A/N: Well, one of these days things will slow down around work and home and I will be able to keep up with this on a more rapid pace. So anyway, on to the story!
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Archer shot straight up from the medical bed he had been lying in. Sweat ran in rivulets down his face and he shuddered from the intensity of the memory?...dream?
Phlox had hurried to his side when he heard the Admiral began to call T'Pol's name while unconscious. He reached out to steady Archer and began running fresh scans on him. "Admiral? Admiral, you are in sick bay. T'Pol is not here. You are on the Basilisk."
Looking at the doctor, it nevertheless took a few moments before he could focus on him or process what he had said to him. When his head finally cleared he asked "What the hell happened?"
Phlox regarded him a moment before replying "With you or your ship?"
Archer's head jerked up and he winced at the pain the sudden movement brought. "My ship? What happened to my ship?"
"Ever the captain aren't you? We were attacked by what we assume to be three Romulan vessels. Lt. Reed can tell you more. We sustained some damage, but made it through. Reed did manage to destroy one of the vessels and the others fled after that."
Archer frowned "Ok so what happened to me?"
Phlox shook his head and matched Archer's frown. "Malcolm said that you appeared to be feeling ill for some time on the bridge, but before he could speak with you about it you got out of your seat and fell unconscious. You have been out for about an hour Admiral." Phlox paused "you also called out for T'Pol when you awakened."
Archer's frown deepened as memory swelled. He reached up and rubbed his hand across his face and said "I was dreaming about her. It started out as a memory, then changed and she was asking for help." Lifting haunted eyes to Phlox he continued "I remember on the bridge...I was having all of these emotions run through me."
Phlox nodded slowly "Go on Admiral."
Closing his eyes he ran through the gamut of emotions that had assailed him on the bridge; tension, desire, fear, pain, that unidentifiable need... When he opened his eyes again it was to realize that he had expressed all of this to Dr. Phlox. His doctor regarded him with somber eyes.
"It appears that you have indeed formed a bond with T'Pol. Unfortunately, this also indicates that she is in some serious trouble and requires our assistance."
A bond? Archer's heart picked up its pace. She had said that they had not formed one. Surely she would know... of course, she was also being pulled away from him by Vulcan. Would she acknowledge such a bond, or more likely would she deny it so as to save herself and perhaps even him some emotional difficulties. Sighing, he knew the answer. Worse, he now knew that she was in trouble...the whole thing worried him. The intense desire he had felt was too like Ponn Farr for his comfort. Why would she be reliving that? According to her, she should not be experiencing Ponn Farr for another seven years. Gritting his teeth he got up and although he felt slightly achy from muscles being too tense for too long, he was able to stand without falling on his face...a personal triumph. For a moment he wavered on where his priority needed to be...his ship had been attacked and it was likely they had not seen the last of the Romulans. However, his heart ached for T'Pol. He felt like he should be able to do something; anything to make certain she was alright. Unfortunately, he knew what his answer must be...the Basilisk and all its crew. His heart had to wait, and with it T'Pol.
"I am going to the bridge to check in."
"No" Phlox stated flatly.
Archer's jaw was already sliding sideways with obstinacy when Phlox raised a hand to forestall any argument. "Admiral, you have a duty to this ship, but I have a duty to your health. Lt. Reed has performed very well. You need to stay here until I get results on the last scans I ran."
"I tell you what Doctor. I go to the bridge and confer with Lt. Reed regarding the attack on my ship, then I return here." Archer's countenance brooked no refusals, so Phlox sighed and nodded.
"Until I am certain that you will not again succumb to any health risks regarding this new bond of yours, I think it wise that you advise Lt.Reed that he may, at a moments notice, have to take control of the Basilisk."
Only pausing a second, Archer nodded, then left sickbay for the bridge.
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Lt. Reed sighed with relief when he saw Archer step out of the turbolift. His relief was short lived when he observed the dark clouds hanging over the Admiral's head.
"Sir, welcome back to the bridge" Somehow, Reed managed not to make the statement sound like a question.
"Thanks Malcolm. Give me an update."
"Well sir, who we believe to be the Romulans came out of warp real close to us. Three small ships, but they are the most maneuverable things I have ever seen. It put the Basilisk to the test."
Archer smiled slightly at the affront in Malcolm's voice and listened quietly to the remaining report. "Any signs of them after the two remaining ships fled?"
"None sir, but I doubt that they will remain gone for long."
He nodded in reply. "Lt. you have the bridge. Malcolm, come with me."
Surprise registered on xxx face, then shy pride. "Yes sir!" He shot Hoshi a wide eyed glance and she returned it with a bright smile. Despite their predicament, and even because of it, it was an honor to be asked to be in charge by Archer.
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Malcolm glanced sideways at Archer as he led the way back to sickbay. Perhaps the Admiral's condition was more serious than he had been led to believe.
Archer sighed "Phlox wants me back in sickbay until the last scan results come back. He and I think it would be best, that you be ready to take control of the Basilisk at a moments notice. My..." He cleared his throat "...condition might prove to be unpredictable and I don't want this ship put in danger because of it. Or this mission!" Archer couldn't help but think that T'Pol's trouble stemmed directly from the Romulans, so his mission became more than just a seek and find information regarding Vulcan problems. This was personal... very very personal.
Reed nodded and hesitantly asked "Condition Admiral?"
"Nothing catching Malcolm, and nothing life threatening." Life threatening? He really should ask Phlox about that one. Surely not though. Unbidden the horrifying thought of what T'Pol's potential death would do to him entered his mind. Taking a slow breath, he closed his eyes and let it go for the moment.
Concern still marked Malcolm's face, but did not pursue it and asked "So, you're asking that I take control of Enterprise should you again start showing... symptoms?"
"Essentially, yes. I don't want any surprises from our friends out there. We can't afford any more mistakes." It galled Archer to do this, but he continued "Malcolm, if you think I am drifting out of awareness call me on it. If I don't respond well enough for you to be satisfied...take command and notify Phlox."
A chill went down Malcolm's spine "Yes sir" he responded quietly.
They reached sickbay and Archer forced a bright smile "Well then. She is all yours for now. I'll be up on the bridge shortly." He briefly clapped Reed on the shoulder and went into sickbay.
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T'Pol awoke in a small room unmarked and with nothing inside save a bed and a chair. There was no indication of where she might be other than she knew it was not on the Sehlat. She struggled to a sitting position her mind already trying to formulate a plan of escape. She stood and grasped the edge of the bed for a moment catching her balance as the room spun around her. Absently she thought that she would endeavor not to be shot with a stun phaser again... it was unpleasant.
The door was, of course, locked and the control panel was covered and locked as well. The ceiling had no exits either. T'Pol had just started to examine the lock on the cover panel when the door slid open and T'Lei entered.
T'Pol, to her credit, did not jump in surprise or guilt, but faced the woman without expression. Well almost without expression, there was a trace of condescension in her gaze.
T'Lei picked up on that trace and smiled without apology. "I am certain that you are filled with questions. Some I will answer and some I will not."
"You are Romulan?"
"Ah, you do just get right to the heart of things don't you? Actually, no I am not Romulan. I am as Vulcan as you."
That was not the answer that T'Pol had expected so she frowned and shook her head "I do not believe you."
T'Lei shrugged "It is really irrelevant if you believe me or not, it is truth."
"Then why? I don't understand."
"No, I suppose that you don't. Well let me explain what I can for you...and then I will tell you why you are here." T'Lei sauntered over to the chair and sat down. She waved her hand and indicated the bed "Please sit and be comfortable while I speak."
T'Pol hesitated a moment, then decided to keep standing really had no base in logic so she returned to the bed and sat. "Please continue; I am all ears."
Her words were said so dryly and her face so bland, that T'Lei blinked in surprise at the little joke offered by her former commander before she broke out in full laughter. "Oh my! What a pity the rest of Vulcan is not more like you...although I suppose this would be the influence of the humans that you were with for so long. Still a pity or we would not have been brought to such lengths."
"Perhaps you should get on with your explanation" T'Pol responded in a decidedly less than amused tone of voice.
T'Lei sighed broadly "Of course, of course, I am not Romulan. I am Vulcan. However, I have been working with the Romulans for some time in the hopes of a reunification of our peoples. It was through sheer foolishness and arrogance on our part that drove our kinfolk from Vulcan. Surak and his implacable stubbornness forced S'Task to make a decision that made our cousins lose their heritage and their home. Well, some years back, V'Loss was approached by a Romulan while he was away on some mission for the High Council. It did not take V'Loss long to realize what a tragedy the loss of the Romulan passions had done to our people."
T'Pol shook her head at the mention of V'Loss' name but kept silent.
"He began working with the Romulans in an attempt to bring them back to Vulcan. To allow them to regain their heritage. Those like T'Pau, would never have allowed such a thing to happen. Logic, the ever blessed force of Vulcan would have to give way to more. So, V'Loss started to recruit those he saw as amenable to the Romulans and their way of life."
T'Pol held up her hand. "What do two stolen Vulcan ships have to do with any of this? Are you saying that they have willingly left Vulcan to become part of the Romulan Empire?"
"Now now T'Pol, patience; I will explain what I can." T'Lei paused to sigh in obvious regret. "I believed in all that V'Loss had to say about the Romulans. Unfortunately, V'Loss only believed in the power of the Empire, not reunification. He wanted to withhold certain aspects of Vulcan biology from them. When the Romulans realized this, they knew that they had to move against V'Loss."
"This is why V'Loss went missing several months ago?" T'Pol asked, though she already knew the answer.
T'Lei nodded her head sadly. "I could not believe that he would be so vehemently opposed to the inherent telepathy that our people have."
"It was no secret from years ago that he felt that anyone who could perform a mind meld was an abomination. That it was unclean. Why would this surprise you."
"At first the subject did not come up. The Romulans were at first unaware of the telepathic gift, and they did not pursue the matter until much later. There were some issues on their homeworld that kept their attention for a time. Things have moved more slowly that we at first anticipated."
"Am I given to understand that the Romulans do not possess telepathy?"
"No they do not. They have been long away from us. Sickness, so much time spent in space... the ability was bred out of them for a myriad of reasons."
"They want this ability back." T'Pol made it a statement rather than a question, but T'Lei answered anyway.
"Yes, most assuredly! Wouldn't you? It is a formidable ability, one that could be used for many things. They have as much right to telepathy as those on Vulcan. If they had not been forced to leave, they would not have lost the ability!"
"They were not forced to leave, they chose to leave. Any results of that choice are not at the fault of Vulcan."
T'Lei shrugged "You can choose to believe that, but I assure you; Surak and his ilk were the cause. The S'Task and his followers embraced the emotions that Surak said to disavow. S'Task knew that the passions in our people were fierce and strong. They should be celebrated not eliminated."
"Surak knew that those very emotions had brought our people to the brink of extinction. Not by some unnamed alien force, just ourselves and our lack of control; our lack of logic. To think otherwise has no basis in logic. You have been on Vulcan long enough to read the Kir-Shara if you had taken the time to do so, then you would understand Surak's reasons. I am going to assume that the Romulans still do not wish to control their passions, but be led by them?"
"The heart is led by passion T'Pol. You of all Vulcan's should be aware of this. Would you turn your back on your heart T'Pol?"
"I do not know what you refer to T'Lei"
T'Lei's mouth curved into a smile "I think that you do. You left the High Command all those years ago to join Starfleet and live on a ship of humans. Humans that are led by their passions as surely as any Romulan."
T'Pol lifted her chin slightly, "I can assure you that my decision was based in logic...not passion."
T'Lei's brow lifted in condescension and disbelief "You keep telling yourself that my dear. In the dark of night, in the depth of your heart you know better."
Changing the subject T'Pol asked "You still have not told me why I am here. You have not answered the question of the fate of two Vulcan science vessels."
Blinking T'Lei responded "Why my dear, I assumed that through our discussion you would have realized exactly why those ships were needed by the Empire."
When T'Pol just stared at her, T'Lei shook her head "To bring back the gift of telepathy to the Romulan Empire."
A twisting knot formed in the pit of T'Pol's stomach. "How exactly does the Empire plan on accomplishing this task?"
"You will know shortly. You became part of the plan when you took the Sehlat to the edge of Romulan space."
"Are the other Vulcans still alive?"
"Oh most assuredly." T'Lei seemed surprised that T'Pol would even ask such a question.
"And Tolaris and the Vahklas?"
Her mouth twisted into a grimace. "That is an unfortunate complication in my opinion. Tolaris, is difficult."
"Yet he and the other V'tesh ka'tur would seem to fit into the Romulan ideal of those holding onto their emotions. Is Tolaris perhaps too emotional, too passionate?"
T'Lei shook her head "In any people there are those that will not be liked. On Vulcan can you tell me that even without passion, there aren't those that you would have preferred to not have to deal with?"
Yes; V'Loss, T'Pol thought though she remained silent.
"They stumbled across Romulan space some time ago and realized the kinship. They also realized that the Romulan's embodied the ideal that they had been searching for all their lives."
"And Tavin?"
T'Lei paused "That was unfortunate. His death was not anticipated."
"Did Tolaris have something to do with it?"
T'Lei chose not to answer, either because she did not wish to discuss it or because she truly did not know. The communication panel beeped and she responded in an unfamiliar language, which T'Pol assumed was Romulan. After a moment she frowned and shot a look at T'Pol.
"I am afraid the rest of this conversation will have to wait. I have some things to attend to. I will have refreshments sent to you. We will be at our destination shortly."
T'Pol was left staring after her wondering just how the Romulans planned on obtaining telepathy... and feared the answer.
