A/N: I mentioned in my previous note that the rest of the team would start to feature in this story. Well, that starts in this chapter, which I admit I felt a bit unsure about. Given Trip's reactions in the episode, would he really want other people to know what's happened to him?

That will be dealt with as his recovery in this story continues. But my other reason for bringing in the rest of 'Team Archer' (or Team Trip, in this case) was because I couldn't imagine how Jon could take on the Xyrillians without at least Malcolm and/or T'Pol knowing. Then it just seemed to follow that the rest of the bridge crew, including Lieutenant Hess, would also want to play their parts too.

Just to add, though, that I've used Anna for Hess's first name. It seems to be the most popular choice, at least in fanfic and fandom. I can't honestly remember hearing her first name in the series itself. But if anyone knows if her real name in canon is different, please let me know, and I'll change it.

Okay, enough of the explanations and scene setting - on with the chapter!

Violations

Chapter Five - A Call To Arms

Aside from two notable absences, the rest of Jonathan Archer's senior officers stood in uneasy silence in his ready room. If any of them were wondering why one of those absentees wasn't there, none were doing so aloud. Instead, they waited for their oddly grim faced Captain to brief them on this new, top priority mission. From his expression alone, as he rose from his desk, and even more from his tone of voice, it was… serious.

"Until I say otherwise, what I'm about to tell you stays between us. It does not leave this room."

Answered by four puzzled faces, and one with a simply raised eyebrow, Jon glanced slowly along them. Malcolm. Travis. Hoshi. T'Pol. And, where Trip would have been standing, Lieutenant Anna Hess.

Bright and cheerful, with the same wicked sense of humour, she and Trip were more like brother and sister than CO and second in command. With one possible exception, every person in this room, and on this ship, thought the world of him too. Trip was a colleague, a friend, a mentor, to all of them, and… God, this was going to tear them apart.

Best get this over with, he thought, so they could work through its aftermath, and focus on finding his attackers.

"You all know about our contact with the Xyrillians, and what… happened to Commander Tucker."

Just days ago, it had been the worst kept secret on Enterprise. To his eternal shame, he'd enjoyed it too. But now? No, just like their Captain, none of the officers who stood around him were smiling now. Not one of them showed any hint of amusement. Instead, they just nodded.

"I've been advised by Starfleet that this isn't the first time they've done this," he finally continued, knowing from the reaction on Malcolm's face that he'd already worked out where this was heading. For those who hadn't quite got there, or maybe couldn't bring themselves to get there, he had to do it for them.

"Far from being our potential allies, the Xyrillians must be seen now, as a highly dangerous threat."

As he'd expected, T'Pol had started to get it too. But it was Malcolm, again, who spoke. Very quietly.

"For what they did to him, sir? To Commander Tucker, and these… others?"

Meeting his eyes, Jon found he had to take a long, deep breath, for the silent dread he found there.

"Yes, Malcolm, I'm afraid so. The result of what they did to him was no accident," he said at last, taking another deep breath, needing to take two more, before he could finally bring himself to say it. "Without his knowledge, or his consent, and most likely by force, Trip was coerced into their act of reproduction."

In stunned silence, four of the five faces around him betrayed the shock of what he'd just told them. A muscle jumped along Malcolm Reed's tightly clenched jaw. Travis just stood, in stunned disbelief. Beside him, Hoshi bit her lip against threatening tears, while Hess closed her eyes, as if in silent prayer.

Only T'Pol showed no obvious reaction. But Jon saw it in her eyes. Silent revulsion, and bitter regret. Leaving her to face them through her conscience, Jon let his own, stricken thoughts return to where they had to be.

"I don't need to tell any of you what such an act signifies. Or the effect that it's had on him."

No, he thought bitterly, glancing again around five devastated faces. He didn't need to tell them at all. This was an experience that would leave their colleague, their friend, in shock. Deeply traumatized. It would take days… weeks… maybe longer than that, much longer, before Trip recovered from it.

A full minute passed, before Malcolm quietly asked the questions that they'd all asked in their minds.

"How – How is he, sir? I – I mean, will he be all right?"

From anyone else, it may have sounded foolish, to think any victim of such trauma could ever be 'all right.' But asked in such concern, that was mirrored by everyone else around him, it now filled Jon with a sad form of pride. It would take time, of course, but with all this support to get him there… yes, Trip would be all right.

"Well, he knows he's safe. And Phlox is doing all he can to bring him through this," he said at last, gently turning their thoughts back to the first, and maybe hardest step, in that long road of recovery. "And while his life isn't in any danger, Trip is relying on us too now, to bring the…"

"…bastards…" Malcolm supplied, mirroring Jon's thoughts so perfectly that he almost, almost smiled.

At any other time, he'd have let that amusement show. But not on this occasion. Certainly not for this.

"…who did this to him to justice, so they're punished for what they've done," he said instead, allowing himself a nod of approval, in pride for the question that Malcolm now quietly put to him.

"We're going after them, sir?"

It wasn't so much a question, but more a demand for action. Retribution. An outraged call for justice. Driven by his own need to take the first two, and fight like hell to ensure the third, Jon met his eyes again, and nodded.

"Yes, Malcolm, we're going after them. With Starfleet's blessing, and with everything we've got."

From their reactions, and from Malcolm's especially, Jon knew it was just what they'd wanted to hear. God knew, he felt the same way. But with so much at stake, he still added a soft note of wiser caution.

"But we can't afford to be complacent, or make the mistake of under-estimating them again. As I said, they've got to be seen as a threat to us now. And we've got to be ready for that."

Answered by five, seriously focussed faces, Jon now allowed a smile to appear fully, and proudly on his own. Wherever those sick SOBs were, who'd violated part of this family… oh, yes. They had no idea, in hell, of what was about to hit them.