Shore Leave

by Damkina

When Ensign T'akasa goes on shore leave to attend a family wedding on Earth, little did she realise that the fates had other ideas for her holiday.

Shore Leave

Series: Deep Space Nine

Pairing: M/F Original Characters

Rating: M (Just in Case)

Disclaimer: The Star Trek Universe does not belong to me, nor do I have any intention of making any money from it so please don't sue, as I'm poor and only have the clothes on my back. I'm just playing in the sandpit and will tidy up when I'm done.

Summery: When Ensign T'akasa goes on shore leave to attend a family wedding on Earth, little did she realise that the fates had other ideas for her holiday.

Almost an hour had passed since hearing the first report of the shuttlecraft accident, and Ensign T'akasa Johnson still could not believe that it had happened. That a technologically advanced shuttlecraft carrying several crewmembers of the USS Romana could crash onto a planet's surface after being hit by, of all things, a lightening bolt. The crew had been extremely lucky that the pilot was so experienced, that there had been no fatalities, and although the casualties injuries were severe, they were not life threatening.

T'akasa continued to stare unseeing at the computer screen for a long while as she thought about the events leading up to the crash. The survey of the planet's previously prohibited ancient city had been a complete success for all the departments concerned.

The inhabitants had only allowed three days for a ground survey with explicit instructions that all crew, without exception, were to be off the site by dusk on the third and the stasis field was to be back in place. The linguistics department that T'akasa was a part of, had already returned to the ship with some of the equipment to carry on their analysis of the ancient language and written texts that were carved on walls, stele, a stone circle and many fist-sized tablets of various materials. The remaining crew had stayed behind to collect the rest of their equipment and to make sure that nothing was left behind to contaminate the site any further. It had been on their return to the ship that the threatening storm had suddenly raged across the valley, catching the small shuttle in a ferocious vortex of wind, rain and lightening.

The doors to the Archaeo-Linguistics Department slid open for a moment, followed by one of the ship's medics almost frog-marching across the room. "Lieutenant Lorak, may I have a word, please?"

Distracted by the interruption, T'akasa looked up from her console in the hope of hearing news of the crash survivors as the harried-looking medic homed in on the department's Vulcan officer. She quickly looked back down at her work so that it didn't appear as though she was eavesdropping on their conversation, though she couldn't help but overhear what was being said.

"Can I help you, Lieutenant?" asked Lorak after only the slightest acknowledgement that he had noticed the nurse's presence.

"As you know, we have Lieutenant Davies in Sickbay. He is not fit to leave, yet he is insisting that he actually goes in person to an archaeological conference on Earth to put forward the initial findings of the current survey," came the almost exasperated answer as they walked into the nearby small office adjoining the main room. "The only way he'll stay put is if we either drug him or you accept his request to go in his place."

Despite being unprepared for such an announcement, Lorak's face remained impassive. "I do not have leave to go to a conference, Lieutenant. I will require the captain's permission and time to collect the appropriate data."

The nurse smiled triumphantly and handed him two data padds. "Already done. You're going. The Federation transport ship will be arriving in about three hours to collect those going to their Stations in the Sol Sector and you are booked on it too"

With the necessary details discussed, Lorak glared at the departing back of the nurse, then down at the data padds in his hand and quickly analysed his own internal reaction to his work being interrupted. Annoyance is an illogical emotion, he thought to himself as he began to plan his preparations. He also accepted that the responsibility Lieutenant Davies had placed on him in attending the conference deserved nothing but his unreserved attention. He needed to pack, inform his staff, three of which where elsewhere on the ship, and familiarise himself with the details of the conference. As an additional precaution, he decided that he would visit Lieutenant Davies in Sickbay to clarify several highlighted comments on the padd he now held. With no one to see him, he gave in to an indulgent sigh as he tugged impatiently at the cuff of his already immaculate teal and black uniform.

T'akasa stopped working and gazed up into the face of the Vulcan lieutenant as Lorak strode out of his office and came to stand in front of the console she was working at.

"Ensign T'akasa, please excuse me, I must leave immediately to prepare for an unexpected conference on Earth."

"Yes, Lieutenant," she murmured softly. "Do you need me to download any additional data?"

"That won't be necessary at the moment. I have already collected what I require, and Lieutenant Davies appears to have been well prepared." He then looked at her as if seeing her for the first time and lifted an eyebrow. "It is lunch time and your shift ended fifteen minutes ago, Ensign. Were you not going to finish your preparations for your own shore leave?"

"My bag is already packed, sir," she answered with a smile on noticing the lifted brow. After working with the Vulcan on a daily basis and then on several archaeological surveys across the sector, she had quickly come to realise that underneath that emotional control was a really considerate, good-looking colleague… very good-looking. You just have to know how to look at a Vulcan and see through the control to the hidden emotions below, she had thought philosophically whilst taking sly glances at him whenever she thought he wasn't looking.

She gestured towards the monitor and told him, "I've just noticed a possible similarity in several other Stone Circles within the Federation and the one that has been unearthed on the planet. I was going to ask if you would give me a second opinion before I left. I'm going to be gone for three weeks and didn't really want to leave it for so long."

Intrigued at what she had found, Lorak nodded once and stepped around the console to look. On realising that she was about to move from her seat to make room for him, the tall, slender Vulcan logically decided that being as it would only be for a moment, she should remain seated and put a hand across her back to rest it on her shoulder and stop her. "You may remain seated Ensign," he murmured as he glanced over her other shoulder and began to read.

With her heart in her throat and her face blushing as she became rather warm, T'akasa was finding it hard to breath normally, especially with his hand still resting on her shoulder and his face just inches away from hers. With her mouth suddenly becoming dry, she tried to swallow and instead was only able to just lick her lips.

The lieutenant lifted a brow and removed his hand as the data and graphic links connected and he quickly leaned closer to bring up further information, which also brought his profile and elegantly pointed ears into her view. It was only at that moment that he noticed her erratic breathing, heightened colour and obvious discomfort. Putting it down to feeling uncertain of her own findings, he told her honestly, "T'akasa, this is fascinating and deserves further study. Would you please download all the information you have collected onto a padd for me to take to the conference."

Delighted with his praise and deliriously happy with how close he was, T'akasa tried to gain some control on the grin that was creeping onto her face. "Thank you, sir," she murmured, turning to look into his chocolate-brown eyes and reaffirming her deepest desire of wanting to kiss his lips raw.

"The acknowledgement of truth and intelligence does not require thanks, T'akasa. It just, is."

Whilst trying to stop their holdalls from swinging in all directions, T'akasa and her cabin-mate, Mariko Sonoe dodged both crewmembers and visiting civilians as they ran down the corridors of the Federation Starship, USS Romana towards the Transporter Room.

The transport ship alongside their port would be leaving in just ten minutes and Mariko had been given belated permission to begin her shore leave early. T'akasa had frantically helped to choose and toss her friend's belongings into a holdall and both young women were excitedly on their way.

Without even slowing down for the Transporter Room doors to slide completely open, with Mariko just a short distance behind, T'akasa ran straight into the back of whomever had walked in before them and had decided to stand between the doors and the transporter pad.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she yelped and reached out to try and catch the back of his uniform as whoever it was, stumbled forward over the large bag at his feet.

The tall, pointed-eared Vulcan quickly got his balance, then turned and glared down at her as he primly straightened his uniform with a firm tug. "Apology accepted, Ensign T'akasa," he acknowledged with a nod of his head.

Even with no emotion showing on his face, T'akasa suspected that she had noticed a slight change in the pitch of his voice. He's annoyed, she decided with an inward cringe. But at that moment, she was unable to think of anything else to say that wouldn't sound like grovelling apologetic babble, and just stood with a face getting redder and redder.

"They're waiting for you," warned the transporter technician. Meaning, get a move on!

"Come on, T'akasa," murmured Mariko. "The beaches and night clubs are waiting for us." The Asian Ensign hitched her bag further onto her shoulder, impatiently skirted around the tall Vulcan and led the way onto the transporter pad beside another waiting, blond-haired lieutenant and dumped her belongings at her feet.

"Eager to start enjoying your selves, I see, Ensign," observed the blond officer with a smile.

Smiling back, Mariko nodded and replied, "Earth. And yourself, sir?"

"Back to Jupiter Station. I'm Lieutenant Connelly."

"Ensign Mariko Sonoe."

Dropping her own bag onto the pad, T'akasa watched Lieutenant Lorak pick up two bags and then stride onto the transporter. Swallowing her embarrassment at almost knocking him to the floor, she enquired, "Did you get time to prepare everything for the conference, sir?"

"Yes," came the blunt reply a moment before the technician bid them farewell and the room faded to nothing as the tingling sensation of the transporter beam took them off the ship.

"Well, that was a bit of a sorry welcome," complained Lieutenant Connelly in distaste as the transport ship's blue Andorian commander almost growled a short welcome before turning to leave when the four of them appeared on his ship. His short antenna moved slightly before almost laying flat against his head… he was obviously annoyed.

"Go and check the cabin allocations listed in the Mess Hall on deck three, we're too busy to deal with you lot at the moment," added the flustered Andorian as he began to march quickly down the corridor.

Lorak raised an eyebrow slightly, then followed a little way after him. "If this ship is having difficulties, it would be wise to inform the Romana and have an engineering team beam over," he suggested. "Or, I am willing to offer any help you may require."

The commander pulled a face before he turned around to look at the loathsome, interfering Vulcan. "Thank you," he muttered, sounding rather ungracious despite the words. "We will be under way momentarily."

T'akasa's spirits sank a little as they watched the grumpy figure slouch down the narrow corridor. "If this is a sign of what the rest of the trip and the crew are like, I dread to think what the next few days have in store for us."

"Only one way to find out," said Mariko with a huge sigh. "Let's go and find our cabins and hope that we're not going to have to share the same deck as him."

Ignoring the sight of the Romana disappearing into the blue-black, star-spangled distance through the small cabin window, T'akasa slung her holdall down onto the utilitarian bottom bunk, sat down beside it and shut her eyes for a moment with a heavy sigh.

"For goodness sake, T'akasa, cheer up. You're supposed to be on shore leave. You're going to your cousin's wedding."

"I've done it again," muttered T'akasa as she began pulling out the crystal-tipped pins that held her elaborately arranged hair in place.

"Done what?" asked the curious Asian ensign whilst beginning to rummage and sort out the jumble of belongings in her bag.

"Lorak! Did you hear the annoyance in his voice?"

Mariko glanced up and thought back to the transporter room of the Romana. "He sounds like he always does. Come to think about it, he sounds like every other Vulcan I've met, as well. Perfectly arrogant!" Not even trying to stop the suspicious grin that had begun to creep onto her face, she then quickly dropped the clothing she had just picked up and added, "Is that what's bothering you? I just didn't realise that the lieutenant meant so much to you."

T'akasa's eyes popped open in outraged embarrassment. "He's a work colleague!" she exclaimed whilst pausing in the process of unravelling her plaits and running her fingers through her hair. The last thing she needed was for Mariko to find out how much she did like the Vulcan lieutenant.

"Rather an emotional outburst for just a work colleague," accused Mariko slyly.

"I might have a Vulcan name, but I'm not a Vulcan and don't have to control my emotions, thank you very much," T'akasa almost snarled.

"But just as good as any Vulcan at evading any questions and conversations you don't like."

"With your furtive imagination, I need to be," muttered T'akasa sullenly as she stopped running her fingers through her hair and reached up a hand to pick at some bits of fluff dangling off the underside of the upper bunk's blanket...

"Anyway, how old is he, exactly?" asked Mariko. "I've read that some Vulcans have lived to be about two-hundred of our years; and some even older, but I can never tell how old they really are."

T'akasa breathed a long-suffering sigh, flopped back on the bed and stared up at the underneath of the top bunk. Nothing she said or didn't say would stop Mariko once she had an idea buzzing round her brain. There was no way she was going to escape this line of questioning easily. "Sixty-two," she murmured.

"That's amazing!" exclaimed Mariko, quite impressed. "If he were human, I'd say he only looked about twenty-five or thirty at the most." She then gasped, "Oh my God! Do you realise that he's older than your dad? He's an old man! How could you fancy someone who's older than your dad?"

Sighing heavily, her friend muttered, "Vulcans don't age in the same way as humans."

"Is he married?" came the next impertinent question after a moment's thoughtful pause.

"Why don't you go and chase Connelly? You get too over-excited about things to have a chance with Lorak," warned T'akasa, trying desperately to be casual about the whole situation.

But Mariko burst out laughing. "It's not for me, silly; it's you that likes Vulcans."

T'akasa decided to ignore her and lay fuming in silence.

"Well?" insisted Mariko a moment later. "Is he?"

"Even though it's none of your business, no, he isn't," snapped T'akasa, now getting really annoyed at her friend's persistently, intrusive gossiping.

For some unfathomable reason, she really liked Mariko, but the same as when they were both on the Romana, she could see that the next few days of gossiping, with no break from the constant suppositions, presumptions and talking was going to drive her crazy. At least on the Romana, I could go to work for a silence break, she thought ungraciously, and Mariko would go and gossip to someone else.

"B-but if he's sixty-two and not married, what about that thing they go through every so often… the pon farr, isn't it called?" asked Mariko with eyes that were now as large as plates and waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "The stories I've heard about Vulcans males and the Pon…"

T'akasa suspected that Mariko hadn't heard hardly anything about a Vulcan male's pon farr and was actually the source of half of the wild rumours circulating amongst some of the crew. But what ever else was going to be said, was interrupted by the chime of the door.

"Yes... it's open!" called T'akasa quickly as her cabin-mate reached out to press the button to open the doors. Mariko bit on her lip in consternation when they opened and found themselves staring up at Lieutenant Lorak.

"Hello, sir," she mumbled as she nervously backed up a couple of steps, finding the stern Vulcan composure very disconcerting. One never really knew if the rumours about Vulcans being able to read a mind from across the room were true and she didn't want him reading hers.

Because of talking about him a moment before, T'akasa stood, quickly drifted her hands over what she presumed was a head of messy hair, straightened her uniform and nodded an embarrassed greeting. "Sir?"

With a padd in hand, Lorak seemed not to notice the discomfort and took one precise step into the room. "Ensign T'akasa, I would be... pleased if you would take the time during your shore leave to re-acquaint yourself with the parameters of this preliminary article, and input any additional information you find of interest that I may not have already included."

Curious as to what he had decided to research, T'akasa smiled as she reached out for the padd and asked, "Is this to be put before the conference delegates, sir?"

"That is not my intention at this moment. It is our personal research project that I intend to put forward for publication upon completion."

T'akasa looked puzzled as the Vulcan officer stood with his hands behind his back, clearly expecting her to read it immediately. "Our research project?" she asked with a smile.

"We're supposed to be on shore leave, sir. That does mean relaxing," interrupted Mariko rudely when she realised that the Vulcan was planning on taking up T'akasa's free time.

"One does not need to be immobile on a beach, or dancing to relax," observed Lorak dryly.

T'akasa chuckled, but Mariko shut up and blushed when she saw the Vulcan's immobile face.

"Yes... all right, sir," T'akasa said as she began what she intended would be just a cursory flick through the padd's data screens. But, "Oh! The Archaeological Connections Of Stone Circles In Federation Space…" She also noticed that he had put her name at the top for making the initial discovery, and was rather pleased. "Very nice," she murmured. She then completely ignored the other two in the room as page after page of data piqued her interest.

"You sure know what bait to throw, sir," Mariko said eventually, when the silent, awkward minutes ticked by and T'akasa still hadn't looked up from her engrossed reading.

Waiting patiently near the door and observing how T'akasa's dark brown hair fell in a ripple of waves cascading down her back, Lorak's eyebrows rose slightly.

"And don't try to look all sweet and innocent, sir," she added rather cheekily.

"It would be illogical for me to do so," Lorak said, at the same time wondering why the young woman had tried to initiate a conversation instead of mumbling rudely and skittishly avoiding him like she usually did.

At that moment, T'akasa looked up from the initial list parameters and switched off the padd. "You said we were leaving this alone until we returned to the Romana," she accused him. "What changed your mind?"

"Your discovery was… too intriguing to delay further study." Although she wasn't laughing out loud at him, Lorak could see the amusement in her eyes and lifted a brow in acknowledgement of the teasing. "As you will have observed, I have included all the data you had accumulated and in addition, added several of my own. Also, I would be… pleased if you would make the time for us to discuss and work on this project together."

"I'd be delighted, on one condition."

"Condition?"

"Yes, if we're both working on this, then we're co-authors and are listed as such or I won't do it."

Lorak nodded in agreement.

"There are a few more sites I'd like to suggest we add, but I need to unpack. I'll continue with it then."

Lorak bowed his head slightly. "And would you both care to join Lieutenant Connelly and me in the Mess Hall at eighteen hundred hours for dinner?"

"Sure... Thank you, sir. You don't mind, do you, Mariko?" T'akasa said, almost as an afterthought.

Mariko didn't really want to spend any time with the boring Vulcan, but smiled and shrugged. "Where else am I going to eat?"

The loud music and voices, sounding more like a funeral dirge in its own death throws went into its repetitive, morbid refrain. T'akasa was unable to listen to anymore of the loud noise and shouting of Mariko's Klingon Opera that she had been playing on and off over the thirty-six hours they had been aboard the transport ship. With a headache of monumental proportions pounding around her temples, she grabbed the padd that Lorak had given her at the beginning of their journey and marched out of the cabin in a fit of temper. A little further down the corridor, she almost slammed her fist on the chime of Lorak and Connelly's door.

"Are you busy, sir?" she asked as the cabin doors slid open a moment later.

Being Vulcan and supposedly in control of his emotions didn't stop Lorak being able to judge some of the more obvious human characteristics. Looking down at the slight stature of the young ensign, he couldn't help but notice the barely contained fury. Her lips were so tightly pressed together that her mouth was just a thin line, her teeth looked to be almost grinding together with the way her jaw kept moving slightly, and her hands were gripping the padd so tightly to her chest that her knuckles were white.

"We're not busy," he replied, wondering why she was so angry, but deciding that she would be better with her own shipmates than venting her anger amongst the strangers on the ship. "Please come in and sit down."

Connelly then looked up from the book he was reading, patted the space next to him on the sofa under the window and said, "We're just about to have a hot drink, T'akasa. Would you like a coffee?"

"Yes, thank you, sir," replied T'akasa without really thinking about the question as she sat down next to him. "We're not on duty, T'akasa," he reminded her kindly. "No uniform, so it's just Paul and Lorak."

"Thank you, Paul."

About to put a sugar in one of the cups that was already poured out on the table, Lorak raised an eyebrow in unfeigned surprise. "T'akasa, you do not drink coffee," he said. "Your exact comment three weeks ago, was, 'It tastes like warm sludge."

T'akasa blinked at the Vulcan's memory of what she had said, and her own idiocy, suddenly realised what she had been asked and muttered, "Oh! Sorry, so I did. No, I don't, do I?"

Snapping his book closed and tossing it onto one of the bunks, Connelly snorted in amusement and said, "I take it she's playing that awful noise that she calls music, again?"

"Yes," replied T'akasa with almost a growl. "And if I didn't already know that she liked it, I'd swear she was playing it just to get me out and have the room to herself."

On noticing how she was rubbing her temples, Lorak guessed that she had a headache and handed her a cup of Vulcan spiced tea. "The blend of Vulcan herbs in the tea will help ease the pain," he told her as he then gave Connelly the coffee that he had already poured from the flasks resting on the small coffee table.

With a wan smile, she sat back into the comfortable sofa and took a sip from the steaming brew.

After pouring another tea for himself, Lorak sat in the armchair opposite the sofa and just held his cup for a moment. His outward composure was hiding his urge to cringe in distaste. The impromptu rendition that Ensign Sonoe had subjected them all to on their first evening had tested both his patience and his hearing to the limit. When he considered it polite, he had taken himself into silent meditation to purge all the unexpected emotions of disgust he held from the encounter. In his opinion, T'akasa, as a human, had been exceptional to stay patient and not say anything to the oblivious, and probably tone deaf Mariko for the last two days.

"What music do you like?" asked Connelly.

T'akasa shrugged. "Various types actually, though I do listen to more of Earth's classical and Vulcan than any other."

Having already heard her mentioning this preference whilst chatting with one of the other crewmembers after their duty shift, Lorak nodded in appreciation. "I concur with your choice."

"You're just biased," said Connelly with a chuckle.

"Of course."

"In that case, Mister. I insist you get that Vulcan harp out of your bag and play a tune to help this young lady relax," said Connelly.

Before Lorak could reply, T'akasa was looking hopefully at the Vulcan, her eyes almost pleading that he would oblige. She had only heard him play and sing once at one of the Romana's concerts, and this was too much of a chance to hear him again to let it slip by. "Please, would you?"

With an inward sigh, Lorak gave in. "Very well. But I must insist that you call it by its given name... a ka'athyra. It may appear similar to a Terran harp, but this one is actually, a ka'athyra."

"In that case, Mister. I insists you get that Vulcan ka'athyra out of your bag and play a few tunes to help this young lady relax," amended Connelly in jovial amusement.

"Excellent!" crooned T'akasa happily as the Vulcan stood, put his tea aside and reached into the cupboard to take out the large sturdy bag that he had nearly fallen over in the Transporter Room.

"Do you have any preference as to what I should play?" Lorak asked, sitting back down with the elegantly carved instrument in his arms and began the process of making sure it was still in tune.

T'akasa didn't even need to consider. "The Voroth Sea, by Solteck?"

Pleased with her choice, Lorak didn't even bother hiding his curiosity and sat for a moment with his arms resting lightly around the lute. "I am intrigued, T'akasa," he admitted. "May I ask how you came to appreciate music by Solteck?"

"As you already know, my Dad's friend is Lieutenant Commander Shanak, who comes from the South Voroth region of Vulcan," explained T'akasa. "It was his wife that delivered me when I was born, and when I was fourteen, my parents took me to Vulcan and we stayed at Shanak's house. His family took us to a concert of Solteck's music."

She paused for a moment and then added thoughtfully, "I suppose that in a way, I've been raised alongside a lot of Vulcan culture due to their friendship and letters."

"Fascinating."

"Yes, it is," agreed Paul. "But are you going to actually play that instrument, or sit tuning and fiddling with it all night?" he asked when Lorak sat strumming a few chords but didn't begin a tune. "We're due to arrive at the Sol Sector in the morning, you know."

With T'akasa attempting not to laugh, Lorak began playing what humans would call a haunting melody, then joined in with the many stanzas of the song. Both totally enraptured, Connelly and T'akasa listened in genuine appreciation of a very good musician. T'akasa was soon relaxed, and her headache had eased enough for her to forget all about Mariko as Lorak's excellent singing voice hit chords that pulled at her soul as his Vulcan beauty warmed her heart.

"Beautiful..." she murmured as the sound of the last chord faded away and Connelly's boisterous applause almost broke the mood. T'akasa belatedly began to clap and couldn't help repeating, "Absolutely beautiful."

As Connelly's clapping came to a stop, he glanced in suspicious curiosity at the young ensign's obvious love-struck expression and wondered in amusement if it was the music or the musician she thought was absolutely beautiful, and also wondered if the emotionally controlled Vulcan had even noticed.

Once again in the fantasy dream world of her own, T'akasa sighed as at least one of them had come true and stared dreamily across the room into the Vulcan's chocolate-brown eyes. "I've never heard it played and sung so well."

Appearing unaware that his cheeks were suddenly a heightened green, what humans would say was a blush, Lorak nodded acknowledgement of her praise, but said, "I think you may be mistaken, but thank you."

With a smile on her face and mischief in her voice, she couldn't help teasing him. "Someone I know once told me that acknowledgement of truth does not need thanks, it just is." She noticed the slightest twitch of his lips as though he was trying to suppress a smile.

"And I concur with their logic," he told her with a raised brow. After a moment's thought, he then added, "If it can be arranged, would you consider travelling to Vulcan before our return to the Romana? There would be time to visit the museum where Soltek's original sheet music and ka'athyra are now kept."

T'akasa was finding it hard to contain her excitement, though she did a commendable job of not leaping out of her seat, breaking all Vulcan protocol and hugging him. "If you can arrange transport, then definitely!" she finally managed.

Just try stopping her, thought Connelly to himself. "Of course she'll go with you, as long as we can have another song." He then asked, "What about you, T'akasa? Do you sing?"

After such a good performance from Lorak, T'akasa shook her head and fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat when she realised that she might not escape easily. "I'd rather not, I'm not very good at it."

"I already know that you speak and sing fluently in Vulcan and English," Lorak said on deciding to return the teasing in kind. "And you can speak several Federation languages. You have an extensive range of songs to choose from."

T'akasa pursed her lips and gave him a challenging glare, at which he just raised an eyebrow, deciding that the old Earth saying of, throwing down the gauntlet was rather apt.

"Come on T'akasa," Connelly encouraged with a smile. "You can't escape from us unless you go back to listening to Mariko's racket in your own cabin. If you sing Danny Boy for me, I'll tell a story of an old, Irish legend." Reluctantly, she finally agreed to sing on condition that Lorak would attempt to teach her to play the lute.

Just over two hours later, whilst Lorak was teaching T'akasa the basics of playing the ka'athyra, Mariko arrived. On seeing the instrument, she exclaimed enthusiastically, "Why didn't you tell me you were having a musical evening? I've downloaded another excellent composition of Klingon songs; shall I go and fetch them?"

There was an immediate, unanimous "NO!" from the room's three occupants.

Wide-awake in her narrow bunk and happily reminiscing of the numerous times Lorak had touched her fingers to show her the exact place to rest her hands on the Lute, T'akasa sighed deeply, plumped up her pillow and turned over again with a wide smile on her face. Even though it had been a few hours ago, she could still feel the heat radiating from his body and was sure she could detect a faint aroma of the sandalwood soap that always drifted around him. At one point, it had taken her all of her self-control to stop herself from turning her head slightly and kissing his ear as he leaned over her shoulder.

Trying to get to sleep after such a wonderful evening was just impossible. She was already used to Mariko's presence, being as she shared quarters with her aboard the Romana, but her excited emotions were giving her the feeling of a thousand fluttering butterflies in her chest. There was also a continuous low-level rattling from somewhere in the room that was getting on her nerves, and annoyingly, it kept interrupting all her pleasant thoughts.

"The maintenance team want their wrists slapping…" mumbled T'akasa on slinging the covers back, getting out of bed and padding across the floor to check where the noise was coming from.

With hardly any furniture in the room and the dim light coming in the window from the hull's guide-light, it didn't take her long to track it down. The grill covers of all starship's integrated air ducts should always be fastened firmly onto the walls or ceiling. This room's duct cover near the top of the opposite wall had, at some time, been removed and not replaced securely.

"Definitely a wrist-slapping offence," decided T'akasa, then quietly placed a chair up to the wall, stood on it and pushed the cover back to make it flush with the wall. "That should do it."

But the rattling continued, only this time it became obvious that it was from inside the air duct. Getting really annoyed, T'akasa pulled off the cover, rested it up against the bottom of the wall at her feet and shoved her hand in to feel around the inside to check for anything that could have come loose.

"What the...?"

Where the air-vent turned left to run immediately alongside the cabin wall, lay what she could only guess was a pile of forgotten hardware and pulled the nearest one out to have a look at what it was. In astonishment, T'akasa gaped at the phaser in her hand. Only partially getting over the shock, she hurriedly reached in to find out what else was hidden. Several more Starfleet registered hand phasers, a phaser rifle and various tricorders emerged. Looking back into the air-vent, a further metallic mound that was just within fingertip's reach lay enticingly along the channel, and how many more lay beyond that and what they were, she couldn't tell.

Apart from wondering how the stash of weapons and hardware had found their way aboard this particular transport ship, every weapon in Starfleet was registered to a person, ship, workstation or the armoury. A civilian transport ship had no lawful right to so many Starfleet registered weapons, to say nothing of hiding them in such an unsuitable and dangerous place as an air-vent.

Quietly putting them back, replacing the cover and getting down off the chair whilst analysing every detail of the trip so far, her imagination and suspicions ran in riotous circles around the ship's crew. Were they keeping weapons in every air-vent on the ship, or just theirs in particular? Where, or more to the point, who were the weapons taken from and where, or who were they being taken to?

Deciding to wake and inform Mariko, T'akasa turned to look at the still sleeping figure as a suspicious little warning voice whispered inside her mind. Realising that Mariko had been the only one to be in the room on her own during the journey, she suddenly felt nauseous at the thought of even suspecting her friend, her own shipmate of being in league with smuggling and maybe selling Starfleet equipment on the black market.

Trying to quiet the terrible seeds of suspicion, T'akasa shook as she moved nearer to their bunks and reached out her arm in order to wake her. She was born in what's now the Demiliterized Zone near the Federation border, and the Cardassians killed her dad, came another unexpected thought. Because Mariko sometimes talked in her sleep, T'akasa had actually heard the sleeping ensign as though in a conversation, to swear an oath of revenge on her father's death, however long it took.

The Demilitarised Zone was a region of space along the border of Federation and Cardassian space, which had been established by a treaty between the two powers. No military ships, outposts or fleet exercises were permitted to enter the zone, and many colonists on both sides found themselves living on the property of the opposite side when the borders were redefined.

Into this fragile peace, Federation colonists, believing that their government had abandoned them and their homes, had joined together to form the Maquis terrorist organisation. They used any ships and hardware they could buy, steal or lay their hands on to fight off the increasing Cardassian infringements.

The Cardassian colonists on the other hand, were secretly being supplied weapons by their own Central Command in an attempt to get the Federation citizens to finally withdraw from the zone. Finding out that their families and homes were now in danger, many Starfleet personnel had left the service in order to go back home to help, unable, or unwilling to carry out their duty to the Federation anymore. Others, as T'akasa now suspected could have stayed in the Fleet in order to help supply the colonists with whatever they could smuggle into the Zone whilst paying lip service to the laws they were breaking.

She pulled her hand back as if she had been stung and sat on her bunk with her hands covering her face in shame, but there was no way she could bring herself to warn the young woman. If Mariko was innocent and just dreaming about the oath, it would hurt no one if she reported the weapons when they reached the first Space Station on the outskirts of the Sol Sector. But, if Mariko was guilty of smuggling to help the raiders striking across the Zone and T'akasa opened her mouth, she would always blame herself for having put the crew on the alert and her other shipmates in danger.

Oh God! Help me! shepleadedsilently. What do I do, and who can I really trust? The only person she totally trusted on the whole ship, who she knew would not lie, was Lieutenant Lorak, as it has always been said, and she believed it completely, that a Vulcan couldn't, or wouldn't lie.

She made her mind up that she would talk to him on his own at some point in the morning and tell him then. The ship would be almost at their destination and Lorak could take command of the situation and inform the authorities. Once she had decided on the proper course of action, T'akasa knew that sleep would continue to elude her as she sat thinking about every little thing that everyone on the ship had said and done that could be construed as guilty. Quickly getting dressed and running a brush through her hair in case she bumped into anyone, T'akasa grabbed the tea flask that was resting on the small table and made her way to the Mess Hall to refill it.

Stepping through the Mess Hall doors, T'akasa stopped in her tracks in surprise and then relief on seeing Lorak sitting at one of the tables with a padd in one hand and a cup in the other. Of all the people… Thank goodness!

When he glanced up to see who had entered the room, Lorak lifted an eyebrow slightly and nodded acknowledgement when she said hello. He then watched her with no small amount of curiosity as she hurriedly collected a fresh flask of tea from the drinks dispenser, intrigued as to why she couldn't sleep and was wandering round the ship. Deciding to delay her departure, he lifted his cup of tea slightly in her direction and asked, "Would you care to join me, T'akasa?"

Taking the hint, T'akasa smiled and shoved the flask under her arm, pushed her credit disc back in the slot and ordered two cups of English Breakfast tea. Sitting down at the small table across from him, she noticed that a plate containing the remains of a half-eaten snack was pushed aside and four data padds were stacked neatly in front of him. "Making last minute checks on your conference speech?" she asked him when he put the padd down on top of the pile, moved them aside and picked up the fresh cup of tea.

"I have been analysing the data you added to our project earlier today," answered Lorak as he put his cup down again. "May I ask why it is-"

"Not finished?" interrupted T'akasa in annoyance. "It's not finished because that's what I was working on when I came to your cabin earlier this evening."

Wondering if the ignorant ensign was the reason why T'akasa was still awake and acting so out of character and angry, Lorak scowled slightly on hearing this and demanded quietly, "Is Ensign Sonoe still playing her… music?"

Suddenly feeling nauseous, T'akasa swallowed audibly, closed her eyes for a moment before reaching for her cup of tea and drank it all down without pausing for breath. Still needing another drink, she clumsily got to her feet and fetched herself another from the replicator.

Registering the distress and her tired, shadowed eyes and knowing instinctively that something was wrong, Lorak quickly turned in his seat as she headed across the room and asked in concern, "Are you ill, T'akasa?"

T'akasa turned to look at him and shook her head, then quickly turned to try and compose herself as she got another cup of tea.

Only when she was sat back down did she look across the table into his eyes, hoping that all her instincts about him were correct, but unable to decide how to broach the subject. "I haven't slept, sir," she murmured. Still trying to fathom out whether Mariko had anything to do with the hidden weapons and if she should tell Lorak, T'akasa sighed heavily in indecision. She rubbed her fingers over her temples for a moment and then announced, "Lieutenant, I think we're in trouble, or at least; I think that this crew is up to no good."

Already on the alert when she formally used his rank, Lorak's eyebrows lifted for a second, but he quickly masked his surprise. Despite no one else being in the room, he leaned closer to her and listened in silence as the young ensign reported her discovery of the hidden weapons.

"But the questions I've kept asking myself," admitted T'akasa, "are, who did they belong to, how could the crew have acquired so many and got them onto a transport ship, and who are the weapons going to be delivered to? It's made me very reluctant about reporting it to the captain."

"Did you scan the wall with a tricorder for an exact amount?" asked Lorak quietly.

T'akasa shook her head and looked at the tabletop for a moment. She then confessed her shameful suspicions about Mariko and her oath, expecting the Vulcan to immediately refute her accusations. "I didn't dare; she sleeps heavily, but she might have heard the noise."

After clasping his hands together and silently contemplating the problem for a moment, Lorak finally had to admit that she was right. "I would not usually condone subterfuge, Ensign, but in this instant, I must concur with your logic. Although I am able to send and break coded messages on the Romana, at this time it would be illogical of us to attempt a communication with any ship in the vicinity, as communications may be monitored and the sensors on the bridge would locate the signal's source."

"What do we do now, sir?" T'akasa asked whilst getting over the surprisingly high praise from a Vulcan, and trying to convince herself of Mariko's innocence.

"Ensign Sonoe will be joining us for breakfast at some point in the morning, will she not?"

"Er... yes, sir."

"For now, we will have another tea," he said as he suited actions to words and refilled their cups from T'akasa's flask. "I then think it appropriate that we take the long route back to our own cabins. The only thing we can do is to discover if there are any more hidden weapons, keep watch on both Mariko and the rest of the crew until we arrive at the Federation outpost of the Sol Sector. Security can then be informed. At this moment it would be illogical to do anything else as we are outnumbered. It may be possible to discover from where the weapons have been taken once the registration numbers are cross-referenced."

Unable to think of anything else they could do, T'akasa murmured, "Yes, Lieutenant."

Not very impressed with his own conclusion and being unable to inform anyone off ship because of the possibility of his transmission being intercepted before help arrived, Lorak folded his arms across his chest and permitted himself a small sigh in resignation. The fact that he would also have to listen to the comments of the excitable young woman of questionable loyalty in the morning illogically annoyed him.

T'akasa didn't miss the sigh, or the subtle tone of annoyance at having to spend a few more hours in Mariko's gossiping company. Glad to have unburdened herself and shared the problem, she peeped at him from over the brim of her cup. She quickly suppressed as smile as she took a sip of her tea and then murmured, "And I thought that you didn't condone subterfuge, sir."

Straight faced, Lorak turned to look at her in curiosity. He could see it in her eyes that she was teasing him, again, but he also realised in that very moment that under his near perfect control, he was secretly enjoying it. Such illogical behaviour, he thought to himself when he suddenly realised that he had been subconsciously desiring and repeatedly encouraging her into his company for various reasons over the last weeks. Lieutenant Connelly's comment of the evening being, 'T'akasa blushes prettily for you, Lorak, old boy, doesn't she?' came to mind.

The first inkling of suspicion began to edge into his thoughts, making him shut his eyes for a moment in acceptance of the inevitable. He was in the early stages of approaching that time again when the pon farr would eventually overtake any rational thought. Lorak was relieved that the conference would be commencing in just two standard Earth days, would last approximately three days and then he could go home to Vulcan. He decided that the logical thing to do would be to postpone his return to the Romana for the next month until the plak tow had been purged… one way or another.

"Lieutenant?"

Lorak quickly took a sip of his tea and looked back at T'akasa's worried face. He desired her; he would admit that, it would be illogical not to do so. Would she even consider, or accept my declaration of koon-ut so'lik? Would her human body be able to cope with what the pon farr would do to her?

"Lieutenant Lorak?" repeated T'akasa urgently.

Hurriedly bringing his illogical thoughts back were they belonged, Lorak murmured, "Please forgive me," then stopped when his attention was caught by the view through the window. The perimeter of the yellow-white flashes of a huge plasma field against the blackness of space took up the whole width of the safety glass. He knew immediately that the ship hadn't been heading towards the Sol Sector, and that they were going in the opposite direction, right into the Federation-Cardassian Demiliterized Zone.

Putting aside his initial fear of not getting home in order to keep practical and logical, he said quietly, "T'akasa, it appears that our questions are about to be answered."

Puzzled, T'akasa turned to look at what had caught his attention. Lorak quickly grabbed and held onto her arm before she could jump out of her seat and spill her tea over everything. "Calm yourself, Ensign," he warned her.

"Is-is that the Badlands Plasma Field?" she murmured in disbelief.

"Yes. We are nearing the Demiliterized Zone."

T'akasa turned to look back at Lorak with frightened eyes and hoped that he would tell her otherwise. "What do you recommend we do now, sir?"

"First, we must locate Lieutenant Connelly and..."

The doors slid open and two of the Yukon's crewmembers stepped into the room and pointed phasers at them both. "Shore leave's over, for now," announced the young Bajoran woman as she strode nearer. "Put your hands on the table in plain view and stand."

Lorak stayed where he was and asked, "Are you Maquis?"

"Just get up and put your hands on the table."

Inwardly trying to work passed the logically indignant emotion at finding himself in such a situation, Lorak moved a little quicker than he intended and knew instantly that he'd made a fatal error. As the nervous young female pressed the trigger and the blue-phased beam came crackling towards him, Lorak's logical Vulcan mind catalogued the weapon as an illegal prototype nerve disrupter.

With every part of his body burning up in agony, Lorak never knew if he was screaming aloud or if his voice was echoing chaotically around his own mind. He couldn't see, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but feel the pain as it exploded across his nerve endings. In what seemed like an eternity, a sudden additional sharp pain to the back of his head sent him falling into blessed oblivion.

Having never seen the weapon before, T'akasa had gasped in horrified disbelief and leapt to her feet as the sparks of the blue electrically charged currents covered Lorak from head to toe. He yelled once in obvious agony and held his fists up to his face, but when she reached out to help, her fingertips were burned as a spark shot towards her. She could do nothing for him but watch as his tortured body staggered back a couple of steps, then fell heavily, cracking his head on a nearby table with a sickening thud before he hit the floor.

Within seconds, the sparks had gone and T'akasa was on her knees and checking him over, ignoring the beginnings of a confrontation between the two crew because the hostages had to appear unarmed to Starfleet. It was with relief that she saw Lorak still breathing, but then she noticed his green Vulcan blood trickling from a gash along the side of his head. She shouted for someone to get a doctor at the same time as her mind kept repeating for her to stay calm… Think T'akasa, think! Triage… A, B, C… Airway, it's not blocked. Breathing, that appears normal. Circulation…there's so much blood! Just stay calm… the doctor will soon be here.

"There isn't a doctor on board," came a voice from over her shoulder as someone ripped her phaser from its place at her waist.

T'akasa bit her lip in concentration, only then noticing that the tips of Lorak's fingers were also burnt. "Then get me a Med-Kit and a medical tri-corder," she shouted angrily at who ever it was.

Even as her mind recalled her father's warning, "You do not touch Vulcans. It goes against every Vulcan protocol," T'akasa knew she had no choice but to try and treat him herself and murmured, "I'm really sorry about this, Lorak, but I must break protocol. Keep taking deep breaths, you're going to be all right."I hope, she thought to herself in desperation. She carefully rested one hand against the side of his head and held a wad of table napkins against the wound with the other; quite unaware that she was gently brushing her thumb against the synaptic points of his temple.

She tried to ignore the additional babble of both bewildered and angry voices going on around the room as more people entered, but one stood out from the rest that she couldn't ignore.

"You promised me that she would be kept out of it!"

Her suspicions confirmed; T'akasa took a quick glance at Mariko, who was stood belligerently holding a phaser as she glared angrily at the Andorian commander. It was now obvious that her shipmate was a member of the Yukon's crew and a traitor.

Realising she was being watched, Mariko strode over and crouched down. "How is he?" she asked.

"What do you think?" snapped T'akasa angrily. "He isn't going to be getting up to do a jig anytime soon."

"I'm just so sorry it was you that got caught up in it, T'akasa," began Mariko sadly, but was quickly interrupted.

"It isn't only me you should be apologising to," snapped T'akasa angrily. "You're going to start a war if you carry on with this stupidity. It's Lorak that got hurt this time, Mariko. Lorak…one of your own shipmates. Who will be next, me? And what have you done with Lieutenant Connelly?"

Mariko looked down at the injured Vulcan. "He's breathing… he's safe, but you have to understand," she reasoned forcefully, "we didn't betray the Federation, the Federation. The Federation is betraying us by signing our homes away to the Cardassians!"

"It was a peace treaty that was signed by both sides, in which both sides gained and lost territory!"

"It wasn't signed by the Colonists, and it's our families that are losing their homes."

T'akasa now knew that her crewmate had been lying to her for a long time. "Mariko… if you haven't got a basic knowledge of Vulcan medicine or a Med-Kit on hand, get out of my sight. At the moment I can't stand being near you." She then ignored the young ensign completely and carried on taking care of Lorak, hoping that someone would hurry up with the medical kit and that she would be able to treat him. As for the rest… Oh God! I wish there were a doctor on onboard, she thought frantically.

The shame of betraying her own friend and shipmates weighed heavily on Mariko's heart, but she had reasoned that desperate times called for desperate measures and she had had her orders. After the Federation had abandoned her family and the Cardassians had killed her father, Mariko had decided to turn her back on Starfleet. Before she left, she had spent months taking as much hardware and supplies that she thought the Fleet owed the colonists. But although she was sorry for her actions towards T'akasa, Lorak and Connelly and however many disagreed with her actions, she believed that the colonists and the Maquis were in the right and had the right to defend themselves. She sighed despondently and left the mess hall to carry on with her assigned duties.

Finally getting hold of the tri-corder and an assortment of medical instruments, a list of half a dozen ailments appeared on the information panel, only three of which T'akasa knew how to treat.

"Two millilitres of Cordrazine," read T'akasa and timidly picked up the hypo-spray. She had never used a hypo-spray on an actual person in her life, but she had no choice. "I can deal with that," she whispered. Taking a deep, careful breath, she pressed the medicine into Lorak's neck in the hope that it would work immediately. When there was no change and the tri-corder registered no drug being injected, she turned to the two guards who had been left to keep an eye on her and demanded, "Do you have any other medical-kits and Vulcan medicine on board? These canisters are empty."

"Yes… some."

"Bring whatever you've got."

"I'll have to check with…"

T'akasa finally lost all patience and threw the empty hypo-spray at her before she had even finished the sentence. "Get it now, or he's not going to survive long enough for you to check anything!" she shouted.

The furious woman huffed, muttered something to her comrade and strode through the door.

With the medicine now coursing through Lorak's system, the gash on his head and some of the burns repaired, T'akasa glanced up for a second as someone knelt on the other side of the unconscious Vulcan with a bundle of blankets in his arms.

"Lieutenant Connelly!" she gasped in relief, at the same time noticing his cut lip and the beginnings of what could turn out to be a substantial bruise across his cheekbone. "You've been injured, sir."

"It'll mend," Connelly answered with a wan smile, then wished he hadn't when the skin on his lip opened and began bleeding again. He yelped and held his hand over his mouth for a moment. "I just didn't take kindly to finding myself a hostage en route into the Badlands Plasma Field." He then took the tri-corder from her to check Lorak by sight and by the reading the panels for himself as T'akasa picked up and then partly covered the Vulcan with the blankets.

"Damn!" murmured Connelly on seeing the readout on the small screen. "He's in a pretty bad way," he commented sadly.

"I've been doing what I can for him, sir," murmured T'akasa, almost as an apology for not being able to do more. "But I've only done the basic First Aid and Triage course. It doesn't prepare you for anything like this."

"You're doing fine, Ensign. Keep going," ordered Connelly and handed the tricorder back into her capable hands.

"We really need to get his jacket and shirt off to reach the burns on his chest and back, but because of the head injury I would strongly recommend not moving him, sir," T'akasa suggested rather timidly. "So instead I thought of opening his jacket and cutting straight up the centre of his shirt."

"Good thinking, Ensign."

After undoing Lorak's jacket, Connelly grabbed a set of powered scissors from the Med-Kit and quickly sliced through the soft fabric to expose the burnt skin below. "Sorry about your shirt, Lorak, old boy," he muttered. "I promise to replace it, but the needs of the one, outweigh the needs of a shirt."

T'akasa snorted ungraciously at the lieutenant's misuse of the old Vulcan phrase, then proceeded to gently treat the burnt skin. It was only as the young woman lifted his hand and began to treat the Vulcan's minor burns on his fingers, that she was able to stop running on adrenaline and calm down enough to appreciate the feel of actually touching his surprisingly soft skin and long, slender fingers.

Mesmerised, she sighed softly as she drifted her own fingers across his palm and then across the back of his hand, taking the opportunity for a really good look at his skin. Suddenly realising what she was doing, she blushed and coughed before asking quickly, "Do you know what they're going to do to us, sir?"

After noticing the expression of wonder on the young ensign's face as she stroked Lorak's hand, Connelly began another careful check of his head injury and murmured, "Apparently, they're hoping to exchange us for Maquis prisoners that got caught after taking a GulDukat hostage from Deep Space Nine. In reality, I can't see it happening myself and I think that we're just going to be used to make the Federation notice the plight of the Colonists."

"All with the help of my dear friend, Mariko?"

Connelly gave her an understanding glance. "Don't worry Ensign, no one else suspected her either. Anyway, how are you bearing up?" he then asked her in concern.

"I-I'm all right, sir," came her unenthusiastic, toneless reply.

Watching T'akasa and Lorak together over the last couple of days, and how she was behaving now, Connelly could only begin to imagine what the young ensign must be feeling at that moment. "Talk to him, T'akasa. Don't just go through the medical procedures. He needs to hear your voice."

T'akasa looked up at the Lieutenant as understanding dawned on her. He knew how she felt about Lorak. "I…I…" She blinked and looked away.

"Care deeply about him, I know," said Connelly softly.

The ship's sirens suddenly began their deafening alarm, and over the comm system the urgent warning of a Cardassian ship on an intercept course was announced.

T'akasa and Connelly looked at each other and then down at Lorak. "I don't believe this is happening," moaned T'akasa. "What more can go wrong?"

"They must have been hidden in the Badlands," snapped one of their guards angrily to his comrade.

"We'd better go to the bridge," the other said whilst heading towards the doors.

Connelly was on his feet in an instant, just as the Cardassians got within range and sent the first volley of phaser fire into the ship's hull, sending shudders across all the decks. "If you're going to leave us here, give us back our phasers in case the ship gets boarded. At least give us a chance to defend ourselves," he shouted, staggering to one side as the ship was jolted.

The guard nearest the door picked up their weapons from off a table and tossed them over to Connelly. "Are you an engineer or tactical officer, by any chance?" he asked.

"Tactical."

"You're drafted. Come with us."

Bending down to give T'akasa her phaser, Connelly patted her on the shoulder in encouragement. "Take this, at the moment I don't think we're going to get out of this with negotiations."

"Yes, sir."

Connelly knew it was the first time she had ever been in real combat and that she would be terrified. But seeing the look of dread on the face of the young ensign, which she was desperately trying to hide, the Lieutenant added, "T'akasa, you're a Starfleet officer and you'll cope, I've got every confidence in you. Stay here and do whatever else you can for Lorak and any other casualties that might make their way here."

He gave her a quick smile, stood up and hurried out.

As the Yukon ducked and dived in and out of the nebula in an attempt to evade the pursuing Cardassians, T'akasa quickly realised that the ship's weapons had been recently modified with more firepower. She glanced out of the window in disbelief as four sleek lights headed out towards their target from the weapons array. "Torpedoes on a transport ship? Where did they get torpedoes from?"

But the Cardassian ship was just as well equipped, and within seconds, another volley of weapons-fire was heading towards them. The shields were obviously beginning to break down as explosions could be heard from somewhere else on the ship.

At first she tried to ignore what was happening outside the room and carried on treating Lorak. But some time later, with a gut-wrenching terror at what she knew was about to follow, T'akasa slowly turned to stare in a moment's shock as the sound of voices and running feet along the corridor got nearer and louder. With perspiration beading her skin, she tremblingly reached out, picked up her phaser and somehow found the strength to rip the nearby table from its base and onto its side to protect Lorak and herself from weapons-fire. All the time she kept whispering to herself, "I don't want to do this, please don't make me do this…"

The first of the Yukon crew burst through the doors, followed by what felt like a lifetime's re-enactment of sheer hell. Shouts and orders could be heard above the sound of phasers and pieces of the deck and walls exploding. With steam escaping from a ruptured pipe and drifting across the wreckage, the body count continued to rise as the Cardassians slowly began to gain the upper hand, and entrance into the Mess.

Knowing that if she died, Lorak would have no one else to care or continue to defend him, T'akasa fought alongside her captors, making every shot count in order to survive.

"The Federation!" came a sudden relieved shout.

She had just enough warning to duck and mutter, "About time," and then shoot once more before the huge, awe-inspiring under-belly of a Federation starship's hull sailed passed the windows and the familiar skin-tingling feel of a transport scrambling her molecules took hold. What the young ensign didn't expect was to be transported straight into what was obviously the ship's brig alongside the startled Yukon crew, who didn't waste any time in voicing their objections about their imprisonment and lack of weapons.

Lorak! Connelly! Where are they? thought T'akasa in panic when she couldn't see either of them in the holding cell. T'akasa pushed her way through the group of people, only to find that neither of them was in there with her. She could only hope that they had both survived and had been transported aboard as well.

Within a very short space of time, T'akasa couldn't help but smirk vindictively at the obvious idiocy of the other prisoners. Their weapons had been confiscated during transport and the two security officers were completely ignoring the vulgarities that were being yelled at them. She also knew that they had would have had orders not to talk or answer any of the prisoner's questions without the say-so from further up the command ladder.

T'akasa resigned herself to the fact that it would also be a waste of her own time trying to explain that she was a hostage and innocent. She sat down on the floor of the cell with her back against the wall and crossed her legs, rested her hands in her lap and shut her eyes.

We're probably going to be here for a while, she decided practically, so I might as well get comfy. With thoughts of home emerging in her mind's eye, she imagined that she could feel the cooler atmosphere of Earth as the early morning mist drifted through the ancient Stone Circle across the valley from her grandparent's farm. The grass had the dark green mottled hue under the wisps threading around the high banks and ditches surrounding the stones, and in the distance she could hear the cows as her uncle herded them into the shed for the morning milking.

Waiting in the centre of the circle, she smiled as Lorak paused for a moment at the entrance stones before strolling towards her…

In her relaxed frame of mind, almost half-an-hour had passed without her even noticing. It was the sudden announcement outside the cell that caught her attention.

"I am Commander Shanak of the science vessel; Aldebaran", he told the prisoners formally. "Where is Ensign Johnson?"

The Aldebaran? With a sigh of relief, T'akasa opened her eyes and then quickly stood up on seeing her father's friend actually looking down at her. "I am here, Commander Shanak, sir," she said formerly as she edged her way to the front of the cell.

The Commander nodded once to one of the security team, who calmly readied themselves for any escape attempt as the force field was lowered just long enough for T'akasa to step across the thresh-hold.

"You've no right holding us here!" someone shouted as the force field crackled back into place. "We're Federation citizens!"

Refusing to be drawn into the human's emotional tirade when the dialogue turned into abuse, Shanak quickly ushered the young ensign into the corridor. "We are… pleased with your safe return, T'akasa. Do you require any medical assistance?" he asked as they hurried along the corridor towards the turbolift.

"No, thank you, sir," she answered whilst wondering where they were going. "But I must ask, do you know where my ship-mates are; Lieutenants Lorak and Connelly?" With a bitter taste in her mouth, she added, "And Ensign Sonoe?"

Blunt as every other Vulcan, as they stepped into the lift, Shanak told her straight. "Ensign Sonoe is dead. Computer, Deck Six. We are going to sickbay… Lieutenant Connelly is dying. He is asking to speak to you."

With a sharp intake of breath, T'akasa vindictively added even more crimes onto Mariko's traitorous shoulders, even though she was already past paying for them. "And Lorak?" she whispered with dread.

"Will survive, but in what condition we have yet to ascertain."

"Have our families been informed of our rescue?"

"We are awaiting their replies. However, due to the circumstances, we are now on course to Vulcan, not Earth."

T'akasa nodded once in understanding and relief, knowing that Lorak would be better off on Vulcan. "I'm glad. But, may I ask how you knew where to find us, sir?" T'akasa asked as they stepped out of the turbolift on the upper deck and hurried to Sickbay a little further down the corridor.

"Sending a ransom demand across sub-space for three Starfleet officers on a ship with a half-hidden warp signature before arriving at the Maquis hideout was most illogical," answered the Vulcan. His voice sounded most derogatory and he had a strange look on his face that was reminiscent of smugness. Hardly noticeable to most humans, but because T'akasa had a vague idea of some Vulcan expressions, she couldn't help but notice.

"Sir, if you don't mind my saying so," she commented with a little smile, "I'll give thanks for their illogic!"

The Vulcan face was void of any outward show of emotion, though she suspected that she could see amused warmth in his eyes. I'm doing it again! she thought with a sigh. Analyzing Vulcans!

Resisting the temptation to hurry straight to Lorak's bedside and stare as a Vulcan medic continued a silent mind-meld on the still unconscious lieutenant, T'akasa paused for just a moment before moving towards the next bed.

Suddenly noticing the faint lingering smell of burnt flesh and cloth almost made her vomit. In horror, she clasped a hand to her mouth and stopped in her tracks. A blanket was covering most of his body, but nothing could hide Connelly's scorched head and arms. The only signs that he was still alive was his chest moving as he took shallow breaths, and his beautiful white-blond hair was all but gone or burnt… only small tufts stuck out from the damaged skin. "Is he in pain?" she whispered as tears welled in her eyes. "Can he feel it?"

Recognising and acknowledging the reaction to shock, Shanak quickly gripped her arm before she stumbled, then gently manoeuvred her closer to the bed before releasing her. "The drugs are repressing any discomfort and keeping him awake just long enough to be able to speak to you, as he requested." Then after a moment's pause, he took two precise steps away and added, "You do not have much time."

Almost reeling from the injustice of it, T'akasa reached out and laid a gentle hand on Connelly's undamaged one in reassurance. "Paul," she murmured softly. "Can you hear me?"

His eyelids fluttered and then opened so that his blue eyes could look into her face. "T'akasa?" came a hoarse whisper from his parched lips.

"Yes, Paul I'm here."

The beginnings of a slight smile appeared for just a moment. "So proud… of you," he murmured.

Blinking back her tears as the dying man tried weakly to grip onto her hand, T'akasa took his into both her own and cradled it gently. "Thank you, sir. You did a wonderful job yourself."

"Lorak-"

"He's alive and in the next bed," interrupted T'akasa, quickly deciding that lengthily details were unnecessary. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

As his eyes closed and the seconds slipped by, his breathing became more laboured and she thought that he wouldn't ever speak again, but then, "Sing… Danny Boy."

With a deep, shuddering breath and memories of singing the lovely, but sad song for him during the previous evening, T'akasa held back her tears, ignored the curious glances of the medical crew that were on duty and began to sing.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling

From glen to glen, and down the mountain side

The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying

'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.

But come ye back when summer's in the meadow

Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow

'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow

Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

Into the second verse, Lieutenant Paul Connelly silently took his last breath. Ignoring the surrounding bleeps of the scanners and a medic arriving to confirm the time of death, T'akasa gently laid Paul's hand down and carried on to the end of the song… just loud enough for Lorak to hear too… if he could. Fighting the urge to let her tears flow and run from the room, she glanced at Shanak whilst taking deep breaths before moving across to Lorak's bed. The doctor who was treating him had paused, looked at her for a moment and waited patiently for the questions he expected her to ask.

T'akasa gazed down on Lorak's face and thought how much he looked as though he was just in normal sleep, and she just managed to stop herself from reaching out a hand and breaking Vulcan protocol by touching him in front of other people. Instead, she swallowed the heartbroken lump in her throat and asked, "Do you know when he'll wake up?"

"Not as yet, Ensign," replied the doctor, obviously reluctant to explain too much about Lorak's symptoms. "Your initial treatment of the lieutenant's physical injuries was exemplary and is what kept him alive. However, we are now awaiting information regarding the neural-phaser's schematics and the identity of weapon's inventor." The doctor looked searchingly at her in the hope that she had any information that might help him treat his patient.

"I can't help you, Doctor, I've never seen the weapon before today," she admitted sadly, then asked, "Can he hear us talking?"

"There are no signs that he is aware of anything or anyone."

On hearing the poor prognosis, T'akasa leaned close to Lorak's pointed ear and talked to him softly, "I hope you can hear me, Lorak. I'm very much looking forward to hearing you play your ka'athyra and sing The Voroth Sea for me again, as I've never heard it sung so beautifully." She then smiled and added, "And logically, you're in no fit state to disagree with me, this time. You must now get well so that you can carry on teaching me how to play the ka'athyra, and then take me on that trip to see Solteck's sheet music at the Vulcan Museum you promised."

She was oblivious to the silent glances between Shanak and the doctor, as well as the fact that her behaviour and words may have just answered at least one of the several puzzling questions regarding Lorak's symptoms. They walked a little further away to discuss the situation as T'akasa continued to talk as though the Vulcan lieutenant could hear her every word.

Intrigued though he was at what was obviously going far beyond shon-ha'lock, Shanak had his duty to complete and questions needing answers. Before the grief she was trying to control had its release, the young woman also had to put her duty first too.

"Ensign Johnson, I must now request that you accompany me to the preliminary enquiry regarding the attack," he announced courteously as soon as it looked as though she had some semblance of control.

T'akasa had been expecting as much and answered, formerly, "Yes, of course, Commander Shanak."

For the computer records and the two officers sat at the table with her, T'akasa announced her name, rank and Starfleet number, and then went on to describe and answer their questions about all that had happened over the last three days. Despite not seeing Commander Shanak since she was fourteen years old, she found that she still liked him. But the female captain T'Ven, appeared aloof, even for a Vulcan. Feeling challenged by her attitude, T'akasa stayed calm, focussed and met her eyes straight on without succumbing to her tears or any show of nervous stammering.

Eventually, the captain silently reread the information on the data padd that had been downloaded into the written word by the computer, and then looked up at her. "Ensign Johnson, before he died, Lieutenant Connelly permitted a mind-meld in order that Starfleet would have an accurate account of events from his perspective."

T'akasa looked back at the aloof female, her gaze never faltering. She knew exactly where the statement was heading. "And you want me to agree to a mind-meld as well, Captain?"

"Yes," answered T'Ven without preamble, "although I do not have the power to force you, and I have no doubt that everything you have described is accurate. I will understand if you wish to refuse; however, a small detail that seems inconsequential on the surface may not be, as it first appears and may be of the utmost importance when I report to Starfleet. In addition, it is more accurate than verbal dialogue," she added.

"Yes, ma'am, I know."

Having someone sifting through her thoughts was the last thing T'akasa wanted, but she also wanted it all over and done with as soon as possible. "Very well," she muttered, regretting her reply as soon as the words slipped from her lips.

Illogically gratified that the young ensign had pointed out the solution herself, and had then agreed to the meld that the captain had asked him to perform if she permitted, Shanak turned his chair to face her own. He then edged himself forward slightly so that his knees were alongside hers. "Try to relax, T'akasa," he said quietly when he noticed her erratic breathing. "I will only observe the recent events… your personal thoughts will remain your own."

As the commander then reached out a hand and touched her face with his fingers at the synaptic points of temple, sinuses and then his thumb under her chin, T'akasa took deep breaths to try and calm her nerves and shut her eyes.

"My mind to your mind," he whispered, moving his fingers just a fraction to settle them into the exact place they needed to be. "My thoughts to your thoughts."

She didn't feel any pain, but T'akasa felt a sudden, instinctual urge to pull away in panic as Shanak's intrusive presence and thoughts became apparent in her mind. Her eyes popped open in surprise and the commander quickly put his other hand at the back of her head to hold her still.

Relax and be calm, came the commander's soothing voice through the meld. Relax and remember.

T'akasa quickly became physically relaxed as Shanak carefully sifted through, categorised and related aloud the events in her mind and the odd small detail that the ensign had missed. But, her emotional feelings of the journey could not be subdued… her joy and happiness regarding the musical evening, her surprise at the discovery of the weapons, her suspicions of Mariko, and then the horror, anger and anguish for Lorak and Paul accompanied her through it all.

Finally easing her thoughts gently back to the present, Shanak had to admit to himself that he was surprised with this particular human mind. Despite the usual expected waves of emotions that all humans possessed and couldn't hope to control, from somewhere T'akasa had acquired patterns that consisted of calm, logical thought. The commander decided that with the correct guidance and improvements on the meditations that she already practised… and maybe even a time of study on Vulcan, would be advantageous to her character's growth. He would enquire into the matter as soon as possible to make the arrangements should she wish to take up the challenge.

He was gratified to discover that the meditation techniques that he had taught her father when they were both stationed on the same starship had been passed on in their entirety. Martin Johnson had taught his daughter well.

But, the single projection he had repeatedly kept pushing aside as he searched her memories of the conflict was the overwhelming bond that connected her to Lorak. It went beyond his initial suspicions of infatuation, and he knew that somehow the pair had been tied by a tenuous, telepathic link that T'akasa, and maybe even Lorak were unaware of.

What was obvious to him was the fact that the young human was also in the very early stages of pon farr with a possible few weeks before it became life threatening to them both as her own life-force kept Lorak alive. The scientific and cultural implications of an adult Vulcan's mind subconsciously linking with a human, without them ever joining together in a mind-meld was astounding. Never had he heard of anything like it before and decided that the phenomena deserved further study… permission granted, of course, and providing they were both still alive by the month's end.

Their privacy made him quickly remove his fingers from her face and sit observing her in carefully hidden curiosity. Shanak now knew that they had to get to Vulcan as soon as possible so that the healers could try and find a way to reverse Lorak's condition. "Thank you, T'akasa," he murmured. "You have been most helpful."

Looking steadily into the brown Vulcan eyes that were even now studying her intently, T'akasa knew that the commander had felt her innermost feelings. Privacy was forefront in Vulcan culture, though she did suspect that his curiosity was eating him alive at not questioning her about it in front of the captain.

When the hearing was finally over and the captain had dismissed her, it was with relief that T'akasa could follow the commander out of the door and down the corridor to her allocated quarters. On ordering her a tea and soup from the replicator, Shanak observed her shoulders finally slump as she sat down on the sofa and began rubbing her blood-shot eyes as fatigue suddenly caught up with her.

Shanak decided that the young woman now required time alone to grieve. As soon as she had finished her drink and made it obvious that she wasn't going to talk, he told her that her possessions from the Yukon had been placed in her bedroom and politely excused himself. He also let her know that she would be informed the minute her father replied to their message, but left her with orders to sleep whilst she waited. It was only when the doors had shut behind him did T'akasa huddle in a heartbroken heap and sob uncontrollably.

What had begun as a carefree shore leave to attend her cousin's wedding had ended with a battle with the Cardassians, which the captain had had a difficult time negotiating their way out. Fifteen people were dead, one in a coma and the threat of war ever closer to their borders. When she had joined Starfleet to explore the galaxy through science like her father had done, theoretically she knew what the risks were out in space. It had been the first time she had personally been involved and it had come as a total shock.

Not wanting to look like an interfering busybody whilst on the Vulcan ship, T'akasa visited and stayed with Lorak in sickbay much less than she would have liked. Even on the occasions she did, she felt nothing but growing unease and anguish as he continued to be unresponsive. The medics reluctantly had to admit that they were also at a loss as to why he wouldn't respond when his physical injuries were healed. All they could do was keep heading towards Vulcan, wait for the schematics of the weapon to be found and hope that the terrible damage inflicted on Lorak could be put right.

Her father had been in contact with her twice, and to her relief, had made travel arrangements so that he could meet her on Vulcan. T'akasa was so glad that he would be with her for the trial of the Maquis.

The trial had been both fair and to the point, as only a panel consisting of efficient Vulcan and Starfleet officers could be. As more of the damning evidence against the Maquis had emerged, there hadn't been any doubt in anyone's mind that the crew of the Yukon were guilty. The charges against them turned out to be quite extensive when they were read out in the correct order of execution, bringing them all a life sentence in the Federation Penal Colony, to which they were quickly taken.

On the morning of what would become her last full day on Vulcan, T'akasa awoke with a yearning for home. She loved being on Vulcan, and under other circumstances, would have liked to stay longer. But unable to stop the sudden feelings of homesickness, she registered herself and her father to travel on one of the orbiting starships that was leaving for Earth at dusk. Once their luggage was delivered to the docking platform, T'akasa said her goodbyes to Shanak and his family who had been kind enough to let them stay in their home during their visit and told her father that she would meet him at the shuttle.

Strolling out into the colonnaded courtyard in the city, T'akasa paused for a moment in her walk to sit on the low wall surrounding an ornamental fountain and watched T'khut as the Vulcan sister-planet seemed to hover on the horizon. Even dosed-up with a tri-ox compound, by afternoon, the heat would become too unbearable for a human to be outside for long periods of time, and T'akasa had found herself grateful, yet again, that she had followed Commander Shanak's advice in taking her walks in the mornings or evening.

She had also had the foresight to adopt the comfortable, long flowing Vulcan-style gowns during her stay. The dress uniforms that she and the other Starfleet personnel had worn during the trial had been ridiculously uncomfortable for such a hot planet. So while off-duty, T'akasa had quickly conformed. On seeing her walk into Shanak's dinning room in a Vulcan dress after the first day, her father had commented in amusement that she had gone native.

She breathed deeply as an unexpected breeze blew through the courtyard and the sound of the recycled water bubbled out of the pyramidal-shaped fountain, trickled down each of its sides and splashed into the square pool below. Holding her hand under the cool water and letting it trickle across her hand, T'akasa smiled, finding it amazing that such a desert-like climate could nurture so many parks and fountains. With a heavy sigh, but feeling relaxed enough that apart from Lorak's illness, the recent terrible events and the trial were beginning to feel like a distant dream.

Thinking about how Lorak used to be; so independent and considerate, T'akasa realized that she was going to have to get a move on if she wanted to visit him before the Earth-bound ship left orbit. The young ensign picked up her bag and made her way through the already warm streets that were beginning to fill with people.

Unlike all the other times she had visited Lorak at the hospital where she had read, talked or just sat with him as the healers and his family had requested, T'akasa's voice kept faltering as she tried to hold back her tears.

"And therefore, in my opinion, even though it's on a smaller scale, on Earth the Nine Ladies Stone Henge is one of those that we should use for comparison. I know that you're going to say I'm being very illogical about this, but in the early morning mist, it… it's also got an eerie quality that, for want of a better word, I'd say is spiritual. I'll take you to see it one day, Lorak… then I know you'll understand," she whispered softly.

Blinking rapidly, her words faltered to a stop and T'akasa placed the padd she had been reading from on the bedside table, sat on the edge of the bed and just watched him intently for a while. Against everyone's care and hopes, Lorak was still in a coma with no signs of waking. Just his steady breathing confirmed that he was still alive. The lights are on, but no one is home, thought T'akasa with a sigh.

During the night, someone had thoughtfully given him a shave, though his usually impeccably groomed hair was a little tousled. Used to seeing the tall, self-assured Vulcan on his feet and in control, she hesitantly reached out and gently tucked the wayward strands back behind his elegantly pointed ears and tried not to cry as she did so.

"Lorak, I'm going home for a few days," she finally announced unhappily. "But I will be coming back as soon as my cousin is married." She felt so guilty about leaving while he was still so ill, but the Vulcan healer had pointed out, quite logically, that he could wake up at any time, be it in a few minutes, a week or months, no one knew.

What had come as a shock was the discovery by the Vulcans that it was her own life force that was keeping him alive, and that she was somehow telepathically linked to him until it was severed intentionally or by the death of one or both of them. She had point-blank refused them permission to even try to sever the link. Although being logical and thoroughly scientific about their investigation into why and how it had happened, T'akasa had seen their compassion in her situation and had pulled out all the stops to help. They had even assured her that there was a ninety-seven percent probability that she would know the very second he woke up, wherever she was and whatever she was doing.

Despite the dire situation, it was those enigmatic remaining three-percent that they couldn't account for that had made her start laughing out loud, which seemed to either unnerve or embarrass the Vulcans and ease some of the stress for herself. It was what they couldn't tell her without any probable percentages that had been so frightening… how long they both had to live and how much would they both deteriorate before they died.

Standing up, she leaned closer to Lorak's face and whispered, "If you were conscious, Lorakam, I would never dare." T'akasa reached out and slowly drifted two fingers across his cheek and brought them to rest on his lips in an intimate Vulcan kiss. "For thee, Lorakam." A small surge of electricity tingled pleasantly across her fingertips at the contact, making a smile tug at her lips at the sensation. She then bent down and after a moment's heartbreaking pause when she felt his breath on her skin; she softly, but firmly kissed him full on the lips as a single tear fell from her eyes onto his face. Once again, a surge of pleasure passed through her as their lips touched, making her almost whimper aloud as the feeling rippled up her spine. "And that is for me."

On noticing the tear resting on his cheekbone, she gently wiped it away with her fingers as she carried on talking to him. "I know you are going to wake up and be fine, and before long we'll both be back on the Romana and things will be just as they always were. The telepathic link will eventually be severed and we will go our separate ways. We may even live long enough to have a chance to grow old… I will do so, alone, and you will take a wife and never know how much I have always loved you, Lorakam."

Blindly grabbing her bag from off the chair behind her as she wiped the tears that were streaming down her face, T'akasa once more rested her hand gently on his cheek and whispered, "Sweet dreams, Lorakam… may flights of angels guide thee back to me."

On hurrying out of the room, she stopped abruptly in the corridor with her heart feeling as though it had skipped a couple of beats and lodged in her throat. Lorak's father calmly turned from gazing out of a nearby window to look just as calmly at her heartbroken, flustered appearance.

Blushing in embarrassment and wondering if he had heard or seen what she had just said and done, T'akasa murmured diplomatically, "I apologize for intruding on your time with your son, sir."

The stately, grey-haired Vulcan nodded acknowledgement, but said, "No apology is necessary, T'akasa. Genuine compassion is not an intrusion." He frowned slightly as he glanced down at her bag and enquired, "You are leaving Vulcan?"

"My cousin has halted her wedding until I can get home," explained T'akasa. "I wish to be with my family, sir. Just for a little while and I will then come back to Vulcan when the time… when…" She swallowed and glanced away as her eyes filled up with tears again, unable to go on with what she was about to say.

"Then let us walk to the docking port together," he answered softly.

He's trying to get rid of me as soon as he politely can, T'akasa decided. But on further analysis of Lorak's father during their walk, she finally remembered that a Vulcan would not pry or try to dissuade her from a visit home to family, and he knew that she may not survive if his son didn't wake up. She then thought rather guiltily that he was granting her every courtesy by leaving his visit to his son for a while in order to walk with her.

"Thank you, sir, for yours and your family's hospitality during my visit," T'akasa said as she waited on the threshold of the shuttle's doorway with her father a few steps behind her.

Lorak's father nodded slightly. "It was an honor to give. Thank you for bringing our son home."

T'akasa swallowed audibly. "Sir… when Lorak wakes… please give him my regards."

In answer, he paused for a moment as if unsure of what to say, then lifted his hand in a Vulcan salute and said quietly, "Live long and prosper, T'akasa."

"Peace and long life," she whispered, returning the traditional salute as her tears trickled down her cheeks a moment before the door to the shuttle was closed.

As the Earth-bound starship left orbit and carried T'akasa and her father away from Vulcan, the schematics of the prototype nerve disruptor appeared on a computer screen in the city's hospital. By the following day's end, a Vulcan medical team, with the assistance of the Science Academy had analyzed the information and were about to initiate their first attempt at mending the damage inflicted on their patient.

As the mist of the early morning began to drift away, the sun found cracks in the clouds to send warm beams of light across the quiet English countryside. Bundled in a woollen cardigan against the morning chill, T'akasa sat with her arms wrapped around her bent knees on a small waterproof mat. From her vantage point high on the outer bank of the Nine Ladies Stone Henge, she watched the dew-laden grass as it sparkled in the patches of sunlight.

Wanting to be free from the trappings of the twenty-fourth century and its technology for a while, she had walked across the valley from her grandparent's farm, to be where, they had often told her, her many times great-grandmother also came to sit.

It was the place she came to play as a child, and was the place where she had finally made the decision to join Starfleet. It was the place she had always needed to keep returning to, where the answers to questions or problems seemed to find some sort of coherent sense. Once she felt balanced again, the circle always left her calm enough to face the galaxy, or to be at peace with herself.

But today, the same as every other day she had been at home on this visit, that peace and calm continued to elude her. She was restless and agitated one moment and then despondent and crying inconsolably the next, and had only been on the planet for a week before wanting to go back to Vulcan… and Lorak. He was the only thing she could think about during the day, and at night her dreams about him and the terror they were going through were becoming more and more romantic to the point of erotic. She was near to ripping her hair out in frustration as the images chased mercilessly around her mind.

When she had first arrived home, she admitted that Connelly's death, although not her fault had saddened her. Mariko's betrayal just made her angry, but her own desertion of Lorak as he lay so helpless in a coma just filled her with so much guilt that she was debating on ignoring everyone's protests and going back to Vulcan on the next available ship.

Suddenly startled, the early birds that had flown into the circle to peck and pull up the unlucky worms took flight over the bank and into the sky. Half expecting to see one of the cows plodding through the entrance, T'akasa looked around her, only to gasp in shock as a tall figure stepped between the entrance stones and paused for a moment as he glanced around and between the central upright stones, obviously looking for her.

"Lorak!" she whispered softly. He's here! He's awake! She only gave a passing thought that the healers had been wrong about her sensing when he woke, as nothing and no one could have made her any happier than she was on seeing him awake and very much alive.

With her hand covering her mouth, she almost began to cry as waves of relief washed over her at the sight of him being out of the coma and actually walking again. "Lorak!" she called at the same time that he spotted her and began taking ground-devouring strides around the edge of the outer ring of stones towards her.

Whilst trying to calm her excited and erratic breathing, T'akasa managed to get to her feet on shaking legs and edge her way down the steep slope. At the same time, she only now began to wonder if Lorak's father had told him what she had done. In hindsight, she knew that taking advantage of him whilst he was unable to protest was rather underhanded, but she just couldn't help herself. Now she would probably hear the consequences of her own stupidity.

On nearing the bottom, she took a running jump across the inner ditch to arrive at the same spot as where Lorak had stopped walking to wait for her. Going crimson in nervous embarrassment, but unable to stop smiling on seeing his alien beauty, she gave caution to the wind and said happily, "It's so good to see you awake, and on your feet again. Are you completely recovered?"

Noticing her heightened colouration and happy smile, Lorak was satisfied and answered quietly, "Thank you, T'akasa. I am completely recovered and have you to thank for my initial medical care and continued survival."

With a feeling that the butterflies were frantically fluttering in her chest again on hearing him talk, T'akasa nodded acknowledgement. "You're very welcome. I wish I could have helped you more than I did."

"Keeping me alive through the telepathic link whilst knowing the risk to your own life, T'akasa, how much more could thee give?" he asked her softly in Vulcan.

Unable to answer, T'akasa swallowed then thought about how ludicrous was her idea that everything could go back to how it was. She stood looking into his eyes for an awkward few moments' silence before she also switched to Vulcan and asked, "May I ask when you regained consciousness? No one thought to inform us."

Lorak then took a deep, careful breath to try and get some control of the situation as the intensity of the pon farr began increasing with her being so near him. He then murmured, "Although I was unable to respond, I could hear and physically feel everything that was being said… and done." He looked into her eyes to gage her reaction as he replayed the memory of her gentle ministrations and visits, and then her kisses that had sustained him through the terror of having his mind trapped without any hope of escape. He longed for those touches and kisses again, but he also knew that he had to tell her the truth of what was happening to him. She still held his life in her hands.

Within seconds, T'akasa's eyes went like saucers as realization set in. "Oh… I… um… Lorak, I… " Extremely embarrassed and unable to look at him any longer, she bit her lip, lowered her eyes and glared at her clasped hands, waiting for the formal dressing down of her behavior.

Instead, Lorak closed the small gap between them, reached out a hand under her chin and gently tilted her head so that she had to look up at him. Almost fearfully, his brown eyes bore into hers for a long moment before he asked her softly, "Are you certain of your… feelings for me, T'akasa?"

T'akasa could hardly breathe and only managed to whisper, "Yes."

Lorak nodded and said, "I am… pleased to hear that. I…" The Vulcan lieutenant suddenly gasped and roughly clutched hold of the side of her face with his hands, glaring into her startled eyes as he did so. Still having the presence of mind to be extremely embarrassed by his own behavior, within seconds, he had let her go and quickly walked a little further away from her with an audible groan, trying to gain some composure.

What the…? Thinking that he was ill, T'akasa had to almost jog to catch up with him, grabbed hold of his arm and pull him to a stop. "You're still ill and trying to hide it, aren't you?" she demanded in concern as he leaned against one of the upright stones of the circle taking deep, shaking breaths.

He shook his head and murmured, "No… it is my Time and I-"

"Your time?" interrupted T'akasa. "For your medication? Do you have it with you?"

If ever a Vulcan could roll his eyes in disbelief, she suspected that this was that moment as Lorak looked at her with such an expression of confusion as he stood up and away from the stone. "No, I do not have any medication… it is my Time and I must be certain that you know the implications of what…"

T'akasa suddenly realizing what he was trying to tell her. She knew that Vulcans didn't trifle with all the baggage of casual girl or boyfriends, they chose one mate that was meant for life, and she knew that her life had now changed forever. She quickly interrupted him with a smile. "Yes, Lorak. I am certain."

Lorak sighed in obvious relief. "I am… very pleased to hear that, T'akasa."

"As am I very pleased that you came back to me. I have missed you so much."

On hearing her words, he formerly asked, "May I then declare koon-ut so'lik. Will you accept?"

Only in her dreams had T'akasa lived such a beautiful moment. She had never thought that her feelings would ever be returned in the real world, or that she would ever become Lorak's wife… his aduna. Her answer was immediate and she couldn't help smiling at him. "I accept."

Unsure of what a Vulcan would do after proposing marriage, but also wondering about the pon farr and what to expect, T'akasa then asked, "What do we do now?"

An unexpected smile escaped from Lorak as he caught an image of her intimate thoughts. "Soon… I will give thee such pleasures..."

T'akasa blushed furiously as he held out his hand towards her with two fingers extended. Somehow she knew what he wanted and timidly lifted her own hand, letting him touch her fingers. Slowly and gently, he drifted his two outstretched fingertips along her fingers, bringing them down the back of her hand to rest under her own fingertips. The fires began to rise again as he then kissed her on the lips with his fingertips, breathing deeply as the surge of desire flared between them. With her own pulse racing, he could sense her excited emotions and her love for him, and found her so intoxicating that he was close to losing control and almost forgot that he was in a public place. "For thee, T'akasa," he said, echoing the sentiment that she had spoken to him on Vulcan.

T'akasa suspected that she saw another hint of a smile from him, but couldn't deny the passionate look in his dark eyes as he slowly lifted his other hand to tuck a wayward strand of her hair behind her ear. He then gently held her face in both his hands and aligned his fingers at the meld points.

Feeling like she was drowning in unbelievable happiness, she shook uncontrollably as Lorak then opened their telepathic bond completely and connected their thoughts together in an intimate betrothal bond, enabling her to also sense the flood of emotional regard and attraction that he felt for her. It was quickly followed by a sudden wave of raw, burning desire that scorched her body and soul, consuming her in the fires of Lorak's pon farr. The surge of pleasure rippling in wave after wave throughout her body made her whimper aloud at the contact and moved closer, hungry to renew the sensation. If this is how his kisses feel, what's our wedding night going to be like, she thought excitedly. "Again Lorak," she murmured.

"I also desire thee, T'akasa," he murmured in a harsh whisper and leaned down to kiss her lips as her arms wrapped around his waist to pull him even closer against her.

"Computer, locate Lieutenant Lorak?"

"Lieutenant Lorak is in the Archeo-Linguistic Department."

"Is he alone?"

"Lieutenant Lorak is currently alone."

Keeping her thoughts carefully shielded, T'akasa hurried along the corridor of the USS Romana with a happy smile creeping across her face as she got into the turbolift to go to the lower deck.

A month ago she had felt really strange returning to the ship after their marriage and the resolution of Lorak's pon farr, but with her husband's calming influence and the crew's best wishes and wonderful welcome, they had both settled down to married life aboard the starship.

As the doors to the department slid shut behind her, T'akasa almost tiptoed across the room to the small adjoining office. Once there, she leaned on the doorframe for a moment before venturing further into the room and gave her husband a broad smile.

Sensing that she was already on her way, Lorak paused in his work and looked up. "T'akasa, my wife, you are late," he admonished quietly. "Your duty shift resumed ten minutes ago."

Stepping around to his side of the desk, T'akasa could see it in his eyes that despite his words, he was really pleased to see her.

In fact, he felt very fortunate and cherished her, body and soul… even though she was late.

"I had to make a quick visit elsewhere on my way back," she told him with a sigh as she moved right up against him. She then snatched the padd from his hand, tossed it carelessly onto the desk behind her, straddled his knees and sat on his lap. "Computer, lock doors."

In the process of reaching for the possibly damaged padd, he stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened slightly for a moment as he glanced from her to the door and back, presuming she was yet again ready to mate. "T'akasa, this is not an appropriate location..."

"For what?" she asked softly as she teasingly drifted her fingers across his lips whilst the other hand was gently tickling the outer rim of his elegantly pointed ear.

Barely able to keep a smile from his lips on realizing what game she was playing, Lorak sighed indulgently. "As much as I desire thee, my wife, we are on duty for another three hours. Thee must wait."

She silenced his protests by wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissed him lovingly for a long moment. Lorak also desired this closeness with his wife on many an occasion and gave in, responding with just as much longing.

Breathlessly, T'akasa finally broke the kiss and sat looking into his eyes as he hitched her further up his lap and sat with his arms clasped around her waist, waiting for her to explain what had prompted this emotional outburst during their duty shift.

"We are going to have a child, Lorakam," she whispered finally, smiling happily and letting him feel all her joy through the telepathic bond they shared.

Astonished, Lorak's brows rose in a moment of shock that was quickly replaced by the subtle changes in his face expression to let her know his pleasure and joy at her news. "I do cherish thee, T'akasa." His affection and regard surged across their marriage bond as he took her into his arms again and kissed her passionately.

The End…