A/N These characters are do not belong to me. But I do enjoy playing with them.
A/N Thanks to EroSlackerMicha, Guest, and LoErneBraska for their reviews.
With the introduction of the War Council, events moved swiftly.
The Committee accepted the choices and after some more discussion, the plan for the conduct of the war.
With the time that had passed since the attack, an ambitious date of two months in the future was set for the launching of the fleet.
With all that needed to be done, everyone was now anxious to return to their home worlds.
Twenty-nine detection devices were loaded on to the Charon and four each on the flagships of The Teller and Andoria.
Archer and the other members of the Council met quickly and promised to keep in touch but knew they would most likely not see each other again until the launch.
President Samuels notified the various forms of communications that he would be giving a major speech the next day at one o'clock San Francisco time.
Admiral Gardner arranged to meet with the other Starship captains to bring them up to speed.
Archer contacted Malcolm and told him to have him, Hoshi, Travis, and Phlox meet him aboard Enterprise. Malcolm then stunned him by telling him Trip had been trying to reach him to tell him he was staying in Starfleet. Archer told him to have Trip come to the meeting as well.
As he broke off from Malcolm, he turned to T'Pol. "I guess you heard that Trip is staying in Starfleet."
"Yes, I am not sure how I feel about that. It will be good to have him along as a friend and we certainly need his expertise, but I hope Natalie is not hurt by this or that he will regret his decision."
"I agree. I think I will need to talk with him and be sure he is not just making a quick, emotional decision."
As Archer and T'Pol waited in the Ready Room for the others to arrive, Archer could not help but smile to himself at what the reaction of the others would be at his and T'Pol's promotions. His major fear was that it could disrupt the way they all worked together. He and T'Pol had agreed that he would still act as captain of Enterprise. T'Pol assured him that she did not feel slighted, that it would be 'illogical' for him not to be in command of Enterprise when so much was at stake. Also, she knew her talents would be needed as Science and First Officer.
Malcolm, as would be expected, was the first to arrive. He entered and said, "The others are all coming, Captain. We are all hoping you have news for us."
With a twinkle in her eye, T'Pol answered, "Thank you, Commander."
Surprised she had answered, he turned toward her and saw the four stars on her dress uniform. Nonplussed, he turned back to Archer and felt his eyes widen and his jaw drop as he saw the six stars on Archer's uniform.
He started to stammer, "Uh, Admiral sir, I…"
Archer took pity and spoke up, "It's all right Malcolm, it was a shock to us as well. Sit down and have some water."
As he sat down, someone buzzed at the door and Archer called out for them to enter.
Still staring, Malcolm sat down and took a big gulp from the bottle. Seeming to recover a little, he said, "I guess congratulations are in order."
Just then Hoshi and Travis entered the room, "Congratulations for what?"
Before Malcolm could answer Hoshi saw the extra bars on Archer's uniform. "Never mind Malcolm, I see what you mean. Just to be sure Travis was caught up, she said, "May I add my congratulations, Admiral."
Archer still had to smile at their expressions and couldn't resist saying, "Don't you want to congratulate Captain T'Pol as well?"
Hoshi and Travis quickly turned to look at her, "Sorry, Com… Captain, we hadn't noticed."
Then Archer couldn't hold it back and had to laugh. "It's all right everyone, just have a seat."
As they sat down, he continued, "I could have handled that better, but I just couldn't resist seeing how you would react.
Just then the door buzzed again and when Archer told them to enter, Phlox and Trip came in.
Phlox started to say, "Sorry I am late, Capt….", when he saw the bars as well.
Archer just said, "Let's not go through this again, everyone just sit down, we have a lot to cover."
With everyone still looking a little stunned, Archer explained what the situation was. About how he and T'Pol came to be promoted and what the future had planned for them.
As Hoshi heard how he would be in charge of the fleet, she thought back over how their 'relationship' had changed through the years and yet still remained the same. When he had first contacted her about the job, she had only allowed him to visit her because of her curiosity about him. After all, he was to command the first Earth warp 5 vessel. But when he talked about the mission, when she saw his passion for what he was doing, she found herself drawn in. And when he played that language tape for her, challenging her to come with him, she found herself agreeing to something she had never planned on doing.
And when she lost her confidence and wanted to return to Earth, his unwillingness to listen, his insistence that she was the right one for the job, had convinced her to stay on. She always had many different, often confusing feelings for him. Above all, she respected him. It was mixed with a little bit of hero worship. In the Expanse, she had been afraid for him, watching him having to make decisions and take actions she was grateful were not hers to make. And, at some point, she had even wondered what it would be like having a romantic relationship with him. But in the end, they reached a point of mutual respect. She knew he thought highly of her abilities and trusted her. As for her, she knew she would follow him wherever he would lead.
And now, he again had the future of Earth on his back, as well as the other planets. Although she knew he was probably the one man that was suited for the job, she wondered if even he could pull this one off.
When he finished, he asked if anyone had any questions. They asked about the crew and he told them he planned to meet with them after contacting them to return to the ship the next day.
They then decided they everyone should take a couple of weeks off to get their affairs in order and see anyone they needed to travel to visit.
Then, asking Trip to stay for a moment, Archer dismissed the others.
"T'Pol and I are thrilled for ourselves that you are staying in Starfleet and God knows we can use your talents, but what about your new job and how is Natalie taking it?"
"Actually, it was her idea. She evidently knows me better that I do myself. She made me realize I could never forgive myself if I let you go without me. As for the job, Lester was disappointed, but I think he understands as well."
He then went on, "There is one thing though, Cap… Admiral."
"What's that?"
"I promised Natalie and myself I would be here for the birth."
"That could be a problem. As you heard, we are planning to leave in two months."
Seeing the look on Trip's face, he hurried on, "I am sure we can work something out."
"Thanks Admiral."
Although he felt deeply drained, with the stress of all that had happened, President Samuels knew he must find the strength to let the world know what was about to happen. He tried not to think of all the lives that would be affected by the actions that were about to be taken. The lives of not just the soldiers and sailors of the four planets, but their loved ones. He felt a wave of sadness as he thought of his own personal loss and how he missed the support of his family.
Taking a deep breath, he signaled to the cameras he was ready.
"Good afternoon. I have asked for this time to bring you all up to date as to what has transpired in the past few days and what steps are being planned for the future. It has been an extraordinary time, meeting with the representatives of the other three planets. I have been greatly impressed by all of them. Although no one can foresee what will happen, I assure you that everyone in these meetings are fully committed to doing everything possible to perform our duty. I just want to say that your fears, your concerns and yes, your hopes are shared by all peoples of the Alliance of Planets.
Let there be no doubt, we are starting forth on a dangerous journey, and while no one can guarantee how it will end, I honestly believe that Freedom will prevail.
In the next few weeks, the Alliance will amass a large and powerful fleet. Our plan is to confront the enemy's expected attacks and repel them before they reach our planets. It will patrol space at a point between us and our adversary. It will remain vigilant until our enemy understands that his efforts are futile, that peace is the only solution, that we will not be defeated.
Let me be clear, there are dark times ahead. I am sure we will all face times when all seems lost, but I truly believe that a bright future awaits us. That is not because we are great leaders, or even completely due to our brave soldiers, but to the strength and will of you, the people of Earth and your compatriots on the other planets. As long as we stand together, as long as we trust each other, we cannot be defeated."
Stopping, he took a long drink of water, and then continued.
"Now, I know you are all wanting to know what will happen. What specific plans have been made. In approximately two months, the fleet should be ready to leave. Once it has started its patrols, it will not return until the war is over.
While the overall conduct of the war will be in charge of a War Committee consisting of the heads of the four governments and their military advisors, the actual battle decisions will be made by the commanders of the fleet. These commanders are well known to you.
They are Viscount Gral of The Teller, Ambassador Soval of Vulcan, General Shran of Andoria, and the Supreme Commander of the Alliance forces, Admiral Jonathan Archer of Earth.
Thank you for allowing me to speak to you and may a benevolent fate guide our path."
While Malcolm was torn about returning home, he knew it was necessary. He had kept in contact with Jeremy and learned his mother was not doing well since his father had died. He also wanted to see Madeline before he left. As for Penelope, Jeremy had not said anything and Malcolm didn't feel he should ask.
When he arrived at the airport, it was eerily the same. Clyde picked him up and again refused to be paid. The difference was that all Clyde could talk about was the war.
When he arrived at the house, Jeremy came out to greet him. Malcolm was surprised to see that the attack had affected him as well. He was much more respectful than he had been in the past. When he saw his mother, he struggled to hide his emotions. She had seemingly aged tenfold in the time he had been gone. It almost broke his heart when she produced a smile. For the first time in his life, he unabashedly gave her a long hug, careful not to squeeze too hard.
For the short time that he was there, he felt guilty for every bad thing he had felt toward Jeremy. He was amazed how much he obviously cared for his mother.
That night, after she had gone to bed, he tried to thank Jeremy, but he shrugged it off, saying he was glad he could help. Then Malcolm got the courage to ask about Penelope. Jeremy looked rueful, "We've both lost her, I'm afraid. She is engaged to some guy that recently moved into the old Baxter house. He was looking for some peace and quiet to write a book. He's evidently a professor at some university."
The next day Malcolm decided to satisfy his curiosity and walked to Penelope's house. He also had to admit that although she had apparently moved on, he wanted to see her before he left.
When she answered the door, she gave him a big smile and hug as she invited him in. After they were seated on the couch, she grew serious and said she had hoped she would have a chance to see him before he left. She wanted him to know how proud she was of him and wanted to wish him the best.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. For a moment she looked a little ashamed, but then smiled and said, "That must be David. I really want you to meet him."
When she opened the door, and had exchanged a small kiss, she said, "Come in David, there is someone I want you to meet."
In spite of himself, Malcolm had to smile to himself, then was ashamed. David was a short, balding man who looked to be in his forties. He was a stereotype of a professor with thick glasses and a tweed coat.
Penelope had continued to talk as they approached him, "David, this is Commander Malcolm Reed who serves on Enterprise. Malcolm, this is David Preston, who is a professor of Philosophy at Oxford University."
David held out his hand which Malcolm shook but there was obviously little kinship between them. A little nervously, Penelope said, "David is on leave to work on a book."
Then there was an awkward silence until Malcolm said, "I understand congratulations are in order, Jeremy told me you two are engaged."
Penelope smiled but it didn't reach her eyes as she said, "Yes, David just swept me off my feet."
After another awkward silence, Malcolm soldiered on, "When's the wedding?"
This time she didn't smile and said, "We haven't set a date yet."
Then, just when Malcolm was beginning to wonder if he talked, David said in a surprisingly deep voice, "I have never understood the military mind. But I suppose it is comfortable to be able to see everything as black and white, us against them. One wonders how different history would be if those individuals with the ability to see a more nuanced world would have been more in charge."
Malcolm was about to say he would gladly take the professor with him and let him have a nuanced discussion with a Romulan Warship, but then saw the look on Penelope's face and held his tongue.
He quickly said he needed to get back, that his sister would probably be there by now. Penelope walked him to the door and said quietly, "Thanks, Malcolm. You have to excuse him, he has spent his whole life in academia. He really is quite brilliant and a good man."
Malcolm smiled, "I am sure he is. He must be okay if you love him."
Some emotion passed over Penelope's face but then she just said, "Take care, Malcolm and please come back to us." She then kissed him on the cheek and moved to shut the door as Malcolm said, "Goodbye, Penelope."
As it turned out, Madeline was waiting for him. After a big hug which surprised Madeline a little, they decided to go for a walk. They found their way out to the dunes. They had walked quietly for some time when Malcolm broke the silence, "Jeremy had told me that Mom was having a bad time, but I did not expect that she would be this bad."
Madeline nodded and said, "I know." Then she gave a small sad smile and said, "You always think of your parents as two old people who live together because they are married and your parents. And with Dad you would never think of anything romantic, but I think they truly loved each other and Mom really misses him."
Malcolm reflected on that. She was right, you really don't think of your parents as two people deeply in love. He went on, "Jeremy really seems to be good to her. It couldn't have been easy for him."
"I know you weren't really happy about Jeremy taking over, but he has been wonderful. I am not sure I would have been as patient as he has." Then she smirked, "But part of your problem with Jeremy was when you found out he was sniffing around Penelope."
Malcolm was about to deny that, when he shrugged to himself and said, "It appears I didn't have to worry." Then he smiled sadly, "Although, I would pick Jeremy over this David fellow. I wonder what she sees in him."
Madeline smiled sadly, "I think his main strength is that he is not named Jeremy or Malcolm and is nothing like either one of them."
"You don't think she loves him?"
"I think she is fond of him and maybe he is what she needs. I did check him out. His record is quite impressive. He is apparently quite brilliant."
Malcolm thought he should say more but realized it was really none of his business. He had given up any right to be a part of Penelope's life.
Madeline then changed the subject, "So, you are off to save the world again. Couldn't someone else do it this time?"
"I guess not, but at least we will have some help this time."
They walked silently for a while, then Madeline asked, "What kind of a man is Jonathan Archer?"
Malcolm looked at her surprised, "What brought you to ask that?"
She smiled, "Oh, I don't know. I mean, he is just so bigger than life. But he's just a man. I assume he goes to the bathroom, gets headaches, makes mistakes, burps at the table."
Malcolm had to smile, "Actually, he doesn't do anything of those things. He just sits in the Captain's chair and waves his hand to save the world."
Madeline struck him on the shoulder, "Don't do that. I really am interested."
"Okay, He is a human with all that entails. He is far from perfect. He has made terrible mistakes. But he is also a man who brings out the best in those around him. He is a man you can trust. All I know is that I would follow him wherever he leads and I am sure everyone on Enterprise feels the same."
Madeline smiled, but then turned serious, "I'm afraid, Malcolm. I was worried when you fought the Xindi but this seems much more sinister. I wish you didn't have to go."
Malcolm reached out and hugged her. "I know. I won't lie to you, this will not be over quick."
But then he pulled back and smiled, "But there is one thing I forgot to tell you about Cap…Admiral Archer, he is the luckiest man you will ever meet. Somehow, he always lands on his feet."
Deciding it was time to get back, they headed back the way they came.
The next day Malcolm said goodbye and traveled back to San Francisco.
Travis was nervous. He wished he hadn't agreed to meet Hoshi's parents. She had told him they were very traditional in their views. They had not been happy when Hoshi had told them she and Travis were living together. Hoshi had assured him they would think it over and understand the situation. She said they would come to love him. Right now, the way he felt, he would settle for not outright hatred.
As it turned out, Hoshi had been closer to their reaction. Travis didn't think they were thrilled but they did seem to have accepted the situation. It had actually been an enjoyable visit. They had been intrigued when they learned how and where he had been brought up. They had listened raptly to his stories about life on the freighter.
Then, just as they were leaving, Hoshi's father had turned serious and said, "Travis, we are counting on you to bring our daughter back to us. We know that she loves you and you her. We will be honored to have you as a son-in-law." Travis said, "Sir, I promise you that I will do whatever Is necessary to see she returns to you, even if it should mean my own life."
With Hoshi and her mother both tearing up a little, her father bowed and then shook Travis's hand.
The visit to Travis's family was not quite as dramatic. Instead, they tried to embarrass Travis by telling stories about his youth. Travis thought Hoshi might have enjoyed it just a little too much.
They also discovered that like all freight carriers on all four planets, they had been brought into the war machine. After all, the Fleet would need supplies. The Vulcans had agreed to let the Alliance make use of a huge storage facility located near where the fleet would operate. But getting the supplies there meant a round trip of over a year. His family was just about to leave on their first trip. They were also surprised to learn that apparently the Andorians had a huge fleet of ships that traveled at low warp speeds, a remnant of a past attempt to form an Empire. Although many had been taken out of service, they were being reconditioned. Seventy of them had been sent to Earth to replace the ships that had been lost in the attack. Others were being used to escort the freight ships back and forth from the Great Depot as they referred to the Vulcan facility.
When Hoshi and Travis returned home, they decided they would continue to be with each other on Enterprise. They would not live together and would be discreet, but they did not intend to be apart. They figured that even if Jon found out, he would look the other way, especially since they were not breaking any Starfleet rules.
Archer and T'Pol were practically inseparable during the two weeks of leave. Since neither one of them had close family to visit, they remained in San Francisco and took care of some matters.
First, they met with Admiral Gardner to discuss the situation with Trip. Surprisingly, it turned out that there was a ready-made solution that was a win-win for Trip and Starfleet.
It seemed that the two new Starships were estimated to be ready for testing in about two months. Trip could remain and be involved in the testing. Not only would his expertise be welcome, he could teach others what needed to be done. Then when the testing was done, he could hitch a ride with the ships when they were sent to join the fleet.
Then, Archer and T'Pol made a very important visit. Arriving at a small house a few miles from the city, they were let in by Jane McBride and a very surprised Mercy McBride. At first Mercy just smiled and hung back, perhaps still a little nervous about T'Pol's reaction to her revelation aboard the ship. But when T'Pol opened her arms, Mercy raced to her. As Jane again fought back tears, Jon chided himself for being a sentimental fool. But then as he saw Mercy and T'Pol together, his love for T'Pol almost caused his heart to burst. At that moment, he knew he couldn't wait any longer, he needed to let her know how he felt. They spent practically the whole day there, avoiding both gorillas in the room. No one talked about the war or Torrin Syndrome. Instead Jon enthralled Mercy with stories about the early days of Enterprise's mission. Then he and T'Pol answered a barrage of questions about Shran, Soval, and Gral and their planets. Mercy was especially awed about hearing about Jhamel and the Aenar.
Then as they were leaving, Mercy suddenly turned serious and said, "Thank you for coming to see me."
When Archer and T'Pol assured her they had enjoyed it immensely, she went on, "I may not be here when you come home, but I know you will save my Mommy and everybody."
That left everyone with nothing to say. So, they all just hugged each other.
As they left, Mercy gave the Vulcan salute which T'Pol returned.
Jhamel stood by the entrance to the space dock, waiting for Shran to disembark from his ship. Even though everyone on Andoria knew of her and Shran, many were still amazed by her ability to overcome her blindness. Jhamel suddenly got a huge smile on her face and moved forward just as Shran approached the door. He quickly moved forward and enveloped her in his arms as they exchanged a passionate kiss. She then stepped back and said, "Do you have to do anything? Is there someone you need to meet with?"
Shran smiled and said, "No one. You are stuck with me for the next few days."
Smiling happily, they walked off arm in arm.
At home, after they had spent the afternoon making love, Jhamel spoke up, "How was everybody? Did you get to see Commander Tucker and his wife?"
"No, I am afraid not, I was only there for a couple days and we spent one of the days at Starfleet."
"We heard the news about the council. Most people seemed pleased that you were second in command but I also heard many say you should have been the Supreme Commander. They were saying how little time Earth had been in space."
"You needn't let that bother you. Anyone that knows what is going on knows that Earth had to be in charge. The Teller would never accept an Andorian or a Vulcan in that position, just as we wouldn't accept a Vulcan or a Tellerite. And if it is to be a Human, no one is better suited for it than Jonathan Archer. To be honest, I don't envy him having to deal with everything he is going to have to."
"I also heard you are leaving in two Earth months." She leaned over and kissed him, the said sadly, "I am not ready for you to leave."
He kissed her back and said, "I am not ready to leave you." Then he smiled sadly, "But then, I would never be ready to do so."
"How was T'Pol? Have she and Archer gotten together yet?"
Shran stared at her. "What makes you think they feel that way? I agree they are close but they have never indicated it is more than friendship."
Jhamel smiled, "Have you forgotten I am a telepath? When we were with them on Vulcan, I could sense that they did have strong feelings for each other. I would never enter anyone's mind without permission but you know I often sense strong emotions."
Shran smiled. "Archer and T'Pol. A human and a Vulcan. That would be something to see. Maybe I should try to give them a shove."
"No, you stay out of it. It is possible I could just be overestimating their friendship for each other. Besides, I don't want you to act because of my telepathy. I am afraid people will start to be nervous around me."
"All right. But if I see anything that convinces me, I will do what I can to get them together. The Pinkskin deserves to have someone. He is my friend and I would want him to be a lucky as I am."
Just then Jhamel grew seductive. "Speaking of getting lucky, it seems you are ready again."
Shran pretended to groan, "By the stars of Hord, you are insatiable, woman."
Jhamel just giggled and pulled him down upon her.
Archer paced back and forth in his apartment. Porthos sat moving his head from left to right, watching his master. "What have I done, Porthos? Did I get carried away?" After what had happened with Mercy, he finally gathered his courage and asked T'Pol to meet him at his apartment. But now, the old fears and doubts had reared their heads. He found himself talking to himself. "What if he had misunderstood everything? Was it really possible that she, a Vulcan, really loved him? If he was wrong, what would it do to their friendship, to their working together?"
Then he took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. He had made his decision, he needed to know. She deserved to know how he felt.
T'Pol left the cab that had brought her to Archer's apartment building. As she entered and headed toward his room, all the emotions she had experienced since he had asked her to join him rushed back into her mind. Try as she might, she couldn't help but believe he wanted to talk about them. Was he going to tell her he loved her, or was this meeting to tell her that they were just friends, to put things straight before they left.
Then, as she stood in front of his door, she cleared her mind. She would soon know. Whatever it was, they would deal with it.
She reached out and knocked.
