Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, or the franchise, and if I was making money off this it would've happened on screen. My bank account can attest to the fact that I make no money... ever. So give credit where it is due. But I do own my ideas :)

Warning: SLASH! Don't like, don't read!

Pairings: Archer/Reed, Trip/OC

Summary: When Enterprise picks up a girl stranded in space, it may have deeper implications than could be imagined, especially when that girl is the most powerful being in the Universe.

A/N: This is my first Archer/Reed, Trip/OC and Star Trek: Enterprise fic so please be nice... well kinda nice? But do review, I love to know what you think, and what I can improve. THANKS!

What It Takes

Prologue

"Bridge to Captain Archer."

Captain of the starship Enterprise, Jonathan Archer, groaned inwardly as the crackle of the communicator came through, breaking through his sleepy haze. "Archer here. Go ahead."

"Sir, we are approaching an unidentified life form."

"A vessel?"

"No sir."

Archer's brow furrowed in confusion. How could there be a life form but no vessel? "Scan the... life form, I'm on my way to the bridge."

"Yes, sir."

A few minutes later, Archer was on the bridge. He immediately went over to where Sub-Commander T'Pol stood at the science station. "T'Pol, report."

"Scans indicate that it is a humanoid life form, but not something we have encountered before."

"It's human?" the Captain asked, he could feel this was getting weirder by the minute.

"That is incorrect. I said it was humanoid, as in it is human in appearance. To be accurate, she is humanoid. But her physiology is not human, nor is she like any other humanoid life that we have encountered. She is much to evolved, even more evolved than a Vulcan." T'Pol explained.

Jon nodded before turning to Ensign Hoshi Sato at the comm station. "Hoshi, can we make contact?"

"I'm not sure, sir. Since it, I mean she, isn't on a vessel, it is hard to say whether she could receive a transmission."

Just as Archer was about to respond, Trip ran onto the bridge muttering something incoherent.

"Commander Tucker?" asked T'Pol, her normally emotionless face showed some trace of alarm as she alerted the captain, "Captain Archer, I believe Commander Tucker is in need of assistance."

Jon turned just in time to see Trip collapse on the floor of the bridge shaking violently. "T'Pol, contact Phlox immediately! Lieutenant Reed, come here and help me sit him up."

"Ego can audite vos. Meus nomen est Lirael."

"Hoshi, what is he saying? And in what language?" Archer inquired forcefully.

The Ensign punched something into the console in front of her before answering, "I believe he is speaking the oldest form of Latin that exists. I believe that the direct translation would be: 'I can hear you. My name is Lirael.'"

Both Archer and his Tactical Officer immediately looked at the image of the girl that T'Pol had put on screen. Her eyes were closed as she drifted in space. There was a collective intake of breath from the crew as they noticed with shock that the young woman wore no life support gear at all. All she was dressed in were long black pants, a black turtle neck tank top and a trench coat whose hood covered most of her face. "Beam her up!" Archer snapped the command.

Reed interjected softly, "Are you sure we should do that sir? She just communicated through Commander Tucker telepathically. What if this is some sort of trap? Who knows what else she is capable of, if you would pardon my interruption sir."

"I know Lieutenant. But she could also be willing to ally with us. She could be useful in fighting the Xindi if she's this powerful. Have a security detail ready to escort her to sickbay."

"Yes sir," replied Reed, resigned to the fact that his Captain was once again making dangerous decisions. But that is what you always admired about him, his courage and fearless leadership, his inner self told him; he pushed the notion to the back of his mind. He was a Reed, raised to keep his personal feelings far away from his professional life.

As he stood in the transporter room, waiting for their mysterious guest arrive, Archer pondered why a girl, a young woman (he estimated her to be about 22 or 23) would just be floating around in space. With no life support gear to top it all off. And she is telepathic. Maybe Malcolm was right, maybe this was too dangerous. Oh well, we'll just deal with it all as it comes, besides, we need any and all advantages we can get against the Xindi.

The Captain was jolted from his thoughts as the black clad girl appeared on the floor in front of him. Doctor Phlox, who'd returned from examining Trip who'd recovered after the girl…Lirael had said whatever she needed to, entered the small room. He immediately went to kneel by his new patients side, and scanned her from head to toe with a tricorder and transferred all of the data to his PADD. Lirael still lay unconscious on the floor before them as Phlox ran another scan, then a third and a fourth.

"Is something wrong Doctor?" queried Archer as the alien went to run his fifth scan.

"No. Which is exactly the problem."

"How is that a problem?"

"Because there is absolutely nothing wrong with her. She should have suffered adverse affects from being in an anti-gravity field for so long with no suit or oxygen, and suddenly re-entering into an environment with life-support and gravity."

"I am fine. My body does not suffer such reactions."