AN: I lost the next chapter of Princess of Terra so I'm gonna start posting my 'normal' Sarek/Amanda fic while I try to work up the motivation to rewrite it.
This is set in the same universe as my 'Winds Against a Star' S/U series, but can most definitely be read as a stand alone.
Warnings: Unbetaed but otherwise nothing offensive. I'll be posting an MA version to Ao3 eventually.
Sarek
"She is an eminently agreeable match." T'Pau proclaimed, allowing her face to betray the slightest indicators of satisfaction in what was a private conversation with her youngest son.
Sarek agreed with his mother's assessment. The match she had arranged for him was far more favourable than he had expected. Few Vulcans reached majority without a bondmate and locating a suitable wife at his age was not a simple thing. He had been bonded at 7 standard years of age as per V'tosh custom, but unfortunately the female he had been bonded to - a girl named T'Dal - had succumbed to an illness in her youth. Although he had only met her once - on the occasion of their betrothal - she had been a constant, if muted, presence in the back of his mind for almost a decade by the time of her death, and he had mourned her passing as was appropriate.
His parents had expended a great deal of effort in locating a suitable replace for T'Dal, but at the onset of his first Pon'farr, he had remained unbonded. The experience had been unpleasant, but with the aid of a priestess he had survived. His second pon'farr had been less violent and intense meditation had proven successful in enduring the fires. His third and fourth had likewise proven relatively mild, but the fifth had again required assistance and had been even more disturbing than his first. It had been after that experience that he had requested his mother begin searching in earnest for a suitable wife for him. It was illogical to risk his life upon by remaining unbonded.
His mother for her part was eager for him to procreate and set to the task with enthusiasm. Here now, 6.6 years later, was the result of her efforts. Sarek regarded the PADD on the desk in front of him. The image displayed showed that the mate his mother had selected for him, T'Rea, was aesthetically pleasing. She had dark hair and eyes set in an admirably symmetrical face. Her eyebrows were particularly delicate, tapering gracefully towards her hairline.
Of course such matters of aesthetics were secondary in regards to her suitability. Not only was she was a T'Sai of the High Clans - first-daughter of a noble House - but she was also a distant kinswoman to Sarek, their families both belonging to Maat t'Surak. If this were not pleasing enough, T'Rea was an adept of Kolinar - a reldai of Gol - and of similar age to himself. She was a grown woman of demonstrated logic and intelligence, not a young girl like many of the other prospective wives he had turned down. In all respects the mate his mother had located was everything a male in his position could want. The only reason such a desirable woman remained unbonded at all was due to the fact that she had lost her first bondmate in a shuttle craft accident.
"Her attributes are, indeed, very impressive." he replied to his mother. He could see no reason their match would not prove successful.
T'Pau inclined her head. Though her face was impassive, Sarek could detect her pleasure easily enough, even across 15 lightyears. It was not unjustified. The match was, as she had stated, 'eminently agreeable'. Of course this was not the only reason for his mother's satisfaction. She desired an heir of her own House to succeed her as Matriarch of their Clan. If T'Rea were to provide him with a daughter, a child descended from two of their clan's most venerated bloodlines, T'Pau would most likely get her wish. This was of little concern to Sarek, but it was his duty to see to T'Pau's wishes, both as his mother and as his pid-kom.
His computer console flashed with an indicator. "Mother, I have duties to attend to. I thank you for efforts on my behalf in this matter." He gave her the ta'al.
T'Pau returned the gesture. "Live long and prosper my son."
"Peace and long life mother." he responded in kind.
She cut the transmission promptly.
Sarek's chief attaché appeared in the doorway. "Ambassador. The shuttle is ready for departure." the younger Vulcan informed him.
"Has Junior Ambassador T'Vess been informed?" Sarek inquired as he shut off his computer console and stood.
The attaché, a capable man named Vonik, nodded as he replied. "She awaits you on-board the shuttle Ambassador."
Further conversation was unnecessary as Vonik and Sarek made their way to the rooftop and the awaiting shuttle. T'Vess nodded in polite greeting as Sarek took a seat opposite.
"Ambassador Sarek." she offered by way of greeting.
"Junior Ambassador T'Vess." he replied politely.
The journey across San Francisco took only 5.8 minutes and 3.7 of those were spent awaiting clearance to land.
The United Earth Parliament House, secondary base and assembly hall of the United Earth Cabinet after their offices in the Palais Bourbon in Paris, was a quite appealing structure, though of course, utterly alien in design and construction. It was a vast edifice of stone executed in a Terran architectural style popular for public buildings upon Earth and Earth Colonies alike. Sarek regarded it with muted interest from the shuttle windows. He had spent time previously upon Earth, but it was still somewhat novel to him.
The reception being held was one which had been held annually since the signing of the Traité d'Unification in 2130. It was a celebration of the Unification of Earth under a single governing body. Since that unification had indirectly led to the creation of the United Federation of Planets, it was considered a significant cultural event amidst the Federation and there were many representatives of member planets in attendance.
It was the first such function Sarek was attending in his new role as Ambassador to Earth, and whilst he was not in any way fearful, he would admit to slight apprehension. He was a representative of all of Vulcan and he wished to perform his duties to the best of his ability.
The Terran heads of state in attendance - elected presidents and prime minsters along with a few hereditary heads of ancient Kingdoms - proved intriguing to observe owing to the diversity of human culture. But the activities of the diplomats and other high ranking officials from around the Federation were rather more mundane. The guests behaved quite predictably, drinking an assortment of intoxicating beverages and attempted to find subtle ways of insulting one another. Sarek, owing to his recent appointment, found himself sought out by many wishing to 'make his acquaintance' and subject him to vapid and illogical conversation.
Junior Ambassador T'Vess undertook these interactions with admirable diplomacy. Sarek noted she appeared far more at ease in maintaining polite conversation than he himself. Not for the first time he wondered at his appointment to Ambassador ahead of her. Given her years of service in the diplomatic offices upon Earth, she appeared a more logical choice than he. He could only assume that there were additional circumstances of which he was unaware. To question the logic of the High Council in their decision was in itself, illogical. He dismissed such thoughts.
"And how are you finding San Francisco Ambassador Sarek?" inquired a human female of middle years with Asiatic features in an exceedingly… vivid… and .. tight red garment. Although she bore little to the holograph in the files he had reviewed upon his assignment to Earth, he was able to identify her as the wife of the President of the United States of America. The 'First Lady'.
Her inquiry however was mystifying. "I had no difficulty in locating the city." he replied.
The woman blinked and frowned slightly. "Ah." she responded in an exceedingly vague vocalisation.
Before she could provide further confusion a human male appeared at her side. "There you are darling!" he exclaimed to the woman. Sarek identified him as the woman's husband, the President of the United States of America. The human took his wife's arm and turned to greet Sarek with a ta'al.
"Dif-tor heh smusma Osasu Sarek." he said in a reasonable approximation of Vuhlkansu. For a human. Sarek raised an eyebrow.
"Sochya eh dif Mr President." he replied in kind.
The human smiled again. "Are you finding your new duties satisfactory?" he inquired.
"I am." Sarek returned.
"I suppose you must have a lot on your plate, always stressful, a new position." the President continued. "Adding to that moving - to a different planet at that - and well, you must be swamped!"
Swamped. To overwhelm or flood with water. Sarek attempted to understand the man's words. He was not holding a plate. He was not immersed in water.
The President looked as if he were about to make further inquiry but was interrupted by the arrival of two more attendees. Sarek easily identified the woman as Prime Minister Beatrix of the Scandinavian Republic. She had very distinctive hair. On her arm was an Andorian male in the dress uniform of a Starfleet Rear Admiral.
"Don't hog the new Vulcan Ambassador Mr President." the Prime Minster said as she inserted herself into their conversational grouping. Hog. A terran mammal of the genus Sus. Domesticated and bred as a source of protein. In vain Sarek searched his vocabulary of Standard English seeking a more comprehensible meaning for the word.
The woman made a very slow and thorough visual inspection of his person. "I'm Prime Minister Beatrix," she said in slightly accented standard. "- and this is my charming companion for the evening, Admiral Shrass."
"I am Sarek of Vulcan." he offered.
"You've got some big shoes to fill Ambassador." she said.
Again, her words were incomprehensible. His shoes were big? Someone else's? What would he be filling them with?
"Ambassador T'Lau was a silver-tongued snake charmer." the Prime Minster said smiling widely. "She had the Parliament eating out her hand, Upper and Lower Houses alike."
Clearly something was being mis-translated. Sarek was certain that his grasp of Standard was perfectly fluent, he had made thorough study of the language under the tutelage of some of Vulcan's finest scholars, and previously in conversation with human diplomats he had encountered little difficult. However - Okosu T'Lau did not have a silver tongue, he imagined such an unusual physical trait would be widely reported, nor was she a 'snake charmer', which was from his understanding a type of Terran entertainer who played a wind instrument to encourage rhythmic movement from a serpent. As to her other statement, no V'Tosh would eat without proper utensils and to permit another, a member of the United Earth Parliament or any being for that matter, to eat directly from her hand would be grotesque.
"I fear I have misinterpreted you Prime Minister, do you mean to imply that former Ambassador T'Lau offered sustenance to Ministers of the United Earth Parliament from her hand?" he asked.
The woman laughed brightly. Sarek's confusion grew. After a moment the other humans and the Andorian Admiral joined her. Sarek observed them in discomfort. Being surrounded by such emotional vocal outbursts made him distinctly aware of the fact that he was far from Vulcan and in the midst of aliens.
"Oh you'll have to watch this one John," Prime Minister Beatrix said to the American President, "he's right on the ball!"
It was as if they were speaking another language. The human diplomats he'd previously interacted with had not spoken in such an odd manner. Sarek looked to Vonik. The younger Vulcan seemed to understand his confusion.
"Pardon me," he said, his voice taking on a tone Sarek had not heard from him previously as he addressed the humans, "there is a matter I must briefly discuss with the Ambassador."
The group all voiced their understanding and Sarek and Vonik stepped aside.
"You find their phrasing illogical and their meaning irrational?" Vonik inquired in Vuhlkansu, his voice even and cool once more.
"That is correct. It would appear my fluency in Standard is not what I had previously assessed it to be." Sarek admitted. "Much of my vocabulary appears to be inaccurate."
Vonik tilted his head slightly. "I do not think that the case Ambassador. I believe your literal fluency to be acceptable, but a great deal of human verbal interaction makes use of strange metaphor and sayings which make no reasonable sense."
"That seems a plausible explaination." Sarek agreed.
"Former Ambassador T'Lau employed a tutor in 'conversational English' upon her arrival on Earth. Locating such a teacher for yourself would perhaps be a prudent decision." Vonik suggested.
Sarek had not thought such a thing necessary, but given his experiences of the evening, he saw the logic to his attaché's recommendation. "I agree with your assessment."
Vonik nodded and continued in standard. "I will locate a suitable individual with all haste Ambassador."