Negotiating - Pt. 4

Negotiating Peace

By Myst123

Rated: G, General
Contact: mystbbs@earthlink.net
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.

Part Four

****************

Trip returned to camp and started packing. Soval began to help, but desisted when Trip motioned him away. With practiced efficiency, Trip assembled the gear and stored it in the shuttle pod. Soval stood by, watching but unable to participate. Soval hadn’t packed or unpacked an overnight bag in over 60 years, let alone disband a campsite with such ease.

Once the kit was stored in the pod, Trip reluctantly reached for the communication device to make contact with Enterprise. All too soon he heard T’Pol at the other end of the connection.

“I expected to hear from you earlier than this, Commander.”

“Well, T’Pol, we had some coffee and enjoyed the morning. You know how it goes.”

“No, I don’t know how it goes. Please explain.”

“You get up, boil some water….”

“I have no need for your twisted sense of humor, Commander Tucker. Please inform me how Ambassador Soval fairs this morning.”

Trip handed Soval the communicator. Soval was surprised at the tone T’Pol had taken with Commander Tucker. Had this human done something to cause a Vulcan to question his motives? Suddenly, Soval felt much stronger.

“Subcommander T’Pol. We are prepared to leave this planet and return to Enterprise and from there to the Andorian negotiations. Please update me on any developments which may have occurred during my seclusion on this planet.”

“Are you well?”

“My health is satisfactory. About the Andorians….”

“You sound in better health. Was your sleep restorative?”

“My sleep was adequate. The Andorian situation requires….”

“’Adequate?’ What occurred? Why was it not satisfactory? Or at least sufficient?”

“It was all those, Subcommander. The Andorians….”

“’All those?’ What has occurred? Are you injured. Commander Tucker, report!”

Trip was amused by all this Vulcan melodrama. **Jeez! Soval slept. T’Pol, get a grip! No need for the third degree!**

“Yes, Subcommander. How can I help you?”

T’Pol, thinking of Soval, did not note Trip’s humor. “Please, how is Ambassador Soval?”

“As cranky and ornery as ever. In other words, he’s fine.”

T’Pol felt a tightness leave her chest.

“Please proceed back to Enterprise.”

“Subcommander…,” Soval intoned in his familiar, intimidating tones…

“Do not interrupt me. Commander, please proceed with your departure. Ambassador Soval, we can discuss the Andorian situation once you have been examined by Dr. Phlox.”

Trip was enjoying himself. T’Pol apparently had the bitter old Vulcan wrapped. The other man’s mouth was still silently forming useless words when T’Pol signed off.

Soval drew himself up to his full height, looked down his patrician nose at Trip, and turned towards the shuttle. Trip followed, giving the Ambassador a helping hand into the ship, following him inside, and prepared the vehicle for flight. Once all was readied, they headed back to Enterprise.

******

T’Pol signed off from her connection with Commander Tucker and the Ambassador. Apparently the two men had survived each other’s company, but she would find everything more satisfactory when both were aboard and under her control…or rather in a suitable environment for evaluating their responses.

T’Pol’s seated herself at the science station, automatically adjusting the sensors to monitor the surrounding space. Her mind wandered in a most un-Vulcan-like fashion back over her time with this crew. Commander Tucker had challenged her from the first moment she met him. His words were about…what was it?...oh yes, he said he had taken a shower. T’Pol suppressed her responses to the images that statement conjured up. However, in that moment, Mr. Tucker had conveyed his amusement about her as both a Vulcan and a woman. He had let her know he was aware he repulsed her, and yet he didn’t let that stop him from pursuing a relationship on his own terms -- he had introduced himself in the quintessential human fashion, by extending a hand of friendship and providing that absurd nickname. The combination of the slightly mocking humor and his openness had deprived her of the ability to respond diplomatically -- she turned her back on him. However, during those initial encounters, he would not accept her rejection. He forced her to see the value and consistency of loyalty. Really, T’Pol reflected, human loyalty to each other is no less rational than Vulcan adherence to logic.

From the first moment she met him, T’Pol hadn’t known how to respond to Commander Tucker because he fit no known archetype. Most human males were simple to understand and categorize. For some reason, her outward appearance appealed to them. Both Captain Archer and Lieutenant Reed made it clear they found her appearance acceptable. But Commander Tucker rarely saw her as anything other than a Vulcan -- a Vulcan he classified and compartmentalized as untrustworthy. In this sense, he out-Vulcaned most Vulcans. She watched as his friendship with Lieutenant Reed flourished, yet she, although he teased her and laughed at her, found her not worthy of his attention.

His humor piqued her interest the most. He used it as a way to both distance her and draw her in. He constantly referred to her age, which on the surface showed interest yet also mocked the longevity of Vulcans as almost…vulgar. He made her feel that, by revealing her true age, he would relegate her to beneath his notice. She was perturbed by the idea, but she wanted him to find her desirable, so she kept from him her age. In truth, she knew he was aware of her age and it had no bearing on their interactions, but she was reluctant to tell him outright that she was over 30 years older than he in fear he would reject her. Her experiences with human males caused her to keep from the dissemination of too much information which could distort Commander Tucker’s view of her.

Her thoughts turned to Soval, another complex man. Soval, who was as reverential about logic as a Vulcan could be about anything. Yet he chose to live among humans. Perhaps Soval was simply so arrogant he believed he could remained untouched by humans, after decades of acting as liaison. T’Pol noted, however, that recently, he had become somewhat illogical about humans in space, had become almost angry when she pointed out the flaws of Vulcan logic in certain circumstances. And Soval himself had started to use humor to discuss situations. He wanted to be logical, but he too found humor a means for relieving stress and exploring conflict.

T’Pol brought herself back to the present. She glanced at the time piece, then focused intently on it again. Where was the shuttle pod? It was long past the time the vessel should have returned. Where were Commander Tucker and Ambassador Soval? T’Pol felt suddenly very cold.

***************

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Two folks have made comments

I am enjoying the story very much. I really like seeing the frustation T'pol has dealing with these two men who are as different as night is to day. More please.

This is excellent. I so love the interaction between Soval and Trip, and T'Pol's frustration is hilarious even over a com link. But uh oh, I sense all is not well in paradise. Can't wait for the next part! Thank you so much for a wonderful story, so beautifully told. Ali D :~)