Deceptions- Ch. 5

DECEPTIONS AND TRUTHS

By plumtuckered

Rating: PG-13, Darma, Romance
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Paramount. No money was made.

Chapter V

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T'Pol saw Commander Tucker grab the captain's arm the minute she ran into the main hall.

"Captain!" she shouted, racing toward her commanding officer and the engineer. "Restrain the commander!"

Captain Archer looked from his friend to his science officer in confusion. Both he and Lieutenant Reed grabbed the commander as he lunged for High Premier Colthera. They took him to the ground and pinned him under their combined weight. T'Pol's line of sight was cut-off by the Talazorian security forces. She fought her way through, followed closely by Ensign Mayweather and Dr. Phlox. When she finally broke through the crowd, she could see Commander Tucker writhing on the floor. He was struggling to free himself from the captain and the armory officer, who remained holding him firmly. She looked around, finally catching sight of Prime Minister Yar and Dr. Kronell making their way through the crowd of frantic on- lookers.

"Ensign!" she shouted above the noise. Ensign Mayweather instantly followed her gaze. He jumped up on a nearby table and ran across it, leaping to the next one in line. T'Pol was surprised to see Ensign Sato follow quickly on his heels. The young helmsman launched himself into the air and hit Yar with his full weight. That both went down in a heap on the floor. Ensign Sato did the same, easily taking down the Talazorian doctor. They both hauled their prisoners to their feet and were immediately surrounded by security officers. Mayweather and Sato looked anxiously at the weapons trained on them.

T'Pol quickly moved to High Premier Colthera but was stopped by one of her guards.

"Prime Minister Yar was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate you, High Premier!" T'Pol shouted. "If you check, you will find a small triggering device on his person. It controls a transmitter that Dr. Kronell surgically implanted in Commander Tucker last night!"

The Talazorian looked at T'Pol for several long moments before she signaled to one of her guards. He moved to where Ensign Mayweather stood holding Prime Minister Yar. T'Pol let out the breath she'd been holding when the man's search produced a small black box. She could see a glowing red light on the face of the device. The guard moved back to his leader and handed it to her. She instantly switched it off. T'Pol looked to the floor. Commander Tucker immediately ceased his angry struggling but he now was moaning softly in obvious pain. Both Reed and the captain released their grips on the engineer but both remained at his side. T'Pol knelt down beside the captain, her eyes locked on the commander's face. Dr. Phlox quickly joined them.

"Take Prime Minister Yar and Dr. Kronell into custody!" directed the high premier. "I don't want them terminated until we can find out the names of any other conspirators! And clear the room immediately!"

T'Pol quickly glanced up to see the Talazorian leader being led away, completely surrounded by her guards. She then turned her attention back as Dr. Phlox began running his scans. He reached down and gently turned the commander's head slightly then nodded, turning concerned eyes to the captain.

"The implant is located at the base of his brain. His body seems to be rejecting it. I need to remove it immediately or it will kill him, Captain."

The captain only nodded slowly in response.

"Sub-Commander, Lieutenant, would you hold Mr. Tucker so he doesn't move. Captain, if you'd please secure his head," the doctor directed. T'Pol moved to Tucker's side and took a hold of one arm and one leg. Reed did the same on the other side. The two ensigns had returned and now knelt down at the commander's feet, both watching anxiously. Captain Archer moved up and held his friend's head firmly between his hands. He turned it slightly to give the doctor access to the back. T'Pol watched Tucker's face. He was nearly unconscious. She noted how pale he looked and quickly suppressed her need to comfort him.

"Easy, Trip," whispered Archer softly. "You're going to be fine. Dr. Phlox is going to have you feeling better in no time."

"Unfortunately, Captain, I used my only two sedatives to incapacitate Dr. Nate and another accomplice at the medical facility so I won't be able to put Mr. Tucker to sleep. You will need to hold him firmly."

Dr. Phlox pulled out a laser scalpel from his medical bag. T'Pol saw the captain look up quickly as the incision was made. Archer's eyes quickly returned to his engineer as he began moaning in pain. T'Pol could feel the muscles tense under her grip as the commander made a feeble attempt to move.

The doctor paused.

"What's wrong, Doctor?" asked Archer.

"This device has been surgically integrated to such an extent that removing it may kill him."

The commander tried to shift his head as he mumbled incoherently. Suddenly he began to convulse, his muscle spasms violent. Both Reed and T'Pol held on to him while Mayweather and Sato helped. Captain Archer held on firmly so Tucker's head wouldn't hit the floor. As the convulsion subsided, Dr. Phlox quickly ran another scan. He looked up at the captain, his normally bright eyes darkened.

"You said it would kill him if you didn't remove it, Doctor," whispered Archer, his voice strained. He absently stroked his hand over Tucker's hair, which T'Pol knew was a subconscious attempt to calm his friend. "I don't think we have many options here."

As she watched the commander's face, T'Pol again felt the overwhelming need to comfort him. The captain's words echoed loudly in her mind. The very thought of losing this human brought with it strong emotions. There had been several instances when she very nearly lost the commander but she had always been able to eventually hold her emotions in check, allowing no one to see her inner struggle. This time, with his life possibly seeping away under her hands, the feelings threatened to overtake her. She dropped her head and closed her eyes. T'Pol looked up when she felt a gentle hand on her arm. She looked at Ensign Sato who smiled knowingly at her. T'Pol nodded her thanks to the young woman.

The doctor nodded at the captain then he slowly reached in and pulled a small set of surgical pliers from his bag. T'Pol closed her eyes again as he began to remove the implant from the engineer.

>>>>>>>>>>

Travis sat quietly in the mess hall with Hoshi. Neither of them had spoken a word for several minutes. It had been six hours since their return to Enterprise and there was still no word from sickbay. Dr. Phlox had managed to stabilize Commander Tucker enough for the flight back after he'd removed the transmitter. The helmsman had overheard the doctor talking to the captain and sub-commander in the shuttle pod about the commander's condition. His relief that the engineer would survive had faded quickly when he heard the words brain damage uttered. The doctor said he wouldn't know anything for certain for several hours.

Travis glanced up at Hoshi who sat staring at the mug she held between her hands. They both turned when the door to the mess hall slid open. Lieutenant Reed stepped in then moved to their table. He sat down across from Travis.

"Any word, Lieutenant?" asked Hoshi softly.

"Not yet, Hoshi."

"Does anyone know why the Talazorian's did this to Commander Tucker?" asked Travis.

"Sub-Commander T'Pol thinks it was a way to send the Talazorian government into upheaval but also damage their relationship with the Vulcan High Command at the same time. There appears to be a faction that resents the involvement of the Vulcans in their lives. If you think about it, the Vulcans were the ones to initiate our first contact with Talazor. What better way to create tension between Vulcan and Talazor than to have a human assassinate the high premier?"

Travis shook his head. "It probably would have hurt our relationship with the Vulcans as well."

"No doubt," replied Reed. "I'm just thankful you and the sub-commander were able to uncover the conspiracy before Commander Tucker...followed through with their plan." He rose to his feet then tilted his head from side to side in an attempt to relieve the tension. "I'm going back to sickbay. Why don't you two get some rest? I'll be sure to let you know as soon as there's word."

Travis and Hoshi exchanged glances then they both shook their heads.

"I think we'll both stay here, sir," Hoshi replied. The lieutenant started to leave then turned back to both of them.

"By the way," he began with a small smile. "Nice work taking down Yar and Kronell. I couldn't have done any better myself."

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Continued in Chapter 6

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