TPol watched in silence as Trip turned toward Reed, bristling. “At least Imanaged to get in there without setting off the goddamn self‑destruct system.

Reed seemed to be running out of patience. “Would you prefer we set you back down on the planet so you can have another go at this?

Trips eyes widened as though he had suddenly become aware of just how ridiculous he sounded. Then he shook his head and chuckled. “Of course not, Malcolm. He paused, apparently gathering his thoughts. “On the other hand, Terix and I left a scoutship down on the planet only a few klicks from Sopeks base, just a short ways from the spot where you two parked the shuttlepod. If that ship is still intact, I cant risk leaving it down there. Itll be easy pickings for any Ejhoi Ormiinwho might happen by.

Though TPol desperately wanted to get the shuttlepod back to the relative safety of Coalition space as quickly as possibleand with Trip aboard itshe knew that she couldnt dispute his logic.

An alarm sounded on one of the sensor consoles, persisted for perhaps two seconds, and then stopped by itself.

“What is it? Trip said as he approached the front of the cockpit.

TPol studied the readout and frowned. For a moment, something that strongly resembled the profile of a large vessel had appeared. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it vanished.

“Nothing, evidently, she said, shaking her head. “A sensor ghost, perhaps. Or our reflection bouncing off the planets ionosphere.

“Looks like its gone, whatever it was, Reed said, facing forward again in order to study his own console. “Theres still no trail to follow, in any case.

“I will take us back down, TPol said, trying not to show how much the brief sensor apparition had rattled her. “Once the conflagration on the surface dies down somewhat.

“Thanks, Trip said, his expression grim.

Reed turned back toward Trip. “If I may say so, Commander, I dont think Ive ever seen anybody look quite this unhappy after receiving such a textbook hairbreadth rescue.

Trip allowed himself the luxury of a small smile. “I suppose I made my peace with dying with my boots on months ago. Just as long as the cause is a good one. And I cant think of a better cause right now than keeping the secret of sustained high‑warp travel out of Romulan hands. Valdores orSopeks.

“Too bad we werent able to get our own hands on a complete set of that data, Reed said. “Imagine what it might do for Starfleets warp‑seven program.

TPol watched as Trip nodded, his eyes once again growing distant. “Captain Stillwells wet dream, he said, puzzlingly. “But thats moot for the moment, Malcolm. Hell, it might have been better for everybody if wed decided to just shoot it out down there.

TPol was having trouble believing what she was hearing. “At least one of us would almost certainly have been killed, she said, frowning.

“But not all of us, Trip said. Though his gaze was cold, his expression was otherwise as unreadable as that of a Kolinahr‑disciplined Vulcan. “It would have taken only one of us to make sure that the stolen data never got off the planet.

“But the only way to do that, Reed said, clearly aghast, “would be to have somebody stay behind with the data until the explosives detonated.

Trip nodded. “Like I said, that idea looks a lot less scary than youd think to somebody whos already dead.

“But youre notdead, Trip, TPol said, convinced that she was largely responsible for that simple fact.

His cold eyes began to blaze with a fire that reminded her of the savage, destructive historical epoch that preceded Suraks golden age of logic and intellectual discipline on Vulcan.

“No, TPol. Im notdead. But I amall the way back to square one in terms of my overall objective, arent I? So I hope youll excuse me if Im not overflowing with gratitude for your timely entrance, okay? Im a little too busy at the moment trying to figure out what Im going to tell Admiral Valdore about this little setback. If Im reallylucky, he might just assume the worst and have me summarily executed.

“Then why dont you simply come back with us? TPol said almost before she realized that the words were leaving her mouth.

“Thanks for the offer, Trip said, his voice more gentle. “But Ive been officially declared dead, remember? Wed have to undo that somehow, along with a whole hell of a lot of expensive Adigeon Prime plastic surgery. Id like to have a little more to show for all of that before I decide to pull the rip cord on this warp‑seven‑drive business.

“Staying in Romulan space is a pretty risky proposition, Commander, Reed said.

“Leaving strikes me as even riskier, under the circumstances, Trip said, shaking his head. He turned to face TPol directly. “Im sorry, TPol. The stakes are just too high right now for me to up and leave. I have to find a way to salvage whatevers left of my mission here. Then he turned back to stare again in silence at the cloud‑streaked world below.

TPol felt a parsec‑wide gulf open up between them. She had saved Trips life. She might even have prevented the Romulan military or the dissidents who opposed it from capturing him and subjecting him to tortures like those shed glimpsed through the mind link.

But Trips sudden remoteness told her more eloquently than words that none of that really mattered to him at the moment. For the first time, she wondered if her rescue had inadvertently prevented him from executing some crucial contingency plan, thus closing some window of opportunity that might never open up again. And she discovered she felt extremely reticent about asking him whether or not this was so.

At last she began to understand the true enormity of her obsessive insistence on coming out here to Romulan space, as well as the ultimate futility of it. However anyone might attempt to excuse her actionsshe could easily imagine an advocate at her upcoming court‑martial citing her emotional vulnerability owing to residual trellium‑D damage and the recent death of baby Elizabethshe now understood in a deep and visceral way that she couldnt run from their possibly ruinous larger consequences.

She understood now that she had done a good deal more than merely damage her relationship with her captain and friend, Jonathan Archer, to say nothing of having allowed Malcolm Reed to do the very same thing; she had also grievously damaged whatever might have remained of the intimate bond shed forged with Charles Tuckerall because she had believed it necessary to save his life at all costs.

A bottomless abyss of pure, unalloyed shame opened within her. Perhaps I actuallydisrupted Trips mission. A mission that was the very reason he risked suffering a second, more permanent death inside the Romulan Empire in the first place.

To her horror, she realized that her illogical, emotional actions might have compromised the safety of both of their homeworlds.

Not to mention that of the entire Coalition of Planets.

THIRTY

Monday, July 21, 2155 Qam‑Chee, the First City, QonoS

P HLOX MADE A STUDIOUS ATTEMPTnot to count exactly how many armed Klingons had crowded into the medical treatment chamber. Though the warriors had to a man either ignored or failed to understand his polite requests that they stand outside the mobile sterile surgical field he had set up, he did his best not to appear intimidated. In fact, he was far more appalled than intimidated by the casual disregard these people seemed to have for even the most elementary surgical protocol.

Corporal Ryan, one of the two MACO troopers who had accompanied Captain Archer to the planets surface, had called him to one of the Klingon capitals minimalist medical facilities. Because Archers team had taken Enterprises last remaining shuttlepod, and because time was of the essence, Phlox had had no choice but to beam down to the facility, an experience he still found troubling even under the best of circumstances. And this was hardly the best of circumstances.