Chapter Nine:
Hoshi glared through T'Pol's back as she told her a wedding was not possible on the planet's surface. They had only pulled her aside to the briefing area to discuss the topic.
"The captain is in no shape to make a decision. Therefore, I am making the decision for him," T'Pol explained, coldly.
"We just wanna get married!" Trip shouted.
"That's all we are asking, sub-commander," Hoshi said, she didn't want to have to beg.
"This area of space is in utter chaos, ensign and commander. To have a wedding on the planet would be a poor choice."
"I'm this close to pullin' yer Vulcan ears!" Trip mentioned.
"That's enough!" Archer strolled in to the open area.
Travis looked up from the helm, surprised that the captain had entered.
"Sir, she won't let us get married," Trip complained.
"No one said you can't get married," Archer said, crossing his arms and then rubbing the sore one. "T'Pol, I appreciate you trying to help me, but I don't need you too. I'm fine now."
Trip slightly nodded, not believing he was fine but happy his best friend would be making the decision instead of them getting married on the surface. It made him feel more secure that a cold hearted Vulcan wasn't planning everything.
"They can have their wedding on the surface, there's no problem with that," Archer announced.
Trip's head bobbed happily up and down. "Thank ya, Cap'n."
"But sir, this area of space is in complete chaos. It would be unwise and illogical to have a wedding on a planet in which that you were recently kidnapped."
"T'Pol, I've already made my decision. Those who tortured us are imprisoned."
"That reminds me," Trip asked. "Is everyone all right?"
"They'll make it. Saunders and Stromberg have made a full recovery, but Olde is still in sickbay. Doctor Phlox moved her status from critical to stable," the captain explained.
"Oh good," Hoshi sighed.
"Anyway," Archer replied. "Back to work people."
Hoshi and T'Pol obediently went to their posts, but Trip stopped Jon.
"Cap'n, you all right? You seem kinda…"
Thoughts of Mishkra returned to Archer's head. How he wanted to be the father of her child, how he wished things were different.
"I'm fine, Trip," he lied and went to his chair, leaving Trip to stand by himself.
Tucker knew he wasn't going to get anything out of his friend for now, so he stood for a bit staring at him, trying to figure it out. Then he left the bridge, to go muss in engineering.
Archer starred at the wall, trying to figure out this. He cared so much for her, thought it was love between them, but knew deep down that he couldn't do anything about it and that it wasn't meant to be. He wished some more that the baby was his; that he was the lucky father to be. Jon mentally kicked himself for not having a family years ago. Damn him for putting a lame career ahead and just seeing people die and be brutalized lately. Damn him for never loving anyone deeply until now. Damn him.
***
An'rah'mishkayala'h'sha'vree paced the small, dark, room, thinking about all of her options. She hated hurting Jon's heart with having to come to his rescue. The Council had ordered her to lead the retrieval party and bring in the enemies. She objected immediately and told them there was no way. But the wise, old Council knew so much and told her she had to face the music and not stay home. Even reminding them she was due in one month did not change their mind.
Sighing, she sat on the lounge bed and cried to herself. Her husband heard from the other room and yelled if she was all right.
"I'm fine," she whispered softly. "Or I will be…someday."
Her husband peeked in on her, his green eyes shown like jewels. He ran his hands through his dark, sandy hair and sighed. He felt sorry for his wife, but knew that her destiny did not lay with Captain Archer. It lay with him. But he respected whatever decision his wife made.
***
"They will not escape this time," the dark haired alien said to himself. "We will take the one called Archer and find their planet and take their resources."
Chapter Ten:
"Report!" Archer yelled as he bustled into the bridge.
"It's a Jalashk warship," the sub-commander reported.
The ship gave a shake as it was impacted by another weapon.
"Where are the People?" Archer asked, confused.
"They are returning fire as we are."
"Why can't they destroy it?"
"Their captain said they are trying to take them into custody and do not wish to have more blood on their hands," Reed replied as he returned fire.
Enterprise shook.
"What's the status of their shields, Mr. Reed," Archer asked as he sat down looking at the small console on his chair.
"20%, sir. I doubt they can hold up much longer. Shall I take out their weapons?"
"Of course!" the captain replied.
"I'll try my best, captain."
Another volley of phase cannons were launched at the enemy ship and it rumbled under pressure.
"Shields and weapons are down sir," Reed announced, proud of the work he had done.
"Good job, now let's see what they decide to do."
A tractor beam was lached onto the Jalashk warship by the People's flag ship. It was pulled into their docking bay like a dance. The bay doors shut and locked, closing the ship in.
***
"It's in, sir," the news was announced.
Mishkra stood and was pleased that they were able to decrease their torpedoes explosions and be able to not destroy the enemy vessel. It took great precision of the weapons analysts aboard her ship to keep the explosions at a bare minimum and still disallow the Enterprise to not be destroyed by them. She walked to the analysts and asked if the people were being transported to the cells. When he gave the affirmative, she returned to her seat and had Captain Archer called.
***
"We are being hailed by the flag ship, captain," T'Pol replied.
"On screen," Archer ordered.
The familiar red-head appeared again with a slight smile.
"All is safe, captain. Your people can go ahead with the wedding. We will leave shortly and you should not be bothered by our little war again."
"You're leaving? To where?"
"The future, where I belong. I hope our paths may one day cross again. Maybe in several decades you will meet me as a child."
Archer's brows furrowed.
"I will not be born for another 20 years," she said.
Archer chuckled. He finally had an idea how much older he was than she.
"My people live for many centuries, I am much older than I seem."
"Looks can be deceiving," Hoshi murmured.
Mishkra nodded at that.
"I must leave, in order to not tamper with the timeline," she answered.
"But haven't you tampered with it already?" Hoshi asked, confused.
"This was all supposed to happen, Miss Sato," Mishkra explained.
There was silence on the bridge of the Enterprise as they all thought about that. The viewscreen was turned off and the alien ships left orbit.
Hoshi Sato stared at her console and wanted to hit her head against it.
Damn time paradoxes. They were so confusing.
Hoshi glared through T'Pol's back as she told her a wedding was not possible on the planet's surface. They had only pulled her aside to the briefing area to discuss the topic.
"The captain is in no shape to make a decision. Therefore, I am making the decision for him," T'Pol explained, coldly.
"We just wanna get married!" Trip shouted.
"That's all we are asking, sub-commander," Hoshi said, she didn't want to have to beg.
"This area of space is in utter chaos, ensign and commander. To have a wedding on the planet would be a poor choice."
"I'm this close to pullin' yer Vulcan ears!" Trip mentioned.
"That's enough!" Archer strolled in to the open area.
Travis looked up from the helm, surprised that the captain had entered.
"Sir, she won't let us get married," Trip complained.
"No one said you can't get married," Archer said, crossing his arms and then rubbing the sore one. "T'Pol, I appreciate you trying to help me, but I don't need you too. I'm fine now."
Trip slightly nodded, not believing he was fine but happy his best friend would be making the decision instead of them getting married on the surface. It made him feel more secure that a cold hearted Vulcan wasn't planning everything.
"They can have their wedding on the surface, there's no problem with that," Archer announced.
Trip's head bobbed happily up and down. "Thank ya, Cap'n."
"But sir, this area of space is in complete chaos. It would be unwise and illogical to have a wedding on a planet in which that you were recently kidnapped."
"T'Pol, I've already made my decision. Those who tortured us are imprisoned."
"That reminds me," Trip asked. "Is everyone all right?"
"They'll make it. Saunders and Stromberg have made a full recovery, but Olde is still in sickbay. Doctor Phlox moved her status from critical to stable," the captain explained.
"Oh good," Hoshi sighed.
"Anyway," Archer replied. "Back to work people."
Hoshi and T'Pol obediently went to their posts, but Trip stopped Jon.
"Cap'n, you all right? You seem kinda…"
Thoughts of Mishkra returned to Archer's head. How he wanted to be the father of her child, how he wished things were different.
"I'm fine, Trip," he lied and went to his chair, leaving Trip to stand by himself.
Tucker knew he wasn't going to get anything out of his friend for now, so he stood for a bit staring at him, trying to figure it out. Then he left the bridge, to go muss in engineering.
Archer starred at the wall, trying to figure out this. He cared so much for her, thought it was love between them, but knew deep down that he couldn't do anything about it and that it wasn't meant to be. He wished some more that the baby was his; that he was the lucky father to be. Jon mentally kicked himself for not having a family years ago. Damn him for putting a lame career ahead and just seeing people die and be brutalized lately. Damn him for never loving anyone deeply until now. Damn him.
***
An'rah'mishkayala'h'sha'vree paced the small, dark, room, thinking about all of her options. She hated hurting Jon's heart with having to come to his rescue. The Council had ordered her to lead the retrieval party and bring in the enemies. She objected immediately and told them there was no way. But the wise, old Council knew so much and told her she had to face the music and not stay home. Even reminding them she was due in one month did not change their mind.
Sighing, she sat on the lounge bed and cried to herself. Her husband heard from the other room and yelled if she was all right.
"I'm fine," she whispered softly. "Or I will be…someday."
Her husband peeked in on her, his green eyes shown like jewels. He ran his hands through his dark, sandy hair and sighed. He felt sorry for his wife, but knew that her destiny did not lay with Captain Archer. It lay with him. But he respected whatever decision his wife made.
***
"They will not escape this time," the dark haired alien said to himself. "We will take the one called Archer and find their planet and take their resources."
Chapter Ten:
"Report!" Archer yelled as he bustled into the bridge.
"It's a Jalashk warship," the sub-commander reported.
The ship gave a shake as it was impacted by another weapon.
"Where are the People?" Archer asked, confused.
"They are returning fire as we are."
"Why can't they destroy it?"
"Their captain said they are trying to take them into custody and do not wish to have more blood on their hands," Reed replied as he returned fire.
Enterprise shook.
"What's the status of their shields, Mr. Reed," Archer asked as he sat down looking at the small console on his chair.
"20%, sir. I doubt they can hold up much longer. Shall I take out their weapons?"
"Of course!" the captain replied.
"I'll try my best, captain."
Another volley of phase cannons were launched at the enemy ship and it rumbled under pressure.
"Shields and weapons are down sir," Reed announced, proud of the work he had done.
"Good job, now let's see what they decide to do."
A tractor beam was lached onto the Jalashk warship by the People's flag ship. It was pulled into their docking bay like a dance. The bay doors shut and locked, closing the ship in.
***
"It's in, sir," the news was announced.
Mishkra stood and was pleased that they were able to decrease their torpedoes explosions and be able to not destroy the enemy vessel. It took great precision of the weapons analysts aboard her ship to keep the explosions at a bare minimum and still disallow the Enterprise to not be destroyed by them. She walked to the analysts and asked if the people were being transported to the cells. When he gave the affirmative, she returned to her seat and had Captain Archer called.
***
"We are being hailed by the flag ship, captain," T'Pol replied.
"On screen," Archer ordered.
The familiar red-head appeared again with a slight smile.
"All is safe, captain. Your people can go ahead with the wedding. We will leave shortly and you should not be bothered by our little war again."
"You're leaving? To where?"
"The future, where I belong. I hope our paths may one day cross again. Maybe in several decades you will meet me as a child."
Archer's brows furrowed.
"I will not be born for another 20 years," she said.
Archer chuckled. He finally had an idea how much older he was than she.
"My people live for many centuries, I am much older than I seem."
"Looks can be deceiving," Hoshi murmured.
Mishkra nodded at that.
"I must leave, in order to not tamper with the timeline," she answered.
"But haven't you tampered with it already?" Hoshi asked, confused.
"This was all supposed to happen, Miss Sato," Mishkra explained.
There was silence on the bridge of the Enterprise as they all thought about that. The viewscreen was turned off and the alien ships left orbit.
Hoshi Sato stared at her console and wanted to hit her head against it.
Damn time paradoxes. They were so confusing.
