Chapter Nine
Flynn sat in the command chair. He felt restless, irritated, and tired of waiting. Jarot called out six of their security fighters, which were warp 3 ships with shields, cannons and a crew fifteen. The Betazed ships escorted the Cardassian fighters to their border. She remained on the Bridge.
"When my ships return, they can enter the nebula," she offered.
"No, that's not going to happen. We are prepping a transport shuttle with breaching ability," said Flynn.
"Then what?" asked Jarot.
Flynn looked at Major Burke.
"Sixteen Marines, Gunny Sanders, and I are taking the transport into the nebula when it's ready, finding the ship, and taking back out captain," said Burke.
"That's dangerous," said Jarot.
"It's his job," said Flynn.
"And I like my job," added Burke.
"Now we just need the damned transport ready," said Flynn.
"Sanders has my Marines training in the second cargo bay now. When the ship is ready then we'll be ready," said Burke.
"Lethal force," said Flynn.
"Yes, sir," said Burke.
STSTST
It was a cell with no windows, four metal walls, and a door. A light was on all the time and the temperature was set to make the cell slightly chilly. T'Pol's internal clocked told her that seven hours had passed since they were captured and six hours, twenty-three minutes, and thirty-four seconds since Captain Tucker was taken away. Her knowledge of the Obsidian Order and Cardassians in general told her that Captain Tucker was being tortured for the information he had.
Standing up she placed her hands on the wall and slowly ran them over the wall. She was looking for a slight hum behind the wall. The hum usually meant a junction box, which accessed would allow her to open the doors and kill the lights for at least two decks. Of course once she found the hum then access the junction box was a problem.
If Captain Tucker was placed in the same cell as her, he might be able to help. Captain Tucker was an engineer of some note. She found herself hoping that Tucker was brought to her cell.
STSTST
They had stripped him bare, and then chained him to a wall in a cross position. Over and over again they asked the same questions. His answer was the same over and over again: Charles Anthony Tucker III, Captain, Starfleet, ID number 44389. Each answer bought him a prod with a pain stick. This meant that his body was a torrent of pain to the point of nausea. Question, answer, pain stick. It went like this for hours. Trip didn't know how many hours just his nude body ached all over. Suddenly, the questions stopped.
"My name is Gul DeMar. You are Captain Charles Tucker," said DeMar. "We ran scans of your Human body. You are well placed the pain threshold for a normal Human. I congratulate you. I know how much pain you must in right now with every bones, joint, and sinew aching. I am ending your interview for the day. I want you to take the night and think about things. You will be taken to a cell and allowed to rest. Interviews will begin again tomorrow."
He nodded. Two men unchained him and dragged him along. His legs didn't work. He tried to use them, but they wouldn't work. He didn't know how long they dragged him, but eventually a door was opened and he was thrown into a room. Trip landed on a cold floor and then moaned from the pain.
"Captain Tucker," he heard T'Pol's voice.
T'Pol rushed over to the bruised naked body. She touched his skin and felt that he was deep pain. Unfortunately, there was nowhere comfortable to place him or anything in which to treat him.
"I told you to run, T'Pol," he said.
"Captain, how much pain are you in?"
"A bucket load," he said.
He tried to move then groaned in pain and started coughing, which led to more groans of pain. Now he was starting to shiver from the cold. Without thinking, T'Pol dragged Trip into her lap. She placed her right hand on his face and immediately a connection was made. The V'Shar taught how to mind meld in order to gain intelligence, but here she was joining minds with this Human in order to assuage his pain.
Her awareness was flooded with his pain, the cold he felt, and his embarrassment at being naked. She started to share his pain offering him relief, offering him the illusion of warmth. His body stopped trembling. Slowly, his body went from a throbbing excoriating pain to a manageable ache. He opened his eyes and looked into her eyes.
"Whatever you're doing to help me – thank you," he said.
She didn't answer him but swallowed. Under the pain and embarrassment, she felt his attraction for her and the sexual desire he felt for her. She had not gone through Pon Farr yet, but lately she had started to get certain symptoms. Her meditation sessions were longer in order to suppress emotions; flash of primal desire hit her at times; and Captain Tucker's scent attracted her rather than repulsed her. She needed to suppress her desires and emotions. She couldn't let Pon Farr happen when she was so far away from other Vulcans. What could she do?
Her emotions leaked into his consciousness. He felt her attraction for him, even hints of desire. Impulsively, he reached up with his left hand and gently rubbed the point of her ear. She groaned with pleasure. Through the meld he felt that pleasure and now felt the full strength of her primal desire. His left hand moved to the back of her head then he pulled her towards him. His mouth captured hers. They did more than kiss; they devoured each other. Both her hands now came up to his face doing more than a mind meld. She began a mating bond between them. Yes, she was bonding with a Human she barely knew and it excited her more than her childhood bond with the now deceased Koss.
STSTST
Lieutenant Hill started the pre-flight of troop transport shuttle. It would be his job to find the warship, put a hole in the side, and then match up the docking clamp so the Marines could enter the ship. Once in the nebula, shields and sensors wouldn't work.
Burke stood with Flynn and Jarot, as Gunny Sanders marked the four fire teams onto the troop transport shuttle. They were wearing battle armor, and carried particle rifles, phase pistols, and stun grenades, except for two Marines who carried rapid fire particle rifles.
"If we aren't back in sex hours, I'd worry, otherwise we should be fine," said Burke to Flynn.
"Deadly fire," said Flynn.
"Yes, sir," said Burke.
Flynn looked at the younger man. Burke had to be closer to Tucker's age than his own. He gave the man a grim grin.
"Get back here with as many as your marines in alive," said Flynn.
"Sir, we will do our best and that is pretty damned good," smiled Burke.
He double timed over to the shuttle and got on. The work crew hustled away, and Flynn escorted Jarot to the observation booth. They watched as the bay doors opened and the shuttle took off with two Wasp fighters as escorts. The Wasps would stop at the nebula then fly a CAP waiting for their return.
"You worry about your people," she said.
"Damned straight. Some of them will not be coming back," he said.
"Major Burke seems like a confident man."
"He has to be. You can't afford to go into battle doubting yourself," said Flynn. "Hell, I should be leading them myself."
"You can't do this to yourself, Commander Flynn," said Jarot, who placed her left hand over his right hand.
STSTST
Trip had through another torture session. He was dragged out of T'Pol's arms and taken away. Even though the mind meld was broken, she still could feel his pain, especially as they now used the pain stick on exclusively this time on certain parts of his anatomy. This time they kept it to his abdomen, under his arms, and his crotch.
"This can't be," she said to herself, as she felt his pain during his torture this time.
She couldn't believe that she was still connected to Captain Tucker. Calming herself she reached out to the Captain and tried to take some of his pain, but he refused to let it go. He was being an infuriating Human, self-sacrificing even when it was not necessary. Since he wouldn't share his pain, she offered him calm and strength.
As she did this she began to realize that a combination of her early signs of Pon Farr and mind melding with a Human that she was attracted to had initiated a strong tel, a permanent marriage bond, between her and Captain Tucker. It could not be unless he was somehow her t'hy'la, her katra mate, soulmate. How could a Human be her katra mate?
STSTST
Hill found the warship, punched a hole in the side with blast from the shuttle's cannon then lined up the docking clamp and breach sleeve. The atmosphere was evened out. He gave the Marines the green light.
"Hynes, Shipley, Cruz," ordered Sanders, "you're the first through the hole."
The three Marines readied their weapons and down the sleeve and the rest of the Marines readied to follow. Immediately, the three Marines opened fire on the Cardassian security. The three Marines took down seven ship security.
"Clear," yelled Cruz.
"Baum and George, you stay in the shuttle and make sure these Cardassian don't take it," ordered Sanders.
"Yes, Gunny," said Baum
"Well, Angie, here we come," Sanders called to Cruz, as he sent the rest of the Marines through to the Cardassian ship.
STSTST
The intruder alert went off four hours into Trip's second torture session. Gul DeMar scowled then barked orders, "Glinn, Taro, take him back to his cell while this deal with the intruders."
"Yes, sir," said Glinn Taro then he looked at two Cardassian. "Gorr Hadar and Gorr Samur take him to his cell."
"Yes, Glinn," said Hadar.
They unchained Trip and dragged his naked body out of the torture chamber and down the corridor. Trip was in too much pain to do anything, yet he didn't feel panic or anger. T'Pol was still in his head and this gave him comfort.
The arrived at the cell, opened the door, and tossed him into the cell and locked it. T'Pol rushed over to Trip and once again brought him into her lap and held him.
"I felt you," he mumbled. "They were torturing me yet I felt you and it gave me hope."
"Once we are out of this, Captain Tucker, we must talk."
"I ain't got nothing to do now," he said then he tried to smile.
"I would prefer to have this discussion under different circumstances," said T'Pol.
"Yeah, maybe something romantic with candles and some blue music playing in the background," Trip said.
His body was shaking from the cold and pain. T'Pol once again placed her hands on his face and reestablished the mind meld. They spoke mind to mind.
Why don't I mind you in my head, T'Pol?
I do not know, t'hy'la.
T'hy'la? What's that mean?"
Friend, but more than a friend.
She didn't want to use the word katra mate.
Are we more than friends?
I believe we are, Captain Tucker.
Down the corridor the Marines moved in the direction of the cell. They used a tricorder to find a Human life sign. Hynes read that it was with a Vulcan life sign, so they knew that had both their people together. Two marines tossed stun grenades down the corridor stunning the eight Cardassians, who took up a defensive position. Making their way to the cell, Sanders took out his phase pistol, set it to stun, and double tapped the stunned Cardassians.
Reaching the cell door, Lance Corporal Kemba set a shaped charge, set to the side, and then he waited for the door to be blow open. Once the charge went off, three Marines pried open the door and Burke, Sanders, and two Marines, both trained in first aide, entered the cell to see a clothed T'Pol holding a naked Captain Tucker.
"SubCommander, what is wrong with the captain?" asked Burke.
"He's been tortured," she said.
"Goddamn these people," Burke growled then he looked at the two privates, "Get him in shape to move. Now!"
The two privates moved over to T'Pol. The first thing they did was take a foil blanket out of the bag and wrap him in it. Next, they gave him a hypospray with painkiller and sedative. Trip went unconscious.
"We can move him now," said one of the privates.
"We need you two to carry him," said Sanders.
"I shall carry him," said T'Pol.
"But…," one of the privates started to argue, yet it was too late.
With ease that reminded them that she was a Vulcan, she picked up the unconscious Trip in her arms and carried him out of the cell. The Marines surrounded her, protecting her and the captain, as they made their way under fire back to the shuttle.
STSTST
Archer toured the retrofitted and upgraded Enterprise. He wore the new BDUs already missing his old flight suit uniform. His ship was bigger and now had the room for a crew of 180. Commander Hernandez had started a request to the Detailer's officer to fill out their crew.
Archer walked around the Bridge then he headed into his Ready Room. To his surprise his Ready Room was bigger. They allowed more space for him. He thought Porthos was going to love the newly expanded ship. There was now room for him to pace and move about.
He sat down behind the desk. In four days they would be leaving space dock and heading off in the direction of Andoria. The Tellerites have asked to speak to Starfleet. It would be the Enterprise duty either to pick up the Tellerite ambassador and bring him to Earth, or to head to Vulcan in order to pick up Rear Admiral Duval. It appeared that Archer's idea of a coalition was becoming popular.
Hernandez entered his Ready Room. She looked relaxed after taking a real vacation before coming back to the ship.
"You look good, Commander," Archer smiled.
"I offered you a chance to come along with me to the beaches of New Zealand," she said.
"I had business. Sorry," he said.
He motioned for her to sit, so she did.
"I heard that AG is taking the Columbia back to the Delphic Expanse along with three frigates and two Daedalus-Class ships. He'll have a diplomat on board. It appears that that UE wants a trade treaty with the Xindi," she said.
"Good luck to AG. I really don't want to go back there to many bad memories," said Archer.
"I agree, Jon."
"Well, get our orders in three days. Whatever it is it'll be a milk run compared to what we've dealt with in the past year," he said.
"The rest of new crew should be checked in within the next forty-eight hours. I heard that chef is complaining about having to feed double the number of crew," she said.
"It will get some getting used to," said Archer.
STSTST
Trip once again found himself in the infirmary. Besides having resounding headache and achy body, Trip remembered what happened between him and T'Pol. A much as he needed a painkiller, he needed to see her.
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Captain," said Dr. Day.
"I have a headache and my body aches, Harry," said Trip.
"And I have a hypo, which should make both those things feel better," Day said.
He then placed a hypospray on Trip's neck and administered a shot. Instantly, the body felt less achy, but his head still hurt a bit. Of course, Trip was almost certain that what was left of his headache was due to T'Pol.
"Where is SubCommander T'Pol?" asked Trip.
"Ah, your protector," said Day.
"What do you mean?"
"Until she was sure that you were alright, she wouldn't leave your side. For a Vulcan she was almost emotional," he said.
"Where is she?" asked Trip.
"She is in her quarters meditating," Day said.
Trip tried to sit up but a wave of pain went through his body.
"Doc, when can I get up and move around?" he asked.
"I'd say another ten minutes and that hypo will have hit peak efficiency," said Day. "Why?"
"I need to see SubCommander T'Pol," he said.
"I'll let Commander Flynn know you are awake then once I know you are able to move without hurting yourself, I'll discharge you and you can visit the SubCommander. I don't know what the Cardassian used on you but two days of torture put you to bed for 18 hours," said Day.
"It was a stick that caused so much pain it made me nausea," said Trip.
"Sounds like fun. Your body is beat up but in good condition now," said Day.
"Thanks, Harry," said Trip.
STSTST
Trip commed the Bridge and told him he'd be taking the next twenty-four hours off. He then headed down to T'Pol's guest quarters. Taking the turbolift down six decks, he got off and started walking down the corridor until he got to T'Pol's door. He pressed the buzzer.
"Enter," he heard her call.
He entered. T'Pol was seated in front of a lit candle lotus style on the desk in what appeared to be silk pajamas. She looked beautiful. Trip found his pulse picking up and his headache coming back.
"You are out of the Infirmary," she said.
"Yup," he answered. "How are you?"
"I am… confused," she said.
"Confused? Why?" he asked.
"Vulcans do not speak with outsiders what I need to speak to you about. It is private and painful to us," she said. "It is called Pon Farr and it involves Vulcan mating."
"If you don't want to talk about this then you don't have to," said Trip.
"I need to talk to you about this, Captain Tucker," she said.
He noticed that her face actually showed a flash of emotion.
"I believe that you are my t'hy'la and that in the cell I may have started a mating bond with you because I am in the early stages of Pon Farr," she told me.
"Okay, I have to admit that I'm real confused, T'Pol," he said.
"To be it succinctly, in a few days I will enter plak'tow, the blood fever, and if you and I don't mate I will die," she stated.
"Oh," was Trip's response.