Letters Home chapter 10
January 18, 2154
Daughter,
Your last letter had me doubling up on my meditation routines. I even went to Mount Seleya to have a deep session with a priestess after discussing the matter with my meditation group leader. It seems that things are coming to a crisis point in your Expanse. I think that it will be soon that I will know if I will get you back or not.
All is calm here, on the surface, though all Vulcan is eager for news from your ship. Never have I seen Vulcans so intent on the news from an alien ally. There are political undercurrents on Vulcan that I do not understand. My meditation group leader does not trust V'Las and the High Command. He even made a remark recently about the incident at P'Jem putting the blame for the destruction of the monastery on V'Las instead of the official statement that it was the fault of our bumbling allies.
Yet, V'Las publically acknowledges that our fleet is unable to follow the humans into the Expanse. It is frustrating that the Andorians can do so. Personally, if the Andorians can be of aid, I would not mind their ships going in there to help you out. But I cannot say so publically. The High Command, it is rumored, has little tolerance for opinions other than their own. I do not think my meditation group is on their approval list. Quite the opposite in fact. So we are keeping our thoughts to ourselves.
On a better note, I am eating well as the garden is very productive this time of year. Even your ivy plant has put out more leaves. The microwave gives intermittent signs of impending failure so some days I eat garden vegetables raw. They are better for you that way, but I like them warm and finely chopped. This must be a sign of getting old, do you not think? Though one hundred thirty is still well below normal retirement age.
That is all for now.
Your Mother
February 2, 2154
Most Esteemed Mother,
We have survived another month though the ship has sustained substantial damage. We thought we were going to lose our captain. We did not, but for a brief period, I was in command of the ship. Commander Tucker was quite supportive during the time I had to make decisions for the ship. We are facing a misguided species, duped by the trans-dimentionals. Three sub species of the Xindi are more logical and willing to listen to our assurances that we are not a threat to them. Two other sub species want to destroy the human home world without further debate. Being so threatened, we have taken an action which left an alien vessel stranded because we needed some equipment they had. Yet being short on time, it was the logical thing to do, even if we have caused an innocent species some inconvenience. We will, of course, set things right with them after this crisis is over.
This letter has to be short as we send out subspace communication packages on short notice. I just heard the signal for the crew to get their letters into the com stream within five minutes.
Take care, Mother, it sounds like things are little better on Vulcan than with me in the Expanse. Stay away from the High Command.
Your daughter, T'Pol
February 15, 2154
Dear Daughter,
With each letter, I at least know you were alive on the date of the letter. Starfleet is making all haste to get the letters from Enterprise home to families, but especially to Earth Gov and the High Command. Sometimes I hear the news from the High Command about Enterprise via the news media before I get your letter.
How badly is your ship damaged or is this kept secret from the general public? The Vulcan fleet badly wants to get into the Expanse but all efforts to safely coat our ships have not been successful. We do not have suits protective enough for those painting our ships with trelium. The painters keep getting sick. We are asking the Tellerites to do this for us, but their smug attitude about it has caused some delays. And V'Las does not tolerate alien insults with any sort of grace.
I, too, will make this short. All is well here. Stay alive. Please.
Your Mother
February 25, 2154
Esteemed Mother,
I am still alive but we have lost eighteen crewmen. I will not prevaricate – we are in a desperate situation. If we are lost, it is in the great cause to save Earth, to save all worlds in our sector of space, even the Xindi. Yes, the trans-dimensional aliens that are behind the Xindi are not true allies of any species in our dimension.
Today I stood in the wreckage of one area of our ship and saw Commander Tucker trying to deal with damaged equipment and his own human losses. An arboreal Xindi is on board to help us prevent another attack on Earth. Unfortunately he is the one who developed the first bomb that attacked Earth and killed Commander Tucker's sister. Trip controlled his emotions enough merely to ask if Degra had seen the telemetry of the Earth attack. And said, "I had a sister." I could see Degra was moved by Trip's words. The bitterness so deep, yet Trip made no move to physically confront Degra. Degra followed the captain away to talk in private.
Not even a Vulcan could remain placid when the murderer of a family member walks by. I have to commend Commander Tucker on his control. I think that I was able to aid him in this. There is no deeper emotion than what passed here. Yet it was controlled. And later, Trip was able to write a letter of condolence for a young woman, about his sister's age, who had died during the fight with the Xindi ships. I feel all this very much, Mother. Yet I still function. We all do. We have a mission that is not yet finished. Trip's sister truly will not be forgotten. And I know that I will not be forgotten either, should I fall in battle out here. I will not be forgotten because I have a mother who cares.
Your daughter, T'Pol