Alekhine's Gun: A Sarek and Amanda Story
Prologue
Six years ago…
The large doors to the citadel swung open with such force that the booming sound echoed down the stone corridor.
The staff scattered.
Heavy footsteps moved briskly down the hall- their owner in a temper no one wanted to bear witness to.
Stepping out into the hot midday sun, the Vulcan brooded.
Though it was unbecoming- and not something their kind would readily admit to- his emotional state was anything but placid. And the great Mount Tarhana reflected his mood, the ground rumbling and quaking slightly as the mountain they were currently on began to come alive with the heat of Vulcan.
He was angry and making no attempt to employ any kind of emotional control.
Tall and dark, his countenance matched his mood.
"Kroykah!"
The commandment came from behind him in a tone that caused him to paused in his tracks. Slowly, he turned to face her. Only the twitch in his jaw alerted her to the danger.
She walked swiftly towards him, the silken fabric of her robe billowing behind her.
He remained still, hands clenching and un-clenching behind his back.
He refused to meet the gaze that bore into him.
"I know thee are in pain. But she is dead to us now, Sarek. He is dead."
The words fell upon him, and what remained of his emotional walls crumbled like the desert sands upon which he walked.
"Why, T'Pau? Why has she forsaken me? She stole him from me! She took him! My son! My son…"
The matriarch watched her eldest son grieve for the child he would never see. And though inwardly she grieved with him, her own face remained calm.
"It is done, Sarek. T'Rea is dead to us now. And the child Sybok is V'tosh'katur. He is not your son. You must start anew."
Nearby, the first explosions of Tarhana could be heard, dark plumes blacking the red skies around them as the ash began to fall.
Now
Sarek stood before the Council. Although his face was calm, inwardly he seethed. His hands trembled under his heavy Vulcan robes, but the mask of logic he wore betrayed nothing. Finally, the council stopped long enough to ask the question…
"It was logical." Was his only reply. With a bow, Sarek turned and left the council chambers to attend to T'Pau.
Facing the Council, although most unpleasant, was infinitely more tolerable than dealing with his mother. Sarek felt her indignation long before he saw her physical countenance. Indeed, this should prove most interesting…
"Sarek!" His name came out as a hiss laced in a low grumble as it echoed through the halls of the citadel, carrying so much weight that was dark and choking. It hit Sarek's mental shields like a cloud of the thickest black, engulfing him. The hair on the nape of his neck stood on end, and violent emotions- not his own- coursed through his body. He stepped forward into the long hall.
"A human." T'Pau spat the word as if the woman in question were chattel. No. Worse, for even on Vulcan, chattel could be redeemed. This was an abomination.
"Sarek."
T'Pau had quickly gotten control of herself as she faced her son. Sarek stood stoically before her, tall, proud. Uncompromising. The attendees had long since departed the hall. No one wanted to be near the two of them.
I have taught him well, T'Pau mused to herself as her steely eyes evaluated her son. His posture was straight. His gaze upon her- defiant, unapologetic and daring.
This was her offspring. Bred from the purest of Vulcan. The House of Surak. A direct descendant- a Prince. She knew well the male-child's temperament, so much like her own and quick to passion. Emotional control had always been a challenge for him. The lesser of their race would have quickly succumbed to the tempest now brewing between parent and progeny. But they were not the average Vulcan. They were different. Their emotions did not destroy them, but the effort it took to chain them was immense. They were stronger, physically and mentally. Their ancestry had seen to that.
Dark, discerning eyes met familiar ones as she looked upon his face. She knew he would not back down. And so it was that she issued her final words to him- for there was nothing more to be said.
"You are first-born. You have been sealed. Therefore I cannot deny your birthright. But she cannot be one of us. She will not be. You can keep her, but do not disgrace yourself with that human in our presence. She is chattel. No more. No less. Leave me."
Without a word, Sarek turned and strode out of the great hall- the only outward sign of anger the sound of his feet on the stone floor reverberating around the expansive walls.
T'Pau turned in the opposite direction, moving swiftly through the hall, her robes billowing behind her. Though she was angry at her son, she did not show it.
This simply would not do. She worried more so for her child's sake than the human's. This girl was weak. She would not survive. But there was nothing she could do- they were bonded.
Kaiidth- What is, is. She would have to wait- and pray he did not die in the flames. For the human could not possibly survive.
With a pang in her chest, the matriarch settled down in the solace of her meditation chamber. The incense slowly filled her nostrils as the spark cast into the firepot began to cast a warm glow about the room.
He had already lost so much. She did not believe his psyche could sustain yet another blow. But it was not her choice. And, for she firmly believed this was a matter of when and not if, this loss occurred, she must be prepared to act.
Her progeny or not, her station required decisions. Logic often ran counter to one's emotions.
She would not back down from her position.
Author's Note: This marks my return back to the 2009 AU. I've been playing in the TOS world for a while. And NO, this isn't your average love story. I look forward to hearing from you all.