"Minefield" By Alelou Rating: PG Disclaimer: All things Star Trek belongs to CBS/Paramount. Genre: Adventure, Missing Scenes, Angst, Trip/T'Pol Description: Missing scenes from Season Two. Trip sat irritably at Malcolm's board, watching for their enemy and keeping an eye on the repair reports his staff were sending in. He folded his arms and glared down at the panel in front of him. There was really no way around it. The captain had just made a really dumb decision based on emotion, not logic. He looked up at T'Pol, who was sitting in the command chair with most of her attention focused on Travis, as if she could somehow help him fly Enterprise out of the alien minefield through sheer force of will. That wasn't exactly logical either, but he could understand it better than abandoning one's command to go out on the hull to deal with a mine and a man down when there was a dangerous enemy threatening to destroy them at any moment. Trip would have been the better choice out there … and so would any senior member of Malcolm's armory crew. Jon's decision especially rankled since his excuse -- the need to have the Chief Engineer on board -- didn't exactly hold water when said Chief Engineer was stuck on the Bridge manning Tactical. "T'Pol," he called softly, reluctant to leave his board even long enough to consult with her. Who knew when their enemy would reappear? She looked over, and he beckoned with his head. She came over, leaning against the handle in front of his station until their heads were close enough together for a private conversation. "Commander?" He lowered his voice even further. He certainly didn't want her to think he was trying to be insubordinate. "How about we get one of Malcolm's guys here so I can go supervise repairs?" "It is my understanding that Engineering and Tactical cross-train extensively." Trip scowled. "I'm not saying I can't do it. I'm saying I'm needed more elsewhere." T'Pol stared at him for a moment. "Commander, just as the captain values having his first officer available for consultation during sensitive encounters, so I also value the presence of a second." That surprised him -- although now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure why. "You mean you'd actually take my advice?" he asked, so pleased that he couldn't help responding with a tease. "Stranger things have happened," she said, with the lift of an eyebrow, and returned to the captain's chair. Trip grinned and settled in with a little more patience for whatever the day would bring.   x x x   They left Hoshi in sickbay and walked back towards the bridge in an efficient silence, but Trip couldn't help sneaking glances at his companion. She'd really stiffened up at learning that ship was Romulan. And she'd known how to pronounce the name better than Hoshi. What was up with that? "So the High Command hasn't had direct contact with them before, huh?" "As I said." "And you?" T'Pol stopped dead. "I report to the High Command, Mr. Tucker. If I had any more information about our attackers that I thought would help, I surely would have informed the captain. Do you doubt that?" "Of course not." Still, there was something a little odd about the way she'd put that. "How about information that you don't think would help?" She flushed just the slightest green. "Are you questioning my loyalty, Commander Tucker?" "No," he said, "Of course not. I--" "If these Romulans are indeed as aggressive as they are rumored to be, we are fortunate to have received any reprieve from immediate destruction. I think it would benefit the mission if you could focus on our escape, rather than brooding over any questions you might have about me." His mouth opened to reply, but no words came. She took off down the corridor, so he followed. What the hell had just happened? Still, she was right. He couldn't afford to wonder what the hell was going on with her until Enterprise was safely away. And it wasn't that he didn't trust T'Pol. He did trust T'Pol. Probably it was nothing. Just another one of those endless Human/Vulcan misunderstandings. Yes, probably that was it. Next installment: Dead Stop.

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