Captain Jonathan Archer sat back in his seat, observing his crew going
about their
business. It had been a long week, with a ship's distress call turning out
to be a ploy for
money, a ship found abandoned then the crew found out to be all
holographic, and about half a dozen trading ships asking if they wanted to
barter. They deserved a break.
"T'Pol, what's our status?"
"Traveling at warp 3, all systems are functional. There is a slight deviance in the port nacelle's balanced plasma exhaust rate, but I have informed Mister Tucker of it already. He should be taking care of it."
"Good. Any planets near by?"
"A Class S planet is 7 light years from our current location, and a star system with 3 Class M planets is about 4 light years away."
"Let's check them out, shall we? Travis, change your course to match the coordinates of the Class M planets. I think we all deserve a break."
* * *
The Class M planets were all inhabited, and the captain spoke with a merchant from the second. She was able to inform them of good landing ground where Enterprise could actually set down. Trading was in abundance there, and there were plenty of inns and places to eat, so they would be able to spend a few days there. Enterprise would get a full check-up and her engines would be cleaned, in exchange for whatever the crew had to offer in trade.
After thanking the merchant, they set a course for the second planet. Archer arranged for a comm.-link to be put through to the prime minister of the western continent, and received careful instructions for landing. Considering Mayweather had never set Enterprise down before, he did remarkably well.
They landed without incident, and met with the mechanic who would be taking care of Enterprise to give him a list of her problems (which Commander Tucker would be assisting with, of course) as well as a list of what they were able to trade. If nothing else, they had a secure location for engineering crews to repair and for the ship to have a little rest. Because of this arrangement, nearly all of the crew were able to take a little vacation. Those that had to remain with the ship would take shifts away from her.
* * *
"Cap'n, where will we be stayin'? On the ship or planet-side," Trip asked late in the first afternoon they were there.
"Well, senior officers will be staying in a cozy little inn called the. let's see.the Dancing Nacelle. That should be interesting. The rest of the crew will be remaining on board to sleep. We have a special invitation from the Prime Minister to stay at the Inn free of charge, but unfortunately, only for senior officers."
When they reached the Dancing Nacelle, Archer, T'Pol, Trip, Hoshi, Malcolm, and Travis checked into their respective rooms and decided to have dinner in the Nacelle's common room.
Archer stood at the window of his room, admiring the view, when a sudden knock at the door interrupted his reverie. He walked to the door and opened it to an uncomfortable-looking T'Pol.
"T'Pol, what's wrong," he questioned her, while inviting her into the room. She quickly moved past him and asked him to shut the door. She looked as embarrassed as a Vulcan could.
"I do not understand this garment," she said flatly. "I cannot be expected to carry out my duties on this planet if I cannot get this...this." She stared at the gorgeous dress with open hatred.
"-dress," he finished.
"-this dress on."
Archer smiled, barely able to contain his laughter. "Come here, I'll help you."
"Captain, may I ask why I am being forced to wear this.dress?"
"You know why," he told her while determining the problem with her dress. "Hmmm, it seems you have it on backwards," he said, this time unable to control the chuckle that escaped his lips. "You'll have to take it off."
She did so without hesitation, exposing her undergarments and her beautiful body. Archer found that his pulse quickened and his breath caught in his throat. He turned around as fast as he could. "T- T'Pol, I..."
"Is this right?" she asked his back. He turned back around, to find her fingering the dress, now on correct. He smiled again, this time because she looked beautiful.
"That's much better," he told her. "Now turn around, so I can button you up."
She complied, and his hands went to work buttoning the dress. As he did, his fingers brushed her skin tenderly, and a shiver went up her spine.
"The Prime Minister advised us to dress down while we're here. Something about the customs of the trade post," he reminded her. This was an attempt at a distraction, however, it was not very affective. T'Pol's pulse sped up and her mind raced as she tried to comprehend what was happening. How illogical, she scolded herself. But the feeling of his fingers remained, imprinted on her skin. She had to regain control of this situation. Jonathan had finished, so she cleared her throat.
"Thank you, Captain."
He seemed almost breathless. "It's no problem." Straightening up with a smile, he asked her, "You look wonderful. Shall we?" T'Pol regarded him a moment, then nodded. They headed down the stairs to the common room.
STAY TUNED!! HOPE THIS FORMAT IS BETTER!
"Traveling at warp 3, all systems are functional. There is a slight deviance in the port nacelle's balanced plasma exhaust rate, but I have informed Mister Tucker of it already. He should be taking care of it."
"Good. Any planets near by?"
"A Class S planet is 7 light years from our current location, and a star system with 3 Class M planets is about 4 light years away."
"Let's check them out, shall we? Travis, change your course to match the coordinates of the Class M planets. I think we all deserve a break."
* * *
The Class M planets were all inhabited, and the captain spoke with a merchant from the second. She was able to inform them of good landing ground where Enterprise could actually set down. Trading was in abundance there, and there were plenty of inns and places to eat, so they would be able to spend a few days there. Enterprise would get a full check-up and her engines would be cleaned, in exchange for whatever the crew had to offer in trade.
After thanking the merchant, they set a course for the second planet. Archer arranged for a comm.-link to be put through to the prime minister of the western continent, and received careful instructions for landing. Considering Mayweather had never set Enterprise down before, he did remarkably well.
They landed without incident, and met with the mechanic who would be taking care of Enterprise to give him a list of her problems (which Commander Tucker would be assisting with, of course) as well as a list of what they were able to trade. If nothing else, they had a secure location for engineering crews to repair and for the ship to have a little rest. Because of this arrangement, nearly all of the crew were able to take a little vacation. Those that had to remain with the ship would take shifts away from her.
* * *
"Cap'n, where will we be stayin'? On the ship or planet-side," Trip asked late in the first afternoon they were there.
"Well, senior officers will be staying in a cozy little inn called the. let's see.the Dancing Nacelle. That should be interesting. The rest of the crew will be remaining on board to sleep. We have a special invitation from the Prime Minister to stay at the Inn free of charge, but unfortunately, only for senior officers."
When they reached the Dancing Nacelle, Archer, T'Pol, Trip, Hoshi, Malcolm, and Travis checked into their respective rooms and decided to have dinner in the Nacelle's common room.
Archer stood at the window of his room, admiring the view, when a sudden knock at the door interrupted his reverie. He walked to the door and opened it to an uncomfortable-looking T'Pol.
"T'Pol, what's wrong," he questioned her, while inviting her into the room. She quickly moved past him and asked him to shut the door. She looked as embarrassed as a Vulcan could.
"I do not understand this garment," she said flatly. "I cannot be expected to carry out my duties on this planet if I cannot get this...this." She stared at the gorgeous dress with open hatred.
"-dress," he finished.
"-this dress on."
Archer smiled, barely able to contain his laughter. "Come here, I'll help you."
"Captain, may I ask why I am being forced to wear this.dress?"
"You know why," he told her while determining the problem with her dress. "Hmmm, it seems you have it on backwards," he said, this time unable to control the chuckle that escaped his lips. "You'll have to take it off."
She did so without hesitation, exposing her undergarments and her beautiful body. Archer found that his pulse quickened and his breath caught in his throat. He turned around as fast as he could. "T- T'Pol, I..."
"Is this right?" she asked his back. He turned back around, to find her fingering the dress, now on correct. He smiled again, this time because she looked beautiful.
"That's much better," he told her. "Now turn around, so I can button you up."
She complied, and his hands went to work buttoning the dress. As he did, his fingers brushed her skin tenderly, and a shiver went up her spine.
"The Prime Minister advised us to dress down while we're here. Something about the customs of the trade post," he reminded her. This was an attempt at a distraction, however, it was not very affective. T'Pol's pulse sped up and her mind raced as she tried to comprehend what was happening. How illogical, she scolded herself. But the feeling of his fingers remained, imprinted on her skin. She had to regain control of this situation. Jonathan had finished, so she cleared her throat.
"Thank you, Captain."
He seemed almost breathless. "It's no problem." Straightening up with a smile, he asked her, "You look wonderful. Shall we?" T'Pol regarded him a moment, then nodded. They headed down the stairs to the common room.
STAY TUNED!! HOPE THIS FORMAT IS BETTER!