“Welcome back aboard Enterprise,Archer said, inflating his words with an air of laconic drollness. In spite of himself, he was enjoying the look of discomfiture he saw on both their faces, especially Malcolms.
“Captain, we can explain, Reed said in a guilt-ridden tone, before TPol had even had a chance to open her mouth.
Archer released a long exhalation through pursed lips. He wanted to ask after Trip Tucker, whose absence now seemed as conspicuous as a corpse at a funeral. At the moment, however, he was in no mood to hear what could well prove to be very bad news. Instead of saying anything, he opted instead merely to smile as he held both arms out before him, making the universal gesture for “give me a hug.
“You can save your explanations for later, he said. “First, are both of you all right?
Reed stepped awkwardly into the hug, half embracing Archer while patting him on the back lightly, though just hard enough to force him to suppress a wince. TPol merely stood in place, looking nearly as awkward as Reed did.
“We managed to make it back in one piece, with no scratches or dents, as has the shuttlepod, Reed said in overemphatic tones as he pulled back just enough to make a close study of Archers bruised face. “Which is apparently more than we can say about you, Captain.
“Cracked ribs, Archer said. “I had a mean encounter with a Klingon admiral, but I think he ended up looking even worse than I do. Long story, short ending.
“Like I said, well have a long talk later about what the hell you two were doing when you took that shuttlepod, Archer said, trying to color his words with the same stern, scolding authority he remembered from the occasional childhood reprimands he had received from his father. “All Im going to say on the subject right now is that Im getting a bit tired of my most trusted officers deciding that the rules dont apply to them. Finding a detour off the main road doesnt automatically make it the route to take. And ifmy most trusted officers want to continuebeing my most trusted officers, theyd better have an explicit understanding that there will notbe any more detours.
TPol raised an eyebrow. “Captain, you have my sincere apologies. Our actions wereinappropriate and badly timed. I hope that you will allow me and Lieutenant Reed to make amends.
Archer turned and strode in the direction of the hatchway that led out of the launch bay and deeper into E decks interior, TPol and Reed following in his wake. “As far as anyone on this ship other than myself is concerned, you wont needto make amends. Phlox is the only person other than the three of us who knows that what you did wasnt authorized. Everybody else thinks you were on some kind of secret spy mission for Starfleet.
“Which is true, except for the Starfleet part, Reed said, grinning sheepishly.
Archer turneda bit too sharply for his ribsand growled, “Nobody else needs to know that. My log will show that TPol needed a lotof therapeutic meditation, and that you, Malcolm, were in your quarters recovering from the worst case of the Altairian quick-step in the history of human space exploration.
Reed made a face, but said nothing in response.
“Captain, the ship that helped ferry us in and out of Romulan space was a Vulcan intelligence vessel, TPol said.
“I was wondering how you were going to manage to pull off that part of your plan, Archer said. “You wereflying a short-range Starfleet shuttlepod, after all.
“Apparently, a craft as small as a shuttlepod canescape detection even deep inside Romulan space so long as it calls no undue attention to itself, TPol said. “Unfortunately, the only way we could discover that fact was to proceed with our plan.
“Gaining access to a Vulcan spys rather detailed Romulan star charts didnt hurt either, Reed added.
Archer stared at him as the hatch that led to E decks corridors opened in front of them. “Youve got maps? The official Coalition maps of the Romulan Empire were astonishingly incomplete, cobbled together mainly by means of long-range scans. Archer didnt know what good Reeds maps would do anyone at the moment, but he suspected that they might become extremely valuable in the days ahead.
Reed nodded, grinning an “aw-shucks grin that he had developed after four years of close association with Trip. “I certainly hope those maps will buy us back some of the goodwill weve lost.
“Ill consider it a down payment, Archer said. “As long as it stays in trustworthy hands, and away from certain shady characters I could name. The idea of having a resource that the mysterious black-garbed Agent Harris and his secretive Starfleet intelligence organization might lack appealed to him greatly.
Reed swiped his index finger across his chest, miming the letter X. “Cross my heart, sir. This little adventure of ours had nothingto do with the bureau.
As they approached the central turboshaft, TPol spoke again. “Captain, while we docked with the Vulcan vessel, we also discovered some intelligence related to you.
“Me? Archer said as he came to a stop just outside the turbolift door, which slid obediently open for him.
She nodded. “We know, for instance, about the evidence you presented to the Coalition Council concerning the Romulans and this new ability of theirs to remotely commandeer Klingon vessels.
As the trio stepped into the turbolift, Archer said, “Good. That ought to make it easier to persuade the Council not to get caught up in the wrong war against the wrong enemy. The doors hissed closed and Archer directed the turbolift to A deck, and the bridge.
“Our understanding, at least from those aboard the Vulcan ship, TPol said, “was that the Vulcan government may be far more inclined to accept your interpretation of the danger posed by the Romulans than are the other Coalition members.
“I wonder how much of that agreement stems from the relationship we know exists between the Vulcans and the Romulans? Archer said. He knew that Reed hadto know about that relationship by now; he couldnt have undertaken an extended mission into Romulan space without gaining some exposure to the startling physiological similarities between the two races.
“I am not sure, Captain, TPol said with evident sincerity; Archer knew that this was an extremely sensitive topic for her.
Noting they were about to reach the bridge, Archer pressed the stop button on the control pad. “Before we go any further, I want to cover the one topic weve all been avoiding since you two came aboard. He wasnt certain he wanted to hear the answer, but he had to know the truth. “How is Trip? Did you find him?
Reed nodded and displayed a sober expression. “We found him, and arrived just in the nick of time, too. Whatever these psychic flashes or connections that TPol has been having with our late chief engineer, she was right; his life wasin danger. After we helped get him out of the jam hed gotten himself into, we offered to bring him back, but he refused. He felt he still had a mission to complete.
“Something about the Romulan warp-seven project? Archer asked.
“That is at least oneof the objectives he appears to be pursuing, TPol said, her voice dropping lower. “He had also gathered other information, which he passed on to us. It concerned the Klingon attack on Draylax.