Friends- Part 5

"FRIENDS AND LOVERS"
An "Enterprise" story

By Alison M. DOBELL

SUMMARY: "Trip finds out what all the fuss is about and suddenly life gets a whole lot more complicated."
Rated: R. Part 9 is NC-17
The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Enterprise' belong to Paramount. No infringement of copyright is intended.
Feedback to: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

Part Five

"Quality of Life"

* * * * *

Captain Jonathan Archer was far from happy. Attempts to hail the ship had been met with no response. He did not recognise the configuration of the vessel. Its sleek lines suggested it was built for speed, so it was unlikely to be a trading vessel. What was it and what was it doing here blocking their passage and matching them speed for speed? He looked at Lt Reed.

"Status?"

"The ship has not primed any weapons, Captain."

The Captain looked at the image on the screen, anxious and starting to get angry. He nodded to T'Pol. "Anything on what kind of biosigns are aboard?"

The Sub-Commander turned and checked through the binocular scan. She turned back and shook her head. "They have some kind of interference field."

"A dampening field?"

"Similar. It is a like a selective form of jamming."

"Selective?"

She nodded cautiously. "Yes, Captain. The occupants of that vessel *want* you to see them."

He looked alarmed. "What?"

"I suspect that if they wished to go to stealth mode we would not even be able to detect them let alone see a clear image of their ship."

He frowned. Puzzled and more disconcerted than he had been a moment ago. Just then Commander Tucker came on to the bridge. His frown deepened when he saw Trip had the Sanacrid on his shoulder. It also reminded him that they had promised to look for a new home for the little creature. The visible reminder of how he had almost lost his entire away team on their last mission did nothing to enhance his mood.

"Cap'n we've gotta get out of here. Fast."

All eyes turned to fix on the Chief Engineer. He was in uniform and that in itself was a surprise. Captain Archer had given him a complete leave of absence to accommodate his upcoming marriage and no doubt the honeymoon that would follow. What happened after that had not yet been discussed. The significance was not lost on the Captain. "What do you know about this ship, Commander?"

"It's an enemy vessel Cap'n. A pursuit ship."

"How do you know that?"

He hesitated only a fraction. Would not look T'Pol in the eye. Her suspicion deepened. "It's a Ralcaddon pursuit vessel, Cap'n."

"I've seen a Ralcaddon vessel, Commander. It looks nothing like this."

Commander Tucker was getting anxious. The Captain was wasting time. Time they did not have. "What you saw Cap'n was one of their City Ships. They aren't built for speed. These babies are."

Sub-Commander T'Pol spoke before the Captain could reply. Her eyes fastened like limpet mines on Commander Tucker's face. Perfect understanding between them. Even though her voice was slow, measured, even he could feel a coiled dread behind each word. "Listen to him, Captain."

Anything which could scare a Vulcan had to be taken seriously. Pursing his lips he nodded. Commander Tucker hurried to his console, fingers flying over the controls and easing the ship back so they could turn. The Ralcaddon pursuit ship matched their every move. Captain Archer could feel his palms sweating. He looked at the Commander. "How fast can their pursuit vessel go?"

"I don't know Cap'n but I'm guessing it’s a lot faster than we can."

"Then why are we trying to run? Perhaps we can reason with them. I managed it once."

Just then the Enterprise came to a complete stop. Dead in space. All the colour drained from the Commander's face. He looked at Lt Reed. The armoury officer tried to polarise the hull plating. Nothing. Tried to bring the phase canons online. No response. He could not even load a torpedo. Both men exchanged a look. "Captain? I am unable to polarise the hull plating or bring any of our weapons on line."

"And I can't increase the power to the engines, Cap'n. That ship is blocking us."

The Captain looked at Travis Mayweather. The young man's skin was glistening with perspiration. "The ship won't respond, Captain. We can't move."

A nerve jumped along the Captain's jaw. He looked grimly at Hoshi. "Open a hailing frequency, Hoshi."

She nodded. The Captain glared at the image on the screen.

"Ralcaddon vessel, this is Captain Jonathan Archer of the Star Ship Enterprise. You are blocking our path and interrupting free passage. You will move aside and allow us to continue on our way unmolested."

For a moment there was no response then the screen crackled. The image of the ship disappeared and was replaced by a face he knew. The shock stunned him. It was Co-Commandant Kalcon. He frowned.

"Captain, we are here because you have something that belongs to us."

A deadly hush filled the bridge. Captain Archer looked puzzled. "I'm afraid I don't understand Co-Commandant Kalcon. If you recall your people helped us retrieve our landing party. We then left and promised not to return."

The Ralcaddons voice betrayed no emotion. "Return what is ours and go on your way."

"We don't have anything..."

Kalcon interrupted him, his steely eyes having taken in the bridge crew and finally resting on Commander Tucker. The Sanacrid was trembling, trying frantically to climb down the neck of Trip's uniform top. Co-Commandant Kalcon pointed to the Commander. "You will return the Sanacrid to me or we will disintegrate your ship and powder the stars with the dust of your bones."

* * * * *

Natalie was close to tears. "I am *not* leaving you, Trip."

He was pacing. Even the Sanacrid could not calm him down. "Look Nat it's just for a while until we can shake off this ship." He paused and took her hands in his. Eyes pleading for her to understand. To not make this any harder than it already was. He was just glad she did not know how he and his friends had been tortured down on that planet. Some things she did not have to know. He had enough nightmares for the both of them. "I need to know you're safe, Nat. I can't fight with my hands tied behind ma back."

Tears ran down her face. "I may never see you again."

He hushed her and touched her face, hand cradling her tear stained cheek. "Hey, have I ever let ya down before?" He whispered gently.

She shook her head. He kissed her lightly. "C'mon Nat, you know I'm making sense. I also want you to be with my parents. They must be worried outta their minds." He paused. "Please, Nat. Do this for me?"

She nodded because her throat had closed up. Too emotional to form words. Trip held her and rocked her as she cried. His eyes met the physician's, both knew the likelihood of them being able to pick up where they left off afterwards were slim. He just hoped there would be an afterwards. For all of them. But there was something to be said for not putting all your eggs in one basket and the Wellington was not an armed vessel. It was a transport and supply ship. The best way to save them was to send them back to Earth. "I'll walk you to the transport."

He could see she wanted to argue with him but she did not. It was too much common sense even for her to deny. When he got to the transport pod that had brought him and Natalie over from the Wellington a great reluctance came over him. Was he doing the right thing? After all the Wellington was not armed. Did not have reinforced plating that could be polarised. What if another Ralcaddon vessel found them and blasted them to smithereens? Yet if she stayed she would be subject to the same uncompromising threat of destruction that hung over their heads. No. The safest place for Natalie was as far away from him as she could get. He gave her a kiss and tried not to cry but tears leaked from his eyes anyway. She touched his cheek one last time then boarded the transport in silence. He stood and watched the door seal shut with a hiss. Stepped back behind the blast door and watched the bay doors open. Even after the pod had gone he stood for several minutes staring blankly at the bay doors. It was the Sanacrid that roused him out of his gloomy thoughts. Reminding him that the hardest part had just begun.

* * * * *

The tension on the bridge was mounting. Sub-Commander T'Pol's face was a closed mask. Hoshi frowned to herself. Knew the Sub-Commander was as anxious and worried as the rest of them. She just hid it better. Hoshi wished the Vulcan had an outlet for all those pent up feelings. For all the weaknesses of humans and their irrational emotions there was a lot to be said for being able to express them openly. Not that she would say so to T'Pol. Not after the last run in they had had with the Ralcaddons. Lt Reed had told her some of what had happened but not all of it. None of the others would speak about it including the Captain and Commander. She expected that kind of reticence from T'Pol but not the others. Now as she watched the ship on the viewscreen she found herself casting her mind back to that last encounter. In particular the terrible state the away team had returned in. She frowned. What could be so important about a tiny little creature no bigger than a chipmunk and with the tail of a squirrel that such a powerful alien species would spend weeks tracking them down to get it back? And why did she get the uncomfortable feeling that the Commander would not surrender the creature without a fight?

Her reverie was interrupted by Commander Tucker's return to the bridge. Captain Archer looked at his friend's pale and drawn face. The Chief Engineer took a deep breath. "I've convinced Natalie to go back to the Wellington. As soon as ya give the word the Captain's ready to head back to Earth."

The Captain nodded solemnly. Knew how much it was costing his friend to do this. Found it hard not to glare at the little creature settled on his Chief Engineer's shoulder. Lt Reed had wanted to shoot the damn thing down on the planet. At least that was what Dr Phlox had told him when he visited his injured crew in sick bay afterwards. He wished now that the armoury officer had pulled the trigger. As if reading his mind, Commander Tucker's lips thinned. "It isn't the Sanacrid's fault, Cap'n, and I'm not gonna let you blame him for this."

"I didn't say it was."

"I know but I can see it in your face. Wouldn't it be nice an' easy just to give in to the bully and get ourselves out of this fix? Give 'em what they want?"

Captain Archer's eyes narrowed. Not liking the little edge that had slid into his friend's voice. Then the anger seemed to evaporate from the Commander. The Captain realised he had been holding his breath. What the hell was the matter with Trip lately? Okay, so he had a lot on his mind what with Natalie turning up pregnant, the upcoming and unplanned wedding, and now this. Was he really surprised he was acting oddly? Time he cut his friend some slack. "I'm sorry, Commander. There's still a lot about this I don't understand. What is so important about the Sanacrid anyway?"

Commander Tucker looked for a moment at the ship on the screen, his thoughts miles away. He glanced briefly at Sub-Commander T'Pol. Such a tiny glance that no one noticed it but Hoshi. Whatever was going on, it seemed those two knew. So what was it they were not telling the Captain?

"I think I can answer that better in the situation room, Cap'n."

"I don't think we have time for that, Commander."

"Oh we have time, Cap'n. The Ralcaddons won't fire while we've got a Sanacrid on board."

Stunned, the Captain realised the only way he would get any answers was to do as Trip said. He gave T'Pol a nod to tell her she had the bridge then walked into the situation room with the Commander and his little furry friend. Once the doors had shut he turned a stern face towards his friend. "I want to know *exactly* what happened down on that training planet, Trip. Something tells me that what you know could fill a couple of books. What is it you haven't told me and what makes these creatures so valuable?"

He was stunned to see that Trip looked as if he wanted to cry. Had he pushed him too far? He took a step towards the Commander but he raised a hand to stop him. "You sure you wanna know *everythin'* Cap'n? You might sleep better if you didn't."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

It seemed as if Trip was having trouble breathing. It only lasted a couple of seconds but terrified the life out of the Captain. In a much gentler tone he tried again. "Trip? Don't shut me out. I'm not just your Captain, I'm your friend."

A tear broke ranks and rolled silently down the Commander's face. The little Sanacrid fidgetted on his shoulder then curled in closer to his neck. The contact seemed to steady him. "Ya might want to ask Lt Reed and the Sub-Commander to join us, Cap'n."

The Captain nodded and made a com request not taking his eyes off Trip. Neither of them spoke again until Lt Reed and Sub-Commander T'Pol had joined them. Feeling somewhat at a loss, the Captain looked at his senior crew in bewilderment. Just what the hell had gone down on that planet? Before he could say anything Commander Tucker looked at the armoury officer. "Malcolm, the Captain wants to know *exactly* what happened down on the Ralcaddon training planet."

Alarm flashed on Lt Reed's face. He looked across at T'Pol but her face was expressionless. Captain Archer waved at the chairs and they sat around the table. If it had been meant to put his command staff at ease it had failed miserably. Lt Reed cleared his throat awkwardly, glanced at Trip then began to tell the Captain exactly what had happened. Leaving out certain details pertaining to Trip and T'Pol that were too personal and explicit to be shared.

"I knew you had been tortured but I didn't realise it was so.... invasive." The Captain's eyes looked a little glazed. Shock turning to anger then confusion. "I don't understand. These people are so powerful there's no way we could stand against them or fight them. What could they possibly want with the Sanacrid?"

The Commander took a deep breath. Would not look at T'Pol. She was sitting just to his left, the Captain and Lt Reed sitting on the other side of the table. Surreptitiously she placed a cool hand on his thigh. The touch was welcome though he did not outwardly react. "The Sanacrid are telepathic, Cap'n."

Captain Archer raised his eyebrows. So? "There has to be more to it than that, Trip."

"There is. Ya remember that City Ship?"

How could he forget? It had dwarfed his nightmares for more than a week afterwards.

"It's an organic vessel. Course it has some fabricated surfaces and a whole ton of manufactured components but the basic shell and interior is organic."

"I don't understand what that has to do with..."

"Captain. It's *organic*. The Sanacrid are telepathic beings. They form symbiotic partnerships with their host."

"Host?" He had the distinct feeling he was losing it. What the hell was Trip talking about?

"To integrate all the organics that make up their capital ships they need an intuitive interface. The most complex and efficient of those comes from a powerful telepathic link provided by only one species."

Understanding dawned like a block of concrete hitting him from forty floors. "The Sanacrid?"

Commander Tucker nodded.

"Are you saying the Ralcaddon are their symbiotic partners?"

"No, Cap'n. I'm saying the Ralcaddons enslave the Sanacrid. That's why they spread themselves out on countless worlds in small numbers. Hoping not to be noticed. To survive."

"I don't understand." He looked at Lt Reed. "You said in your report that the Sanacrid climbed into Trip's sleeping bag? I would hardly call that hiding."

Commander Tucker looked embarrassed. To the Captain's surprise it was T'Pol who explained. "The Sanacrid was looking for a compatible host. He found such a host in the Commander."

Captain Archer's mouth dropped open. Shock stunned him. No one in the room could blame him. The silence stretched to an incredible level. Became so intense that the absence of sound almost hurt their ears. His mouth flapped uselessly a couple of times before he could form words. "You're a *host*?"

He nodded. "Yeah. The link is pretty comprehensive, Cap'n, which is why I agreed to bring him aboard to escape bein' enslaved. Anythin' that would hurt him would hurt me. It's also why I gave him to Dr Phlox to look after." He paused. "Bein' this closely linked gets kinda intense."

The Captain shook his head. "Intense? How?"

"The Sanacrid, being telepathic hears all my thoughts Cap'n. The innocent ones as well as the ones you can't repeat in front of your mama. And I'm a healthy red blooded male."

He felt his face start to redden. "Are you sure I need to know all this?"

Commander Tucker shrugged. "Ya asked, Cap'n. I warned ya."

"So there's more?"

No one would meet anyone else's eyes. Captain Archer felt like he wanted to shake them all just to get to the bottom of this but some instinct held him back. Whatever had happened a couple of months ago had shaken his command staff more than he could imagine. So much so that afterwards they had chosen to act as if it had never happened. Now he knew why. They were not running away they were struggling to cope. Maybe he did not need to know all the intimate details after all? "Trip? Suppose you just tell me what I need to know."

* * * * *

Four hours later they still had come to no agreement. The Ralcaddon pursuit vessel remained in place. None of their systems would work except life support and rudimentary facilities. Lights were dimmed to save power. Captain Archer had rotated the shifts so they could at least get some rest while he and the rest of the command staff tried to hammer out a plan of action. The trouble was there was nothing they could come up with to avoid the one course none of them wanted to embrace. Commander Tucker went to his quarters, took a hot shower and changed into a fresh uniform. The Sanacrid was anxious about him. Worried that they were left with only one way out.

*They will kill you, Trip*

*I can't see another way outta this*

*They will kill the crew*

He paused. *Ya know that?*

*No* The Sanacrid admitted. Their telepathic link went both ways though Trip knew from experience that the little creature was able to keep some things back. He was also not above manipulating his interpretation of the facts if they proved to be counter to his own agenda. Yet the Commander trusted the little creature. The Sanacrid did not want to risk losing that. It was far too precious to him.

Just then his door chimed. He looked up. "Come in."

To his surprise it was Sub-Commander T'Pol. "Have you come to a decision yet, Commander?"

He sighed and sat on the bed. His hair still wet from the shower. Weary yet still trying to get his foggy brain to function. To find a way out that stopped short of complete surrender. T'Pol looked at him for a moment then sat next to him. She looked down at her hands, linking and unlinking the fingers in a strangely un-Vulcan ritual. Trip stirred and looked at what she was doing, realising with a shock that she was fidgetting. He turned to face her and took her hands in his. Somehow his touch helped to calm her. Why was she feeling so irrational? She had not felt like this since... Since...

"T'Pol, what is it? What's wrong?"

The sound of concern in his voice almost undid her. "You were going to be married."

It was the last thing he had expected her to say yet he did not release her hands. He rubbed them gently between his own, trying to warm them and to give her comfort. Instinctively understanding that she was upset. "It can't be helped, T'Pol. I couldn't have Natalie stay here with us. Not when those Ralcaddons might decide to blow us to kingdom come. It was too risky."

She nodded. Looked at him for a long moment. "The baby..."

He knew what was troubling her. She was not a science officer for nothing. A little smile teased his weary lips. She had done the math. "It's not mine, T'Pol." He said softly.

She nodded and seemed to calm a little. Relieved. She had known but still needed to hear it from him. "Why did you say you would marry her?"

"Aw T'Pol, it's not as easy as you might think. I've known Natalie most of my life. I love her like family. You wouldn't believe all the scrapes we got ourselves in and out of over the years." He flashed her a grin. "The trouble is that loving someone isn't the same as being *in love* with someone. Cap'n loves his dog but he wouldn't want t'marry him."

"Is that how you feel about Natalie? Wouldn't it be fairer to tell her the truth?"

"She knows the truth, T'Pol." He paused then decided to tell her the truth. This could be the last time they would spend together. It seemed stupid to leave her clinging to a pack of lies and half-truths. She deserved better. "Natalie was raped, T'Pol. Back on Earth. The scum-bag raped her and left her for dead. Fortunately she managed to drag herself to my parent's house. If she'd'a gone home her father would'a killed her." He paused and sucked in a steadying breath. She was horrified but did not interrupt. Saw the emotion on his face and longed to reach out to him but her upbringing held her back. "He still would if he knew. Y'see her father's career navy, T'Pol. Somethin' like that would bring shame on his family. Leastways that's the way people like him think. So she couldn't go home. She was in a terrible state, needed medical attention but was afraid if she went to hospital they would call her folks. My folks don't care what other folks think. They took her in, T'Pol, and just like when we were kids they helped get her out of a spot. Same as I would'a done had I been there. Same as she would'a done for me. Then the other shoe dropped."

T'Pol frowned. "Shoe?"

"It's an expression, T'Pol. When there's bad news the first half of it is like dropping a shoe. Hearin' the rest of it is like dropping the other shoe. I know it makes no sense but that's what it means. My mom and dad took her to the family doctor. He naturally assumed I was the father and nobody told him different. Things were easier that way, no questions asked. It took some of the pressure off of Natalie. Then while the doctor was examining Nat he found somethin' else."

"The other shoe?"

He nodded sadly, fighting to hold back tears. T'Pol squeezed his hands gently. "He found she had a tumour on her brain." He broke off with a sob. Swallowed hard to control his voice before continuing. "It's malignant. What they call an inoperable cancer. Best guess is it'll kill her in less than three months."

T'Pol felt an unaccustomed wetness on her cheek. "Why did she come out here?"

"I'm the closest thing she has to someone to love. We dated on and off for quite a while, were goin' out together when this mission came up. For me it was just casual dating, nothin' heart stoppingly serious. For Natalie it was the real thing. I never meant to hurt her, T'Pol, and I tried - believe me - to put her off as gently as I could."

Something clicked in the Vulcan's mind. "That is why you could not say goodbye?"

He looked at her, startled that she knew about that. She did not enlighten him. He gave a shrug. "Now ya know. I thought she'd get bored hanging around waitin' for me to come back. She didn't. She decided to come to me instead. All she wanted T'Pol, was to be in the arms of someone she loved as she lay dying." He broke off and shuddered slightly. "I knew I could give her that. It was the least I could do for a friend."

T'Pol nodded and leant her head against his, watching the silent tears stream down his face. Captain Archer had called the Commander a good man. He did not know the half of it. She lifted her head and kissed his cheek. As he turned his head towards her he was surprised to see that she had been crying too. "What are we going to do, Trip?"

He raised a wondering hand and gently began to wipe away her tears. He had never seen a Vulcan cry. Was sorry to be the cause of her distress. She did not take her eyes off of his. The Sanacrid watched them in silence. As Trip's hand touched T'Pol's cheek, the Sanacrid opened the telepathic link. The world around them ceased to exist. There was only each other. In the moment when their lips touched, the quality of life became something so searing and intense, so ethereal that the whole universe expanded to accommodate the flood of emotions that seared them heart to heart, soul to soul, mind to mind. He gasped lightly, she filled him completely. Images, sensations, desires, dreams. The hunger of the soul was overwhelming. His fingers burned, his body overheating. Her solar plexus exploding with heat, her eyes consuming him with a passion that made him ache. The conflagration of the senses heightened by touch, driving them out of their minds with passion. He was so gentle with her. Tender, loving. She was so fiercely possessive of him. A knowledge he had never grasped before. They undressed each other without being aware of the action of their hands, the Sanacrid deepening the link between himself and his host, using it to trigger a Vulcan mind meld, then building exponentially on their exploding senses.

On fire. Trip was on fire and T'Pol was the accelerant consuming his withering flesh. Yet it was glorious. Almost frightening in its intensity. Bonds forming, tightening and binding them that had only been glimpsed down on the Ralcaddon training planet. The Sanacrid deepened their experience on every level then gave to them his final gift.

* * * * *

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