#like leave T’Pol alone

[starfleetimagines]

Enterprise Masterlist

Reader-Inserts

Jonathan Archer

“Leave her alone.”

Jefferies Tube Acoustics

“Did you enjoy yourself last night?”

“For some reason, I’m attracted to you.”

Dating Jonathan Archer would include…

“Go then, leave! See if I care!”

“I thought you were dead.”

“That’s almost exactly the opposite of what I meant.”

Dress Shopping

Pillow Fights

Cheering Jonathan Archer Up Would Include…

Nightmares

Horseback Riding

Hideouts

“This shuttle was roomier before I realized I’m attracted to you.”

“Am I dreaming?”

Being Trip Tucker’s Sibling and Jonathan Archer’s Partner Would Include…

Too Busy

Travis Mayweather

Childhood Memories

Malcolm Reed

PDA

“Stop talking about the past.”

“Oh my god! You’re in love with them!”

You’re Taken Hostage

You’re His Sister

“You make me feel like I’m not good enough.”

“Go then, leave! See if I care!”

Cuddles After A Mission

“Because I love you.”

“Can I kiss you?”

Sexting On PADDs

“It’s my fault.”

“I don’t fit in.” (platonic)

“I’m broken.” (can be platonic)

Emotional Trauma

He Sees Your Scars

You’re Ill

Enemies to Lovers With Malcolm Reed Would Include…

Labouring Mission

Nightmares

Destiny

The Way I See You

Confessions

Destressing [NSFW]

Mistletoe

Hot Chocolate

Snowball Fights

Going to Risa With Malcolm Reed Would Include...

Being Shy While Dating Malcolm Reed Would Include...

Malcolm Reed Reacting To You Crying Would Include...

Hugging Him Would Include...

Phlox

You Avoid Him

Trip Sets You Two Up

You Hide An Injury From Him

“Can I have a hug?”

Being Pregnant With Phlox’s Baby Would Include…

Shran

Blue Boy

T'Pol

Dating T’Pol Would Include…

“Why can’t you just admit you have feelings for me?”

Trip Tucker

De-Con Talks

Sleepless Nights

Being Friends With Trip Tucker Would Include… (platonic)

Trip Tucker Being Your Boss Would Include…

“It was just a dream.”

You’re Shy (platonic)

“I just want you to hold me.”

“You look like you could use a hug.”

Being Trip Tucker’s Twin Would Include…

Helping Trip Tucker In Engineering Would Include… (platonic)

“Thank God you’re okay.”

Restless Nights

Jealously [NSFW]

 Tension

Being Trip Tucker’s Sibling and Jonathan Archer’s Partner Would Include…

Helping Hand

“You can’t protect me forever.”

Snowball Fights

Trip Tucker Reacting to You Being Withdrawn Would Include...

Cuddling With Trip Tucker Would Include...

Trip Tucker Dating A Short S/O Would Include...

Waking Up Next To Trip Tucker After Your First Time Would Include...

Being Scared During Movie Night With Trip Tucker Would Include...

Character x Character

Trip Tucker x T'Pol

New Life

Malcolm Reed x Trip Tucker

Caught [NSFW]

#star trek enterprise #star trek enterprise fanfiction #star trek fanfiction #star trek imagine #star trek #fanfiction masterlists

[writingsfromstarfleet]

T’Pol - One In The Same 

In life, you weren't exactly what people would call popular. You were more so an outcast, and quite simply, you preferred to be left to your own devices. This became a reoccurring theme through your life, and it wasn't such a bad thing. Through your schooling years at Starfleet and your eventual place in the crew of the Enterprise, you were simply the quiet one who did their job and got on with the day.

That was until T'Pol joined the crew.

Suddenly you were not the quietest, nor the most mysterious; she had taken your place. You caught sight of her in the hallways every now and then, often times you would see her making her way to a table in the mess hall, always alone. To anyone else, it seemed she didn't want the company, but to you, it seemed as though she didn't know how to ask for it.

Vulcans were not your area of expertise, quite the opposite. You knew they were a proud people who valued logic over emotion, and that made you wonder if the reason she sat alone was simply because it was logical. It made no sense to you, but you wondered nonetheless. T'Pol held herself with an air of grace, even whilst eating, and though you hated being watched yourself, you couldn't help but stare. The calm demeanour she had always transferred to any scenario, and you found yourself wanting to learn more about the woman.

The mess hall was fairly quiet, one or two people dotted around, and you walked in to find T'Pol in her usual space in the corner, silently eating away alone. Grabbing your own food, you made your way to her table and smiled at her, T'Pol now looking at you with one raised eyebrow. She looked very adorable, you thought, but pulled your thoughts back to the present as you hear her voice.

"Do you require help, Ensign?"

"Not at all," you replied, motioning down to the chair in front of her. Never had you been so bold. "May I?"

Her face seemed slightly annoyed, if Vulcans could express such a thing, but she nodded anyway and allowed you to join her. The first few minutes were silent, the two of you just eating, and you had quickly realised that the Vulcan was not going to be the first to start a conversation.

"So," you began, light-hearted and cheerful. "How was your food?"

"The same as always, Ensign." Her deadpan voice seemed bored, but you persevered.

"I noticed you never eat meat, are you a vegetarian?"

"By nature, Vulcans do not consume meat, no. We are vegetarians."

"That's really cool, I never knew that" you laughed a little, and for a moment T'Pol's shoulders seemed to relax.

"You know, I'm also quite a quiet person myself, I never really go out of my way to socialise. I love being on my own so much, I liked to do things by myself. I've never seen anyone like myself before, everyone here is bright and friendly, always talking with each other and spending free days together. I hope this isn't too bold, but I see myself in you a lot, and I was wondering if maybe you would want to get to know each other better? I could use a friend, and I thought maybe you could, too."

T'Pol stared at you, the face she had was unreadable. You thought you had offended her as she sat there for a few moments silently. Sensing the conversation was going nowhere, you sighed.

"Sorry, I feel like I'm annoying you, I'll leave you be. You just looked lonely is all, I see you sitting here every day on your own and I thought it might be nice to try to get to know you. I'm sorry if I did make you uncomfortable."

You stood, ready to leave, hands on your tray.

"I am not uncomfortable. Stay, please, ensign." T'Pol was looking at you, a sense of hope in her eyes that you wouldn't leave. You sat back down, ready to hear what she was about to say.

"I do sit alone because I believe it is better for me that way. Though, sometimes I do wish I had that company, you are correct. No one on this ship outside of the senior officers has bothered to try and talk to me, you are an exception, Ensign. Thank you for trying, I appreciate it, however different it may look."

You smiled. "That's okay, I'm glad you didn't feel as alone today. My name is Y/N, by the way, if you'd prefer calling me that."

"As am I, Y/N." You liked the way your name sounded from her. "Perhaps we could do this again tomorrow?" T'Pol's voice suggested she was unsure of how you would react, one may even call the tone one of nerves. Still, your head nodded and her face looked relieved.

"We certainly can."

That was the start of something new.

#star trek #star trek imagine #star trek x reader #star trek enterprise #enterprise #ent #tpol #tpol imagine #tpol x reader #x reader #imagine

[magnetic-rose]

Why Spones is a top-tier ship

AKA “the inherent homoeroticism of annoying the shit out of your co-worker.”

Spock and McCoy have a complicated relationship. A lot of their bickering and ideological differences lead fans to believe that they hate each other, but that’s an over-simplification of the truth. The reality is that Spock and McCoy are extremely close friends who care about each other deeply. Though sometimes their bickering turns serious during stressful situations, for the most time they seem to enjoy the banter. A common mischaracterization of their relationship seems to put McCoy as the bully and Spock as the victim. In truth, there are many times where Spock will say something specifically to get a rise out of McCoy. They fight. That’s how they show affection, not disdain. In fact, one could argue that some of their bantering have a flirtatious tone to it.

Kirk: Mister Spock, regaining eyesight would be an emotional experience for most. You, I assume, felt nothing.

Spock: On the contrary Captain. I had a very strong reaction. My first sight was the face of Doctor McCoy bending over me.

McCoy: ‘Tis a pity brief blindness didn’t increase your appreciation for beauty, Spock. (Operation -- Annihilate!)

Spock is a half-Vulcan, half-Human who has mostly chosen to follow his Vulcan heritage. As such, he is a being of almost pure logic. The truth about Vulcans are that they are secretly beings who feel things very deeply and intensely, and they feel the need to keep a tight lid on their emotions as to not succumb to them. McCoy, on the other hand, is a regular human. He’s a deeply emotional man who cares about others. One could argue that McCoy is almost too empathetic, as he lets his emotions rule him. Spock and McCoy are polar opposites; the brain and the heart, the logic and the emotion, the super-ego and the id.

Despite these differences, the two men are similar in a lot of ways. They’re both men of science, men of peace, and they both care very deeply for their Captain. They’re both self-sacrificing morons, to the chagrin of the other. Spock will prioritize McCoy’s life even when both of them know it’s not the logical choice to do so. Likewise, McCoy will take a hit for Spock even when they both know the Vulcan is stronger and better equipped to deal with pain than the doctor.

Spock: (In the middle of a blizzard) In this severe cold, we cannot survive much longer.

McCoy: Leave me here, Spock.

Spock: We go together or not at all.

McCoy: Don’t be a fool. My hands and face are frostbitten. I can’t feel my feet. Alone, you have a chance. Now do what I say. Go try to find Jim.

Spock: We go together! (All of Yesterdays)

In the episode, “The Empath,” Kirk, Spock and McCoy have to choose someone to be offered as sacrifice to be tortured by a group of aliens. Kirk obviously volunteers, but gets put to sleep by McCoy with a tranquilizer. Spock then states that he’ll offer himself up, as he has the higher chance of surviving the torture. McCoy then proceeds to sedate Spock as well, and sacrifices himself to be tortured by the aliens.

Spock: While the captain is asleep, I am in command. When the Vians return, I shall go with them.

McCoy: You mean, if I hadn't given him that shot

Spock: Precisely. The choice would have been the captain's. Now it is mine.

(McCoy turns away. Spock sits to carry on working. Gem puts her hand on Spock's shoulder, and smiles. McCoy comes up behind him and gives him an injection.)

Spock: Your action is highly unethical. My decision stands. (Spock falls asleep next to Kirk.)

McCoy: Not this time, Spock.

Underneath all the fighting and disagreements, there is a deep caring between Spock and McCoy that manifests itself into protectiveness towards each other. In “All of Yesterdays,” Spock is constantly showing concern for McCoy after he almost died of hypothermia. In aftermath of McCoy’s torture in “The Empath,” Spock is seen hovering over his body and caressing his face, worry written into his features. On the other hand, while McCoy constantly makes fun of Spock for his lack of emotions, he’s also highly aware of the Vulcan’s mental state and protective of it when others threaten to shatter his resilience.

McCoy: He's a Vulcan. You can't force emotion out of him.

Philana: You must be joking, Doctor.

McCoy: You'll destroy him.

Parmen: We can't let him die laughing, can we?

McCoy: (Watching as Spock starts to cry) I beg you! (Plato’s Stepchildren)

The episode “Amok Time” also demonstrates McCoy’s perceptiveness of Spock and Spock’s true feelings of friendship towards McCoy. McCoy is in fact the first person to notice that something is wrong with Spock:

McCoy: Oh, captain. Got a minute? It's Spock. Have you noticed anything strange about him?

Kirk: No, nothing in particular. Why ?

McCoy: Well, it's nothing I can pinpoint without an examination, but he's become increasingly restive. If he were not a Vulcan, I'd almost say nervous. And for another thing, he's avoiding food. I checked and he hasn't eaten at all in three days.

Kirk: That just sounds like Mister Spock in one of his contemplative phases.

Kirk doesn’t notice anything wrong with Spock, and initially dismisses McCoy’s concern, but McCoy immediately picked up on Spock’s mental turmoil. Despite his cantankerousness, McCoy not only cares about Spock but goes out of his way to look out for his mental state. Part of it might be because he’s his doctor, but how many doctors go so far as to monitor someone’s eating habits because they notice that person’s suddenly being fidgety? On Spock’s end, when it comes time for him to beam down to Vulcan to complete his marriage ceremony, he specifically asks for McCoy to be there:

Spock: By tradition, the male is accompanied by his closest friends.

Kirk: Thank you, Mister Spock.

Spock: I also request McCoy accompany me.

McCoy: I shall be honoured, sir.

One episode I find extremely fascinating in terms of McCoy/Spock moments is “Mirror, Mirror.” In this famous episode, half of the Enterprise crew get transported into an alternate universe dubbed The Mirror Verse, in which evil versions of the characters exist and terrorize space as a fearsome military force. McCoy is part of the team that gets transported in the Mirror Verse, while Spock stays in their regular universe. Mirror Spock immediately realizes that half of the crew, including Kirk and McCoy, are acting strangely. When he corners Kirk to question him, he does so by threatening McCoy: “I shall not waste time with you. You’re too inflexible, too disciplined, once you’ve made up your mind. But Doctor McCoy has a plenitude of human weaknesses, sentimental, soft. You may not tell me what I want to know, but he will.” This Spock seems to have a intimate knowledge of McCoy’s mind.  When the party decides to attack Mirror Spock, he fights all of them except for Uhura and McCoy, who he simply pushes out of harm’s way.

When Mirror Spock gets hurt as the crew is trying to escape back to their own universe, McCoy is suddenly unable to leave his side. Kirk allows him to stay to nurse Spock back to health, and McCoy risks almost staying in the Mirror Verse forever for him. When Mirror Spock awakes, he backs McCoy into a wall and initiates a forced mind meld onto the doctor. The next scene has Mirror Spock holding a disoriented McCoy up and bringing him back to his crew; he now understands what is happening and he wants his regular crew back, and thus he allows Kirk and company to make the switch back to their own universe.

Other Star Trek properties have gone more in depth on how a forced mind meld can be extremely traumatizing on the person receiving it. Star Trek: Enterprise has an entire story arc dedicated to the Vulcan T’Pol trying to heal from a forced mind meld. Unfortunately, because the nature of TOS episodes were episodic, we never got the chance to explore the emotional fallout of McCoy’s forced mind meld and how that might have affected his relationship with Spock. The franchise also never went in depth on Mirror McCoy outside of what Mirror Spock speaks of him, since Mirror McCoy died of xenopolycythemia in 2269.

Closing the list of evidence of Spock and McCoy’s affections towards each other are the Star Trek movies “The Wrath of Khan” and “The Search for Spock.” Towards the end of Wrath of Khan, Spock sacrifices himself to save The Enterprise in one of the franchises most heart-wrenching scenes. Moments before his sacrifice, he knocks McCoy unconscious, touches his face and whispers “remember.” What happened in this scene was that Spock, knowing he was about to die, transferred his Katra to McCoy. The katra being the Vulcan equivalent of a soul. This speaks to the amount of trust that Spock has in McCoy. For someone who keeps most of his emotions under a tight lid, it’s a huge gesture to entrust another with the essence of their entire being. The next movie, The Search for Spock, is a journey as the Enterprise crew fight to return to Vulcan so they can reunite Spock with his body. When they finally arrive, the Vulcans warn McCoy that the process is extremely dangerous and could even result in his death. McCoy calmly replies that he “chooses the danger.” He cannot fathom living his life without Spock.

McCoy: (Speaking to Spock) I'm going to tell you something that I... I never thought I'd hear myself say...But it seems I've missed you. I don't know if I could stand to lose you again.

So in conclusion, Spock and McCoy have a rich and complex relationship that is much more than simply just “they dislike each other because they bicker a lot.” Their bickering is more akin to that of an old married couple. There are plenty of examples not even included in this post of how deeply they care for each other. Despite their ideological differences, they balance each other out quite nicely. McCoy is finely attuned to Spock’s emotions, arguably better than anyone else on the ship. Spock in turn is protective and gentle with McCoy. Once you stop looking at their interactions solely on the surface level, you’ll be able to see the tenderness and years of love and friendship between them. This is why I think Spock/McCoy is one of the most underrated and misunderstood relationships of TOS. Don’t let the constant arguing fool you into believing these two dummies don’t adore each other.

Shout-out to Tempest for their extremely lengthy ship manifesto on Spones called “Spiced Peaches,” which goes even more in depth on why Spones is a great couple. Using their manifesto as a reference was key to remembering Spock/McCoy moments. Also shout-out to the site chakoteya for having full transcripts of TOS episodes, so I could easily find quotes for this. If you’ve come this far, thanks for reading!

#star trek #tos #leonard mccoy #spock #spones #this was... a lot

[captainpikeswoman]

hey !!! just read a fic about sharing a bed 👉👈 bc they are the freakin best I'm such a sucker for the there's only one bed trope soooooooo what if on an away mission, the reader and trip have to share a bed? I feel like he would be respectful but you two would definitely wake up cuddling or some shit, obviously only if you wanna write it !!! thank you darling x

Hope you like it!

Sharing a bed with Trip would include:

•it’s an important away mission, you and Trip are representing the whole of humanity in a diplomatic first contact mission.

•and when the kind hosts show you and Trip to a room for you both to stay in you know you can’t complain or embarrass them by asking for a second room and/or bed.

•as soon as you’re alone together Trip offers you the bed, being the perfect gentleman he is. But you won’t hear of it! For one, he’s your senior in terms of rank and secondly, he works a far more physical job than you do- you think he deserves a proper rest.

•so you sort of get into a bit of an argument, that is until your communicators chirp and T’Pol’s voice comes through with a list of rules concerning the feast and eating habits of the aliens. But before she cuts off the chat Trip mentions the sleeping arrangements, and sounding somewhat exasperated she suggested that you should just share.

•the silence after the call was a little awkward, but you did your best to fix it by unpacking your bag and setting your pyjamas on the pillow on the side you were claiming.

•Trip just laughed and followed suit, hopefully it wouldn’t be too awkward after the feast your hosts had prepared for you.

•the meal had been nothing short of scrumptious but it did leave you feeling very tired. So as soon as you got back to your room you slipped into the bathroom and changed into your pyjamas.

•when you went back out into the bedroom you felt exposed, your pyjamas were not standard issue- they were flirty and silky, and had you known you were going to be sharing a room you definitely would’ve packed a different set.

•Trip did a double take when he saw you and wolf whistled as you did a little turn. You couldn’t help but blush as you got straight under the covers- he was already under them too.

•it was a bit awkward when he turned out the lights and the two of you shifted under the covers and got comfortable.

•you ended up face to face, and in the dim light of the shining moon, which streamed in through the open windows, you could see his eyes glittering and a small smile on his face.

•you asked him what he was smiling about and you couldn’t see it but he blushed. His hand slowly slid up your arm and found its way to your face, before cupping your cheek.

•you held your breath as he slowly got closer, and your eyes slid shut just as his lips crashed against yours. It was perfect and sweet and slow, there was nothing hurried or tense about it. You just relaxed right into his waiting arms.

•the sleep you had that night was the best you’d ever had, both you and Trip woke up with huge smiles on your faces and you were glowing with joy. You definitely owed T’Pol some flowers, without her suggestion that the two of you should just share the bed the most magical kiss of your life would never have happened.

#star trek headcanon #star trek imagine #Star Trek #star trek x reader #star trek enterprise #trip tucker headcanons #trip tucker x reader #trip tucker imagine #trip tucker

[t-rina]

Star Trek Enteprise Rewatch:

4x3 Home

First aired: 22 October 2002

Synopsis: Back on Earth, the crew of Enterprise is dispersed over the planet (or in T’Pol’s and Trip’s case on Vulcan) where each has a different kind of vacation. Not all of them are necessarily relaxing.

Ash’s rating: 4,5/7

Awww, the crew is home :) and there is a big reception :)

T’Pol doesn’t stand out at all in her pink outfit

where is the microphone?

they lost 27 crewmembers :(

oh god the cgi crowd….

AND I WILL SEE MY DREAM COME ALIVE AT LAST

oh look, and there is a bar scene

who is the beautiful woman that is wooing Archer?

aahhh the whole ww3 mentions is making me wonder if there really will be a ww3…

she is married to starfleet!!!

T’Pol is packing

Trip has to go on vacation xD

T’POL SUGGESTS HE COMES WITH HER TO VULCAN TO COME VISIT HER MOM

are they together now?

I love T’Pol

Ooh, will Hernandez be the captain of the NX-02?

Soval, maybe if you wouldn’t ask such provocative questions there wouldn’t be a reason for Archer to get emotional?

dun dun duuuun Archer is calling out Soval

YES ARCHER YOU DO NEED A VACATION

Phlox where are you going?

oh noooo, Xenophobia is raging on Earth because of the Xindi:/

it’s sweet that Malcolm is concerned for Phlox

T’Pol looks kinda…. nervous?

“Vulcan’s appreciate beauty.”

aahhh, I like the Vulcan robes and long cardigans

“It’s agreeable to see you.”... wow….

Trip doing the Vulcan greeting xD

Do I like T’Les?

A letter? With paper?

Oh no… who is Koss

SHE WAS ENGAGED

AAHH

Archer and Hernandez are going rock climbing xD

they are naming schools after Archer xD

“boldly going into battle”

i don’t believe that’s how you go rock climbing together..

Trip has to get up at 0400 to prepare breakfast xD

AAAAHHHH T’POL WAS OFFERED A COMMISSION BY STARFLEET

ok nope I don’t like T’Les

neither of them is being in control of their emotions

Malcolm is giving out autographs xD

ugh, leave Phlox alone, asshole

BOYS STOP

WHY

WHY WOULD YOU PUNCH MALCOLM

bar fight…

PHLOX DOING THE BLOWFISH THING

T’LES KNOWS ABOUT TRIP AND T’POL

Trip had fun arguing with T’Pol….

Koss??

T’Pol tells him she has been ill

IF SHE DOESN’T WANT TO MARRY YOU BUT YOUR PARENTS WANT YOU TO MARRY THEN LOOK FOR ANOTHER PERSON FFS

fight to the death sounds good

ugggghhhhhh this is so upsetting

fuck, T’Les didn’t retire on her own accounts…. fuuuucccckkkkk uggghhhhhh Koss nooooo stop itttttt leave herrrrrr

IF YOU WANT HER TO BE HAPPY THEN DON’T MARRY HER

sometime the greenscreen is just *so* bad

the lightning is off… it’s night but there is sunlight?

I don’t understand T’Pol’s wardrobe xD

they punished T’Les because they couldn’t punish T’Pol :(

REPTILIAN????? WHAT THE FUCK??? WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?

Archer? why don’t you scream?

oh holy shit it was just a dream

Archer wants to get away from Hernandez? why???

kissss

T’POL DECIDED TO MARRY KOSS

SO HER MOM CAN GO BACK TO THE ACADEMY

Trip? how about you make her NOT feel like shit even more???

Hernandez has SUCH a crush on Archer

awww ok they are kinda cute together

HOSHI!

Phlox doesn’t want to go to Earth anymore :/

Wow, Soval and Archer are actually making up for once

Trip is in love with T’Pol ;-;

T’Les wants Trip to tell T’Pol

Fuck, T’Pol… no… plz don’t marry him

she kissed Trip on the cheek before she went to marry Koss ;-;

she really married him huh…

Kinda open ended don’t you think?

Notes: This was kinda fun but also seemed a bit chaotic? bit’s and pieces from different storylines but no real goal in it all? But overall fun to watch.

#ash's complete star trek rewatch #star trek enterprise rewatch #star trek rewatch #star trek enterprise #star trek #enterprise #st enterprise #st ent #4x3 home #4x3 #home

[nzvalley]

The Broken Bow Novelization, Part 4

Completing the Mission and a Prolonged Partnership

T’Pol’s Concern and Archer’s Trust

Although the novel doesn’t explicitly describe it as such, it seems that T’Pol’s emotionalism was planned from fairly early on. It’s intimated that there’s something unusual about T’Pol which has made her face disciplinary measures, and that the Vulcans are willing to risk her life and/or mental health for the goal of learning about Human/Vulcan real-time interactions. Other characters up to now have commented on her unusual demeanor, and thought they had seen glimmers of emotions- curiosity, bemusement, joy, guilt, and now Archer (jokingly?) wonders if she is concerned about their safety. 

He stepped out to her, and she met him in the middle of the bridge. “We’ll be back before you know it. Have Mayweather plot a course for Qo’noS.” “There’s a Vulcan ship less than two days away,” T’Pol offered. “It’s illogical to attempt this alone.”  “I was beginning to think you understood why we have to do this alone.”  She paused. “You could both be killed.” He looked up, rather sharply.  “Am I sensing concern? Last time I checked, that was considered an emotion.” For an instant-no more- he thought he sensed a flicker of emotion in her eyes, too swift for him to identify it as either anger or regret.

The big difference in the pilot for this scene is that it isolates T’Pol and Archer alone in the ready-room for the their discussion. In the novelization they are on the bridge. There’s also a couple of additional lines in the pilot, about humans having other opportunities to assert their independence. 

I’m most curious about the randomest changes. When Archer gives the ship to T’Pol in the aired pilot, he just says “The ship is yours.” In the novel, he says that and then exclaims, “Trip, let’s go!”

After Trip and Archer leave Enterprise on the Suliban ship, in the novelization they see the ship in atmosphere and have a brief conversation about T’Pol. This scene is deleted in the pilot, except for a couple of lines of dialogue, which were transposed into a brief moment where T’Pol and Reed explain why the ship can’t move its position. The book shows a pretty major admission and turning point for Archer.

Archer gazed at the vision of the ship just as it disappeared again in a curtain of blue muck. He saw T’Pol’s face, determined to hold position and give them their best shot, and he silently apologized to her for his snotty remarks. ...

“You’ve changed your tune about her...” “I think it’s changing some,” Archer agreed. “After a whole lifetime of watching Vulcans generalize about humans, seems I was doing the same thing about them. I just took it out on her.” He found a sheepish little grin and bounced it off Tucker. “I think I’ll stop now.”

When the bridge team successfully identifies and apprehends the shuttle, T’Pol indulges in a moment of camaraderie with Hoshi. This is for the brief few moments when they think the whole team returned, before they realize Archer is missing. The pilot shows the first in a long tradition of T’Pol reacting to Archer being imperiled.

Later on, when Archer thinks he’s about to die, after he rescued Klaang and sent him to Enterprise with Trip, he has another long stream of consciousness about T’Pol.

A few minutes here, a few there... if Trip Tucker or Reed were in command, this would never work. He had left T’Pol in charge. A Vulcan- the bane of his life- was going to make sure his plan was fulfilled. T’Pol would stick to her line of demarcation and do the logical thing. She would know there was no way for him to be found in this maze, no way for them to infiltrate, to risk a half dozen lives on a rescue mission into the guts of this aggregate, which was breaking up. She would make all the right arguments, shout Trip down, over-British Reed, deal with Hoshi’s shrieks of protest, and she would finally seize the command Archer himself had confirmed. She would take the ship out of this mess, and Klaang, and she would succeed. Not a bad legacy, Dad, for you or for me.

We see Trip and T’Pol argue about rescuing Archer. Trip wants to return, T’Pol wants to stick to his plan. In this instance, and going by Archer’s internal monologue, T’Pol is reading Archer correctly. Trip is lost in his emotions. 

There’s another random change with this scene; in the pilot it starts with Trip telling T’Pol to turn the ship around now, while in the book it starts with T’Pol’s the line of dialogue right after that. The scene in the pilot is also half the length, ending after “that’s a specious analogy” and Trip’s response. It’s chopped up and is made to seem like some times has passed. In the novelization, there’s just a few seconds. 

Once T’Pol starts to be spontaneous, though, she surprises everyone.

“Mr. Tucker, we’re going to plan B.” Tucker swung around. What had changed her mind? Why would a person who claimed to be ruled by logic suddenly whip around to a completely crazy plan of action? Who cared!

There’s a bit more to the scene after they get Archer back, Trip goes full tattletale.

“T’Pol wanted to leave you behind! Archer steadied himself with a hand on Tucker’s shoulder.  “She wanted to. Notice she didn’t act on what she wanted. She acted on what she could do.” He drew a breath of life and actually laughed. “Trip, old man, I believe I can work with that!”

 Final Scenes

A random change the the final scene between Archer and T’Pol. Before T’Pol says “Perhaps you should add pride to your list” the novelization describes her as raising her chin “in that way she had.” So not just reporting the action, but connecting it with her habits. But in the pilot she just stares ahead before the line. But either way they are fully united for the first time since meeting, ready to begin one of the most important partnerships in galactic history

Finally they understood each other. It felt good to be on the same page. (p.239)

There’s also a moment not in the aired pilot, at the tail end of the scene, where T’Pol’s satisfaction with the situation shines through.

They stood together in companionable unity for a few moments as the ship streaked along at its new high-warp cruising speed. “Will you join me on the bridge, Sub-Commander? he asked, and gestured toward the door. “We have some good news for the crew, don’t we?” “Captain,” she said with a lilt, “I will be honored to assist.”

 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |

#Star Trek #Star Trek: Enterprise #Broken Bow #T'Pol #Jonathan Archer #Diane Carey #Broken Bow Novelization #Trip Tucker

[starryeyed-spacegirl]

Types of Girls: Star Trek Edition

PLEASE NOTE: I’ve omitted characters from shows I haven’t seen yet and/or don’t know enough about to create a mood for. If you have anything you’d like to add for ladies from Next Gen, DS9, or any other boss babes I happened to miss, please feel free to do so! :) 

Original Series:

Uhura- The OG. Type 2. Breaks every stereotype. Trailblazer. Fierce eyeliner. Keeps them boys IN LINE. This girl can *sing*. Humble friend. Spunky AF. Gets things done, and looks fabulous while doing it. A big tease. Groovy icon. The friend we all aspire to be. Doesn’t need to take credit. INSPIRATION. Great interpersonal communication. Major vintage vibes. The one who works to keep everyone on task. Hufflepuff.

SPECTRUM (SAY MY NAME)- Florence + The Machine

Voyager:

Janeway- Wears the pants in the relationship. Type 2. Strong leader. Capable. Empathetic. “Do no harm but take no shit”. Best work is done on the fly. Really knows how to pull off those mom jeans. The one you want calling the shots. Patience of a saint. Coffee fiend. Major Tired ™ vibes. Savior complex. Makes everyone feel cared for and useful. Always in your corner. Master of *Emphatic eye roll*. Gryffindor.

WHISTLE (WHILE YOU WORK IT)- Katy Tiz

B’Elanna- The She Hulk. Type 4. Takes no shit. Gets things done. Literally does whatever she wants. Strong. Low-key depressed. Big fan of fighting. Feels unworthy, and always trying to be better. Polarizing personality. Looks like she can kill you, actually can kill you. Not subtle (Like, at all). Bold. Quick to anger, but quick to apologize. Doesn’t care if you don’t like her. Always searching for her place in the world. Really hard on herself. Vintage rock and roll t-shirts. Gryffindor through and through.

WHATEVER IT TAKES- Imagine Dragons

Seven of Nine- *Precise*. Type 1. A little OCD. Utilitarian, but still killing it in the fashion game. Thrives on order. Workaholic. Will tell you like it is. Isn’t afraid of pushing buttons. Socially awkward. Deals with stress by working or cleaning. Has mastered the no-make-up make-up look. Solid integrity. Knows every worst case scenario. Has great skin. Their own worst critic. Perfect sleep schedule. Never a hair out of place. Ravenclaw. 

STRESSED OUT- Twenty One Pilots

Enterprise:

T’Pol- SARCASM QUEEN. Type 5. Thinks she’s smarter than you, definitely is smarter than you. Doesn’t like showoffs. Vegan. Easily annoyed. Loves a good accent. Resting b-face. Encourages everyone to do yoga and meditation. Likes leaving people guessing. Really into crop tops and low rise jeans. Emotionally repressed ™. Can dish it out but not take it back. Very by the book. Was probably emo in high school. Guilty pleasure: cheesy rom-coms. Takes minimalism to the next level. Candle obsession. Ravenclaw. 

JOGA- Bjork

Hoshi- “I did not sign up for this”. Type 6. Easily frightened. Looks like a cinnamon roll, is actually a cinnamon roll. Legitimately loves learning. High anxiety. Sweetly naive. Tends to overreact. The baby of the friend group. Strength of character. Anime fiend. Bookworm. Major teacher vibes. Language nerd. Has to be dragged into adventures. Safety first! Can be a brat sometimes, but has a good heart. *Kawaii*. Ravenpuff.

MY FUTURE- Billie Eilish

Reboot:

Uhura- Sassy pants. Type 8. “Has a talented tongue”. Ultimate mom friend. Isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Will take care of you even if you won’t. Can be super bossy. THAT WINGED LINER THOUGH. Genuinely just living her best life. Douchebag meter very accurate. Asks for what she wants. Is right like 99% of the time (And will rub it in your face). Accepting of everyone. Gives people space to be and grow. Knows her own worth. Knows how to have a good time. Solid Gryffinpuff.

RUN THE WORLD (GIRLS)- Beyonce

Jaylah- INDEPENDENT. Type 8. Knows her own strengths and weaknesses. Highly intuitive. Clever as they come. Goes with the flow. Can sense a good person when they meet them. A little high-key ™. Everything is a competition. Starving for knowledge. Blunt but not mean. Street style on point. Can be a tad bit aggressive. Protective of self. Objective thinker. Wants to go everywhere and do everything. Master of the no plan plan. Best case Slytherin. 

GENIUS- LSD feat. Sia, Diplo, Labrinth

Discovery:

Burnham- Kills it all day every day. Type 5. The ultimate devil’s advocate. Takes on every responsibility, even if it isn’t hers. COOL. Will do whatever it takes to get a job done, even if it hurts. Mysterious. Has thick walls, but once you make it through she loves you deeply. Reliable. Calm outside, tempest inside. Not very in tune with her emotions. Loves to question authority. A realist. Blunt. Trusts in facts. Boldly goes. Strong rebel vibes. Verbal processor. Prefers to be alone. Slytherin.

WHEN THE MOMENT COMES- Mia Dyson

(BONUS: HIGH HOPES- Panic! At the Disco)

Tilly- Solid gold. Type 7. ADHD. “Science is so f-ing cool”. Can make friends with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Legitimate ray of sunshine. Off the charts smart. Nothing gets her down. Thinks faster than her mouth moves. Enthusiastic. Maybe never sleeps, ever. Wins best hair award ™. Friend you must protect at all costs. Ride or die BFF. The one you call when you need a shoulder to cry on. No filter (None). Strong wing-woman vibes. Please don’t give her espresso. The most Hufflepuffy Hufflepuff to ever Huffle.

GIRL ON FIRE- Alicia Keys

(BONUS SONG: SPACE ODDITY- David Bowie)

Mirror Georgiou- “The Man”. Type 8. A wolf not even trying to hide she’s a wolf. Ambitious is too weak of a word... Scary clever. Subtext is everything. The one you go for fashion advice. If it sounds like she’s threatening you, she is. Has major soft spots for her friends, but would never admit it. Words sharp as knives. Competitive AF. Laughs in the face of danger. Intimidated by nothing. Sexy and she knows it. Can and will destroy you if you hurt her friends. Not afraid to use all her assets. Wins every argument. Slytherin to the MAX.

BAD REPUTATION- Joan Jett

#star trek #star trek voyager #star trek enterprise #star trek TOS #Star Trek Discovery #star trek reboot #tos uhura #reboot uhura #lieutenant uhura #captain janeway #b'elanna torres #seven of nine #t'pol #hoshi sato #michael burnham #sylvia tilly #mirror georgiou #jaylah #boss babes #types of girls #star trek edition #star trek moodboards

[captaincrusher]

[Disclaimer: I love parts of Picard and this is not an invite to just shit on the entire series].

I’m thinking about the parallells between Kira and Seven in Picard. Both have everything they love taken from them by the writers. The writers killed everyone Kira ever cared about or made them leave, like Odo and the O’Briens. In Picard Seven “has no family”. The person she loves betrays her. Her child dies. Apparently she has no contact with her Voyager family (I still hope they change this). 

The parallell, I think, is the idea of what a woman is “supposed” to be. 

They’re supposed to be caring, empathetic and approachable. So what do you do when a female character has other traits? When she doesn’t care about social norms, when she wears short hair because that’s easier, when she will tell people they are wrong without caring about their feelings? Or if she’s like T’Pol, that’s Vulcan and therefore naturally not a submissive, approachable and empathetic person?

You might, as a writer, think about how to squeeze feelings out of these characters. And somehow all they can come up with is to kill people they love. Or chip away at their self control until they break. You can only imagine Seven bitter and alone in the place you want her to be emotionally, if you take away all the connections she built in the Voyager years. You can only make Kira seem womanly enough if her friends and her boyfriend and her Kai die in front of her. 

As though the only way to make women relatable that don’t conform into this narrow gender role is to hurt them. 

Compare with how many male characters that are allowed to not care one bit about social norms and be both rude and inconsiderate of other people’s feelings. While their trauma might actually become a motivation or excuse for their behavior, for women the trauma is quite the opposite. Finally she’s showing how soft and human she is, because we forgot she was human when she didn’t perform femininity the way we wanted her to.

#Star Trek thoughts #Kira #Seven of Nine #Rant

[neighbourhoodtwo]

i love enterprise but i hate the way the crew treats t’pol like guys leave her alone.

#the vulcans can be condescending pricks including t'pol but she deserved so much better istg

[convenient-plot-device]

Here's a little Mirror!T'Poshi thing I wrote taking place ~1 year after they have run away from the Empire and joined the Resistance. Enjoy :)

Her breath was coming quick and shallow, little gasps filling her lungs as her face contorted. She was not going to cry. She hadn’t cried since she was a tiny, tiny child- and she wasn’t going to cry now.

Her vision was blurring at the edges, hot tears spilling into her eyes as the corners of the room swam. She sat down on the edge of her bed and pressed her lips together hard. She gripped the blankets in her fists as her throat began to hurt. The combined weight of everything that had happened in the past year- and to be honest, her entire life- seemed to press down on her with its full weight for the first time. Phaser fire echoed distantly through the years, and the faint scars criss-crossing her torso seemed to ache. She struggled for composure, breathing through her clamped jaw and crushing the thin blankets in her fists. A tear slipped from her eye as she squeezed her eyelids shut, and with it, a dam broke. She began to sob, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth as she cried, hot tears falling from her prickling eyes as memories washed over her.

Reaching out, grabbing for her mother as the ringing of explosions sounded in her ears, the heat of phaser fire scorching at her skin- the sting of a blade to her throat, the slam of her back against a cold metal wall- the loudness of a voice in her ears, white-knuckled grip on a railing- hands roaming over her skin, the veneer of confidence as fear burned a hole in her heart- the slam of boots on the ground, the whipping of cold air on her face- her entire body was shaking.

A gentle hand on her hand pulled her out of her head. She hadn’t realized how loudly she must have been crying. She looked up through puffy eyes to see T’Pol, face stoic and unmoving as always. Her voice was muffled, as though Hoshi was hearing it from the next room. 

“Take my hand. Look at me.”

Hoshi obliged, curling her fingers around T’Pol’s, locking her own streaming eyes with T’Pol’s sharp brown ones. “Imagine your emotions as a swirling ocean. The waves are tall and rough. The clouds are dark and gray.”

Hoshi complied, imagining a roiling dark sea that crashed away within her soul, waves climbing and breaking with the sound of screams. She squeezed T’Pol’s hand. Her skin was soft and warm. “You are in control of the ocean. Take hold of the waves. Imagine the sea beginning to calm. The clouds are starting to clear.”

Hoshi took a deep breath and did as she asked. The dark and terrible ocean was calming. The waves began to soften their arcs, angry seafoam dissolving in the softly lulling currents. Sun was beginning to shine on the water’s surface from between the clouds. Her face began to relax. The echoing screeches and burning faded away, retreating back into her memories. She took one deep breath. Two. Inhale. Exhale. The ocean was calmly lapping at the edges of her consciousness now, the clouds shrunk back down to idle cumulous puffs. She slowly opened her now drying eyes, releasing her tight grip on T’Pol’s hand. The air was cold on her wet cheeks. T’Pol’s eyes gazed softly into her face, her lips pursed in a worried expression. Hoshi hastily wiped the tears off of her cheeks with her sleeve, swallowing and pulling herself up into a more dignified sitting position. T’Pol got up from her kneeling position on the floor and sat next to her on the bed.

Hoshi spoke first. “Don’t you dare tell anyone about this. I’ll kill you.”

T’Pol’s face remained stoic. “I assure you, your secret is quite secure.”

Hoshi swallowed again and averted her eyes. “... thank you for.. That. It.. it helped.”

She felt T’pol shift beside her on the bed. “You’re welcome. It is a simple meditation technique to soothe one’s negative emotions. I use it often. I could show you others, if you like.”

Still staring intently at the floor, Hoshi nodded. “They might come in handy, I suppose.”

“Very well.” T’Pol got up and walked over to the bathroom of their shared room and closed the door behind her, leaving Hoshi alone with her thoughts. Crying. Crying. She had cried. How long had it been? Decades, at least. What was happening to her? Had leaving the Empire done this to her, stolen away her strength? And she’d required support, from a Vulcan. And yet, she was not as angry about this as she thought she should be. Crying had felt… nice. Like a dark mass that had built up in her chest, heavy and dense, had lightened just a bit. But she was vulnerable now. That was rule one of survival: Never allow yourself to be vulnerable. She could never go back to the Empire now- not that she could have before. 

She got up from her seat on the bed, almost in a trance, and began to strip off her uniform, folding it and laying it on the floor. She had to wait for her turn to use the bath, but she needed something to do as her mind raced. Memories that had been shoved down, back too far to touch her, had surfaced and poured over her consciousness like lava while she’d cried. She hadn’t been strong enough to bear them before. But here she was, remembering them, and surviving. Maybe leaving the Empire hadn’t stolen away her strength. She could still swing a knife with the best of them, could still stare death in the face and refuse to blink. And now she could remember and survive.

She had had to relearn so many things in the past year, and it had been a long and arduous process. Everything she knew, or thought she knew, a lie. People she’d always placed beneath her were now her superiors. The Empire she’d lived to serve was inevitably going to crumble under its own weight, and it had shoved her to the side as if she were nothing. What was one more changed definition in the grand scheme of things? Strength was ruthlessness, cunning, physical power. Strength was others fearing you, strength was smiling with a knife in your hand in a sea of blood. And yet, she had had all that, and still had all that. Maybe strength wasn’t tarnished by vulnerability. Giving others an opening to hurt you was how you died. You show weakness and you are crushed. But she had shown weakness and T’Pol had not taken the opportunity. She had shown weakness and T’Pol had responded with… help. Kindness. And if the Federation’s records on that ship had been any indication, people seemed stronger when help and kindness were offered, when they stood together.

Perhaps that worked on a smaller scale as well. Perhaps… paradoxically… vulnerability was they key to strength. Maybe this was the first step to growing stronger, tempering herself like a steel blade. 

She thought of T'Pol and mused that this new strength might be the best thing that had happened to her yet.

#mirror t'poshi #star trek #this one is my tag #star trek enterprise #mirror!hoshi #mirror!tpol #enterprise #ent #st: ent #star trek ent #star trek: ent #star trek: enterprise #mirrorverse #mirror universe #star trek mirror universe #fanfic #tposhi #mirror t'pol #mirror hoshi #otp: i was hoping you'd put up a fight

[nepobabyjimkirk]

“Which Star Trek character would you want to be quarantined with?” “Which Star Trek character would you want to be stuck on a desert island with?” Speaking as a massive introvert and generally pretty shy person, the answer to these questions is always a Vulcan. Give me Spock, Tuvok, T’Pol, whatever. They’ll pull their own weight in whatever needs to be done but also will leave me the hell alone. I could engage them in intellectual conversation if I got bored but like...seriously. It’s the ideal situation. They can take the living room and I’ll take my bedroom and we’ll both just sit quietly and do our own things all day and I don’t have to worry about making small talk when I get something in the kitchen and I’ll get them to tell me some fun facts about their culture a couple times a day so I get that bare minimum social interaction I need but then we’d go back to being introverted and quiet and guys it’s the ONLY answer. As an introvert, the answer to “get stuck alone with a Star Trek character for a long time” is always and only a Vulcan.

#like i do not want to be stuck with ANYONE #a vulcan is the next best option if i must

[starfleetimagines]

Star Trek Enterprise Imagines

Character x Reader (Romantic):

Jonathan Archer - “Leave her alone.”

Trip Tucker - De-Con Talks

Malcolm Reed - PDA

Jonathan Archer - Jefferies Tube Acoustics

Jonathan Archer- “Did you enjoy yourself last night?”

Jonathan Archer - “For some reason, I’m attracted to you.”

Dating Jonathan Archer would include…

Malcolm Reed - “Stop talking about the past.”

Jonathan Archer - “Go then, leave! See if I care!”

Malcom Reed - “Oh my god! You’re in love with them!”

Jonathan Archer - “I thought you were dead.”

Malcolm Reed - You’re Taken Hostage

Trip Tucker - Sleepless Nights

Malcolm Reed - “You make me feel like I’m not good enough.”

Jonathan Archer - “That’s almost exactly the opposite of what I meant.”

Malcolm Reed - “Go then, leave! See if I care!”

Jonathan Archer - Dress Shopping

Jonathan Archer - Pillow Fights

Trip Tucker Being Your Boss Would Include…

Cheering Jonathan Archer Up Would Include…

Phlox - You Avoid Him

Jonathan Archer - Nightmares

Jonathan Archer - Horseback Riding

Malcolm Reed - Cuddles After A Mission

Jonathan Archer - Hideouts

Malcolm Reed - “Because I love you.”

Phlox - Trip Sets You Two Up

Jonathan Archer - “This shuttle was roomier before I realized I’m attracted to you.”

Malcolm Reed - “Can I kiss you?”

Malcolm Reed - Sexting On PADDs

Phlox - You Hide An Injury From Him

Trip Tucker - “It was just a dream.”

Jonathan Archer - “Am I dreaming?”

Trip Tucker - “I just want you to hold me.”

Malcolm Reed - “It’s my fault.”

Trip Tucker - “You look like you could use a hug.”

Malcolm Reed - Emotional Trauma

Malcolm Reed - He Sees Your Scars

Trip Tucker - “Thank God you’re okay.”

Phlox - “Can I have a hug?”

Malcolm Reed - You’re Ill

Trip Tucker - Restless Nights

Enemies to Lovers With Malcolm Reed Would Include...

Malcolm Reed - Labouring Mission

Trip Tucker - Jealously [NSFW]

Dating T’Pol Would Include...

Malcolm Reed - Nightmares

Trip Tucker - Tension

Malcolm Reed - Destiny

Shran - Blue Boy

Malcolm Reed - The Way I See You

Malcolm Reed - Confessions

Being Trip Tucker’s Sibling and Jonathan Archer’s Partner Would Include...

Trip Tucker - Helping Hand

Being Pregnant With Phlox’s Baby Would Include...

Malcolm Reed - Destressing [NSFW]

Jonathan Archer - Too Busy

Trip Tucker - “You can’t protect me forever.”

Malcolm Reed - Mistletoe

Trip Tucker - Snowball Fights

Malcolm Reed - Hot Chocolate

Malcolm Reed - Snowball Fights

T’Pol - “Why can’t you just admit you have feelings for me?”

Character x Reader (Platonic):

Malcolm Reed - You’re His Sister

Being Friends With Trip Tucker Would Include…

Trip Tucker - You’re Shy

Being Trip Tucker’s Twin Would Include…

Helping Trip Tucker In Engineering Would Include…

Malcolm Reed - “I don’t fit in.”

Malcolm Reed “I’m broken.”

Travis Mayweather - Childhood Memories

Character x Character:

Trip Tucker x T’Pol - New Life

Malcolm Reed x Trip Tucker - Caught [NSFW]

#star trek #star trek enterprise #star trek imagine #star trek imagines #star trek fanfiction #star trek fanfic

[theandorianimperialarchive]

Stranger Than We Can Imagine

Title: Stranger Than We Can Imagine

Fandom: Star Trek Enterprise

Warnings: None really.

Disclaimer: Don’t own… if I did I would have treated it better.

Summary: Isolation is never easy, but it’s always worse when you’re surrounded by people. Written because @gaslightgallows is very good at waking up my plotbunnies and giving me writing games that actually work.

Shran watched his human crewmates as they argued over what the floating bit of rock looked like.

“It’s a bear.”

“It’s two horses running.”

“What minor planet are you looking at?”

“What do you think T’Pol?”

“I fail to see the relevance of this speculation.”

“Ah! Shran, help us out.”

As one they all looked at Shran who was standing some way back on the bridge, trying not to feel his hands curl with the desire to snap someone’s neck. He shrugged.

“I’m not one for star gazing… or boulder gazing in this case.” His voice was low, descending into tones of aggression he ought not to be feeling. Not with these aliens anyway…

It had been a long time since he had been surrounded like this, and all he could think of whenever someone touched him was that he ought to flinch from the inevitable pain of an electrical jolt. But he refused to cower in front of these people.

These people… people he trusted.

These people, who weren’t his people.

At the moment… that was all he could think of.

The disappointment was evident in Archer’s eyes. He wanted Shran to interact more with the crew, but he found himself pulling more and more away. The last time at least there had been other Andorians around. But here… he was alone. Andorians were never meant to be alone.

His eyes were drawn to the minor planet, which had been thrown out of its native asteroid belt and was adrift, alone…

Shran reared up and span around on his heels, striding off the bridge. As the lift descended he leaned on the wall, breathing heavily. He was so far gone he was seeing his own misery in a dead bit of cold lava.

He thumped his head against the bulkhead. He could easily imagine the bridge crew now, complaining, maybe even laughing, about their strange new crewmate who refused to make nice and get along with them.

They had no idea who was on their ship.

It was a relief to get into his quarters, at least here he could retreat to a more comfortable temperature, where his things were, his people’s presence could be felt.  The silks of his sheets and his informal clothing had been woven by the hands of his people. His prized book made from strips of dried tuber root held the laws of Andoria inside it. It was particularly special because it had been written in his own blood –you could leave a pint of it into the guild that made the books and they would write it out in the traditional way with the blood being mixed with other ingredients to make ink. His Clan’s crest was on the front cover, made of silver metal and blue and pink gemstones. Shran would lay his Ushaan-tor next to it at night, both reflective surfaces glinting from the shooting stars passing his window at ‘night’.  Sleep was not a familiar companion to him at the best of times. Here it was almost… alien.

Shran pulled off his clothes and stepped under his shower, the temperature as high as it would go, faintly reminding him of long swims in the geothermal pools. He closed his eyes and brought up the echoes of sensation of Telev standing behind him, slim hands caressing his shoulders and rubbing away the tension. He remembered Talas’ bright eyes as she ran her short nails over his flesh, supposedly scraping away any and all dirt.

The memories were pleasing, but he was in no mood to rise to the occasion. It was more about comfort of their presence, so he slipped easily from those memories to memories of bathing in pools on Andoria and other worlds with his crew on the Kumari, and his bond brothers on other occasions. Shran sagged against the glass of his shower door and his eyes glazed over as he remembered washing the dust and Vulcan blood out of Tholos’ hair as they hunkered down in a small pool with Keval and Thon, trembling with fear of being caught and dragged back from where they had escaped from. They had slept in a huddle that night, not daring to hope that they might be free of the tyranny of the Vulcans.

Abruptly the echoes fled from him and he was left alone again. The breath caught in his throat and he sagged even more, feeling weak.

‘Archer to Shran!’

Shran jumped and looked around stupidly, before realising the voice had come over the comm. He pulled himself up and leaned out of the shower to press the button.

“Shran here.”

“Can you come to my quarters? I’d like to talk to you.”

Shran grimaced as he muttered, “Yes sir.”

It irked him no end that Archer was his superior now. He respected the man, he trusted the man, he even liked the man… but he was not only a good deal younger than him, actually half his age, but he was an alien. Shran was coming to terms with the idea of seeing aliens as his equals… but he still tensed every time Archer gave him an order. It was becoming progressively worse with passing time.

He dressed quickly and made his way to the Captain’s quarters. He was off duty, so he chose to wear his own clothing as opposed to his Starfleet uniform that gave him a rash. He could tell Archer saw it as a rebellious gesture the moment he saw the silk shirt.

“Come on in. Drink?”

Shran nodded, accepting the peat whiskey that smelled like a burnt forest, and wasn’t as burning as Ale. Archer sipped at his own, seated on his bed with his dog’s head under his hand. Shran sat down slowly on the chair opposite him, cradling the glass in his hands. Archer scratched Porthos’ ears and leaned forward, which Shran knew meant this was not going to be a good conversation.

“Shran… is there something wrong?” he asked quietly.

Shran kept his eyes on his drink, but extended his antennae forward so Archer knew he was paying attention.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You’ve become insular and distant in the last few weeks. And I’m not the only one to notice, T’Pol expressed concern for you, and so has Trip.”

Shran’s antennae reared back at the idea that a Vulcan was concerned for him. It was not in their nature to care about anyone. It was not in their nature to be concerned for Andorians.

“Shran!”

Shran looked up in surprise, realising he had drifted off into his mind and not answered Archer’s question. Archer looked genuinely worried now.

“Shran, if there is something bothering you, you know you can tell me.”

Shran tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes, and taking a mouthful of his drink.

“No.” he said at last.

“No?”

Shran met Archer’s eyes, leaning forward, crowding the pink-skin. Archer shifted back a little. Humans and Vulcans might think they were distinct and different, but they were frustratingly similar. Their sense of private space was something Shran could not understand, and could not handle for much longer. He was beginning to ache from the lack of Andorian contact. Hands on arms, shoulders, necks… on the Kumari everyone had known everyone’s body intimately, even the bonded Actives, just because Andorians did not shy from touch on any part of the body. The context meant everything, and the touch’s location did not. Humans, however, were more wary. They read meaning into a touch of hands as romantic, a touch of hips as inappropriate. Shran had recently grabbed Ensign Sato by the hips to move her out of the way. Both she and Commander Tucker had flushed and looked shocked at his actions. Shran had not even thought about it, he had been used to swatting a crewmember on the thigh or hip to make them move aside. Now… he dare not make any physical contact for fear of causing distress. It was maddening.

Shran blinked and realised he had been glaring at Archer for too long without speaking again. He shook his head and said,

“I am just preoccupied. There’s nothing wrong.”

“Preoccupied… is that all? Trip says you’ve gone from being personable with the crew to minimising your interactions to strictly business.”

“Is there something wrong with my conduct?” Shran demanded irritably.

“No… but you don’t seem very happy.”

Because I’m not, Shran wanted to snarl. But he said nothing, swirling the amber liquid. Alien liquid, in an alien glass. He set it aside, feeling ill.

“If there’s nothing else…?” he said, straightening his back.

“Shran, your wellbeing includes your happiness and I know you well enough to-”

“You don’t!” Shran snarled before he could stop himself getting to his feet. Archer sat back in surprise.

“I don’t? Don’t what?”

“Know me. You don’t know me.”

“Shran we’ve known each other for five years.”

“We have met briefly once a year when pressing concerns forced us together or a chance crossing of paths. When we were both under strain and urgency. That may have been enough for us to learn each other’s true nature… but you do not know me. You do not know my life, my personal self… not enough for you to know me well enough to determine anything.”

“Maybe not… but I can guess.” Archer stood up and regarded Shran with narrowed eyes. “You’ve never been away from your people like this before, have you? You’ve never been the only Andorian in the room for so long… you miss your people.”

“That does not take a genius pink-skin.” Shran was in no mood to be pacified. “But you are not Andorian. You don’t know what it means to be this far from my people for so long…”

“I know it’s not easy. Maybe I don’t know your past… maybe I don’t know if you ever had a pet, or what your favourite colour is… but I’m not blind. I know you’re finding it hard to be here… everything is different… and even the interactions you’re used to… aren’t the same.”

Shran looked at Archer who shrugged, “Trip told me about the incident with Hoshi.”

“I did not mean any harm… but consider the lesson learned.”

“That’s not what I meant. We know you meant no harm… and just like we learned to respect and manage T’Pol’s sense of personal space and Phlox’s preference for privacy… we can learn to manage your sense of familiarity.”

“Manage?” Shran repeated dully, clenching a fist at his side.

Archer gave a sheepish smile, “I meant… we don’t expect you to adapt and we not to. We’re perfectly capable of learning how to be… a bit more Andorian… if you give us half the chance.”

“You’ll never be Andorian.” said Shran shortly. Archer’s smile fell. Shran sighed and forced his hand to unclench. “But maybe you can learn how to treat me like one.”

“No higher respect for you… is there?”

“Everything I’ve done has been to protect and defend my people, not only from death but to ensure they will always be able to be what they are.” Shran hesitated and then decided he ought to be cooperative, so he murmured, “There was a time when I was denied that ability… that right. Worst five years of my life.” That I can remember, Shran thought to himself, clenching his fist in anger at the memory of that green blooded monster that robbed him of something so vital. He met Archer’s eyes and pushed it aside, “ So… yes Captain. There is no higher respect for me.”

Archer nodded and reached out a hand, resting it on Shran’s shoulder… and leaving it there. His skin was far too cool for it to warm Shran’s skin. But there was a sense of warmth that spread through Shran and he felt his body relax a little. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, relaxing a bit further. Archer smiled and squeezed his shoulder before dropping his hand.

“Hungry? I think Chef’s been playing with your dietary requirements again.”

Shran grimaced, “Oh… lovely.”

Archer chuckled, “I’ll try it too?”

Shran tilted his antennae towards the human speculatively, then smirked, “Deal.”

Archer sighed and nodded, “Great.”

They left Archer’s quarters and entered the lift to take them to the mess. As they stood waiting, Shran spoke.

“A Zabathu.”

“What?” Archer looked at him in confusion. Shran smiled,

“The minor planet… it looked like a wild zabathu.”

Archer looked thoughtful for a moment, then said quietly, “Huh… I’ll take your word for it.”

Shran smirked, feeling his spine straighten and he sighed, “Good.”

#star trek: enterprise #commander shran #captain archer #andorians

[inevitablesurrender]

Tagged by: @rionisu (thank you!) Tagging: I still suck at this.  DO YOU WANT TO DO THE THING?  THEN DO THE THING!  Yes, good.  Super effective, etc.

Rules: write your 10 favorite female characters from 10 different fandoms and tag 10 people you know, whoever

(And because I’m me, the rambling is a bonus.)

Ghost in the Shell - Motoko Kusanagi, naturally.  I just... I love her okay.  Helps that I also love her English VA a lot.

Final Fantasy XV - Cindy Aurum.  I figure I’m gonna get looks for that, but.  Dude.  Capable mechanic, total sweetheart who does her damnedest to help out even if she’s not a fighter though Cindy fighting with wrenches when modders?, distracts people while Pawpaw works out the bill, seems to take far more interest in cars than potential romantic partners.  What’s not to love?  Like, I get it, I do.  But call it mental snapback for all the people who specifically insisted a smart woman can’t dress however the fuck she wants.  I mean yeah you should wear protection when working with certain things but... I sure as fuck don’t.  I’m not very intelligent, though.  ...Anyway.  Cindy.  (Yeah, Kingsglaive Luna is a very close second, but let’s not get into that conversation because that’ll make this so much longer.)

Kingdom Hearts - Aqua.  Like, I want it to be Kairi but.  .........Gotta wait until they actually let her do something. *cough*  And Aqua just... ugh.  The whole ending bit of Birth By Sleep (aka The Game Where Everyone Starts Out Idealistic and Naive and Then Everything Happens at Once and They Just Have to do the Best They Can).  Just.  UGH.

Beast Wars (Transformers) - Blackarachnia.  “Evil” spider lady (it’s a long story) who proves to maybe not be as obedient as intended.  Then falls for hero who is dumber than a sack of doorknobs (Scott McNeil’s own phrase) but it’s a beautiful kind of ridiculous and dammit what starts off feeling like an attempt to “change her” becomes accepting her and her sarcastic vicious streak and leave me alone okay I love them.

The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina Zelda.  She got shit done.  I mean I doubt it’s a spoiler anymore, but just in case... yeah, she got all the shit done.  ...And maybe made Link question his sexuality more than once.  Extra points.

Devil May Cry - I love Trish, I do, but... Lady.  Even with the... anger issues.  The massive, somewhat understandable but still “hey maybe calm the fuck down there a little”, anger issues.

Tiger & Bunny - Agnes Joubert.  I mean yes, she is utterly scary about ratings, but she also obviously cares about the Heroes and... everyone’s got a little crush on Wild Tiger, let’s just admit that.

Tron - Quorra.  I think people get stuck on the “sexy innocent ass-kicker” thing and don’t realize that there is actually a brain and a heart in there too, eager to embrace more than she’s known before.  I don’t know, could just be me.  Guess we’ll never know now though, will we.  Haaaaa.

Star Wars - Here comes the joke about having so many to choose from, right?  Buuuuut there’s a world beyond the movies even if that’s kind of been discarded depending on who you choose to listen to, etc, and so on, it’s Leia, it’s always going to be Leia, it’s Leia okay.

Star Trek - ...I actually really liked Voyager and Janeway is fav by a large margin.  Not just because of the coffee thing.  But also partly because of the coffee thing.  Gotta give a little shout out to T’Pol, though.  For all the “we give up” inherent in the writing of way too damn much of Enterprise, there was some really good shit with T’Pol.

#I done got tagged #rionisu #maybe if I stopped rambling every time I did a meme they'd get done sooner #...nah probably not

[t-rina]

Star Trek Enterprise Rewatch:

2x13 Dawn

First aired: 8 January 2003

Synopsis by Netflix: When Trip’s shuttle is attacked, he and his aggressor are forced to land on a nearby moon. The coming dawn will make the planet inhospitable.

Synopsis by Ash: While doing a test flight with a shuttle pod Trip has to crashland on a moon and needs to re-establish communication with Enterprise. But he is not alone on that moon.

Trip on a pod, trying out some new stuff!

vessel approaching!

they are firing on him!

and he’s going down

NO, THEY'RE NOT GONNA CHANGE MY MIND

Pod lost contact with Enterprise

Trip has a few bruises

first things first: contact Enterprise

how nice that this moon as breathable atmosphere

and he already built a fire

there is someone/something out there O.o

HE’S BEEN SHOT

and the alien stole his transceiver

that guy that contacted Enterprise doesn’t like Vulcans

they are going to work together and search the 62 moons for Trip and the other missing guy

who is Trip talking to?

Trip just fooled him xD

!aaand he shot Trip

now they are just screaming at each other

there is bad blood between the Vulcans and the Arconians

Trip is establishing communication with that guy

Trip hurt himself!

THAT GUY SPIT ON HIM AND IT’S HEALING THE WOUND

He just compared that guy to Porthos????? uncool, man

and how he tricked him again

this is a bit like the stargate episode where Daniel meets Chaka

he kind of repaired the transceiver!

it’s cute how Trip is trying to establish trust

buuuut this guy doesn’t know what that is and tries to kill Trip. again.

he spit in Trip’s eyes!

fist fight!!

and now both are exhausted

Trip is topless

Things you could count when watching Star Trek Enterprise: How many times does someone lose their shirt/tanktop/is in their underwear

oh noooo, this guy does not like sunlight!

it hurts him

the transceiver works!!!!!

PHLOOOOOX

the Arconians can’t handle temperature fluctuations so they can’t beam him up

Trip doesn’t want to leave the pilot on the planet, that’s sweet

he’s recapping all the crazy stuff he lived through while on Enterprise xD

DID T’POL JUST GIVE ARCHER CREDIT FOR HIS GOOD WORK WITH THE ARCONIANS???

Trip made a friend :)

Rating: 3,5/7

Not my favorite episode but also not that bad. At least they made friends for once :)

#ash's complete star trek rewatch #star trek rewatch #star trek enterprise #st ent #star trek #star trek enterprise rewatch #enterprise #trekkie #trip tucker #2x13 #science fiction

[nzvalley]

The “Broken Bow” Novelization, Part 3

T'Pol’s Turn

Rigel and Archer’s Decision

We see that Archer is trying to integrate T’Pol into the crew.

Archer paused and looked at T’Pol, indicating that she should take over. The crew should become accustomed to hers as the voice or the science officer. (p. 125)

Another fairly important moment, at least symbolically, is at the end of their trip to Rigel, when Archer must choose between Trip’s advice and T’Pol’s on where the shuttle is located. He chooses to listen to T’Pol over Trip, acknowledging the that T’Pol has been there and has more experience with the place (and, in my headcanon, remembering her greater senses).

When T’Pol is blown across the platform by the exhaust, then targeted by the Suliban, Archer risks his life to save hers. He is immediately concerned, ultimately risking not just his life but his mission and his authority over his ship.

“T’Pol was directly under the exhaust. The force knocked her off her feet and blew her across the deck. She had been near the shuttlepod and now she was way over there, shifting and dazed, alone, unarmed. ... “Go!” he called to her. “Enterprise needs its captain!” she called back. “Give me the weapon!” “I said, go!” To her credit, she hesitated another moment. During that moment he struck her with a look so forceful that she must have realized she wouldn’t be changing his mind. (p.160-161)

As he hallucinates after he is shot, he sees T’Pol in his fever dream.

Dad came to his side. “You can’t be afraid of the wind,” he said. “Learn to trust it.” Archer turned and looked up onto the dune. T’Pol stood watching him and his father as they worked the model ship and tried to make it fly. What was she doing here? (p. 162)

He may not want to admit it yet, but I think Archer is realizing that T’Pol is the wind that he is going to need to trust in order to succeed. That seems to match with the moment earlier, where he chooses to trust T’Pol to lead him back to the shuttlepod.

Archer saving her life at his expense is itself a major moment for T’Pol. It’s much harder to be hostile or hateful when someone saves your life.  

Although I hate decon scenes in general, and don’t particularly like this scene in the pilot, the book expands it at the beginning with a scene where Trip further lobbies for T’Pol to give Archer a chance. It also adds some interesting Archer/T’Pol elements.

“I wonder if you’ve got the steel to go off on your own. Maybe... the Captain must see something in you, or he wouldn’t have accepted you in his command line. He didn’t have to do that, you know. What do you think he saw? Youth? Grace?” “Those aren’t command traits,” she said. This time her voice was very quiet. “Hell, no, they aren’t,” Tucker shot back. “Not even your ‘Vulcan’ rank is enough to get you what you’re got here. You wouldn’t have it if Jonathan hadn’t given you the chance you’re denying him. We’re ‘only’ humans.. but we gave you the same trust we give each other. Now the captain’s asking you to return it. You got the guts?”

Archer’s earlier actions and Trip’s prodding get T’Pol to at least give Archer the chance to fail. 

What happened to ‘This is a foolish mission’?” “It is a foolish mission, she insisted. “the Suliban are clearly a hostile race with technology far superior to yours. But, as acting captain... I was obligated to anticipate your wishes.” Well, well, well. Had something changed in Archer’s dreams? “As acting captain,” he echoed, “you could’ve done whatever the hell you wanted to do.” Her cheeks flushed olive- just enough to notice- but she didn’t offer any explanations or comments on what he had just said to her.

As Trip posits about T’Pol’s behavior

It just might be,” Tucker said with a twinkle, “you’re having more effect on her than they are. Whoever they are.”

 Archer’s Suspicions and Report 

After T’Pol returns command back to Archer and leaves, there is a long scene not in the pilot where Trip and Archer speculate that T’Pol isn’t a spy after all. 

“I’d be the last person [Soval & Forrest’d] tell. Trip... what do you think of this... maybe the Vulcans really don’t know if they can be around humans and function for decades upon decades. Maybe Soval finally wants to know, once and for all, if we can exist together in hostile space and come out productive.” “You mean they’re testing us?” Archer thought about that, then dismissed it.  “I doubt it. They know everything there is to know about humanity. all you have to do is look at history. It’s all there. We don’t hide anything, even the worst things. Humans aren’t a mystery. But... Vulcans are still a mystery, even to each other. They don’t step out of that box very often, and they’re about to be kicked right out. it could be they’re testing themselves. And they’re using her to do it.” “T’Pol’s the guinea pig?” Tucker blurted. “They want to see how she’ll do? I’ll be damned!” “And it worked,” Archer said. “her technical expertise and ability to stay cool, side by side with my irrational leaps of anger and whatever else I’ve got... it worked. We came out of our first big test as a human-Vulcan team.” (p.174-175)

A really interesting read on T’Pol’s entire purpose on the ship, not too far from what I think the writers eventually tried to establish in the first two seasons: the fate of the relationship of Archer and T’Pol in particular portends the fate of future relations between humans and Vulcans in general. It also kind of establishes that the High Command selected T’Pol, maybe even placed her with Soval in preparation, because she was known to have struggles with emotions and perhaps could work with and among humans.

The scene of Archer making a report, but having to stop every few minutes due to his confusion about T’Pol, is one of the best in the aired Pilot. The novelization gives it a long prologue where Trip and Archer discuss time travel, but then gets into what we see in the pilot.

 Part of the Team

When called to the bridge, Archer challenges T’Pol one more time to work with them. And she responds this time with almost no hesitation. Seeing her response, Archer goes all in. He gives his full support, and they begin working in tandem. The pilot adds a complimentary line from Archer about T’Pol’s instincts.

He looked a bit dubious, and glanced at Archer, who nodded. “You heard her.” Reed hadn’t a clue what she was looking for, but did as he was bidden. T’Pol, while Reed worked, turned and met Archer’s eyes. For the first time they seemed to be thinking the same thing...

Archer looked at her again. “Those fragments weren’t from the Suliban ship.” T’Pol confirmed, “They were from fourteen... and all within the last six hours. I believe we’ve foudnd what we’re looking for.” Despite her reticence until now, she had a lit of victory in her voice. (p.189-190)

Not only is T’Pol fully invested, but she is now talking about “we.” Earlier there was a bitter moment because T’Pol was still thinking of herself as Soval’s or the High Command’s. 

“I wasn’t authorized to reveal the details of our findings.”  There it was- the problem in a nutshell. “Our” and “your” - “we” and “they.” She was here, but she wasn’t yet on the team. (p.116)

She is now fully on the team, thinking as “we” and openly, visibly feeling victorious among humans.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |

#Star Trek #Star Trek: Enterprise #Broken Bow #T'Pol #Jonathan Archer #Diane Carey #Broken Bow Novelization #Trip Tucker