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Gateway-Part 15

Author - Quills
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"Gateway"

PART 15 (Chapters 39)

Quills Contact: the_quill_pen@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13 angst, drama, romance, humor, action/adventure
Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star trek and I derive no financial gain from this story.
Summary: Captain Archer is relieved of command for a secret mission into the 24th Century. To find and stop the Suliban renegade Silik. While he is gone, a Vulcan Starfleet Captain from the future is given temporary command of the Enterprise NX-01 with his own orders to investigate the 'Temporal Cold War'.

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Chapter 39

Ambassador Soval looked out the window as the stars streaked by in brilliant white bolts of light. He had often found himself in contemplative thought at many a view port where he had gazed at many a passing star field. It was a luxury he did not take for granted. As a soldier he had seen far too many conflicts. He knew the price a newly emerging space faring race paid by joining a community of as unlike individuals as they would ever meet. He found the streaking points of starlight a constant reminder of the symmetry and harmony that was possible among races.

Unfortunately, he did not find this view a desirable one. It might have been the fact that the hull of a Vulcan battle cruiser obscured his view of the passing stars or the ominous meaning such a ship held. Vulcan, in it's collective memory, had never known a conqueror. No Vulcan could conceive of being subjugated by another species. Vulcan had always responded to outside threats with appropriate action. It was all quite logical...and yet...Soval considered the Andorian question.

As a young Vulcan, he had been stationed on several outposts during some of the bloodier conflicts Andor had engaged in against Vulcan. There were deaths on both sides; far too many in Soval's opinion. Yet, it was deemed a logical course of action by the High Command. Andor was a viable threat to the security of Vulcan. One could not argue with logic...but what had their actions brought them? A century's long conflict creating an even wider gulf of distrust between the two planets. Where was the logic in that?

Soval took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The affair with the humans needed to be handled with great care...less Vulcan find itself embroiled with yet another Andor. Soval's contemplative mood was broken as the doors behind him parted.

Soval turned slowly as he heard the door open. He knew it would not be one of the Enterprise's crew. He had transported two dozen security personnel to oversee the crew. In truth, he knew exactly who was coming to see him.

"Yes, Subcommander?"

The Enterprise's acting Captain came to a stop a few meters behind Soval as she gave her report. "We are on course for Earth Ambassador. Do to the Enterprise's limited warp five engine, we will arrive in fifteen hours and forty seven minutes."

Soval digested the information as he observed T'Pol. "And the crew?"

T'Pol hesitated for a moment as she chose her words carefully. "They are obeying Captain Soma's orders. There has of course been some vocal disagreement but there has been no physical resistance."

Soval nodded and turned back to the view port "Good...I would wish to avoid any of the crew being injured."

T'Pol remained silent as she studied the Vulcan she had respected for as far back as she could remember. She had found her earliest impressions of him one of cold austerity. Even when she was much younger Soval had attained a rank of distinction among their people. He managed that by prioritizing what was important and what were merely obstacles to the greater good of Vulcan and it's people. A price, she observed, he often paid personally. Though she had at times disagreed with him, she would never dispute his greatness or the sacrifices he had made on behalf of Vulcan.

Soval glanced over his shoulder, "T'Pol?"

She straightened herself in reaction, but relaxed after a moment. "Yes sir"

"I require your opinion." he said still facing the view port. "You have served with humans closely for some time now. I would hear your view of the current situation."

She arched a brow inquisitively. "Are you asking me if I believe the humans perpetrated the attack on the Vulcan ships?"

Soval remained motionless as he stared out the view port. "Yes"

T'Pol considered the question carefully. He had often posed such questions in the past to test her abilities. How she responded was at least as important as what she said. "It would be illogical to draw a conclusion without further investigation. As it stands we do not have enough evidence to conclude whether the attacking ship was or was not a Starfleet vessel. Logic suggests that the matter be investigated and only then can a conclusion be reached."

She paused for a moment, hoping her response was adequate. When he failed to respond she decided to add a further observation she hoped would not be seen as a sympathetic view of the humans. "In my experience with the humans aboard this vessel, in particular Captain Archer, I have found that they can be an extremely reactionary species. They are prone to outbursts of emotion...however, I have seen them take great steps to avoid conflict and in fact make positive strides in resolving highly tense situations. I find their purported attack an incongruity."

Soval considered her observation for several moments. "Yes, thank you Subcommander. As always, I find your opinion of value."

She inclined her head slightly as she responded. "I am honored."

Soval turned to face her. "What of this Captain Soma."

T'Pol gave Soval what could only be construed as a perplexed look. "As I have said, he claims to be from the future. In addition, the ship's medical officer has confirmed that he is the result of a Vulcan and Human pairing."

Now it was Soval's turn to look perplexed. "Fascinating, such a pairing would be exceedingly difficult, but not impossible."

"Captain Soma has demonstrated an ability to deal with situations through duplicitous tactics and strategy. He is also remarkably disciplined even though..." T'Pol paused with uncertainty.

"Yes?" said Soval.

"Even though he embraces his emotions." she finished.

The elder Vulcan's brow arched. "I see you still hold your father's view of those Vulcan's that explore the passions our people. Passions abandoned for the stability of logic and the teachings of Surak."

T'Pol bowed her head. She still found conflict within herself over the half human/ half Vulcan Captain and the current situation only added to that conflict by bringing in wholly unrelated elements she found were vexing her.

"This will prove useful when I question him aboard the T'Sol." said Soval.

T'Pol looked up at Soval, clearly confused. "The T’Sol?"

"Yes, I agree with your assessment. In my brief contact with the Captain I can discern that he is plainly a man not to be underestimated. His surrender was far too easy. It would be best to remove him from the Enterprise before he has the opportunity to formant dissent among the crew or perhaps seek to regain control."

"A logical decision." responded T'Pol.

"You will instruct the guards outside to prepare the Captain for transport to the cruiser T'Sol. Inform Captain Sevek of the transfer. When we are ready, I will return to the T’Sol with Captain Soma in one of the T’Pol’s shuttles."

"I will make the arrangements, Ambassador." she replied as she bowed slightly.

Turning, she began to head for the door, but was stopped by the voice of Soval.

"T'Pol..."

"Yes, sir," she replied turning towards him.

"I am... grateful to have you at my side once again. You have always performed dutifully and exemplarily. When this is over, we will speak of your future back on Vulcan."

T'Pol looked at the elder Vulcan as she considered his words. Nodding slightly again, she turned and exited the ready room.

Meanwhile....

Soma sat in his sparse quarters as the Enterprise headed back to Earth flanked by Vulcan battle cruisers. He looked out his view port and saw one of the cruisers aft of the Enterprise's starboard warp nacelle. Soma concluded the Vulcan ships had surrounded Enterprise in a 'V' formation to prevent her from making a run and limiting how many ships she could target with her weapons.

"They got us cold boy." said Soma as he looked down at the small furry quadruped laying on the floor.

Porthos looked up at the Vulcan with large brown eyes. Captain Archer's pet beagle, had originally been in Archer's own quarters. However, during one of his down times, Soma had heard the dog barking from inside Archer's room. Investigating, he found Porthos had not been tended to for at least two days. Understandable, with all the excitement going on. Although he had a feeling Archer would have the Chief's ass if he found out, so he took Porthos to his own quarters making sure the little beagle was looked after.

Porthos sat up and walked over to Soma, hopping up on the bed, sitting next to the Vulcan. Soma patted the dog on the head as he looked back out the window. There was a ship out there from his time and it was more than likely in the hands of a madman bent on only he knew what. One thing was certain Soma thought, he had to find the 'Kirk' and that wasn't going to happen as long as he was locked in his quarters and the Enterprise was headed for Earth under heavy escort.

Suddenly a tiny chirp attracted Soma's attention. Porthos jumped up and ran over to the desk against the far wall. Soma looked at the door to see if the guard outside had also heard the noise. It was quite faint, but he of all people knew the acute hearing Vulcan's possessed. Slowly he rose from the bed and walked over to the desk, glancing at the door as he went.

Porthos began to growl at the strange chirping noise, but Soma shooed him away. "Quiet Porthos, go lay down boy."

Soma sat at the table and pulled the desk comm panel off. The Vulcan security guard had bypassed the comm system and computer terminal too Soma's quarters to prevent him from having contact with the crew, but he had not done so manually. He had simply blocked the comm through the computer. Some careful rerouting by Ensign Sato brought the desk comm back online. Earlier, Soma had pulled the panel off and rewired it so the comm would appear dead if it were more closely inspected. He also needed the comm signal set to a very low gain to prevent prying ears from hearing it's signal chirp.

Placing the panel back into place, Soma tapped the comm button. "Soma here."

"Cap'n, it's Chief Tucker, sir," replied the low voice.

"I read you Chief."

At the sound of a familiar voice, Porthos came running back over to the table. The little beagle stood on his hind legs as the fore paws held onto the table top. He let out succession of 'yips' prompting Soma to quiet him once again.

"Was that Porthos?" asked Tucker "Oh damn, I forgot all about him."

"Porthos is fine Chief."

" Hey boy...I'm sorry...you know I wouldn't leave ya stranded if it wasn't an emergency. I'll make it up to ya boy..."

Soma cut the engineer off. "Chief, I'm sure you and Porthos are having a moment, but would you stop apologizing to him and give me a report."

"Yes sir...sorry sir...we're just about ready Cap'n. Malcolm says his boys have got everything set up the way ya ordered. The Vulcan's have been watchin us like hawks, so it hasn't been easy."

"Do they suspect anything?"

"If they do, they aren't shown any sign of it."

"Good."

"Cap'n..." said Tucker hesitantly.

"Yes Chief."

"What about T'Pol?"

Soma sighed "You worry about getting everything set... let me worry about T'Pol. By the way, where is she?"

"Malcolm says she was on the bridge a few minutes ago. She went into the ready room to talk with Soval and then came out issuin' orders to the Vulcan security detail."

"What kind of orders?"

"Malcolm wasn't sure, he couldn't hear much and he said it sounded like they were talkin' in Vulcan...but he's pretty sure he heard your name and one of the Vulcan ships being mentioned."

Soma swore under his breath. "I was afraid of that. They're probably going to move me to one of the Vulcan ships."

"They can't do that!"

"Quiet Chief...there's a Vulcan guard with very good hearing right outside my door...They can and they will...unless we push things ahead. How soon can you and Mr. Reed be ready?"

"Malcolm says he's all set, but I need at least another hour."

"You may not have it Chief." responded Soma as he considered his options. " By pass the mains if you have to and just divert power to auxiliary systems. That should cut the job time in half"

"But that won't leave us enough to power the main section...we'll only have enough for peripheral systems."

"If everything goes right, that's all you'll need."

"What if everything doesn't go right?"

"Then I suggest you brush up on your Vulcan, Chief."

"I was afraid you would say that." replied Tucker with exasperation " Ok, I'll get on it...anything else?"

"No Chief, just hurry, Soma out."

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Continue to Part 16 (Chapters 40)

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Three people have made comments

Excellent, excellent, excellent! I am loving this - can't wait to see what happens next. I really love Soma, he is a gem of a character. Not quite sure which side of the fence T'Pol will land on. Whatever her deepest thoughts are she is keeping them to herself right now. Keep going, this is a wonderful set of stories. Thanks for writing this, Ali D :~)

I love this!!! I really just love the way you've written Soma. He's just such a great character. What's T'Pol going to do? What's Trip and Reed up to? Please, keep it coming!

I love this story, and have from the beginning. But you know what I would really love? A conversation between Trip and T'Pol about Soma. Soma is well-drawn, but I want to know how Trip and T'Pol discuss him with each other.

Sorry, I'm not trying to tell you how to relate your story. Keep going - that's all I care about!

Thanks for a suspenseful, intriguing tale.