Scalene

T'Pol looked up to see Jonathan Archer striding into the brig. She found his return puzzling, since it was only a few hours since she had told him that humans would someday pay for their arrogance.

She thought for a moment he had come to kill her. Kill, not execute. If he intended to execute her, he would have brought guards. But he was alone.

"Turn around and put your hands behind your back," he said as he pulled out a pair of hand restraints.

"I prefer to have my hands bound in front," she said.

"I'll bet you would," he said, "but I know you can still pull some of that Vulcan mojo with your hands bound in front. The nerve pinch thing. I can't have you doing that."

She knew better than to disobey, not with the futuristic phase pistol at his hip. She placed her hand behind her back and turned around. She felt his cool fingers lock the restraints around her wrists with a click.

"Come on," he said, "I've got plans for you."

T'Pol heard the lasciviousness in his voice, and she took a brief moment to suppress a jolt of fear as they headed toward his quarters. She could think of only one reason he would retrieve her from the brig in the middle of the night and take her there.

If any of the night crew thought it was strange that the captain was personally leading a traitor to his quarters in the middle of the night, they didn't show it.

Archer led her inside his cabin, where she inhaled the scent of Hoshi Sato in the room. It was so strong, she half expected to see the lieutenant lying on the bed, but the room was empty.

"I'd offer you a drink, but I'm not in the mood to hold your glass for you. Maybe later, if you're a good girl."

T'Pol stood up straight and tall. She would simply have to endure his attentions, since she could see no escape.

But she winced when she saw Archer pull out a knife.

"Sit down," he ordered, and she obeyed. He took each of her boots off in turn. "Now stand up." She obeyed again.

She gasped when he began to cut her out of her uniform. Very soon, she was completely naked.

"Let's get you all cleaned up. Do you want a water shower or one of this ship's fancy sonic showers?"

She had only had the sonic option while in the brig. "Water," she said.

Archer led her to his bathroom, where he turned on the water and set it to Vulcan body temperature plus five, so the water felt warm and pleasant as she stepped under the spray.

Vulcans weren't modest, but the way Archer looked at her made her highly uneasy. She watched as he squirted soap into his palm.

"Since you can't clean yourself," he said, "I'm going to have to do it for you."

She drew a sharp breath at the cool feel of his hands on her body, but to her surprise he made no move to touch her sexually. He was even detached as his hands lathered her breasts and the space between her legs. Beyond surprised, she was impressed at his restraint. She did not believe him capable of such, and she didn't understand his actions.

He rinsed her with equal detachment, and then helped her step from the shower. She shivered as he toweled her off.

"I've got big plans for you," he repeated, though she had not inquired what they were.

As he led her back into the cabin, her nipples grew hard from the chill, and she shivered.

"On your knees," he said casually, "Don't worry, I'll turn up the heat."

She got down on her knees. He hit a few buttons on his console, and just as her teeth began to chatter the temperature began to rise.

Archer poured a glass of Andorian ale, and he leaned over and placed the glass near her lips.

"Drink up," he said, "It looks like you could use it."

T'Pol knew it was illogical to resist, and she had a high tolerance for alcohol, so she took a drink.

"I wonder if I should wrap you up in a bow," said Archer with a laugh. This remark thoroughly confused her. She thought maybe he had gone mad.

Archer was about to say something else, but was cut off by the door buzzer. With a smug tilt of his head, he reached, smoothing her damp hair. "I wonder who that could be."

T'Pol glanced over at the door, suppressing anxiety and resisting the urge to guess who had arrived.

"Come in," said Archer, and Lieutenant Commander Tucker soon appeared in the cabin. He wore the red uniform of The Defiant's crew, and he stared at T'Pol, clearly shocked to see her there, especially in her state of undress.

"Happy Birthday," said Archer.

"It's not my birthday," Tucker responded.

"That's a shame," Archer said, pouring another drink. "I tried so hard to find the right gift."

Tucker's glance darted from T'Pol to Archer. "Gift..." he echoed hesitantly. T'Pol had immediately deduced what Archer had in mind, but Tucker was only now catching on.

"Consider her a hybrid birthday - slash - 'I'm sorry I put you in the booth' gift."

Archer spoke a whisper that T'Pol found chilling, but she looked over at Tucker and she recognized a brief flash of concern in his face. She locked eyes with him, trying to convey something, though she wasn't sure what.

"I don't understand," said Tucker.

"Well," said Archer, "It seemed like such a waste of a hot piece of ass to execute her. I know how …interesting you find her - I decided to make a gift of her." He frowned. "Unless you don't want her. Or want to make proper use of her. If you don't, I'll have no problem killing her or trading her to the Orions."

Tucker looked her up and down, and he leered. "No," he said, "I want her. I'll make good use of her, I promise."

Archer laughed. "I figured you would, but I need to be sure. I don't want her to go to waste…" Archer spoke these last words looking straight at her.

T'Po's heart sank. She would have been content to leave with Tucker, after all, she had mated with him once to save her own life, she could do it again. But T"Pol had a sinking feeling that her leaving with Tucker is not what Archer had in mind.

"Show me," said Archer, who smiled at Tucker.

"Here?" said Tucker slowly, "Now?"

"No time like the present," replied Archer, "I've never had the guts to fuck a Vulcan myself - but I sure am curious to watch you do it."

T'Pol glanced up at Tucker. He wore a blank expression, one which she interpreted to mean he did not wish to have sexual relations with with her while Archer was in the room. However, if he refused, it might make her situation considerably worse.

After the slightest hesitation, Tucker smiled lustfully at her. "Just not used to having an audience, Cap'n..."

"Come on," continued Archer, "I haven't got all night."

T'Pol searched Tucker's expression, trying to predict what he would do. Being his slave was preferable to execution or being sold to the Orions, but she feared he would not see that logic.

Tucker stepped closer to her. She was still on her knees, so he towered above her.

"I need her restraints off," he said to Archer.

"Now I know you've gone mad. The restraints stay - you're just going to have to get creative…or she is."

Charles snickered, and he appeared angry at Archer, but he nevertheless unbuttoned his fly. His black pants clung to his body so that she could clearly see the evidence of his arousal.

Archer laughed, disagreeably. "Let her strip you," he said. "I know you like that."

Tucker stopped, holding his hands away from his body where Archer could see them. He looked down at T'Pol. "You heard the man."

T'Pol experienced a peculiar relief, although the situation was hardly to her liking. She expected Archer to force himself on her, but instead he had "given" her to Charles, someone to whom she has already given herself.

With her hands bound, her only option was her mouth. Thankfully, Charles had undone his top button. She leaned over and began to lower his zipper with his mouth, highly aware of his arousal pressed to her cheek.

His hands threaded through her hair, pulling her closer to him. After she had fully opened the zipper, she gripped his pants in her teeth and lowered them off his hips, first one side, then the other.

Tucker snagged the edge of his shirt, tugged it over his head and dropped it to the floor. T'Pol was momentarily startled by the impatient shove he gave his underwear, sending his erection springing toward her.

Grabbing her chin, Tucker tilted her gaze upward to meet his. His expression was unreadable, his one good eye seeming to search her face for...something. Finally, he spoke. "Remember what you learned last time?"

T'Pol nodded silently, adjusting on her knees to reach him and draw him into her mouth.

Archer grinned smugly. "Tell me, Charles. Which one of us is better at that?"

She paused imperceptibly at that information. As irrational as it was, T'Pol wanted to be better than Archer, though she was disadvantaged by the inability to use her hands. And it wasn't simply because the more Tucker desired her, the more likely her survival. She did not wish Archer's abilities in anything to outstrip her own. So, she licked and suckled with methodical precision, hoping her skill and her higher body temperature would make Charles prefer her attentions.

Charles threw his head back and moaned, his hands pulling at her hair so hard it caused pain. He trembled, and she thought he might ejaculate, but he suddenly pushed her off him.

"Not yet. Not that way," he breathed.

Tucker shuffled back slightly, kicking off his boots and stepping out of his pants. Grabbing her under the arm, he guided T'Pol up to her feet with a grip that was firm but not rough.

Tucker backed up toward the bed, pulling her with him. He sat when he met the edge. T'Pol's stomach fluttered as they again exchanged that enigmatic gaze. Overtaken by impulse, she leaned down to kiss him.

Without warning Tucker broke the kiss. His fingers dug fiercely into her hair, pulling her head to ensure he had her attention. It was painful...but not entirely unpleasant. He gave her no time to reconcile this incongruity.

"I'm still pissed at you," he said.

T'Pol opened her mouth to speak. She had regretted using the meld to manipulate him into sabotaging the ship, resulting in his torture in the agony booth. She never believed he'd be discovered. She-

He pulled her hair even harder, and she was silenced.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again."

T'Pol nodded her head as much as his grasp allowed. Apparently satisfied, Tucker covered her mouth in a blistering kiss, slowly relaxing his grip on her hair.

She returned his kiss, aggressively exploring his mouth with her tongue in a defiant apology. She pressed forward and he fell backwards so she was on top of him as their kisses continued. His hands gripped her back, then slid down to her ass and he squeezed her tightly.

She experienced a moment of frustration at not being able to touch him, followed by awkwardness over Archer's presence. She suppressed both feelings quickly, not only because of her Vulcan discipline but because her mind was becoming engulfed by pleasure - almost as if she had blood fever, which was impossible. She recognized that she was sensing Charles's desire, his anger, his hurt… but she was so caught up in her own passion she barely considered the implications.

T'Pol shifted her hips, seeking precious friction against his hard cock. If her hands had been free, she would have put him inside her herself, but she needed his help.

His strong fingers dug deeper into the muscles of her backside, pushing her up, keeping her goal just out of reach. T'Pol rocked her hips in an attempt to free herself from his grasp, but she was answered by his laugh.

"Tell me what you want."

She squirmed. She wanted to break free of her restraints. She wanted to plunge a knife deep into Jonathan Archer's heart for staging this situation for the purposes of leering at her. She wanted to mate with Tucker with reckless, feral abandon. She-

Tucker's fingers dug deeper into her flesh. "You can't have it unless you tell me."

She nearly choked, and blood rushed to her cheeks and the tips of her ears. She buried her head in his chest. He knew Vulcans didn't verbalize their desires. Of course, that was why he was making her speak.

"I want to please you," she finally rasped.

Tucker laughed coldly. "You Vulcans are rotten liars. I want the truth." He spoke the next words in her ear, very softly. "You want it for yourself, don't you? Say you do, and I'll give it to you."

She took a deep breath, and she whispered. "Yes," she replied, "I want it."

His hands ran up and down her back very gently, and she shivered.

"Good girl," he replied as he shifted their bodies. He reached down between them and began to enter her. From there, she was able to use gravity to slowly impale herself on him.

She gazed down at him as she did so, and their minds connected as surely as their bodies. His emotions began to bombard her. His lust, his anger at her, his anger at Archer…his affection…and sympathy for her filled her mind. She leaned down and kissed him as he began to thrust upward and she moved along with him. His hands gripped her hips and he groaned with pleasure.

"You're supposed to humiliate her, not make her come," spat Archer.

T'Pol felt Archer's cool hands dig into her shoulders, viciously wrenching her away from Tucker's body. Both her mind and body reeled with the shock of emptiness.

Before she could contemplate the thought further, T'Pol felt the side of her face meet a flat, hard surface as Archer dragged and bent her roughly over the desk. Forcing her knees apart, Archer sneered, "Your boyfriend doesn't seem to know the proper way to treat a slave. I think a demonstration is in order."

T'Pol's back suddenly grew warm from the absence of Archer's hands. A scuffle was happening behind her, but she didn't dare turn her head to look. Although she knew it wasn't logical, she attempted to break free of her restraints, knowing that she could assist Tucker easily if only she had the use of her hands.

"Don't you touch her," she heard Tucker hiss.

"If you're not going to make proper use of her…" came Archer's half-strangled reply, "someone ought to."

"She's mine," Tucker grated. "I'll do what I want."

Archer laughed, but there was no humor in it. T'Pol recognized his tone. He was admitting defeat for now, but would not let this humiliation go unforgotten.

Tucker's hands were suddenly at her waist, turning her around. He pulled her close and then put his hands on her ears, rubbing them with his thumbs as he kissed her.

She swooned with a mixture of shock and relief, but Tucker didn't let her fall. He moved his lips up her cheek to her ear.

"Make it look good," he whispered.

Tucker pushed her toward the bed and she fell backwards, taking him with her. She spread her legs beneath him, and he entered her again. This time, he set the pace, moving fast and deep within her.

It would have been easy to forget about Archer's leering presence, save for the restraints preventing her from wrapping her arms around Tucker. As if his behavior wasn't perplexing enough, Charles was eagerly demonstrating that he remembered the way she liked to be touched.

Relief that Tucker had reclaimed her washed over her, and she relaxed and let the pleasure overtake her body. But she also blushed, furious at at Archer's attempted violation and humiliated by his presence. She knew she had to accept her powerlessness, but it took all her mental discipline to do so.

Suddenly, as if in the distance, T'Pol heard the door open. She could smell the presence of a human female, and she opened her eyes and turned to look.

"You promised me dinner, Jon," said Sato, "but you didn't say anything about a show."

"Don't react," whispered Tucker, "I'll protect you, I promise."

T'Pol closed her eyes. She focused on the sensations in her body, and the way Tucker's emotions mixed with her own. She blocked out the presence of Archer and Sato. Tucker began touching her, attempting to make her climax as he soothed her with whispers only she could hear.

"So, what does Vulcan pussy feel like, Tucker?" asked a laughing Sato, "I've always been curious."

Tucker didn't respond, but T'Pol felt anger course through his mind and he worked her body harder and faster. T'Pol moaned in encouragement, and she soon experienced an intense spasm of pleasure. T'Pol squeezed, stimulating Tucker's body and he climaxed inside her her, shivering and groaning before collapsing. He rolled off her and and pulled her back against him, burying his face in her hair.

T'Pol was euphoric, but she soon became aware of Sato's presence on the bed. She opened her eyes to see a fully-clothed Sato lying next to her. The woman grinned at her and reached up and touched her face.

"I guess I finally get to give you some of those pointers," said Sato, who leaned in and kissed T'Pol's lips.

T'Pol kept her eyes open, and she glanced up at Archer, who was leaning back in his chair stroking the bulge in his pants.

"You're not going to object to this are you, Charles?" said Archer, "Because I'll have to have you committed if you do."

T'Pol fought to control her panic. The situation was spinning out of control. Sato's current behavior was incongruous to the well-known fact that she wanted T'Pol dead.

Sato's kiss became deeper, as she gently probed T'Pol's mouth with her soft, cool tongue. Her hands began to run over T'Pol's body, lightly caressing her breast and belly.

"But before I can give you pointers," whispered Sato, "I have to get to know you better. Is that okay with you, Tucker?"

T'Pol sensed a conflict between Tucker's possessiveness and the lust Sato's actions inspired, but he nodded. T'Pol craned her neck and she kissed Tucker before turning back to Sato.

Sato smiled and covered T'Pol's mouth once again, probing delicately.

Although the sensations were pleasant, T'Pol relaxed into the kiss for another reason. Each time Sato touched or kissed her, T'Pol sensed complex layers of emotion beneath the surface. For one thing, Sato's seduction of her had little to do with giving erotic pleasure to Archer, or Tucker for that matter. Sato wanted something from her beyond sexual pleasure, T'Pol just didn't know what.

She also sensed a deep hostility toward Archer, but it was fleeting.

Sato's hands found their way to T'Pol's nipples, and she tweaked and teased them until they were hard. Then, Sato slid down the bed, planting soft kisses on T'Pol's neck and collarbone.

T'Pol expected Tucker to be jealous, as he had been with Archer, but instead he held her tightly against him, and she could feel his reinvigorated arousal against her bound hands. She turned her head around and Tucker's lips found hers, kissing her nearly as gently as Sato had.

Sato's fingers began exploring between her legs and T'Pol moaned into Tucker's mouth. She closed her eyes.

"So, you're a slut after all? I always thought you might be under all that logic," laughed Sato softly. Thanks to the mild telepathic connection, T'Pol knew Sato wasn't pretending, she was taking pleasure in T'Pol's response.

The mind link between them was only a faint whisper compared to what she shared with Tucker, so T'Pol didn't understand why Sato wanted to seduce her. She only knew that she did, and not just bodily. Sato wanted her katra, as well.

Sato had no way of knowing that Tucker, however inadvertently, had already taken possession of her katra.

Sato pushed apart her legs and leaned over. T'Pol winced at the intense, cool sensation of her tongue - but Sato was a skilled lover and she soon found the right combination of finger and tongue movements to break down all T'Pol's resistance. As Sato's fingers penetrated her body, T'Pol melted into Tuckers arms and let herself experience pleasure.

Nevertheless, T'Pol fought her orgasm. She clung to the notion that it was not right to allow someone other than her mate to do such things to her. She also wanted to probe deeper into Sato's mind to discover the woman's motives.

Her mate, on the other hand, had no reservations.

"Come on, baby," he whispered in her ear, "Let go and enjoy it."

His words pushed her over the edge, and she threw her head back and moaned as her body spasmed.

Sato crawled up the length of her.

"You didn't tell me how hot she was, Tucker," she said, and she kissed T'Pol's mate.

Every muscle in T'Pol's body contracted, straining against the restraints and the pressure of both bodies against her. She was furious with Sato for touching Tucker-and at Tucker for allowing her to do it. It wasn't rational. It wasn't logical. But it was there.

Sato broke the kiss with a giggle. Sighing, she caressed T'Pol's cheek. "Please. You have nothing to worry about. You'll get your chance at me." Sato began shrugging out of her uniform. "Besides," she continued, "It's my turn."

T'Pol didn't react at first. Yet, she knew she was in no position turn Sato down, and, beyond that, she hoped that if Sato lost control of herself, it might be easier to read her mind.

T'Pol inhaled and leaned forward. Sato smiled as she approached and met her lips in a generous, open-mouthed kiss. Their tongues swirled and T'Pol wished her hands were free so she could attempt to probe her mind. Even with just her mouth in contact, she still sensed Sato intended to conspire against Archer.

"Nervous?" asked Tucker, no doubt having sensed T'Pol's sudden concern.

T'Pol nodded, and Tucker grabbed the other woman's chin and gently broke their kiss so he could kiss Sato. "We'll do her together," he continued with a glance at T'Pol.

"Fuck no," said Archer.

T'Pol, Sato, and Tucker froze, save for their heads snapping to look at Archer. He was furious. "Out," he grated through his teeth.

The three lay there, unmoving, stunned.

"I said get out," Archer repeated quietly.

Tucker didn't need to be told again. Quickly tugging his pants back on, he scooped his clothes up into one arm, T'Pol in the other, and headed for the door. T'Pol's relief was overshadowed by the fact she was still quite naked and would be subject to the stares of anyone in the corridor.

Sato made to follow, but Archer stopped her with a hand to the shoulder, roughly shoving her back toward the bed. "You stay."

Sato obeyed him, lying back with an amused smirk.

"Nobody but me is going to make you come, is that clear?" asked Archer.

Sato nodded and kept her eyes on Archer.

"Let's get out of here," Tucker whispered to T'Pol, and they quickly exited.