Missing Scenes from Season Two -The Communicator

By Alelou

Rating: PG

Genres: missing scene

Keywords: first contact Suliban

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This story is number 8 in the series Missing Scenes from Season Two


SPOILERS:  The Communicator

DISCLAIMER: Star Trek belongs to CBS/Paramount, not me.  The original episode was written by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga and André Bormanis.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks as always to jT for beta and to the reviewers for that all-important care and feeding.


   

Once Captain Archer determined that he had not, in fact, lost his scanner, T'Pol attempted to organize the cramped passengers of the Suliban cell ship for their imminent arrival at the shuttle pod.  There was as yet no sign that it had been discovered, but their escape would have no doubt triggered a massive search.  "I can pilot the shuttle pod back to Enterprise, Captain," T'Pol said.  "You will need Mr. Mayweather's experience at the helm here."

"I can fly this thing, too," Tucker said, sounding a touch offended.  "Who do you think figured out how it worked in the first place?"

Archer said, "I can't speak for Malcolm, but I'd rather pilot the pod back myself.  It's a little crowded in here."

"You're going to run into hostile fire," Tucker warned.  "We accidentally de-cloaked long enough to get their ire up on the way down."

"That is precisely why I believe it would be best to keep your attention free on the trip back," T'Pol told him.

He gave her a dark look but held his tongue. 

"I believe the shuttle pod's defenses are more than equal to anything they want to throw at us," Mr. Reed said.  "Besides, I'd like to finish the job we started."

"Then perhaps it would be best to leave your equipment here with us," T'Pol said. 

Archer grimaced.  "You think we'll fall right back into their hands?  Have a little faith, T'Pol."

She said nothing.  It struck her as unfair to accuse her of not 'having a little faith' when she had agreed to use a spacecraft they barely knew how to fly on a rescue mission straight into the heart of a well-armed prison camp.  It also struck her as incredibly fortunate that nobody had been killed or injured in the process.

"We're here," Mayweather announced.  After a quick scan to ensure they were not being watched, Archer and Reed exited the cell ship and ran to the pod.

"Let's go, Ensign," T'Pol said.

"Don't you want to make sure they get off the ground?" Mayweather said.

"I'll just have a little faith," she said, which made Tucker snort, although he didn't look at her.

She watched him ease back over to the panel he'd monitored on the way down.  After checking to ensure that Archer had, in fact, gotten the shuttle pod launched, she decided to satisfy her curiosity.  "Why are you wearing a glove on one hand, Commander?"

He took the glove off and showed her an empty sleeve.  For a moment she just stared.  But then, judging from his slightly amused affect and the lack of a report from Dr. Phlox, she concluded that he had not, in fact, somehow suffered a catastrophic amputation.  "Your hand is cloaked?"

"Yup.  Had a little accident earlier when we were trying to get the cloak working."

"Will it wear off?"

"I sure hope so," he said.  "These gloves are sweaty."

"I told him an invisible hand could come in handy at movie night if he had a date," Mayweather said.

Tucker rolled his eyes.  "And if that joke didn't work with me, what the hell made you think it might work any better with her?"

"I still think it's funny."  

"How is it a joke?" T'Pol said, honestly curious.  She was puzzled not only about that, but about Tucker's use of 'her' when she was sitting right there.   It was her understanding that this constituted a breach of etiquette, if a minor one ... and that was most unlike him ... or had been, until recently.  His manner towards her, while never unprofessional, had turned noticeably cooler after her classified mission to capture Menos. 

Tucker just shook his head.  "It's not.  Forget about it." 

Not very long ago, she had concluded that Tucker treated everyone as if they were special, which meant that she should not conclude it meant anything particular if he gave her that kind of attention.   But now she knew that in fact he did not treat everyone that way, because he had certainly stopped treating her as anything more than a person he had to work with - and a somewhat tiresome person, at that. 

"It's because you could steal popcorn," Mayweather finally offered, perhaps after finding the long silence a bit awkward.

"I see," T'Pol said, although she really didn't. 

 

 

 

 


Comments:

shanjeniah

I personally think T'Pol's not at her best, here. She has just been through some serious personal trauma, and Trip's not willing to be a sounding board, even though she might need him more than she ever has.  

Am I the only one who caught that look they gave each other when the Captain thought his scanner was lost?  I don't think things are beyond hope. Maybe I need to write one that's a bit less angsty? 

I fo like her spunk as she decides to have a little faith in the Captain - in her own way. I hope Trip can see that she's trying, and that it would make more sense to hold a grudge against his human Captain and friend than the Vulcan woman still figuring things out where humans are concerned (maybe especially him), and who reports to a different chain of command beyond this one. 

Starwatcher

Another great o/s, one with some great humour too :-) Its so dad how T'Pol recognises that their relationship has changed since her Menos mission. I also must commend you on injecting some excellent continuity between episodes (something that was sorely lacking in S2, which IMO was one of its main failings) and developing their relationship in a canon-compliant way.

Aquarius

I think Cogito said it all for me.  The failure to connect is so sad...but admittedly, it's what kept us coming back until they finally did, isn't it?

It's such a short piece, but how profound, that T'Pol senses the change in their status and misses how it was.

 

Appropriate reCaptcha for our engineer:  "16 rewires"

Crystalswolf

I LOVE Mayweather's suggestion.  A friendship between this Travis and teen Sim could be dangerous... and funny!

bluetiger

Okay this is a great couple of lines,

'But now she knew that in fact he did not treat everyone that way, because he had certainly stopped treating her as anything more than a person he had to work with - and a somewhat tiresome person, at that.'

I love seeing the light bulb go off over T'Pol's head. She needs to see that she treated Trip poorly over this 'classified' mission. Even a species that doesn't show emotion should show respect.

Elessar

Poor, poor, clueless, stubbornly closeted, hot, hot, hot T'Pol ;):p

I LOVE IT

Alelou

I agree with you, Cogito.  All I can say is, stay tuned.  It may take a few episodes, but Trip will eventually get to say what needs to be said.

Cogito

You're staying true to the original screenplay, and it results in a very sad state of affairs with these two failing to connect. I wish you would put a happier spin on it to make up for the dismal situation we saw on screen. :(

I'm glad that T'Pol realizes now that Trip *did* think of her as someone special and I hope that's something she comes to miss. I can see how this misunderstanding could come from different cultural attitudes to privacy and friendship. Archer's commitment to T'Pol would make it very hard for him to tell Trip everything, but he surely knows that he put Trip in an unreasonable position as a result. We didn't see him acknowledge that on the show, but surely anybody with any common sense whatsoever would recognise that. Especially seeing how upset Trip was afterwards. I'm sure T'Pol will have worked that out too. She might not feel that Trip has any right to know about her personal affairs, but surely she too can see that it was unreasonable to leave the 3rd in command in charge with no explanation of where they were going or how long they would be, no way to contact them, and no way to respond if there was a problem. As it happened things worked out OK, but they could all have been in an awfully difficult situation if anything unexpected had happened. Very bad call by Archer, and I think T'Pol should have recognised that even if it was in the interests of protecting her privacy.

 

Captcha: "from showoff", how appropriate!

Alelou

Oh, I figure T'Pol knows it was something about that secret mission that bugged him.  But, being Vulcan, she wouldn't see that this should change her treatment of it as a classified matter. She'd also be completely oblivious to any jealousy Trip might be feeling.  I'd expect her to fatalistically accept that they can't be friends if that's what it requires.  I've also thought about writing a scene in which she asks Archer about it and he reassures her that Trip is mad at him too, but not to worry about it because Trip just can't hold a grudge. 

Honeybee

Poor Trip. Poor T'Pol - but a fun little scene!

Mary

I would have thought T'Pol to be aware enough of cause and effect to put two and two together and realize what was affecting Trip I mean, she has the timing dead on and she knows Trip is treating her differently. SOOOOOO get the gears working anf realize that the secrecy has hurt him. This scene add on was a hoot from have a little faith to I assume no catastrophic amputation. Thanks for doing these.

Dinah

Poor Trip.  R*E*S*P*E*C*T -- our boy just isn't getting much these days.  I'm not sure Archer and T'Pol ever really did catch on to how much they'd hurt him. 

At least T'Pol isn't totally clueless.  She's at least figured out that their relationship has changed.  I'm a little surprised that she's so willing to accept the change.  Wouldn't it be logical to attempt to analyze what might have caused this change in his attitude towards her?  Trip's dropped a few clues.  Maybe she just needs to take the time and dig a little deepter.

panyasan

Ouch. Season two sooo hurts. Still liked this one very much. It's painfully funny and that ending... when she ponders about that Trip treats her different then before: painfully beautiful is the word.

Distracted

*snort*  Poor clueless T'Pol.

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