Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Star Trek, nor have I profited from this story.
In the name of thy father
Chapter 1
Sarek of Vulcan, Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets, and Earth, his long-fingered hands interlaced, leaned back in his chair and silently meditated. Could he compromise his most sacred values, in order to achieve the logical out come? Rising, he went to the kitchen and stood at the windows that over looked the garden, Amanda's garden. Sunrise was upon them, and he had not been asleep all night.
Earlier that evening he had walked from his home on the outskirts of ShiKahr to the Vulcan Academy and Embassy Complex for a late night meeting. When he returned home, he found he could not sleep for his mind was in turmoil and he would have been embarrassed to admit that. He turned when the door bell rang. Crossing the living room of the one story villa, he answered it. An attaché from the Vulcan Consulate handed him a packet of papers. He thanked the young man and silently shut the door.
Walking back to the living room, he turned the packet over in his hands several times as he sat down very slowly in a chair that faced the window. Opening the packet, he took out the summary and read it several times. Afterward, Sarek leaned back, and closed his eyes. If I fail, he thought, my honor will be destroyed and Spock will bear the scars of it forever.
-
Commander Spock sat quiet in the helm; the Enterprise was docked with the Starbase 12 for the purpose of re-provisioning. Spock watched the endless list of provisions being displayed upon the main view screen. There was stored food, textiles, machine parts, data tapes, cleaning and maintenance supplies, thousands of things that a crew in space for long periods would need. He turned slightly as the turbolift doors swished open silently behind him, and the Captain along with McCoy left the lift.
"I'm telling you, Jim," McCoy stated for the whole bridge to hear. "That woman had a thing for you."
"Later, Bones," Kirk replied quietly. He took two steps down to stand beside his first officer. "Spock…..
The comm. console went off and seeing that Uhura on leave with the rest of the crew, hand not returned to her duty station, Spock punched a button on the arm of the chair.
"Enterprise, Spock here," he said.
"Spock," said an older feminine voice that sounded worried and tired at the same time.
Spock's eyebrows immediately went up. "Mother," he said. "Are you alright?"
"Your father is missing," Amanda Grayson said gravely. Spock could tell by the sound of her voice that she was nearly on the verge of tears. "Please come home."
-
Kirk tensed as he sat in the officer's lounge. To give Spock privacy, he had the call transferred down there. McCoy turned around from making himself a cup of coffee and took a seat beside the captain.
"What do you think, Jim," he asked.
"I don't know, Bones," Kirk replied. Looking up, he watched as Spock stepped quietly toward them. He took a seat beside the two officers, and Kirk reached out to touch his arm reassuringly.
"What happened, Spock," Kirk asked.
"I do not know," Spock replied. "My mother said when she got up this morning he was already gone. Which is not unusual, but she received a call from his office later this afternoon. He did not report in all day."
"When was the last time he was seen by anyone," McCoy asked.
"Last night the guard reported that he entered the consulate at around nine," Spock replied.
"And then what," Kirk prompted.
"He left the consulate around one in the morning," Spock said. "He has not been seen or heard from since."
"What have the authorities on Vulcan said," Kirk asked.
"They have not said anything, yet," Spock replied. Spock stood and paced away from them, turning to stare out at the stars.
"Spock," Kirk said softly. He turned back to face his captain and his friend. "Go home. You can take a transport from the Starbase."
The Vulcan nodded. "Thank you, Captain," Spock said. "I will depart immediately."
-
Kirk and McCoy returned to the bridge to find Uhura at the communications station. He stopped briefly beside her.
"Lieutenant," Kirk said. "Please inform Starfleet that Mr. Spock will be taking a leave of absence."
"For how long, Captain," Uhura asked.
"Undetermined," Kirk replied.
"Aye, sir," Uhura said and turned back to her station.
Kirk took the center seat as McCoy stepped down to his customary place by his side.
"I don't like this, Jim," he said worried.
"I don't either, Bones," Kirk replied.
"Captain," Uhura said with a bit of surprise to her voice as Kirk turned in his seat. "I'm receiving a news broadcast from the Starbase." She hesitated slightly and then continued. "I think you might want to see it, sir."
Kirk nodded. "Put it on screen Lieutenant," he ordered.
The stars on the view screen faded to the face of an announcer with the world broadcast news network. Kirk remembered the Starbases had access to all things from Earth. Often times when they were docked, it was the only time the crew was able to catch up on all the happenings of Earth by watching the news network. The announcer was already into the topic of the day when the screen was switched. Kirk filtered out the normal sounds and activities from the bridge and focused just on the announcer's words and what he heard made him shudder with rage.
"-Sarek, Ambassador from Vulcan, has been reported missing by the Vulcan Council. Taking an investigative approach to this story, this reporter has been able to ascertain that not only has the Ambassador disappeared," the man said sarcastically. "But along with the Ambassador, one hundred million credits have suddenly come up missing as well." The announcer turned in his seat as someone from outside the camera range interrupted him. Taking a sheet of paper he looked it over and turned back to the camera. "I have just been handed a new item to add to this story," the announcer said. "It seems that the Vulcan Council has just launched an investigation, the Ambassador is being charged with taking bribes, for a favorable admittance into the Federation."
The bridge suddenly became very quiet, until McCoy broke the silence with a whisper. "Oh, my god…"
Kirk turned toward the turbolift when he heard the doors open and saw Spock leaving the bridge. Kirk had been so wrapped up in what the announcer was saying he never heard his first officer come onto the bridge.
