Series Title: Star Trek—The Continuing Voyages of the Enterprise

Author: ginamr

Story Title: Paradise Lost

Story Number in Series: One

Story Part: Four

Season Four

Episode Number in Season: 25 (Of course, bumping the episode number on These Are the Voyages a little higher.)

Episode Number in Series: 099

Genre: Science Fiction/Angst/Action/Adventure

Rating: PG-13

Possible spoilers: Broken Bow through Terra Prime

Author's Note: The 'noisy header' is only in the first story and serves as an introduction to what my virtual series will be about. Also, the bold stuff is communicator and italics is thoughts. Bold and italics is Trip and T'Pol's communication through their bond. And this: T'N'T T'N'T T'N'T T'N'T indicates scene breaks.

Disclaimer: Only new characters and the new plots are mine. The original characters belong to Paramount. I receive no monetary reward for my work; my only reward is the joy of creating.

Last time on Star Trek: Enterprise… Paradise Lost Part Three

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Play Intro Music

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"The shuttle should be a half kilometer in that direction," Reed said.

Trip's head snapped around to look behind them. "We're being followed," he said in a low voice.

"I don't hear anything." A second later, Trip shoved Archer out of the way of a weapon's blast before crawling to take cover behind a rock.

"Didn't hear anything, huh?" Trip said his eyebrows raised high.

Archer shook his head, looking at Trip stunned. "How did you hear that?"

Trip shrugged. "Don't know. Back in the clearing, I could hear you all comin' a mile off. Just didn't think much of it until you all were about a half kilometer away."

Archer frowned. "Only a Vulcan's hearing is that good."

A weapons blast hitting the rock they were hiding behind kept Trip from having to answer any awkward questions about his and T'Pol's bond. Trip took one side of the boulder while Archer took the other. Trip jerked around the stone barrier and fired two shots hitting two of the intruders in the chest.

Archer looked at him and grinned. "Lucky shot."

"I'm not goin' ta say it matters. I can use all the luck I can get, Captain."

The sounds of weapons blasts filled the air, the intruders receiving a stun blast from either Trip or one of the others. At last, all of the intruders lay on the forest floor unconscious.

"All right. Let's move before they send reinforcements."

"Don't move," said a voice behind them. Trip and Archer turned to find themselves being held at gunpoint by none other than Paxton. There were several others with him training their weapons on the others. Paxton nodded and one of the guards rushed forward picking T'Pol up off the ground and holding the weapon at her neck. Trip made to go toward her, but was knocked to the ground by a blow to the stomach. Trip kneeled over gasping for breath.

"Let…her go," he wheezed. "Let…her go. I'll…take her…place."

"Trip…" Archer began.

"I don't think you understand, Commander. We need her. You, on the other hand…" he began, aiming his weapon at Trip's forehead. "…we no longer need."

"I'll do whatever ya want. Just let her go."

Paxton paused before nodding to another one of the guards, who moved instantly to help Trip up. "We'll let her go when we're finished with her. As long as you cooperate, no harm will come to her."

Trip nodded and stood, glancing at T'Pol asking if she was all right.

" I am unharmed," she replied out loud.

"You will return with us to the compound." Paxton grimaced. " shoot the others once we've reached the compound."

One of the guards poked Trip in the back with weapon, urging him forward.

"All right, I'm going," Trip mumbled.

Another guard pointed a weapon at T'Pol. She said nothing, merely moving to follow Trip.

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It was a long walk back to the compound, during which none of them were allowed to converse. Trip had made a series of sarcastic comments, which had earned him a sharp hit in the back of the head by one of the guards with the butt of his weapon. Trip had rubbed the back of his head and had refrained from making any further comments. Trip fought back a grin upon seeing the hole that T'Pol have made earlier with readjustment of the weapon's energy converter.

Trip and T'Pol were led into one room while the others were led past the room. Two guards remained, closing the door once Paxton had entered.

"What do you want with her?" Trip asked.

"You have always wanted children, correct, Commander?"

Trip eyed him warily. "What does that have to two with anything?"

"Everything, commander."

Paxton clasped his hands behind his back, grinning almost maniacally. "You see, Commander, there are others like myself who believe that interspecies relationships will eliminate humanity gradually with each generation of breeding. I am out to prove just how correct this assumption is."

"That's what we're out here to do. We're out here to meet other species. Our job as explorers is to study the unknown, which includes learning about other species. By learning about other species, we are making that unknown less of an unknown. Much of what we learn about other species can help us better understand who we are and where we come from. That's Starfleet's objective; to meet new species, to explore strange new worlds, and to boldly go where no man has gone before."

"Very good, Commander. Does your captain have Zephram Cochran's speech, culminating the launching of the first warp one spacecraft memorized as well?" Paxton grinned. "Yes, Cochran was a very wise man indeed. He was ahead of his time. Unfortunately, he did not realize to exactly what use his discovery would be put to. Had he known that we would be inviting strangers who were not like us to take over our society, perhaps he would not have shared his discovery and perhaps he would not have made his legendary flight."

Trip frowned. "That's what he intended for the warp drive to be used for. Nowhere in his speech did he mention that exploration of our universe excluded new life forms."

"Commander, you have always resented Vulcans for holding back the Warp Five Program, correct?"

Trip nodded. "At first, I didn't understand why they were holding us back. But after seeing everything that I saw on our mission, I finally understand why they thought that we weren't ready."

Paxton frowned. "That's only the beginning of what will happen if we do not take back control. Soon, Earth will no longer be known as the homeworld of humans as there will be no pure humans left. We will be overrun by half breeds. Human DNA will be muddled with Vulcan, Xindi, Denobulan, Risan, Orion, and other non-human DNA. In time, there will not be a being on Earth who does not carry the genome for some type of alien trait. I encouraging humans not to breed with other species, we are conserving the human race; we are conserving our heritage."

Trip sighed. "Purity of race is what destroyed so many of Earth's civilizations. Because of our prejudices, we were very nearly the cause of our own annihilation. If it hadn't been for our prejudices and our judgments, we would have been able to achieve what we have today a helluva lot sooner. Admittedly, we still do judge anyone who is different from us. But, in time, we learn to overcome those judgments and to see just what those were different from us to have to teach us about ourselves."

"Even my people, who claim that their lives are based on logic, judge other species. All species judge others using their own cultural standards. My people claim that logic guides them; yet, we expect other species to abide by our standards of behavior, our codes of noninterference, and many of our ritualistic behaviors because we feel that the way things are done on Vulcan is the only way and to behave in any other fashion shows a lack of control and a lack of responsible behavior. In the time I had spent among humans, I have come to realize that every species has a way of doing things and that there isn't just one correct way for all species. Certain Vulcan customs do not make sense to humans because humans have evolved in a different way than Vulcans. Therefore, it would be illogical for humans to adapt such customs. Logic dictates that each species do what is necessary in order for their culture to survive. Driving all alien species from your planet will not solve anything."

Paxton grinned. "Ah, but that is where you're wrong, Commander. It will solve a great deal."

"Chasing all of the aliens away from earth will not stop Starfleet from sending out ships."

"But that is the next step, Commander. I intend to see that Starfleet is disbanded once all non-humans have left the system."

Trip frowned. "And just how do you intend to do that?"

"We will do so by force, if necessary. We do not wish to hurt anyone. We simply wish to preserve the purity of the human race."

"You'll get hell before you destroy Starfleet headquarters without a fight."

"Our numbers are strong. We have the equipment and personnel to fight back if the need arises."

"So what did T'Pol and I have to do with all of this?"

Paxton chuckled. "Your child will serve as an example of just what kind of defects inter species breeding can cause."

Trip stood, speechless for a moment. "You purposely didn't take the time to fully explore the consequences of cloning Vulcan and Human DNA, didn't you?"

Paxton grinned. "Very good, Commander. And here I thought your Vulcan companion was the only one understood."

Trip clenched his fists. "You sonuvabitch! You killed her! You knew all along that she wasn't going to survive!"

Paxton nodded. "It would have done me no good if the child had survived to reach maturity. I would have failed in the statement I was attempting to make that humans should not breed with other species."

Trip felt a hand on his arm, attempting to hold him back. He looked down at her hand on his arm, not even realizing that he had begun to move toward Paxton. He stayed where he was, holding himself stiffly as though ready to attack at any given moment.

"What do you still need T'Pol for? I assume that you took samples of our DNA during our interrogations. Why do you still need her?"

"We still need one last sample of her DNA to complete the genetic profile."

"Then why didn't you just take it when we were in forest?"

"Because if we had, there is a possibility that you could have escaped. We do not intend to let you leave here alive."

I hope you have a plan, darlin'.

I am afraid I don't this time. We will have to hope that the captain, lieutenant reed, and the others manage to free themselves and 'come to our rescue'.

At that precise moment, the door flew off its hinges and revealed Archer, read, and the others standing in the doorway. Reed took aim at one of the guards and Erika the other while Archer kept his weapon trained on Paxton.

"Are you two all right?"

Trip nodded. "Fine, Captain."

Archer pulled his communicator from his pocket. Archer to Enterprise.

Go ahead, sir.

We've located Paxton and we're on our way back to Enterprise.

Aye, sir. Good to hear. We'll leave the door open.

Archer nodded. Archer out.

"It looks like it's finally over," Trip said, running his hands through his hair.

"For now," Archer added.

Trip sighed. "One adventure after another right, captain?"

Archer nodded. "Sure seems that way."

"I'll be happy if we even get a couple of days without another adventure like this one."

Archer grimaced. "So will I, Trip. So will I."

THE END (FOR NOW...)