Chapter Three

Selarev the Guard



Commander Tucker didn't like the fact that a guard had been left at the entrance to the shuttlepod. It reinforced the fact that they were hardly better than prisoners on Tomarek's ship. The guard, who was well armed, remained stoically at his position until Trip opened a compartment to check the damage to the starboard engine.

"What are you doing?" asked the Romulan guard, stepping into the shuttlepod. Tucker looked up from the open panel just in time to see him hesitate a glance at T'Pol.

"Just tinkering with this engine. It's in need of some serious repairs." Trip told him.

"You are an engineer then?"

Tucker considered his response carefully. He didn't want to tip his hand, or the captain's. If the guard knew that he was an engineer, he might try to stop him from making the repairs. If he didn't know, he might let simply let Trip continuing puttering with the engine, believing that he wouldn't be able to accomplish the task.

"It's a hobby of mine." Commander Tucker told the guard.

"Do you think you will be able to repair the engine?" he asked curiously.

"I'm not holding out much hope." said Trip, not entirely honest.

The engine had been damaged. That was certain. But it had not suffered damage so extensive as that. By the commander's estimation, he would only need an hour to mend the affected conduits and relays. It would be tough, but not impossible.

"That is very unfortunate." said the sentry.

Tucker nodded his agreement and returned his attention to the open panel.

"I wonder if this guy can take a hint." thought Trip as he began poking around again.

The footsteps of the guard were heavy as he returned to his post outside the shuttle. Tucker breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at T'Pol again.

"Same as ever." he thought. "If you don't hang in there, I swear I'll ... I'll what? I'll something, sub-commander." Tucker gave a short, dry laugh and returned his attention to the starboard engine.

Commander Tucker was checking T'Pol's condition some time later when the guard stepped inside the pod again. Trip glanced over his shoulder and felt a slight shiver as the Romulan watched him impassively. There was something almost Vulcan about his stare, but in the worst possible way. The gaze held all of the cunning and intelligence of that of a Vulcan, but with none of the coldness or detachment. Emotion, arrogance and curiosity, colored his facial expression.

"Can I help you?" questioned Tucker almost angrily.

"How is she?" inquired the guard.

"I don't know much about Vulcan physiology or anything, but I think she was drugged or something down on that planet. I sure would like the doctor on board our ship to have a look at her." he admitted, momentarily taken off guard by the compassionate inquiry.

"Perhaps the meeting between our commanders will not last much longer. I am certain that Commander Tomarek will find a solution to your dilemma." said the guard.

"You really think your commander is just going to let us leave?" asked Tucker, frowning.

"I can see no reason why he would hold you here. After all, it was Commander Tomarek that prevented your shuttle from crashing. If our ship had not passed near yours on our way into orbit, you would certainly have all been obliterated."

"Unless it was your ship that clipped us." said Trip.

"I assure you that it was not. Commander Tomarek is a Romulan. He is a very moral man with an unimpeachable sense of duty and honor. He could never do such a thing. I find your accusation most distressing." said the guard.

"Look, if we're going have this conversation, I ought to have something to call you at least. You can call me Tucker." said Trip, who realized that the young officer was either playing an even more peculiar game than Commander Tomarek or was very wet behind the ears.

"I am called Selarev."

"Pleased to meet you." said Commander Tucker politely.

"I don't think I like this Commander Tomarek." whispered Hoshi across the table.

Tomarek had left them supposedly in order to confer with his staff. Archer had glimpsed a guard posted outside before the door had hissed closed behind the commander. It was more than apparent that the meal had been intended as a form of interrogation. That did not set well with Archer at all.

"I know, Hoshi." he agreed quietly. "I'm just surprised Malcolm hasn't contacted us."

"He may have tried, but for all we know, we could be out of range, sir." Hoshi told him. She had been considering the problem of communication during the meal; when Tomarek wasn't making veiled threats, of course.

"You're sure the message you sent on the shuttlepod got through?"

"Of course, captain. Ensign Knight acknowledged from the science station before we were hit." said Ensign Sato with some confidence.

"Then it's only a matter of time before they start looking for us, but, personally, I would rather we find our own way out of this, whether it's through talking or through other means." Captain Archer told the young comm officer.

"And we still have Sub-commander T'Pol to consider." Hoshi reminded him.

"Believe me, I haven't forgotten." said Archer, shaking his head as he thought of T'Pol. He could only hope that Commander Tucker was capable of taking care of her for a while longer. How much longer he couldn't say or even think.

The door opened behind them with a whisk that was much akin to the sound that the doors on the Enterprise made, although, given the circumstances, the noise was much more sinister.

"I am terribly sorry to keep you waiting." said Tomarek, who continued to maintain the shallow pretense that he was their friend and they were merely his guests.

"That's all right, captain. Did you confer with your people?" asked Archer, coming to his feet.

"Of course, but unfortunately my engineers are swamped. They won't be able to attend to your needs until tomorrow at the earliest." he informed Archer with an almost mocking rueful look.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I don't want to press the point, but my science officer is unwell. She needs medical attention. I am afraid that we are at an impasse, Commander Tomarek."

"Hardly an impasse, captain. Let's just call it a bump in the road." said Tomarek, clapping his hands together. "I am having quarters arranged for you and your officers as we speak. I am certain than bed rest and perhaps access to our rather rudimentary medical supplies should suffice until tomorrow."

Captain Archer narrowed his eyes as he considered the words. Would the Romulan withhold the supplies if he attempted to negotiate further?

"We accept your hospitality, commander. Thank you." Archer managed, despite his growing outrage at the actions of Tomarek.

"Excellent. Just follow me." he said with a smug smile that he did not bother to hide.

Commander Tucker was nearly finished with the repairs when two guards came to escort both shuttlepod occupants to quarters. He had just one last relay to mend, a job that would only require five minutes at worst. Both guards stood at the door, watching him as he gently unbuckled the restraining straps that kept T'Pol in her seat. There was no sign of rather talkative young Selarev.

"Now, just where are we being taken?" asked Trip as he lifted T'Pol from the seat, holding her firmly, but gently in his arms.

"To quarters." one of the guards answered.

"Right." said Trip, doubt in his voice. He wouldn't have been at all surprised if they were been taken to their own executions.

The White Hawk was a small vessel, built for utility and combat, not for comfort as Tucker learned when the guards ushered him into a windowless room with two bunks and very little else. When the door whisked closed behind him, Tucker laid T'Pol on the lower bunk and sighed.

"I thought we'd at least get to see the captain again." he said to the unconscious Vulcan.

Then he realized that they were alone. There was no guard watching them. Trip smiled with relief and removed a communicator from his pocket.

"Trip to Captain Archer." he said into it, taking a seat on the bunk and keeping his voice low.

The captain was leaning against a bunk in a similar room when his communicator beeped. Hoshi had already tried to contact the ship without success. She suspected that the Romulan vessel had a dampening field of some kind or else they were too far from the Enterprise.

"Good to hear your voice, Trip. Where are you?" he asked.

"T'Pol and I are in some quarters that remind me of the brig. What about you?"

"The same. How is she?"

"No better, no worse, sir." replied Tucker. He took a deep breath and asked, "Level with me, Jon. Are we prisoners? Does that pointy-eared commander ever plan to let us off his ship?"

Archer glanced at Hoshi, who was pretending to busy herself with her UT. She was waiting for his response to those questions as well.

"If we were prisoners, wouldn't he have taken our equipment? No, Trip, I don't think we are exactly prisoners, but we are hardly his guests either. But I do think we'll get off this ship somehow." answered Archer confidently.

"You know the plan we were making earlier?" asked Tucker carefully, not wanting to say anything especially important over the communicator. He wasn't sure whether they could be overheard easily or not.

"Yeah, Trip." said Archer, knowing that he meant repairing the shuttlepod.

"It was about five minutes away from working when we got escorted into here." Tucker informed the captain.

"That's good to know." said Captain Archer, smiling with pride. Commander Tucker certainly knew his engines, big and small.

"What are we going to do about implementing that plan?" questioned Trip.

"I'm afraid we have to bide our time, Trip. I know we have a guard outside our quarters, and I'm betting you do too."

"What about T'Pol?"

"Tomarek has offered us medical supplies. We can only hope he makes good on that offer."

"Right now I just wish I had a tricorder since it could probably get a good scan up here."

"I will remind the commander of his offer next time I see him. Just ... do your best with what you've got for now."

"Aye, captain."

"Archer out."

The captain shook his head as he put the communicator away and looked at Hoshi. It may have been his imagination, but she didn't look so nervous as before.

"I guess I should arrange for another discussion with Tomarek." sighed Archer with a small, tired smile.

It was Selarev who delivered the box of rather limited and inadequate medical supplies to the quarters where Trip was waiting for them. Tucker fished through the supplies for several minutes, laying aside bandages and other gear used to treat injuries gained through combat, before turning to Selarev, who was lingering at the door.

"Do you suppose you could help me out here? I'm not really qualified to act as a medic, especially for a Vulcan." he said.

"All Romulan officers are given basic medical training. It is required of us." Selarev told him, shouldering his weapon and joining Trip by the side of the unconscious Vulcan.

"You're an officer?" Tucker questioned.

"Yes, of course. How else would I have the freedom to speak to you or assist you in this manner? Common crewmen could never be given this kind of independence." said Selarev with a frown. "I trust that you are also an officer." he added.

"Of course." said Trip as Selarev removed a syringe and a small vial from the box. "What's that?" he asked.

"It is a tetraflourinatehydroxy compound."

"Say what?"

"It is a cure-all given to wounded soldiers in emergencies. If this doesn't help them and there isn't a doctor around, then they are beyond assistance."

"So it's kind of like Anaprovalin. Good for headaches, heart attacks, and almost anything the universe can throw at you."

Selarev frowned again and said, "Something like that."

"Great stuff." commented Tucker as Selarev filled the syringe, which made the commander shudder. It had been a while since he had seen a needle like that. "It will work on Vulcans too, right?" he asked to make sure.

"Our biology is very similar. It should work just fine."

"Good."

Selarev looked uncertain for a moment as he asked, "Would you prefer to give her the injection, Tucker?"

"I'll roll up her sleeve for you." said Tucker, stifling the urge to make a face.

Trip half expected him to jab her with the needle, but he was unexpectedly gentle as he gave her the injection, rubbing a disinfectant pad over the spot once he had withdrawn the needle. In some way Tucker was rather impressed.

"It should begin to take effect in ten minutes, possibly less. I hope it is sufficient." said Selarev, coming to his feet and shouldering his weapon again. "I must return to my post before I am missed." he said with a firm nod.

"Thank you for your help." said Trip.

"Don't mention it." said Selarev as he left, and it seemed as he though meant it.

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