A/N Am still just borrowing these characters and write just for fun. I want to thank Mojo1 and aria1210 for their reviews. I am very interested in what you all have to say.

It had been over two years since the attack on Earth. A series of simultaneous events were taking place throughout the galaxy. Although not all were directly related, they would play a part as the war progressed.

Jane McBride nervously stood outside Edward's lodgings and lab in London. After fighting so hard for the chance to talk with him about the Foundation, she found she was admittedly a little apprehensive about meeting him. She had of course researched him thoroughly and had been amazed at how intelligent he apparently was. Many writers had referred to him as 'The smartest man on Earth or the smartest man of the century'. But they also talked of his overbearing arrogance, his inability to work with others, and his apparent disdain for all of humanity.

It didn't help that Penelope had not been able to join her as they had planned. There had been an outbreak of Flu that caused several teachers to stay home and she had volunteered to help.

Gathering her courage, she knocked on the door. To her surprise, it was opened not by the formidable man she expected to see but a pretty woman who smiled when seeing her, "Hello, you must be Jane. Come on in. Edward got called away on a quick errand." She put out her hand, "I am Madeline Reed, a friend of Edward's."

Jane smiled and shook her hand, saying, "Glad to meet you." Then, after a hesitation, "Are you by any chance related to Malcolm Reed?"

"I'm his sister." Then she gestured toward the living quarters, "Why don't we get comfortable, Edward should be back soon."

As Jane got seated on the couch, Madeline continued, "Can I get you anything?"

"I would like some tea, if it's not too much trouble."

"None at all, I'll be right back."

Jane looked around her. There was nothing special about the apartment. She got up and walked back to the door and looked at the lab. She had walked over to one of the whiteboards and was absorbed in looking at what was completely foreign to her, when Madeline came up behind her, "So, here you are."

Jane stammered a little, "I'm sorry, I just…"

Madeline smiled, "It's fine, I like to wander in here too. I never understand anything, but it's impressive to see."

They made their way back to the couch and while Jane took a sip of her tea, Madeline said, "I am so sorry about your daughter. I can't imagine how horrible it must be."

"Yes, I miss her. But of course, I had known it would happen and your brother and the crew of Enterprise were wonderful to her."

She then went on, "I am so grateful that Edward agreed to see me. I hope we can work something out. From everything I have heard from the other experts I have talked to he is the best hope we have for success."

"I hope so too. I really like him, but I also realize how he can be."

Just then the front door opened and a moment later Edward looked into the living room.

Madeline immediately rose and went over to greet him, "Glad to see you are back," motioning to the couch, "Jane has been waiting."

Edward came over and as Jane rose to meet him, she held out her hand which he took, "It is an honor to meet you, thank you for so much agreeing to see me."

Edward nodded brusquely and then turned to Madeline, "Thanks for standing in for me. Can you stay for a while?"

Madeline smiled, "Of course. Do you want some tea, Edward?"

"Thanks, I do."

He then turned to Jane, "Well, now that you are here, do you mind if I ask you a couple questions?"

"Of course not." Jane sat back on the couch as Edward folded himself into a chair across from her.

"How old was your daughter?"

"She was two weeks past her twelfth birthday." She smiled proudly, "She lived longer than anyone else who ever had the disease."

Madeline returned, handed Edward his tea, and sat down next to Jane. Edward went on, "If I am right, that was just due to her biology." He then asked, "I assume it went very quickly when she did enter the final stage?"

"Yes, as the doctors explained, the later you start the stage, the shorter it is."

"Had she begun her menstrual cycle?"

Jane, surprised, "No. Why would you ask me that?"

Ignoring her, Edward continued, "Did she ever have sex?"

Jane, now getting a little angry, "Of course not. Why are you asking me these questions?"

Madeline interjected, "I am sure he has a good reason. Don't you Edward?"

Edward looked a little exasperated, but then seeing the look on Madeline's face, looked a little contrite. "Yes. I didn't mean to upset you, Mrs. McBride, I often don't realize how what I say could come out. I assure you I have very good reasons for asking these questions."

Jane, mollified, "I'm sorry the way I reacted. I will gladly answer any questions you have."

"That is all I have for now." After sipping his tea he sat back and continued, "Now, tell me about this Foundation. What exactly do you want of me?"

Now that the moment had come, Jane wasn't exactly sure how she should proceed. She decided it was best to just come out and say what she wanted and what she knew.

"I am working to form a Foundation that will be called the Mercy McBride Foundation with the sole purpose of researching Torrin Disease. The ultimate goal would be a cure, but would also hope would find ways to help those that have it and perhaps lengthen their lives." She hesitated and then looked at him, "Everyone I have talked to says that you are the greatest expert on the disease." She hesitated again, "They also say you are impossible to work with. That you refuse to share your findings and show utter disdain for anyone else's work."

She looked a little apprehensively at him, afraid she had gone too far, but he was just looking at her with a small smile on his face.

She pushed on, "I have already found several individuals who are willing to make sizable donations up front to get us started. I plan to work as hard as I can to see that we will have the funding we need."

Seeing him still looking at her, "I have come to ask you to be part of the team that I am gathering. To work in consort with others, to work together to find a cure."

Edward finally reacted, sitting up and taking a sip of his tea. He then turned to her. "You are correct about my feelings to working with others. I am sure I would find it a waste of my time. I have no time or inclination to spend energy interacting with others. I accomplish much more working by myself. I have no intention of becoming part of a 'Team'."

Seeing the look on her face, and seeing Madeline was about to speak, he continued, "However, after talking to my sister and," he turned and smiled at Madeline who returned it, "I am willing to share my work. I will also attempt to be receptive to the work of others." Seeing them both relax he went on, "I do want to make it clear. I will do my work here and will spend as little time as possible in contact with by fellow researchers."

As Jane quickly assured him that would be completely satisfactory, understanding what a concession it was for him; she continued, "Whenever you wish, you can supply me with a list of your needs and the funding you will need up front." She handed him a card, "These are the contacts for the Foundation, and my personal number is on there as well. Don't hesitate to let us know if there are any problems or anything you need."

Edward then asked, "Just out of curiosity, who are the other members of this 'Team'?"

"Dr, Harrison Baxter, Dr. Martha Davis, Dr. William Bessan, Dr. Marie Chow, and Dr. Ari Patel. Dr. Patel and Dr. Baxter like you will be working independently, the others are setting up a lab in Paris."

In spite of himself, Edward was impressed, she had accumulated some of the finest minds in the world. To his utter surprise, he found himself looking forward to working with them if only to show them what he was capable of.

Edward then rose as the women did also. Shaking her hand, he assured Jane he would soon contact her with his needs.

As she smiled and turned to leave, Madeline said she would escort her out.

At the door, Jane turned to Madeline, "This is wonderful. It is more than I hoped." Then she said in a whisper, "Penelope suggested that you might be part of the reason he has changed his mind."

Madeline just smiled back. "It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope we will have reason to meet in the future." They then exchanged goodbyes as Jane left.

Madeline returned to the living room as Edward was taking cups into the kitchen. She smirked and said, "Jane said Penelope told her I was the reason you were such a nice guy."

Edward turned toward her, "I don't think Penelope would ever say I was a nice guy, or Mrs. McBride for that matter."

She smiled and went over to him an put her arms around his neck, "Well, I did paraphrase a little."

He then leaned down and kissed her on the lips which she returned. "Pulling her head back, she smiled seductively and said, "I suppose you expect some thanks for not being your usual arrogant self."

He quickly picked her up and carried her toward the stairs, "What do you think Penelope and Malcolm would say if they knew we were having sex?"

"Frankly, I think they would be stunned, but very happy for us. Now shut up and get us up these stairs."

On Vulcan, The War Finance Committee surpassed 20 trillion Vulcan dollars in disbursements when it notified the Andoria Interplanetary Bank it was transferring 7 billion dollars (the equivalent of 10.3 billion Andorian dollars) in payment of expenses submitted.

Lester Warren was worried. He had been scheduled for several important meetings when Natalie had called and sounded desperate. He had quickly postponed or cancelled everything and was now in his shuttle heading for her home in the Glades.

After contacting the Glades Security Service, he was cleared to enter the development and landed on the pad next to the house. When he knocked at the door, he heard her tell him it was open. As he entered, she called out she was in the kitchen. When he reached the kitchen, he saw her sitting at the kitchen table. To his surprise and distress, an opened bottle of whisky sat on the table with a glass next to it.

He looked around and asked, "Where's Charlie?"

"He's at Myra's," she answered quietly.

He sat down at the table and was glad to see that the bottle appeared full. Struggling to keep his voice calm, he asked, "What's going on, Natalie?"

She looked up at him and he realized how haggard she looked; like she hadn't been sleeping.

She answered, "Last night after Charlie was asleep, I called a local store and had them deliver some groceries and six bottles of the whisky you see here."

Afraid of the answer, Lester asked, "Where are the others?"

She managed a sad smile, "They're in the cupboard, unopened."

He relaxed a little, and then pressed, "What brought this on?"

She looked up at him and ran her fingers through her hair. "Since Jhamel left, I have just felt so lonely. I miss him so much. Why did I tell him to go? He should be here with me and Charlie."

She got up and paced around the table, "He's missing everything, Charlie's first crawling, Charlie's first steps. God, he even missed his first birthday." She looked angrily at him, "How many more birthdays will he miss?"

Then she sat down and put her head in her hands. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, "Will we ever even see him alive again?" Then she just sat back and looked at the ceiling.

Not knowing what to say, Lester started, "You know that isn't the answer. It will solve nothing. Look what it did to you," then he took what he knew was a cheap shot, "To your mother."

She turned quickly toward him and for a moment he saw anger in her eyes, but it faded quickly to shame and sadness. "Oh, God, I know, Dad, I know. That's what stopped me. That and knowing Charlie needs me. I didn't take a drink and I won't, but I can't go on like this either. I am no good to Charlie the way I feel."

"Have you thought of seeing a therapist. It helped you last time."

"Yeah, after 9 months." Then she shrugged, "I'm sorry I called you Dad. This is my problem; I need to deal with it." Forcing a smile, "Don't worry Dad, I will get rid of the booze, I am not going back there again."

Lester did not intend to leave it at that. He knew it was her pride that was speaking, she didn't want to admit she needed help. It would just mean she was back where she once was. Then he had an idea, maybe a compromise. "How about Ellen, why don't we see if she can come out? It's summer, she could bring Dawn with her. Dawn has only seen Charlie a couple times, but she seemed to enjoy helping out with him. What about it, I think they'd love to spend some time in California."

Natalie knew what he was doing, but maybe it would work out. She and Ellen had always been close since she and her brother had helped her. More like sisters than sisters-in-law. And it would be nice for Charlie to be with another child for a while. "How about Dave? Won't he miss his wife and daughter?"

Lester smiled, "From what I hear; between golf and work, Ellen hardly ever sees him. She probably would like some company too."

As it turned out, Ellen was more than willing to get away for some time, especially after she heard from Lester what Natalie was going through. With Lester picking them up, Dawn and Ellen were sleeping in the guest room two nights later. Charlie was thrilled to see Dawn and have someone to play with and Ellen was just what Natalie needed. Someone who cared for her but was level headed and honest enough to tell her the truth.

Randall Parker, formerly Commander Parker of Starfleet, was sitting in his usual seat at the neighborhood bar, when someone turned the TV to the news. As luck would have it, it was a short documentary on the history of Enterprise. It's launching, early adventures, the Xindi expedition, and the current war. The pictures of T'Pol, Archer, and members of the crew flashed across the screen. And then there was Tucker, looking noble and happy. The handsome hero.

For some reason, this was the final straw. Oh, he had hated Tucker for a long time. That smiling, conniving second-rate engineer had stolen his life. That should be him on the screen. He was the one who deserved to be a hero. Instead he was the nobody who was driven out of Starfleet. Oh, they said it was because of his drinking, but he knew who was behind it. Tucker had always envied his talent and he had poisoned Archer against him. Everyone knew that what Archer wanted, Archer got. He had no doubt they had conspired to ruin his career. But with all the hatred he had, he had really never considered doing anything. He was not an evil man; he had a wife and two children who loved him. He had to admit he had not been the best husband or father lately but he would get back on his feet. But now, suddenly, that long simmering hatred and envy became red hot. He didn't know what he would do. He would have to think and plan it out, but Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker III was going to pay for what he had done.

Steven Baker looked around the meeting room. It was not anything like the headquarters they had built on the moon, but it would have to suffice. They were in a subterranean basement under an abandoned warehouse located on the piers near San Francisco. The twelve leaders of Terra Prime were using it as a temporary headquarters until they were ready to make their move, to realize the Earth they desired. So much depended on the war. Their best hope was a costly Alliance victory, with all four planets enduring but becoming totally disenchanted with any dealings with the other planets. It would also not hurt if Archer would be a casualty of that war.

His second in command, Richard Bryson came up to him, "We're ready, Steve."

Baker nodded and walked back with him to the table where the other ten individuals waited for them.

As Bryson sat down, Baker stood at the head of the table and spoke up, silencing the others, "Okay, let's get started. There really is not much to discuss. My sources do tell me though that apparently the Romulans are attempting to attack the Grand Depot." Raising his hand to quiet the rumblings that followed, "There is no word yet on whether or not they succeeded."

Homer Gallant, one of their new recruits, spoke up, "How did you find out about this? There has been nothing in the news."

Baker smiled, "That is the big news I wanted to bring to the board's attention." He paused to let that sink in, then said, "We have gained a sympathizer who holds a post within Samuel's government itself."

This time he let the murmurings and reaction last for a time. Finally, one of the other board members spoke up, "Who is it? How does he plan to help us?"

"For the time being, he wishes to keep his identity a secret. Starfleet Intelligence has eyes everywhere." As he saw the looks of mistrust and disappointment in their eyes, he hurried on, "Don't worry, I will let you know soon. We will have plenty of time to make use of his position."

With the others still not completely mollified, he went on, "All right, let's get on to more mundane matters. Robin, how is our recruiting going?"

Robin Revins, one of the two women on the board, answered, "It's going slow. As you say, Harris has SI on its toes. We have to be very careful to be sure those we contact are not spies. But we are making progress, especially among the older generation. They just feel things are moving too fast. They are shocked how the younger generation has seemingly completely embraced these aliens. Many are also repulsed by the thought of interplanetary mating." She smiled and looked at the others, "Let's hope that being away from Earth will cause more such incidents."

As the others smiled back, Baker spoke up, "Anything else?"

Robin answered, "No, Sir."

"All right. If no one has anything else….?" When no one responded, he went on, "Okay, let's wrap it up. Remember to leave in small groups. Thanks for coming."

They all rose and raised their right arms shouting out, "To Terra Prime!"

Before leaving, the members talked amongst themselves, most of it centering on speculation as to who the high official could be.

Venter was entering reports in his PADD when his wife entered the room. When he looked up, she said, "Captain Rous just contacted us, his scanners have picked up four Romulan ships heading our way."

Venter put down his PADD. "It would appear our guest is about to arrive."

Accompanying Tabrina to their communications room, Venter contacted Rous. "Have you heard any more, Captain?"

"Yes, sir. I was just about to contact you. I will put you through to one of the ships approaching."

A moment later, Solon's vestige appeared on the screen. Tabrina was once again struck by his appearance. She had never encountered anyone like him. Unlike other men, he did not seem to have any sexual reaction to her.

Solon was speaking, "Ah, Governor General, it is good to see you. We should arrive in less than two hours. We have much to discuss."

Venter answered, "My wife and I look forward to meeting with you."

Just a little over two hours later Solon, flanked by two of his men, entered the house. Venter and Tabrina came forward to greet them, Tabrina struggling to hide her reaction to him, especially with his two men with him.

Solon spoke first, "The Praetor sends his greetings. He and I both wish to offer our congratulations on how you have taken control of the District."

"Thank you, First Citizen. I would not say they are completely conquered by any means but for now, we do have control." He then motioned to Tabrina, "You know my wife of course."

Tabrina managed a smile and said, "You honor us. Welcome to our home."

Solon nodded, "Thank you." Then he went on, "These are Raff and Donak. They felt they needed to escort me." He turned to them, "You may return to the ship. I will summon you when I am ready to leave."

They both bowed slightly and left without ever saying a word.

Tabrina spoke up, "Is there anything I can get you? Do you wish to rest after your journey?"

"Some water, and if you will show me to somewhere I could be alone, I would like to meditate before we begin."

Venter broke in, "Of course. Tabrina, if you will get our guest some refreshment, I will escort him to the guest room."

After they had gotten Solon settled, they returned to the living room. Tabrina spoke up, "I just can't help feeling strange around that man. There is something about him." After a moment she said, "I didn't realize it before this but his mentioning to meditate… He acts like a Vulcan."

Venter raised his eyebrows but then said, "I have never thought of that before, but I believe you are right. In any case, it is his men that bother me. Solon at least seems to have found the ability to function in society, even though we know what he is capable of. But his men just seem to be no more than assassins."

During dinner Tabrina and Venter looking knowingly at each other when Solon finished his Vegan meal.

Afterwards as they sat in the main room, Tabrina sipping Romulan Ale and Solon with his usual water, Solon was the first to speak. "The Praetor wished to come himself but was monitoring a mission that we are currently involved in." Looking at Venter, he went on, "Manok is leading a mission to destroy the Grand Depot."

Neither Venter nor Tabrina could hide their shock, Venter stammered, "The Grand Depot. I thought that was considered beyond reach."

As Solon explained in detail how the attack was to be carried out, Venter was amazed. He also realized what this could mean to the war. He was a little bothered though that Vandor had used Orion space, it seemed to be too big a risk. Seeming to read his mind, Solon commented, "I was against using Orion space but the Praetor was adamant. He did say he was only willing to do it with such a small contingent of ships."

"In any case, we should know how it has gone when we return to Romulus."

Tabrina and Venter eyes met as the both wondered who was involved in the 'We'.

Then, taking another sip of his water he leaned forward, "But enough of that. You are no doubt curious about what brought me here; although I am sure you have considered the options."

"As you are aware, the war has not gone well. While that may improve greatly if the latest mission succeeds, that will only be crucial if the war continues. The loss of supplies would give us a large advantage in a long war. Unfortunately, we may not have that luxury. Frankly, each day the war continues, the situation in the Empire worsens."

Looking Venter in the eye, "The very future of the Empire outside the Core is at risk. There are uprisings everywhere. Yours is one of the few bright spots and we have had to use our finest commander to accomplish that. Even before the war, the Bovarians had created problems, but the problems have escalated since the war began. The crushing victory of our first fleet, although the total extent of what happened does not seem to be generally known, has still raised the hopes throughout the Empire. Archer's stature has reached epic proportions. His victory has been embellished and the legend of the war with the Xindi has grown into a myth."

"On my way here, I made it my business to visit some of these areas. Our ships are spread thin and already over thirty Governor Generals have been killed. Many more have been forced to leave. The Eastern district near the Orion Syndicate is currently in the hands of the Bovarian Fleet. This has caused the Orions to consider taking advantage of the situation and occupying areas that have been in dispute in the past."

"Reman troops have managed to retain control of many planets, but often supporting warships have needed to be shunted elsewhere leaving them subject to Bovarian attacks."

Venter and Tabrina stared at him. Venter had known there were problems, but never dreamt they were to this extent.

Solon continued, "When we are able to confront the Bovarians directly, we still usually prevail, mainly due to cloaking, but they are becoming proficient at avoiding direct confrontation and utilizing their fleet to attack where we are not present. They have lost ships but apparently reinforcements recently arrived. They are still estimated to have over three hundred ships. Because they could provide a threat to Romulus itself, we have been forced to keep Ruddick's fleet within the Core."

"Another major problem is morale. After really encountering no real opposition for centuries, many soldiers and officers are confused and ineffective dealing with what is going on."

Solon sat back and took another sip. Then looking at Tabrina and then Venter, he said, "The Praetor and I agree that our best hope is a quick victory. That means the destruction of the Alliance fleet."

"We need to regain the position we once held, the feeling of inevitability of our being victorious. The reestablishment of our power. Also, with the war behind us, we could concentrate on regaining control over the Empire."

Venter looked at his wife. They both knew what was coming.

"These are direct orders from the Praetor." Reading from his PADD, "You are to proceed immediately with your fleet to Romulus. After taking time to prepare, you will engage the Alliance Fleet and destroy it. You will either capture or kill, Admiral Archer, General Shran, Viscount Gral, and Ambassador Soval."

He rose and as both Venter and Tabrina rose with him, "You are the Empire's best hope. You saved the Empire from the Bovarians and we know you will accomplish your goal again."

Venter looked at his wife and said, "I thank you for this honor and will convey the same to the Praetor. If what is required is my total commitment and my very life, I will not fail."

Solon nodded and gave the Romulan military salute which Venter returned.

Captain Sseld, commander of the Twentieth Royal Bovarian Fleet, dropped out of warp and with the rest of his thirty-five ships moved into orbit around the planet Garrand near Orion space in the Eastern District of the Romulan Empire. Garrand had been the headquarters of the Governor General of the District but he and his supporting forces had been driven out and it was now used a base for Sseld's fleet.

He had been ordered back to the planet to meet with Grand Commander Ssole, the commander of the entire Bovarian fleet.

Sseld had been in the original invasion fleet that had nearly reached Romulus itself. Those had been heady days, and it had all seemed like a glorious adventure. Now, after all the years that had passed, it was an ongoing battle for survival. Of the original four hundred ships that had launched the first attack, three hundred and twenty remained. Many of them had been repaired and sent back to duty. He had lost five ships of his forty-man fleet himself. Many of the others worked with reduced crews. The two hundred ships that had once been sent home had been forced back into service. Although they were enjoying some victories now and Bovaria was still free, Sseld wondered if it had all been worth it. His once beautiful home planet was now scarred from all the harvesting of its resources, its resources depleted. He and his crew had only been home once since they had first set out. He had once planned to be married but that seemed a distant memory.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he berated himself and returned to his role and his duty.

Twelve hours later, he found himself aboard the Fleet Flagship, sitting across from Ssole. The Grand Commander was an impressive figure. Taller than most Bovarians, he skin was sleek and his eyes were piercing. Ssole was speaking, "I have received word that the Sixth Fleet has regained control of the area surrounding the Rold Province. They destroyed two Romulan vessels and the others retreated. More and more it seems the Romulans are reluctant to fight. It appears they are not sure what they are fighting and dying for."

Sseld had sometimes wondered the same about their mission but kept his tongue split.

Ssole went on, "I asked you to meet with me because the King has a very important mission for you."

Sseld sat up, this was not what he had expected. "You are to take five of your ships and traveling through the area between Orion and Romulan space, locate the Alliance fleet and convey a message from the King to Admiral Archer personally. You are then to wait for an answer and then return to your fleet."

Sseld was stunned. What was this all about? He found himself getting excited. This could be something that could affect the entire situation. He also had to admit a curiosity to meet the man himself.

Realizing Ssole was waiting for an answer, "I will be honored, Grand Commander." Then he tentatively asked, "Am I to know what is contained in the message?"

Ssole smiled, "Of course." But then turned serious, "But it must not leave this room. You may tell others in your crews once you are underway, but only on a need to know basis."

"I understand, Sir."

"The King is asking the Admiral that Bovaria be allowed to join the Alliance. The arrangement would mean that even if the Alliance accomplishes its goals, it will honor a commitment to fight on until Bovaria is also safe. The same conditions will apply to Bovaria. Even if we were to be offered safety for our planet, we would continue to fight until the Alliance goals are met."

Sseld was stunned. Could this be a way out of the seemingly endless war they had become embroiled in? Was there really a hope for freedom and peace for Bovaria? Sseld held no illusions, he knew it was a long shot that the Alliance would agree. And even if it happened, the Alliance could still lose the war. But it was at least something to grasp at and he would see to it that the message was delivered.

Hoshi laid back, totally sated. She couldn't believe what Travis could do to her. She was almost embarrassed at how he could make her feel, how she gave herself so completely to him.

Travis looked over at Hoshi. Every time they were together, every time she allowed him to show how much he loved and cherished her, he had to pinch himself. He was the luckiest man alive. Not only was she beautiful she was so soft and yet so strong. So gentle and caring but still so tough. He had to smile though at the little whimper she made when she came. For some reason she was defensive about it but sometimes he just could not resist kidding her. But then those eyes would flash and he would quickly back off.

When Travis fell asleep after holding her and telling her how much he loved her, Hoshi lay awake, envying his ability to relax his mind. Hers was racing. It had been sixteen days since Shran had told them the Depot was safe and the path the ship carrying T'Pol had gone. Tomorrow they would reach the intercept point. That is, if the ship was there to be intercepted. She trusted Jon, but knew he was acting on a hunch, a feeling that is what they were up to. But what if he was wrong? She tried to console herself with the thought that the entire fleet and all the science ships were also looking to find it, but knew how crushing it would be to them all, but especially Jon if they were on the wrong path. After tossing and turning for another hour, she finally managed to fall into a fitful sleep.

Archer was in bed but he had no illusions of being able to sleep. Finally, he gave up and took a beer from his fridge and sat down, slowly taking a few drinks. He looked over at Porthos, sleeping soundly and not for the first time, wondered how it would be like to be a dog. No responsibilities, no worries. Then his thoughts again turned to T'Pol. What if he was wrong? What if there was no ship? No, it would be there, it had to be. Deciding to take a walk, he put on a sweat shirt and went out into the corridor. Finding his way to the Mess Hall through the quiet halls of the ship, he was surprised to see Trip there. He was startled when he realized he was also surprised that Kathy wasn't there. He hardly ever saw them apart.

Trip looked up and saw Archer coming through the door. He had to smile to himself, he wasn't the only one that couldn't sleep. Although he no longer had any romantic feelings for T'Pol and was so happy that she and Jon had found each other, he surprised himself a little on how much he would miss her.

As Archer came to the table, Trip greeted him, "Hey, Jon. Here, have a seat."

As Archer sat down, Trip asked him if he wanted some coffee. Upon receiving a definite yes, he went and got a cup and sat it in front of Jon.

They sat for a while in silence, sipping their coffee, when Archer broke the silence. "You couldn't sleep either, huh?"

"No." After a moment he said, "I would really miss her, Jon. I guess I didn't realize how important she was to me." Then realizing how that might sound he said, "Not that I have any feelings for her any more. You know how happy I am for you two."

Archer smiled, "Don't worry Trip, I know." After a moment he continued, "We'll get her back, Trip. Whatever it takes."

Trip nodded and they sat quietly for a time. Then members of the crew started to come in and they realized it was morning.

Everyone was tense on the bridge as the expected time for intercept came and went. Then, when Archer wondered if they should turn back, Ensign Hansen, working at T'Pol' station, excitedly exclaimed, "I have her Captain, she is right on the path." But then she said, "But she is ahead of schedule, we won't intercept until she crosses into Orion space."

Archer hesitated, but there was never really a doubt in his mind. "How long will they be in Orion space if we change course to intercept?"

Hansen didn't hesitate, "Approximately six hours, sir."

Archer turned to Travis, "Set an intercept course, Travis."

Travis quickly answered, "Yes, Sir."

Archer then turned to Hoshi, "Put me through to the rest of the fleet."

When she was ready, Archer began, "This is Admiral Archer. We have sighted the ship, but it will enter Orion space before we can intercept. I am going in after her. All other ships are to drop out of warp and stay out of Orion territory. Under no circumstances; I repeat, under no circumstances will any other ship follow me in now or later. Archer out."

Archer then turned to Malcolm. "Malcolm, when they reach Orion space, I am sure they will cloak. I know when they are in that state, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint a target. But we need to try to disable their engines. I know of no one else I would want doing it." He paused and then said quietly, "You are doing this under my orders. If something happens, it was my decision, my responsibility. Is that understood?"

Malcolm nodded, "Understood, Sir." But they both knew if the ship was destroyed, they would both have to live with it.

Manok stood on the bridge. They were only about an hour from crossing into Orion space. He had stayed uncloaked up until now because he wanted to be able to defend themselves if they had run into an Alliance ship.

He had just given the order to cloak when his armory officer informed him that seven Alliance ships were on an intercept course. "Will they reach us before we get to Orion territory?"

"No, Minister."

Manok relaxed a little. Surely, they wouldn't risk bringing Orion into the war by entering their space uncloaked.

They had been in Orion territory for about four hours when Manok was informed that six of the seven ships had dropped out of warp but the seventh had entered Orion space and would intercept them in approximately two hours. He cursed the Elements. In the battle with Shran, he had suffered slight damage to his engines that prevented him from reaching top speed. He knew he couldn't outrun them. He had decided he needed to decloak when the same officer excitedly said that six Orion ships were heading for the scene.

Manok had to smile. Luck was with him after all. The Alliance vessel would be forced to leave and they could escape. But when he checked his viewing screen, he saw that the Alliance vessel was now in viewing range and apparently not turning back. Then to his utter amazement, he realized it was Enterprise!

They were approaching the ship and Malcolm had gone to battle status when Ensign Hansen sadly informed him that six Orion ships were approaching.

Archer turned to Malcolm, "Do you have them? Will we reach the Romulans before they get here?"

"Yes, Admiral."

"All right. Travis, continue on course. Malcolm, let me know when we are in firing range."

A short time later Malcolm indicated they were in range.

"Okay, Malcolm, do the best you can. Fire!"

Perhaps it was providence, perhaps luck, or Malcolm's skill, but the cannon blast was right on target, disabling the Romulan's engines leaving them dead in space. But there was enough power for the ship to remain cloaked.

Manok cursed but felt some relief that he was still cloaked. Maybe they could get out of this yet.

As Archer smiled and turned to Malcolm, "Well done," he ordered Travis to drop out of warp. He then asked Hansen if she could scan the ship for Vulcan life signs. As he expected, it was not going to be that easy.

Then Hoshi announced they were being hailed. Archer resignedly said, "Put it on the screen."

A view of the bridge of the Orion cruiser appeared with a large green Orion dominating the picture.

"Admiral Archer. It is you. I couldn't believe it, even when I recognized Enterprise. Now, will you explain what the Supreme Commander of the Alliance is doing in Orion territory."

"We are in pursuit of a Romulan warship with an Alliance officer a prisoner on board."

"The Orion smirked, "What Romulan warship? All I see is you."

"He is still cloaked. We disabled his engines before he was fully cloaked and he is lying dead ahead of us." Archer knew it sounded lame, but had no intention of letting the Orions know about their ability to see cloaked ships.

Captain Ornok was torn. The story seemed farfetched but he just couldn't believe that Admiral Archer would just wander into their territory. Of if he did, why would he tell such an outlandish lie? Turning to his communications officer he told him to broadcast over the entire area. When he told him it was ready, he called out, "This is Captain Ornok of the Orion Cruiser Balnar. In exactly ten minutes, I am going to unleash a barrage of weapon fire into the area in front of the Earth ship. If there is a Romulan ship cloaked, I suggest you show yourself."

Ornok was not overly surprised when a Romulan warship suddenly appeared.

There was a long period of silence as the eight ships sat in space. Then the Balnar hailed the Romulan ship.

"Well, who are you and what are you doing in Orion territory?"

Manok answered, "I am the Romulan Minister of Military affairs and was attempting to avoid being destroyed by a fleet of Alliance ships. Once I had avoided them, I planned to leave your territory as soon as possible."

Ornok was shocked. A supreme commander and a Minister of the Romulan Empire. What in the name of Goonuk was going on?

"Do you have an Alliance prisoner aboard?"

Manok hesitated but then decided he should tell as few lies as possible. "We have a prisoner of war who was captured trying to kill out soldiers."

Then Manok continued, "If you allow us to repair our engines and give us cover to return to the Empire, I can assure you the Praetor will reward you with a large number of individuals to be used as slaves."

Ornok hesitated then asked, "As many as say 500?"

Manok knew that with a chance to get T'Pol, Vandor would gladly give them as many slaves as they wanted. "Very well. Yes, 400."

Ornok smiled, '500 slaves'? That would be a huge feather in his cap. It would also be good politics to do a favor for the Praetor. His smile faded when he thought of Archer.

Telling Manok he would get back to him, he hailed Enterprise. He knew he should probably contact his superiors, but they would just get in the act and cut him out.

"Archer here."

"Admiral, I have decided to be lenient. I will allow you to safely exit Orion space and will forget this incident ever happened. But I need you to do so immediately."

"How about the Romulans?"

"They are not your concern. You are wasting time."

Archer considered, what was going on? He surmised that the Romulans had made some kind of deal. He supposed he should give up, but he knew he wasn't going to do that.

"What about my officer?"

"He is a prisoner of war. You will have to leave him behind."

"What if I don't want to leave and plan to stay here until I get her back."

Ornok was getting angry. So Archer was supposed to be a big deal. Now he was just someone in his way and outnumbered six to one. "If you don't leave, you will be destroyed."

"You are going to commit the Syndicate to a war with the Alliance? You must have a lot of power for a ship's captain."

Suddenly, Ornok was getting worried. This was getting too complicated.

Archer continued, "I ordered the rest of my fleet to stay out of this, but I am not sure how they will react. They may just decide to take revenge."

Ornok ordered a scanner sweep and turned a little less green when he heard there were seven Alliance warships less than six hours away. He knew Enterprise would not go down without a fight and he could not outrun ships probably capable of warp 7.

"You're bluffing, Archer. Your superiors do not want war either. After all, you are in our territory."

In spite of the situation, the rest of the bridge crew could barely hide a smile when Archer continued, putting a smug look on his face, "Ornok. That's your name isn't it? You seem to forget who I am. I am a legend. I am the man that saved the galaxy. Hell, I saved your lousy planet. I carried the Katra of the greatest Vulcan. I am revered on hundreds of planets. I am the Supreme Commander of the Alliance. Do you really think you can get away with killing me and not pay for it?"

Ornok knew he was in over his head. He decided he needed to contact his superiors.

Two weeks before.

T'Pol was in her cell when the ship was shaken. She immediately realized it was weapon fire. Shran was apparently making his move. She felt the ship move and knew it was returning fire. Then, it was over. When Klat came down the hall, she asked him what had happened. He acted like he wasn't going to say anything but then he shrugged. He had come to enjoy the time he spent with her. She was beautiful and had kept her promise not to mention what he had done. He had also grown to admire her. Then there was the fact that like many Remans, he was not overly fond of Romulans. After all they had conquered his planet and basically forced the Remans to do their dirty work, holding their planet hostage. He supposed he should blame her because her Alliance had killed a lot of his friends, but that was a part of war.

"There was a big battle. One of our ships and one of the Alliance ships were destroyed and another Romulan ship damaged. The drill was destroyed and a lot of my fellow Remans were killed. The other Alliance ship escaped."

T'Pol was torn. She was relieved that the Depot was saved but it had apparently come with a heavy cost. She also felt guilty that she hoped it was Shran that had escaped.

Klat then left saying everything was in turmoil and they were getting ready to leave so there would no changing of the bandage or anything else.

It was a few hours later that Klat returned. T'Pol had never seen him like this. He was completely distraught, seemingly caught between anger and grief. Thinking it may be directed toward her, she pulled herself together as best she could and prepared to defend herself.

But then he began to rant. "He just killed them. Killed them in cold blood. He herded them on their ship like cattle, telling them we were leaving. Then just destroyed them. Just to save a few hours in his escape. Two hundred soldiers, just slaughtered."

After a time, he had cooled down slightly and T'Pol could piece together what had happened.

Soon after that the ship went to warp. For the next couple weeks, things returned to some semblance of normality. They went back to their daily routine. But Klat had changed. He spent most of his time with her, telling her of his family on his home planet, how long it had been since he had been home. He would sometimes ramble about those that had been killed.

Then, one day as they returned to her cell, the ship shuddered violently and it took both of them to stop themselves from crashing into the walls of the cell. Then she felt the ship drop out of warp and stop. She would never know how but she immediately knew. 'Jonathan'.

Klat struggled to his feet, "What the hell happened?"

"We were hit by weapon fire. Apparently, the engines have been disabled."

Klat gestured, "Stay here, I'll see if I can find out what's going on."

It was some time later that Klat returned. He knew he should be angry at who attacked their ship. But thinking of the situation that butcher found himself in had to make him smile. As for himself, he had a Reman soldier philosophy. You really never expected to live to old age. Besides, he couldn't wait to see the look on T'Pol's face when she heard who was out there.

T'Pol was aroused from her meditation when Klat entered the cell. "You will never believe who attacked us, who's sitting out there right now. T'Pol had to smile to herself because she already knew, but just sat silently. Klat continued, "It's Enterprise and Admiral Archer!"

T'Pol managed to appear to be surprised. Then Klat got serious. "There are also six Orion ships out there. I don't know what the hell is going to happen."

T'Pol was shocked, 'They were in Orion space? Jonathan had followed them in.' Now she was afraid for him and Enterprise. He should not have been so zealous. But deep down, she knew she would do the same for him.

Klat looked at her and marveled that Archer had risked himself and his ship to try to rescue her. He compared that to Manok who had destroyed one of his own ships and two hundred Remans to save his own skin. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. He headed out of the cell and told T'Pol to follow him. When she asked where they were going, he just told her he was getting her out of here. They moved silently down the halls to where the escape pods were. He signaled her to get in and then got in beside her. T'Pol was stunned. She turned to him, "Why are you doing this? You don't have to do this."

He gave her a small smile, "Somehow, I do."

The pod moved quickly away from the ship. Suddenly, T'Pol was encased in light and then disappeared. Klat barely had time to realize what had happened and give a small smile of satisfaction, before a disruptor blast completely destroyed the pod.

Back to the present.

Archer was sitting, waiting for Ornok's next move when Hansen said, "Admiral, something is leaving the Romulan ship." Then she said excitedly, "There are Vulcan life signs aboard."

Archer immediately told her to send the coordinates to the transporter and called down to have them lock on those coordinates. It seemed like forever, although it had only been a few minutes, when the transporter room excitedly called back, "We have her, Admiral, we have her."

As the bridge crew erupted in cheers, Hansen noted the Pod had been destroyed. Archer, rising to his feet, "Travis, get us out of here! Maximum warp!"

Travis needed no urging; Enterprise quickly turned about and went to warp heading out of Orion space. Archer was already on his way to the exit, calling back, "Malcolm, you have the Com."

Ornok had just given instructions to get his superior on the line, when he was notified, "Captain, Enterprise is leaving, it's gone to warp."

Ornok was surprised but then smiled. He had won. He had made the great Jonathan Archer back down.

Manok was yelling, trying to figure out what had happened. "Who fired that disruptor? I never gave an order." Then, a member of the crew called out, "The Remans just contacted me, T'Pol is gone."

Manok paled, "Gone, she can't be," but he knew she was.

Then he had a terrible thought, she must have been in the pod. They had killed her.

It was over now, the Praetor would have all their heads. Then it got worse.

"We're being hailed."

When Manok resignedly told him to put it through, Ornok's smiling face appeared on the screen. Manok was just glad Ornok couldn't see him. "Well, it appears that Archer has decided to leave the scene without his officer. Now we can proceed with our business. I would rather not wait for you to finish your repairs before we get going, so will arrange to have you towed until the repairs are done. I look forward to the completion of our business when we reach the Empire. I assume this is all satisfactory to you."

Again glad that Ornok couldn't see the look of contempt that Manok had on his face, he answered, "Of course, Captain, we await your further instructions."

Manok sat in his office, enjoying a bottle of forbidden Andorian Ale that a trader friend of his had given him in return for a favor. He mused that whatever their faults, Andorians certainly knew how to produce an excellent drink.

The whole idea of having the Orions escort them back home, and having a ransom of some 500 slaves had been tenuous at the best. But now, with there being no possible scenario that would save his life, Manok wanted no part of it.

What had happened? Where had it all gone wrong? He had never wanted the job in the first place. His wife had pushed him into it, saying what an honor it was. Oh well, now she could find someone else to nag.

Reflecting that this was his last bottle, he took that as a further sign that it was time to put an end to all of this. Reaching over he activated a key on his computer. "Computer, activate final destruct sequence, no overrides. This is Minister Manok, code 7 sign 8 final code 14589. Activate."

Sitting back, he filled his mug for the last time. Just as he finished it off there was a huge ball of light, then everything went black.

Ornok jumped from his seat as his ship was rocked for a moment. "What was that?"

"The Romulan ship exploded."

Ornok raged, "Put it on the screen." He then stood and watched, realizing that everything was lost. There would be no 500 slaves. Cursing, he ordered his fleet back to their home base, reflecting on what had just happened. He decided there was no need to prepare a report for his superiors.

Archer raced down the halls, heading for the transporter room. He beat Phlox to the door and rushed inside. His heart caught as he saw her. He quickly noticed the bandage on her leg but then returned his look to her face and into her eyes. He wanted to crush her to him, to put his mouth on hers, but he sensed that although she would want that too, it would also be uncomfortable for her with others present. Instead he stopped and reached out his fingers for a Vulcan kiss. He saw her give her smile and extend her fingers as well. As the crewman and Phlox looked on, their fingers came together. He felt her love, her joy of being back together, and to his wonder, her longing.

T'Pol's heart had almost stopped as he came through the door. She wanted to rush to him, to have him embrace her, to crush her lips against his, but she was still Vulcan and felt restrained by the others in the room. Then to her amazement and pride, Jonathan reached out his hand as a Vulcan would. She quickly stood up and intertwined their fingers. She felt his love, his relief, his joy, his concern, and then as she felt her body shudder, his lust.

They stayed that way for some time as the crewman and Phlox looked on in amazement and awe. Then, Trip burst into the room and they reluctantly parted. But both knew that something had happened, that they had moved forward another step, that more than ever they knew they were not two but one.