The Torture Ship II

The Torture Ship: Part Two

By JD1

Contact: JadziaxDax50@aol.com
Rating: PG, romance, and some action/adventure
Disclaimer: Paramount owns all the Star Trek series. I have no financial gain from this story, actually I have to pay for some parts. It’s only for my fun and enjoyment (and maybe a little for my readers).

Part Two is a continuation of The Torture Ship and is not an independent story . Please click the link if you have not read the story from the beginning.

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Author's Note: After thinking hard, I think I have a pretty good plot for the second part of 'The Torture Ship' and have written a good amount. In this Part, I'm going to try to explain some of the things left hanging in the last Part.

For example, I'm sure you all want to know why the Taso took Trip and T'Pol. Also I know you want to know how their relationship progressed, better or worse. Will the crew ever find out? I know that's something that everyone's waiting for. I know I'm having fun writing it.

Also, I'm thinking of getting the Vulcan High Command involved later on. You know, somehow they find out or something. If you like the idea, tell me. I'm going to post hopefully tomorrow but I just wanted to put up this notice so who ever is reading doesn't give up on me. (Which I know you never would :))

SUMMARY for Part Two: As Trip and T'Pol attempt to understand their relationship, Enterprise discovers something else about what's going on.

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The Torture Ship: Part Two

Part One (Continuing the story, Chapters 7-8)

Author's Note: Here is the first chapter of the second part. I decided to put it with the first part because the last time I did a two-parter, I had a couple people complaining that I didn't introduce some people because they didn't read the first part (which was stated in a few places).

Anyway, I would like to thank all my readers for reading the first part and writing reviews (I know that takes effort). Second, I have to thank my sister Jodi, a.k.a. 'Jenny Jinn', for encouraging (definition-- threatening my life, as a joke of course) me to write more and for reading it. Also my teachers for teaching me to read and write and all that.

Fourth, I would thank my inspiration for writing at all but I don't know who that is so I guess I can't. Fifth, I have to thank my older sister for getting me into all series of Star Trek so that I would be able to write this. Sixth, I'd like to thank Gene Rodenberry for creating Star Trek so I can watch it and write about it period. Seventh, I would thank my cat or dog, but my mom hates animals so I don't have one. Eighth, I would like to thank my parents for having me and taking care of me so I could actually write this and have a computer and be on-line. Ninth, I'd like to thank my oldest sister again along with my second oldest sister (oldest = 23, second oldest = 20, Jodi = 14) for teaching me how to do things on the computer. Tenth, I'd like to thank anyone who is still reading this because that either shows character for being polite even when I'm not there or it shows you're really strange and want a laugh.

Summary: When Trip and T'Pol try to understand their new relationship, Enterprise discovers something that could send them back into a miserably memory.

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Chapter Seven (Continuing from the original story, Part One)

Cat and Mouse

**T'Pol's Quarters**

What had felt like seconds was actually three hours. She woke because of she felt a stir underneath her. She could smell Trip's sent, one that no longer disgusted her. She opened her eyes and saw Trip beaming at her. Though she knew the Ponn Farr was gone, she still felt the irresistible urge to smile back.

Though it was a faint smile, Trip still felt privileged to see it. It was his own special treat. He moved his head closer to hers and kissed her; it was a soft, tender kiss. When he broke it off, she was still smiling.

He looked her in the eye and said, "I have a question."

"What is it?"

"The telepathic bond? Did that... go away like the Pan, Pin-"

"Ponn Farr, and no. Not exactly," T'Pol answered him, a little uncertain as to his response.

"What does 'no, not exactly' mean?"

"During our Ponn Farr, the telepathy worked when one of us was in a very... emotional state. Now, that our Ponn Farr has been complete, the bond is much stable. We can now access the other's mind when ever we want."

Trip's curiosity increased by every word and his next question on his mind was spit out. "And what exactly does that entail?"

'This is one. We can also access each other's memories. We can also sense the other's emotions.'

T'Pol's mouth never moved yet Trip still heard her words.

"How-" T'Pol put her figure came up to his lips, cutting him off.

'Just think of what you wish to say,' T'Pol instructed him.

Trip thought for a moment as he rephrased the question. 'How far away can we be and still communicate?'

'I am, unsure.'

Trip looked at the clock and knew it was time that they got up and went to see the doctor. He was expecting them at 0800 and it was already 0700. He looked back at her, a wicked smile plastered on his face. 'Let's find out what this can do.'

**Sickbay**

Trip was sitting on the edge of the bio-bed, rocking a little with impatience. T'Pol stood at the end on the bed Trip was sitting on. The doctor had scanned her first, finding that the chemical imbalance had been corrected, and now he was looking over the scans he had just taken of Trip.

Sickbay was quiet, only filled with its usual sounds of the doctor's animals. But Trip and T'Pol's minds weren't.

'I hate sickbay. I never really liked doctors.'

T'Pol's eyebrow was raised in amusement at his confession. 'Doctor's, Trip.'

'Yes, doctors. Well actually shots. I hated having to get them as kid, you know, before they made hyposprays. Needles,' He made an exaggerated shudder, 'Now infirmaries and such terrify me.' T'Pol tried hard not to smile at his reveling of his past. What! It inn't funny!'

Just the, Phlox walked over to them, his gigantic, cheerful smile covering his face. He gazed in amusement at his two patients, starring deeply and playfully into the other's eyes; even T'Pol was allowing emotions to leek through. His warm smile reached his eyes before he coughed, letting them know of his presence. They shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, so they were no longer looking at each other.

"Your chemical imbalance seems to have corrected itself as well, Commander. I'm just curious as to what you did that could have fixed this." Trip and T'Pol immediately looked at each other; Trip's expression held a bit of amusement but both looked like little children who had a secret of their own. "Well, however you did it, it seems to have worked."

"Can we go now?" Trip asked, dearly wanting to get out of there. Again, T'Pol suppressed a smile at her mate's impatience that threatened to rise to the surface.

"I see no reason to keep you here any longer," with that, Trip hopped of the bio-bed and the two of them walked out.

**Mess Hall**

Since it was 0800 and they had not eaten before they went to Sickbay, they had mutually decided to eat a late breakfast. The majority of the night shift was there, having just gotten off duty, while the rest of them were sleeping.

After getting their food, they were invited to sit with very beat Hoshi and a half-awake Travis.

"Tired?" Trip mocked as he sat down and started eating his scrambled eggs and bacon.

"I wasn't the one who got to have a nice long sleep."

'If he only knew,' Trip told T'Pol with a sly smile, recalling *cough* their not so PG night.

Travis caught the exchange of looks and Trip's smile but not their purpose. "Don't la-" his come back was interrupted by a yawn. Hoshi and Trip both erupted with laughter and once Travis recovered, he did as well. T'Pol, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow at their behavior.

Once their laughter subsided, Hoshi asked, "So, you two seem much better than the last time I saw you."

"Yea, uh, the Doc says the imbalance that gave us the fevers and all has been fixed," Trip answered before eating the piece of bacon on his fork.

"So, what did ya have to do?" Travis asked; it seemed that everybody wanted to know the answer to that.

T'Pol went to open her mouth but Trip interrupted her when he said, "OH, uh, it was some Vulcan ritual thing." He shrugged his shoulders and the other two seemed to accept that as the real reason.

Hoshi and Travis dropped their heads as they ate some more of their breakfast. Trip and T'Pol's eyes locked and Trip didn't need her to arch her eyebrow to see, and sense, the amusement written over her face. 'Intriguing excuse. Then again it was not far from the truth.'

'In that case, I think I'm gonna like your 'Vulcan rituals,' Trip commented, flirtatiously, as his boyish smile covered his face and shown in his eyes.

When Travis looked up a few minutes later, their eyes were still locked and Trip's smile in place. "Did I miss something?" That alone was enough to get Hoshi's attention. Trip looked back down at his food, a red blush creeping up into his cheeks as a result of the embarrassment of being caught. T'Pol also looked down at her food, and Hoshi and Travis could have sworn her own cheeks slightly were flushed. The two looked at each other, smiling and trying not to laugh at what had happened.

The rest of their breakfast went much the same way. They made small talk about the past two weeks and about whatever else they felt like.

**T'Pol's Quarters**

It was early in the morning, 0400 or 0500. Trip lay contently awake in T'Pol's bed as she lay in his arms. Her head had found a comfortable spot in the crock of his shoulder and her body across the side of his body. Her arm was across his chest and his hands were stroking her back.

He brought his hand up to her face and brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen out of place. She looked into her eyes and said to him, "Tell me about your people."

He seemed a little taken aback by that but quickly recovered and responded, "Well, what would you like to know?"

"Tell me about... the ocean."

"The Ocean? (? You've never seen an ocean? What you don't have them on your world?)" With the shake of her head, he continued, "the ocean... I don't know how to explain it. Nor do I ever think I could, not with words anyway."

She looked a little disappointed by that just before she started to feel as if her legs were wet. They seemed to sting a little but that didn't bother her. She noticed that and knew that it had to have to be salt water. She started to feel the sharp, hard feeling of sand between her toes and under her feet. The sand she recognized easily from living on the deserts of Vulcan for the majority of her life. She could smell the salt from the water. The fresh yet salty air was something she had never smelt before and she found it to be quit... exhilarating.

As the vision of the water came into view, she could she the different shades of green and blue that mixed and blended together to make the distinct color of the ocean. She saw the waves as they curled up into a barrel shape and then flatten up as they hit the surface. The sun was setting and the sky was left with a dark red and pink color. You could see the reflection of the sky in the water. Then she realized it was a memory of Trip's past, perhaps when he was a boy.

As it slowly faded away, she could clearly see him. He wore a warm smile that lit up his eyes; happy to be able to show her something she wanted to know. T'Pol smiled, too; it was a real smile. One that lit up her whole face and showed the warmth and affection she felt for him at that moment. To be honest, she had no idea he knew how to do that; project a memory of his to her. "Thank you."

Trip’s smile changed from one of warmth and anticipation to one of satisfaction and gratification.

"Anytime."

**Bridge**

They had been allowed back on duty that afternoon after the Captain had heard of their 'clean bill of health' the doctor gave them and the end of their prescribed twenty-four hours of rest that they needed.

T'Pol had strolled onto the bridge with a completely different air, one that seemed... relaxed and content. She no longer had her strict, stern posture but she still had her Vulcan discipline. She walked over to the Captain and requested to be briefed on what had happened in her absence.

He told her about the ships efficiency and that kind of stuff before he told her, "So far, we've detected no sign of the Taso ship, not since they cloaked after you two were brought back on board. But we have been getting anomalous readings that seemed to be following us."

"A cloaked ship perhaps; some have been known to cause certain anomalous readings."

"That's why I want you to look at them and see if that's true," he handed a PADD across the desk and she picked it up and glance at it. She looked back at him and nodded her head, letting him know she would look at it. She turned and walked over to her station, where she could access the computer.

'So, how's it goin' up there?'

She raised an eyebrow at the familiar accent she heard in her head. 'It is going well.'

'What cha ya doing?'

'I am attempting to discover what this anomaly is that is following us.'

'A cloaked ship?' Trip piped in, using his engineering skills to offer assistance.

'That was my first assumption. I am trying to confirm that now.'

'Oh, well then, I'll leave ya alone.' They stopped talking but neither ever stopped projecting their feelings or tried to shut themselves off to the other.

**Taso Bridge**

"Report!" Captain Terion barked as he walked onto the bridge. Everyone was rushing about; giving a report to someone or trying to fix something. Some how Enterprise had hit them pretty hard without realizing it and now something had gone wrong.

Xion looked up from his console and saw his Captain. He obediently started to tell him what was going on. "Sir, when Enterprise sent that tacyon beam at our cloak, they must have triggered something to make it start destabilizing. That's why it uncloaked us in the first place."

"Are we still cloaked?" Terion's inquiry came as more of an order than a real question.

"Yes, but we are leaving a trail of cloaking ions in our path. If they try to look for us or our scanning for it, they will find us." Xion's worry did not escape his words, he was as afraid as everyone that this would not work and he knew what that meant. They were all dead.

"Keep working. I want this fixed now! If they detect us it will ruin everything!" And with that last command, he stormed off the bridge to go to his meeting with the doctor.

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I hope you liked the first chapter in Part 2. I hope you still remember who everybody is! I had to stop and think what Terion's and Xion's names were. (At the time I didn't know the names but now I do ;) Please R/R.

Chapter 8

Mouse and Cat?

Author's Note: I personally went over this twice, so I hope there aren't many mistakes, if any. And thanks Catspaw for offering to beta-read for me, I might take you up on that.

Summary: When they discover what the anomaly is, what else will the senior staff and crew learn?

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**Bridge**

Trip, after his conversation with T'Pol, decided to head up to the bridge and help out. Once he got there, Malcolm, Travis, T'Pol, Hoshi, and the Captain all stood around the briefing table. Captain Archer turned to look at him, annoyance clearly showing through his cool demeanor.

"So, what did I miss?" Trip asked as he slowed his pace, as he got closer to them; starting to feel uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

"T'Pol found good reason to believe that the anomaly following us is, in fact, the Taso ship," Archer informed him, Trip heard none of the irritation in his voice but he could see it his eyes.

Trip looked over at T'Pol and caught her eyes with his. He smirked as he walked over to the table and thought to her, 'way t' go.' He then stood across from her; so he wouldn't have to take his eyes off her.

"What we do not understand is this trail they are leaving behind them. It does not appear to be an ion or warp trail," Malcolm added to Archer's statement.

"We must have hurt them more than we realized," he muttered and then, after a pause, he thought, 'It might be the particles in cloaking field. When they sent that tacyon beam at their shields they must have harmed the cloaking generator.'

T'Pol heard his thoughts and replied, 'That could be it. The cloaking field and the particles seem to exhibit similar readings.'

During their conversation, the rest of the senior staff watched the series of exchanges between the two. They saw the different emotions, expressions, and body language they were displaying. What they thought they were seeing, Trip and T'Pol's own private conversation, was completely true, though they didn't know that yet.

When it seemed their conversation had come to an end, they finally looked back up at the rest of them; expectant looks on their faces. It seemed that they had no idea no one else heard their discussion. They all stood, dazed and confused; Trip and T'Pol not realizing what they had just done and the rest not knowing that anyone possessed that ability much less them. Nor did they have any idea what they just said.

Archer regained his composure and took control of the situation by saying, "You three back to your stations and keep working on it. Trip, T'Pol, come with me." As the three confused officers walked back to the front of the bridge as Archer led the duo to his ready room.

**Med. Facility**

A shrilling scream echoed through the large room. Accompanying it was a laugh that could only belong to a evil soul. The laughter soon died off once the scream ended.

Uion walked up to the exhausted, battered man lying on a wooden board. This was merely amusement to him, not really research in which the man was originally taken for.

Captain Terion walked in and noticed one of the Doctor's latest 'experiments'. He flinched when he saw the agony on the man's face; he never really had developed the stomach to torture people; that was the Doctor's and Xion's department. Of course it didn't bother him to be associated with these types of people or the idea of it.

When Uion saw him, he allowed his 'specimen' to relax and rest while he talked to his Captain. "You wanted to talk, Doctor?"

"Yes, I have been able to activate the implants, sir." The doctor's reply was in a tone that could almost be classified as excited or even proud.

Terion looked confused at that and voiced it clearly, "Implants? What implants? I was never informed of them."

Uion gave a look to match for a moment before he shook his head and muttered something about not trusting Xion with a simple job like a report. He led Terion his office, which had the same multicolored looked as everywhere else on the ship. As he pushed a few buttons on the console while Terion starred, impassively, at the changes in the colors of Uion's desk.

When Uion finished, a holographic brain rotated in mid-air. "This is Commander Tucker's brain. Here, at the base of his brain stem," the holographic image changed to an in-larged image of Trip's brain stem. You could barely see a silver chip where Uion pointed, "This thing is the implant. It's in the Sub-Commander as well. It monitors their physical and mental state, and even, in a way, their emotional. It automatically records everything; their body's reaction to stimuli around them, including the stimuli, their brain chemistry, their location, and the aforementioned things."

"Impressive, doctor. When were you able to put them in?" Terion asked, not interested in the implant itself but the topic of the report he was never give.

"After you transported them back, I put them in while they were still unconscious. It was in case you two decided to allow them to go back to their ship again, which I will remind you I was completely against in the beginning. It was risky and idiotic! Not to mention foolish!" This kind of attitude with the Captain would have bought almost anyone else a week in the brig except him. For one, Terion needed him and second, he had a right to say that to his face because it was true and necessary.

So instead, he shook his head at the doctor's outburst and told him to continue with his research on their most important subjects. He walked over to the door and once he was out, they quickly sank back into the camouflage of the wall.

**Archer's Ready Room**

The minute the doors closed, Archer was letting his frustration show. "What was that all about?"

"Sir?" T'Pol asked for the both of them, both not understanding the question.

"Come on, the entire crew and I have noticed how much you've been hanging out lately. Ever since that incident with the Taso and your fevers, you haven't had one argument; you're always around each other unless on duty, and no one but you knows what happened when you were sick. What's going on? What happened? I'm asking as a friend... for now." Archer went on, Trip and T'Pol only then realized that all of that was quite right.

The pair looked at each other. When T'Pol looked back at Archer, she preceded to explain what happened. "Something that the Taso did, provoked something in me called... the Ponn Farr. It is something that occurs every seven years of a Vulcan's adult life. It is... an irresistible, uncontrollable drive to return to the Vulcan home world and... mate."

"And that's what... you... did," Archer shock his head to get the image growing in his head to leave before getting back to business. "And let me guess, that... Ponn Farr was why you were sick. But how did Trip get it? He's not Vulcan."

"I... gave it to him through a Vulcan bonding ritual I did not even recall doing." T'Pol finished answering all but one of his questions.

"Bonding ritual? What's that?"

"Well fer one... we can speak... telepathically. Which is kinda what we were doing out there without noticing it," Trip explained, slowing his pace from the mile a minute confession to long, drawn out words as he realized what they had done.

Archer sighed and looked away, having no idea what to say to all that. "I... I don't know what to say. Except that I expected more of you."

"What do ya mean by that, Jon? We had no control over what we did. Hell, I don't even remember half of what I did during that time!" Trip practically yelled at his friend over the unfair accusation.

'Trip,' T'Pol thought softly to him, causing him to turn and look at her.

'Sorry,' he thought back and he sighed. His jaw clenched and he glared at Archer, fire burning in his eyes. "Are we done here, sir?"

"Yes, you're dismissed," The two walked out; Trip storming, holding down his anger, and T'Pol tried to stay in step behind him. Archer remained in his ready room as he tried to contemplate what he had just heard.

**The Turbolift**

'Trip, please look at me,' T'Pol pleaded with him in their own private manner. They had gone straight to the turbolift, or rather Trip had gone and T'Pol followed. After one or two minutes of standing in the turbolift, he hadn't said a word, telepathically or verbally, not since they had left the Captain's ready room. He merely stood starring at the door, steaming.

"Trip, I do not understand why you are mad at the Captain. He was only doing his duty to find out why we were indeed acting differently," T'Pol spoke aloud rather than telepathically for she knew that, like touching, was a very intimate act and this was not the time for that.

He tried to look forward and ignore her but she took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. She stared into his angered, blue eyes and he into her calm ones. "Computer, halt turbolift," the turbolift tentatively stooped and Trip knew she wanted an answer there and then and there was no negotiating.

He felt the calm and order of her mind as he reached into it. The waves of tranquility, relaxed him and he allowed his anger to dissipate. When the fire in his eyes had been cooled to a soft simmer, he replied to her inquiry, "I know, but Jon's my best friend, ya'd think he'd be a little more understanding."

T'Pol put a sympathetic hand on his right shoulder and then he laid his left hand on hers. After staying like that for a few seconds, T'Pol told the computer to continue. When they felt the turbolift begin to move again, Trip took his hand off of hers and she let hers slid down his arm. Before it could retreat back to its appointed place next to her leg, he grabbed it and laced his fingers through hers. They looked into each other's eyes and both smiled. When the lift stopped, they let go of their hands, so they weren't seen by anyone passing by, and walked out the now opened door.

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Please R/R, I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter. Like was Trip storming out a little too much?
Anyway, I hoped you liked it.

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Continue to pt. 2 of The Torture ship II (Chapters 9-11)

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