"Green Ice" by Lady Rainbow Rating: PG-13 Genre: AU, Adventure Romance Pairing: TnT Archive?: Sure, just let me know first. Thanks! Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em, don’t make money off ‘em. Notes: This chapter is longer than the usual...but when you read this, you’ll understand why I was reluctant to split this one up. Heavy on the TnT (and their bond...don't worry, Alelou, certain events'll happen soon. Wicked laugh.), and you’ll get a lot of info on T’Phena’s background and how she “turned onto the Crooked Path”, as a Cherokee friend of mine put it. If the scene in the auditorium seems familiar, it's in "May the Wind Be at Our Backs", but it was from Malcolm's POV in that one. Keep in mind this is Switcheroo story...and while there isn’t anything like the Expanse in this AU, I figured there would be parts of space with similar properties and yeah, a familiar mineral shows up, but NOT in the same way as the “real universe” (winces...Ouch.). Plus this chapter gives a vital clue in one big question in the series, "How DOES Malcolm get glimpses into other AUs?" If you read, please leave a review. I’d love to hear what you think of this. Two more chapters to go on this one! Thanks! And thanks for the edit, Pesterfield! :) Eight T’Pol caught herself glancing over at Trip as he monitored the sensors on Mnheia’s ship. Neither of them had said much as they followed T’Phena’s coordinates to the far side of Zora Prime. The system as a whole had four planets: Prime, Beta, Gamma and Delta, with Prime being the only one even close to habitable. The other three were little more than balls of icy rock, orbiting their sun in wide orbits that took them far away from their star’s heat and light. T’Phena’s coordinates were at a point in space where Prime’s orbit veered close to Beta’s. As a result, this narrow swath of space had strange properties: electromagnetic, gravitational and...other ways. If she closed her eyes and reached out with her senses, she could feel the odd vibrations of this particular place. Not unpleasant, really, but she knew that it would be detrimental to her if she stayed here for long. She compared the sensation to “ants dancing on every nerve ending”; Trip’s description of it was accurate. Although Trip wasn’t as psychically skilled as she was, she read the look of discomfort on his face. Mnheia’s shielding was composed of a material called Trellium-D, a compound T’Pol wasn’t familiar with, and it didn’t seem to be working well in this area of space. This is an odd place. I only hope we do not spend too much time here waiting for T’Phena. If she wanted us to feel “on edge” for this meeting, I’m afraid she has succeeded. The sensor readings vary too widely to pinpoint a specific cause for alarm... Trip seemed to pick up on her stray thoughts. He scowled at the sensors, then commented, “Too bad Travis isn’t here. I think he’d spend weeks poring over scans of this area. Just the anomalies alone’ll be worth a novel’s worth of scientific papers.” The word anomaly perked her interest, though she couldn’t define exactly why. She studied the readings and said, “Perhaps we should be sure to record some of these sensor readings for Commander Mayweather." “As a gift, you mean? Well, I think it’s only fair, since he’s done a lot for us already.” T’Pol felt Trip’s respect for Travis, as well as gratitude. She shared it; Travis was so affable that it was easy to overlook his achievements and his support. If she wanted, she could discern Trip’s feelings toward the other members of the Enterprise crew: his utmost respect for Hoshi Sato, his close friendship with Jonathan Archer, his protective yet somewhat adversarial bond with Malcolm Reed. And for her...it was difficult to put the feeling in words. Warm and affectionate, yet also exasperated at her “Vulcan stubbornness.” A respect between equals, though she was sure it could become something more, given time. Mother and Father were friends before they were anything more. A House is built on a steady foundation, even in the midst of shifting sands. Was this the reason for the bond, an instinctual attraction between two suited minds and hearts? If that was the case, then the Human concepts of “true love” and “romance” had...well, a basis in logic. And the results of such logic could have pleasant results indeed...she deliberately closed her mind to that set of possibilities before it could spin illogical fantasies. Too late; she felt an embarrassed flush stain her cheeks as Trip gave her a surprised glance. He said nothing, but she felt his amusement, tinged with something else she couldn’t identify A chirp broke the uncomfortable moment. “T’Pol, I’m getting a weird reading, dead ahead. I think we’ve seen this before.” She narrowed her eyes at it. “Yes...this matches the harmonics from the Romulans’ cloaking device when we were at Palmyra Three.” T’Pol felt a spike of nervousness from Trip, but he quickly suppressed it. He’d been kidnapped and taken to a similar ship; just the thought of confronting another one caused him great discomfort. Automatically, she reached out and sent him a wave of reassurance. She wasn’t sure if it would work, but she did sense him relax. “Incoming transmission. I think it’s her.” “Accept it,” she said. He nodded and touched a button. T’Phena’s image appeared on a secondary screen. She didn’t seem surprised at Trip’s presence, but gave him a cordial nod before addressing T’Pol. “I knew you would come, foster sister. You are a woman of your word.” “Of course,” she answered in an even tone. “There are only a precious few, for whom my word is worth more than gold.” Again, T’Phena’s eyes flickered toward Trip. “Such as him?” “I trust him, as I trust you, T’Phena, to be as honorable.” T’Phena nodded, then addressed someone over her shoulder. A second later, her ship came out of cloak: a sleek, deadly version of a Vulcan destroyer. T’Pol’s clinical mind immediately identified the similarities to a standard Vulcan destroyer, but she also noted the differences. T’Phena’s ship was not as heavily armed, but its engines were more compact, built for speed rather than brute power. The destroyer possessed a rather impressive sensor array and its electronic countermeasures surpassed any “normal” Vulcan vessel. Trip whistled under his breath. “Wow. She must’ve gotten some good deals at the used spaceship lot. If I’d wanted to outfit my own destroyer, it’d be somethin’ like this.” A true spy vessel. Her mouth turned upward at Trip’s grim assessment of T’Phena’s ship. Although Mnheia’s courier was fast, T’Phena would have no difficulty in overtaking them, should they decide to flee. T’Phena’s mouth quirked in genuine amusement as she Trip’s compliment her ship. “I am gratified that we share the same security concerns,” she told him. “At least there is one area where we have much in common.” He shrugged. “Once a security officer, always a security officer, I s’pose.” “Yes. I expect we’ll have much to discuss, Lieutenant Commander.” She pushed a button on her console and an aft section of her ship began to slide out into position. “They’re opening their port docking bay,” Trip reported quietly. She acknowledged his words with a nod, then said to T’Phena, “We will see you momentarily, foster sister. T’Pol, out.” She directed the courier toward the bay, then added quietly, “Now we shall see how honorable she really is.” “Yeah.” He looked over at her and asked gently, “What’re you plannin’? Would you be able to take her into custody if you get a chance? Or even kill her, if it came to that?” “I do what I must,” she replied in an even tone, though the question stirred a wave of unease within her. “If it comes to her life or the prospect of preventing an all-out conflict, I know where my loyalties lie.” “I know. I gotta say, though, that I don’t envy you, T’Pol. But whatever happens, I’ll be right here.” “Thank you, Trip.” She managed a slight smile at him, then turned her attention to the helm controls, slowly but accurately nudging the courier into a landing approach vector. Ten minutes later, T’Pol cracked the hatch and gracefully dropped down to the landing deck. As she straightened, she felt T’Phena’s presence before she saw her. T’Phena watched as she approached, stopping only a few feet away. T’Pol felt the swirling of the strange space between them, even within the protection of T’Phena’s ship. It filled the vacuum, brightening the area between them, and T’Pol instinctively reached out, allowing it to fill her being. She knew what she must do, even at the cost of her own sanity. Then T’Pol reached up and crossed her hands at the wrist, palms outward, in the traditional greeting between family members. T’Phena copied the gesture. “Welcome home, foster sister,” T’Phena said, then touched her palms to T’Pol’s. A second later, a wave of warmth poured into T’Pol, but the warmth was not pleasant. It was the beginnings of a fever, a perverse heat that threatened to spread down every nerve. T’Pol fought the instinct to pull away, as T’Phena whispered the words. “My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts. We are one.” T’Pol felt the stirring within her blood as T’Phena tried to impose her will on her mind. Yet she’d been prepared for this; she was well aware of the reason that T’Phena had picked this particular area of space for their rendezvous. T’Phena was determined to dominate her once and for all, and T’Pol could use that single-mindedness to her advantage. It was ruthless, but T’Pol knew there was no other way. The knowledge T’Phena had could mean Vulcan’s salvation...as well as Earth’s, Tellar’s, Andoria’s and countless other worlds. T’Phena’s involvement with the V’tosh Ka’tur and the I’Rhiamanau might hold the key to averting disaster. T’Pol answered, “As the bonds of sisterhood bind us, the bonds of deceit tear us asunder.” Her voice went up sharply as she added, “In Surak’s name, by the blood of S’task and his own brethren, show me the truth!” And there was a flash, followed by brilliant darkness, followed by wordless horror as T’Phena tried to raise her mental shields and found them gone. T’Pol opened the connection between them to the fullest, showing T’Phena that she, too, had made herself vulnerable, and that no deception stood between them. The icy shield melted and both women braced themselves for the onslaught of memory, both joyful and painful. T’Pol, I understand why you must do this, but why do your risk your life? Why do you sacrifice all that you are, all that you were and all that you could be, to redefine the truth? Her answer was simple: Because I must. T’Phena, my sister, forgive me. And with a final effort, she clasped T’Phena’s hands and drew her into her arms, as the wave overtook them both. Trip Tucker was frozen to the spot. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t cry out. T’Pol’s action had taken him completely by surprise, but he understood her reason: T’Phena’s “sisterly love” was like a poison, a cancer that spread through T’Pol’s brain from the very moment T’Phena had forced the mind meld on her. Trip “saw” what had T’Phena’s meld had done, and like some diseases, the cure involved pain. And T’Pol was aware that the cure just might kill her, but she was willing to take the risk, if it averted a protracted conflict that could cost millions of lives. Trip understood, even if he didn’t like the prospect, and he poured as much support into her as he could. The bond between them, as tenuous as it was, strengthened as he did so. If the effort killed her, he was aware that it was most likely it would cost him his life as well, but the possibility didn’t bother him much at this point. I’m right here, Darlin’. I’m right here, by your side, and I won’t leave you. And the memories and information sped by faster than he could blink. T’Phena sat in a darkened auditorium and listened in rapt attention as Doctor T’Marui outlined the connections between the modern Vulcan and the I’Rhiamanau. The audience stirred uneasily at the findings, but T’Phena found the evidence quite fascinating. T’Phena saw a shadow and turned her head and saw familiar faces: T’Niura, she who had been T’Marui’s most faithful follower. T’Les, the mother of her foster sister. T’Vau, the highest ranked Healer at the Vulcan Medical Academy. And instinctively, T’Phena knew that Vulcan had to be reunited as one to survive. Vulcan had to reclaim its heritage, and at that point, she knew where her destiny lay. Over the decades, T’Marui had been ridiculed and ostracized, but T’Phena applied herself to the teachings of the V’tosh Ka’tur. Eventually, she studied under T’Marui herself, being pulled seductively deeper within her emotions, until it was far too late to turn back. The V’tosh Ka’tur became her new family. To ensure their survival, T’Phena had to do whatever was necessary. Their enemies must be eliminated, their position within Vulcan society secured. And eventually, she faced the difficult task of severing her ties with those who didn’t believe. Even with her own beloved foster sister. When the instructions came, she hesitated to follow them. T’Lydya had gotten too close to the truth; the V’tosh Ka’tur wanted to know just how much the major had known, and if it proved to be damaging, well, T’Lydya’s fate was sealed. But T’Pol...T’Phena had argued for her foster sister’s life. She managed a compromise, but it wasn’t until much later that she’d realized she’d gotten only a partial victory. T’Pol lived, but would be forever scarred, and even worse, T’Phena was forced to disappear for fifteen years. T’Phena mourned the loss, but she couldn’t reveal her presence or her whereabouts. So she wandered and fulfilled mission after mission for the V’tosh Ka’tur. They praised her, gave her rich rewards for her service, but it was all hollow. After the failed coup on Vulcan, T’Phena took matters into her own hands. She observed T’Pol from afar, made arrangements and traded favors, until she had the opportunity to approach T’Pol directly. It was then that she discovered that her foster sister was enthralled by a Human, despite the fact that T’Pol was already bonded to Koss, a match of great importance to Vulcan. Jealousy didn’t even begin to define the rage T’Phena felt. How could T’Pol dishonor all of Vulcan, first by throwing her lot in with the Humans, then actually bonding with one of them? Granted, the bond had been inadvertent at the time. It was a time when T’Phena’s emotions got the better of her and she attempted to eliminate Trip Tucker. In that moment of madness, she had attracted T’Pol’s attention, for sure, and T’Phena vowed to sway her foster sister to her side once more and they would be the salvation of Vulcan. She knew that the V’tosh Ka’tur was marshaling their forces, joining with the I’Rhiamanau and the slave races under their dominance. The reunification of their peoples would not be as easy or as peaceful as T’Marui had believed, but by the time T’Phena realized it, Vulcan was in danger. The wheels had been set in motion, and there was no way to stop it. Unless T’Pol joined forces with her. T’Phena believed wholeheartedly that if they were together, they could find a way to make things right. Her efforts became frantic, more desperate, when the I’Rhiamanau attacked the Earth colony and space station and nearly overcame the joint Allied fleet. The Vulcan High Command and the High Council panicked, and within that panic was shame for the sins of the past. Shame for events that happened millennia before T’Phena had been born. One result of that shame, was denial, and in that denial, came hatred. For Vulcan emotions had always been strong, and if they couldn’t be controlled, they could destroy the universe. Little did T’Phena realized that the Universe was already in trouble. Time blinked once more. And T’Pol caught a glimpse of other possibilities, other worlds. They filled her with a rush, as the very nature of this space ebbed and flowed and twisted around her. For the first time, T’Pol truly understood the burden that Malcolm Reed carried on his shoulders. Is it a wonder that Malcolm has not gone insane, with the awareness of other universes? How does he manage to stay here, within this one? And she saw the possible effects of a war between the Romulans and Earth, the millions dead, the devastation spread throughout the quadrant. She saw another Enterprise, another Columbia, another Vulcan. Her homeworld lay in ruins, with Earth not too far behind, Vulcans and Humans enslaved and all this because of pride, of Vulcan pride. Then she saw an alternate time: Earth and Romulus at a standstill, until eventually, they made a pact of non-interference. She saw Ambassador Jonathan Archer at the negotiations, and on the last day of the talks, falling victim to a Romulan assassin, and his bodyguard had given his own life in a futile attempt to save Archer’s own. That bodyguard was named Captain Charles Tucker the Third. But that was not the fate for her world. That fate was hidden, for there were always possibilities. She did not know the outcome of what this conflict would be for herself and her loved ones. But she did know that her new knowledge would influence that outcome. T’Phena’s mind held a virtual catalogue of contacts and information regarding the I’Rhiamanau and the V’tosh Ka’tur, but T’Pol didn’t just take what she wanted and leave her foster sister with nothing. She infused T’Phena with a sense of homecoming, of welcome, and gave T’Phena what she’d craved all these years. T’Pol felt her surprise and joy, but it was tinged with sadness. Forgive me, my sister, but you have already seen too much. I cannot allow this to happen. What? Do you not want to save Vulcan and our people? They will be saved, but in their own way and in their own time. You will be instrumental in that, my sister, you and your thy’la and your friends. I am sorry I cannot assist in this battle; this will be yours. T’Phena, stay with me... Live long and prosper, my sister. I go with my conscience clear and my soul light. I can only hope you will be able to do the same. T’Phena’s presence was dissolving into the light. Until we meet again... T’Phena! T’Pol lost her within the brilliance. She felt darkness nibble at the edges of her vision, then she felt another presence pulling her back as she tried to follow T’Phena. She struggled, then felt the bond within her mind grow stronger, despite her best efforts. “Trip,” she whispered aloud. “Let me go.” No, I’m not gonna let you go, darlin’. Trust me. She felt his anguish, his hope. T’Phena wants you to come back. I want you to come back. You want me...? She nodded, then with an effort, turned away from the light, and allowed the normal world to reform around her. T’Pol found herself back on the landing deck, T’Phena’s lifeless body in her arms. A second pair of arms surrounded her, enfolded her and she relaxed into them, as a wave of warm darkness overwhelmed her consciousness. Back to Part 7 Continue to Part 9

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