Negotiating - Pt. 3

Negotiating Peace

By myst123

Rating: G, General
Disclaimer: Star Trek situations, characters, and name are all owned by Paramount. This work is non-commercial, not for sale or profit, and may not be sold or reproduced for commercial purposes.
AN: A meandering chapter, with little more than a few musings by two men as they take in the early morning calm of an alien planet.

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Part 3

The sun rose the next morning, bringing another beautiful day. Trip was sad to think his short time on this planet was drawing to a close. Even under these difficult circumstances he found the beauty and open air refreshing. Perhaps he had more in common with Soval that he originally thought. Both Vulcans and humans had need for sun to regenerate. The main difference was in the degree of sunshine required.

Today he would be returning Soval to Enterprise and then to Andoria. What would happen with the peace discussions? It appeared to Trip that Soval was no more willing to negotiate with the Andorians than before the break insisted upon by Archer. Soval’s health had nothing to do with his stance, but Vulcan mistrust had everything to do with it.

Trip did not allow himself to think about T’Pol. There was nothing to be done to assure her that he didn’t mean to insult the ambassador. Trip decided to chalk the whole episode up to experience and move on. Both Soval and T’Pol were too inflexible to try to see things from other perspectives. Subconsciously, Trip shut down his emotions.

**Coffee,** Trip thought, **just what the doctor ordered.** He fired up the camp stove, boiled water, and set about making his favorite morning beverage. Once finished, Trip relaxed and took in the crisp morning scenery – the rocks were red and the vegetation green, the sky an unbelievable cornflower blue. It was as though every perfect earth day were present at that moment. Trip loved the early morning and savored this one.

Movement from the other tent distracted Trip from his meditations. Soval emerged from the tent, clothed in his customary Vulcan garb but lacking the ornamental robe. He still looked tired and, Trip was surprised to note, faintly vulnerable. Trip didn’t like to admit that Vulcans could be vulnerable.

Soval stilled as he spotted Trip sitting in the chair, mug in hand.

“Would you like some coffee?” Trip asked. “Or something else?”

“Coffee is acceptable,” Soval responded. He had grown fond of the beverage while living the in the Bay Area. Odd, he thought, how the smell of coffee brought a sense of comfort and peace.

Trip set about preparing a cup for Soval, thinking to himself how surreal the situation seemed. So much tension and they were bonding over coffee, of all things!

“Did you decide what to do about the Andorians?” Trip inquired.

Soval’s eyes narrowed as he accepted the cup Trip offered. “That information is…”

“…classified. Of course,” Trip finished for the Vulcan.

The two men exchanged a glance and withdrew into themselves.

Soval sipped the brew and glanced about. The day was satisfactory. As much as Soval loved—no, accepted—his assignment in San Francisco, the morning fog could be depressing and the summers very cold. Although this unknown planet was lush rather than arid, the sun reminded Soval of Vulcan mornings, with the crisp air and intense colors. His mind wandered back to a time when he was content with his life, with his wife, with his family. Those days were gone, long ago, and Soval found the lack of them… not tolerable.

Trip picked up his coffee cup and walked through the meadow, his shoes knocking the morning dew from the grass, leaving a dark green trail where he had tread. He tried to empty his mind of recent events, but guilt over his behavior made this difficult. He didn’t like Soval, but T’Pol did and that should be respected. Instead he had put her in an uncomfortable position.

**Humans,** Soval pondered, **I’ve worked with them for many years, yet they remain a puzzle to me. They are a simple race, yet unpredictable. One would think all humans are alike, but this one…Commander Tucker?...isn’t like any I have met before. T’Pol seems to have broken the human code. She can communicate with them, understand them, explain them. This human, wandering about aimlessly, is one she converses with daily. Once she and I conversed, but lately all our conversations have been business. She has more in common with this human than with me.**

Soval did not see himself as indulging in a fit of Vulcan self-pity; he would characterize it, as "analyzing and classifying Subcommander T’Pol’s interactions with human Starfleet personnel."

Soval examined the man standing quietly in the midst of the summer dew, remembering earlier encounters he couldn’t recall the day before. This human tried to convince the higher authorities at Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command that human warp drive was reliable. The passion and excitement with which the man spoke was so intense Soval had acquired a headache. Was it not possible for the man simply to state his case without dramatic exclamations punctuating each sentence? Didn’t this human know that Vulcans dismiss overly emotional statements as flawed? Only those presented in cold logic were to be considered.

Trip was pondering the same scenes, the times he had tried to convince the big brass that Henry’s warp drive was sound. But his impassioned speeches had fallen on deaf ears. It was odd that the same intense arguments with T’Pol, full of the same intensity he used in early encounters with Vulcans, fell on willing ears with her. T’Pol did listen to him, he suddenly realized. She may not agree with him, but for some reason she trusted his judgment. Trip turned his analytical mind to the situations when T’Pol was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. When the argument turned to loyalty, she was able to get beyond her Vulcan blinders and respond to the situation rather than to the protocol. Did T’Pol have a sense of loyalty to someone? Was loyalty the key?

Soval reviewed the conversations from the day before in his mind. He did not agree with the human, but perhaps it would have been worthwhile to ask the Androrians what their plans were for the planet. Although logic dictated what the reasons for the settlements were, the Andorians were as undisciplined as the humans... perhaps they had a motive not discernible to the rational mind.

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While Trip pondered loyalty and Soval pondered logic, T’Pol pondered what to do about two stubborn men who caused her anguish, yet proved so necessary to her existence.

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A handful of people have made comments

I loved this bit of introspective thinking on both Soval and Trip's part. It will be interesting to see how a change in perspective, however small, may affect the negotiations. i would love to see their interaction with the Andorians. Keep up the good work! Ali D :~)

Oh, very nice piece of introspection on both parts, and the little codicil of T'Pol's thoughts at the end.

You must continue this, please.

Oh so glad to see this story back. What a wonderful addition.

Tracy--Off to re-read the whole thing again and hope more will be posted soon.

consider it stricken!

Dear Myst,

since i can't find your email address, I decided to reach you this way. Thanks for the congrats! i would love to read the story you mentioned. Where could i find it?

And in answer to your question, allow me to clarify: I meant that Trip knows others sometimes view him as a womanizer. But I don't think HE considers himself to be one. Afterall, he's always been the perfect gentleman ;).Overall, I was trying to establish the sense that Trip knows what others think of him, but he also knows that his actions need only be accountable to himself. This will come into play in the sequel to "Of All the..."

Always,

Aratte.

P.S I was soo happy you reviewed! Your work is tremendous and very entertaining. I'm so flattered that one of the Trip/T'Poler's staff read my story!