given that there is a man that is very much alive as well as a body in stasis."
"Just how many people know I'm here?"
"Other than those at the command meeting tonight and those working on returning you to active duty... I would imagine only the group the Admiral has chosen for investigation of the murder charges as well as those who are investigating the legal ramifications of prosecuting just such a case."
"Legal ramifications of what case?"
"Of charging Nelson and Kelby…one avenue we have been following... given that there are two of you and one is quite obviously alive."
"But what are you going to charge them with?"
"Commander...one plan we discussed and are looking into… and you are the one that gave me the idea."
"And just what would that have been."
"Well… we hope to charge them with the murder of your clone."
Trip's eyebrows rose.
"My what?"
* * * *
The med ship's oversize shuttle touched down silently in the Tucker driveway between the overhanging madrona trees, snapping off the most far flung branches. The cockpit door opened, and eight burly armed MACOs filed out, fanning out into the neighborhood. Four disappeared out into the fenced backyard of the Tucker property and the other four double timed it down the street towards the Reed house.
The lone pilot stepped onto the asphalt and waved to the adults standing underneath the pink tinged streetlight.
"Travis!" The well built helmsman waved to his crewmates.
"I'll be your pilot for your trip to Vulcan by express order of the Rear Admiral. He felt that having someone you knew would put you at ease. I don't know the details yet but..." Travis' mouth took on a grim line for a moment. "…I was on Enterprise when Captain Hernandez was taken to Medical."
He turned to Tucker and stuck out his hand. "You can't imagine how happy I am to see you here, Commander." They shook hands before Travis pulled him into a hug.
This was yet another of Trip's colleagues that he lost in his timeline, this time when his wife died 3 weeks ago. He touched the corner of his eye to ward off the tears that threatened to fall.
Travis punched his shoulder and moved on past him, picking up baggage and loading it into the craft.
"Why the MACO's?" Malcolm pointed to the darkness.
"They will be keeping the two properties under surveillance. I understand that the installation of an improved high tech security upgrade is in the works. I'm sure you understand they can't take any further chances with your lives until after the court martial. And until they can catch the suspects, this is simply the most expedient way to protect you."
Malcolm was beginning to feel out of the loop. This was usually his domain as head of Tactical. He scowled at the younger officer and shook his head.
Travis held his hands up in mock surrender when he noted the older man's expression. "I'm only temporarily attached to security for the duration, Lieutenant. You two have witness status… and have been removed from chain of authority for that reason. You two are instead responsible for the lives of the 7 others here and can't participate in Earth based precautions, if you're on Vulcan."
"Yeah, I get that part." He began to get irritated with himself for being irritated with the helmsman.
"Relax Malcolm..." Travis grinned, "I'm just your pilot for the trip. Come on, let's get this baby loaded."
The pair set to work passing bags into the hull and settling them into the storage bays on either side of the passenger compartment. They finally motioned to the others that the craft was ready for boarding. On entering each received a transport inhibitor strapped to their wrists, even the children. One after another, the passengers filed into the comparatively large compartment and took their seats. The littlest two, still asleep in their parents' arms, were seated first in the middle on the rear couch. Their parents sat on either side of them, father with his daughter, mother with her infant in his carrier. Grandparents went in front of the rear couch in a pair of swivel chairs with a table between them. Hoshi and Malcolm took comm and tactical positions on either side of Travis.
Phlox took the seat closest to the med station behind the rear couch. He settled back into the darkness to watch his human charges. It was regrettable that the situation had been allowed to come to a head. When he pressed charges against Archer, he never dreamed that the family would become a target. Much as he rationalized his involvement, he still felt that he was to blame for ignoring Archer's instability and subsequent actions. He had to make it up to the Tuckers... it was his fault they were on the run and in danger.
"Everyone ready?" Travis looked at the images of his nodding passengers reflected in the forward ports. He switched off the lights, plunging the interior into darkness. "This should take about an hour. Once we are onboard we will be leaving the system and arrive on Vulcan in 2 days."
"That's pushing it a bit, isn't it?" Hoshi had been doing mental calculations as to how long their trip would take. Warp 5 would take 3.8 days.
"We'll be on a medical ship built of a Vulcan design. It's pretty posh considering, no offense Commander. We'll be traveling at warp 7.5 to 8.0 for the majority of the trip."
Trip whistled.
Malcolm grinned. "I bet that's why you agreed to pilot the transport. Not much chance to pilot a ship like that in Starfleet."
This brought a grin to the helmsman's face.
The banter continued in a lighter vein. Elizabeth slept with her head laid on her father's thigh, softly snoring in the same fashion as he was wont to do. Quaid quietly nursed off and on, his mother napped sporadically. The elder Tuckers played cards across a small table and watched their children care for their brood. Catherine smiled at T'Pol as she caressed her infant's hand.
Elizabeth finally looked up at her lightly dozing father, got out of her seat and crawled into his lap. She stroked his chin and snuggled her forehead against his neck. A sleepy Trip felt any anxiety leave him as he felt her melt against him; her arms pulled him in close as she sought to get as much contact between them as she could. He looked up at T'Pol and found she had turned to watch them. His head leaned back into the headrest and he started to drift off to sleep with his daughter safely in his arms.
Suddenly he was in engineering, watching a computer screen. Klaxons started to blare indicating hostile fire. Archer and Nelson were yelling at one another in the dim, Archer handing Nelson a phaser and instructing him to stun him. Three aliens beamed nearby waiting for instructions from Archer and Nelson. Archer motioned the 3 over to where he sat and said "Grab him and bring him this way."
Two of the aliens lifted Trip out of his chair and started to drag him away. He watched the back of the retreating captain, confusion on his face. Abruptly the captain whirled around and pulled his hand back in a fist, aiming at Trip's face. Trip heard the sound of running feet coming from behind him and twisted to see his rescuer.
"Noooooooooo, Daddy. Noooooooooo..."
A small blond blur ran into him full force knocking him onto his stomach onto the decking and out of the grip of the two aliens. Elizabeth knelt down beside her father and scrambled onto him breathing heavily. "It's not time for this yet… you just aren't ready." She stretched her fingers to the contact points on his cheek and the engine room disappeared from view as if it had never existed. Trip woke up sweating and hyperventilating to find his wife's hand on his arm. He shook Elizabeth awake and she looked at him with a lazy smile. Saving her father from dying in her dream left her with an odd sort of triumph. It was a dream she had had every night for weeks.
Trip looked down at his sleepy adoring daughter and worried about the sheer mental power she would wield in the coming years. He glanced at Quaid who grew tired of his worldly pursuits and had fallen asleep in his carrier with a smile on his face. A milk bubble formed on his lips that his mother fastidiously wiped off with a towel. He finally leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. In between the sheer surrealness of the situation and the closeness of friends and family, there was still a sense of amazement at having gone from having no future to having everything to live for.
Suddenly the medical transport loomed in the front port, its shuttle bay doors opening. The craft rose into the bay and waited, hovering in place as the doors closed. Once the pressure had stabilized, the hatch opened and the 7 worked to move their baggage onto the transport pad. Finally the two children were gathered into their parents' arms and they were led to their quarters. It was only after the door slid closed that the couple breathed a sigh of relief and settled in for the two day trip to Vulcan.
* * * *
TBC