the delphic expanse

I felt like re-watching season three this summer, and I spotted something in "Rajiin" that I never noticed before. Near the beginning of the episode, T'Pol explains to Trip that she doesn't care if anyone is gossiping about them because they're both senior officers and they wouldn't be breaking any rules if they were engaging in a romantic relationship. Later, when Trip enters T'Pol's quarters after Rajiin's attack, there is a stack of three or four binders with the Starfleet logo out on one of her tables. I don't recall seeing those binders out in T'Pol's quarters any other time.

The conclusion I drew is that those binders contain Starfleet rules and regulations, and she took the binders out to make absolutely certain that she was right and that it would be - hypothetically, if she were so inclined - not against the rules for them to have a romantic relationship!

Brandyjane wrote:
The conclusion I drew is that those binders contain Starfleet rules and regulations, and she took the binders out to make absolutely certain that she was right and that it would be - hypothetically, if she were so inclined - not against the rules for them to have a romantic relationship!

Well, that's a plot bunny if I ever heard one. *hint, hint*

An interesting thought. Another thing that comes to mind is that the one person who has his bookshelves packed with those Starfleet binders is Trip. Maybe it's an indication of just how much time they are spending together, that he's leaving his stuff at her place?

Verse Ranger wrote:An interesting thought. Another thing that comes to mind is that the one person who has his bookshelves packed with those Starfleet binders is Trip. Maybe it's an indication of just how much time they are spending together, that he's leaving his stuff at her place?

This was my first thought, too. But both ideas work!

Verse Ranger wrote:An interesting thought. Another thing that comes to mind is that the one person who has his bookshelves packed with those Starfleet binders is Trip. Maybe it's an indication of just how much time they are spending together, that he's leaving his stuff at her place?

I like this idea, too!

Huh. Yep, I'll totally jump on that bandwagon