NX-01 Enterprise
En route to Gamma Bootis
March 12, 2154

Fire teams from engineering reacted to the blaze in good order. A deterium conduit was immediately recognized as the culprit and was shut down, but the process took much longer than Trip was comfortable with. In the end it would still be two more hours before the section would be accessible again, due to the extreme residual heat.

Trip and T'Pol immediately made their way to the bridge to oversee repairs. It was soon reported that a phase pistol had been used to breach the bulkhead and ignite the deterium. A quick inventory in the armory noted one phase pistol missing. Carrols was appalled that his department had failed to properly secure the weapon and could offer no explanation.

Ensign Masaro took everyone by surprise, appearing from the turbolift with the missing phase pistol in hand.

Without hesitation he aimed the weapon at T'Pol, where she stood at the science station, and pulled the trigger. A blast of nadion particles struck her square in the chest, exactly where the heart would be in a human. Thankfully, the Vulcan heart was located more to where the human liver was. Nonetheless, it was a deadly wound.

T'Pol collapsed instantly.

While everyone else was still in shock, Lieutenant Carrols was already leaping across the bridge to land a flying side kick into Masaro's ribs. Masaro fell back into the turbolift, followed by Carrols, who immediately secured the weapon and began kicking Masaro in the head repeatedly until he was rendered unconscious.

Trip was at T'Pol's side only a moment later, checking her vital signs. Vulcans had a frustratingly low blood pressure, so he almost couldn't detect a pulse. Lieutenant Hodges did her part, calling Dr. Phlox and informing him of a medical emergency on the bridge.

Phlox arrived in record time, announcing to all that T'Pol would be stable, but he needed to get her to the imaging chamber. Trip volunteered to carry her over his shoulder, if that wouldn't hurt her more.

"She'll suffer no more than she already has." Phlox offered.

Trip found he was barely able to carry her, as her musculature was much denser than a human's. But with the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he managed it.

Masaro didn't benefit from a checkup by Dr. Phlox. He was transferred to the brig while he was still unconscious. Carrols remained on hand to interrogate him once he recovered.

In the medbay, Trip waited impatiently for Phlox to transfer T'Pol to a medical bed. He then listened intently as Phlox showed the images he'd gathered and explained that T'Pol had been struck in exactly the right place to cause the minimal amount of damage. Nevertheless, she had been shot by a phase pistol set to kill. She would be days recovering.

Trip received a damage report while he waited for T'Pol to regain consciousness. The ship was now dangerously low on deterium following the fire. They would have to top off somewhere. Thankfully, Travis found an M-class planet in the Vulcan database in a nearby system with an abundance of fresh water from which they could extract deterium. The Enterprise would have to set down nearby in order to conduct the necessary processing.

Trip ordered a change of heading. The rest of the small fleet would carry on, protected by the Neptunes and Intrepids. The Enterprise, being much faster than any of them, would catch up later.

T'Pol awoke soon after, confused and unaware of where she was.

"You're in sickbay." Trip offered. "Phlox says you'll be fine, but you'll be in bed for the next few days."

"I was shot?" T'Pol asked, aware somewhat of what had happened to her.

"Yes." Trip said. "It was Ensign Masaro."

"Any particular reason why he would want me dead?"

"None that I know of." Trip said. "Carrols is with him now. I think we'll know soon enough."

"I suspect simple xenophobia." T'Pol said.

"I think you may be right. Masaro was always outspoken against aliens serving on Enterprise, but I never thought it was anything more than talk. I guess none of us took him seriously."

Lieutenant Carrols entered the sickbay, making a beeline for Trip.

"Masaro woke up." He reported. "He confessed to everything. He's apparently part of some underground group of xenophobes, calling themselves 'Terra Prime'. He's been planning this for weeks."

"Are we sure he acted alone?" Trip asked.

"So far as we know, but I'm screening everyone for prior access to Terra Prime material."

"Good." Trip said. "Keep us informed."

"I'm sorry," T'Pol said. "I must rest. My pain suppression only goes so far and I must enter a healing trance to more expeditiously recover from my injury."

"Do what you have to do, T'Pol.' Trip said. "We'll handle things from here."

T'Pol wasted no time seeking and achieving a Vulcan healing trance. As she entered unconsciousness, Trip and Carrols left her to it. They returned to the bridge.

NX-01 Enterprise
Mu Cassiopeiae III
March 16, 2154

Lieutenant Junior Grade Anita Jones, the ranking science officer reporting directly to T'Pol, manned the science station. From there she scanned Mu Cassiopeiae III from orbit.

"I'm seeing signs of sentient habitation." She reported. "City structures and roads. Probably Earth 1800's in technology."

"Not so fast." Said Hodges, from operations. "I've got a ship on approach. They're hailing us."

"Put them onscreen." Trip ordered.

The creature that appeared on the main viewscreen wasn't remotely human. It was barely humanoid. It looked for all the world like a fat turtle, without a shell, standing on two legs. Its head was round and smooth, with a sharp beak for a mouth.

It spoke, surprisingly, in English.

"I am Sephi, captain of the Vakili. Make way for boarding."

"I'm Captain Tucker of the starship Enterprise." Trip responded. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to board our vessel just yet. We haven't even been properly introduced."

"Make way or be fired upon." Captain Sephi responded, before reaching to touch something out of sight. The image of the captain disappeared from the main viewscreen.

"Tactical alert." Trip ordered. "Target their weapons."

"I can't…" Carrols said. "There's nothing to lock onto."

"I see the problem." Ensign Lieutenant Jones responded, from the science station. "I'm reading the entire ship as a biosign. I think it's alive."

"That explains things." Carrols said. "I have them now. I don't have a lock but I'm confident I can hit where I need to."

"Let's not wait for them to fire." Trip said. "Take out their weapons."

Carrols' fingers danced over his console and a beam of red energy lanced out at the living alien ship. Fire blossomed amidships and an explosion erupted from the top of the vessel.

"Weapons neutralized." Carrols reported,

"Now let's see what they have to say," Trip said. "Hail them."

Captain Sephi reappeared on the viewscreen,

"Your weapons are powerful." Sephi said, "We will stand down but insist on meeting."

"Considering you just threatened to fire on us," Trip said. "I don't think that's a very good idea."

"We will meet aboard your ship, but we will bring our own meat. We do not eat dead food."

"Come alongside and dock on our starboard port."

"We will."

Trip, T'Pol (now recovered) and a security team waited at the docking port for the airlock to cycle. In short order, it did so, revealing three of the turtle-looking creatures and a surprising addition. One stood taller than the squat aliens and was clearly humanoid. Other than the addition of a set of broad ridges above the eye, it looked almost human.

Trip immediately wondered what the aliens had meant about bringing their own food. They didn't appear to have a buffet with them. It seemed obvious that the humanoid was the buffet.

"Hold on a minute." Trip said. "If you're planning on eating this guy, I can't allow that."

"You identify with this one." Sephi responded. "Do not be concerned. It is resigned to its fate. It has been born and bred to provide sustenance."

"Nevertheless, I won't allow it."

The aliens looked nonplussed for a moment, before Captain Sephi finally responded.

"Very well. We will go hungry. Let us hope we can reach an accord quickly."