Chapter Seventeen

AILA

 

                We were beamed down onto the warm desert planet and I sighed a breath of relief. I felt peaceful for the first time since I walked unto the Enterprise. I knew it wasn’t Vulcan, it felt different than Vulcan. But, it was similar and I reveled in it. I saw Spock’s head turn in my direction for a moment in my peripheral vision, but I ignored the gesture, as his head turned forward to face three figures approaching us.

                “Live long and prosper, T’Pau.” Spock said in Vulcan. “Ambassador Selek, father.” My attention snapped to man on the right of T’Pau. That was Spock’s father? Jim had informed me mere minutes we would be meeting with two ambassadors and the head of the Vulcan High Council, T’Pau. I didn’t know Spock’s father was an ambassador.

                T’Pau and the two Ambassador’s returned the greeting to Spock. Which left me to greet them for both Jim and myself. I raised my hand to form the traditional salute just and Jim did the same. However, I was the only one who spoke.

                “Live long and prosper, T’Pau, Ambassadors Selek and Sarek. I, Lt. Aila Mor greet you for both myself and Captain James Kirk.” I added the last part for the benefit of Jim and our hosts, in case they didn’t know my name.

                “Peace and long life, Aila Mor. Your pronunciation of Vulcan is exceptional. I was not aware you spoke the dialect of Shi’Kahr.”  T’Pau spoke to me. I groaned inwardly. I hadn’t realized I made the mistake until now. I’d done the same thing with Spock my first day of class with him. I’d heard his accent and used his home dialect. The same thing must’ve happened here.

                “I apologize if I have offended you, lady.” I said, not knowing how else to possibly respond.

                “Apologies are not necessary, there was no offense intended or taken.” She spoke in standard now. I guessed for Jim’s benefit.

                I noticed the looks exchanged between Spock and his father. They were subtle, perhaps imperceptible almost, but I saw the slight widening of Ambassador Sarek’s eyes at T’Pau’s response, the slight lift in the corner of his mouth, then the shift back to a completely neutral face.

                “Let us retire to my home and share a meal.” Ambassador Sarek spoke finally. “You may change for the evening meal there prior. You will have time to relax for two hours prior to the meal.” With that we followed the three Vulcans to a beautifully built home.

                I was shown to a room by a younger female Vulcan and left there to change. I’d changed out of my dress uniform and put on a Starfleet grey tank and black shorts to relax in. I knew I’d have some time to relax before I needed to change into something for dinner. I pulled out my PADD and started to read. I’d been reading The Iliad for about an hour before I heard a knock on the door.   

                “Enter.” I said in Vulcan, unaware of who the visitor might be, but knowing even if it was Jim, he would guess what it meant. When I looked up from my PADD Spock was standing in the doorway. He didn’t look as tense as he had been before we arrived at the colony. He seemed, almost, relaxed.

                “We will be wearing traditional Vulcan attire for the meal this evening. I am preparing the meal tonight, but as you know, as guests, we will take turns preparing the evening meals during our stay. You will prepare tomorrow’s meal.” He spoke in Vulcan and I marveled as I once did how beautiful the sound of his native tongue sounded on his lips. He wasn’t as friendly as we used to be, but he wasn’t as uptight either.

                “You’re speaking in Vulcan.” I stated the obvious, hoping he would make some sort of sarcastic statement back as he usually did.

                “We are on New Vulcan, staying in the home of my father, in a Vulcan colony. It is only logical to speak the language of my birth in such a circumstance.” He replied in a cool voice, but not as formal as he had been with me previously, his lips twitching slightly upward as if to smile for a moment.

                “Of course, commander.” I replied. A longing set in my stomach then, craving his friendship once more. Craving the ability to not be as formal, to address him once again as Spock.

                “I will see you downstairs in one hour.” He said, and with that he closed the door and left.

                The longing feeling was hadn’t settled out as I watched him walk away.

 

SPOCK

                I was shown to my room, an exact replica of my room on Vulcan before I had left to join Starfleet. My father followed me in, presumably to speak privately.

                “That is Aila Mor, the Sealtag Princess.” It was a statement of fact, not a question. He spoke to me in Vulcan, as was usual during our private conversations.

                “Yes, father.” I said as I put my bag on the floor and proceeded to unpack it, placing the folded garments in drawers positioned directly across from my bed. It was a natural and comfortable feeling.

                “You are tense in her company. Has something occurred?”  He asked. I turned around to look at him, he had taken a seat in the chair which was placed in the corner of my room. I decided to sit down on my bed. If he was seated, it would not be a simple and quick conversation.

                “No father. Nothing of significance has occurred. I am merely having difficulty meditating recently. That is the reason for the tension you observe.”

                “What is the cause of your trouble?”

                “I do not know. I am finding it hard to concentrate of late, and to suppress once easily buried emotions… and new ones I cannot name.”

                “Does this have any relevance to why you are tense around Ms. Mor specifically? You seemed to relax after she was shown to her room.”

                “In truth, father, I do not know. However, I fail to see the purpose of your inquiry. I will control myself sufficiently.”

                “I inquire because I also detect that she is distressed in your presence as well. She is not Vulcan, she cannot hide it as well as you can.”

                “How do you not know it is the captain’s presence that has caused her apparent distress?”

                “I do not know with a surety that it is not. However, I am not unobservant. I perceived the glances she stole towards you, quick as they were, and her reaction to your posture. It is a logical assumption that the cause of her distress is founded with you. So I shall ask again. What has occurred between you two that causes you to be tense in her presence and causes her distress?”

                My father, ever the logician. I remained silent. I did not have an answer to provide him.

                “Perhaps if you were to relax your demeanor she may do the same.” He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. “There is a link between you, not of your making, but you have blocked it while she has not. Might I suggest that you open your end of the link once more? Go and speak to her, son.”  And with that he rose from the chair and walked out of the room.

                I took his advice after changing and went to find Aila in her room.

 

AILA

                I sat down at the table where Ambassador Sarek and T’Pau were already seated. I was dressed in the traditional Vulcan clothing, as Spock had instructed of me. I wondered where Jim and Ambassador Selek were.

                “Will the captain and Ambassador Selek not be joining us?” I asked after a couple of minutes of awkward silence.

                “They both have a prior arrangement.” It was T’Pau who responded. She did not sound upset that I had spoken, so I must not have violated any customs. This was not a formal dinner, thankfully. “I am quite impressed by your command of our dialect. This is a result of your abilities?”

                I looked at her in open shock, forgetting myself for a moment before returning to a neutral face. How did she know? Spock. Of course. If she was sitting on Spock’s father’s right side at a dinner that must mean she is family. And she’s older than his father, so she must be….his grandmother or great aunt. I was betting on grandmother. Well, I guess honesty is the best policy.

                “Yes, T’Pau.”

                “We will meet tomorrow and I will inspect your telepathic abilities. I am told you have begun to develop them and your skill has increased some, no?”

                Spock finally finished placing bowls of soup in front of us. I hazarded a glare in his direction before returning my gaze to T’Pau. Was he reporting everything to his family? He didn’t acknowledge my glare, instead he simply sat down next to me, across from his grandmother.

                “That is correct.” I responded simply.

                “It is satisfactory to know my grandson has taken the responsibility to assist you in honing your telepathic skills. We shall see how well you have taken to his lessons tomorrow.” She replied before her eyes slid to Spock. “I trust you have instructed her to the best of your ability and coached her in the art of meditation to as well?”

                “Yes, T’Pau.” He responded.

                “You share a link that was not made by you.” She stated, not accusingly, not questioning, just stating a simple fact. How did she know?

                “Yes. Ms. Mor established an open link at my request and it has remained opened. As you know she was in danger from the one known as Kayden Ross, I wished for her to be able to communicate with me at a moment’s notice if need be. It was a logical plan and was indeed needed.” Spock responded. I flinched at the memory of why it was needed.

                “The link remains open.” T’Pau said again. Another statement of fact. How could she tell? Could she also tell he was blocking it too? “Yet you block your end of the link. Why?” Yup, she could. How the hell was that even possible? I know she can’t read my thoughts, I put my shields up to maximum level as soon as we touched the planet’s surface, merely as a precaution. I knew Vulcans were largely touch telepaths, but the occasional strong mind could detect certain thoughts from a small distance, and definitely emotions if they were that strong. T’Pau must have a strong mind indeed.

                “Ms. Mor’s control, while exemplary for one so new in her abilities, is not perfect.” Spock said. I flinched again. While what he said was true, I knew what he meant to infer, and THAT inference was NOT true. I’d only reached out to him while under the influence of alcohol, as a reflex. I’d only allowed my shields to relax once, while intoxicated. “As Ms. Mor was perfectly safe from the threat of Kayden Ross on board the Enterprise, I reasoned it prudent to block the link in order to not allow distractions.” I flinched again. I was a distraction? Bullshit. He was mad at me. He would have told me if I was simply distracting him.

                I was tempted to close the link right there, but I knew at least Spock and T’Pau would sense it. Probably Spock’s father too if I were to guess. The backlash wouldn’t be worth it.

                “Was it not a distraction at the academy while she was even less controlled? You say the link was necessary, but she could have reached out to you in an emergency once she knew the feeling of your mind once, without the necessity of an open link. I do not follow your logic.” T’Pau said. Okay, she definitely had a motive here, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. I noticed Spock stiffen even more, I didn’t think it was possible, but he did.

                “It seemed the most logical plan to me at the time.” Was Spock’s only response. It was an admittance to T’Pau’s argument as being correct, but a way of not submitting that he was incorrect either.

                “Of course. You followed a plan of action that appeared to be most logical at that point in time, however, now that you admit she is no longer in danger of Kayden Ross, and you said yourself she has better control, she should be able to close the link.” It was Spock’s turn to flinch now, though why, I wasn’t sure. He’d made it pretty plain to me he didn’t want the link open anymore. “Unless, of course, there is another reason the link should remain open?”

                “I did say Aila was no longer in danger of Kayden Ross at the academy and aboard the Enterprise, however, he was not apprehended. As such, I cannot guarantee her safety at 100% at this time.” Spock replied. Bullshit. I’m on a damn star ship, even if Kayden was captured, that would still be true.

                “She serves aboard a star ship. Can you guarantee the safety of any other crew member with 100% surety?” It was Ambassador Sarek that spoke finally.

                I was just glad I had food to eat. Otherwise it would be even more awkward to sit here in silence while I was being argued about. Can Vulcans even argue? They were arguing, right?

                Spock didn’t respond. There was no logical way to argue himself out of that one. Although, it would have been funny to see him try.

                My control slipped and my mouth turned upwards for a moment. It didn’t go unnoticed.

                “How do you find Vulcan plomeek soup, Ms. Mor? My late wife enjoyed it, but I have often observed that some humans find it unpalatable.”

                “I find the taste to be completely satisfactory. And please, call me Aila.” Finally a chance to talk! And I damn did I feel proud for talking like a Vulcan. I smiled to myself at the thought.

                “You may then call me Sarek.” He said pleasantly. “Spock does make an agreeable plomeek soup. It is one of his favorite dishes.” I swear I saw a small smile threaten to rise on his face. It didn’t, but the impression was there in the way his lip twitched for a moment. I’d take that from a full Vulcan any day.

                “Then I must commend you, Spock,” I said turning toward him, the awkwardness gone now, and feeling rather reckless for some reason, “for your culinary skill.” He turned his head toward mine for a moment, his eyes raw with emotion, though which in particular I couldn’t discern. He simply nodded and returned his face forward. That was the extent of a Vulcan thank you, as thanks were ‘unnecessary’.

                “I have been told you have a vocal talent, Aila. Would you be averse to performing a small piece tonight?” Sarek asked me suddenly. My eyes widened and my head snapped up to meet his gaze.

                Did Spock tell him everything?

                “I’m afraid I only have a couple of Vulcan pieces in my repertoire and both are pre-sarakian era.” I said, catching the attention of Spock, who turned his gaze towards me, raising an eyebrow in intrigue.

                “Truly? Which pieces?” Spock asked.

                “Um, The flower of my Passions and Parting Never from You.” My face flushed as I spoke the Vulcan words of the songs, knowing I was uttering words that probably hadn’t been said aloud in centuries. My blush deepened when Spock’s eyes widened brightly, realizing I had just named off two of the most passionate love songs ever written by Vulcans, one of them being mildly erotic. I refused to look at Sarek.

                I was shocked when it was T’Pau who broke the moment of awkward silence. “You would honor us with a performance, of course Spock will accompany you on the lute.” If this had been any other place, any other time, I would have let my jaw drop. I would have protested. As it was, I was sitting at a dinner table with three Vulcans. I simply swallowed air and nodded.

                “T’Pau, I do not know the lute accompaniment to either song.” Spock recovered faster than I did. Oh thank God. Thank you Spock for getting me out of this!

                “You have seen the music, have you not, Ms. Mor?” T’Pau asked me.

                “Please, call me Aila. And yes, I have.” I answered, wondering where she was headed next.

                “T’Pau, I hardly think it would be appropriate-“ Spock started to speak but was cut off.

                “You have done the same before, have you not? You quite obviously do not have an aversion to such an elementary performance link, given the situation. You will accompany her in Parting Never from You on your father’s lute. I look forward to the performance in half an hour. Ambassador Selek and Captain Kirk should have returned by then.” Well I guess if T’Pau demands it she gets it.

                I was going to be singing a freaking emotional a*s VULCAN LOVE SONG in front of VULCANS accompanied by my COMMANDING officer and my CAPTAIN. At least it wasn’t the erotic one…

                I didn’t know whether I liked T’Pau or hated her. She was quite the master at manipulation.