Trip entered the armoury in the middle of his shift. "Hey, Mal, you said ya needed some help."

Malcolm looked over his shoulder from where he was hovered over the torpedo casing. "Sorry to bother you, Commander, but I could use your expertise."

"Not a problem." Trip smiled, coming closer "What are ya lookin' at?"

"Just these circuit alignments, I was hoping to make modifications to the detonator, but I could use your opinion."

"Sure." Trip studied the jumble of wires for a minute, "I know what you need."

"Great."

Malcolm watched Trip work for several minutes before he tried to nonchalantly start a fused conversation. "What do you think about all this, attacking the Romulans?"

"Well, if the Cap'n's okay with it, that's good enough for me."

"Isn't that a little blind?"

"I think even the Captain's bein' a little blind with this one."

"It's because she's your daughter isn't it?"

"Hey." Trip warned. "Besides, you've been spending the most time with her lately. And you're the security officer who told me 'she's not a threat'."

"I did." Malcolm agreed, "But you're the one who told me she was an enemy spy infiltrating Enterprise."

"Opinions change." Trip muttered, pulling away, finished with his modification. "Why'd you ask me here, Malcolm, you're the expert in explosives. You didn't even need me for that."

"We're going into a very dangerous situation, Trip, I have to be sure you won't be compromised..."

"By T'Mir?" Trip asked unbelieving.

Malcolm said nothing, holding the question.

Trip sat down heavily on the bench at the wall. He looked up honestly. "Yeah," he shrugged, "I guess I could be 'compromised' if something goes wrong. Are you going to take me off the mission?"

Malcolm sighed, crossing his arms and muttering a soft, "No." His mouth twitched to the side in consideration. "What's she, your third? fourth? child since we left spacedock. I can't even keep track anymore."

"Hey!" Trip shouted in warning, jumping to his feet. He stopped when he saw the twinkle of mirth in Malcolm's eyes and a smile spread across his usually grim face. Trip couldn't help but roll his eyes and laugh. "Third," he answered, "I decided she only counts as one. It's ridiculous, isn't it?"

Malcolm nodded in agreement, but he sobered immediately. "You have to find a way to detach yourself, Trip, I can't take you off the mission, but I wouldn't advise putting the both of you on it – and since it's T'Mir's plan, I can't really send her packing, now can I?"

"She's my daughter, Malcolm. You can't ask me to ignore that."

"A little over a month ago, you would have had me shoot her, no questions asked."

"Opinions change." Tucker smiled, and left the Armoury.

x x x

"T'Pol, can I ask you something?" a nervous Hoshi asked over calculations and mint tea.

Flawless in logic as usual, T'Pol relied, "You have already just done so, but I presume you mean to ask me a further question."

Hoshi's face reddened in flustration. "It's something ... personal..., Commander."

"Then, perhaps, it is to remain 'personal'."

"What about aligning the spool directly to the inport? That would speed up the upload."

"It would also bypass the failsafe in the device in the case that the link was broken or the database destroyed." T'Pol answered, "However, that is not a personal question, Ensign. What were you planning to ask me?"

Hoshi remained silent.

"I am familiar with the rumour mill of this ship. In almost any case, I can guarantee the information you received was false."

Hoshi smiled, almost regretfully – it was a trick that worked with the Captain often enough. "I just wondered what your thoughts were on T'Mir."

T'Pol didn't miss a beat, and didn't look up from her PADD. "I find her actions rogue and undisciplined, and this plan to be most illogical. However, she has held herself well, and I believe that is why the Captain will proceed, and, possibly, succeed, with the mission."

Hoshi giggled almost imperceptibly hidden in a sigh, and rolled her eyes far to the side. "But, she's your daughter. You have to feel something about that."

"Indeed, I do." T'Pol took a sip of tea from the mug in her hand, "but that is personal."

Hoshi nodded, fighting valiantly with her joyful smile.

x x x

"Commander Tucker asked me to bring this to you." the crewman said, standing outside the small crawlspace where she worked.

T'Mir paused to take the part. "Thank you, Rostov."

"No problem."

She resumed her repairs to the ship's docking port, but he did not leave as anticipated. "Is there something else, Ensign?"

He fidgeted nervously under her scrutiny. "I just thought... you've seen into the future..."

She stopped him, her face cold, "You died, Ensign, in the explosion."

His eyes sprung open in shock. "Oh." was all he managed to say before turning and returning down the corridor.

Again, she returned to the repairs. Her response had been Vulcan, but her Human side wondered at it. Perhaps she had been too harsh. For certain, Humans had great difficulty in accepting death – she had personal experience with the matter – and hearing of one's own death could be most unsettling, that she knew as well.

It would be wise to speak to Ensign Rostov in the near future, to ... apologize for her inconsideration. She could also remind him that the danger had already passed, and perhaps that would alleviate his distress.

"Hey."

The friendly voice of Trip interrupted her musings. Embarrassingly, she realized she had paused, holding the piece above her head with a hypospanner in the opposite hand, while she had been thinking.

"How's it goin'?"

She cleared her throat to regain her composure. "Well, it would seem."

Trip crawled into the cramped space alongside her. "Hmmm." he continued, eyeing her work.

She grew increasingly uncomfortable in the proximity.

"It's not bad," he said, "but this power relay is misaligned. I'll just –." He reached for the hypospanner in her near hand, but it set off a tick.

"Commander!" she nearly shouted at him, if not for the Vulcan faculties keeping her voice even. She wrenched her hand away, dropping the spanner as she wriggled her body into the far wall. "Need I remind you that Vulcans do not like to be touched."

"Hey, relax, it was just the hypospanner." He picked up the tool where it had fallen and proceeded to make his corrections as though nothing had happened.

T'Mir was much more evidently panicked. She sat up, still maintaining her distance. "I apologize, I am ... on edge. I must meditate." She left quite rapidly, in blind awkwardness as she tried to crawl over Trip out of the hatch. She said no more as she scurried down the corridor.

Trip was baffled, holding a panel and hypospanner above his head.