Lone Wolf- Pt. 3

Lone Wolf

Part Three

By Aquila

Rating: NC-17
Warning: Spoilers, Alternate Universe
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the Trek universe
Summary: A sequel to The T’Key

==

He had been with the freedom fighters for a week. That was one thing about which he was certain. He had more questions than answers. Did they consider him a prisoner or a new recruit? Were they friend or foe? In the place where his deepest fears and darkest thoughts resided, they were the murderers of seven million innocents. In the light of the planet’s red sun, these were beings risking all to live independent lives free of their oppressive government.

There was one other certainty. This group had fled Xin’di. Based on the conversations he had overheard, Trip estimated that the home world was ten light years away. How had they arrived? How had they remained undetected by pursuers? Were they being pursued? He needed answers.

==

T’Pol had spent the week since she had succumbed to grief immersing herself in the effort to track Commander Tucker. In the few minutes of down time she spared herself, she meditated. She refused to confide in the Doctor, who chided her for her stubbornness. She deflected the Captain’s obvious concern, with discussions about the latest leads.

Tonight, however, she was recalling an ancient Earth fable, Pandora’s Box, that she had read long before Charles Tucker III was born. In the tale, the curiosity of the protagonist unleashed on the world vice, sorrow and woe, which were never again contained.

“A cautionary tale that I did not heed,” she said to the image of her face reflected in her cabin mirror. “I opened the box and lost control. I unleashed the emotions that I strove for a lifetime to contain. Unlike Pandora, however, I will return the contents to the box and lock the lid, so help me Surak.”

==

Jonathan Archer, prone on his bunk, tossed a water polo ball from hand to hand. His dog was curled on his pillow in the corner of the cabin. The look of concentration on the captain’s face had nothing to do with the movement of the ball and every thing to do with his former Chief Engineer.

The captain reviewed the situation, as he understood it. Trip had supplies to last independently four weeks, but it was possible they could be augmented at stops along the way. Finding within the four-week time frame, then, was not crucial.

The engineer sent his first promised intel with the trader, Malik. Why did he not use the transponder that he had told the captain he had taken with him? What could that mean, Archer mused? Was Trip afraid that the enemy would detect their presence? Was the maverick incapable of launching the transponder?

More importantly, he asked himself, had Trip become the rogue agent his action suggested? If the Southerner had not planned to return would he have sent T’Pol a personal message? What was in that message?

Ever since she had received it, T’Pol had returned to her ice queen persona. Archer tossed the ball into the air, breaking his rhythm as realization dawned. I can tell the difference between the chilly public T’Pol and the amused, wry and dry humoured T’Pol – the almost human T’Pol. So the crew must have noticed the change also.

“I have lost my two most experienced officers, putting our mission at risk.” Archer spoke out loud. “Porthos, I need to talk to Phlox.”

He threw the ball at a bulkhead, producing a satisfying thwack.

==

“I am ordering you.” Archer’s tone was firm. “I understand the concept of doctor-patient confidentiality. However, I deem this an emergency. My lack of understanding of the situation between Trip and T’Pol may be putting the mission and this crew at risk.”

Phlox agreed with the captain’s assessment. For days, he had been wrestling with alerting the captain versus protecting the Vulcan’s. He felt a sense of relief that the decision had been taken from him.

“I must begin with a Vulcan biology lesson, Captain.” Phlox waited.

Archer sighed, “Can you make it succinct?”

==

The Xin’di generator had given him a fight, evidenced by the sweat trickling down his shirtless torso. The planet was cold at night, but as hot as the Everglades at the red sun’s zenith. Trip stood his hands on his hips, to regard the inanimate object that he had wrestled into submission. He had spent a week fixing anything and everything in the camp in an attempt to gain the confidence of the group. With the taming of the generator, he was ready to begin phase two of his plan to win their trust.

“You are called Fallover, is that right?” A smoky voice drifted from behind.

The voice belonged to a niece of the leader of the freedom fighters. She had never been formally introduced, but when the men gathered to gossip, inevitably she was mentioned. It did not take him long to understand that she was the most desired female in camp, but also the least accessible. Xander had plans for his only living female relative, plans that did not include his rag tag bunch of gypsies.

Trip turned slowly, “Actually, its Trip as in triple.”

When he was fully facing her, he stopped. His hands were still on his hips. His chest gleamed damply, shadows highlighting his lean, taut abdominal muscles. He watched her face for some sign that the translator had cleared up the misunderstanding. Instead he saw raw lust, more intense than that unleashed by Phlox’s second wife when she visited Enterprise. He had been flattered, but exceedingly uncomfortable then, now he was merely afraid that all the effort he had put into becoming a trusted ally was about to be undermined.

“There are two more of you?”

Axelana delivered the question as she stepped inside his social space. Her hand slid lightly from his collarbone to his belt buckle. She raised her hand to her mouth and proceeded to lick his perspiration from each fingertip.

Trip stepped back, “Yes, there are, my father and his father.” He picked up the shirt that he had set on the ground while fixing the generator.

“Here let me help you.”

Axelana took the shirt from him. She shook it out, found the shoulders, and then held it so that he could slip his arms inside.

Trip had no choice, but to allow her to assist him. He did not wan to be found struggling over his shirt. Axelana slipped around him, making sure that soft parts of her body connected with hard parts of his as she did so.

“Let me help you with those buttons?”

Before Trip could protest she was slipping the third button through the corresponding hole. As she began to close the next button, she slipped a finger inside the shirt and began to draw circles on his skin.

He stepped aback again, taking over the task from Axelana. “Thank you, but I’ve been dressin’ myself for sometime.”

“I’ve asked uncle if he would add warming my bed to your list of duties.” Axelana moved toward him.

Trip backed up, still buttoning his shirt. “I’m sure he said that would be inappropriate.”

“Oh no,” Axelana smiled. “He thought it was a good idea. Do you like the idea?”

“The idea is appealin’,” Trip began, hoping to let her down without losing face, “But I left a baby growin’ in my wife’s womb. Where I come from that makes warmin’ the bed of other females against the rules.”

“She would never know.” Axelana hooked a finger through a belt loop and tugged.

“Well, actually she would.” Trip sighed. “She isn’t like me or you. She’s a different species. When they marry, a bond is created that enables the male and female to read each other’s thoughts.”

“Can you read my thoughts?” Axelana smiled seductively.

“No, but I get the message loud and clear.” Trip unhooked her finger and stepped back again. “I’m just don’t want to take you up on the invitation.”

“Why don’t you let me show you how to operate the generator, now that it’s fixed.” Trip distracted her with sparks of another kind.

From the shadows, Axelana’s father smiled. The Human had passed the first test.

==

Archer shook his head in disbelief. “Our former Chief Engineer caused hormones in T’Pol’s body to respond as if a Vulcan male had entered Pon Far?”

“There is no other possible explanation,” declared the doctor.

“So he and T’Pol participated in some Vulcan mating ritual that resulted in conception and an impartial, but active mental bond?” Archer continued to shake his head. “And the three of you kept this from me?”

“The Doctor and Commander Tucker kept the information from you, Captain, to protect me.”

The two men looked up at the sound of T’Pol’s voice.

“To protect you?” Archer clenched his jaw. “From me?”

“No. From the Vulcan High Command, the Science Directorate and the disapproval of my people.” Her impassive face told him nothing.

“How would conceiving a child protect your privacy?” Archer was livid.

Phlox interrupted before T’Pol could answer, “Based on current available knowledge, conception was thought to be impossible.”

Archer threw his shoulders back aggressively. Phlox raised a hand to stop his tirade. “I have no intention of updating Vulcan or Human medical databases. For we have learned even more.”

T’Pol spoke, “Conceiving the child is relatively simple, carrying the child to term is nearly impossible.”

“Why do I think you have yet to tell me the real problem?” Archer looked from one to the other. Phlox had the grace to look chagrined. T’Pol remained passive, a sure sign that she was hiding something.

*******************

Continue to Part 4.

Return to Part 2.

Back to Fan Fiction Main Menu

Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS!

Four of you have made comments

Wow I def. hope there's more

Phew, that was a close call for Trip, with that little temptress trying to get inside his pants, never mind his personal space!!! Good job he's got thoughts of T'Pol to keep him going.

Great chapter, hoping that there's lots still to come.

I am really enjoying this and it is so nice to have Trip tempted without ending up being taken advantage of for once as if the poor man has no willpower (or should that be won't power?) at all. I find myself annoyed with the Captain though. Always presuming that his *need to know* over rides everybody else's best interests. If T'Pol does not want to tell him something he should respect her privacy. Can't wait for the next part, thanks for a great story! Ali D :~)

Oh hurry more of this and soon please... Oh Trip what are you doing? So far from home!

What will happen when he learns of the loss of his child and his wife's emotions....