Book One

Chapter One

Acting Captain Charles Anthony Tucker Log, Supplemental

Today we are buried Captain Archer and Porthos. A Mark I torpedo casing has been gutted and the Captain and Porthos placed inside and to be fired into space. I am now in charge. The crew is devastated. There is a sadness hanging in the air. There is also a sense that our mission has already failed three weeks into it. We can't turn back, though. This mission is too important to give up before it even has started.

Trip turned off the log recorder and leaned back in his chair. He needed to effect immediate changes if the mission was going to succeed.

"Damn it, Jon, why'd you have to die," he sighed.

It appeared that the thermobaric clouds, which surrounded the Delphic Expanse acted as a dampening field for communications outside of the Expanse. There were two alternatives: exit the Expanse and contact Starfleet or continue the mission. The choice belonged to Trip.

Sticking his tongue in the right side of his cheeks, Trip suddenly got lost in thought. His mind returned to two days ago when Archer died.

They had their first run in with the Xindi and discovered quickly that they were out-powered, outgunned, and outmanned. The Enterprise only avoided destruction with a retreat in a nebula and some luck. Trip now was left to put the ship back together and he was pissed. They needed help. If only the Discovery was ready because they needed the backup.

"Commander Tucker to the Captain's Ready Room immediately. We have an emergency," the voice of Ensign Sato broke the silence of Engineering.

Trip, who had been working on an EPS conduit, dropped out of the Jeffries tube and looked for Lieutenant Hess.

"Hess," he yelled.

The small framed and attractive young woman was underneath a console effecting repairs. She pushed herself out from underneath and stood up.

"Yes, sir," she said.

"You are in charge, Jane, until I return," he said.

"Yes, sir," she said.

Trip headed off to the Ready Room. In his three weeks acting as First Officer and Chief Engineer, he'd grown used to extra-long shifts. In some ways, he was thankful that he had developed insomnia since they started this mission because sleep wasn't an option.

As he exited the turbolift, he saw a small crowd gathered near the entrance of the Ready Room. He shook his head. Everyone should be at their posts.

"Make a hole," he bellowed.

Crewmen stepped aside allowing him access to the Ready Room. The door was open and he saw a sight he'd never forget greeting him on the floor. Porthos looked as if he had been turned inside out, while Captain Archer was lying there in terrible pain. His body was twisted in ways a Human body should never be twisted into. A damn spatial anomaly had skipped through the ship leaving havoc in its wake. Kneeling over him was Dr. Phlox, their Denobulan doctor. His usual jovial face was a mask of sadness.

"Commander, he wishes to speak to you," Phlox said.

Trip walked over to Archer and knelt beside him. His friend and mentor looked up at him.

"You're… in… charge," he spat the words out in spasms of pain. "Succeed."

"I will, Cap'n," he replied.

Archer died. It was as if he willed himself to stay alive in order to give his last order.

Trip shook his head forcing himself out of the world of memories. He needed to be in the present because he needed to make some important changes. Leaning forward onto the desk that used to belong to Captain Archer, he pressed the comm button to connect him with Ensign Sato.

"Yes, Captain," she said.

He still was used to be called captain. It was actually painful to be addressed as captain but it was who he was for now.

"Hoshi, tell Malcolm and Major Hayes I want to see them in the Ready Room now," he said.

"Aye, aye, sire," she said.

He avoided saying my Ready Room. It was Jonathan's Ready Room not his. Trip sat back and waited for Malcolm and Hayes. He knew these two mixed about as well as matter and anti-matter but he needed to put together a senior Bridge crew quickly. There was a buzz at the door.

"Enter," he said.

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed and Major Jeffery Hayes entered the Ready Rood. Trip and Malcolm were close friends, so he could tell that Malcolm was in full military mode. He stood there stiff as a board and Hayes stood beside him taking the same posture.

"At ease, you two," Trip said. "Take a seat."

Malcolm and Hayes sat in the two seats facing the desk. They waited for Trip to continue.

"I need an Executive Officer and a Tactical Officer," he said. "I need these officers to be men that I trust and whose talents and opinions I can rely on. Malcolm, I am giving you a battlefield commission of Lieutenant Commander and making you my XO."

"I will full my duties as best as I can, Captain," Malcolm said solemnly.

"I know, Malcolm," replied Trip, who then looked at Hayes. "With you, I am breaking regulations and tradition and making a MACO my Tactical Officer. Do you accept, Major?"

"I accept, sir," Hayes said.

"I am going to need you two to support me and help me. I'm a Goddamn Engineer not a captain and I don't have the time for a steep learning curve," said Trip.

"How are you going to handle Engineering?" asked Malcolm.

"Easy. Lieutenant Hess is the best I got. I'm going to turn over most my duties to her, but I am going to remain the Chief Engineer because I am the best we have," he said.

"Isn't that going to be difficult for you to do?" asked Hayes.

"Hell yes, it is going to be difficult. Damn near impossible, but she doesn't know these engines better than me and she definitely doesn't have my experience at piecing this ship back together," explained Trip. "When we need to be put back together then I'll be the one in charge down there."

"Whatever you need, sir, we will support you," said Malcolm. "You are our Captain now."

"Thank you, Malcolm," said Trip. "I'll send out a ship wide comm letting everyone know the changes in command. Malcolm, go to the quartermaster and get new pips, and Major Hayes, get yourself an Enterprise patch for your sleeve."

"Yes, sir," they said in unison and Trip chuckled.

"Carry on," Trip dismissed them.

Once they had left him alone in the Ready Room, Trip suddenly wished T'Pol was here. She would have become the captain of the ship, but more importantly, he would have felt better with her there. He missed her.

STSTST

T'Pol waited patiently outside of Admiral Forest office. His assistant told him that it would be another ten minutes or so. It had only been two days since she tendered her resignation to Ambassador Soval and the local representative of the Vulcan High Command. Once she returned to Earth, her mind would not stop thinking about the Enterprise and its Chief Engineer, Charles Tucker III.

Her logic told her it was wrong for her to leave the Enterprise, especially after she instinctively mind melded with Charles and evoked a koon-ut-la between them. It was undisciplined and wrong, but somehow she couldn't stop herself. She needed to touch his mind and begin a bond.

"SubCommander T'Pol, the Admiral is ready to see you," said the Lieutenant Commander, who acted as Forest adjunct.

"Thank you," she said.

Gracefully, T'Pol rose and followed the Lieutenant Commander into Forest office. Sitting behind a large desk was the Admiral Forest. As was his habit, he had a friendly smile on his face. He motioned T'Pol to take a seat as he finished signing off on some PADDs. He placed the PADDs to the side and looked at her.

"Now you requested this meeting, SubCommander T'Pol," said Forest. "How can I help you?"

"I am no longer SubCommander T'Pol. I resigned my commission two days ago. I will to enlist in Starfleet, Admiral. I believe I can be an asset," she said.

For a moment, it appeared as if Forest was speechless. He stared at T'Pol and then a sincere smile cracked his face. Having at least one, Vulcan on their side would be a positive. T'Pol would a great asset for Starfleet.

"I will need to talk to Fleet Admiral Fedorov, but I believe that there is a place for you in Starfleet, Sub… I mean Commander," he said changing her rank to a Starfleet one. "The Discovery has a captain but it doesn't have an XO."

"I was hoping to resume my position aboard the Enterprise when it returns from its mission," she said.

He smiled. Forest knew that T'Pol had shown loyalty to Captain Archer and admired that quality. Archer was lucky to have such a beautiful and loyal ally.

"We can make the position a temporary one. You see the launching of the Discovery has been pushed up and I believe you can help in getting that ship ready. With your experience aboard the Enterprise, you should be able to assist in getting the kinks worked out and putting it through its angles and dangles. Anyway, its shakedown cruise will be to head off to the Delphic Expanse. The thermobaric clouds have caused an inability to communicate with the Enterprise," he said.

"When is the launch date?" she asked.

"It was a year from now, but we hope to move that up to nine months from now," he said.

"Have you heard any word about the Enterprise?" she asked.

"A trader ship said that he heard about a Starfleet ship that is being hunted by a race called the Xindi. It appears that it was the Xindi that attacked Earth," he said.

They were being hunted. A flush of emotions swept through T'Pol, which she quickly repressed.

"When may I get started?" asked T'Pol.

Forest grinned.

STSTST

"I'm sorry I handed you this bag of dicks," said Trip to Hess, "but we need every EPS conduit checked and if anything needs replacing then replaced."

"I understand, sir," she smiled.

"I can send some bag lunches to you and your crew," he said.

"That would be appreciated, sir," Hess said. "There are some of the Engineering crew who are now working on triple shift."

"Sandwiches, fruit juices, and coffee it is," he said.

"Thank you, sir," said Hess.

Trip nodded and headed off to the Mess to place an order for Engineering. They had two more confrontations with Xindi ships and they both ended the same with damage done to the Enterprise and a strategic retreat. A month and half since Captain Archer was dead and they were no closer to securing Earth's safety. Trip had enough of this, which was why he was having Hess go over all the EPS conduits. It was decided at an AOM, all officers meeting, that they would start procuring technology from the Xindi and anyone else who had a weapon system better than them.

In the Mess, Ensign Mayweather, Ensign Sato, and Corporal Amanda Cole sat together eating their dinner when Trip strode into the Mess. Hoshi noticed Corporal Cole's smile.

"The BMOS has arrived," Cole said.

Travis laughed. Hoshi looked at him questioningly.

"Big Man on Ship. The Captain," he explained.

"I'm a linguist expert not a slang expert," she said then she looked over at Trip as he spoke to a steward. "He looks tired."

"I think he looks good," said Cole.

"You have a thing for the Captain," said Travis.

"I wouldn't mind wasting a few hours with him," she said. "I heard that he has let up on the fraternization rules."

"According to Malcolm, the Captain is willing to turn a blind eye considering all the stress and strain we are under, but if thinks it starts to interfere with performance then he'll put his foot down," explained Hoshi.

"So when is he going to loosen up?" Cole asked.

"I don't think that is going to happen," said Travis. "Since he's become Captain, Trip has changed. He's taken Captain Archer's death hard. It's like he is carrying on this mission in Captain Archer's memory."

Just then, Malcolm and Hayes entered the Mess. They spotted Trip and walked over to him in order to confide with each other. Hoshi saw the three men together and smiled.

"The three musketeers are at it again," she said.

"Major Hayes has really taken to his position as Tactical Officer. He is really loyal to Captain Tucker," Cole remarked.

"I like him," Hoshi said to herself not realizing she said it aloud.

"You like Major Hayes," smiled Travis.

Hoshi blushed, while Cole laughed. Amanda Cole's laugh drew the attention of Malcolm, who looked over at their table. Hayes and Trip also looked over.

"I think we've been caught by the principal," said Travis, who then smiled at the three men.

Trip grinned then led Hayes and Malcolm out of the Mess.

STSTST

Trip, Malcolm, and Hayes went to the Situation Room hidden away at the back of the Bridge. They entered and locked the door behind them, so that they would not be interrupted. Hayes went over to the smart table and brought up a small trading planet.

"Sir, I believe we can get a Xindi shuttle on this planet," Hayes said.

"Jeff, we're in the Situation Room with only the three of us, so I think you can drop the sir for now," said Trip.

Hayes smiled then continued, "The three MACOs I sent to this planet returned with intel. It's a trading planet. You need, whatever it is, and you can get it there or meet someone there who can get it for you."

"Okay, sounds good so far. Are you saying that we buy a Xindi shuttle?" asked Trip.

"No, Trip, I say that we steal one. According to my men, long-range Xindi shuttles often land on the planet. I want to put a small team on the planet led by me. We will take the next Xindi shuttle and fly it back to the Enterprise," proposed Hayes.

"Do you really think five of your men could take say five of the bug Xindi or the lizard Xindi?" asked Malcolm.

"Mal, you know we can," smiled Hayes.

"I should go along with you," said Trip.

"You are too important, Trip, for that. You are not only the Captain of this boat but its best engineer," Malcolm reminded him.

"I'm also one of the better pilots and my engineering skills will allow me to figure out how to fly the shuttle," said Trip.

"I thought about that already," said Hayes. "I'd like to take Ensign Mayweather and one of Hess' best engineers with us."

"Sounds like a rational approach rather than put our Captain in harm's way," said Malcolm.

Trip glared at him for a moment then suddenly he felt tired, bone tired. Looking at the chronometer on the wall, he calculated the last time he got any sleep. It was thirty-six hours ago.

"Tired?" asked Malcolm.

Malcolm glanced over at Hayes. They both knew that Trip had trouble sleeping. It worried them. He was carrying a lot on his shoulders and they didn't want him breaking down. Trip had become too important to the crew and the mission.

"Yeah," said Trip.

"I think you should get a shot from Phlox and sleep for eight hours. Malcolm and I will game plan this and fill you in once you are awake," said Hayes.

"Okay, I agree," he said, "but only because I'm too tired to argue."

"You make a great XO, Malcolm," said Hayes.

"You can't have my job, Jeff," smiled Malcolm.

"I'm going," said Trip as he headed out of the Situation Room.

STSTST

Trip still hadn't gotten used to having the Captain's quarters as his own. He had the quartermaster moved all of Archer's belongings into storage knowing that someday they would end up in a museum. His own belongings seemed out of place there.

The quarters itself were larger than his old ones with a bigger bed, more storage room, two comfortable chairs, and a desk and chair. Rank did have some privileges. It would be at least a half hour before the shot Phlox gave him kicked in, so Trip sat down on the bed and started to take off his boots.

"There were two possible timelines," said a voice.

Trip looked up to see Daniels standing in the middle of his quarters. He exhaled out of frustration. Trip knew that T'Pol and Archer dealt with Daniels and his time travel and talk of temporal warfare, but he had little to do with it until now.

"What the hell do you want, Daniels?" he asked.

"As I said there were two possible timelines, one with Archer as the captain, and one with you. I see we now have only one timeline," said Daniels.

"Let me guess you are here to advise me," snapped Trip.

"No, I am here to guide you," he said.

Daniels sat down in one of the comfortable chairs and stared at Trip for a moment.

"The course you are one is a bloody one, but it will succeed if you see it through," he said, "but you must see it through."

"Damn it, I wish T'Pol was here to deal with you," growled Trip.

"Don't worry, Captain Tucker, you'll see Commander T'Pol again. You are destined to see her again," smiled Daniels.

"What do you mean by that?" Trip asked.

"That's your future. You'll discover it in time," said Daniels. "What I need you to know is that you if you succeed in… dealing with the Xindi, this timeline will become the primary one and your future will be different then it was if Archer had lived. Captain Archer had a vision of bringing planets and peoples together in a kind of coalition. He believed that Vulcan, Andorian, Humans, and others working together in peace and self-protection. You need to make this vision yours, also."

"Why?" he asked, then a yawned escaped his mouth.

"To honor Captain Archer," smiled Daniels. He knew that Captain Tucker would want to honor Captain Archer. "Get some sleep, Captain Tucker, you need it."

Trip yawned again.

"Will we speak again?" asked Trip.

"Only if we need to," said Daniels.

With his eyelids feeling as if they were weighted, Trip lay back on the bed and fell asleep.