Enemy of the State-Ch 11

Enemy of the State

By Quills

Contact: the_quill_pen@yahoo.com
Series: ENT
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star trek and I derive no financial gain from this story.
Codes: A, T/Tu, Ma, S, R, P angst, drama, romance, humor, action/adventure
Summary: The starship Enterprise is on a desperate mission to save Earth from the mysterious Xindi. While searching for the weapon the Xindi intend to use against Earth, Captain Archer and his crew are reunited with their friend from the future, Captain Soma, who brings news of an even more sinister plot by a Xindi faction involving the Vulcans, which threatens not only Earth, but the entire galaxy. Now it is up to Archer and his crew, with the help of Soma, to unravel the Xindi plot and prevent Earth and the galaxy from falling at the feet of their greatest threat…Vulcan .

***Special note: This story takes place after the season three episode, “Carpenter Street”, but before the episode “Harbinger”.

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Chapter 11

The ship’s intercom signaled, a bos'n hale whistle followed by an announcement over the ship wide intercom . “Sub-Commander T’Pol, report to the bridge.”

T’Pol stopped in the middle of the corridor; recognizing the voice immediately, she walked to the nearest intercom panel, tapping the response button. “I’m on my way captain.”

Heading down the corridor, she turned off a side junction to a turbo lift alcove. Touching her hand to the lift access control, she signaled for the next car to stop at her location. Waiting for the turbo lift, she could hear the conversations of passing crewmembers. They were obviously unaware of the Vulcan ability to hear more acutely than humans. Their conversations all revolved around Enterprise’s current mission and their own fears over whether Captain Archer and the senior staff would be able to repair the damaged timeline.

T’Pol had advised Archer not to inform the crew. Strongly suggesting only essential personnel should be informed, thus minimizing any decrease in crew morale along with any related decrease in performance. Archer had tried to impart to her that humans often worked better when faced with adversity and that he wasn’t going to keep his crew in the dark. He trusted them and believed they could handle knowing what they all faced.

Hearing the turbo-lift decelerating to her deck, T’Pol cleared her thoughts of the matter. Once the lift came to a full stop, the doors slid open; moving to enter the lift, she stopped, startled by the occupant standing inside.

“Going my way?” smiled Soma, arms folded against his chest, leaning against the lift wall.

She gave him a raised brow and a slight nod. “It would seem so.” Entering the lift, she turned and faced the doors as they closed.

“Bridge,” she told him curtly.

“I know,” replied Soma twisting the lift’s hand control. “I heard Captain Archer signal you. I was already headed for the bridge so I thought I might catch you on the way up.”

T’Pol merely nodded not replying. She had not seen Soma since last night, when Commander Tucker had visited her with an injured shoulder and his story relating how the two men had gotten into a violent altercation with one another. She found the news disturbing from both sides and contemplated if part of the reason it had occurred was her fault. She considered whether or not to address the matter now or wait. Uncertain if she and Soma would have time later, she stepped forward touching the manual stop button, bringing the lift to a slow, decelerated halt.

Soma eyed her curiously as she turned slowly towards him.

Looking him squarely in the face, she straightened in that show of strength he had always admired in her. “Commander Tucker spoke with me last night regarding your altercation with him.”

Soma shook his head, taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I thought he might.”

“He said that you hit him.” She posed the statement more like a question. Although she had no reason to doubt what Tucker had told her she held out a brief hope that he may not have accurately relayed it to her.

Soma turned quickly in response. “He hit me first!” he said raising his voice. Instantly he regretted saying it. It made him sound like a child and T’Pol gave him a condescending look.

“You are a Vulcan,” she replied in a correcting tone.

“I’m also half human,” countered Soma defensively. “I don’t suppress every feeling I have.”

“I was not referring to your emotions.“ she clarified. “We are three times stronger than the average human male. If forced to, either of us could cause great physical harm to one of them. You should have restrained yourself. You could have severely injured him.”

Soma looked down. She was right and it was something that had troubled him. He was much stronger than his father. Tucker had posed little physical threat to Soma, but he had chosen to react violently towards the man.

Nodding his head he added a painful addition to her assessment. “Or worse,” he admitted knowing how easily he could have killed Tucker. Shaking his head, he turned away.

Closing his eyes, he let out a deep sigh. “He never hit me before,” he told her with sadness not usually present in his voice. “Not even when I deserved it.”

T’Pol looked at Soma, her deep brown eyes mirrored his own sadness at what he said. Stepping closer, she spoke softly. “He did not mean to strike you,” she said trying to soothe his anguish. “He expressed much regret over what he had said and done.”

Soma turned back to face her and she could see his eyes were red with tears. “I am…also sorry,” she told him.

He looked at her in confusion.

“You once told me you were…a friend…if I needed one,” she said pausing as she searched herself for the right words. “But I didn’t extend the same courtesy to you when you needed it most.” She paused again as she swallowed hard, her own emotions threatening to burst through her wall of reserve. “You reached out to me…in sickbay…I reproached you. I-I was more concerned with my own distress over seeing you again; what you represented.”

“I-I…” he couldn’t speak. What she said was true. He had needed her very badly then. The one person he could talk to about T’Cel, about how he felt, had pushed him away.

T’Pol, took a step closer. Reaching out hesitantly, she placed her hand against his chest and gave him a brief smile. “I will not do that to you again, Jonathan.”

He looked at her for a moment. His lip trembled and though he tried to hold them back, the tears came flowing out. Pulling her to him, he hugged her tightly as he let the tears flow freely.

Slipping her arms around his back, she held him as he sobbed. The rush of his raw unchecked emotion threatened to overwhelm her and she wanted to push away. But she tightened her hold on him, refusing to let go. She would hold him for as long he needed.

Finally, Soma backed away slowly. Wiping the tears stains from his face, he sniffled. Looking down at her, he gave her a slight smile. “I don’t mean to be insulting…but I do love you, you know.”

She was taken aback by the word. She wasn’t surprised, merely unsettled by the genuine and powerful emotion behind it. She considered giving him a similar response, but decided not to. She didn’t understand love, at least not in human terms, and she suspected he would know her words were merely empty platitudes. Instead, she reached up and stroked the side of his face. This was an expression, a genuine one, she believed conveyed how she felt about him.

Turning away, she walked over to the turbo lift control and resumed the lift’s ascent.
Looking back, she regarded him for a moment then spoke. “If you wish to speak with me of T’Cel, I will make the time. I-I would like to hear more of her.”

Soma smiled, “I’d like to tell you.”

“There is one other thing,” she said.

“Yes?”

She approached him. His face a stern masque. “You will never make such a crass comment to me as the one you made leaving my quarters last night,” she told him.

He looked at her with genuine surprise. It had been a long time since she had scolded him, but that was exactly what she was doing.

“I expect better manners from my son,” she finished taking up her original place beside him.

Looking down at her, he smiled. “Yes, ma'am.”

The turbo-lift began decelerating and the two Vulcans took that as a cue to end their conversation. The lift came to a stop and they exited as the doors parted. T’Pol immediately turned her attention to the view screen which had a blue planet filling the majority of the screen. The planet was dotted by several dark green and brown patches, but for the most part was a sparkling color of light blue.

“Well, if it isn’t the resident Vulcans,” quipped Trip Tucker from the engineering station. “I thought you people are supposed to be punctual.” He made the comment in a light-hearted tone and Soma could tell he was offering him an olive branch. He needed to talk to Tucker, see if the two men could patch things up, but now was not the time.

Turning to T’Pol he spoke to his mother in Vulcan, but loud enough for Tucker to hear.
She looked up at him and then over at Tucker, shrugging her shoulders as she looked back at Soma. He grinned and headed down the steps as T’Pol moved to her science station.

Tucker glanced back and forth between the two Vulcans. “What was that all about?”

Soma didn’t bother looking at him as he held his gaze on the screen. “Maybe I’ll tell you some day Chief.”

Tucker wasn’t sure, but he believed he had just been the butt of a joke between the two Vulcans. But hearing Soma call him ‘chief’ again made him not really care what joke the two Vulcans had shared at his expense.

Archer turned towards Soma. “Jonathan,” he said giving the Vulcan a nod. He had taken to calling Soma by his human name over the past few days. The two men we’re the same rank and he felt the need to establish a rapport with the Vulcan if he was going to rely on the man’s greater experience.

“What do you make of that?” said Archer pointing to the screen.

Soma shook his head. “That doesn’t look right.”

Archer shook his head in agreement. “I had Malcolm take some scans. That planet is covered by ninety-seven percent water. He was able to bring up an extreme magnification image. I take it this is not how we’re supposed to find it?”

Soma scrutinized the picture as he considered this new information. “It would appear that in this timeline the planet has experienced geologic changes.”

“If that is the case,” interjected T’Pol, ”it will hamper out efforts to locate the Preserver technology.”

Soma gave her a quick glance. She had finally gotten around to calling it Preserver technology, even if she still had her reservations.

“Assuming its still there,” added Archer.

“If it is,” said Soma, “Then we should be able to find it. There are several unique resonance properties we can scan for. However, if it’s submerged then it may be even more damaged than when you found it.”

Archer was about to make a comment when Reed called out. “Captain! I’m picking up a vessel in orbit.”

Archer snapped around at the view screen. “Can you put on the viewer?”

Reed shook his head with uncertainty. “I might be able to give you an extremely magnified image.”

Reed adjusted his controls as he glanced at the main viewer. The image shimmered and the entire screen was now filled with the light blue color of the water world with the exception of a small black object in the center.

Archer glanced at Soma. “Look familiar?”

“I’m not sure,” replied Soma shaking his head. “Mr. Reed can you clear the image up any more?”

“Sorry Captain,” Reed said, looking at his display. “That’s as good as I can get it.”

Soma approached the view screen, stopping at the edge of the helm. “The design is different,” he said scrutinizing the image. “That’s to be expected with a one hundred and fifty years difference, but these markings.” He pointed to the upper section of the hull. “They could be Vulcan or a derivation.”

Archer looked past Soma and studied the black image. “Mr. Reed, any sign that they’re aware of us.”

“No captain.” Reed glanced at his board but wasn’t surprised to find no signs that the ship had detected Enterprise “At this distance I don’t think they would be looking.”

“That ship looks pretty small,” said Travis volunteering an opinion. “A large shuttle or a scout ship.” The years he had spent with his family running cargo freighters gave him a unique perspective. He had found that Archer valued his opinion when it came to his experience in and out of all different kinds of space vessels.

“If it’s Vulcan, then we can count on a base or mother-ship in the area,” added Reed.

Archer shook his head. Assuming it was a short-range vessel, as Travis had suggested, Reed was more than likely right and a base or mother ship wouldn’t be very far away. Neither would reinforcements. “Assuming it is an Alliance ship,” said Archer as he looked at Soma. “Your opinion?”

“We take it out of commission,” replied the Vulcan captain almost immediately. “Disable its weapons and engines.”

“But if it’s a scout ship someone is sure to come looking for it,” countered Reed.

“And if we alert them to our presence they’ll undoubtedly report their findings,” explained Soma. “We need to delay that for as long as possible.”

“Agreed,” responded Archer shaking his head. “Mr. Reed, tactical alert.”

Reed signaled the alert status and Archer took his seat in the command chair. Soma moved up the steps and took up a position behind Archer to offer him any tactical advice if he requested it.

“Travis, bring us in at a tangent to their orbit,” ordered Archer. “It should mask our approach. Cut to impulse as soon as we’re within five hundred kilometers of the outer boundary.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Malcolm, as soon as we’re in weapons range target their engines and weapons,” said Archer gripping the armrest of his chair. “Just enough to disable them.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Captain,” said Soma, “recommend you jam any transmissions they might try to make.”

Archer glanced over at the Comm. Station. “Hoshi.”

Ensign Sato made several adjustments to her board and then nodded to Archer. “All frequencies jammed, captain.”

“Captain, we will reach five hundred kilometers outside the planet’s out boundary in fifteen seconds…mark,” announced T’Pol.

“Captain, I think they know we’re coming captain,” said Reed. “They just activated an energy shield.”

“So much for the element of surprise,” said Archer. “Increase speed to maximum.” The captain looked down at the navigation readout. “Alter course to 187 mark 64, we’ll flank them from the starboard. Malcolm, open fire as soon as we’re in range.”

“Captain,” said T’Pol looking up from her viewer. “Before their shields went up, we were close enough that I was able to take a bio reading. There are three life signs aboard that vessel, all Vulcan.”

Archer shook his head. “At least we know who we’re dealing with.”

“Captain,” shouted Mayweather in alarm. “They’re coming about.”

Lieutenant Reed added his own warning to the helmsman’s. “Their charging weapons, captain.”

A moment later, two electric blue bolts of energy left the Vulcan ship. In an instance, the bridge crew felt the violent reaction the ship had to the weapons discharge.

The enemy ship altered course to retreat, Enterprise returned fire with her phase cannons, striking the exposed flank of the ship. The ship’s energy shield shimmered as the phase cannon fire repeatedly struck the vessel. In one violent explosion, the Vulcan ship’s shield collapsed allowing the final phase cannon energy to strike the main propulsion housing. Instantly the tiny ship began decelerating.

Enterprise course and speed adjusted to match the Vulcan’s as the starship came along the ship’s starboard. As she paralleled the smaller ship, another lance of electric blue fire struck the Enterprise.

Returning fire, Enterprise phase cannons struck the Vulcan ship’s weapons array. A blue discharge spider webbed along the upper hull. Moments later, the ship’s running lights faded and the sleek black vessel went totally dark.

“Got them sir,” said Reed. “Their weapons are offline and I think that last shot took out their main power.”

“Confirmed captain,” added T’Pol. “The vessel is maintaining emergency power only. Their life support is stable, but they pose no further threat.”

Reed looked at his board and then at Archer. “No significant damage to us, but I’d hate to see what her big sister can do. That ship packs quite a punch for such a small vessel ”

“Captain,” said Soma rounding the bridge railing. “Recommend we bring her aboard. She may have information that would prove useful and it looks small enough to fit in the shuttle bay.”

“You think they might have a database onboard?” asked Tucker.

Hoshi was the first to respond. “I doubt it commander. A ship that small isn’t likely to have an extensive database.”

Archer nodded. “Malcolm, any sign of explosives or a self destruct?”

Reed looked at his instruments as he scanned the vessel. “Nothing sensors are picking up. I don’t think that ship has enough energy to detonate a firecracker.”

“All right,” said Archer. “We’ll make arrangements to bring the shuttle aboard, but first I want to try and locate the Preserver transporter.”

Soma headed back up the steps, rounding the railing, to the science station.
“T’Pol, adjust your scanners to search for Trilatinum isotopes. The Preservers equipment has significant amounts of the material in its construction. It isn’t a naturally occurring compound so it should be easy to detect.”

T’Pol adjusted her instruments to search for the single compound, excluding all others. If they had attempted to search for any forms of anomalous readings it would have taken them hours, if not days. Searching for a single isolated compound would reduce the time to mere minutes.

“I’ve have isolated the location,” said T’Pol looking up from her viewer. “It is the equatorial region, approximately two kilometers from one of the larger land masses.”

“So its underwater?” asked Soma.

T’Pol looked at her reading, studying it for a moment and then turned towards Archer and Soma. “It is submerged, but I do not believe it is in water,” she explained pointing to the view screen. The image on it changed to a topographical cutaway of the planet’s surface. “Scans show a number naturally occurring pockets of localized air pressure in the area the scans are detecting the Preserver technology.”

“Caves?” said Archer

“Undoubtedly captain,” replied T’Pol. “They appear to be natural. Most likely formed during this planet’s geologic upheaval.”

“So what we need, might still be intact,” added Soma.

T’Pol nodded her head. “A distinct possibility.”

Archer turned back to the screen and considered his options. He voiced the first thing that came to mind. “Transporters?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it, Cap’n,” said Tucker as he leaned over his console. “The transporter was never designed to move people. If we try transportin’ someone through water, rock and then into a confined space we’re just askin’ for an accident.”

“The shuttles are out,” said Travis turning around. “They weren’t designed for water.”

“Then there’s only one other option,” said Soma. “We dive for it.” Soma rounded the helm and approached the viewer.

“T’Pol, could you bring up the section of the planet you said you detected the Preserver technology,” asked Soma. “Give me a view for a ten mile radius.”

T’Pol turned to her controls and in a moment the screen changed once again with the image Soma had asked for. Looking at the image for a moment he considered exactly how they needed to orchestrate the attempt. When he was satisfied, he pointed to the large landmass to the lower right of the screen.

“We can land a shuttle here,” he explained. “Then take a watercraft out to the dive spot.” He trailed his hand across the viewer, stopping in the middle. “Since it will involve cave diving I suggest we limit an initial search team to myself, Commander Tucker and Sub-Commander T’Pol.” Soma glanced over at Tucker. “I believe the chief has ample experience diving as do I and the three of us are the only personnel with the scientific and technical knowledge required, should we locate the Preserver technology.”

“I agree,” said T’Pol looking from Soma to Archer. “However, I do not have any experience underwater.”

“Don’t worry yourself,” smiled Tucker wagging his thumb between Soma and himself. “You’ll have two experienced divers with you.”

T’Pol simply eyed him warily. She was far from convinced, but made no attempt to voice her discomfort.

“All right,” said Archer. “Unless anyone has a better idea.” Turning to Lieutenant Reed, he issued a set of orders. “Mr. Reed, you and I will deal with the Vulcan shuttle. Have a security team meet us in the shuttle bay.” Turning to Soma he issued a second set of orders. “As soon as we have the shuttle aboard, we’ll pull into orbit. Get whatever gear together that you need and take some of Major Hayes’ MACOS. I’m certain they have diving experience if you need them.”

“Aye, sir,” responded Soma with a nod.

Soma headed for the steps as he heard Archer order Travis to grapple the Vulcan shuttle. Letting Tucker pass him as they both headed for the turbo lift, they met T’Pol who was waiting for them.

Soma smiled at her as they entered the lift. “You up for a day at the beach?”

T’Pol glanced at him with a raised brow, eliciting a chuckle from Tucker who added, “Don’t forget yer bathing suit.”

Glancing between the two men on either side, T’Pol sighed at her last thought before the lift door closed. Surak give me strength.

Continue to Chapter 12

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Nine of you have made comments

Wow... I never would have thought Soma would cry like that... this must really be getting to him. Poor guy, first it was his mother then his father who was treating him bad. Will the madness ever end????? Surak give me strength... oh poor T'Pol. Has to be with two Tuckers... she's REALLY gonna need that Vulcan control me thinks!

Well...I fought with it, but in the end I decided it "humanized" him. He can't always be the strong one and lets face it...T'Pol...the only person who he could truely talk to, gave him the brush off. If he didn't feel alone before, he certainly did after that.

In the end, his nerves are frayed, both professionally and personally. He's fighting to
save the future, the woman he loved died, his mother refused to acknowledge him, his father
clocks him...and through it all he has to be a Starfleet officer. I think anyone would have a bit of a meltdown, but like all good heroes he
has his cry and does his duty.
Q

I agree, the meltdown was inevitable. It made sense. But it also caught me off guard. It drove home how deeply this entire mission is affecting him.

Surak give me strength-LOL! Two Tuckers, both experienced divers, and one lone desert-raised Vulcan. Awww, family diving trip! Bonding time!
We're all set up to have some fun, let us have it soon!

Great story so far! Can't wait to see what happens next... btw, the project we talked about is just about finished... Muah Ha ha...

The "whole family" going on an away mission. Can't wait to see how that turns out.

lol. I loved this chapter. T'Pol scolding Soma like a son, this was great. And the last sentence was awesome. I can actually picture these three living together, with Soma growing up, T'Pol scolding him. And T'Pol praying for strenth to deal with her two most important men. lol. Awesome, quills, awesome.

Hmmmm...would one of the diving MACOS happen to be Amanda Cole?!

Great chapter Quills, I loved that you brought in Trip's dive experience, nice touch.

I also think it's great that you've got Soma diving too, afteral, Spock could swim.

I'm going to enjoy the next few chapters, me thinks- father and son teaching T'Pol to dive, yay. Who says Enterprise doesn't hold family values!?!

I am so glad that you are continuing this story and love the interplay between T'Pol and Soma. Looking forward to more interaction from Trip as they have to rely on each other down on the planet. Thank you for a great story, Ali D :~)