More to Tell, Ch. 5
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.
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The command crew of the starship Enterprise was gathered in the situation room within ten minutes of the Captain's hail. Lieutenant Reed had begun his covert inspection of them immediately. He noticed that his best friend, Commander Tucker, and the ship's science officer arrived together for the meeting. There was very little space between their bodies as they entered the room, and if anything they'd moved physically closer during the Captain's update. He wondered idly if he would be able to slip a piece of paper between them at this point.
He cast a glance at Ensign Sato. She had changed so much since their initial mission more than three years ago. The woman before him now was strong, self-confident, and incredibly beautiful. Not that she wasn't beautiful before, but now she almost glowed with an inner light. The Xindi had put her through her own personal hell not long ago, and she'd had a difficult time coming back to duty afterward, Reed knew, but she'd fought hard and along the way she became the woman now seated across from him.
The Captain. Now that was an enigma. He put on such a front to his officers. The past year had pushed the man to his limits, maybe beyond them. Since he'd returned from that whole time-paradox disaster though, he acted as if nothing had changed. He smiled and laughed and had not once mentioned the word 'Xindi' since the formal debriefing. 'Something's gotta give,' Reed thought.
Finally, his gaze traveled discreetly to the newest member of the elite group, Major Jenson. 'Damn, I miss Hayes!' the tactical officer admitted to himself grudgingly. He had nothing against Major Jenson; he just wasn't Hayes. Despite the difficulty Reed and Hayes had had, by the end the Brit had to admit a deep respect for the man and he was sure that they would've been good friends had fate allowed them the time. But it hadn't. Now he had to deal with Jenson and learn to work with this MACO's unique routine.
Malcolm's attention returned to the Captain full force. He listened intently, aware that another of his friend's lives was at stake here. Travis had been flying the shuttle pod that was shot down over the planet Mori.
"As we understand it from Ensign Mayweather's final communication, the shuttle had cleared the atmosphere and was laying in a course for the capital city in the northern hemisphere of Cinsy when they were attacked. At this time, we know that our shuttle was disabled. Mr. Mayweather's channel broke up just as he was about to forward the coordinates where they were planning to make an emergency landing, but we have a pretty good idea of where they went down based on course and speed." The Captain had placed his hands on the table and looked around the room, surveying his officers.
"Have we heard anything from the surface, sir?" Jenson asked.
Archer quickly acknowledged the spit and polish MACO with a nod. "The government of Keda, which occupies the southern hemisphere, has claimed responsibility for the attack, but will not confirm if the shuttle survived the crash."
The Captain paused and looked around at his crew. They were considered the best and he had no doubt that they would put their all into this rescue mission. Still, he needed to remind them of the passengers they were responsible for. "This situation could get very bad very quickly," he started; looking across at T'Pol he continued. "Lady T'Shar is a very prominent Vulcan citizen. I don't need to remind you of the serious repercussions a failure in this mission could bring about." He decided that he had said enough; his team was the best, it was time to let them do their jobs.
"Okay, Malcolm I want you and Jenson to coordinate a rescue effort with shuttle pod two." Before the Captain could continue he was interrupted.
"Captain, I request permission to join the rescue team." T'Pol's voice revealed nothing, but something about her eyes let the Captain know this was important to her. He caught Trip's eye over her shoulder. His friend was worried for her.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Cap'n," Trip interjected. T'Pol practically screamed at him with her eyes.
Archer watched the rapid interaction between his two most senior officers and reached a conclusion. "Sorry, Commander," he began and at first no one knew who he was talking to. "But I think it's a good idea for T'Pol to go with them. Commander," he turned directly to look at the Vulcan woman, "head to the landing bay. Malcolm, Jenson, get your teams together. Depart when you're ready. Dismissed."
As the men and women began to leave the room, the Captain called out, "Commander Tucker? A moment please?" Trip and T'Pol exchanged a brief glance. As the rest of the officers exited, something happened the Captain could hardly believe. She reached out and grasped Trip's hand in her own.
"It will be all right, Charles. I will see you soon." She walked quickly out of the room, head held high.
Tucker turned an angry face on his friend. "Dammit, Cap'n! She shouldn't be goin' down there!"
"That's quite enough, Commander." Archer stressed the rank. "When this is over, I look forward to hearing all about how you two became whatever it is you are, but for now understand this: your personal relationship will have no bearing on how I decide to run this ship. Is that clear, Commander?"
"How about T'Pol's personal relationship, Cap'n," the southern drawl made his superior's rank sound like a bad swear word.
"What the hell are you talking about, Trip?" Archer leaned across the table.
With an audible sigh, Tucker hung his head as he told his friend, "Lady T'Shar is her mother."
Major Jenson and Lieutenant Reed entered the shuttle bay followed closely by their support teams. The officers entered the shuttle pod to find T'Pol already seated at the pilot's seat, finalizing the pre-flight checklist. She turned to look at them as the small group settled in. "We are ready to go, gentlemen." She turned back to the helm and began to move the shuttle toward the large bay doors once receiving clearance from Ensign Sato on the bridge.
The shuttle cleared the larger ship and set course for the planet. Tucker and Archer emerged onto the bridge just in time to see the vehicle make its descending arc toward the atmosphere of Mori. "Damn," muttered Archer. The two men looked at each other before Trip moved off to take his position at the engineering console.
Shuttle pod two passed uneventfully through the upper stratosphere and continued its gentle descent over Keda. "Scans show the first shuttle pod to be approximately 500 km ahead, Lieutenant. There is a heavily wooded area with a small clearing at its center. It appears that Ensign Mayweather was able to put down there."
"Aye, Commander," Reed answered.
As they came overhead of shuttle pod one, T'Pol adjusted the thrusters to hover prior to setting down. "There are three bio-signs," she reported as she rolled the small ship around and leveled it out. They began to descend steadily.
"Three?" Reed asked. "There were five on board," he continued in a voice that revealed his upset. "Who'd we lose?"
"Unknown. We will find out shortly, however," she answered as pod two shuddered against the hard surface.
The MACO's and Reed's support crew made their way out of the hatch with due haste, weapons at the ready. T'Pol followed closely behind, making her way quickly to the crashed ship. Scorch marks were evident and there had obviously been a small fire along the port nacelle. She reached the wreckage first by advancing through the security forces. She opened the hatch.
"Commander!" Travis exclaimed. His head was bandaged in a makeshift fashion; blood seeped through at the temple. In addition, his right arm was in a sling, held tight against his chest.
She surveyed the physical damage to the helmsman before continuing her visual inspection of the shuttle's interior. She found her target lying across the floor at the back of the craft. "Mother," she uttered as she made her way to the older woman's side. As she approached, the older woman's assistant, Jesa, appeared from around the small bulkhead.
"What is wrong with her?" T'Pol demanded of the other female.
"She is stable in a healing trance. Her injuries were not severe, but Mr. Sovid is dead."
"So is the MACO, Corporal Lake," Travis spoke up for the first time since she entered. She turned briefly and noticed Lieutenant Reed tending to the young man and guards placed at the hatchway.
"Very well; we should relocate to the other shuttle and return to Enterprise."
Jesa immediately brought Lady T'Shar out of her healing trance with a swift slap across the cheek. The Enterprise men looked up in surprise, but held their tongues when they noticed that T'Pol seemed to approve of this practice. "Mother?" the Science Officer asked softly. The elder woman stirred and met her daughter's stare.
"I can see worry in your eyes, daughter. You should meditate more often." The rebuke was gentle, almost teasing, and T'Pol was certain that her mother must still be affected by her injuries or possibly by the after- effects of the healing trance.
"Yes, I am certain of that," she dryly answered. "You must move. We need to get to the other shuttle pod." The entourage began its relocation, but they had barely made it halfway to the safety of pod two when the crackle of phase weapons stirred the air around them.
"Ma'am," Reed shouted over the sounds of weapon fire, "I suggest we run. There is no defensible position here." All of the MACO's and security had attempted to form a protective circle around the diplomats and wounded, but they were out in the open. Collectively, the group agreed and proceeded to follow that advice.
"Shuttle pod two to Enterprise," Travis's voice echoed over the channel Hoshi had opened a moment ago. The shuttle was visible now, slicing through the invisible barrier that defined the planet's outer reaches.
"Enterprise here," Archer responded, rising as if to make himself heard better. "Status?"
"Sir, we've taken injuries. Recommend you have Dr. Phlox meet us at the landing bay." The young ensign paused, and Reed's voice cut in to replace it. "And Captain, you may want to have Commander Tucker there as well." The Englishman's tone was normally reserved, but now he sounded as if he were whispering at a funeral. 'Not a good sign,' thought his commanding officer.
The Captain shared a quick glance with Sato. "Understood. We'll meet you there soon. Archer out." He breathed deep, dreading the next call. "Archer to Commander Tucker."
"Yeah, Cap'n? Tucker here." The answer came back quickly. The younger man sounded busy. 'Probably working doubly hard so he doesn't have to think about T'Pol being on this away mission,' Archer thought with regret.
"Commander, meet me in the landing bay. Archer out." The Captain turned to the Communications Officer. "Hoshi, hail Phlox and have a med team meet us as well." With that, the Captain was lost behind the closing doors of the lift.
The medical team and Commander Tucker were already there, but Archer spared them not a glance as he heard the shuttle land beyond the heavy bulkheads. Once the safety board showed the bay as being repressurized, the Captain blew through the doors before they fully opened. The shuttle hatch was already opening. The first sight that greeted Trip as he made his way into the bay was that of T'Pol being carried off the shuttle by Reed. Her eyes were closed and there was a deep green stain spreading across the front of her uniform. He lost all rational thought as he ran forward to take her slim form from his good friend. "Oh God! T'Pol!"
End Chapter 5
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.
555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555
The command crew of the starship Enterprise was gathered in the situation room within ten minutes of the Captain's hail. Lieutenant Reed had begun his covert inspection of them immediately. He noticed that his best friend, Commander Tucker, and the ship's science officer arrived together for the meeting. There was very little space between their bodies as they entered the room, and if anything they'd moved physically closer during the Captain's update. He wondered idly if he would be able to slip a piece of paper between them at this point.
He cast a glance at Ensign Sato. She had changed so much since their initial mission more than three years ago. The woman before him now was strong, self-confident, and incredibly beautiful. Not that she wasn't beautiful before, but now she almost glowed with an inner light. The Xindi had put her through her own personal hell not long ago, and she'd had a difficult time coming back to duty afterward, Reed knew, but she'd fought hard and along the way she became the woman now seated across from him.
The Captain. Now that was an enigma. He put on such a front to his officers. The past year had pushed the man to his limits, maybe beyond them. Since he'd returned from that whole time-paradox disaster though, he acted as if nothing had changed. He smiled and laughed and had not once mentioned the word 'Xindi' since the formal debriefing. 'Something's gotta give,' Reed thought.
Finally, his gaze traveled discreetly to the newest member of the elite group, Major Jenson. 'Damn, I miss Hayes!' the tactical officer admitted to himself grudgingly. He had nothing against Major Jenson; he just wasn't Hayes. Despite the difficulty Reed and Hayes had had, by the end the Brit had to admit a deep respect for the man and he was sure that they would've been good friends had fate allowed them the time. But it hadn't. Now he had to deal with Jenson and learn to work with this MACO's unique routine.
Malcolm's attention returned to the Captain full force. He listened intently, aware that another of his friend's lives was at stake here. Travis had been flying the shuttle pod that was shot down over the planet Mori.
"As we understand it from Ensign Mayweather's final communication, the shuttle had cleared the atmosphere and was laying in a course for the capital city in the northern hemisphere of Cinsy when they were attacked. At this time, we know that our shuttle was disabled. Mr. Mayweather's channel broke up just as he was about to forward the coordinates where they were planning to make an emergency landing, but we have a pretty good idea of where they went down based on course and speed." The Captain had placed his hands on the table and looked around the room, surveying his officers.
"Have we heard anything from the surface, sir?" Jenson asked.
Archer quickly acknowledged the spit and polish MACO with a nod. "The government of Keda, which occupies the southern hemisphere, has claimed responsibility for the attack, but will not confirm if the shuttle survived the crash."
The Captain paused and looked around at his crew. They were considered the best and he had no doubt that they would put their all into this rescue mission. Still, he needed to remind them of the passengers they were responsible for. "This situation could get very bad very quickly," he started; looking across at T'Pol he continued. "Lady T'Shar is a very prominent Vulcan citizen. I don't need to remind you of the serious repercussions a failure in this mission could bring about." He decided that he had said enough; his team was the best, it was time to let them do their jobs.
"Okay, Malcolm I want you and Jenson to coordinate a rescue effort with shuttle pod two." Before the Captain could continue he was interrupted.
"Captain, I request permission to join the rescue team." T'Pol's voice revealed nothing, but something about her eyes let the Captain know this was important to her. He caught Trip's eye over her shoulder. His friend was worried for her.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Cap'n," Trip interjected. T'Pol practically screamed at him with her eyes.
Archer watched the rapid interaction between his two most senior officers and reached a conclusion. "Sorry, Commander," he began and at first no one knew who he was talking to. "But I think it's a good idea for T'Pol to go with them. Commander," he turned directly to look at the Vulcan woman, "head to the landing bay. Malcolm, Jenson, get your teams together. Depart when you're ready. Dismissed."
As the men and women began to leave the room, the Captain called out, "Commander Tucker? A moment please?" Trip and T'Pol exchanged a brief glance. As the rest of the officers exited, something happened the Captain could hardly believe. She reached out and grasped Trip's hand in her own.
"It will be all right, Charles. I will see you soon." She walked quickly out of the room, head held high.
Tucker turned an angry face on his friend. "Dammit, Cap'n! She shouldn't be goin' down there!"
"That's quite enough, Commander." Archer stressed the rank. "When this is over, I look forward to hearing all about how you two became whatever it is you are, but for now understand this: your personal relationship will have no bearing on how I decide to run this ship. Is that clear, Commander?"
"How about T'Pol's personal relationship, Cap'n," the southern drawl made his superior's rank sound like a bad swear word.
"What the hell are you talking about, Trip?" Archer leaned across the table.
With an audible sigh, Tucker hung his head as he told his friend, "Lady T'Shar is her mother."
Major Jenson and Lieutenant Reed entered the shuttle bay followed closely by their support teams. The officers entered the shuttle pod to find T'Pol already seated at the pilot's seat, finalizing the pre-flight checklist. She turned to look at them as the small group settled in. "We are ready to go, gentlemen." She turned back to the helm and began to move the shuttle toward the large bay doors once receiving clearance from Ensign Sato on the bridge.
The shuttle cleared the larger ship and set course for the planet. Tucker and Archer emerged onto the bridge just in time to see the vehicle make its descending arc toward the atmosphere of Mori. "Damn," muttered Archer. The two men looked at each other before Trip moved off to take his position at the engineering console.
Shuttle pod two passed uneventfully through the upper stratosphere and continued its gentle descent over Keda. "Scans show the first shuttle pod to be approximately 500 km ahead, Lieutenant. There is a heavily wooded area with a small clearing at its center. It appears that Ensign Mayweather was able to put down there."
"Aye, Commander," Reed answered.
As they came overhead of shuttle pod one, T'Pol adjusted the thrusters to hover prior to setting down. "There are three bio-signs," she reported as she rolled the small ship around and leveled it out. They began to descend steadily.
"Three?" Reed asked. "There were five on board," he continued in a voice that revealed his upset. "Who'd we lose?"
"Unknown. We will find out shortly, however," she answered as pod two shuddered against the hard surface.
The MACO's and Reed's support crew made their way out of the hatch with due haste, weapons at the ready. T'Pol followed closely behind, making her way quickly to the crashed ship. Scorch marks were evident and there had obviously been a small fire along the port nacelle. She reached the wreckage first by advancing through the security forces. She opened the hatch.
"Commander!" Travis exclaimed. His head was bandaged in a makeshift fashion; blood seeped through at the temple. In addition, his right arm was in a sling, held tight against his chest.
She surveyed the physical damage to the helmsman before continuing her visual inspection of the shuttle's interior. She found her target lying across the floor at the back of the craft. "Mother," she uttered as she made her way to the older woman's side. As she approached, the older woman's assistant, Jesa, appeared from around the small bulkhead.
"What is wrong with her?" T'Pol demanded of the other female.
"She is stable in a healing trance. Her injuries were not severe, but Mr. Sovid is dead."
"So is the MACO, Corporal Lake," Travis spoke up for the first time since she entered. She turned briefly and noticed Lieutenant Reed tending to the young man and guards placed at the hatchway.
"Very well; we should relocate to the other shuttle and return to Enterprise."
Jesa immediately brought Lady T'Shar out of her healing trance with a swift slap across the cheek. The Enterprise men looked up in surprise, but held their tongues when they noticed that T'Pol seemed to approve of this practice. "Mother?" the Science Officer asked softly. The elder woman stirred and met her daughter's stare.
"I can see worry in your eyes, daughter. You should meditate more often." The rebuke was gentle, almost teasing, and T'Pol was certain that her mother must still be affected by her injuries or possibly by the after- effects of the healing trance.
"Yes, I am certain of that," she dryly answered. "You must move. We need to get to the other shuttle pod." The entourage began its relocation, but they had barely made it halfway to the safety of pod two when the crackle of phase weapons stirred the air around them.
"Ma'am," Reed shouted over the sounds of weapon fire, "I suggest we run. There is no defensible position here." All of the MACO's and security had attempted to form a protective circle around the diplomats and wounded, but they were out in the open. Collectively, the group agreed and proceeded to follow that advice.
"Shuttle pod two to Enterprise," Travis's voice echoed over the channel Hoshi had opened a moment ago. The shuttle was visible now, slicing through the invisible barrier that defined the planet's outer reaches.
"Enterprise here," Archer responded, rising as if to make himself heard better. "Status?"
"Sir, we've taken injuries. Recommend you have Dr. Phlox meet us at the landing bay." The young ensign paused, and Reed's voice cut in to replace it. "And Captain, you may want to have Commander Tucker there as well." The Englishman's tone was normally reserved, but now he sounded as if he were whispering at a funeral. 'Not a good sign,' thought his commanding officer.
The Captain shared a quick glance with Sato. "Understood. We'll meet you there soon. Archer out." He breathed deep, dreading the next call. "Archer to Commander Tucker."
"Yeah, Cap'n? Tucker here." The answer came back quickly. The younger man sounded busy. 'Probably working doubly hard so he doesn't have to think about T'Pol being on this away mission,' Archer thought with regret.
"Commander, meet me in the landing bay. Archer out." The Captain turned to the Communications Officer. "Hoshi, hail Phlox and have a med team meet us as well." With that, the Captain was lost behind the closing doors of the lift.
The medical team and Commander Tucker were already there, but Archer spared them not a glance as he heard the shuttle land beyond the heavy bulkheads. Once the safety board showed the bay as being repressurized, the Captain blew through the doors before they fully opened. The shuttle hatch was already opening. The first sight that greeted Trip as he made his way into the bay was that of T'Pol being carried off the shuttle by Reed. Her eyes were closed and there was a deep green stain spreading across the front of her uniform. He lost all rational thought as he ran forward to take her slim form from his good friend. "Oh God! T'Pol!"
End Chapter 5