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Shadows: Book III in the Captain Soma/Enterprise Adventures

Author - Triplover | Genre - Action/Adventure | Genre - Drama | Offshoots | Rating - PG-13 | S
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Shadows

By Triplover

With significant assistance from Quills
A.N.:(and I have to give some credit where it’s due… none of this would have been written if it wasn’t for Quills since it was Quill’s idea in the first place and not to mention all the help there after!)

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t own this or the characters… Captain Soma is Quill’s character, and I suppose I get to have the people I make up in this story but Star Trek… this is all yours!
Summary: When a time traveler from the future takes a trip into the past the future is forever changed and one man is determined to get back what was lost… no matter what the cost.

A/N: Okay first of all… this takes place AFTER the Xindi threat has already been taken care of. Got it? Okay… also this was an idea both Quills and I came up with. I didn’t steal anyone else’s work! This is the both of ours. Got that? Good! Just clearing that part up! Now on with ‘our’ story!!!!

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Chapter One

Sub-Commander T’Pol moved uncomfortably on the bio bed as Phlox finished his scan. The Denobulon looked up at her. “You need to come in here every week… as this progresses… I’ll need to monitor you quite closely now.” T’Pol nodded.

“But everything is still fine so far?” She asked, a hint of worry in her voice. Phlox sighed then put his scanner down on the tray.

“So far… but that could change at anytime. As I told you before… I don’t know enough about your condition. For now though everything’s fine. Just come back once a week so that I can monitor the progression. If you feel any changes then I want you to notify me immediately.” Phlox looked at her sympathetically. He knew this couldn’t be easy on the Vulcan. “ How do you feel?”

“I am fine… tired… but fine,” she answered and got off the bio bed.”

Phlox smiled, “Well, I’d expect you to be tired… this isn’t going to be easy.”

T’Pol moved her hands behind her, “I should go… I have work requiring my attention.”

Phlox stepped aside to allow her to go, then sighed. “You still haven’t spoken to anyone yet, have you?”

T’Pol began to walk away. “I have not.”

Phlox walked with her. “I suggest you do it soon. This is important T’Pol… I’ve noticed the crew has been worried about you, especially Commander Tucker.”

T’Pol stopped, looking back at him as the doors opened, “I understand doctor… I will speak to him at the earliest opportunity. This will not be easy to tell him.”

Phlox nodded. “Perhaps… but he needs to be told.”

T’Pol cocked her head, looking at the doctor for a moment before leaving Sickbay. “Goodbye Doctor.”

==

Trip Tucker smiled when he saw her walk out of sickbay. “Hey T’Pol!” The Vulcan stopped and looked back at him, she seemed uneasy. The two began to walk together towards the turbolift. “So… you okay? What did the doc say?”

“I think we should talk,” she answered. Trip stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

T’Pol looked back at him and their eyes locked. She moved over to him and placed her hand in his. Trip was surprised by the gesture since they’d decided to be more discreet when on duty. “Charles, there is simply a matter we need to discuss.” She explained but before he could say anything else he felt the ship drop out of warp. He looked down and frowned.

They both heard the chirp over the system wide intercom.

“Trip and T’Pol… report to the bridge immediately,” came the captain’s voice. Their eyes locked again.

T’Pol walked to the companel, “We’re on our way captain.”

==

Jonathan Archer watched the ship on the view screen intently. The design was familiar yet different from anything he’d seen before. The vessel was adrift in space, badly damaged and losing power fast. Lieutenant Reed had done a detailed scan of the ship. It was roughly the size of three shuttle pods. Scans showed the ship had intricate shield technology, sustained warp four capability and what look to Reed to be cloaking technology.

“Hoshi?”

The com. officer looked at Archer and shook her head, “Still nothing sir.”

“Life signs?”

Malcolm Reed looked up at the captain and nodded. “Two life signs captain. One human and one Vulcan,” said the armory officer looking back at his board.

Archer caught the flash of concern on Malcolm’s face, “Something wrong?”

“That Vulcan life sign, captain… I’m detecting…human bio signatures as well.”

That last bit of information caused a cold chill to run down Archer’s back. Travis and Hoshi both turned towards Archer. If one of the occupants of that ship was who they all believed him to be then they had to act fast.

“Ensign,” said Archer getting out of his chair. “Keep trying to hail him.” Stepping up to the helm, he looked down at Mayweather. “Try to maneuver closer, Travis. We’ll see if we can use the transporter. Archer hated using it, but if he had to risk it …to save the occupants of that shuttle…he would.

==

Trip and T’Pol stepped onto the bridge as soon as the lift doors opened. They could both see the badly damaged ship floating aimlessly on the screen.

“What’s goin’ on cap’n?”

Archer gave the engineer a worried look. “We intercepted an automated distress call. “When we arrived, we found this,” said the captain pointing to the view screen. “Her weapons and shields appear to be offline along with everything else… including life support. We’re maneuvering close enough to try to use the transporter to beam them aboard.”

Trip cocked his head before asking, “Do we know what species?”

Archer looked at Tucker blankly. “One human and one Vulcan…with human bio signs.”

Trip and T’Pol looked at each other. “We gotta get em outta there,” said Tucker rushing forward.

“We’re trying Trip,” said Archer. “We’ll beam…”

“Captain!” cried Hoshi. “I’m getting a signal. It’s faint, but they say they can hold out long enough for us to pull them into the shuttle bay.”

Archer snapped his head around. “Malcolm”

“Already on it, sir,” replied Reed.

The captain tapped the comm. button on his chair. “Archer to Phlox”

After a moment, the Denobulen’s familiar voice came over the speaker. “Yes, captain.”

“Meet me in the shuttle bay immediately. We may have injured coming aboard.”

“Understood captain.”

Archer rounded the chair and headed for the turbo-lift. “Trip, Hoshi you’re with me. T’Pol you have the bridge

“Yes, captain.”

Archer could sense the hesitation in her reply. She wanted to be there when the ship was brought aboard, but Archer needed his first officer on the bridge.

==

As soon as Trip Tucker had the hatch opened he moved inside, unnoticed by the rest that he had got it open so quickly. The first thing Trip noticed was the smoke floating up into his nostrils as he entered the shuttle bay. Whatever damage the shuttle had taken was now venting itself into the oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere of the compressed shuttle bay.


He coughed. Through the smoke Trip could make out a figure but before he could speak the shadow grabbed him, picking him up off the ground and throwing him into a nearby console. “Identify yourself!”

==

Archer, Hoshi and Phlox had been waiting outside for far too long. Archer was getting rather antsy, but it was then that he heard the banging inside the shuttle bay. The three ran inside meeting a cloud of smoke. None could see a thing.

==

It was then that some of the smoke cleared and Trip could see the man’s face. The man smiled back at him. “Chief!”

Trip broke into a grin as he felt his panic fade. “Captain Soma! Jeez cap’n ya almost killed me.”

Soma took his hands off of Trip. “I-I’m sorry Chief. Didn’t mean to startle you. Are you all right?”

Trip rubbed his shoulder where it had impacted against the console. “I’ll live.” Trip looked back at Archer and Hoshi who were both lowering their weapons. He turned back to Soma. “So… ya miss me? I know it’s hard for ya to stay away for too long,” Trip teased.

“Of course Chief…I live to make these little life and death trips just to see you people,” muttered Soma rolling his eyes.

“Can’t really blame ya Cap’n… after all this was a real good year,” the engineer joked.

Soma shook his head. “Primitive technology and annoying villians… what’s not to love?”

Archer looked back at Hoshi who was grinning. The captain began to wonder if every time Soma came for a ‘visit’ those two would end up going at it. Archer also wondered when Trip would get a clue about his dear old friend Captain Soma, probably never. Poor Trip… he had no idea. He had no idea about a lot of things it seemed.

“Hey! Primitive technology? Ya tryin’ to offend me?”

Archer took a step forward and moved his hand to Soma’s shoulder. “I’m sure the Captain would never even think of offending Trip.” At any other time he would never think of doing that but they weren’t in any danger at the moment and he didn’t see the harm.

The three men laughed for a second before Hoshi finally cut in, “I hate to interrupt this ‘Kodak’ moment but what happened here?”

Soma’s face went serious once Hoshi posed her question. Everyone turned to look at him, waiting for his answer. “Short version… I’m here to correct a mistake.”

Trip cocked his head in confusion. “What kind of mistake?”

Soma turned and looked him in the eye. “A disastrous one, chief… something very important is going to be changed in the time-line and I’m here to stop it from happening; with your help that is… while trying to get here we ran into some trouble.”

Trip looked around at the charred walls and exposed circuits. “Ya think?”

Archer looked around the shuttle and then suddenly snapped his head back towards Soma. “We?”

Soma glanced towards the front of the shuttle. The acrid smoke was beginning to clear and Archer and his officers could see a form coming towards them. Everyone paused as the figure stepped out of the smoke. They could see the figure clearly now and it was a human woman. And not just any woman, it was one they were all familiar with. Trip’s eyes and mouth opened wide. The woman moved up to the Enterprise officers, giving them a slight smile. “Hi guys.”

Soma smiled when he looked at Trip. Archer was shocked but he tried to hide it as well as he could.

“Cutler? Elizabeth Cutler?” Trip asked in disbelief. The woman nodded.

“It’s really me… yeah… I know… I’m supposed to be dead,” she said in an uneasy voice. She understood their apprehension. Crewman Elizabeth Cutler died during the Xindi battle at Azati Prime; it was a matter of Starfleet record recorded by her former commanding officer…Jonathan Archer.

“Yeah… just what I was thinkin’,” mumbled Trip shaking his head.

Soma smiled. “Cutler is a temporal agent working with your Mr. Daniels,” he explained “When she ‘died’ after the attack at Azati Prime, she was taken back to her own timeline. Daniels assigned her to oversee this mission.”

Everyone looked quite shocked at the revelation, and the nonchalant way Soma conveyed it. Their friend, who they’d all known for so long, was a temporal agent. “So you were planted on Enterprise along with Daniels?” asked Archer. The confused expression on his face was unmistakable.

Cutler seemed uneasy immediately. “I was just there to observe, sir,” she said respectfully. “ I-I’m sorry but I had my orders.”

“Well frankly I don’t care you are,” said Hoshi. “I’m just happy to see you alive!” She leaned in and gave Cutler a hug. Hoshi seemed more than happy, ecstatic to say the least but even that didn’t describe the joyful expression on Hoshi’s face. And who could blame her? The two had been close friends. Trip was next in line to give her a hug. Even the captain felt the need to embrace her; a woman they’d all thought had died.

Phlox approached her hesitantly. They both looked at each other for an uneasy moment. Finally Phlox smiled and embraced her in a tight hug, ignoring his Denobulon preoccupation with avoiding physical contact. When Phlox finally let go his face a large malformed smile that made Cutler laugh.

“It’s good to see you Elizabeth…I’ve…missed you,” Cutler blushed and looked at Soma. The Vulcan smiled at her as he folded his arms.

Archer joined the smiling faces of this unexpected and happy reunion. He was happy Cutler was still alive, but just as quickly his smile faded at the burning smell of charred conduits. “Captain… who did this?” asked Archer looking at the damaged interior of the shuttle.

Soma locked eyes with Archer who saw a flicker of anger in them. Soma’s own smile completely gone. “The Enterprise did this captain. My Enterprise.”


Continue to Chapter 2

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Half a dozen of you have made comments

"The did this captain. My ." ???? What is this, are you trying to drive us to distraction??? ;-)

actually...thats a typo Evalyn...it should read...

Soma locked eyes with Archer who saw a flicker of anger in them. Soma’s own smile completely gone. “The Enterprise did this captain. My Enterprise.”

Oh. I was like 'hmm. usually soma is articulate.'
Great story. I'm intrigued. I love Soma stories.

Fabu!!! I'm hooked!

I'm guessing T'pol is pregnant with little Soma!!So I wonder if Trip will get to know who Captain Soma is now.

Hmm, we sure do like to mess with the timeline don't we? Very much intrigued, and very much waiting for more! Ali D :~)