Chapter Eight:

When Archer was staring up at the ceiling with Phlox fixing his wounds, he thought he was dreaming when the beautiful maiden appeared by his side. Well, until Phlox and her started exchanging words.

"He should be fine in time, I've done what T'Pol said would work," Phlox said.

"Hi," Archer said, breathlessly.

Mishkra walked to his side and placed her head on his heaving chest. She clutched onto his bandaged hand and then kissed his bruised cheek. He squinted in pain from her light touching. As soon as Mishkra ran her fingers through his hair, Phlox decided to give them some privacy.

"You are feeling well?" she asked him.

He shook his head, "Not really. How have you been?"

She closed her eyes and stared at the floor. Tears pricked at her eyes. Jon put his hand on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

She looked up with tears streaming down her face. "I used you the last time I was here."

He thought for a moment and then the memories of the dream came back. It had all been real and he had no regrets of it happening.

"It's okay, I enjoyed it," Jon said, smiling.

She stared at him even longer and the tears began to pour out of her eyes very quickly.

"I said its okay, Mishkra. You don't need to apologize nor feel bad about it."

"It isn't that, Jon. It's…" she stuttered and decided to stand and show her true form to him.

Her belly was swollen with a child that Jon knew immediately was not his. Jon Archer nodded, understanding. He hurt that the child wasn't his and wished she had a child with him. He had feelings for Mishkra, how could she do this!

Mishkra's eyes began to swell with tears again. She knew his very thought.

"I'm sorry," she cried.

Jon shook his head. "Don't be. You're not from this timeline, you're from the future. I understand. Whatever happened was supposed to happen, we're not supposed to be more than friends."

The alien woman kissed his cheek again and held onto his hand. She nodded and decided it was time for her to leave.

He grabbed her hand, trying to stop her, but she pulled away.

"I should leave."

"Please stay…" Jon begged her.

He put aside that the child was not his and only wanted her to stay.

"My husband…" she started.

Jon took his hand away from lingering out and put it on his chest. Then he shut his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, she was gone. He cried to himself, in his physical and emotional pain.

***

"No, clan or tribe can't possibly work, sub-commander," Hoshi explained.

"Then use the word off-shoot."

Hoshi had been translating the entire language that morning and had problems with the relationship between the three aliens.

The ensign glared annoyed at her and flung the PADDs onto the table. Oh, how she wanted to corner her in the hall and force her to explain the relationship between each species.

"Please just explain the entire relationship," she almost pleaded.

"If I do, you cannot interrupt me until I have done so."

Hoshi nodded, that was an easy bargin.

"The Jalashk and the Lalinalians are an off-shoot race of the People. Neither possesses time travel like the People do. The Jalashk are enemies of both race, along with several other off-shoot races from the People, but I will not go into detail about the other off-shoots.

"The Lalinalians are less developed than the humans and the Jalashk are more so than the humans and even the Vulcans," T'Pol explained. "The Jalashk used to be almost as advanced as the People, but all of their technology was taken from them for annexing other planets without permission. For their transgressions, they were also sent into a dark age of no technology. After fifty years of such, they were able to build small craft and steal from other nations once again."

Hoshi was interested at first, but felt like falling asleep with the history lesson.

"Are you listening, ensign?" T'Pol asked.

"Yes, I'm listening, keep going," she said as she tried to record all of this.

"The Jalashk are at war with the People and a couple other off-shoot aliens. They are currently trying to take over Lalinal but cannot for the Lalinal people are under the protection of the People."

T'Pol finished, giving Hoshi time to stomach all of the information. She fingered the PADD that lay before her.

"Do you understand?"

"Almost," Hoshi said. "Why don't the People just take out the Jalashk totally?"

T'Pol rose her brow. "That would be heartless of them."

Hoshi glared, T'Pol's brow only rose more.

"It may seem logical of them to eradicate the Jalashk people, but it would not be prudent."

"What's the Helshk thing?" Hoshi said, looking over notes from a previous discussion.

T'Pol raised her brow again.

"Helshk is a term for the People, one which the Jalashk named them."

"What does it mean?"

The sub-commander did not feel that the piece of information should be shared. But she went ahead.

"Terror."

Hoshi stared at her and asked, "Why terror?"

"They possess great power and have brought terror to the Jalashk people," T'Pol explained, shifting her weight and deciding their conversation was over.

"Wait," Hoshi said, standing from her seat and verbally stopping T'Pol. "Are the People dangerous?"

"Not to the humans but they are to anyone who brings harm to them or anyone under their protection," the Vulcan replied and then left the mess hall in a rush.

Hoshi Sato threw her hands down to her side. She only felt more confused about who or what these People were.