Disclaimer: I don't not own Star Trek Enterprise or any of its characters. They belong to whoever owns 'em. I just took the general idea for a test jaunt. L'Ras, Ambassador Soval's aside is an original character created by myself.
Authors Note: After a long hiatus, I am dusting off this old relic and seeing where it takes me. Thank you to all my reviewers, I am thrilled you enjoyed the new chapter!
When Opposites Collide - Chapter 20
A half an hour passed by, then an hour. But it wasn't until an hour and forty-five minutes had ticked past that she started growing concerned. Half the world had to know about the incident by now. Hell, that explosion hadn't exactly been subtle. Every ship in orbit would have detected it, not to mention every Earth authority on the god damned continent.
Where the hell was the bloody Calvary?
Soval's color looked better, but they both needed medical attention. Vulcan's fared even worse in the cold than humans did, and she still hadn't regained feeling in all her extremities. The lack of response from both the Vulcan's and Enterprise wasn't doing her natural paranoia any favors. They couldn't have just assumed they'd all died in the explosion… So what was stopping them from mounting a full fledged rescue mission?
"We need to contact Enterprise as soon as possible. They'll need to know what happened." She hissed restlessly, shifting underneath the thin blanket as irritation crept into her voice.
"We don't know what happened." Soval replied tonelessly. "But otherwise I agree. Captain Archer is currently the most qualified person to get the bottom of an incident of this magnitude. Especially considering his previous dealings with the Terra Prime organization." He commented, fingers curling around the edges of the blanket as he pulled it up a few centimeters higher.
"You sound almost fond of him." She teased, leaning over him to throw another branch on the fire, inhaling the sharp scent of seared pine sap and charred timber with a grateful sigh.
"He has proven himself to be reliable, just, and tenacious when it comes to such matters." Soval allowed carefully.
"Was that a yes?" She hummed, unabashedly amused when he only arched a brow and closed his eyes, nipping the opportunity for any further discussion right in the bud as the fire hissed and popped, shifting in the coals as the sky slowly began to darken.
"One thing is for certain, neither of us were meant to survive that confrontation." She commented after a long moment, ire bubbling to the forefront as the moment on the clearing raced through her mind on fast forward.
"Agreed, it was clearly a targeted attack. And the fact that the Ambassadors were only permitted to bring one aid and one security representative indicates they were attempting to limit the level of resistance they'd have to face in order to accomplish their goals." Soval remarked.
"I think Admiral Gardener was involved." She continued, speaking through clenched teeth as she forced herself to check her temper. Pointedly ignoring the way Soval shifted beside her as she let the thought breathe out into the air above them.
"That is a serious charge, Corporal. …Especially considering his position. I hardly see how we have the proof." Soval replied evenly, using her title rather than her name as if to compound the seriousness of her words.
"But I think we do." She began, twisting under the thermal blanket so she could face him as she made to continue. Breasts pressing up against his chest as she leaned in, her legs slipping between his as she all but latched onto his side. Soaking in his growing warmth as one of his hands inched down to rest against the small of her back. His touch tentative, but undeniably deliberate as the pads of his fingers ghosted across her skin.
"When I was informed of this assignment the Admiral contacted me directly at the beach house. - An Admiral contacting a MACO? It makes no sense. My orders should have come to me from my own superiors, from the General." She insisted, barely in her stride before he interrupted her.
"This was a secret operation." Soval pointed out. "Perhaps it was organized that way deliberately in order to minimize the number of people who were aware of the proceedings. Thus ensuring the safety of the attendees and the final hearing of the trial…" He deducted.
"Normally I'd agree with you on that, but Admiral Gardener told me only a select few knew about the location of the hearing. Hell, I didn't even know where we were going until we were in the shuttle pod." She replied firmly.
"He told me you had key evidence from both Captain Archer and the Vulcan High Council that would effectively render the trial a slam dunk case." She continued, running her hands through her hair thoughtfully as she considered the possibilities.
"What?" Soval snapped sharply, nearly upsetting her position draped half on top of him as he raised himself up on his elbows and turned to look at her.
"That's what he told me." She replied blithely, strangely fascinated as she watched a muted byplay of expression ghost across his regal features. He seemed almost unsettled.
"While I did have information relating to the case, it is hardly significant. Paxton's crimes speak for themselves. He has already been found guilty; this meeting was simply a formality. The decision had already been agreed upon by a joint jury over a month ago. Even Captain Archer was in attendance to hear the verdict." Soval explained.
"As I understood it, after the official proceedings were concluded today, that information was going to be released to the public." Soval replied, his confusion evident as he met her shocked gaze.
"…If this was simply a formality, and not the official sentencing, then what were the other even Ambassadors doing there?" She asked, thinking quickly as she reviewed every aspect of the Admiral's transmission, alert for anything she might have missed the first time around.
"Hell, what were you doing there? I am sure you have more important matters to deal with then giving some narcissistic asshole bent on sterilizing the entire galaxy the time of day." She added bitingly, mincing no words as her feelings bubbled up to the surface.
What she wouldn't do for just five minutes alone with that crazy bastard!
"At the time I assumed it was simply protocol to include the worlds that were affected by Paxton's organization from the beginning. …However, now I am uncertain." Soval replied carefully, the picture of poise despite the fact that she was starting to feel as though the pieces of the puzzle were finally starting to fall into place.
"That bastard!" She growled. "Look, it all makes sense, what better way to take out four influential targets in one swift attack?" She began. "It's brilliant really. With the heightened security level no one would question the need for secrecy. Only a handful of people knew about the hearing. And to my knowledge, all but one was effectively out of the fray when all this went down, the same one who just so happened to be the one that organized the entire mission from the very beginning, Gardener."
"When he succeeded he could simply claim plausible deniability, blame it on the remaining Terra Prime insurgents and walk away Scott free." She continued. "After all who wouldn't believe him? He is a Starfleet Admiral! And with no witnesses to say otherwise…well, you get the picture." She related.
"Besides, he's always given me the creeps. – And he seemed way too interested in why you requested me for this assignment than he should have been." She mused, shivering in a way that had nothing to do with the cold as she remembered the transmission. Recalling the man's hard stare and accusing eyes as he'd mentioned her involvement with Soval.
If she was right about this, it would sure explain a lot.
"…The creeps?" Soval echoed, repeating the word like it was something distasteful, clearly not familiar with the inflection.
"Yeah, you know… He weirds me out, makes me feel uncomfortable. There has always been something about him that I couldn't quite put my finger on, something that just didn't seem right." She explained, tapping her chin with her index finger as she considered all the angles.
"…He 'weirds' you out?" Soval repeated, tone bordering on incredulous as he somehow managed to shake his head despite their position on the forest floor. "It is hardly logical to base an assumption of this magnitude on your…intuition." He intoned.
"Don't tell me you actually like him, Soval." She retorted. "I've heard the gossip. You two are barely on speaking terms as it is. - And no disrespect sir, but you and Admiral Forest went through far worse for far longer, but you always had a standing dinner invitation at his family ranch every Sunday night." She finished, tone softening as she remembered the man. She knew that he and Soval had been close, despite both their assertions to the contrary.
"Like or dislike, my opinions of Admiral Gardener are hardly relevant." Soval responded. Looking uncommonly distracted as she made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat and snorted indelicately.
"Like hell they are." She muttered, but fell silent when Soval didn't respond. Clearly considering her argument as he steepled his fingers as looked over at the fire, letting the distant sounds of birds singing in the forest canopy above drift freely through the still, mountainous air.
When Soval eventually pursed his lips, she called it a victory, careful to say nothing more as she wriggled in impossibility closer, soaking up his heat as he made to speak.
"Are you normally this insistent?" He finally inquired, arching his brow with a slightly haughty air as he looked her directly in the eye. Clearly anticipating her response as his keen hazel eyes sparked with intelligence and barely banked emotion.
"Why? Afraid you can't keep up with me?" She asked playfully.
"I enjoy a…challenge." Soval shot back. Tone cryptic, but undeniably light as he met her gaze and held it.
"Feisty." She muttered gleefully. Chuckling lightly before she reached up. Deciding to throw caution to the wind and show him exactly where she stood in regards to her intentions as she let her fingers brush across his cheek, biting her lip as he arched into the press.
She was tantalizingly aware of her boldness as the pads of her fingers ghosted across his skin, reveling in the surprising intimacy of the moment as he closed his eyes and leaned forward. - Suddenly all too aware of the way he paused in mid breath. Her eyes fixed on his face as she traced the length of his high cheekbones, thumbing away the odd droplet of water still dripping down from his temples before coming up to rake through his hair. Gentling the silvery strands until they stood up in the odd water-spiked tuftet, making him looks decades younger as his ridged features visibly softened under her attentions.
"Just so you know… I intend to pick up where we left off, both on the cliff and on the beach." She whispered. "…That is, if you're still interested…" She added, letting a hint of seriousness leak into her tone as she let the thought air out.
The ball was in his court now…
"That's a rather bold move for a 'security escort'." Soval murmured, lips ghosting across the curve of her neck as he inhaled, taking in her scent as she traced patterns into his damp uniform.
"Somehow I doubted you'd mind." She breathed. Heart pounding frantically in her chest as she looked up, their eyes catching as he inclined his head towards her in clear invitation. One which she met with only a second's hesitation as she leaned up enough for their foreheads to come together, resting against each other for a long moment as a tiny spark of light blossomed in the back of her mind. Glowing gently in the very recesses as his arms tightened around her waist, the muscles tensing and releasing as if he was physically restraining him from doing anything more.
He was breathing shallowly by the time he released her, pulling himself away just enough for him to tip his head back, breaking their connection as he closed his eyes. Gaining mastery over his breathing faster than she could blink before he gazed down at her with an expression she hardly recognized. Peace? Contentment? On a Vulcan it was hard to tell.
But those scant few seconds where their foreheads had come together had been enough to tell her that he'd been just as affected as her, if not more so. Struggling to temper down his emotions even as she'd fought to regain her equilibrium, having found herself awash amidst a surging rush of sensation that felt entirely different from her own. Almost as if by touching the man like she had, she could somehow access his thoughts. To feel how he felt the moment their skin had brushed together.
'Mind touch…' Something in the back of her mind whispered. 'You feel what he feels, and he feels this for you…" The voice breathed, rhythmic and light as it hummed into the chaotic whirl of color that seemed to represent her conscious mind.
Christ… He was so…
She pulled back after a long moment, pushing herself up onto her elbows as the gentle light pulsing in the back of her mind spluttered and slowly faded. Not entirely sure if she was relieved or disappointed when clarity was quick to follow. And the true reality of their situation, imminent hypothermia not withstanding, dawned on her for the first time since that moment in the mess hall aboard Enterprise when she realized she'd fallen for him.
"We sure know how to make a relatively simple thing complicated, don't we?" She muttered softly. Head hanging between her shoulders as she let her long sable curls fall into her face.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." Soval replied, turning onto his side in order to better look at her. The thermal blanket slipping down to his shoulders to show an enticing swath of greenish tinged skin that dappled across the curve of his throat.
"This, us…" She responded, indicating at the both of them with her hand. "Our situation, you know, together." She prompted.
"I'll admit I am at a loss as to how to proceed. This is not a situation I ever expected to find myself in and I'm afraid I know remarkably little about earth customs relating to this matter. …Perhaps you can assist me?" Soval responded blithely.
"That's not what I meant." She said with a sigh, lips threatening to quirk into a small smile as she envisioned the nature of the man's thoughts when he'd realized he'd become attracted to a human woman. - That little epiphany had probably knocked him right on his Vulcan ass when he'd figured it out.
Oh, to have been a fly on that wall…
"I guess what I am trying to say, is that this isn't going to be easy. What with your position, if this was ever to become public knowledge…" She trailed off, words hesitant as she tried to put her thoughts into words.
After all, there was a lot more at stake here than just their feelings. While she wasn't one to care what others thought of her and her choices, she knew what was going on between them could be potentially dangerous in regards to Earth and Vulcan's diplomatic relations. There were still a lot of prejudices and misconceptions to work through, on both sides.
She didn't know if this could even work. A human and a Vulcan… She was willing to try, but hell if that made it any easier…
"I have a reputation for being somewhat… eccentric, both in opinion and in action." Soval returned carefully.
"In fact, it is a belief amongst both my colleagues and my people that has only been strengthened since the discovery of the Kir'shara and the dissolution of the High Command." He explained evenly. Voice strictly neutral as he casually discussed the events which earlier that year had seen him temporary stripped of his position and left to try and prevent an interstellar war with only a ship full of humans and the slim hope that the Andorians would play ball.
"…An eccentric Vulcan? Now I know you're teasing me." She replied lightly, smiling into the curve of his neck, and listening to the strange double beat of his heart as she inhaled the smell of wet fabric and watered down spice. Feeling it calm her in a way that had her all but humming with pleasure.
"Vulcan's don't tease, Amanda." Soval replied patiently, clearly missing her sarcasm as he pulled the blankets higher around them.
They remained silent for some time, taking in the complexities of the silence as the sight and sounds of nature thrummed and pulsed around them. Finally taking a moment to appreciate the vibrant greens and earthy browns that dotted the forest floor, melding together with the muted roar of the nearby river as Soval followed her gaze. - Studying her with interest as she soaked up the simplicity of it.
…Maybe she really had been in space too long; she'd nearly forgotten how gorgeous Earth was…
"You know, all else considered. I actually enjoy it when we're able to spend time together." She finally quipped, unable to temper her amusement as her teeth chattered. A happy laugh bubbling up in the back of her throat as he angled himself towards her, the humor going right over his head as he huffed a sigh into the jut of her shoulder blade. Strong arms wrapping around her waist as he pulled her in impossibly closer.
Drawing her in until she was plastered across every square inch of him, until there was nothing left between them but unspoken words and the kind of hesitation that only forms between two people who aren't entirely sure where taking that final step might lead them.
"As do I, Amanda," He replied seriously, pausing only slightly before his fingers began trailing through her messy curls, unknotting the stubborn ringlets with a patient hand before running them through his fingers like that of a promise. "As do I…"
A/N #1: Wow! I am amazed at the response! A big thank you to all my reviewers, I am thrilled to know there is still interest in this story, even after all this time! Hope you like the latest installment. Thank you for all the support!