The next day, Tripp and Malcom made an inventory about what they needed for the shop. They had to ask for a PADD from the guards and tell them what they were using it for. It wasn't long before they had their things from the list. Tripp told Malcom to start working on the phasers while Tripp took a look to see what Coffin would want fixed first. Before he found something to work on Coffin walked in without announcing himself.
Tripp watched as Coffin walked around the shop. Malcom looked up from fixing a phaser and watched Coffin. They were both waiting for Coffin to say something so they could get back to work.
"I hope that you are enjoying your new quarters," Coffin stopped in the center of the room. He didn't wait for Tripp or Malcom to say anything. "If I have something that I need something I need to work on. I will let you know, but when I don't I want you to work on whatever you want," Coffin glanced at Malcom and saw that he was working on the phasers before Coffin came in. Coffin nodded. "If you need anything let me know," Coffin smiled, and Tripp wanted to knock it off his face. Tripp didn't because he didn't want to end up in a dirty cell again. They had a good thing going right now. "I'll see you around," Coffin headed for the door. "The guards will stay by the doors until I feel I can trust you," Coffin stopped in front of the door. He didn't even wait for Tripp or Malcom to say anything before leaving. Tripp and Malcom watched as he walked out, and a guard closed the door behind him.
"How long do you think it will be before he trusts us?" Malcom asked after several minutes.
Tripp glanced at the door. "I don't know, but we have to keep our heads down until he does," Tripp sighed. He had hoped that Coffin would take the guards with him, but Tripp understood why he did what he had too. He would have done the same thing.
Malcom nodded and went back to work. Tripp sighed and remembered that they were playing the long game to survive. Tripp had to think about his family, and he knew that he wanted to see them again. He wanted to hold them and tell them how much he loved them. He hoped that T'Pol was okay with being a single parent and having to do it all on her own. Tripp knew that she wasn't alone because his family was there to help, and they still had friends there to help her if she asked for it. He knew that his family was going to get him through this.
A week later, Tripp and Malcom had the shop set up the way they wanted. Malcom had his own work area and Tripp had his. Tripp knew that Malcom had most of the phasers fixed. Tripp had fixed many things, and it had cleaned out the shop. They saw how big the shop was with so many things out of it. Tripp hoped that Coffin was happy with their progress. Tripp was happy with the progress that they had made.
The big door opened, and Tripp and Malcom traded a look. This door hasn't been opened before. Several guards pulled a shuttle in and placed it in the center of the shop. The guards didn't say anything after they let go of the ropes they were holding and left the shop. Someone else came in and Tripp and Malcom were shocked to see who it was.
"Balab," Tripp hissed his name. He didn't think that they would see him.
Balab looked behind him and nodded at Tripp. "Commander Tucker, Lieutenant Reed, this shuttle needs to be fixed by the end of the week," Balab pointed to the shuttle.
Tripp glanced at the guards who were standing outside waiting for Balab. "Balab, how did Coffin take over?" Tripp asked.
"I need you to fix this," Balab said in a loud voice. He looked at the guards before leaning close to Tripp. "I can't explain it right now, but I will come later," Balab whispered. Tripp nodded. A guard poked his head in. "Fix this," Balab said in a voice that the guard could hear. Balab turned on his heel and left the shop.
Tripp waited until the door was closed before saying. "I wonder what happened," He said as he looked over the shuttle. This was their first big project to work on.
Malcom shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," He started looking around the shuttle so they could start working on it.
Later that night, with the sun set and the lights in the shop were on, Tripp heard a knock at the back door. Since they were still in the shop working on the shuttle, Tripp made his way to the door to open it. Standing on the other side was Balab.
"Let me in before someone sees," Balab hissed. Tripp opened the door and let Balab in the shop.
Balab looked around the shop and saw that Malcom was still working on the shuttle. Malcom looked up and saw Balab standing there. "Come and take a seat," Tripp waved towards the shuttle. Balab made his way over and Tripp grabbed a stool for Balab to sit on.
Balab took a seat. "You probably want to hear about why Coffin is running this place while I sit back,"
Tripp nodded. "All I got was he kicked you out of your office."
Balab sighed. "Where do I start?"
"Start after we left you," Tripp said as he leaned against the shuttle.
Balab nodded. "After you left, I told my men to take Coffin to the sickbay. My doctors worked on him until he was stable. Coffin stayed there for weeks before we moved him to his own room. I thought that he could be some use to us. I knew that the Romulans would love the information that Coffin could give. I asked him for ways to stop Starfleet," Tripp raised an eyebrow. He didn't think that Balab asked him nicely. Balab saw what Tipp did. "Okay so I torture him. He didn't tell me anything at first. He told me that he would rather die than give up anything. I think he thought that you would," Balab looked right at Tripp for the next part. "Come for him," Tripp thought that if Balab would smile he would. "Since you didn't come, he started to lose hope."
"If we would have known that he survived, we would have come back for him," Tripp mumbled.
"It didn't matter because when he realized that you weren't coming for him, he started giving me codes for the enterprise. The Romulan government paid for it," There was a look in Balab's eyes that made Tripp believe that he would have smiled wickedly. "I thought that I had it made. After he gave me the codes for The Enterprise, I offered him a place on the staff, and he agreed. For months we worked well together because he would come up with ideas for my enterprise. I didn't realize that he was working behind my back to get my position," The last part came out as a snarl.
"What happened?" Malcom asked. Balab gave him a look. "I mean how did he take over."
Balab closed his eyes and let out a sigh before opening them again. "I was sitting in my office, that is now his, when the door opened, and Coffin walked in with two armed guards behind him. I asked him what was going on and he smirked and there was a look in his eyes that I didn't like. I had a bad feeling about this. Before I could say anything, he told me to step down or he was going to kill me. I was reaching for the phaser under my desk when I saw three phasers pointing at me. I put my phaser on the desk to show him that I wasn't backing down. We stared at each other for a minute or more."
"What made you back down?" Tripp asked.
"I have a sister on Romulus. She lives there with her family. My family disowned me when I walked away from the family business of political. I haven't "talked to my sister in years so I thought that no one would find a connection between us. I would like to keep reports on my sister and her family. I thought that I had kept it secret, but Coffin found out somehow."
"He used your family on you," Tripp mumbled. Balab nodded. How could a man save one family only threaten another other? "Did he ever tell you how he found out?"
"All he told me was every man has a weakness, and he found mine," Balab said.
Tripp knew that his family was his weakness. If someone had threatened his family for him to do something he would just save his family. He would kill for his family. "I understand," Tripp mumbled. He was feeling compassion for his man. He loved his sister and her family. "I would do anything for my family." Tripp wasn't just talking about T'Pol and their kids but his parents, his grandmother, his siblings, and his nieces and nephews. Balab nodded.
"How did he use your sister and her family against you?" Malcom asked.
"I knew that I would rather die than have my sister and her family killed, but he told me after he killed me, he would send my body back in pieces to my sister. I couldn't dishonor my family any more than I have. So, I pushed my phaser towards him, and he took it. He waved his phaser for me to leave my seat. I did and he took my chair. It looked like he belonged there, not me. He turned to the two men that had come in with him. He told them to take me to my rooms because I could be useful. As they led me away Coffin reminded me of my sister and her family. I saw what kind of evil he was. He wouldn't just send my body pieces back to my sister, but he would kill her and her family. My sister doesn't need that."
Tripp nodded. "So how long has he been in control?"
"For about a year now," Balab mumbled.
Tripp nodded. There might not be away from this planet but that wasn't going to stop him. Malcom and he would find a way off this planet and back home to where their family was. "How did you get out here to see us?"
"Coffin trusts me to an extent so I can leave my rooms for a while. I just can't stay out long. I still have men loyal to me," Balab looked at the two men standing before him. "You need to get off this planet and get home."
"We know," Tripp traded a look with Malcom. "We just have to come up with a plan to get off this planet."
Balab stood. "If you need help let me know. I must go," Balab headed for the backdoor. Tripp followed him. Balab stopped at the door and pulled something out of his pocket. "I think this will help you find a way home," Tripp took what he was holding to see a picture of T'Pol.
"Thank you," Tripp choked out. Balab nodded and walked out of the door.
Later that night, Tripp lay on his back in bed, staring at the picture of his wife. She was wearing the dress that Balab had made her wear. It looked like T'Pol didn't know that the picture was being taken because it was a side view of her. It looked like her attention was somewhere else, maybe on Charlie since he was there with her. Tripp traced a finger along T'Pol and smiled because he knew that she was pregnant with T'Mir at the time.
Tripp sighed because if Starfleet had T'Pol stayed on the ship this wouldn't have happened. He wouldn't be on this planet trying to find a way home to his family. He would be home right now helping T'Pol with the children. Getting them used to Earth and being with other children. Maybe he shouldn't have taken this mission, but he didn't think any other Starfleet officer would have been able to do this job. He knew what to expect of this place and how live here. Tripp heard Malcom let out a snore in the other room. Tripp is going to have thank his friends with all his help here when they get out of here.
Tripp took one more look at the picture before putting the picture on the side table and closing his eyes. Of course, he dreamed of his wife, who was reaching out to him, but he wasn't reaching out to her. He wanted to touch her again, but he couldn't. T'Pol was speaking words to him that Tripp couldn't make out what it was. She soon disappeared and Tripp was left in a white space.
Tripp woke to find out that he was crying. He wiped the tears away before turning and going back to sleep to dream of his wife and kids.