AN: I know you all are on edge, and as much as I want to put you out of your misery, I'm glad I'm able to drive you nuts with anticipation! That means I'm doing my job as a writer. I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter, and I have to say, this has been a lot of fun for me to write, more than Of Mice and Men I think!

Chapter 10

Déjà vu

Travis was humming. It was a song he had heard on Relas V and he kept getting stuck at the fifth bar. High, low, medium, low...and then he couldn't remember. Those same four bars kept running through his head. It was driving him nuts. He tapped it out on his knee...the door opening sent his hand flying up, almost catching him in the eye.

"Sub-Commander!" He noticed two things at the same time. T'Pol and the security team were alone, and none of them looked happy.

"Take us back to Enterprise." T'Pol ordered. She slid gracefully into the seat next to Travis.

He swallowed, swiveled forward, and powered up the shuttle. This couldn't be good.
Reed paced. Four steps up, four steps back ...up four steps, back four steps.

"Lieutenant!" Archer barked.

Reed was startled from his reverie, "Captain?"

"Stop pacing, you're tiring me out."

"Sorry Sir."

Hoshi stretched her legs. They had been tossed in a vehicle a lot less plush than the one they had arrived in...a day ago? She was losing track of time. Once in, they had been blindfolded. She had felt multiple turns, so many in fact, that she suspected they had purposefully driven around the city for the sole purpose to muddle up their sense of location. She kind of figured they were giving the away team more credit than due. They weren't exactly in peak condition.

Finally the car stopped, they had been dragged out, and walked into a building. She could feel and smell the difference. Re-circulated air had a certain odor, and buildings reflected sound waves, creating echoes you wouldn't hear outside. After going a ways, they were shoved into this room, and all they could hear was a very loud clang as the door shut behind them. They had removed their blindfolds and viewed their new surroundings. Not as nice as the other one. It made the previous room look like an Ambassador's, and this, a lowly cadet. There was a bed, one, as in uno, and something that she hoped was a facility. If it wasn't, they were in for a long day.

"How you holding up Hosh?" Trip leaned near and asked softly.

Archer was glaring at Reed who had resumed pacing. Trip didn't want to interrupt them.

"I've been better. You?"

"Definitely been better." Trip rubbed a weary hand through his hair, ruffling strands into sticking out from his head, "I could think of a million different places I'd rather be."

"Do you think we'll get out of here?"

"Do you want the optimistic response, or the pessimistic one?"

Hoshi smiled. "Let's take door number one Commander."

"You're one of those 'glass is always half-full' people?"

Trip tugged her ponytail, she couldn't help leaning in to rest against his sturdy frame. She was so tired, and a little body heat between two friends was comforting.

"My Grandma used to say I made Pollyanna look like Ebenezer Scrooge."

Trip laughed low, "That bad?"

"You have no idea."

"What are you two talking about?" Archer scooted to get closer to Trip and Hoshi.

They smiled, "Grandma and Ebenezer Scrooge." Hoshi answered.

Archer's eyebrow quirked, "Scrooge?" He thought about it a bit, "You know, he kind of reminds me of Scrooge."

Hoshi and Trip looked at him, perplexed.

"Veen, King Scrooge if ever there was."

The mental picture of Veen in a long white nightgown, a cap with a pom at the end, and fuzzy slippers, popped into their heads. Subdued chuckles filled the room.

Malcolm stopped pacing, "What is so funny?"

Archer waved him off grinning, "Nothing Malcolm, nothing at all."
Veen sat at his desk in his temporary office. He was signing a requisition form for new weapons and armor for his ministry police. He had increased their budget by ten percent in order to hunt down these insidious conspirators. So far the results were better than he had hoped for. Their activities were cut in half.

He leaned his chair back, placing the form down, and muzzling a yawn. It had been a long night, but in the end things had came out as he had hoped. The escaped prisoner's back in his custody, Ridney, the blasted traitor dead, or so he hoped, they hadn't been able to find his body in the chaos but he figured if he wasn't dead he would be soon. Now all he had to do was keep Enterprise off his back, convince them that the insurgents had killed their people, and persuade Archer and the others to admit how they helped his missing criminal escape. With the latter he could count on the services of Luvox. Things were looking up indeed.

He toggled the button on his desk, "I want to speak to Enterprise."
T'Pol and Travis had departed the shuttle and headed for the bridge. Delta shift had rotated out, yet neither officer chose to go off duty. The temporary helm officer emptied the chair for Travis, and T'Pol regained the Captain's chair.

Ensign Hatch was seated at communications. He was not a natural talent with languages but under Hoshi's tutelage had shown great promise.

"Ensign, any contact from the planet?"

"No Ma'am, it's been quiet."

T'Pol nodded. She surmised the Prime Minister would be contacting her soon. He would probably try and feed her some lie about the away team. After overhearing the actions earlier she was under no false impressions about their safety. If the away team was going to make it back home, Enterprise would need to make the rescue, but they would need help from below.

"Sub-Commander, we're being hailed...its Prime Minister Veen." Hatch twisted in his chair, waiting for his orders.

"Put him through Ensign."

Hatch punched the necessary button. The viewer flickered, and filled with Veen's simpering face. T'Pol felt the intense need to reach through the screen and wring his neck. A flame, peace...breathe in...out. She would need to meditate when finished with this...being.

"Yes Prime Minister?"

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

T'Pol arched an eyebrow.

"Your shuttle, it landed on the pad last night." He clarified; thinking her lack of reply was from intentional ignorance.

"I'm aware to what you are referring, Prime Minister." T'Pol refused to answer his question. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "Have you found our people?"

Veen wanted to pursue the shuttle issue, but she had unwittingly given him the introduction into his cover story. "Ah, Yes. I'm afraid I have horrible news."

He didn't look like it was horrible. T'Pol couldn't help but think Veen was secretly enjoying the entire charade.

She didn't respond. He stared at her.

Travis shifted in his seat.

Seconds ticked off silently. Beads of sweat were forming on Veen's hairline, he tapped a finger, "Um, yes, well...we conducted a raid...against the conspirators. Your away team was...killed...in the confrontation."

T'Pol remained aloof and calm, taking the news as if someone had told her they had changed linens at the dinner table. She remained quiet.

Veen swallowed, "I'm sorry we couldn't have ended it any other way...I suppose you'll be moving on?"

T'Pol stood, the movement making Veen draw back despite thousands of miles between the two, "No."

"No?"

"No." T'Pol repeated.

Veen was going to pass out. He wasn't good at confrontations. He left these things to his advisors and officials. He should've had Shurone handle this. He was good at lying. He struggled to maintain control, "I'm sorry...I must have heard you wrong, did you say you are not leaving?"

"That is correct Prime Minister. Enterprise will be conducting our own investigation into the...deaths...of our crewmen." T'Pol looped her hands behind her back, grasping a thin wrist with one hand, and taking an open- legged stance.

"I...see."

No, I don't think you do.

"We'll offer any assistance you may require, of course, Sub-Commander." Veen offered, "Our government extends our deepest sympathies."

T'Pol fixed Veen with a resolute stare, "We'll be in touch." She turned and inclined her head for Ensign Hatch to cut communications.

Travis wondered what was next, "Now what?"

"We wait, Ensign, and pray Ridney survived."