"Raya, will you marry me?" Malcolm finally managed to get out. Raya looked at him. Willer and Jackson looked at each other smiling. Raya stood up and moved over to a window, Jackson stood up and followed her.

"I'd say yes if i were you Raya!" she said. Raya looked at her best friend. She didn't know quite what to say. "You love him don't you?"

Raya turned and looked Malcolm. He was standing up now waiting for an answer from her. A smiled crossed Raya's face and she went over and hugged him, giving him a kiss in the process. A cheer went up from all the crewmen who were in the mess Hall, and because it was in the middle of lunch there were quite a few around.

Malcolm smiled. He didn't care what his father would say. He loved Raya more than anything in the world.

Raya didn't care what her mother would say. She loved Malcolm more than anything is the galaxy.

Malcolm kissed Raya back and again, the entire room went up in cheers and clapping.

News indeed travelled fast on the starship Enterprise and it wasn't long before the team on the bridge knew what was going on down in the Mess Hall. As soon as they heard Trip and Archer decided to go down and see the happy couple.

They entered the Mess to see Malcolm and Raya sitting near the window holding hands on the table. Trip and Archer went up to them.

"So, I hear you two are getting married." Trip cheerfully asked. Both Malcolm and Raya looked up at their two Commanding Officers with smiles on their faces.

"Yes sir." Malcolm nodded.

"Now my mum really can stop sending those letters to me." Raya replied as she took a mouthful of her drink.

"Pardon?" Archer asked, slightly confused

"My mother has been sending me letters to remind me about my Ha'llack back on Zanar"

"What's a Ha'llack?" Trip asked, being careful to pronounce the word correctly.

Raya looked between the three men and then laid her eyes on her drink. The steam rising slowly up from the hot liquid of her tea. She sighed slightly, and took a sip before giving her reply. "Ha'llack… it means arranged marriage. Something which I have not been looking forward to. That's the reason Tia was here. To get me back to Zanar so I could marry a complete stranger."

"I see" Archer murmured.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Malcolm asked as he looked deeply into Raya's black eyes.

"I didn't want to worry you."

"It wouldn't have worried me, but I would have preferred it if you had told me. Then we could have been prepared" Malcolm looked at Raya. His voice was gentle as always, one of the things Raya loved about him.

Raya just smiled. "If you'll excuse me captain I have an appointment with Doctor Phlox."

Archer nodded. Raya nodded back she stood up, moved round to Malcolm and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Immediately he began to blush and his cheeks began to turn quite red. She nodded at Trip and left the Mess Hall. Archer sighed, looking out the window.

Dracona walked into the Mess. She had seen Raya leaving the room and going the opposite direction to her. She needed a drink and ordered tea. Raya had introduced her to this Earth beverage couple of days back, if not more. Dracona's memory was never that good but she could never forget about her father. She knew he would find her soon and that Enterprise would be under danger from him. Ra'saak cared none for other specie. She knew she had to tell Archer soon. He was the ship's Captain after all, and she had a feeling that Lieutenant Reed would want to know as well.

She sat down, carefully sipping the hot brew; it was hot to the touch. She looked round the room and saw Captain Archer along with Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed. Reed was unusually red in the face. She had never seen this on humans before and wondered if he was ill. She stood and went up to Archer.

"Captain. May I have a word?"

"Sure. What can I do for you?"

"It's about my Father, Ra'saak" Dracona sipped her tea, thinking of how she was going to put what was coming next. "He became what you would call a traitor to his home world. Raca'Sackia was in a place where no one knew of the co-ordinates. He took allegiance to a race called Ozarans..."

"Ozarans?" Trip interrupted, surprised.

"Let her finish Trip" Archer said softly and slightly concerned where this was going. Trip gave his apologetic look at Dracona and she continued with what she had to say.

"Ozarans. He told them of the co-ordinates. By the time we realised they had come it was too late. We knew the Ozarans to destroy home worlds or take over them at least depending on what they wanted. Anyway, we fled from Raca'Sackia in packs of ones and twos. Mainly family groups. I left with Ra'saak but little did i know he was leading me to Shi'ren, an Ozaran slave trader, and the one he had communicated with. He gave'…" Dracona paused, taking a deep long breath. Trip, sensing what was coming went over to her and gently put his arm around her. With added confidence from Trip's action she continued 'Ra'saak handed me over to him. "That was when I learned that he was a traitor"

Archer looked at her sympathetically. "I see but what does that have to do with Enterprise?"

"I know Ra'saak knows I escaped from Shi'ren and I know he'll do anything to hand me back. Even if it means destroying Enterprise. I can't afford to let that happen Sir. Not to people I trust and have helped me through the way you have."

"We'll do everything we can to protect you." Archer said.

Dracona paused once more. Archer did not understand what Ra'saak was capable of. He was a fellow dragon himself and they had seen what a Dragon could do. After all she proved that but she conceded anyway

"Sir, with all due respect, that may not be enough"

Trip noticed Dracona had started calling Archer 'Sir'.

"You underestimate this crew Dracona. We're capable of things you couldn't possibly imagine. Just like you're capable of things we never thought possible."

"He's referring to the changing into dragons thing you can do." Trip replied with a smile.

Dracona smiled, broadly but still continued to be worried for her friend's vessel. Ra'saak was twice her size in his dragon form and he had learnt to fire balls of cold ice, which could inflict more damage to a hull, save that of his claws than that of a fireball. She said no further but knew what she had to do when the time came.

She nodded slightly. She looked up at Trip and smiled once more. She looked back to Reed and her eyes softened.

"I hope you and Raya will be happy with one another." Dracona finished and with Trip letting go, she walked slowly out of the room, bumping into none other than Travis who smiled and just continued with whatever he was up to.