Disclaimers:  See first chapter.

Author's note:  I sincerely appreciate the patience of any one who is reading this story and all those who have encouraged me to continue.

Chapter 9 - Partings

Parting is all we know of heaven,

And all we need of hell.   - Emily Dickinson

The day breaks not: it is my heart,

Because that you and I must part.  - Anonymous from John Dowland: A Pilgrim's Progress

Commander Tucker hunched over the shuttle pod console. He seemed to be reviewing the Padd that detailed the results of the engineering preflight checklist like St. Peter perusing a list of sins and virtues of a soul intent on heaven.  If anyone in the shuttle bay wondered why the Chief Engineer was doing a routine preflight check at 0500, they kept their thoughts to themselves.  Or, quite possibly, not many of them had to wonder.  The Chief had not been too circumspect about communicating his eagerness for the mission or his disappointment for being grounded. 

Trip checked the list for a third time.  He'd racked his brain to come up with a compelling reason why the away team would need an engineer.  While he was willing to accept the logic of the Captain's decision, logic was not sufficient to put a muzzle on the little voice in his head that said something was not right.  When the engines were acting up, he could feel the odd vibrations from the floor panels and up through the balls of his feet.  This feeling was more like a lead ball of dread lodged firmly in his chest.  Maybe his sense of foreboding was just a projection of his own unfortunate away mission experiences. Malcolm had implied as much last night.  Somehow it feeling seemed so much more substantial than just reliving a bad experience or two

Travis, assigned the role of pilot for the mission, approached the Commander with a loose-limbed gate that seemed to eat up the space between them.  The Chief Engineer was not sure he wanted to give the thumbs up on the shuttle, but could not, for all the Andorian ale on Risa, come up with a likely sounding reason.  Trip could tell that his sense of unease had telegraphed itself to the young pilot as he watched Travis's smile dissolve into a look of concern.

"Hey, Commander.  Is there something wrong with the pre-flight?  You look like someone stole you last mono-phasic capacitor."

Trip favored the pilot with a half-hearted smile.  "No ensign, not since you borrowed one to soup up the audio system in your quarters.  The capacitors are all accounted for, mono and multi-phasic." 

Trip glanced back at the shuttlecraft.   "She's ship-shape and ready to fly."  Trip grimaced slightly at the note of levity that rang falsely to him.  The ensign didn't seem to notice as he moved to give the shuttle a once-over.   A couple of bad experiences had not damped Mayweather's excitement at exploring a new planet. 

Junior officers always seem to have a knack for ignoring the unpleasant, if adventure was in the offing.  Tucker recognized this recklessness in himself.  Until now he had not noticed that time had begun to instill a sense of caution.  The Captain might be surprised to hear Trip admit it.  In fact, the Captain probably thought that Trip's desire to go on the away mission was nothing more than a result of Trip and T'Pol's budding relationship.

As Mayweather conducted his own preflight check, Malcolm approached.  The armory officer's hands were grasping two metal trunks.  Breaking into a genuine grin this time, Trip thought, God bless Malcolm.  Even if the armory officer was informed that only microbes existed on a planet, he'd still feel it necessary to go on an away mission "loaded for bear."

Always slightly suspicious of Chief Engineers bearing wide grins, Lieutenant Reed asked warily, tilting his head toward the craft, "She checks out, Commander?"

"Not sure, Lieutenant.  If you are planning on installing a phase cannon on the shuttle, I might have to do some rewiring."

Malcolm confusion lasted only a moment before he aimed half-annoyed, half-amused look back at the Commander. 

"You were thinking that the well-dressed Armory officer should accessorize with black leather rather than titanium weapon's cases?"

"Naw, Lieutenant.  Actually I heartily approve of your fashion statement.  Besides, black leather would clash with your blue jumpsuit."  Trip crossed his arms and seemed to shake his head grimly.  "The haberdashers on Bond Street would be appalled at such as suggestion."

Malcolm's eyes glanced heavenward for strength.  Silently, though, he was pleased that the Engineer seemed to come out of his sulk. 

"T'Pol and Hoshi are making a final review of the linguistics and cultural databases that we received on the Jaxians from our Vulcan friends.  We'll be ready to leave within the hour."

"Actually, Lieutenant we are ready right now."  T'Pol serenely glided in, carrying a simple black cloth utility bag over one shoulder.  Hoshi, slightly breathless, looked like she would have enjoyed the luxury of the rest of the hour to complete her preparations.  She tucked an errant stand of hair behind her ear as she fumbled with her other hand to get the Padd she was holding into a similar bag she gripped awkwardly.  Trip could see that Malcolm looked ready to make a diving catch if the contents of her bag followed through with its promise to spill all over the shuttle bay floor.  

Hoshi looked over at Malcolm and favored him with a harried smile as she righted the bag and secured the flap.  Her amusement increased as she noted his stance relax ever so slightly. 

Trip's amusement, however, vanished upon T'Pol's entrance to the shuttle bay.  As if in answer to his unasked question, T'Pol informed him, "We'll be gone most of the day.  The Captain requested that we check in every two hours.  Our return is scheduled promptly at 1900 hours." 

As T'Pol stepped up into the waiting shuttle, Trip placed an unnecessary hand under her arm to help her go aboard.

Trip was choking on everything that he wanted to say to her - longing, love and concern.  His arm moved to rest on her shoulder.  The only two words to get past the lump in his throat were, "Take care." 

She looked back at him for one intense moment and Trip could swear that her warm brown eyes darkened and deepened as she studied his face - and thoughts. 

Her simple answer: "Indeed."

Forty-five minutes later, Travis radioed the bridge that they had arrived safe and sound. 

Two hours later, they checked in to inform the Enterprise that they were exploring one of the buildings that appeared to be a government center.

Precisely one and one half hours after that, a breathless Lieutenant Reed hailed the ship.  His statement was as simple as it was chilling, "Captain, Sub-commander T'Pol has disappeared."

TBC…