Historians note:. This story runs concurrently with the events depicted in the movie, "The Search for Spock."
Vulcan Embassy: Earth
Ahida Uhura was doing homework in her quarters. Her mother and father had gone off on some little training cruise with a bunch of cadets on the Enterprise. Her intercom beeped.
"Ahida, come to the family room at once." Her grandfather, Sarek said.
"OK." She replied. Her Vulcan self noted a tinge of anger in Sareks voice. Her human side thought, what have I done now?
As she entered the family room, she knew something was wrong. She could see that her grandmother had been crying. There was an air of anger surrounding Sarak.
"Sit." He said. Once she was seated, Sarak continued. "There has been an incident in the Mutara Sector. I don't have many details, apparently a man seeking revenge on Admiral Kirk attacked the Enterprise. Several crew were killed, including... your father."
Ahida's body shook, but she allowed her Vulcan side to take control.
"Mom?"
"She is unharmed." She could sense there was more.
"What else?"
"The communication I received from Kirk, he has disposed of Spock's body and I fear his Katra has been lost."
"No, that means he's really gone." She stood, her body was shaking, tears were beginning to stream.
"Ahida, control yourself."
"No. I'm tired of controling my feelings." She ran from the room.
"Ahida, come back." Sarak demanded. Amanda grabbed him by the arm.
"Let her go. Her Human side needs time to sort through this."
Sarek sighed, "So much like her father."
In a small park not far from the embassy, Ahida sat on a bench. Strange she thought, after the greatest of tragedies, life just goes on.
"Heedy." It was Angie, one of her human classmates and best friend. "I came as soon as I got your message. I'm sorry." She sat on the bench and started to hug Ahida, but held back when she remembered Vulcans don't like to be touched. But it was Ahida who pulled her close and sobbed uncontrollably on Angie's shoulder.
After several minutes she let her Vulcan self take over. She released Angle and sat as stoically as possible.
"Heedy, is there anything I can do?"
"No, nothing can be done now. Angie, what is the earliest thing you can remember?
"Oh, I was about five, Sitting in my parents living room. Why?"
"Vulcans remember almost everything. I can remember the day I was born. Mom was holding me. Sulu, Chekhov, Dr. Mbenga, nurse Chapel and Dr. McCoy were there. They were all smiling. Then my father was there. That cold Vulcan stare was so different and I screamed. The first time my father saw me and I screamed. I know that I hurt his feelings, I always wanted to say I'm sorry. Now, I can't, if I could just touch his Katra, But I can't now, it may be lost."
"Heedy, it doesn't matter. You were just a baby."
"I know, but it was something I wanted to do, it's too late now."
"Ahida Uhura." A young man in a senior cadet uniform was approaching. A part time intern at the embassy. Ahida thought he was very annoying.
"What is it Tuvok?"
"Your grandfather suggested I may find you here. He requested I escort you back to the embassy."
"Go Heedy," Angie said. "You need to be with your family."
"You're right." Ahida stood up. Held out her arm. "OK, Tuvok, escort me."
Ahida quickly came to the conclusion that the Vulcan Embassy was the most depressing place on Earth. She could sense her grandmother was not dealing with the loss very well, she was losing her Vulcan control.
A cloud of anger seemed to hang over Sarek, as he waited for the Enterprise to return. He intended to have a word with Kirk upon his arrival.
Finally the Enterprise was in space dock. Sarek had his meeting with Kirk. Returned to the embassy and abruptly cancelled plans to return to Vulcan.
Ahida expected her mother to come as well, but inexplicably, she had already taken a new duty assignment. As transporter chief of an out of the way, little used Starfleet facility.
Late that night, unable to sleep, she wandered the embassy grounds. Occasionally she would glance at the stars, reach out with her mind, hoping to find some trace of her father. But nothing was there.
She rounded the corner of the building and noticed the main gate was opened. Sarek and Tuvok were there, waiting. Ahida decided to see what was going on.
"Federation security, halt." A man yelled. Through the grated fence she could see people running towards the gate. There was a scuffle at the gate.
"Ambassador Sarek, I request asylum."
"Granted."
"Mom?" Ahida said.
"Mr. Ambassador," the officer said, "this woman is..."
"I don't care what she has done. You are now on Vulcan ground. Release her and vacate at once."
Realizing he had apprehended his prisoner one step too late, the officer reluctantly released her and stepped back.
Once the gate was closed, Sarek said, "Report."
"Everything has gone according to plan, Enterprise is on it's way to Genesis."
"Very well." Sarek turned. "Ahida, gather your things. We leave for Vulcan shortly."
"Mom, what's going on?"
Uhura cupped the child's face in her hands. "Jim is going to bring your father home. Now do what your grandfather told you."
After arriving on Vulcan, Sarek and Uhura departed for the Vulcan Space Command. Ahida was seated in the family room of Sareks house. An old Vulcan doctor was examining a laceration to her cheek.
"Not as bad as your mother led me to believe."
"Human mothers tend to exaggerate their children's condition."
The doctor actually smiled. "In my experience, all mothers exaggerate, especially the better ones." The doctor drew a dermaplaser from his med kit. "How did this happen?" He asked as he began to mend the wound.
Ahida pointed across the room. Teela sat trying, unsuccessfully, to look innocent.
"Ahh, the family sehlot. You are bonded?"
"Since I was two. We've not seen each other in 144.3 days. She knocked me down before I even got in the door."
"They can be a bit k'ichigai after a long separation. There, I'm done. There will no scar, some itching for a day or two."
The front door opened, Uhura and Sarek entered. Ahida could see a stunned look on her mother's face. Uhura cupped her child's face in her hands.
"Your father is alive."
"What? How?"
"It's difficult to explain. But there's a...". Uhura hesitated.
"My son's body lives," Sarek said, "but it is empty. Doctor McCoy caries his Katra."
"What can be done?" Ahida asked.
"There is a process called the refusion. I intend to ask T'lar to perform the ritual, when Kirk arrives tonight. But there is a danger you must be prepared for. The Kahtra could still be lost, or partially refused. The one who emerges, may not be the person we know. Kirk will arrive late tonight. The ritual will take hours. I suggest we all try to get some rest."
Ahida almost ran, no one had bothered to tell that Kirk would be arriving in a Klingon Bird of Prey. It was quite a sight as it dropped from the Vulcan night sky and made a perfect landing just outside the Kohlinar temple.
Spocks body was, immediately carried into the temple and placed on an alter. The ritual began after midnight and lasted into the cold early morning hours. Ahida borrowed a robe from one of the monks, to protect her from the desert cold.
Just after sunrise, it was over. McCoy came down from the alter, he looked tired, but unharmed. Monks dressed her father in a robe and escorted him down the steps.
Her heart dropped, that's not my father, she thought. Spock had walked directly in front of his friends without so much as a glance. Then he paused, and came back. There was much uncertainty in his face as he looked his friends over.
Ahida pulled her hood tight around he face, till she was looking through a small opening. She wasn't ready to reveal herself. Spock stopped in front of Kirk. They spoke, Ahida listened for any sign her father was back.
They spoke of friendship, you came back for me, ship out of danger. Spock took a few steps away and said, "Your name is...Jim."
Ahida sighed, something of her father was there, but was it enough. His friends gathered around him . They were smiling. It was time, she decided.
She stepped into the circle not really sure what to do. Would he recognize her, would he deny her or would he be the one to scream?
She thew back the hood and tried to smile. There was a brief moment of uncertainty on his face. Before she knew what happened, Ahida found herself in the tightest embrace a father could give a daughter.
Light-years away, the Enterprise had burned up in the atmosphere of a planet that no longer exists. But the family it had protected and nurtured was alive and closer than ever.
Thanks to a second first chance.