Chapter 6: Anticipation

“How long, Travis?” the Captain asked during the morning briefing in the Captain’s mess.

“At our current speed, two days, sir.”

“Okay. According to Admiral Gardner, we’ll have to stay in orbit around Earth for about 10 days. The space dock is occupied by Columbia – they had a less than friendly encounter with a Klingon warbird.”

“Can’t we get a break at least for once?” Trip groaned. “First the Xindi, then human Augments, Vulcan terrorists, then Klingon Augments. I’m starting to feel like the skinny kid in a schoolyard full of bullies.”

“I know, Trip. The Vulcans have some diplomatic channels with the Klingons and their Council claims that it was not an officially sanctioned mission. Some Captain Q’orh apparently lost a son in the fight with Columbia while we were trying to get Phlox back from the Qu’Vat colony.”

“Permission to speak freely, Captain?”

“Since when do you need my permission to do that, T’Pol? Go ahead.”

“Let’s ‘cut to the chase’. I doubt you assembled all of us here to tell us about the misadventures of Captain Hernandez’ ship. The last time you asked Doctor Phlox to attend a staff meeting, you told us about 7 million casualties on Earth.” If it wasn’t for the amused faces around her, T’Pol wouldn’t have even realized that she had used one of Trip’s phrases without thinking.

“Trip, you are ruining our first officer,” Archer quipped with a smile.

“Let’s hope she doesn’t start to swear in Russian,” Hoshi added to the good-natured ribbing of their friends.

“Back to the topic,” Archer continued. “It’s nowhere near as bad as last time. So according to the wishes of our first officer, we’ll skip to the big news. I’m leaving Enterprise.”

The room went silent.

“Leaving the ship as in going on vacation?” Trip asked in disbelief.

“Leaving as in going to take a hiatus for a year,” Archer corrected and all faces except one wore a distinct expression of shock. As no verbal reply was forthcoming, Archer continued his explanation.

“For the last two weeks and to a degree ever since the Xindi mission, I’ve been experiencing problems and Phlox suggested that I take a time-out. Admiral Gardner has accepted my request and he will decide about my successor when Enterprise reaches Earth orbit.”

“Will you return?” T’Pol asked.

“Most likely, but not to Enterprise. Starfleet has laid down keel for another five NX-class ships, most of which will be completed within the next year and a half. In about a year, the NX-05 Atlantis will be completed. That will most likely be my next ship. I have it on good word that you are in the running for NX-07 Buran, Malcolm, so behave while I’m gone. I’m told you may even pick the communications officer yourself,” the captain explained with a smile.

Trip, seated left of T’Pol, felt T’Pol’s hand lightly tapping against his leg. Looking down, he saw how T’Pol used her index finger to first point at the captain, then in his direction. A barely perceptible nod was his signal of having understood her covert message.

“How can I even be in the running when Trip and T’Pol are certainly far ahead of me – unless you two are planning on leaving as well?” Malcolm asked with a questioning look at Trip.

“Well, lets just say that Enterprise’s next Captain is most likely already on the ship,” Archer interrupted.

“Why so many new ships?” Travis asked.

“The Vulcan High Council and Starfleet agree that those Romulan drone-ships were only testing the waters. And if only half of what the V’Shar told us is true, they’ll make our fight with the Xindi look like a lovers quarrel.”

“Nice, another war,” Trip sighed.

“Not yet, Trip. Starfleet hopes that the establishing of the Coalition and the build-up of a bigger fleet will discourage them from taking any action soon, but the conflict will most likely come at some point.”

The chief engineer shook his head in frustration.

“Back to business,” Archer continued. “T’Pol, you will be in command as of fourteen-hundred today until a new captain can be assigned. Please advise your respective departments that two weeks of shore leave have been granted to all members of the crew who have been on Enterprise for at least a year. The others will stay on board and make up the skeleton crew in orbit.”

A nod from all officers signaled their understanding.

“Last on my list is a personal request. In a few weeks Thy’lek Shran will apply for a commission in Starfleet. We all know how often he has saved our butts. That’s why I’d like to ask you all to help him where you can.”

“I am perturbed that you felt it necessary to even ask us that,” T’Pol replied dryly. “Everyone of us will support him whenever the opportunity presents itself.”

“Thank you, T’Pol. He would have liked to hear that, especially coming from you. I’ll address the crew at 1300. That’ll be all.”

“A quick word, Cap’n,” Trip asked as the other officers filed out of the room.

“What is it, Trip.”

“Knowing T’Pol she’ll probably work until the wee hours in the morning to make sure she’s the most effective acting Captain Starfleet’s seen since its inception,” the engineer said and both men shared a chuckle. “So why don’t ya drop by in the evening for a long overdue talk between friends? How’s twenty-hundred sound?”

“Sounds good, Trip. I’ll be there.”

A loud klaxon signaled a ship-wide announcement as Captain Archer prepared for his last speech in the privacy of his ready room.

The mess hall was packed with crew members, who all stood at attention and listened to the final speech of Captain Archer. He had audibly succumbed to tears before the end of his announcement and so had most of his audience. On the bridge, Commander T’Pol of Vulcan stood in front of the big chair, which in less than an hour would, however temporarily, be her rightful place. Hands firmly clasped behind her back, listening to the announcement, a tear of emotion ran down her cheek. She didn’t wipe it away. It would be wrong to hide it and she had long since given up the pretense of ‘Vulcans don’t have emotions’. After four years with this crew, most had seen one form reaction or another from her anyway.

It was only a short twitch of his face, but for a man as disciplined as Soval it revealed an onslaught of many strong emotions. He had chosen to stay in the privacy of his guest quarters to listen to the speech of the man he initially – how would Charles describe it – ‘resented the hell out of’. He had lost count of how often he had caught himself pondering things in human terms and it had nothing to do with the new-found information that Charles Tucker was now a member of his clan or his long time between humans, none of that was even remotely responsible for it. But this was a knowledge he could not share with anyone.

T’Pol noticed how Trip darted towards the ready room to console his distressed friend, but she called out to him. Stopping he looked at her with a tear-stained face.

“He needs to be alone for a while,” she explained.

“Come in, Jon.”

“Evening, Trip.”

“Beer?”

“You’re lucky that I’m not the skipper anymore or I’d have to investigate where that came from,” Archer answered with a chuckle.

“I have my sources, and just for your information, I have the permission of your successor. I seem to get along well with her.”

“So how were your first hours as the Captain’s boyfriend?”

“Haven’t seen her much. Told you she’d be neck-deep in preparations as soon as you were out the door,” Trip said as Jon took a seat on the sofa.

“Perhaps you should learn from her, I have a hunch that you will be in that chair soon.”

“I hope not. I’m gonna fight tooth-and-nails against it.”

“Pardon? Trip when we launched, all you had in mind was getting an own ship.”

“That was then, Jon, before the Expanse. That’s when I saw what commanding a star ship can do to you. Don’t think we’re fooled for a second about the reason of your hiatus.”

“Erika needs me. She’s in bad shape,” Archer sighed.

“So are you, Jon. You need her as much as she needs you. You need each other the same way as I and T’Pol need each other. We’ve got eyes in our heads.”

“Since when did you become a psychologist?”

“Ever since my best friend withdrew after he had to make some very ugly decisions. I’m really sorry that I couldn’t be there for you. I was too messed up myself to be any help,” Trip admitted sadly.

“You’ve got nothing to feel guilty for. And if it wasn’t for T’Pol, you’d probably be even more messed up than I am now. I’ll come back around, don’t worry. Just need to get away from everything for a while.”

“Hope things work out for you and Erika. She’s a fine lady.”

“That she is,” Archer said as they clinked bottles. “And she’s an even better psychoanalyst than you. She told me about your first day aboard Columbia and she knew exactly why you had finally agreed to transfer to her ship.”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Not to me, no, but to her it was. The way you looked at her when she asked you to change the patch on your uniform – she knew immediately that her ship was not where you wanted to be.”

“Well, Enterprise is my home. That Columbia patch felt like an ulcer on my arm.”

“What changed your mind?”

“About what?”

“About staying there. As I recall you weren’t away very long,” Archer inquired with a smile.

“Well, you know why I came back – I don’t care to board a ship like that ever again, by the way – but then we did that cold start routine and I knew, she had changed.”

“T’Pol?`”

“Yeah. I came into engineering and, guess what, the ship’s about to blow up and the first thing we do is banter with each other.”

“I’m really going to miss that.”

“Then I showed off a bit and told her that I’m gonna cycle the engine in under two minutes. She said it’s not possible and I gave her the macho and just said ‘watch me’.”

“Let me guess, being the logical Vulcan, she did just that.”

“And how. I’m amazed I had even time to notice it, but when I climbed down them stairs after blowing all the relays up, I caught her look and I swear, I have no idea why I didn’t just freeze like a deer in the headlights. She was practically mooning.”

“Wow, never would have pegged T’Pol for a high school girl gushing over a handsome southern gentleman,” Archer laughed, while Trip handed out the second round of beer.

“Seriously Jon, those eyes have more fire in ‘em than those fire plains she showed me on Vulcan. Hoshi told me that T’Pol and I zoned out a couple times during our dinner, just staring into each others eyes and Mal said it was so hot he’d started to look for a fire extinguisher.”

Archer roared with laughter. “You know what? A.G. said something similar about me and Erika a couple of years ago. He said when we danced they always feared they had to hose down the place afterwards”

“I never understood why you didn’t just piss all over that no-frat crap and stayed together when you got your fourth pip. She had always been good for you.”

“I only learned later and the hard way that you have to bend the rules sometimes. Had I stuck with my ideals, we would never have made it out of the Expanse. But it came at a price. If it weren’t for Erika, I would have thrown in the towel after the Xindi mission. When we started, I was hell bent on doing things by the book.”

“You’re a good Captain, always were, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I hope T’Pol will be the new captain because she’s the only one who can fill your shoes.”

“Don’t count on it. A Vulcan as Captain is a tough sell, even if she’s one hell of a hero.”

“Someone’s gotta remind them that we’re allies now with three other species and probably more to come. Remember the upheaval when the first non-American became president of United Earth? Even today Noskov is universally seen as the best damn president we’ve ever had.”

“Hope Starfleet sees it that way. T’Pol would really deserve it,” Jon agreed.

“What with Shran in the pipeline as well, they better get used to aliens on the bridge in a damn hurry.”

“Well, you always were an optimist Trip,” Archer smiled.

“Wait a minute,” Trip said and took out his communicator. “Commander Tucker to acting Captain T’Pol.”

“T’Pol here.”

“Permission to get the show on the road?”

“Permission granted. ETA twenty-one fifteen hours.”

Ten minutes later the cabin door was opened and a steward rolled in a trolley with dishes for a full-blown dinner, followed by Malcolm, T’Pol and Hoshi.