In a Cloudy State of Mind

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Pairing: This is a friendship story mostly Trip and Malcolm

Well this is the last chapter. I really have to apologise for this long wait and I don't expect any reviews due to that but I want to say thank you to those who have been reading this : )

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Chapter 15

Recoveries

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One week later

Parliament of Tenndaria

Chancellor Drara moved in front of the camera knowing his image would be broadcast all over Tenndaria and he smiled. Everything was about to come out.

"People of Tenndaria can I have your attention please..."

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Elsewhere in the building

Chancellor Ajin stopped in the corridor as an image of Drara was displayed on a monitor in front of him. Anger present in his features. Failure, it meant failure. A guard gave him a gentle push in the back wanting him to move on.

A group of old associates watched him as he walked by. He tried to shield himself from their view but his hands where tied together and he wore an orange shirt indicating that he was a prisoner. He sighed just praying this day would soon be over, even if it likely meant that he was to be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

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The Complex

Commander D'enecca stood in the middle of the room dressed in a public military uniform and straightened his shoulders. "Admiral Tann I am hereby opening this hearing..."

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Enterprise's Sickbay

"Ah come on Doc." Trip said annoyed. "I have been here for a week!"

Phlox smiled widely while putting his instrument away. "And you will be here for another week if you don't stop complaining."

"Look I have things to do in engineering."

"Which could easily be done by someone else since there is still a lot of Tenndarian engineers onboard to lend a hand."

Sighing heavily Trip lay down his head closing his eyes.

Phlox glanced up as movement caught his eyes. "And just where do you think you are going Lieutenant?"

"I just need to stretch my legs." He said innocently clenching his teeth trying to force the pain away.

Phlox moved over giving him a stern expression. "Lieutenant just because your mind is up to the challenge of walking out of here doesn't mean that your body is."

Malcolm briefly closed his eyes as Phlox gently steered him towards his bed.

"Rest and..." He pointed his finger at Trip. "...that goes for both of you. If I catch any of you sneaking away from here."

"Yeah yeah we got it Doc relax would you?" Trip said.

"You two are only going to make a full recovery in less than a month if you do as I say."

"Less than a month!" Malcolm whined as his head connected to the pillow.

"Well why don't we compromise..." Trip began.

"One more word Commander Tucker and you will be sedated." Phlox said sternly.

Malcolm smiled watching Trip's incredulous look.

"It is unfair that the Captain could go down to the planet without us." He said trying to explain their restlessness.

"He could do that because he didn't require bed rest Mr. Reed."

"Here we go again." Trip murmured.

Phlox gave him a look.

"All we are asking for is an open communication line so that we could hear what is being said." Malcolm said shifting Phlox's gaze from Trip.

Phlox smiled as he walked over to open a channel to Hoshi who would later establish a link with the Captain.

Malcolm turned to Trip as he whispered. "Leave it to the Tactical Officer."

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Parliament of Tenndaria

"...thank you all for listening." Drara said finishing his speak to the people as Archer walked up to him.

"Captain it's good to see you."

"Very convincing speech Chancellor."

He nodded. "I hope so. I want this to be the end of corruption and the beginning of restoration on our world."

"I understand that you are to form a new government tomorrow?" Archer questioned.

"Yes finally and by this time tomorrow Chancellor Ajin and his people would be taken care of."

"Yes I heard the hearings had started." Captain Archer confirmed.

"Enough of the bad things." Drara said suddenly. "How are the repairs going?"

"I can't thank you enough for all your help, we are almost ready to break orbit."

Drara shrugged. "It is I who should thank you Captain, without your help this would never have been possible. However I am sad Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed couldn't join us today."

"Oh don't worry about them I have them on the link, they can hear everything that is being said."

Drara watched the communication device. "If that is the case I wish you both well gentlemen." "Thank you Chancellor." Archer could make out Trip's southern drawl over the link. "It is good to know they have been taken care of." A British accent floated over the link. Malcolm, Archer thought.

He was about to say something more when the door suddenly opened revealing a long thin figure. "Doctor T'ela." Archer said as Drara smiled.

Malcolm spoke over the communications device. "Thank you for all you have done Doctor."

"We are even Malcolm I would not have had the guts to go on with it if it hadn't been for you."

Drara spoke up. "Doctor T'ela is our new ambassador on Tennaite. The borders have been reopened and they have offered us environmental assistance to us."

"That is a good gesture." Archer said.

T'ela nodded. "In exchange for some advanced technologies."

"I take it you mean from other races?" Archer questioned.

T'ela nodded. "The technologies of the Enterprise will not be shared we will delete our knowledge about her from our database. Besides not much is left of the scanning system, the Cappa'Lann pretty much destroyed most of it." T'ela filled in.

"Captain?" Hoshi said over the link. "The last group of Tenndarian engineers are leaving Enterprise we are ready to go."

"Roger that I am heading for the Shuttlepod. Archer out."

He turned to Drara and T'ela one last time.

"We wish you a good journey Captain." Drara said.

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A paper magazine lay on the ground, abused by the rain but still readable. On the front page was an article that caught Archer's eye. "The Military Security Officer Heza is now declared dead after missing in action for almost a week. No one knows where he is but a relatively safe source states that he fell of a cliff..."

Archer set his jaw and hastily moved on to the pod.

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"Enterprise this is Shuttlepod One. I am leaving the surface."

"Understood Captain." Hoshi said smiling as she glanced upon the screen in front of her.

The Cappa'Lann lay just a couple of metres behind. "D'enecca will be escorting us out of their system."

Archer smiled. "So it was a friendly galaxy after all."

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The end

I am going back to reading other stories in this category now, turns out that's what I do best.