Rating: G
Genres: drama missing scene
Keywords:
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This story is number 8 in the series Missing Scenes from Season One
Spoilers: Episode 08 "Civilization," but you could probably follow this without it.
Author's Note: Our boy did not behave entirely well in "Civilization" and I felt he needed to suffer some consequences. Thanks as always for the reviews.
"Commander, if you would please join me in the ready room."
Trip swallowed. "On my way," he said.
At least the ship wasn't taking fire anymore. T'Pol's idea of beaming the reactor adjacent to the Malurians and then blowing it up had obviously worked.
Brilliantly.
And he was a horse's ass.
x x x
Nobody on the bridge quite looked at him as he exited the turbolift and shifted over to the ready room. Trip licked his lips and tried to contain his growing sense of dread.
"Reporting as ordered, Sub-Commander," he said, and stood at attention.
T'Pol said nothing for the longest time, just stared at him.
He stared straight ahead and resisted the urge to explain, to apologize, to suggest that he would never do it again. After all, this was at least the second time he'd disobeyed her orders on the bridge, let alone what he'd done under the influence of those spores. Speaking out of turn right now would just be one more example of his inability to control himself.
Finally, she spoke. "Would you care to explain, Commander Tucker, why you countermanded my orders and threatened to render this ship incapable of warp speed during a critical combat operation?"
He cleared his dry throat. "I mistakenly believed you were about to abandon the captain, Sub-Commander. I know that doesn't excuse my actions, which were impulsive and irresponsible and ..." He swallowed painfully. Might as well get it over with. "... Grossly insubordinate."
"Yes. They were."
He waited, blinking away an embarrassing degree of moisture in his eyes as he tried hard to maintain his straight-ahead stare. Although he'd never been one for a lot of spit and polish, Trip took real pride in his rank and accomplishments. He couldn't believe he'd possibly just thrown it all away.
And why? Because she was Vulcan? Because he'd watched her stun that Akaali woman and had been reminded once again that she was an alien whose logical thought processes could take your breath away with their heartless efficiency? Was it because she'd taken his job? Or was it because, damn it, he was the Chief Engineer and he could damn well say when this ship went anywhere, or didn't?
The silence drew on. Archer was probably heading back on the shuttle by now. He swallowed again, trying and failing to moisten his dry throat. Would Jon's return improve this situation, or make it worse?
"Tell me, Commander Tucker, what would you do with a senior officer who had just behaved the way you did?"
For Pete's sake, couldn't she just get it over with? Why did she have to torture him like this? He sighed. He supposed it was possible she genuinely wanted his advice, though he found it hard to believe she hadn't already absorbed every disciplinary manual Starfleet had to offer. "I'd probably put him on report and confine him to quarters until I could consult the matter with the captain."
"And would you have a recommendation for the captain?"
He slumped a little. "I don't know. The punishment has to include something ... public ... so that the whole crew understands that this sort of thing won't be tolerated." He supposed he ought to be glad that keel-hauling didn't work in space and that public whippings had gone out of style, too. He sighed. "Perhaps reducing his rank." Damn it. But perhaps he had risen too far too fast. He knew some in Starfleet thought so. These were some of the same people who thought Jon had been a damned fool to take a second who was so young - and a personal friend to boot. "A recipe for disaster," Duval had called it -- Trip had overheard him in the 602 Club. "The fair-haired boy is going to screw up sooner or later, mark my words."
He really, really, really hated to give that idiot the satisfaction of being right.
"Very well, Commander," T'Pol said softly. "You are hereby on restricted duty, confined to your quarters, until I can further consult this matter with the Captain. Dismissed."
For the first time, he dared to look her in the eye. She looked tired. It finally occurred to him that T'Pol could be interpreting his behavior as a personal betrayal as well, especially after she'd decided to stay on Enterprise, a stranger in a strange land. Especially after she'd possibly even taken his advice about doing it.
"Yes, ma'am," he said, desperately clinging to protocol, and turned to go. At the door, he hesitated a moment and looked back. "I'm sorry, T'Pol."
She met his eyes for the briefest of moments, before her gaze shifted down and away, and somehow he felt even worse.
He really was the biggest damned horse's ass in the whole damned galaxy.
A tip for further reading: In looking around for other entries, I discovered a nice little story that makes a little more hay with this issue, from multiple points of view: It's called "Responsibility," by IchthusFish.
I like this missing scene. For me, its adds some reality on a ship with a chain of command. And i do like the way T'Pol handles it and Trip's inner musing. Well done.
I like the subtext here. Trip seems to be thinking things about T'Pol's reaction, and there are clues that he's gotten it wrong in places. And I can see T'Pol maybe thinking back to the engine room question, and thinking that maybe there were human nuances here that she doesn't understand...she's logically and understandably cautious, and more hurt than Trip suspects.
I also like Trip's willingness for self-examination, because he's gonna need that!
I basically echo Aquarious' comments here, love. Its a good chapter as it is, regardless of the disputes over canon command structure. It was always my understanding that T'Pol became defacto XO after Broken Bow, and that's what they went with on the show, and that's really all there is to say. And Enterprise is a civilian ship, not a military one, right? Isn't Starfleet itself a civilian operation, albeit with militaristic elements? As Archer says in BB, "This isn't a military ship," to which Malcolm rather acerbically replies, "Well that's obvious, sir."
All that aside, I did like the interactions between the pair. You're doing a nice job of fleshing out their offscreen interactions and showing how their relationship develops :-)
First of all, I am going to go on record as saying that I think it's ridiculous and even borderline rude and disrespectful to use a an author's feedback as a platform to argue something like the command structure in the show. You don't like how they did it on the show, fine. You don't like the show at all, fine. But THIS IS THE AUTHOR'S MOMENT, not yours, so rather than nitpicking an author about the fact that she followed canon by continuing the assumption that T'Pol is the first officer, we should be evaluating a piece on its own merits.
That said, what I liked about this one is that Trip is genuinely sorry for causing her trouble--something he might not have thought twice about before.
Alelou, this is your story so you can do what you see fit. It has grated on me and I know it does on others too that T-Pol is upposed to be FO in place of Trip.
I have an idea that it is males who find this objectionable not because T-Pol is female but because she is a foreign Officer. Most adult males have military experience and they knowthat this is not possible. So it irritates them.
Obviously this was done by BnB to replicate TOS with a Vulcan FO and Science Officer (Spock) It did not work no mater how they tried. Season three was particuarly gallig when T-Pol was a civilian on the Enterprise. No way could a civilian be named FO and in command of enterprise when ARcher was not on board. ARcher would have been relieved of his command and court martialed for doing this ween if he was a hero. It would have set too dangerous a precedent.
Can you believe I am able to not read some of your stories?
I'm not crazy, Alelou.;)
They can or cannot be enjoyed by me, but they are always good. :p
Yes, Asso, I know. You and I always do diverge at times, but hopefully you'll find other things to like as this series moves along, if you stick with it.
Silverbullet, I know from your PM that you wanted to make sure I saw your review for this. All I can say is that the show appears to strongly indicate that T'Pol is second in command, so I went along with that. I don't see how any member of that crew would still be thinking Trip is First Officer at this point. This is not Broken Bow, but a few episodes in. That being the case, I can't see Trip's behavior in this episode -- in front of the whole bridge crew, no less -- as anything but grossly insubordinate. But you are certainly entitled to your own opinion in the matter, which may well be based on more actual knowledge of how such things work than mine is.
As noted before, I don't pretend to think Star Trek realistically portrays a military command structure. I just go with what it looks like to me based on what I see on the screen and fill in the blanks as I see fit. Do I think it's more fun if Trip reports through T'Pol because of the opportunity for more conflict and interaction there? Yes, I do. It's entirely possible I'm wrong about that -- the show doesn't actually suggest that he reports to her, but it also doesn't say he doesn't.
I prefer a little bit more of passion.
This T'Pol... oh well! It's always the same story. You, and a lot of people, think this is T'Pol.
I think this a woman, like a lot of other women.
Maybe slightly worst.
Forgive me. You know I am sincere. There must be something which grasps you, even in a small missing scene.
But... here...
Well, Alelou. Obviously you know my limits.
Hope you read this.
Did not like this one.
T-Pol humiliates Trip in the eyes of the crew by sending him to his room for two weeks? He is the Second highest ranking uman Starfleet Officer on board that makes him FO periood. T-Pol's rank has no bearing at all it is a Vulcan rank and all she can get on enterprise is the courtesty offered to any visiting foreign Officer. she could not assume command of a human ship.
If the situation were reversed she would admit that no human could assume command of a vulcan ship so why should she assume she could become comander of Enterprise while Arher was not on board.
Even if by sme weird occurance she was to assume command she would have to apologize to trip for her bahvior towards him. You don't do that to a senior officer especialy one who is suposed to be the FO in the eyes of the hunan crew.
To clarify - my view of the COC... (in case anybody cares :s :D)
-In Broken Bow or other episodes it is never stated Trip would have been 1st O. And does it really make sence for the Chief Engineer to be XO???
-The crew is shipping out early on a "quick & easy" mission & is minus at least an official science officer & doctor (I belive this IS stated in BB). This is when Archer recuits Phlox.
-T'Pol is on this mission as an observer only "and then she's gone". (& no one anticipates all the problems that will arise when Klang gets klingon-naped).
-Trip IS the senior Starfleet officer on board after Archer.
-In thoery T'Pol's rank superseeds Trip's (at least according to her!), but since it was supposed to just be the equivolant of a "three-hour cruise" no one thinks to establish this up front, "just in case".
-Therefore when things go haywire both believe they are/should be in command (as argued in Decon). I loved your Tucker COC memo 2 Archer in the BB story btw very funny!
-For what it's worth I don't really see Trip as subordinate/direct report to T'Pol...I think he reports directly to Archer, unless T'Pol is specifically in command of the ship...Just like Reed doesn't directly report to Trip unless Trip is specifically in command of the ship (or an away mission).
Anyway, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it....
P.S. as for season 2 stories ...RL 1st, then wring away!!!;)
I'm shutting up now :s:D:s
Actually, this one continues into the next missing scene, so that answers part of your question. Season One continues until it's all up here. Season Two depends on how well I handle real life once I'm back to work this fall. We'll see. I expect Season 2 to be more of a challenge, frankly, but we must wring some TnT out of it somehow!
I'm pleased to provoke you into such a thoughtful response. My thinking was that Trip had had a couple of episodes of getting away with arguing with her in front of others, but this was a whole new level of inappropriate. I thought the episode overdid it, frankly, but I take my cues from canon. You have a point about T'Pol lacking decisiveness. I can't imagine she'd ever had to deal with open insubordination on a Vulcan ship, though.
Trip wasn't supposed to be first officer? I wonder where I got that from? It's certainly entrenched in my mind for some reason. The fact that they were arguing about the chain of command in Broken Bow at least suggests to me that there was some question about it. As SilverBullet has suggested, such a thing actually happening on a real ship is impossible, but I figure they wrote it that way, so I get to play with it.:p
I am confliced about this one...For starters let me say that I am amazed throughout this entire series how well you have Trip & T'Pol's 1st Season's personalities and interactions NAILED DOWN TIGHT!! as in I can totally imagine these characters in these scenes...and I don't say that lightly...most people write these characters from their own particular bias and there is very often variations that range from the extreme (totaly out of character) to the very subtle to the "requires some imagination, but hey its fanfiction".
I also like the overall premise...that from a strictly (military) command standpoint Trip disregarding his understanding of an apparent order and even forcing T'Pol's hand was unaccetable...Afterall I would think the crew would look to Trip more than anyone else on how to react/and how to accept T'Pol in that leadership role. And this (Trip's complete acceptance of T'Pol as a shipmate & fellow officer not a Vulcan "spy") is an important stepping stone in their relationship.
The conversation however didn't ring entirely true to me for several reasons...
-you have returned to the theme of T'Pol replacing Trip as 1st officer...this is never really addressed in the show like this...it could have always been the plan to make the (presumably human) science officer the XO.
-while T'Pol shouldn't have to explain her orders I thought the show did a pretty good job of 'dressing Trip down' publically...complete with the Tucker slightly embarassed, concession, "I was wrong" nod. Sometimes challenging one's preconceptions if I may steal the phrase is sufficent to get the point accross in a quick, but effective manner. And Trip clearly got the message...(Side note - in a lot of ways the bridge scene in CS 12 is a nice counter point to this episode which shows how far these two have come...)
-Sometimes true leadership is about knowing when to quote the rulebook and when to throw it away & go with your gut...afterall Trip was reacting to a misconception of what her orders were and T'Pol knew that...and while she should have felt somewhat betrayed (I liked that little nuance that its always 2 steps forward 1 step back with them) they have at this point at least the beginnings/foundations ofacceptance/trust between them (Breaking the Ice)...
-I also think if T'Pol felt it necessary to call Trip into the ready room, she would have been a little more direct/decisive particulaly after asking him what he would do.
-And to the same point above...the story kind of left us hanging, as if it was unfinished...what did happen to Trip...what was the captain's opinion...(which really wasn't necessary to the story, but since you opened the box...)...we know he didn't lose any rank...and that their working relationship improved over time
Oh there I've gotten long winded...sorry about that...trust me I have been reading t/t fan fiction for years...and only lurking on this site, but your series has inspired me to comment...that is only a good thing...:D
By the way I dont read ff.net so this is all new to me as it comes out on this site - Is this series only Season 1 or do you plan to continue? (Crosses fingers & prays really hard);)
I'm displeased, Alelou, This time this missing scene, for me, doesn't add anything which can correct that bad episode. And Trip sounds very silly, still for me. And, still for me, T'Pol is uselessly harsh. But, you know: as always I speak with my heart, and maybe my mind is disconnected.
Uh . . . I'm going to have to confess I watched "Civilization" only once, so I have no idea what happened in that episode, except that Archer feel in love with an Alien while masquarading as an alien, and given that he was using a universal translater, I wasn't buying that he could get away with the disguise. So, Alelou, this sounds good! I presume it is good. :?