INIQUITY



Chapter Two

T'Pol entered the Kabaltan shuttle to find the chief engineer with his upper torso buried in a compartment in the floor. She stood over him then cleared her throat to gain his attention. He swiveled his head around to look up at her without removing himself from the opening.

"Hey T'Pol," he greeted then turned back to his work.

"How are the repairs going, Commander?"

"Fine. I should be finished in a coupla hours at most. I've got Ensign Kelly working on clearing the intake manifolds in the back."

"Mrs. Priigel said you were ill earlier. Are you feeling alright now?" asked T'Pol. She knelt down beside the commander's legs and leaned over to observe his work in the tight space. She was surprised when he pulled himself out to sit on the floor beside her.

"She told you I was ill?"

T'Pol nodded. "A dizzy spell?" Now that she could see his face, T'Pol noted that the engineer did look rather pale. She wondered briefly why she hadn't noticed during her earlier visit.

Tucker shook his head. "I guess you could call it that," he said. "I'm not sure exactly what happened, T'Pol but that woman, Rhea? Well she's got some kind of weird---" he paused searching for the right word. "Power or something."

"Power, Commander?"

"Yeah. I got a shock while I was checking out some of the wiring and when she took my hand, I felt really strange. Really cold," he sighed and shook his head. "I can't explain it."

T'Pol stood up and looked down at the engineer. "She'll be leaving as soon as the repairs are completed. Perhaps you should just avoid her until that time." She turned to leave the shuttle but paused at the hatch. "Have you completed reviewing the proposed long range sensor upgrades I gave you?"

"Aren't you even curious who she is?" Tucker asked.

"Perhaps Kabaltan females react differently to---flirtatious advances, Mr. Tucker," T'Pol replied unable to completely hide the tightness in her voice.

"Flirtatious advances?" Tucker blurted. "You think I was flirting with her?"

"Given your history with other alien females, I think it is a logical conclusion."

Tucker gritted his teeth and T'Pol saw his jaw muscles twitch. He expelled a long breath then rolled his eyes.

"I know you don't hold me in very high regard, T'Pol, but believe me when I say there is something going on with that woman. The faster she and her husband are off this ship, the better I'll feel," the engineer spat. He turned with a grunt and disappeared back into the compartment.

T'Pol watched him in silence for a moment. The man never ceased to test her emotional control.

"Sub-commander?"

The Vulcan turned to acknowledge Ensign Kelly as the young woman appeared beside her.

"Is Commander Tucker feeling better?" Kelly asked in a hushed voice.

"He appears to be well," replied T'Pol.

"I was worried about him. He didn't say anything but I know that woman did something to him."

T'Pol looked at the ensign. "She did something to him?"

Kelly nodded. "I'm not sure what but I think she really scared him, ma'am. I've never seen that look on his face before."

The science officer looked back at the commander feeling suddenly like she owed him an apology. She heard him curse and saw him pull himself even further into the cramped space. Perhaps Tucker was right in his assessment of the Kabaltan woman after all.

"Thank you, Ensign," said T'Pol. "I will make certain to pursue this matter further."



"She thinks I was flirting," Trip muttered angrily as he put the cover back over the compartment in which he'd been working for the last two hours. He was about to go into a tirade but he was stopped by the appearance of Ensign Kelly.

"I'm finished, sir," she reported as she stepped into the shuttle. "Do you need any help in here?"

Trip shook his head. "All finished here as well, Jan. Thanks. Why don't you get yourself some lunch? You must be starving."

"I can wait for you if you'd like."

The commander smiled at the young woman. "I'll just pack up then I'll be right along."

"Are you sure, sir?" asked Kelly. "After what happened earlier, maybe I should---."

"I said I'll be right along, Ensign," Trip replied with more force than he intended.

"Yes, sir," Kelly answered. She turned to leave the shuttle.

"Jan!" Trip called. The ensign turned around. "Thank you for all your help today. I couldn't have done it without you," he continued with a grin.

Kelly relaxed and gave him a smile. "I'll see you later, Commander." Then she was gone.

Trip stood up and stretched. He picked up the few Kabaltan tools he'd used to make repairs and put them back in the storage compartment under the rear seat. He took one final look around to make sure he'd put everything back in its place then stepped to the hatch. He stopped, frozen in his tracks. He felt something in the air shift, like someone expelled a breath. Trip turned quickly around but saw no one there. He shivered as that breath blew over him and through him. His heart began pounding and he leaped out of the shuttle and headed for the launch bay door at a dead run.

Once out in the corridor, Trip leaned back against the closed door, trying desperately to slow his racing heart.

"She's really got you spooked, Commander," he said with a shaky laugh. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just been touched by something very evil. He shook his head at himself then headed down the corridor.

Just as he rounded the corner, he saw Ensign Kelly running toward him.

"We tried to reach you by comm., sir," she cried breathlessly. "It's Sally! Come quick!"



The first thing Jon noticed when he entered the maintenance shaft was the quiet murmur of voices. He made his way down the shaft, bending at the waist to avoid bumping his head on the ceiling. The air was filled with a putrid smell and he covered his mouth and nose with one hand.

As he turned a corner, he saw Trip. The commander was rubbing his face in frustration. He looked physically ill. Then Jon saw Dr. Phlox kneeling on the floor. As the captain approached, he caught a glimpse of what Phlox was examining.

"My god! What happened?" asked Jon as he gazed down on the charred remains of one of his crew. He swallowed back the bile that was easing up his throat.

"It's Sally Stockton, Cap'n. I had her working in here just doing some general maintenance. It looks like a plasma conduit blew," Trip explained. He motioned to the scorch mark on the wall. "In all my years in engineering, I've never seen anything like this."

Jon moved to Trip's side and placed his hand on his friend's back. "It was an accident, Trip," he said gently.

"I know, sir, but---," the engineer's voice faltered and he ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

Dr. Phlox stood up and flipped off his scanner. "These burns are far more severe than any I've seen in this type of accident, Captain. I'm at a loss as to how to explain it."

The three men stepped aside as two crewmen arrived with a body bag. Jon gently turned Trip around to face the other direction while Phlox directed the two men. When Stockton's body was zipped into the bag, Jon followed the doctor and the crewmen, guiding Trip with a firm hand on the younger man's back.

"I'd like to be the one to contact Sally's parents, Cap'n," said Trip in a hushed voice. "If you don't mind."

Jon smiled gently. "I think Sally would have liked that, Trip."



Enterprise's Chief Engineer was exhausted. He dropped heavily down on his bunk and let out a long breath. His head pounded and his stomach growled. He'd lost whatever was in his stomach when he'd first seen Ensign Stockton's remains. Trip had only recently broken through the young woman's wall of shyness. During her two years on Enterprise, Sally had kept mostly to herself. She was one of the hardest workers Trip had on his team. He remembered the time only a month ago when he had brought her to tears from laughing so hard. It had taken him ripping his uniform up the back to reveal his Starfleet issued blue briefs to break her out of her shell, but he'd done it. He smiled at the memory. He was definitely going to miss her.

Trip's stomach growled again. He knew he should get something to eat but the effort of doing so just seemed far too great. He closed his eyes. At least the repairs on the Kabaltan shuttle were complete. He had bruises up and down his chest from leaning into the tight compartment and his back ached. But Rhea and her husband would soon be on their way. He flopped his forearm over his eyes and felt himself starting to drift off to sleep. His door chime jolted him awake and he groaned.

"Come in," he called. He heard the door slide open then slide shut. He pried open one eye and glanced down at the foot of his bed then he groaned again.

"Am I disturbing you, Commander?" asked T'Pol. The Vulcan moved into the center of the room and gazed down at him, her hands clasped together behind her back.

Trip sighed dramatically, hoping that T'Pol would take the hint that she was indeed disturbing him but then he decided he owed her a bit more respect and sat up. He put both booted feet on the floor then shook his head in response to her question.

"Something I can do for you?" he asked looking up at her.

"I believe I owe you an apology."

Trip's mouth almost dropped open. "A what?"

"An apology, Commander. I was wrong to accuse you of making advances toward our guest," T'Pol said. She stood arrow-straight and looked down at him.

The engineer leaned forward and placed his elbows on his thighs. He rubbed both hands through his hair then looked up at her with suspicious eyes. "Why do you suddenly believe me?"

"I spoke with Ensign Kelly. She witnessed part of what took place. She was quite concerned for your well-being," T'Pol explained, her voice quiet. "I apologize for doubting you, Mr. Tucker."

"Thank you," Trip replied softly, all of his earlier anger toward her gone. To his surprise, T'Pol moved to sit next to him on the bunk.

"I'm aware of what happened to Ensign Stockton. I wish to offer my condolences."

Trip nodded at her and smiled weakly in response. They both fell silent.

"What exactly transpired with Mrs. Priigel, Commander?" asked T'Pol finally.

Trip explained in as much detail as he could remember. Strangely, the entire incident seemed somewhat blurred.

"I tried searching the database again for additional information on Kabaltan Minor but I was unsuccessful. I found only a few references to the Kabaltan people and none of them mentioned any sort of---power," said T'Pol when Trip had finished his description of the event.

The engineer sat himself up straight, stretching his tired back muscles. "I guess it doesn't matter now since they'll be leaving," he said. "Thank you, though, for checking into it for me."

T'Pol nodded then hesitated slightly. "You said earlier that you knew I did not hold you in high regard. Have I done something to lead you to that conclusion?" she asked.

The question startled Trip and he suddenly felt very awkward. He stood up and walked over to his view port, thinking carefully before he answered.

"I know you think I'm a competent engineer," he started hesitantly. "But I get the feeling sometimes you don't think too much of me as a person," he continued, his eyes focused on the passing stars. "I'm not out here just to bed every woman I meet, T'Pol. This is my life's dream not just some wild ride, not just a way to add more notches to my bedpost. Not that there's a hell of a lot of notches to add to."

He heard T'Pol get up from the bunk and then she appeared at his elbow. "If I understand correctly, the notches you speak of are your sexual conquests?" she asked.

Trip couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, my conquests," he said with a hint of self-mockery. He then turned to her, needing her to understand him. "I was brought up right, T'Pol. I have morals that I live by and one of those morals is being a gentleman." He turned away and sighed. "Why do I even bother trying to make you understand?" he added more to himself then to the woman standing next to him.

"I think perhaps I do understand, Commander," T'Pol replied after a long silence. She paused and the room fell quiet again. "In the past, I may have passed judgment too quickly where you were concerned. I will try to refrain from doing so in the future. Is that acceptable?"

Trip chuckled. "That's acceptable, T'Pol," he replied. "Thank you."

T'Pol tipped her head slightly in response. "The captain is expecting us at the launch bay to see our guests off. Would you like me to tell him you were detained?"

The engineer shook his head. "No. That's okay."

Together they left Trip's quarters and headed for the turbolift.

As they reached the 'lift, Trip stopped and snapped his fingers. "Oh, the sensor upgrades you asked about earlier, I left the report on my desk. We can go over them after the Kabaltans leave. I'll be right back." He turned and jogged back towards his quarters leaving T'Pol waiting by the 'lift. He entered his room then reached for the padd lying on his desk. He stopped, feeling suddenly cold.

"Mr. Tucker."

Trip turned around but there was no one there. He turned full circle but still saw no one. He chided himself for his paranoia and grabbed the padd quickly, knowing T'Pol was waiting for him.

The force that slammed him into the door took his breath away. He felt warm breath on the back of his neck and he shivered. He gasped at the pressure on his back. Strong arms turned him around then pushed him against the door again. Rhea stood smiling at him, her eyes glowing brilliantly. Trip was frozen, suddenly lost in the intense blue gaze.

"We need to finish what we started earlier, Mr. Tucker," whispered Rhea. She licked her lips then smiled again. She stepped forward and pressed her body against his, pinning him. She then rubbed her hands up and down his arms, her eyes locked on his. The padd fell from his hand and clattered on the floor.

Trip felt a wave of icy cold flow over him and he shivered uncontrollably under her touch. "T'Pol's waiting for me," he managed weakly.

Rhea smiled. "Let the Vulcan wait. You're otherwise occupied." She pressed her mouth to his hard. He felt her tongue swipe across his lips then force its way in between them. An act that normally would have brought him pleasure now caused him extreme pain but he was defenseless to stop it. She tasted bitter and his mouth burned where she probed it. He heard a growl rise from deep in her throat. His heart pounded mercilessly, the sound echoing in his ears. He closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness hit him and his legs gave out, her strength keeping him pinned against the door. Rhea growled again, the deep vibration moving through his frozen body.

Vaguely, as if from miles away, Trip heard his door chime. Then the pressure was gone and he was falling. He barely registered the pain as he hit the end of his bunk then dropped to the floor. He felt an iron grip turn him over then in the distance he heard someone call for Dr. Phlox. He thought he saw T'Pol's face floating over him but then the image blurred and then faded away completely.



Continued