1. Finally

Never Gonna Give In - Never Gonna Give It Up ~@~@~@~@~@~@~  
  
You can't take me, yeah!!!  
  
Got to fight another fight - I gotta run another night Get it out - check it out I'm on my way and it don't feel right  
  
I gotta get me back - I can't be beat and that's a fact It's OK - I'll find a way You ain't gonna take me down no way  
  
Don't judge a thing until you know what's inside it Don't push me - I'll fight it Never gonna give in - never gonna give it up no If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it You can't come uninvited Never gonna give in - never gonna give it up no You can't take me I'm free  
  
Why did it all go wrong? - I wanna know what's goin' on And what's this holding me? I'm not where I'm supposed to be  
  
I gotta fight another fight I gotta fight with all my might I'm getting out, so check it out Ya - you're in my way So you better watch out  
  
Bryan Adams  
A/n: This story was inspired from "You Can't Take Me" by Bryan Adams (my most favorite singer). I always pictured Trip as a fighter, someone who would not give up without a fight, so this is a story about his struggle, desperation, and survival.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for violence and drama.  
  
Summary: Trip is sent on an away mission to study the technology of another culture, only to come between to warring nations, both willing to stop at nothing to get their hands on him and that which his capture promises.  
  
Chapter One~ Finally  
  
Captain Jonathan Archer sat in the chair in front of the workstation in his personal quarters, his elbow on the desktop, and his head in his hand. He had been dozing for nearly an hour, no longer able to focus on the tedious logs and data padds that lay scattered across the room. The last two weeks had been the most boring in all his experience in Starfleet. The one planet they had come in contact with was uninhabitable, not even suitable for a shuttle pod to enter orbit. There had been no problems on Enterprise, not that Archer particularly wished it, but he just wanted something, anything to happen to give him and his crew something to do.  
  
He was having a rather good dream, something involving an alien planet and a female alien, when the comm. unit called his name. Archer dropped his hand, and his head, startled out of his sleep.  
  
"T'pol to Captain Archer."  
  
Archer rose from his seat, wincing as muscles protested the odd position he had fallen asleep in. He walked over to the comm. unit, a hand on his sore back, and pressed the button that opened the link to the bridge.  
  
"Go ahead, T'pol."  
  
"Captain, we are nearing a small system of planets. One looks very promising." T'pol said through the speaker.  
  
"Set a course," Archer ordered. "I'll, uh, be there soon."  
  
"Acknowledged, Captain." The link went dead.  
  
Archer groaned and stretched his back. He needed to see Doctor Phlox about these angry muscles.  
  
The captain opened his door, walking slowly out into the hall. It must have been very late, or early, for no one walked the brightly lit corridors. He turned right, walking past the officers' quarters, only to stop abruptly when he heard a sound from one of the rooms. Someone had screamed in Commander Tucker's room.  
  
Archer rang the room for entrance, but did not get an immediate reply. He was about to ring again when the door opened with a rush of air.  
  
"Cap'n?" Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III said, appearing in the doorway.  
  
Captain Archer looked closely at the commander's face. The younger man was pale and sweating, his eyes holding the last effects of sleep. "Trip?" The man looked terrible. "Are you alright?"  
  
Trip blinked in the bright lights coming from the hall, trying to stay focused on his captain. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"  
  
Archer was sure he had heard Trip scream. "I just. Never mind, sorry if I woke you."  
  
"You didn't, Cap'n." Trip sighed and rubbed at his eyes, trying to ward off the terrible images of the nightmare he had just awoken from. "What are ya doin' up at this hour, Sir? Just goin' 'round, seein' if the crew is in their proper place?"  
  
Captain Archer chuckled at his friend. "No, Commander. T'pol has a system on scanners. We may be having something to do for once."  
  
Trip immediately perked up, a grin brightening his features.. "Ya wouldn't kid me 'bout such a thing, would ya, Cap'n?"  
  
"Of course not! You've been cooped-up in the Engine Room for weeks. Its time we had some diplomatic fun."  
  
"Sir, that's a contradiction of terms."  
  
Archer laughed, glad to see whatever had caused the commander to cry out had fled in light of an away mission.  
  
"Go back to bed, Commander, I'll call you to the bridge when I know something."  
  
The smile on Trip's face slipped away and he looked down at the floor. "If it's all the same to you, Cap'n, I think I'll head to the bridge now."  
  
"Alright, Trip. But don't expect anything exciting." Archer winked at his friend and continued down the hall and to the turbo lift.  
  
Commander Tucker watched him walk away then closed the door. He sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, fighting the dark feeling of foreboding that pressed in on him with the darkness of the room.  
A/n: Short chapter, but tell me what you think! Maybe I'll have another one up tomorrow! 


	2. Burger Buns

Never Gonna Give In - Never Gonna Give It Up ~@~@~@~@~@~@~  
Chapter Two~ Burger Buns  
  
Lieutenant Malcolm Reed shoveled another spoon-full of egg soup into his mouth, nearly choking on the previous portion he had failed to swallow in time. He was in a hurry, trying to rush through his lunch in an effort to speed up time. After lunch, a small crew was being sent down to the planet they had been scanning for the last two days.  
  
They knew a good deal about the planet, Sub-Commander T'pol making every effort possible to ensure the crew knew what they were going into. The planet was called Tidule and consisted of mostly swampland, a few desert areas scattered here and there. Only one continent rested on the planet, split nearly in half by a vast river. As far as Enterprise knew, no humanoid species inhabited the planet. Captain Archer would be joining Lieutenant Reed and Commander Tucker in the exploration of the west side of the river.  
  
The Mess Hall was crowded, people moving around and talking loudly about the mission, but Malcolm failed to notice them. His mind was on a one-way track, taking him to the surface of a dangerous planet, where only he could keep his crew alive.  
  
"Lieutenant Reed!" Someone cried out in fear.  
  
Malcolm turned to find who was pleading for his help, phase pistol in hand.  
  
"Malcolm!"  
  
Malcolm jumped, returning to the Mess Hall and his now cold soup.  
  
"Where'd you go, Lieutenant?" Commander Tucker asked, dropping his own tray of food on the table across from Malcolm.  
  
"Oh, Commander, I, uh, was just thinking." Malcolm tried desperately not to blush.  
  
Trip gave him a knowing look and scooted closer so only Malcolm could hear him. "Someone I know?"  
  
"What?" It took Malcolm a moment to understand what the commander meant. "No, Sir, nothing like that!"  
  
"Whatever you say, Lieutenant." Trip leaned over his own tray, relishing in the taste of the cheeseburger Chef had prepared for lunch that day. Inside he was chuckling, thrilled, as always, to have gotten to Lieutenant Reed. It had become a game between the two, seeking the other's weaknesses and finding out just how far they could push them. They never intended to hurt each other, quite the contrary, it strengthened the bond of friendship between them. Friendly banter was the best way to pass the time.  
  
"Are you ready to head out to Tidule?" Malcolm asked his friend.  
  
Trip shrugged. "There really ain't that much to be prepared for."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You heard T'pol's briefing," Trip said, a hint of - what? Anger? Fear? - in his voice. "There ain't nuthin' but a bunch of bugs 'n' snakes on that planet."  
  
Malcolm looked at Trip, unable to believe his ears. The commander was always ecstatic about new missions, always begging the captain to give him permission to go along. But now it was as if Trip had been dragged into going.  
  
Trip poked at the bun of his burger with a finger, no longer hungry. He had been having a terrible feeling about this mission over the last couple days. It started out as nightmares whenever he found himself asleep, but it had begun to nag at him in his conscious hours, as well. Of course, he would never admit his unease to the Lieutenant. If he did, and nothing happened, he would never hear the end of it.  
  
Malcolm cleared his throat, trying to end the awkward silence. "Well," Malcolm said, unable to think of any conversation. "I suppose I'll go get myself ready, then." My stood from his seat and picked up his tray, quickly leaving the commander alone at the table.  
  
Trip flicked the top bun of his burger over the tray. What was wrong with him?  
~@~@~@~ A/n: Another short chapter. Its starting off slow, but it gets better! (Does in my head, anyway.) 


End file.
