AN: This story is set in the same universe as my other S/U stories and refers to OC's and things that happened in those. It's in three parts. Canon characters appear a lot more in the next two parts.
As always, big hugs to Lamb's Ear for beta'ing!
Warnings: Nothing offensive at all this part.
Part 1:
Koon-ut-la
Fitting in amongst his father's race proved as difficult as his attempts to do the same with his mother's. Although he felt himself to be amongst peers – there was no discernible difference between himself and the other Vulcan children - he found that he remained an oddity. The only difference was that instead of being a subject of curiosity owing to his Vulcan father, it was his human mother that now set him apart.
From his very first day at the Shi'Oren t'Nenik (Elementary/Fundamental Academy) in Shi'Kahr he was singled out by students wishing to question him about it. Their questions pertaining to his genetic makeup were more logical than those made by human children, and none seemed afraid or disturbed by him as some humans were, but for a reason he could not quite identify their calm inquiries embarrassed him more than the odd comments he'd become accustomed to receiving from humans.
However he found that the teachers at the Academy offered infinitely superior study opportunities than the tutors provided by Starfleet for the children aboard Enterprise. As such when his mother and father visited him on the third month of his stay with his grandfather he informed them of his desire to remain on New Vulcan. His mother accepted his decision with her usual complicated human emotions - pride, anxiety, love and sadness all thrumming through their bond and expressed in a one confusing, but affectionate, hug.
His father was more wary. He remarked favourably upon the superior tutors and classes that would be available to him, but sought him out after his mother had retired to sleep to speak to him privately. Zybari was meditating and thinking idly over an interesting new physics theorem that had been covered in that day's classes.
His father entered and knelt on the opposite side of the asenoi from him. 'You have found your classes to be satisfactory?'
'Affirmative.' Zybari wondered at the redundancy of the question. His father had already made similar inquiries and was not usually prone to repetition in the manner of his mother.
'Your classmates. They are no doubt curious about your hybrid genetic makeup.' His father was looking at him with an unusual expression in his eyes.
'They have expressed repeated curiosity in the matter.' Zybari agreed.
'Such curiosity is only logical.' his father remarked.
'Indeed.'
'I imagine their curiosity is quite different to that you have previously encountered amongst non-Vulcan children.' His father paused. 'I found it to be so.'
'That is accurate. Their questions are more logical. They do not ask to touch my ears, lift heavy objects or read their minds like human children do.' – examples of curiosity that Zybari did not miss.
His father was silent for a period of 2 standard minutes and 18 seconds. 'Should you ever find their attentions… confusing, I would welcome discussion on the matter. You may contact me outside of our scheduled subspace calls should you require clarification as to their behaviour.'
Zybari recalled his sister's frequent calls to their mother during her year on New Vulcan 2 years previously. Her crying had carried through their living quarters. He had been forced to leave since it was impossible to ignore his sister's emotional distress. His father was clearly concerned he would suffer similar emotional turmoil. Zybari found the thought distasteful. He had not cried since he was 4.2 years old when his mother had been severely injured on an away mission.
'I do not think that will be necessary osa'mekh (honoured father).' He felt obliged to offer reassurance that he was not currently in need of any such advice. 'I note the curiosity of my classmates has decreased markedly over the past four weeks.'
'That is good. Such attentions can be a distraction.' His father was still looking at him expectantly.
Zybari allowed himself a slight expression of exasperation. 'I am not T'Vai osa'mekh. Nam-tor ri thrap wilat nem-tor rim (There is no offense where none is taken.).'
His father seemed pleased by his observation but offered another of Surak's Analects for his consideration. 'Pulau na'vathular k'nuhk (Reach out to others courteously.).' Zybari restrained the urge to sigh. His father was telling him try and 'make friends'. No doubt his mother had put him up to it. Over the course of his childhood she had expended no small effort in her endeavour to ensure he had 'friends'.
T'Vai had always had friends, chiefly Elia McCoy, but she and Elia would often seek out new acquaintances whenever they stopped on a planet or starbase for leave. Zybari found socialising to the same extent as his sister exhausting. Especially where Elia McCoy was involved. She was one of the most illogical persons of his acquaintance.
'Nar-tor pulaya s'au k'ka'es - k'el'rular tun-bosh (Accept their reaching in the same way, with careful hands.).' Zybari responded by rote.
Spock's left eyebrow lifted in a tiny gesture that Zybari knew was amusement. 'Yes sa-fu. Careful hands.'
The Enterprise's bridge crew and several other colleagues of his parents came down by shuttle and shared a meal at his grandfather's house on their last evening on New Vulcan. The Captain gave him a pleasing gift. It was 'something we picked up from some smugglers in the Beta quadrant.' as he put it. It was a grey furred cub not dissimilar to a terran jungle feline. Commander Sulu informed him that it was a Romulan leopard called a 'lhohnu llaihr'.
His mother had not looked pleased at him receiving a creature whose name translated from Romulan as 'silver death' as a pet. In what appeared to be an attempt to placate his mother his grandfather remarked that its fangs were much smaller than a sehlet's. His mother had just pursed her lips.
Commander Sulu was forced to spend 8.5 minutes explaining in detail its long history of domestication before she would consent to allow the creature to remain with him. The cat seemed remarkably sociable considering its name. It purred loudly and butted its head against Zybari's leg a great deal. He deigned to refer to Captain Kirk as 'Uncle Jim' as he thanked him. It was a habit he had tried to break out of as he grew older, but he was aware that the Captain enjoyed being referred to as such.
The next four weeks passed uneventfully. His lessons were interesting and for the first time in his life - challenging. His grandfather was pleasant company, his calm and logic a pleasant change after living with human's for so long. The Ihohnu llaihr proved a suitable animal to keep as a pet. He spent some time in researching the creature and discovered that it was native to the Ar'hael Desert on Romulus. As such the cat adapted to the arid climate of New Vulcan rapidly. They were evidently popular pets throughout the Romulan Star Empire and it was not unheard of for them to be smuggled into Federation space. His was undoubtedly the only one on the planet however and the thought bought him a small measure of prideful pleasure which he tried to tamp down upon. His grandfather allowed it to sleep on the floor in his bedroom. He named the creature Salan in honour of its exceeding stealth.
His parents contacted him via subspace as per their agreed upon schedule. His mother asked him many illogical questions pertaining to his schooling and Salan. His father was far more circumspect in his inquires and spent much of their conversations discussing interesting things the ship had come across and the subjects of his classes, for which Zybari was glad.
His fifth month upon New Vulcan did not pass as satisfactorily. His classmates did not antagonise him overly, or at least he felt no great emotional upset or need call his father for guidance. His studies were satisfying. He had ample time to study or pursue his own interests. His grandfather arranged for him to receive formal instruction in the Ka'athyra and continued his training in suss mahna in place of his father. Undoubtedly he felt for the first time that his life was arranged in an entirely logical and satisfactory manner, and yet he found himself holding silent conversations with himself.
In the middle of the seventh month on New Vulcan he turned 11 standard years old in the Terran reckoning. Since his grandfather was not human he did not expect the occasion to be remarked upon. His mother and father called him before his morning classes however and he opened the gift his mother had sent him in front of the comm console. The elaborately wrapped box contained an experimental tricoder Commander Scott had fabricated.
Clearly his father had been involved in the selection of the gift.
Its specifications far exceeded his current model. It was an exceedingly pleasing gift and he informed his mother as such. She grinned happily and even from 42 lightyears away Zybari felt their familial bond warm with her affection. It was not unpleasant.
He did not think further upon his birthday until the time for the evening meal approached. His grandfather informed him that they would dining at the Terran Embassy.
His grandmother, the Terran Ambassador to New Vulcan - Tamu Uhura, greeted him with her customary awkward hug. Zybari disliked the physical contact but was pleased that she took care not to touch his skin and initiate any accidental mental contact. She made many illogical statements over the course of the three hours they spent in her company but Zybari did not find it as taxing as he usually did. He found himself reminded of his mother.
She presented him with two gifts, one from herself and another from his Aunt Zanta. His grandmother's gift was a large book of musical compositions from throughout the Federation. She remarked that his father had once told her that he found transcribing non-Vulcan music for the ka'athyra an interesting exercise in logic and she expressed a hope that he might also enjoy such a diversion. He thanked her for a thoughtful gift.
The gift from his Aunt was also interesting. It was a traditional Orion puzzle carved from different coloured single pieces of wood. Her attached note informed him that the fastest any Orion of her acquaintance had been able to solve it was 32 seconds but that she was certain he would be able to best that figure.
His grandmother requested he join her for a meal once a week when she was on New Vulcan and he felt no desire to avoid accepting her invitation. When he spoke of this arrangement to see his grandmother during his next comm call to his mother she smiled very widely and seemed pleased.
He found that instead of holding silent conversations with himself or imagining his mother's responses, his grandmother's company satisfied what he assumed was a previously undiscovered requirement for human companionship.
He was content.
Seven weeks passed pleasantly.
Then Tamu Uhura returned to Earth for a time.
Zybari found himself looking forward to his conversations with his parents a great deal more. The duration of their comm calls extended by 36%.
Six weeks after his grandmother left for Earth his grandfather was also called away to attend to his duties relating to his position as Administrator of Vulcan High Command. Zybari found himself alone save for his grandfather's servants. It was a strange situation. 23 days and 16 hours passed before he had a personal conversation.
On his walks with Salan around the wildness that surrounded his grandfather's house he started conversing with him in Swahili. The cat would growl and vocalise in response to the sound of his voice. Zybari allowed him to sleep at the end of his bed.
It appeared that he was not satisfied without his family to interact with. He recalled the analects of Surak his father had quoted to him months previously:
'Pulau na'vathular k'nuhk (Reach out to others courteously.).'
This was clearly what his father had been referring to.
Obviously hybrids such as themselves required some sort of social interaction to function at optimum levels. His own father had close friendships with several humans, perhaps this was why. With his family off planet it was logical to seek a suitable alternative to their company. His father had been attempting to encourage him to cultivate acquaintances so he would not find himself in his current predicament. He decided to follow his advice.
Over the 11 months he had lived on Vulcan he had made thorough observation of Vulcan social interaction. When next one of his classmates made a personal query of him, instead of dismissing it with concise logic, he attempted to be more social in his response to encourage a conversation.
'Zybari. Sobok informs me you have a Romulan pet.' The query had been posed by T'Sar, daughter of Okosu T'Lar,Grandmaster of Gol and Pid-kom t'Maat Sardok (Matriach of Clan Sardok). T'Sar had demonstrated great intelligence and logic in their classes together. Conversing with her would not be unpleasant. The aforementioned Sobok standing beside her had not made a similar favourable impression upon Zybari, but he was not closely acquainted with him. Sobok was older than T'Sar and Zybari and they did not share study groups.
'That is correct T'Sar.' Zybari paused and volunteered additional information where he would usually have awaited further inquiry. 'It is a lhohnu llaihr or Romulan leopard as they are colloquially referred to.'
The Vulcan girl made a tiny expression of interest and Zybari interpreted it as invitation to continue. 'It is not dissimilar to felines found on Terra and many other class M planets.'
'What is its name in Vuhlkansu?' she inquired.
'Silver Death.' Zybari replied hesitantly.
Sobok raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with T'Sar.
'It is an exceedingly Romulan name, although it is indeed silver in colour and from what I have read, quite vicious in the wild.' He felt obligated by their response to share his own low opinion of the emotive name of his pet's species.
'You speak Romulan?' Sobok asked.
'Affirmative.'
Sobok almost frowned. 'Why would you wish to learn their language?'
The question confused Zybari. There were many reasons, all of which would apparent to anyone who gave the matter any thought. He was uncertain if he should list them. 'My parents are fluent in all three dialects. Their fluency has proven useful.'
'Fluency in the language of our enemies would be logical if serving with Starfleet where interaction with them is to be anticipated.' T'Sar observed, her eyes flicking guardedly between Sobok and Zybari.
'You intend to serve in Starfleet?' Sobok inquired.
'I am considering such a career.' Zybari responded mildly.
'That is a logical choice. You are, after all, mostly human. I wonder if perhaps that is the cause of your strange accent.' Sobok remarked cryptically.
Zybari inclined his head in confusion. 'I am afraid I do not follow. I was unaware I had an accent.'
The older Vulcan boy nodded. 'I had thought it because you were half human, but perhaps it is that you spend too much time speaking Romulan.'
'That is unlikely. I did not learn any Romulan dialects until I was 5.1 years of age.' He thought for an observation to extend the conversation without appearing argumentative. 'I imagine being raised on a Starfleet vessel and speaking standard and my mother's native language a great deal would be the cause of any accent I may have developed.' Swahili was a decidedly musical language. It would not surprise him if it had coloured his tone in Vuhlkansu. He had learnt both from the moment he could form words.
'That is logical.' T'Sar agreed. 'It is only a very slight inflection.' Zybari was not certain, but he thought she had made the last comment in an attempt at friendliness. Although perhaps politeness was a more accurate description for her intentions.
'No I think not.' Sobok said. 'It is a known fact that humans cannot correctly pronounce Vuhlkansu. As you are only a ¼ Vulcan, such speech impediments are to be expected.' Zybari was uncertain since Sobok's face was utterly smooth and emotionless, but the tone he used reminded him of that certain human children had used when they attempted to insult him.
'I am afraid you have been misinformed upon both points. My mother speaks both Vuhlkansu and Van-Kal-Vuhlkansu with perfect fluency, so clearly there is no physical impediment. Furthermore, I am a hybrid. Whilst I have human dna, my genotype is predominately Vulcan.'
'Your mother is human, your father is ½ human, therefore you are ¾ human.' Sobok insisted.
Zybari was uncertain how to continue. 'That would be correct were humans and Vulcans able to reproduce without the assistance of geneticists, but they cannot. My father's genotype is predominately is Vulcan, as is my own.'
Sobok crossed his arms. It was an almost human gesture of intimidation. 'You're lying. Obviously you are more human than Vulcan since you are able to do so with ease.'
Zybari glanced at T'Sar hoping for guidance. The girl's eyebrow twitched slightly and he sensed no antagonism from her, but she was no help either. 'I am uncertain as to your meaning.'
'Your sister is human, she looks Vulcan but she is human. You are not as bad as her, but your blood is just as thin.'
'I am uncertain as to the relevance of my sister or the viscosity of my blood with regards to this conversation.'
'Her blood is red.' Sobok raised an eyebrow in challenge, as if he expected Zybari to deny his statement.
Zybari felt a strange surge of anger. He pushed it back. T'Vai's blood was indeed red, the situation of her birth was vastly different to his own. She took after their mother. 'As I am the product of genetic manipulation and she natural conception your point is invalid.'
T'Sar replied before Sobok could. 'Did you not say such reproduction was impossible?'
Her tone was mild. Calm. Curious but not cold. He gave her his full attention. 'That is correct. She was conceived on Omnicron Ceti III. The spores of the Omnicron Pod Plant there are capable of maintaining the body of any humanoid exposed to them in complete health. It was only due to the presence of this spore that my sister was conceived.'
'That is most curious.' she replied.
'She is a most fascinating and singular individual.' Zybari agreed.
'She is a weak emotional human. She may have Vulcan ears and eyebrows, but that is all.' Sobok's statement was offensive. Zybari repeated his favoured analects of surak. Nam-tor ri thrap wilat nem-tor rim. There is no offense where none is taken. T'Vai was weak. She was not as strong as full bloodied Vulcan. She was emotional, she was much like his mother. Neither of these were insults, they were statements of fact. There was no offense.
'I have often noted emotional similarities between my sister and humans, and she is indeed not as physically strong as a full Vulcan. She does possess other Vulcan attributes however. For example she is a powerful telepath and her internal organs are arranged in the manner of a Vulcan, despite her iron-based physiology.' His sister was something of a scientific abnormality and as such quite fascinating.
T'Sar looked interested. 'That is most curious. One would think she would take physically after one parent or the other. It would appear more logical than an even mix of two species.'
'Indeed. Geneticists would not have created such an illogical hybridisation. In the estimation of those that enabled my own conception, her genetic mix cannot be replicated by current levels of medicine and science.'
'That is good. She is an aberration.' Sobok was clearly attempting to antagonise him Zybari deduced. He did not deign to respond. Obviously any overtures of friendship and social interaction with him would be illogical.
T'Sar frowned infinitesimally. The slight pinching of her mouth pleased Zybari. Perhaps T'Sar would welcome further social contact with him where Sobok would not.
'I was present on her last day at the academy.' Sobok remarked.
Zybari tensed slightly. He recalled his sister's sudden departure from New Vulcan. Their grandfather had obtained a shuttle just for her so she could return to the Enterprise as swiftly as possible. She had cried in her sleep and when she thought no one could hear for a period of 3 months and 18 days. His father had eventually used a Vulcan mental technique to dim her memories of her emotional upset. Owing to his own discomfort, Zybari had not made inquiries as to the source of her distress, either of her or his parents. It was apparent her interactions with Vulcans figured a great deal in them.
'She bled all over the floor. They had to replace the carpet. Human blood is impossible to wash out. It stains.' Sobok continued in a manner most definitely intended to offend or anger Zybari. Even though he was aware he was being antagonised, he found discussing the incident which had emotionally, and apparently physically, injured his sister highly distressing.
T'Sar shot him a look. 'It is impolite to discuss such matters Sobok.' she serenely informed him. 'And as I recall Tarbok also bled profusely.' She turned to regard Zybari. 'For all her inferior human physiology, your sister appeared to be more adept in her suss mahna studies than Tarbok.'
Zybari was pleased that the discussion had once more turned, and that T'Vai had been able to defend herself. 'It is difficult to correctly anticipate her intentions. She is quite interesting to spar against.'
Sobok opened his mouth, no doubt to attempt once more to elicit an emotional response from Zybari, but T'Sar interrupted him. 'It is 13:28.' It was. Their afternoon classes were about to start. Two minutes was just long enough for them to make their way back to their study rooms.
Zybari nodded. 'Indeed. Farewell Sobok, T'Sar.'
T'Sar inclined her head politely, Sobok did not.
Three days later Zybari noted T'Sar alone during their meal break. Remembering his father's words he made his way across the refectory to sit beside her. He did not ask if he could sit, such illogical human manners would only serve to confuse her. Instead he informed her 'T'Sar. I have found it satisfactory to converse with you. I would welcome further such interaction.'
'That is agreeable.' she responded.
Her simple acceptance bought Zybari far more pleasure than it warranted. They had a pleasing conversation over the 30 minutes afforded them for their break. She made many detailed inquiries of Salan. She had researched the creatures and seemed intrigued.
'If you wish you may visit and inspect him.'
She agreed readily.
Salan had grown significantly since Zybari had received him, he now stood 63 centimetres tall from the tips of his large tufted ears to the ground between his front paws. According to Commander Sulu he would reached a final adult size between 78 and 92 centimetres at approximately 18 standard months of age. T'Sar was unafraid. She petted him and welcomed his head butting and purring. Zybari had to restrain the urge to smile when she picked up a long blade of grass and began using it as a lure for him to play with.
'He is quite impressive Zybari.' she remarked at length. 'Though I do not think well named. 'Silver Death' does not seem appropriate.'
'Indeed. He does not seem particularly deadly does he?' Zybari responded.
'What is the Romulan word for kitten?' she inquired.
Zybari told her.
'"Silver Kitten", That is what he should be named.' She punctuated her statement by rubbing the large cat's belly. He twisted in the sandy earth and made a noise that was half yowl half purr, his tail thrashing roughly.
'Come bwana chui. You should behave with more dignity.' Zybari admonished his pet.
'Bwana chui?' inquired T'Sar.
Zybari felt a small twinge of embarrassment. When with his family he often spoke in a mix of standard, Vuhlkansu and Swahili. He had done so in front of T'Sar without thought. Obviously she did not speak Swahili, it was an exceedingly obscure dialect by Vulcan standards. He was glad for the fact. He called Salan a number of illogical things apart from his name, including 'Lord Leopard'.
'Swahili. Excuse me.' He made no attempt to translate.
'A Terran language? What did you say?' she inquired. Her head was tilted to one sight and she was looking at him great interest.
'My mother's language. And I referred to Salan as 'Lord Leopard.' Zybari replied without looking at her.
'Salan's behaviour is anything but dignified and yet you call him Lord. This is Terran humour is it not?'
Zybari wished very much for the terrible conversation to be over. 'Yes.'
'Terran humour was explained to us in our federation culture and language classes, I found it most confusing.' T'Sar was frowning a tiny Vulcan frown.
'For the most part I share your confusion. Even my father has confessed to still finding the intricacies of the social construct mystifying. Although he seems to be able to make Captain Kirk and mother laugh with regularity.'
'What is Captain James Tiberius Kirk like?' inquired T'Sar. 'He seems strange from the holo's we study in class.'
'He is strange.' Zybari replied. 'He insists I refer to him as 'Uncle Jim' despite the fact that he is not my uncle, or indeed, related to me in any fashion.'
'Perhaps he desires children of his own and so seeks a familial relationship with you?'
'He has a son, of whom he appears appropriately fond of in the human manner. I do not think that is the reason.' He knelt and patted Salan's head in the way he preferred. 'Humans have very complicated naming traditions. Several other close acquaintances of my parent's like to be addressed by myself and T'Vai in a similarly illogical style. Doctor Leonard McCoy likes to be called "Doc Bones" and his wife Lieutenant Gaila McCoy becomes unduly agitated if I do not refer to her as "Aunty Gai-Gai"' Zybari frowned slightly in memory of his 'Aunt' Gaila. 'Humans take great care in naming their offspring but then insist on calling them and each other by different names entirely. "Nick names" and "Pet names". My mother alone utilises 16 different terms to refer to me.' It was all quite confusing and pointless in Zybari's opinion.
'Your name is Vulcan.' T'Sar remarked.
'It is, but I was named for my human grandfather. Captain Zuberi Uhura. Okosu T'Pau thought it appropriate I be named for him but did not wish to give me a human name. Zybari was the closest Vulcan name.'
'That is a logical compromise.'
Zybari was silent for a long moment before he added. 'I have another name. It is a tradition amongst my mother's people to give a child a second name that denotes the manner of its birth. Mine is Kipruto.'
'A curious but not illogical basis for identification.' T'Sar remarked. 'What does Kipruto signify?'
'That I was born whilst my mother was on a journey away from home.'
T'Sar nodded. 'Were Vulcans named in the same manner I would also be a Kipruto.'
Zybari was surprised to hear her refer so obviously to the destruction of Vulcan. Va'Pak. It was not spoken of. 'The female equivalent is Cheruto.' he remarked evenly.
'T'Sar Cheruto' she remarked idly. 'It is not a discordant phonetic combination.'
'Indeed.' replied Zybari.
'I am unfamiliar with terran languages besides standard. Perhaps you could teach me your Swahili?' she inquired.
Zybari felt a small jolt of pleasure. Surely such a request was made both out of curiosity as well as appreciation for his company? 'It is a simple enough language. French would be a more logical choice however, it is the diplomatic language of Terra.'
'I have made rudimentary study of French. It is latin based like standard. I foresee little difficulty learning it should I ever need to. Swahili would prove more interesting I imagine, being an alien syntax completely unfamiliar to me.'
It was disconcerting to hear a language that came so naturally to him referred to as an 'alien syntax' by someone he considered to be a peer, but he was accustomed to such odd discomforts as a hybrid.
T'Sar found certain phrases difficult to correctly pronounce, but being Vulcan her memory was excellent and she was able to hold basic, if heavily accented, conversations with him in Swahili in a matter of days. She seemed to find the exercise interesting and insisted they converse solely in the human language when they spoke during their meal breaks.
Zybari found her company very pleasant. She was a more advanced student than he in mathematics and physics and he found her conversation stimulating. She in turn appeared to have a great curiosity about other planets and cultures and enjoyed discussing his experiences aboard the Enterprise. When next he spoke to his parents his mother seemed very pleased that he had made a 'friend'.
His grandfather remained off planet, but his human grandmother returned once more to the Terran Embassy. He temporarily moved into the one of the guest rooms in her private residence there at her insistence. She did not want him alone at the S'chn T'gai Estate with only servants for company. He was unconcerned. The Embassy was a comparable distance from his school and she permitted him to bring Salan, despite the face that 'Puss' as his grandmother referred to him, appeared to make many of the human staff nervous.
She had bought him gifts from Terra. A selection of his favourite fruits and nuts carefully in stasis and a hand carved figure of a leopard.
'I found it a market in Mumbai. It reminded me of Salan.' she remarked.
They played a game of kal-toh after their evening meal. She was only a moderately proficient player, but her conversation and company was still enjoyable. She informed him of the developments in his human family. He had many second and third cousins amongst his human family - Uhuras, Adoyos and Graysons, and his grandmother had apparently visited them all during her time on Earth. His great-uncle Sefu, with whom his family usually stayed with during their visits to Earth, had given his grandmother a holo displayer filled with family photos for her to take to New Vulcan. She took great delight in showing him the ones in which he was featured. In one he was openly frowning. He had little recollection of the day it documented.
She informed him that he and his human cousins had ridden bicycles around Nairobi and then stopped for ice cream and that he had unwittingly selected a flavour that contained chocolate. She smiled a great deal as she detailed the highly unlikely series of misadventures featuring him that followed. Zybari did not find them overly entertaining and suspected she exaggerated a great deal.
The next day T'Sar remarked upon a desire to utilise his tri-coder in an experiment she was conducting involving splicing a Kolari Orchid with a Vulcan Cir-cen cactus in the hopes of creating a strain that would thrive on New Vulcan. She seemed excited when he informed her he was currently staying with his grandmother.
After their classes she accompanied him across the small but ever-growing city of Shi'Kahr to the United Earth Embassy. It was one of the oldest buildings on the planet, one of the first foundations poured in the aftermath of the destruction of Old Vulcan. It was designed in an unashamedly Terran style, all transparent aluminium and silvery steel standing out amidst the sweeping stone towers of the Vulcan buildings around it. It even had a small green lawn and Earth-style garden surrounding it. The amount of water, recycled or not, that was required to keep the landscaping green seemed a great waste to Zybari.
He led T'Sar in via the private entrance to the side of the building. She regarded the Terran botanicals and everything else they passed with great interest. She had never left the planet, he supposed it was quite exotic and alien to her. The guard in the cooled foyer within greeted him with his usual human cheer.
'Good afternoon Zybari!'
The guard, one of twelve on the Embassy's permanent staff, turned to regard T'Sar curiously. 'Your friend will need to sign in before you head upstairs.' The man then switched to Vuhlkansu and gave her a polite salute. 'Live long and prosper honoured guest.' He picked up a PADD from the desk he stood behind. 'Would you please sign your name for our records?'
T'Sar accepted the PADD and marked her name in Vuhlkansu glyphs. The guard inclined his head in thanks as she returned it, careful not to touch her fingers.
Zybari led her to the turbolift and requested the level containing his grandmother's personal quarters. He felt his skin prickle in the seeping chill of the building. No doubt T'Sar found it equally unpleasant.
The lift opened into a large room dotted with sofas and chairs. Double doors opposite the lift led to his grandmother's personal quarters. Inside the temperature was a far more reasonable 28˚ Celsius.
'Are the atmospheric controls in the rest of the building malfunctioning?' T'Sar inquired.
'Negative. 23˚ Celsius is considered optimum to human comfort. Grandmother keeps her chambers at a temperature more suitable to Vulcans due to the fact that the area of Earth she is from is quite arid.' he replied as he led her through the rooms towards his sleeping chamber.
'Ah yes. The Ambassador is from Africa. A desert continent.' T'Sar remarked. She was looking at the decoration of the rooms and the Terran art displayed on the walls intently. Compared to the functional aesthetic preferred by Vulcans, his grandmother's apartments with their bright carpets, decorative wallpapers and accumulation of 'knick-knacks' seemed lavish and exotic. His own room, whilst still decorated with elaborate human style furnishings - namely an illogically large bed with far too many pillows and a sofa that no one apart from Salan ever used - was rather more subdued.
'For the most part,' he replied to her statement. ' - although according to father Africa is quite verdant in comparison to Old Vulcan, especially in the monsoon season.' As he spoke he crossed to his desk and picked up his tricorder. T'Sar stopped at the sofa upon which Salan was sprawled napping and scratched the cat's head. He began to purr very loudly. Zybari turned the tricorder on and checked that it contained a sufficient charge and was operating correctly before passing it to T'Sar.
She accepted it eagerly. She had examined it on five previous occasions and had remarked on its superior capabilities in comparison to those she had access to via the Academy. When he had first informed her that he was in possession of an experimental model fabricated and designed by Montgomery Scott she had been almost humanly transparent in her excitement.
Her knowledge of Commander Scott was quite thorough. As an avid student of physics she had studied his trans-warp theory at length. She had expressed great admiration for his achievements in the field. Zybari suspected her easy acceptance of him despite his human heritage was directly related to that admiration.
'Grandmother has a balcony with more Terran plants if you wish to take some readings before you return to your experiment.' he offered.
She agreed readily and they made their way to the wide balcony that adjoined his grandmother's rooms. There were a wide variety of plants in pots and growing on trellises. Many of the more exotic T'Sar had never seen before. They had spent a satisfactory 57 minutes taking readings of different plants, discovering an infestation of some sort of parasite on three of his grandmother's roses, before Zybari heard his grandmother moving about inside.
T'Sar turned to silently regard the long glass doors that led inside. Zybari got the absurd idea that she was nervous. 'Come T'Sar. My grandmother has previously expressed a desire to meet you. She will take illogical human offence if I do not take this opportunity to do so.'
The Vulcan girl nodded and followed him silently back inside, the tricoder strap looped over her shoulder and the instrument clutched in her hands.
His grandmother's voice was carrying through from her sitting room. She usually sat there and drank tea after she finished her work for the day. She looked up and smiled widely at his entrance and greeted him in Swahili. 'Darling! How was your day?'
Zybari came to a halt in front of her chair. 'Satisfactory grandmother. May I introduce T'Sar daughter of T'Lar?' He did not introduce her with full formality, his grandmother would not have been able to pronounce her lineal name, but with enough dignity that T'Sar's Vulcan sense of propriety would be satisfied.
T'Sar gave his grandmother the ta'al but greeted her in accented Swahili with polite human manners instead of in Vuhlkasu. 'Good Afternoon Lady Uhura. It is a great pleasure to meet you.'
Zybari's grandmother's eyes widened in pleasure. 'The pleasure is mine Miss T'Sar. Zybari mentioned he was teaching you Swahili. You speak it very accurately.'
T'Sar seemed pleased by the compliment. 'He is also teaching me French and my Federation Standard has been much improved by his acquaintance.'
'As his Vuhlkansu has been improved by yours. Administrator Sarek will be pleased that his grandson no longer sounds quite so much like a Romulan spice merchant.' his grandmother replied in amusement.
T'Sar's eyes widened and she shot Zybari a concerned look.
'Terran humour.' He explained.
'Yes Terran humour. Do not mind me Miss T'Sar.'
His grandfather returned to New Vulcan and Zybari returned to his estate once more, resuming his weekly visits to his grandmother. On occasion he would visit her with T'Sar and she would speak Swahili with them and alternatively thrill and scandalise T'Sar with her odd human behaviour.
Zybari found his situation eminently satisfactory. His grandfather and grandmother provided him suitable familial interaction in both the Vulcan and Human manner and T'Sar a friend and companion for his free time. He thought it unfortunate that his sister had not had the good fortune to encounter a person such as T'Sar when she had attended the Shi'Kahr Academy. If she had, Zybari thought the chances of her having completing her schooling at the superior facilities of the Academy would have been much greater.
14 months and 18 days had passed since Zybari's arrival on New Vulcan when he observed a shift in T'Sar's interactions with him.
For a period of 11 days she did not socialise with him outside of their interactions at school. Zybari attempted to pin point the cause of this change but could detect no changes. He recalled his mother and sister 'sulking' and wondered if this was the Vulcan equivalent. Perhaps he had unwittingly offended her in some manner? He resolved to get to discover the truth of the matter.
He waited with Salan outside the house were T'Sar took her music lessons. She emerged at 17:03 hours and he made his way over to greet her. She returned his greetings but made no effort to converse with him further as they walked towards her home.
'Have I offended you in some way T'Sar?' Zybari inquired.
'No you have not.'
'Do you no longer find our social interactions pleasant?'
'I find your company satisfactory.' She responded.
'Might I inquire as to the cause of your recent change in behaviour then T'Sar?'
She was silent for a period of 2.3 minutes before she replied. 'I will be 15 R'tas of age on the fourth day of et'khior.' The statement sounded accurate. T'Sar was 7.6 standard months younger than Zybari. He was uncertain as to the importance of the date she specified however. Vulcan's did not celebrate birthdays.
'I am uncertain as to the significance of this T'Sar.' She offered no clarification however and he returned to his grandfather's house none the wiser.
Over the evening meal he shared with his grandfather he attempted to gain further insight. 'Osa'mekh'al, is there significance to the fifteenth anniversary of ones birth in the Vulcan calendar?'
Sarek raised an eyebrow in a gesture not dissimilar to that of his son. 'Why do you ask Zybari?'
'My classmate T'Sar has seemed distressed of late. When I questioned her she informed me that she would soon reach this anniversary.' He paused. 'I do not understand her reaction.'
His grandfather was silent for a period. 'You enjoy T'Sar's company Zybari?'
The question confused him. 'Yes father. I find her company satisfactory.'
'I assume she also finds social interaction with you similarly satisfactory?' Zybari sensed that his grandfather was asking more than he appeared to be.
'She has mentioned this yes.'
His grandfather nodded cryptically but offered no illumination. Zybari contemplated contacting his father. Although perhaps his mother or grandmother would offer more insight?
T'Sar was just as withdrawn the next day and his grandfather was not home when he returned to the estate after his schooling. Zybari considered once more contacting his parents for advice, but was loathe to disturb them in their duties over such a mundane an issue. He resolved instead to seek out his grandmother the next day.
However the following day T'Sar behaved once more in her usual manner. They had an interesting discussion about her ongoing experimentation with her Kolari Orchids over their meal break and she accompanied him and Salan on a walk after their last class.
They had walked for 1.2 hours when she found a specimen of flowering grass she had not previously encountered. Zybari, who had not been born and raised on the planet, had not encountered the particular variety either. They used his tricorder to make readings, comparing it to the planetary botanical database. There was no record of it. With some excitement they took a small sample and made a complete scan.
'It is a new variety. We will be able to name it.' T'Sar sounded about as excited as a Vulcan child would allow themselves to be. Impulsively Zybari grabbed her hand in the way he would have grabbed his sister's or his mother's so he could share his own excitement with her.
Her skin was warm, as warm as his own, and very soft. His fingers closed gently around her hand and he felt the hot blur of her mind travel along his veins and into him. Shock. The moment he registered the sensation he remembered the inappropriateness of his actions. 1.2 seconds had passed. Her eyes had widened by 17% and she was frozen, her body and breath in complete stillness. He felt his own eyes stretch and he released his grip and stepped back.
'Forgive me T'Sar! I did not think…' He was aware that his voice was humiliatingly emotional in his embarrassment.
T'Sar looked down at her hand silently for 7.2 seconds then curled her ring and little finger against her palm so that only her middle and index finger pointed forward. She lifted her arm between them, offering her slim fingers to him in the ozh'esta. Zybari met her dark eyes in shock.
He had only ever observed the gesture between his parents. Curiosity battled with his sense of propriety. Hesitantly he curled his fingers and raised them towards her. Before he had fully made up his mind she reached forward and brushed her fingertips against his. The mental connection was much stronger than the grip of his fingers against her wrist and palm. He gasped and felt her take the same action. He could feel her thoughts brushing against him, like the beating of a thousand wings pushing little eddies of air around him, touching him yet not.
It was a fascinating sensation. Her fingers twisted, slid, and suddenly he could feel not just her mind, but the shape of her thoughts and feelings. He felt a warmth similar to that he felt from his sister, a vague nameless feeling of affection which he felt mirrored within himself. Mutual appreciation for the other's company he supposed and felt her agreement. The most powerful feeling he sensed, one that permeated everything about her was a great wave of curiosity backed by the vastness of a whirring Vulcan intellect. She was intensely curious about him, wished to know and understand him. She deemed it very important.
He did not understand why she felt it so important, but it was not displeasing to know he fascinated her so.
He felt her latch onto his confusion, try to understand it. /I wish to know if we are well suited. It is only logical./ Her thoughts blossomed in his consciousness silently, expressed in a language without words, yet as clear if spoken aloud.
He felt an echo of memories, thoughts from her. They washed over him in a confusing wave. The day she would turn 15, (10.95 standard his brain corrected), when her family were expected to have selected a bondmate for her. A list of names, Sobok's but not his - not Zybari - even though he was clearly the most suited to her. Confusion. Anxiety. The fear her parents would chose the wrong male to bond her to. Then S'haile Sarek in her house. Talking to her parents. Relief.
It was too much – the powerful stream of memory. He pulled his fingers and his mind from her, but remained staring into her eyes.
'We are to be bonded?' he inquired.
She nodded.
Zybari was uncertain what he felt at the revelation. He was aware that by long tradition Vulcans were bonded as children. Depending on their parent's choice, they could be betrothed as young as 6. However given the difficulty in matching suitable pairs with the V'tosh so reduced, it was not unusual for a child to reach T'Sar's age and remain unpromised. He was surprised that her parents had considered him. Owing to her human genetics, his sister was not betrothed and he had not expected to be either. His parents had never discussed it with him and he had never given the concept much thought, but he had felt that it was expected he would most likely bond to a human as his father and grandfather had before him.
That he was to be betrothed was entirely unexpected. He was shocked. And yet. And yet...
'We are well suited to one another.' he remarked aloud. He could not imagine a human female being such pleasing company.
T'Sar gave a tiny Vulcan smile and he could tell his comment pleased her. 'We are.'
He recalled his grandfather's conversation with him the previous evening. Clearly he had sought out T'Sar's family and made an arrangement with them.
'I did not expect to be bonded. Yet I find I am… pleased.' he remarked truthfully.
'As am I.' T'Sar agreed. She gave him her tiny Vulcan smile once more before indicating the flowering grass forgotten at their feet. 'What shall we name our grass sa-kagulsu?' she asked identifying him as her betrothed in the process. She surprised him with her casual use of the term.
He glanced at her and from the lift of her left eyebrow gathered that she was teasing him. They were far too young to be referring to each other in such a manner, accurate or not, and she had done so intentionally to shock him.
'I am uncertain my ameposwa.' he responded evenly using an archaic Swahili term for betrothed. He had not taught her the word and expected that she would look it up as soon as she was parted from him.
He was certain in a contest to use emotive terms for one another to elicit shock, his experiences as the child of an inter-species marriage between two xenolinguistic experts gave him a significant advantage. His father, whilst admirably restrained in public, was decidedly emotional in his conversations with his mother when they were in their quarters. He had long theorised that his father spoke Van-Kal Vuhlkansu with such regularity purely because it offered him anonymity in company and an additional 6 synonyms for 'beloved' over modern Vuhlkansu.
His grandfather joined him for dinner and Zybari was surprised that he made no mention of the arrangement he had come to with T'Sar's family. He supposed that the matter would need to be discussed with his parents however.
The next day during their meal break T'Sar pressed her fingers to his where they lay on the bench beside him. He felt her amusement and excitement. It was gratifying to know that beneath her perfect Vulcan clam and logic, their feelings and emotions were so similar.
A week passed in a pleasant blur. Whenever they were alone T'Sar would press her fingers to his and they would share thoughts and feelings across their fingertips. It grew easier and the connection deeper each day. Zybari found he could read her moods and tiny facial tics with unerring accuracy. He felt an increasing sense of anticipation at what the mind meld and bonding would be like. If sharing thoughts across their fingertips was so fascinating, what must a full mind meld be like? From what his father had told him it would result in something like the familial bonds he had to his father, mother and sister. He looked forward to sharing such a connection with T'Sar.
It was an anticipation she shared.
6 days before T'Sar was to turn 15 in Vulcan reckoning, she was not present at the Academy. It was exceedingly rare for a student to miss a day of schooling. When Zybari noted that Sobok was also absent he came to a logical conclusion that he found emotionally distressing.
He could not sleep that evening and instead spent his rest period meditating before his asenoi.
When he arrived for his morning classes T'Sar did not greet him in her usual fashion. At their meal break she was silent. She did not have to speak for Zybari to understand what had occurred.
He did not let anything he felt be reflected in his voice or face when he finally spoke to her. 'I am sorry.'
In response she quoted Surak. 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few… or the one.'
Her meaning was plan. It was required that she be bonded to a Vulcan, their race needed to be rebuilt. Her family had made the choice they considered best for her, most logical.
'I am part human. It is a logical choice.' he agreed.
'That is so.' she responded.
That part of him that was human felt obligated to offer words of comfort. 'I hope he will prove a satisfactory bondmate.' She gave him a look he did not understand. Hope was an illogical human sentiment.
The subject was not mentioned between them again. They discussed the new grass they had discovered for the remainder of the break period. T'Sar had observed that the flowers opened three hours before the sunset and closed shortly after night fell. They speculated on the type of insects that might possibly be available to provide pollination during that period of the day.
Their friendship changed once more. Zybari was careful to behave in a manner that was acceptable to V'tosh custom. He made no attempts to touch T'Sar or initiate mental contact with her. She still spent significant amounts of her recreational time with him but they no longer visited her house. Her company was just as pleasant as always, but being denied something he had not even desired in the first place had resulted in a discomforting change in his feelings.
At his asenoi, deep in meditation, he realised the feeling was bitterness. It was hot and smouldering in a deep place within him, awaiting the chance to be fanned into flames of anger. Shamefully he attempted to cleanse his katra of it. The situation had been resolved logically. There was no cause for his emotional response. T'Sar's parents had chosen the most suitable bondmate for her. It was illogical to have negative feelings in regards to their decision.
His grandfather watched him closely for a time, and his father made careful inquires during their next three comm calls, but Zybari was able to deal with this first challenge to his emotional control admirably. When his 12th standard birthday arrived he rarely thought of T'Sar's betrothal. She was merely his friend once more.
Both his grandparents were on the planet so his grandmother came to Sarek's estate and shared their evening meal. His grandfather, having been married to a human for many years and long acquainted with Tamu Uhura, was perfectly at ease in her company. Zybari was glad when he insisted that perhaps their grandson was too old to be sung 'Happy Birthday' to however.
He was surprised at the gift he was presented with. It was a handmade ka'athyra. His grandmother had enlisted Sarek's aid in having it constructed and ensuring it was a suitable size. It was not made of the same woods as his father's, those materials were gone with Vulcan, but it had been masterfully carved by a Vulcan craftsman and it fitted in his arms perfectly. His grandfather informed him he would likely outgrow it within 2 standard years. His grandmother remarked she would enjoy gifting him with another when that occurred. She then made comments about 'Uhura men growing like weeds' and him being in need of longer robes.
Shortly after his birthday his parents had three months of accrued leave. They spent a month on New Vulcan then took him with them to Earth to visit both his father's human relatives in Seattle and his mother's in Nairobi. Zybari was slightly dismayed to miss so much school, there was no such thing as 'Christmas holidays' on New Vulcan, but he enjoyed seeing his family once more, even though he found his myriad of human cousins exhausting.
His mother delighted in his much improved skill with the ka'athyra. His father remarked on his highly satisfactory academic results. His sister teased him and hugged him and acted almost as illogically as their human relations, she even insisted on teaching him to swim, an activity he was not entirely comfortable with. He found her presence soothing however. She would reach for his hand and share her almost human emotions with him constantly. It was difficult not to enjoy his exuberant sister's company.
Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy, his wife Lieutenant Gaila McCoy and their daughter Elia joined them briefly in Nairobi at the end of their stay. T'Vai and Elia seemed very pleased to be in one another's company again and Elia even more pleased to make the acquaintance of Zybari's teen-aged cousins. Especially the boys. When he asked after him, Zybari showed the Captain a holo of the now fully grown Salan. He seemed taken aback at how large the Romulan leopard had grown. He asked very quietly if 'Uhura' which was the name he referred to his mother by, had seen his pet recently. When Zybari remarked that she did not seem fond of him, which was illogical as he was an exceedingly satisfactory pet, the Captain had exchanged a look with the Doctor and requested he not bring up Salan again while he was visiting. Zybari did not understand the request but acquiesced.
He left his sister to her studies on Earth and his parents and the McCoys at Space Station 1 in orbit. With Captain Kirk's soon to be finalised promotion to Fleet Captain, his father had finally accepted a promotion to Captain. He would be taking command of the Enterprise as Kirk's relief. The ship was currently in space dock and his parents wished to oversee the final stages of a refit. Zybari made the journey back to New Vulcan in a warp 5 capable passenger shuttle.
As always when he travelled on civilian ships he found the journey slightly unnerving. He disliked not being aware of who the crew were and if they were adequately trained. Despite the fact that the shuttle was bound for the new Vulcan home-world, there were only three Vulcans amongst the 37 passengers. As such Zybari found himself on the receiving end of unwelcome attention. The other passengers seated nearby spent most of the journey sneaking looks at his ears or eyebrows. He ignored their regard. According to his father Vulcans had always been a source of interest to humans and now that there were so few of them, that interest was even more pronounced. Zybari did not find their curiosity itself unpleasant, but the pity and morbid fascination he felt directed in his direction certainly was.
His grandfather awaited him at the Spaceport accompanied by an aide and a driver. After weeks surrounded by his human relations, his calm countenance and logical inquiries were a most welcome relief.
He returned to classes the following morning. He had followed the syllabus from Earth, but still felt he had fallen slightly behind. T'Sar offered him her aid in covering the material that he had missed and accompanied him to his grandfather's estate after their classes concluded. Whilst she was indeed of great help in swiftly making up his lessons, she also spent a great deal of time interrogating him about his trip as they studied. She was eager to hear of his journey as she had never left New Vulcan. It was her favoured topic of conversation for several weeks. She requested detailed accounts of the ships he had travelled in and descriptions of the places on Terra he had visited. When he had at last provided her with an exhaustive account in full, she extended her queries to planets he had visited whilst aboard the Enterprise with his family.
She also expressed especial interest in the exact sensation one felt on a ship as it engaged its warp drive. He attempted to provide accurate answers to her queries but found the last difficult. He could not correctly verbalise the strange shift and twist the body felt on a ship at warp. In this matter he advised her that empirical data would be insufficient and she would need to experience the sensation first hand.
She remarked that she was unlikely to leave the New Vulcan at any time in the foreseeable future. She would complete her schooling and then attend the Science Academy if her aptitude tests were of a high enough standard. By the time she completed a course of study she would most likely be required to marry and then she would need to remain on New Vulcan until she had provided and raised sufficient children for her husband. Couples were being encouraged to have at least three offspring. She estimated at least 35 standard years before she would be at leave to travel and experience the sensation of a ship entering warp first hand. Although her voice betrayed no emotion, her displeasure at the course her life would most likely take seemed plain to Zybari.
Zybari knew it was logical for females to give precedence to repopulating their species over personal interests owing to the precarious position of their race, but he found himself glad he was male and that his sister was considered an unsuitable mate for a Vulcan.
She spent a great deal of time looking at the holos of Nairobi, Seattle and San Francisco he had brought back with him. She even appeared curious of the images of his human relations, though he did not understand why.
It did not take him long to catch up to his classmates in his studies once more and his life fell into the same patterns it had followed prior to his trip with his parents.
When his grandmother was in residence at the Terran Embassy he would spend one evening a week with her. T'Sar would share his meal break with him at the Academy and socialise with him on average three times per week outside of schooling hours and Salan provided company when he walked around his grandfather's estate. His grandfather himself was a steady reassuring presence when he was on the planet, which was most of the time. He turned thirteen standard years age, then fourteen. He outgrew his ka'athyra and his grandmother had a larger one fashioned for him. His parents again took leave and stayed on New Vulcan before visiting Earth. His sister completed her studies at the Terran University she had been attending in England and joined the Federation Diplomatic Corps at 16.4 years of age. Her choice pleased their grandmother exceedingly. Zybari himself thought it logical given his sister's empathetic and friendly nature. She was well suited to such a career.
He grew tall. This pleased his grandmother almost as much as T'Vai joining the Diplomatic Corps. She spoke often of her husband, for whom he had been named, remarking that he would soon be as tall as he. Conversations of Zuberi Uhura left her emotional however, and she would usually fall silent or leave the room shortly after making such observations. His great-grandmother Okosu T'Pau seemed to see the same resemblance since she remarked that she had chosen an apt name for him.
During his fifth year on New Vulcan he came to the conclusion that despite his early inclinations to continue studying at the Science Academy, he would most prefer a career in Starfleet. T'Sar agreed that he would be well suited to such a life. Zybari wondered if she'd been born male instead of female, or human instead of Vulcan, if she herself would have considered enlisting. He did not ask her however, he knew such idle introspection would only offend her.
His sixth and final year at the Shi'Kahr Academy proved quite challenging. He and his classmates focused with great intensity upon completing their schooling. T'Sar studied zenobiology, a field of study that would prove useful in the continued terraforming of New Vulcan, but she continued to study physics, specifically warp thermodynamics and subspace theory for personal enjoyment. Zybari took his father's advice on suitable areas of study pursuant to a career in Starfleet.
He was accepted into the Starfleet Academy before his sixteenth birthday. His mother insisted he defer his placement until then. She said 16 was too young for the San Francisco campus and that 15 was ridiculous. His father would not intervene on his behalf. He was left with a period of 3.2 months until he could depart for Earth. His relatives on Earth invited him to stay with them but he found he preferred to stay on New Vulcan. With T'Sar.
She had also grown taller. She now wore her hair pinned up in elaborate braids and her robes were more decorative as was suitable for the daughter of a pid-kom. A T'Sai in her own right. His friend had grown into an aesthetically pleasing adult. On occasion he found himself thinking of her when he stared into the flame of his asenoi. Such reflection bought him both pleasure but also pain. He recalled perfectly what her mind had felt like when her fingers had been entwined with his. Warm and perfectly Vulcan, a deep whirring spiral of ordered thoughts. The memory of their childish closeness hurt, awoke that ancient bitterness within him.
He endeavoured not to think upon it.
She had tested well. Her scores were slightly higher than his. As expected she had been offered a place at the Science Academy. The prospect did not appear to excite her as his own acceptance to Starfleet Academy - a far less impressive feat - did. She remarked that she would miss his company. He informed her that the sentiment was mutual. Her company was superior..
Her studies at the Science Academy began as soon as she finished at the Sh'Kahr Academy. He saw little of her in his final month upon Vulcan. The day before he was scheduled to leave, the day before his birthday, she visited him in the late afternoon. They walked around the gardens and wilds that surrounded Sarek's estate, Salan loping between them. T'Sar would on occasion let her slender fingers stroke along the cat's grey fur in an absent caress as it walked beside her.
'Salan is more accustomed to you than my grandfather.' Zybari remarked.
'This is so.' she agreed.
'I cannot take him with me to Terra.'
'To do so would be illogical. He would be ill-suited to San Francisco.' Her slight Vulcan accent made the human city sound exotic.
'If you are agreeable, I would leave him in your care.' Zybari said.
T'Sar paused, her head cocking to one side as she considered. 'Yes. That would be agreeable.'
Her acceptance of his pet pleased him more than it had right to do so. It was logical – his cat was far more suited to her lifestyle than his grandfather's and she had demonstrated appreciation for the creature over their acquaintance – but he felt a pleasure at her acceptance that did not seem related to that. He found he liked the idea that Salan would remain beside her even if he did not.
'When does your shuttle depart for Earth Zybari?' she inquired.
'10:07 hours.' he responded.
She nodded. 'I will take my leave from you now then.'
Zybari turned and gave her his full attention. She returned his regard placidly, dark Vulcan eyes revealing nothing. 'Live long and prosper Zyberi.' Her hand raised in the ta'al.
'Peace and long life T'Sar.' he responded.
The exchange seemed inadequate, but beyond peace and a long life, what more could he want for his friend? Happiness he supposed. A human desire.
She left shortly afterwards and Zybari wandered amidst the scrubby trees and red rocks of his adopted home. He encountered a small patch of the flowering grass that he and T'Sar had discovered five years previously. Pla-khru (blue-evening). Impulsively he bent and carefully removed a long stalk laden with the little blue flowers. He stood and twisted it between his fingers. The flowers had no fragrance and were not aesthetically impressive in the manner of a Kolari Orchid or other such specimen, but he found them pleasing.
He was uncertain what do to with the bloom when he returned to his room. After consideration he placed it within the book of musical compositions his grandmother had long ago gifted him with and dismissed it from his thoughts.