Chapter Eighteen

Trip was angry because of his treatment by the Duordean's and not being able to do anything about it frustrated him. He felt vulnerable and he was scared for his child's welfare. After being transported off The Enterprise, the Duordean had dragged him down a hallway into a cold medical room that contained a single bio table with numerous weird looking instruments scattered around it. Despite putting up a good struggle, he was lifted up, and tied down to the table with straps that ran around his head, arms, and legs. One of the Duordean then proceeded to remove his shirt and to take scans of the child inside of him. This went on for about ten minutes before the alien put the scanner away, gave Trip a smirk, and withdrew himself from the room.

That was three hours ago and no one had entered the room since. From the sound the engines made, Trip could tell that the ship had gone to Warp. He could only hope that Enterprise was on their trail. He tried focusing on his bond with T'Pol, but his emotions were too much in turmoil -- he just couldn't relax and concentrate properly. "Damn," he thought as he fought hard against his bonds, then he yelled in a very frustrated tone: "Hey! you goddamned sons of bitches, untie me!" Nobody answered or came, but that didn't stop him from carrying on nevertheless. Just when he thought he would go hoarse, two Duordeans entered the room and began scanning him some more and checking him over with various instruments.

"Ain't ya going to say anything before ya callously murder an innocent?" asked Trip, trying to stall for time.

The two Duordeans just ignored him.

"Does killing come so easy for your species that you can just easily brush it aside without a second thought? Don't you care whether it's right or wrong?"

"We have a right to defend our way of life," explained one of the Duordeans, while the other one carried on in an uncomfortable silence. "The Daladians had no right to interfere."

"They were brought in as an intermediary to prevent you guys from blowing yourselves up. Or would you have preferred they had left you to wipe yourselves out?"

"We don't need the Daladians help, especially when we were winning this war," smirked the Duordean.

Feeling that time was slipping away, Trip decided on a different approach. "You'll be killing one of your own! Can't you see how wrong this is?"

"She's not one of ours; she's a half breed, a disease that must be eradicated if our culture is to survive."

"How can you be so heartless? You're talking about her as if she's some thing. She's a living, breathing entity that deserves a chance of life," replied Trip in frustration while struggling uselessly.

"Not for long," smirked the Duordean. He quietly gave instructions to the other man, before turning to leave the room.

"I won't let you kill her," shouted Trip in anger.

"You won't have much choice in the matter," sneered the Duordean as he left.

"Please, think about what you're gonna do," said Trip in desperation to the other Duordean, as he watched the alien pick up a rather nasty instrument and came over to him.

The Duordean refused to look or answer; he calmly put his hand over the 'bump' and placed the instrument next to the skin as if he was initiating a surgical procedure.

"No!" Trip screamed in terror. He struggled with all of his strength as the Duordean raised his instrument in the air, as if aiming to puncture the skin and rip her life out of Trip's body.

Suddenly, it seemed as if all of Trip's intense emotions rose sharply to the surface and converged into a shimmer of energy, which enveloped the Duordean's hand and arm. Only it wasn't Trip's doing. Somehow he could sense that the child was using his rage, fear, terror, and sheer protective strength of will towards her and combined them into an energy source to protect herself. An inner feeling of serenity seemed to surge from within the child in Trip's body and while the light proceeded to envelope the Duordean entirely, until it pervaded the Duordean's whole being, causing both him and Trip to gasp in shock, convulse, and then fall apart.

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Trip didn't know how long he'd been unconscious. All he knew was that he felt drained; he didn't have a single zap of strength left in his body. By sheer will, he forced his eyelids open and took in his surroundings. Trip wasn't sure what he had expected to see, but what he saw was the same as before … only somehow the Duordean seemed different. He looked the same, but his demeanor had changed. He seemed to radiate an inner peace. It also looked like the alien was untying the straps that fixed Trip to the table. Just as Trip was about to say something, the Duordean looked at him and putt his finger over Trips lips to indicate that he wanted him to be quiet.

"Come, you will be okay now," he said with a huge smile. "I will protect you."

"Why are you doing this?" Trip asked, not sure whether to trust the guy. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm the only one on this ship who's got her best interests at heart," the Duordean said with conviction. "I had a vision of clarity. She showed me the true path for our people, gave me a vision of an united planet where Duordeans and Doradians work and live together in peaceful coexistence that I never thought would be possible. I want to reach out, and grasp that future. My people will see that once they've experienced what I just did. She deserves the chance to make it possible for all of our sakes, because I don't think we stand a chance without her," he muttered quietly.

"Can you help me get outta here and contact ma ship?"

"That wouldn't be a good idea: communications are monitored closely, any signal would be detected immediately. But I can help you into one of our escape pods. Once you've left this ship, you should be able to contact them yourself."

"I thought they'd detect that immediately?" said Trip.

"Not if I create a diversion and disable some of the systems first," smiled the Duordean as he walked towards the door. Realising that Trip hadn't joined him yet, he turned back around. "Come on, we've got to get moving."

"I just want to say thanks for your help," said Trip. "In case I don't get a chance to say that later. I really appreciate what you're doing for us."

"I should be thanking you," replied the Duordean. "Without your help, she wouldn't have a chance to live, and my people wouldn't have a chance of a future."

"Call me Trip," smiled Trip, holding out his hand to the alien.

"Nice to meet you,Trip. I'm Bree," the Duordean replied with a smile, and shook his hand. "Now let's get you to that escape pod."

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