Trip rubbed his sleepy eyes as, for the second time this night, he woke up by his sister’s scream. He yawned and sat up, trying to see something in the darkness.

“Jen?”

“I’m all right.” She said but when Trip came over to her bed he saw tears falling down her cheeks. He sat down next to her, took her in his arms sighing and rubbed her back gently. He had to know what was bothering her this much. Jen curled herself up in his embrace and sat still for a few minutes. Trip didn’t want to force her in telling him what upset her that much but he knew that he and his sister both needed sleep and that he didn’t want her to be sad.

“Look girl, I know you’re unhappy.”

“I guess ya want to know what’s up?”

Trip looked into her light blue eyes. He knew she’d decided that the time had come to tell him why she was here. //Funny// he thought //Some hours earlier she didn’t want to tell me, though she was worried then, too.//

“Ya don’t have to tell me, but I can’t help ya if ya don’t.” he answered and lay his arm around her shoulder to comfort her. Jen sighed deeply and then started to tell her brother the whole story:

“Ya know Sara, right? Sara Terrison my best friend. She was my best friend since we got to know each other at high school. No, don’t interrupt me now. It’s hard enough to tell this. Ya asked me someday why Sara always came to visit us and I was never at her house. I didn’t understand that, too but I didn’t mind either. It was fun goin’ surfing, lying on the beach, ya know, all the things we did. Well, when ya were gone I began to get bored more quickly than normal. Ya know, no teasin’ brother, no brother to tease…..”

she smiled and Trip cuffed her side playfully. Jen went on, getting serious again.

“I’m gonna make it short. Sara got a cold or somethin’ a few months after ya left and I had really NOTHING to do. It wasn’t fun surfing alone and all that. I decided to visit her. That I had never been at her house before didn’t mean I didn’t know where she was living. I rang the bell and a young man opened, maybe nineteen. It was her brother, Jake, as she told me shortly after that. He didn’t seem happy to have a guest but let me in nevertheless. Sara seemed happy to see me though also a bit concerned. She was a lot better already so she decided to show me the house. Gods, how did we get this stupid idea….?”

Trip began to feel concerned. His sister laughed kind of hysterically for a moment, then stood up and began walking up and down the room. She seemed to remember what had happened and shuddered.

“First everything went just fine. They had a nice kitchen. There were so much flowers. It looked so peaceful. Like every normal house.”

She began shaking and Trip immediately stood up and hugged her protectively. Jen took deep breaths and after a while continued to tell him her story.

“We went on until we arrived at her father’s working room. Sara said we had to be quit. She wasn’t allowed to go in there but we did because we were silly. We hadn’t been in there for long when we heard voices. From what I heard there were at least three men coming up. Sara began to panic, she said it was her father and we’d better hide. So we hid behind the curtains on a small desk. Ya know, there are things that only happen in really bad movies. I think we were the main characters of such a movie. We really wished not to hear what we heard but we couldn’t cut our ears away, could we?”

She seemed to wait for something so Trip silently shook his head.

“Of course not, girl.”

“They, they began to talk about a plan. We heard things about a strange species, called Franions, that are living sixty-nine light-years from earth. They said something about poison, about politics.”

“What exactly do ya mean, Jen?”

“Sara’s father seemed to be the leader. He wanted to send one of the men, I think his name was Tray, to get a poison. He wanted to go to the Franions’ homeworld to kill some high politicians. From what I understood, the political structure of the Franions is very weak. They wanted to ruin it for another species to get the authority. That’s the whole thing short.”

“What species, did ya get that?”

Jen nodded.

“Klingons. I’ve never heard of them but they seem to be dangerous. All that would have been bad enough but just as we hoped they would leave again the desk broke together and they recognised we’d been there the whole time. We just ran. We ran as fast as we could. I didn’t even get a closer look at Mr. Terrison or one of the other men. I think they didn’t see my face, too. That was my luck. We ran out and they followed us, afraid that we could have heard the whole conversation. One of the men caught up with us. Sara let herself bump into him so he was slowed down and I could escape. Her father wouldn’t harm her, she said. I, I just ran on. I didn’t know what to do so I ran to the police station. I told them everything I heard but I didn’t tell them the men’s names. I just couldn’t. I couldn’t bring Sara in danger. She had risked so much, Do you understand what I mean?”

Trip had to let what he had just heard seek in. He had never imagined that Jen had been in such a great peril. He watched her with a horrified expression.

“Do you, do you think they’re following you?”

That was when Jen started to cry again. Trip quickly pulled her into his lap and hugged her tightly until she felt a little better.

“I’m dreaming of him. I hear his voice. I’m so afraid Trip. What if they’re following?”

Trip sighed and pulled her closer to him.

“Nothing’s gonna happen to ya, I promise, Jen. I’m here now. You’re safe.”

Jen nodded and rested her head against his shoulder when suddenly the com beeped. The siblings exchanged surprised looks and Trip rose up to answer it.

“Tucker?”

“Trip, this is Jon. T’Pol just made contact with a little vessel. The Captain, Jack Terrison wishes to come aboard with some of his crewmen who need medical assistance. Do you think you can join us?”

Trip heard Jen gasp in horror.

“Terrison?” he asked slowly.

“Yeah. I already granted permission but I’d like to have you here, too. Is there a problem?”

“Cap’n, tell them they have to wait a few minutes. Jen and I need to tell you and T’Pol a story first.”

20 minutes later, Captain’s room

Jon stared at Jen severely.

“And you are sure that his name was Jack Terrison.”

Jen nodded and looked at Trip.

“I’m afraid, Trip.”

“If this is the same man, than you sister is in great danger, Commander.” T’Pol stated flatly. Trip met her gaze and then put his head in his hands.

“And what do you suggest you do? They already have permission to come aboard, it would be conspicuous if we now said that they aren’t allowed to. They said they need medical assistance.”

“Yeah, sure, but if they see a human child aboard, especially in contact with a man called Tucker they will know who she is immediately.” Trip said.

“You are right, a human child with you is most conspicuous.” Archer nodded.

The four of them were silent for a few minutes. Then suddenly T’Pol said:

“I suppose a Vulcan child would be much less conspicuous.”

**