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Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear - Chapter 2Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear by Rogue Genre: Romance/Angst Disclaimer: Mirror, mirror on my door, I’ll fall and worship on the floor, Paramount who owns up to the sky so blue, they don’t belong to me—so please don’t sue! Spoilers: Through Season 3 and 4, up to and including “Home” Summary: As T’Pol and Trip try to come to terms with her marriage, tensions on both Earth and Vulcan do their part to complicate the situation on all sides. ~~~ Chapter 2 ~~~ U.S.S. Enterprise, NX-01 Captain’s Log We’re currently ten minutes from intercepting the stolen Martian vessel. We’ve been attempting to hail them, but there’s been no answer. They’re traveling at Warp 1.93, and their engines will overheat within four minutes according to Commander Tucker. I’m hoping they’re going to be reasonable. I don’t want to fire on my own people, because in a way, I have to wonder if that makes me less than human.
“They will reach critical in his minutes.” “Captain, if they don’t stop, their warp engines are going to blow.” “Can we get there and transport them out?” Trip shook his head. “Not and escape the blast. A warp core explosions could create enough subspace turbulence to rip us apart. We’re too close now as it is.” “Malcolm,” Archer said, leaning over the tactical station. “Can you disable their engines?” “I can try, sir,” the armoury officer replied. “Hit it right above the exhaust manifold,” Travis said. “It’s right above the warp engine and it’ll trigger an automatic shutdown on those old ships.” Malcolm smiled. “Direct hit. They’re dropping out of warp.” “Get a security team to the airlock and bring the grappler online. We don’t know what kind of a resistance we’re going to meet. Trip get over there and see if you can get their warp engine online. I’ll have a team of MACO’s fly it back to Mars. T’Pol, go with him.” He looked out the viewport and sighed in relief. That had turned out a lot better than he’d thought. ~~~ “Open the door,” Malcolm ordered, phase pistol out and ready. Smoke poured through the airlock and the colonists began stumbling through. “Help, we’ve got wounded with plasma burns, and children in here!” He handed the child he was holding to a MACO and disappeared back inside. “Get Phlox down here,” Malcolm yelled, throwing aside his weapon and rushing inside. Trip pushed past, dodging through smoke and fleeing crew towards the engine room, handing children off to MACO’s as he passed. “You can’t go in there,” someone yelled. “It’s full of plasma fumes, it’s on fire!” Trip swore, loudly, backing away. “How long?” A large boom met his ears. “Not long enough!” “Get out of here,” Trip said, waving him past. “Go, come on!” He followed the people out, assisting a coughing woman out of the ship. “Is everyone out?” “I think so,” she said, moving her hand as she counted heads. “That’s all of us.” Trip slammed the airlock door shut and released the umbilical. “Tucker to bridge, get us the hell away from that shuttle!” He swept his gaze over the Mars colonists—a few men and women able to stand, most lying in the floor or slumped against walls receiving Phlox’s ministrations, even a few children now being comforted by a few of the MACO’s who had put down their rifles to open their arms. He felt the ship begin to move, the intuition only an engineer could have that they weren’t moving fast enough. The intercom buzzed—“This is the captain, all hands brace yourselves!” “Hold on,” Phlox said, grabbing the side of his medical gurney to hold his patient still. The ship rocked beneath them, sending corpsman crashing to the floor. Trip hit the wall, hard, before everything stilled. “Get these people to Sickbay,” Phlox yelled and Trip could not stop to consider the possible damage to the ship as he was pressed into service carrying the wounded. ~~~ “How are they?” Archer asked. Phlox looked over his shoulder. The four colonists who had been badly burned were resting, covered in a white paste that Archer was sure he didn’t want to know where it came from. “They’re doing all right. Other than those burns, only have some smoke inhalation, minor scrapes and bruises. Ah, Commander Tucker, your hypospray.” “What?” Trip said, barely concealing his cough. “Commander, you went into the ship and breathed in plasma fumes. Please sit down.” “Where are the other colonists?” Archer asked. “Malcolm has crewmen converting Cargo Bay 1 into a temporary barracks, but most of them are in the mess hall eating,” Trip said. “And they’re all very appreciative of Chef’s food. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy.” Phlox pulled the hypo from Trip’s neck. “Thanks, Doc.” “Let me see your arm as long as you’re here,” Phlox said, allowing Trip to roll up his sleeve and reveal a long scratch down his arm. “What happened?” Archer asked. “T’Pol’s pet sehlat decided she liked me,” Trip said. “Sehlat?” “Sort of a cross between a bear and a tiger. Only with fangs,” Trip said. “It makes a sound like a banshee straight out of hell.” Phlox laughed. “She probably saw you as a threat. Sehlats are wonderful creatures. They may steal your hearts, but they can leave you with scratches.” “Sounds like other Vulcan women I know,” Trip muttered, pulling his sleeve back down. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go help Malcolm pull the debris from the shuttle into Cargo Bay 2.” Archer frowned. “I wonder what that was about.” Phlox shrugged. “I’m sure it’s nothing Captain. Oh, I’d like you to take a look at this. It came up when I was doing the brain scans of our friends here.” ~~~ “Would you look at that?” Trip said, tracing a hand along the melted and burned edges of the destroyed shuttle. Malcolm whistled as he ran the scanner over the hull. “Amazing we didn’t lose anyone.” Tucker snorted. “We saved all the criminals to take them back. I’m sure Starfleet will be so pleased.” Malcolm frowned. “Maybe not so. I’m detecting traces of cobalt.” Trip glanced over his shoulder at the scanner. “Cobalt’s not unusual.” “It is if it’s dicobalt,” Malcolm said. “And it is if it’s in your warp injector casing.” “Seeing what’s left of our grand exodus, Trip?” a voice said behind him, and Trip turned. “Jack!” Trip crossed the bay to his cousin, opening his arms to give him a hug. “What are you doing here?” “Your friendly security officer escorted me here. You must have missed me coming out of the ship in the confusion, so naturally, I had to come say hello.” Jack Tucker’s lopsided smile nearly matched Trip’s own. “Jack,” Trip said, his smile disappearing, his hands still on his cousin’s shoulders. “What were you doing on that ship?” Jack sighed. “I think this is a conversation we need to have with Captain Archer. I only want to have to go through this once. Trip, we’re seeking asylum.” ~~~ Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS! |