24Notes from the author: I, of course, do not own any Star Trek characters other than the ones I create.
Enterprise
Hoshi bent her head to the right to better hear the chimes that had just crossed trillions of mile of space. "Incoming communication from Starfleet, Captain," she announced. Her back was turned to the Captain, she didn't have to check if he was paying attention.
"In my ready room, Ensign," came the expected answer.
She pushed the message through the internal communication platform and relaxed back in her seat. The doors to the ready room were already swooshing shut. Hoshi allowed herself a smile. Everything was working smoothly, like a well-oiled machine. She was glad for the change of pace, allowed everyone to get their sea legs, respond to a different command style.
Acting Captain Trip locked the ready room doors and opened the communication from Starfleet. He wasn't expecting any message, correction, Enterprise wasn't expecting any message. They were on their way to the Siva-Llebpmac Spaceport, where things would go back to normal once they picked up Archer and T'Pol, and that was it. He clicked the folder open, letting the computer crypto-match his eyeball and verify that he had been designated acting captain in Captain Archer's absence.
He swore as he read the message on the screen. Then he swore again. He slapped the desk. But the message didn't change. He should have known. He should have been listening to that little voice inside him whispering that a communication from Starfleet was never good. Not when he, Charles Tucker the Third, was in charge. Never. He looked up at the ceiling, his eyebrows knotted.
This was not good news. He reread the message, trying to keep an open mind about it. It looked like an easy detour, three days out and three days back, a couple more to get everyone back to playing nicely in the sandbox. A week. Ten days tops.
It would work. Right? It had to.
Phlox would know. He leaned over the intercom to call him.
xxx
Third Planet from Siva-Llebpmac
"Psst, are you awake?" Archer strained against the chains holding him up to the ceiling beam. "Psst, T'Pol, are you awake?"
There was an answering rustle. He listened intently, trying to see in the near darkness. He'd just awaken a few minutes before.
"I am awake."
Her voice was hardly above a whisper. He heard the metallic clanging of her chains, indicating she was changing position, then the lighter glow of her skin as she turned her head towards him.
"They worked me over good but they're not familiar with Human physiology. Just bumps and bruises," he informed her.
"They have slightly more familiarity with Vulcan physiology," came the curt answer.
Archer winced. He was definitely going to be in the dog house. It was his fault they were here in this interrogation room, without anyone on Enterprise having any clue where they were. He could only hope the regular position transmissions from the shuttle had gone through seamlessly. Then Trip and Reed would figure out that they were in site of the planet when the communications from the shuttle had stopped. There was only one Minshara-class planet before Siva-Llebpmac, they couldn't miss it. They'd certainly go there once they realized their biosigns were not on the planet.
And then they'd find out about the rebel groups, or find the burned out shell of the shuttle and hopefully they would also find their biosigns. Hopefully.
Not that he'd planned it that way, definitely not. But he was the one who suggested, then insisted on going to see the Minshara class planet. Not on Vulcan space charts. Much too small to hold any interest for the Vulcans. Or they'd never come quite the same way as the shuttle. So he'd named it himself. T'Pol's eyebrows had eloquently climbed into her hairline when he told her. The equivalent of a Vulcan eyeroll.
She'd asked him why it was necessary to deviate from their programmed route. But he pointed out they'd arrive at Siva three days ahead of time as it were, but if they made the detour they'd get there the day before Enterprise showed up. The choice being three days stuck on a busy spaceport or checking new cultures, possibly new artifacts, the kind of stuff that made Enterprise scientists drool.
As it turned out, the 'Archimedes' planet looked great on the star charts only because nobody had come close enough to find out about the constant strife between enemy groups. But they had, and next thing the shuttle was shot out of the sky, forced to land, and they'd been ungently grabbed by the resident humanoids and brought to this dank room worthy of the middle ages for a thorough interrogation. Except they hadn't been able to tell their captors much of value. Even after being beaten senseless. Especially after that.
It would make him feel better to talk to someone, help while away the time. They had been in the dark for hours now and he had no idea what to expect next. Hopefully not more of the same.
"How's your eye?" he asked T'Pol.
"Swollen."
Archer winced again. One-word answers. He was in the dog house. He'd be there for a long time. Hopefully that's what they had ahead of them. A long time
xxx
Enterprise
Trip's eyes popped open. He sat up in the dark cabin, wondering why he should abruptly wake up in the middle of the night. What was it that woke him up. There was an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't remember his last dream but he remembered it had been vaguely nightmarish, in an indistinct kind of way.
He checked the chrono, middle of the delta shift. It must be the stress of captaincy waking him up. Though he'd been sleeping like a log until now. And it couldn't be the stress of going off to scare pirates on the Hydra-Zepahlis route. He'd run missions like that dozens of time. There was nothing to be worried about.
Suddenly it came to him. Of course. The answer was obvious. Because of the detour, they wouldn't be on time to pick up T'Pol and the Captain. They'd have to cool their heels on Siva for a few days, no more than a week. And he couldn't even warn them. The communication packets were one-way only, from the shuttle to Enterprise, most of them to be picked up on arrival at Siva because of the transmission lag.
Archer would be irritated that someone took his ship without his knowledge. And that was only half of his problem. He imagined T'Pol's cool reception when Enterprise came back, she wouldn't be too happy about being stuck on a crowded spaceport. Though he was sure Siva had some scientific sites worth visiting. He hoped.
He turned towards the wall, he missed her less in that position. He could even close his eyes and imagine she was right behind him, sleeping in that relaxed cat way of hers. All he had to do was forget that if she was there the heat of her body would be warming his back throughout the night, even if she didn't touch him.
In any case, Phlox said they still had a couple of months ahead of them, a one-week delay would have no consequences. He could even be late another couple of weeks and there would be nothing to worry about, other than a seriously peeved Vulcan.
And that he could deal with. What really could she do to him after all? She'd been peeved by him in one way or another pretty much from the first day she stepped on Enterprise and she'd always kept her cool about it. Vulcans were pacifists. He was glad about that because truth be told he was a little bit worried about what a seriously miffed Vulcan with an uncertain grasp on her control could actually do to him.
His eyes popped open in the dark. Yes, that must be the reason he was feeling uneasy. He needed to quiet his mind. He started one of the meditative techniques T'Pol had taught him. His last thought as he sunk into cottony slumber was that everything would be fine, there was nothing to worry about.
xxx
