More to Tell, Ch. 4
Sequel to: Confessions
By: Angel
Summary: A Vulcan diplomat onboard Enterprise. What could possibly go wrong?
Archive: Let me know where.
Rating: I guess PG, for now.
Disclaimers: Star Trek and its many incarnations are the property of others and therefore I do not financially benefit from this in any way.
Notes: Sorry this chapter took so long. I could offer a bunch of excuses, but the simple fact would remain that it took a long time to write, whatever the reasons. Thanks for all the great feedback regarding the previous chapters; I hope you enjoy this one as well! On with the show:
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"I would speak with you, daughter."
The immediate silence that fell over the entire mess hall was deafening. T'Pol stood and prepared to follow her elder from the crowded room, but was stopped by the firm grasp of Commander Tucker on her wrist. "T'Pol?" he whispered with urgency.
Her features were unmoved, but her pulse raced beneath his clutch. "Commander, thank you for joining me for lunch today." She gently pulled her arm back from him and again turned toward the back of the woman that had beckoned her.
Lady T'Shar had not moved except to turn to face the exit. The two Vulcan women began to walk across the room just as the shrill tone of the communications unit sounded followed by a familiar voice. "Archer to Lady T'Shar."
Had the mediator been human, she would no doubt have sighed in exasperation. She was, however, not and so she did not. She walked gracefully to the wall unit as if that had been her destination all along and depressed the button. "Yes, Captain?"
"We've reached Mori ahead of schedule are about to enter orbit, ma'am. The government of Cinsy has hailed us and is awaiting your arrival."
"I understand. Has the province of Keda been notified?"
"Yes, ma'am. They have a representative en route."
"Very well. I will be at the shuttle in approximately three minutes." She reached out to toggle the switch before turning to face T'Pol, who had stood silently behind her during the exchange. "We will have to delay our discussion until I return, daughter." With that, the formidable woman turned abruptly and left.
He ran hard, harder than he'd ever run before. He didn't know where he was or where he was going, but he knew that if he stopped running they'd get him. He cast a glance back over his shoulder, but all he could see was darkness. When he turned to face forward again, they were there. He stopped just short of barreling into them. Sweat poured down his face and stung his eyes, his muscles ached with exertion, and his jaw clenched in anger and terror simultaneously. The object of his terror filled his vision. Xindi.
He was surrounded now. They were reptilian, but they wore heavy armor and masks that concealed their faces. He began to fight. Fists flying everywhere, kicks shooting out randomly, and ducks as needed to avoid being hit. Somehow, it was working. Soon, there was only one Xindi left standing. They fought ferociously, these two enemies. He poured out all of his frustration and fury against this masked menace. He hated them. They were everything he despised. Finally, he gained the upper hand in the battle. He came up behind the large reptile and grasped him tightly around the throat using his whole arm and his opposite hand holding tight to his wrist. He pulled and pulled. That's when he felt it. The satisfying give of slowly breaking bone. The creature struggled with his last breath, trying to live until there was nothing left. He released his opponent and allowed him to slide unceremoniously to the ground in a heap.
The victor leered down at the fallen enemy. He felt his heart pound with the effort of the fight, but he also felt strong. He felt superior. Reaching down, he stripped the mask from his foe and felt his blood run cold. The vacant stare of the dead man grabbed his attention. The face he saw was his own. Then, the blue-tinged lips began to move and his own voice called out from the lifeless throat, "See what you have become!"
Captain Jonathan Archer awoke with a start in his ready room desk chair, the insistent tone alerting him to an incoming message. He shook off the nightmare that had plagued him for months as he answered it, "Archer here."
"Captain," Lieutenant Reed's voice echoed through the room. "Sir, there's trouble with the shuttle pod."
"On my way, Lieutenant."
"Damn it, T'Pol! Why didn't ya' tell me the mediator was yer mother?" Trip's anger hid his hurt effectively. He had followed her to her quarters immediately after T'Shar had left the mess hall, before the questioning stares of their fellow crewmembers became too much for her already strained control.
She closed her eyes, head bowed slightly, as she answered tonelessly, "I didn't know it would be her. I have not spoken with my family for quite some time." He heard the soft sound of regret and watched as her shoulders slumped in rejection.
He gained his own control again and ran a hand through his hair. With a frustrated sigh he asked, "Why not?" although he felt he already knew the answer.
"Because I have distanced myself from our ways. Soval was not incorrect when he said that many of our people, in fact most of our people, find me offensive. I have turned my back on our most sacred traditions and that is unacceptable." She had plopped onto the bunk in a heap.
Trip shook his head in disbelief. "So, yer tellin' me that yer own fam'ly turned their backs on ya'? All because ya' did what makes ya' happy?"
T'Pol looked up at him from hooded eyes; she almost smiled at the thickness of his accent. 'He must be really upset over this,' she thought with – gulp! – pride. "I never gave them the opportunity," she stated with finality. "When I made my decision to join Starfleet, I sent them a notice and asked that they not try to contact me in order to save themselves from disgrace. As you'll recall, I'd already ended my betrothal to a respected Vulcan citizen and that had placed my family in a precarious position. I believed, and still do, that this most recent decision would be disastrous to them. They would be forced to publicly disown me in order to save the family name. This way, I disowned them and spared them that."
"But, T'Pol," he sat down next to her and placed a hand on top of one of hers.
"No. There is nothing else to say, Charles. There is more at stake than my 'feelings'. I have my parents and siblings to consider, not to mention their spouses and children. No, I will not allow my own emotional desire for a family connection to put them at jeopardy." She looked at him with pleading. "Please, respect my wishes in this matter."
He stroked her cheek and tenderly kissed her lips. "Okay, darlin'. Whatever ya' say is best."
She shared a sad smile with him and leaned in to kiss him again just as the com unit buzzed. "Archer to T'Pol." The urgency was unmistakable.
"T'Pol here."
"I need you on the bridge, Commander. It seems that the shuttle pod has been fired on. They were forced to make an emergency landing and we've lost contact."
The two officers shared a look of worry before slipping into their professional personas. Trip answered for both of them, "Aye, sir. We're on our way."
End Chapter 4
By: Angel
Summary: A Vulcan diplomat onboard Enterprise. What could possibly go wrong?
Archive: Let me know where.
Rating: I guess PG, for now.
Disclaimers: Star Trek and its many incarnations are the property of others and therefore I do not financially benefit from this in any way.
Notes: Sorry this chapter took so long. I could offer a bunch of excuses, but the simple fact would remain that it took a long time to write, whatever the reasons. Thanks for all the great feedback regarding the previous chapters; I hope you enjoy this one as well! On with the show:
444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444
"I would speak with you, daughter."
The immediate silence that fell over the entire mess hall was deafening. T'Pol stood and prepared to follow her elder from the crowded room, but was stopped by the firm grasp of Commander Tucker on her wrist. "T'Pol?" he whispered with urgency.
Her features were unmoved, but her pulse raced beneath his clutch. "Commander, thank you for joining me for lunch today." She gently pulled her arm back from him and again turned toward the back of the woman that had beckoned her.
Lady T'Shar had not moved except to turn to face the exit. The two Vulcan women began to walk across the room just as the shrill tone of the communications unit sounded followed by a familiar voice. "Archer to Lady T'Shar."
Had the mediator been human, she would no doubt have sighed in exasperation. She was, however, not and so she did not. She walked gracefully to the wall unit as if that had been her destination all along and depressed the button. "Yes, Captain?"
"We've reached Mori ahead of schedule are about to enter orbit, ma'am. The government of Cinsy has hailed us and is awaiting your arrival."
"I understand. Has the province of Keda been notified?"
"Yes, ma'am. They have a representative en route."
"Very well. I will be at the shuttle in approximately three minutes." She reached out to toggle the switch before turning to face T'Pol, who had stood silently behind her during the exchange. "We will have to delay our discussion until I return, daughter." With that, the formidable woman turned abruptly and left.
He ran hard, harder than he'd ever run before. He didn't know where he was or where he was going, but he knew that if he stopped running they'd get him. He cast a glance back over his shoulder, but all he could see was darkness. When he turned to face forward again, they were there. He stopped just short of barreling into them. Sweat poured down his face and stung his eyes, his muscles ached with exertion, and his jaw clenched in anger and terror simultaneously. The object of his terror filled his vision. Xindi.
He was surrounded now. They were reptilian, but they wore heavy armor and masks that concealed their faces. He began to fight. Fists flying everywhere, kicks shooting out randomly, and ducks as needed to avoid being hit. Somehow, it was working. Soon, there was only one Xindi left standing. They fought ferociously, these two enemies. He poured out all of his frustration and fury against this masked menace. He hated them. They were everything he despised. Finally, he gained the upper hand in the battle. He came up behind the large reptile and grasped him tightly around the throat using his whole arm and his opposite hand holding tight to his wrist. He pulled and pulled. That's when he felt it. The satisfying give of slowly breaking bone. The creature struggled with his last breath, trying to live until there was nothing left. He released his opponent and allowed him to slide unceremoniously to the ground in a heap.
The victor leered down at the fallen enemy. He felt his heart pound with the effort of the fight, but he also felt strong. He felt superior. Reaching down, he stripped the mask from his foe and felt his blood run cold. The vacant stare of the dead man grabbed his attention. The face he saw was his own. Then, the blue-tinged lips began to move and his own voice called out from the lifeless throat, "See what you have become!"
Captain Jonathan Archer awoke with a start in his ready room desk chair, the insistent tone alerting him to an incoming message. He shook off the nightmare that had plagued him for months as he answered it, "Archer here."
"Captain," Lieutenant Reed's voice echoed through the room. "Sir, there's trouble with the shuttle pod."
"On my way, Lieutenant."
"Damn it, T'Pol! Why didn't ya' tell me the mediator was yer mother?" Trip's anger hid his hurt effectively. He had followed her to her quarters immediately after T'Shar had left the mess hall, before the questioning stares of their fellow crewmembers became too much for her already strained control.
She closed her eyes, head bowed slightly, as she answered tonelessly, "I didn't know it would be her. I have not spoken with my family for quite some time." He heard the soft sound of regret and watched as her shoulders slumped in rejection.
He gained his own control again and ran a hand through his hair. With a frustrated sigh he asked, "Why not?" although he felt he already knew the answer.
"Because I have distanced myself from our ways. Soval was not incorrect when he said that many of our people, in fact most of our people, find me offensive. I have turned my back on our most sacred traditions and that is unacceptable." She had plopped onto the bunk in a heap.
Trip shook his head in disbelief. "So, yer tellin' me that yer own fam'ly turned their backs on ya'? All because ya' did what makes ya' happy?"
T'Pol looked up at him from hooded eyes; she almost smiled at the thickness of his accent. 'He must be really upset over this,' she thought with – gulp! – pride. "I never gave them the opportunity," she stated with finality. "When I made my decision to join Starfleet, I sent them a notice and asked that they not try to contact me in order to save themselves from disgrace. As you'll recall, I'd already ended my betrothal to a respected Vulcan citizen and that had placed my family in a precarious position. I believed, and still do, that this most recent decision would be disastrous to them. They would be forced to publicly disown me in order to save the family name. This way, I disowned them and spared them that."
"But, T'Pol," he sat down next to her and placed a hand on top of one of hers.
"No. There is nothing else to say, Charles. There is more at stake than my 'feelings'. I have my parents and siblings to consider, not to mention their spouses and children. No, I will not allow my own emotional desire for a family connection to put them at jeopardy." She looked at him with pleading. "Please, respect my wishes in this matter."
He stroked her cheek and tenderly kissed her lips. "Okay, darlin'. Whatever ya' say is best."
She shared a sad smile with him and leaned in to kiss him again just as the com unit buzzed. "Archer to T'Pol." The urgency was unmistakable.
"T'Pol here."
"I need you on the bridge, Commander. It seems that the shuttle pod has been fired on. They were forced to make an emergency landing and we've lost contact."
The two officers shared a look of worry before slipping into their professional personas. Trip answered for both of them, "Aye, sir. We're on our way."
End Chapter 4