Award

Trip gazed at his monitor. He had checked for messages before he left for his duty shift. There was one:  You are invited to a dinner dance for all Enterprise crew on Saturday night. Dress is formal full dress uniform. RSVP.

"Damn, dinner and a dance. Might be fun but why formal?"

Trip turned off his monitor and left for Engineering. All day he thought about the Invitation. That evening, he walked into the dining hall, drew a cup of coffee and saw T’Pol sitting alone at a table. He joined her.

"Get an Invitation to the dinner dance this Saturday night?"

"Yes."

"Uh, would you like to go with me? Attend it together? Sort of be my date?"

"That would be very agreeable."

"Great."

"The dress is formal. What is RSVP?"

"The organizers of the dance want people to let them know if they intend to be there."

"Have you told them you are coming?"

"Not yet."

"May I answer for both of us? I can arrange for a table at the same time."

"Swell. That would be fine."

"I shall do it tomorrow morning."

"Okay. Tell you what. I will pick you up at your quarters Saturday evening."

"That will be agreeable."

Saturday afternoon Trip received a comm from T’Pol:  Can we delay our departure for one half hour?  I have an experiment in the science section that I must finish before I prepare for the evening.

Trip responded:  Sure thing. I will be at your door a half hour later than planned.

Saturday evening found Trip outside T’Pol's door. He rang the chime.

"Come in."

T’Pol was dressed in a Starfleet formal full dress uniform with a skirt rather than trousers.

"You look beautiful. How do you do it? Even in a uniform you are gorgeous."

"Thank you for telling me I look beautiful."

"Hell, you have always looked beautiful since the first time I saw you."

T’Pol took out a full-length coat that had no Starfleet insignia of rank. Trip had the same coat on. T’Pol had a scarf of Starfleet blue. It looked like gauze but hid her ears and hair. She put it over her head. Trip helped her with the coat. T’Pol tucked the scarf inside the coat.

"I am ready."

They left her quarters and walked to the launch bay where there was a shuttle waiting. They were the only passengers. The journey to the surface took only a few minutes. Trip hailed a ground car taxi. He gave the name of the ballroom where the dinner dance was being held.

Trip and T’Pol entered the ballroom foyer, checked their wraps and walked into the ballroom. An enlisted orderly stood at the entrance.
"Commander Tucker and Commander T’Pol," said Trip.

"This way," said the orderly. He led them to a table near the front of the ballroom. "Your table, sir," said the orderly, who then returned to his post.

They sat. "Looks like we are early,” said Trip. “We are the only ones at the table."

"All of the crew seem to be here already," said T’Pol.

"Look, Admiral Gardner and Admiral Smyth are at a table. Archer and Hernandez are sitting with them."

Trip also saw a small dais with a microphone on it. "Wonder what that dais is for?" he said.

"We shall see," said T’Pol.

Trip waited but no one else came to sit at the table.

"Looks like a couple of people didn't show. We have the table to ourselves."

A waiter came up. "We will be serving the meal now. I will bring it right away."

Trip was surprised when the waiter brought him prime rib, mashed potatoes and peas. "Hey, my favorite meal."

T’Pol had a Vulcan meal served her. "This too is a favorite of mine."

They ate in silence, Trip deferring to T’Pol's customs.

After dessert, coffee and tea, Trip sat back and sighed. "That was one good meal."

Admiral Gardner rose from his table and walked to the dais.

'"We have an award to present tonight," he said.

"Looks like Archer is going to get a medal," whispered Trip.

"Captain Hernandez will present the award," said Gardner.

"Yup, going to have Hernandez do it. She and Archer are tight," whispered Trip again.

Hernandez rose and walked to the dais.

"This is the highest award that can be given by Starfleet: for exceptional valor over and above the call of duty, disregarding his personal safety. We are pleased to present this award."

"Looks like Archer is going to get the big one," whispered Trip.

"He climbed a cable between Columbia and Enterprise, in open space, while the two ships were travelling at better than Warp five. Had he slipped or fallen he would have been lost in space. The ships could not have helped him. He would have died a lonely, terrifying death when the air in his EV suit finally was exhausted. Nevertheless, he made the journey to the Enterprise and saved the ship. Will Commander Tucker please come to the dais to accept this well-deserved award?"

Trip was stunned. He heard a voice in his head. 'You deserve it, Thalia."

"Did you say something?" he asked T’Pol.

"Go up. Captain Hernandez is waiting for you."

Trip walked up to the dais in a bit of a daze.

When he got to the dais, Hernandez stepped behind him, put the ribbon holding the medal around his neck and closed the magnetic clasps to hold it in place.

Congratulations, Commander. Starfleet would also like to honor you for your brilliant feat of engineering which saved the crew and the Enterprise. We are pleased to award you this medal for outstanding achievement."

She pinned a medal to Trips chest and stepped back.

T’Pol was on her feet leading the applause. The rest of the crew rose with her, applauding loudly.

"Commander, if you will say a few words," said Hernandez.

Trip stepped up to the microphone.

"Thank you. I deeply appreciate this. I cannot thank you enough. When I did this, all I was thinking of was the fact that my friends and comrades were in danger, and I could save them. I had to do something."

Trip couldn’t help but think about that someone special who had been on Enterprise at the time.

Trip smiled and started back to his table. Gardner, Smyth, and Archer all shook his hand. Archer said, "Deserved."

When Trip reached the table, T’Pol eyes were shining with pride.

"You applauded. I thought Vulcans didn't do that."

"I was told that this showed appreciation and respect for your heroism."

"You stood too."

"I was told that that would emphasize how deeply I felt that you deserved the award."

"Thanks. It made me feel very good."

Trip heard a voice in his head again:  “'I’d always hoped that you knew that I was aboard and in danger when you climbed that cable. That you feared for my life and wanted to save me."

"T’Pol, I keep hearing these voices in my head. I think I may be going batty."

Again Trip heard the voice:  “You are hearing my heart speaking to you, Ashayam.”

"T’Pol, that sounds like your voice. How can I be hearing it in my head?"

T’Pol looked at Trip with softness in her eyes.

“I will explain it to you some day."

"T’Pol, did you know about this?"

"Yes, but I was sworn to secrecy. I was so happy and proud that you were going to be recognized for your bravery."

Trip looked uncomfortable. "I never wanted to be decorated for something that I had to do."

You did not have to do it. Others would not have taken that risk."

"Not when you were in danger."

T’Pol wanted to smile but tried to show her feeling in her eyes.

Malcolm and Hoshi walked up. Malcolm had a huge grin on his face. Hoshi was smiling.

Trip rose and Malcolm shook his hand. "You deserve it,” Reed said. “You should have been awarded one a lot sooner.”

"Thanks, Mal, but I did what I had to."

"None of the crew would be here if you had not. We all owe you our lives," said Hoshi.

"So, Archer put me in for this?"

"No, Hernandez did. She was your commanding officer at the time. She was the one who had to nominate you for the award. That is why she presented it," said Malcolm. “I had to confirm what you did since I was on the Enterprise, watching you climb that cable. I was very honored to confirm it."

"What about the other one, for the accomplishment?"

"Archer. But he let Hernandez present it because she was already scheduled to give you the other medal," said Malcolm.

'Okay," said Trip. “Nice that he did.”

Hoshi glanced at T’Pol and sensed that she wanted to be alone with Trip.

"Ask me to dance, Malcolm," she said.

"What? Oh. Would you like to dance, Hoshi?" Malcolm asked.

"Love to," said Hoshi.

The two stood and walked onto the dance floor. The music had already started and other couples were dancing.

"You are so handsome in your dress uniform. I did not tell you that earlier,” T’Pol said. “I forgot. I was so pleased that you had said I was beautiful to you."

"Forget it. But thank you anyway."

T’Pol, did I hear your thoughts in my head?" Trip asked.

"Yes, my thoughts are for you. I did not know if you would hear them," said T’Pol.

"I hear them loud and clear."

"Trip, you said we had a lot of work to do. Is there still much work left? Not on the ship, but between us?”

"Guess the work is finished."

“What then? What do we do?”

"I want you; I want to love you. But I am not sure what you want."

"I want us to try to be together until we are sure that we can be together for the rest of our lives."

"How together?"

T’Pol flushed a bit. "Like that night in the Expanse."

"Will it be the same morning after? I don't want to go through that again."

“No, I swear, that won't happen."

“You want to give us a chance, but you are not promising anything more than that.”

“But I am, I am promising you a future with me."


"Let’s talk about this later in a more private place. Is my quarters after this all right with you?"

"Yes, it is all I hoped for."

The enlisted orderly walked up. "Here are the boxes the medals came in. Captain Hernandez says you need them to store the medals."

"Thank you," said Trip.

"That will keep you from losing them," said T’Pol.

"When can we get out of here?" asked Trip.

"I understand the guest of honor has to stay until the last person has left," said T’Pol.

"Christ, we will never get out of here. Some of these people are here for the night."

T’Pol caught Archer's eye. He walked over.

"I have a headache. Commander Tucker has offered to escort me back to my quarters so I may meditate and erase the ache," said T’Pol.

Archer gave them a skeptical look.

"Give the Admirals our excuses and thank everyone for the medals,” Trip said, “but I really have to see T’Pol home."

"Sure. I will give them your apologies," said Archer and walked away.

"Let’s get out of here," said Trip.

"Gladly," said T’Pol.

Trip felt a wave of love and anticipation from T’Pol.

Damned good night, thought Trip. Got a medal and maybe my girl back.

Finis