The Torture, II- Pt. 3

The Torture Ship: Part Two

Part 3, The story continues, Chapters 12-14

By JD1

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, I was hit by an idea for another story (not T/T or Enterprise) and I was writing the bits and pieces of the thought I had. Then I had to try and put them together. Sorry again that I took so long in writing this, I just couldn't pull myself away from that other story.

Summary: When two Ambassadors come to Enterprise, what do they want with Trip and T'Pol?

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Chapter 12

Trial By Jury

**Bridge**

A day after the communiqué from both Starfleet and the Vulcans, Travis announced to the bridge, "Sir, a Vulcan ship has just dropped out of warp.

"They're hailing us, Captain," Hoshi said seconds later.

"On screen."

A fairly young Vulcan appeared on the screen. He wore a normal Vulcan uniform and had short, black hair in the usual Vulcan style. "I am Captain Sorek of the Vulcan Science Vessel Ta'vel," he introduced himself.

"And I am Captain-"

"I know quite well who you are. I am not here to discuss formalities; that is for the people my vessel has brought here. Your Ambassador White and Ambassador T'Rith of the Vulcan High Command will be shuttled over to your ship within the next half and hour. They will discuss and decide the appropriate response to your... situation. That is all I have been told," Captain Sorek got straight to the point. Without allowing Archer the chance to give his two cents worth, Sorek had cut the link.

"Trip, T'Pol, I need to speak with you now. Meet me in the Shuttle Bay immediately," Archer ordered over the comm. to the two of them.

As he walked passed Hoshi's station, she spoke up and asked the question on most everyone's mind on the bridge, "Sir, I don't mean to pry but... does this have anything to do with the Sub-Commander's and Commander's wedding?"

Archer looked away for the moment, aware of the intense stares that were now all directed toward him. They all wanted to hear the answer and no one was hiding that. Cautiously, he nodded his head and replied with, "Yes, I'm afraid it does." He walked inside the turbolifts, leaving them to ponder this in silence.

Everything was still for a time. They had all been happy for the two when they heard the news. Once it was in the open, the Commander and Sub-Commander had found a new openness with each other while in public. They had displayed this in Engineering, the Bridge, the Mess Hall and Captain's Mess, and several other places on the ship. Now everyone had seen them together at least twice.

Everyone had become accustomed to the way they acted towards each other (plus they didn't mind that they were no longer at the other's throat bickering). The two made a very good and cute couple and they would all hate to see it end.

Slowly, everyone returned to his or her work. The most optimistic thought in the bunch was that they were here to give them their best. The pessimistic side was much worse; they were here to dishonorably discharge them, strip them of their respect, rank, and titles, and take them back home, separating them for good. There were also hypotheses that they were going to be court martialed, killed, reassigned, and plenty others similar to that.

**Outside the Docking Bay**

T'Pol stood, calmly, on the left of the docking bay doors. At the same time, Archer stood directly across from her, but neither one of them made eye contact. Trip, however, was pacing back and forth like a maniac. Archer started to feel himself become dizzy from watching him and decided that he would have to get used to this; for as the wedding get closer, Trip would be doing more and more of that. A slight shake and low hissing noise let the three of them know that the ship had just docked and was now in the process of decompressing the docking bay. Trip slowed his pace and walked over to T'Pol's side.

When the door opened, a Vulcan dressed in diplomatic robes, one Human, who wore a diplomatic outfit, and two Vulcan officers walked through them.

The Vulcan diplomat, on the other hand, displayed no emotion but showed how he felt by addressing only Archer. His robes were a brownish purplish color that went down to his feet. He had the normal black hair and Vulcan haircut and brown eyes. Also, his skin seemed to be tinted slightly green because of the green blood all Vulcan's have.

The Human seemed very happy about seeing two other Humans but also frowned when he remembered what one of them was 'committed' of doing. He wore a brown suit with a white button down shirt under it. He had on a satin tie that was tucked neatly inside his jacket and the knot was tied all the way to his neck. His hair was light brown, almost dirty blond, and his eyes were a greenish blue.

The two Vulcan officers merely stood still, apparently just escorting and guarding the other two. They had on dark blue Vulcan uniforms that indicated them as Lieutenants.

"Captain Archer, it is a pleasure to meet you!" The Human ambassador said just a little too enthusiastically for Archer's taste.

"I assume you are Ambassador White," Archer said to the man who just greeted him. "And you are Ambassador T'Rith."

"That is correct," T'Rith responded; the way he spoke gave him away for being a normal Vulcan.

"And your officers?"

"They play no part in the reason we are here-"

"Which is?" Trip interrupted him.

The Vulcan diplomat glared at him but answered the question because he knew Archer would like to know as well. "If we could go some where in private, then myself and Ambassador White will be able to further explain our reason for being here."

"This way," Archer took the lead, and showed them to the Observation Room in which they held almost every diplomatic function they have on Enterprise. The Ambassadors followed closely behind. Behind them was Trip and T'Pol while the two guards had brought up the rear.

**Observation Room**

They all had a seat around the table, Archer at the head, Trip and T'Pol on his left and White and T'Rith on his right. The two guards had been ordered to stand outside and allow no one in unless in was of utmost importance.

"So, do you think you could tell us the reason you came all the way out here now?" Archer asked, his patience wearing thin.

"Yes, we have been sent here to observe your two officer's behavior or the next seven Earth days. If their conduct does not so an efficient ability to work together and with this vessel along with being able to complete their work, they will not be able to get married," T'Rith spoke in a blunt manner and made it sound like he was reporting the weather.

"No one, not even our parents, have that right. So what makes you think that if we can't live up to your criteria, that we're not allowed to get married?" White seemed somewhat to agree with his point, that was a human way and right. T'Rith, however, was Vulcan and so was T'Pol, and on Vulcan that was not how marriages went.

"Both Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command are skeptical, at best, that you can make this marriage work and live on a starship. They just want to make sure that there is solid evidence that you can before we make something this big go down in history as a failure." White gave a more Human touch to their reasoning.

T'Pol had not looked at Trip the entire time and Trip could sense there was something she wasn't telling any of them. 'T'Pol, look at me.' When she didn't do as he asked, Trip pushed harder and looked deeper into her mind. 'T'Pol, tell me what's wrong.'

This time she looked at him. Her expression was solid but Trip knew that under the mask, she was torn apart. 'He does not know we are bonded. No Vulcan marriage can work without it and they don't realize we are.'

'So,' Trip said with a shake of his head. 'How does that help... or not help?'

'It could be the only thing that will keep us together.'

'What?' Trip clearly didn't understand what she was saying; how could that keep them together.

'There is no known way to undo a bond with out the consent of the bonded ones. And for the first year we are bonded, separating us by more than a few thousand kilometers could kill us.'

'You didn't exactly tell me that when this hole thing started.' Trip sighed and looked at T'Rith, the way he was looking at the two of them sent shivers down his spine. It almost looked as if he knew something, or suspected something.

"Just precisely how are you going to observe them?" Archer asked, not wanting his friends to be in danger or taken off the ship or anything.

"I will follow Sub-Commander T'Pol around and Ambassador White shall follow Commander Tucker. Only for the week and then we will leave and give our reports." Again, T'Rith's smugness only added to the sick feeling rising in both Archer's and Trip's stomachs.

"All right, no problem. Just stay out of my way." Trip told White as he stood up to go to engineering. He looked over at T'Pol and telepathically said, 'Watch him. I have a bad feeling about him.' Then he left, closely followed by White.

T'Pol did the same and T'Rith followed her. As they passed by the two guards, T'Rith ordered them back to the ship and they complied by heading in the opposite direction as T'Pol and T'Rith.

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So, you like the two annoying diplomats. I'm definably striving for T'Rith to be a very obnoxious, smug Vulcan; how's it working so far?
Please R/R and tell me.

Chapter 13

Annoyances and Observations

Author’s Note: You know, you’re right Kendra, T’Rith does seem a lot like a female name and the whole ‘T’ thing is usually associated with women names. I think that when I came up with the name, I must have been thinking of Tuvok and got it mixed up.

I was going to have written this yesterday and then post it, but it was my birthday (Happy B-Day to me! 2/25) so I couldn’t. But it’s up now and all is well. Hope you like it.

Summary: Are the Ambassador’s really observing Trip and T’Pol or are they doing something else to find out what they need to know? And what is that?
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**Engineering**

White hovered over him as he tried to realign the warp coil. It had been like that every day for the past three days they had been there; Trip attempted to work, and White hovered over him like a humming bird, never leaving his side.

“Will you stop it?!” Trip finally snapped.

“I’m trying t’ work here but with you standing over my shoulder all the time, I can’t!”

“Sorry,” White said as cowered back away from Trip.

“Sir, would you like me to work on this? Maybe you should go get something to eat. Your shift will be over soon.” Everyone had figured out or been told what the two ambassadors were doing here. Lieutenant Oteara was the only one brave enough to go talk to Trip once Ambassador White had pissed him off.

“Thanks, Lieutenant.” Trip headed for the door so he could take her up on her offer of using his extra ten minutes to get a quick lunch. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not coming with me!” Trip said when he saw White following him to the door.

“My orders are to observe you. I cannot do that if I can’t see you.”

“Darn shame.”

“Besides I want to talk to you,” White stated in such a frank way Trip was stopped.

“Whatever.” His pace quicken as he reached the turbolift. He told it his destination and when the doors opened, he walked straight to the Mess Hall, trying to lose White but not very successfully.

When they entered the Mess Hall, it was quiet and almost empty; just how Trip liked it. He walked over to the food dispensers and got a ham and cheese sandwich and cup of tea (a habit T’Pol gave him). Then he walked over to an empty table and sat down to begin eating.

White followed suit and sat across from him. “You really love her don’t you?” Trip looked up, a little shocked he would ask such an intimate question. “I had to listen to the conversations between the Captain, Admiral Forrest, and Suval. The way you spoke, stood, how you appeared to be upset at yourself when you almost made T’Pol’s mind up for her. Only someone who loves her would do that.”

Trip looked down at his food before he gave up and answered. “Yea, I really love her. I don’t know how or when it happened, but I do. And for me, that’s all that matters.”

“Yea, but you do know she can’t love you back.”

“That's bullshit. I know she has emotions; all Vulcans do. They just suppress ‘em. They feel everythin’ we do, they just don’t show it or express ‘em the way we do.”

White took what he said into consideration. “Yeah, but what about all those dumb rituals they do. I mean they spend a good deal of their time meditating. They have arranged marriages and do you even know how they get married?”

“Yeah, of course. And a lot of their rituals aren’t stupid; some are kind of interestin’,” Trip said, not really paying attention to White or the meaning of why he was asking the questions.

“And if you do get married, what about children. There’s a good chance you can’t have them.”

Trip practically choked on his drink. “Children? We really hadn’t talked about that. Who knows, it’s not like anyone’s tried before.” White just shrugged and ate some of his own sandwich, thinking about what Trip just revealed.

**Mess Hall, One Hour Later**

T’Pol was having about as much luck and fun as Trip. Only she got the more interesting part. T’Rith would often stand on the opposite side of the room, observing her from afar. Then he would start to edge closer, but just enough to make it go unnoticed. Then, after about an hour of that, he would be looking right over her shoulder and asking her questions on what she was doing and more.

Interestingly enough, for a Vulcan and even in some human terms, he asked far too many questions. In T’Pol’s personal opinion, T’Rith had many unVulcan like traits, but none quiet that obvious to Humans.

She had thought she had finally lost him after using a very complex route to the Mess Hall, but even then he found her. The Mess Hall was filled with only twenty or so people when T’Pol walked in. She had hoped that there would more people to hide herself in but instead she merely sat at the empty table in the back.

The doors opened and T’Rith walked in. After searching the room’s inhabitants, he walked over to the corner and sat down, uninvited. T’Pol’s eyebrow arched at his action, but luckily he did not catch it.

“The route you took to get here was most fascinating.”

“Really?’

“Yes, you walked around nearly every deck just to get here. Did you forget the deck it is on?” T’Rith voice was almost mocking and T’Pol knew it was to try and get an emotional reaction from her.

“No, I simply had an errand to run and I could not fine the person in which I needed to speak to.” T’Pol’s answer was supposed to sound as smug and sarcastic as his last comment was.

“Really, I never saw you communicate with anyone about any such thing. What was it about?”

“None of your business.”

“Then would I be privileged enough to know who you were looking for that you evidently could not find?”

T’Rith was beginning to really irritate her and it was becoming harder to suppress. She sighed as she quickly picked a name from the mental list of the crew she had in her head. “Ensign Rolarias,” she picked an ensign that had a science background in case he was thorough enough to check.

The time he noted that it took her to come up with the name and the way she hesitated before answering, suggested to T’Rith that she was lying. “I am beginning to suspect that you may be more like your human friends than you know. Lying like that,” T’Rith said in an honest tone.

“Perhaps, and perhaps you are begin to allow yourself the same thing; letting your emotions slip into your voice.” T’Pol had not missed any of the sarcasm, smugness, or anything else escape his mouth and entered her ears over the past few days and she would not be letting him either any time soon.

If T’Rith wasn’t Vulcan, the look on his face could only have been described as shocked, but he is Vulcan so that’s not how I can describe it. But T’Rith was very taken aback by it. “Yes, you have been around the humans for far too long. Their inferior beliefs and sarcastic retorts are now something you use in answering a question that one of your own people ask. Most fascinating indeed.”

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You know, writing T’Rith is a lot of fun. You kind of get to let all of his annoying personality traits out just to write him; it’s fun.
Anyway, please R/R.

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Chapter 14

Decisions and Secrets

Author's Note: I'm really sorry for how long this chapter took. I had one of those serious cases of writer's block and couldn't think of anything to write that seemed relevant. Anything that did get thought of or written was off topic, poorly phrased, or five years into the future stuff. Anyway, if it stinks or not what you expected, I'm sorry; my muse doesn't seem to what to cooperate.

Summary: What happens when T'Pol sneaks out of her room to avoid being followed by T'Rith?

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**Enterprise Hall**

T'Pol had not been left alone the next day either. T'Rith took his orders to observe her very seriously; he was at her door when she awoke and only left her side when she went to her quarters to meditate and sleep. He, of course, made sure that Trip in no way entered her room.

T'Pol had noticed that he followed a strict pattern; he arrived five minutes before her sifts began in which she was just about to leave. So, she had a plan; she would wake and get ready an hour earlier. By doing so, she could leave, unburdened about T'Rith snooping and watching all she did, and visit Trip. He had the same sift as she did meaning he would be waking up soon.

They had not seen each other for the past four days, except for the occasional pass by or for ship's business. She was dying to see him and could sense of ten that was eager to see her.
She found that no matter how irrational and impassive it seemed, she could help but go to him. She had a deep desire to see him and could no longer suppress it. She felt that if this desire to see him was not fulfilled, she would not be able to hide it from T'Rith any longer with his close watch over her.

She stopped at his door and her hand moved up to hit the buzzer. But before she hit it, she looked down the hall, both to her left and right. Since she saw no one, she hit the buzzer and waited for it to be answered.

When the door slid open a few minutes later, it revealed Trip. He seemed half awake and his hair was ruffled. The way he slouched against the side of the door and his attire suggested that he had just recently gotten out of bed.

Once he saw who it was, he immediately perked up and smiled warmly. "Hey, how did you escape your 'master'?" He asked as he pulled her closer to him.

Her hands moved to his chest and her eyes locked on his. She wore her own smile. Since she was still working to control the use of her muscles, it appeared to be slightly forced but Trip could tell that it was genuine. "T'Rith will not come by my quarters for another hour. Meaning--"

"We have an hour to ourselves." Trip's smile widened and he leaned in to kiss her. Then she was steered into Trip's room.

T'Rith had hid behind the cover of the wall as he watched T'Pol buzz the Commander's quarters. An action such as this was not sanctioned by his society but in this case he had been given permission to use 'any means necessary' to fin out what he needed to know.

He saw her as she allowed him to touch her. That thought had come close to disgusting him until he thought about it. He had realized that any Vulcan serving among humans must have learned to become accustom to be touched by them. But what she was now engaged with the Commander than a normal, casual touch. That showed to him that there was more to their relationship. She acted as if they were...

He could not bring himself to say the word. He had suspected it before, but now he was pretty certain. 'She has bonded with this human,' he thought as the door closed to Trip's quarters. This intrigued him but the only logical explanation was something that was impossible.
He made a mental not to discuss this with her later, but for now he would allow her time with her fiancé. White and he had hounded them quite a bit; they had not had much time to themselves that T'Rith was sure they needed.

He started down the opposite way of the hall than he had originally planned. White would have to know basically what happened and that they could have their space that he thought was much needed.

If he had not been Vulcan, than the smile that threatened to surface would already be hysterical laughter. But he made it stay in check as he walked down the deserted halls in his usual stride to White's temporary quarters.

**White's Quarters**

"Are you certain?" White hissed to his partner.

"You cannot be absolutely certain with this type of thing unless you ask them, which I might add is an invasion of their privacy." T'Rith calmly spoke back.

"Everything we've seen here points to the inevitable; they are already 'together'. Just not in the legal sense."

"And are we to allow them that privilege?"

"I don't think our decision is going to influence them to or not to. If we say 'yes', they will gladly do so. If we say 'no', they will do it in private. There is no stopping them."

"And yet we cannot remove either or both. They must stay together."

"Starfleet nor the High Command needs to know... that they're bonded. That's not part of the plan."

"But if it was something that happened, do you not think they would tell us? It is an important factor."

"Who knows. Sometimes I think they have their own agenda," White said in a solemn voice leaving T'Rith only the luxury of a simple nod.

**Archer's Ready Room**

"Captain, we have reached a conclusion," T'Rith began as he, Archer, T'Pol, Trip, and White stood in Archer's Ready Room two days later. The three of them remained silent as they anxiously awaited the news. The week had passed and, considering that both T'Rith and White had become a little more lax in their persistence, they assumed they had all the information they wanted.

"We have observed that the two can work together and their working relationship on board Enterprise has not been compromise," White stated.

"We could have told you that," Archer interrupted. T'Rith lifted an eyebrow in annoyance at him, but he didn't speak about it.

"From what I have heard from Commander Tucker and Ambassador T'Rith from Sub-Commander T'Pol, they are both very... understanding about the other's culture. Thought they may not understand it in the fullest, they still are protective and allow the other to continue their own practices." White concluded his part if the report the two of them had made up for the three they were talking to.

"Both Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command have wanted a closer relationship between Humans and Vulcans. Although it will take both populations sometime to adjust, a step like this will help in achieving this goal."

Archer, Trip, and T'Pol were shocked. They wanted this! No, this must have been a dream. They were all dreaming. "Then what was the point of coming to observe us?" Archer though aloud.

"Both our governments believe that the only way for a union such as this to be possible, both parties must be able to understand and accept the other's culture, believes, and continuous. That is why we were here; to see if they indeed had those qualities." Once White had finished his explanation, all three of them were so shocked, T'Pol the only one not showing it, that they were speechless.

"So, in light of what we have seen and heard, they have their government's permission to get married," White finished off. The minute he did, Jon slapped Trip on the back and Trip himself was grinning ear to ear. T'Pol's eyes let a glint show through that very few people would recognize as joy.

"You're serious? You're givin' us permission to get married?" Trip asked; he almost didn't believe what was going on.

"That is correct," T'Rith answered.

Hmm, what plan? Who is it with there own agenda? And why did they allow them to get married when they seemed so against it in the beginning? I guess you only have your own minds to think about that for now; I'm not going to tell you...yet.
Please R/R with your comments and/or answers

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Continue to pt. 4 of The Torture Ship II (Chapters 15- )

Return to pt. 2 of The Torture Ship II (Chapters 9-11)

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Nine of you have made comments

Very nice, and happy. In this Archer seemed like a friend.

This was really good, I was so pleased you wrote the second part! Now I hope it won't be too long before part 3 comes along. You just know those dastardly Tasos aren't going to leave it there. Well done, well written and do keep up the good work! Ali D :~)

Well the High Command and Starfleet are both pissed off. I guess being far away is going to help this situation. Enjoying the story.

I loved the reactions of the High Command and Starfleet, as well as Trip and T'Pol's response to it. I'm loving the story so far! Don't leave me hanging too long for part 3!

That was funny I can't wait to see what's up with the visitors and what Trip and or T'Pol does to make them get PO'ed at them..... hee hee this cold be funny! :-)
~Becky

I really love stories that involve the high commands reactions to this affair. Not sure why, but I'm really sure that i can't wait for the next part. Though, I'm not sure if I'm right, but isn't T'Rith a female name? I thought the 'T' part of the name signified that a female was bonded?

You're right, T'Rith does seem a little "smug", you are pulling it off well, White seems okay to me though. He seems as though he doesn't really want to interfere, and is doing so only to protect the Earth/Vulcan relations. T'Rith doesn't seem to like the idea of interspecies relationships.

Hi, I think that the "observers" will not approve of being locked out of their sex life! AKA...They want to stop it!

Hooray! Trip and T'Pol can marry! Great news but what is the catch? And if there isn't a catch I want an invite to the festivities! Great story, can't wait to see how you continue from here. Ali D :~)