Author: T'Karish
Disclaimer: I do not own the Romulans, Ael or Tafv. Ael and Tafv belong to Diane Duane. If someone else owns it, I do not claim it.
Author's Note: There are spoilers for the book My Enemy, My Ally by Diane Duane.. This takes place when Ael walks in to Sickbay, after the Sunseed mission, to deal with her son's treachery in order to avenge his cousin.
I can't do it. He's my son. Ael thought as she looked at Tafv, who was lying on the Sickbay bed. Yet he betrayed you. You will damage his Mnhei'sahe if you don't.
But he's my son! her heart cried out, pleading with herself not to do it.
And you would ruin his mnhei'sahe, dishonor him, and all because he's your son? He would not consider that an option.
Ael walked into the room to see Tafv, her son. He lay on the bed, pale and in pain; and the cover pulled up only accentuated where his right arm had been.
Had been.
She stood by the bed, not wanting to disturb him, not wanting to do what she must. She remembered him when he was but a child, waving a toy sword around and saying he was going to be just like his mother. She remembered holding him, when he was just a infant, and how she looked fondly upon him. And she remembered how proud she was when he became part of her crew, the most loyal of them all.
"You saw my writings," Tafv said, barely a whisper. She half heard him saying this, half heard him talking to her a long time ago.
He looked up at her and said, "I'm going to grow up to be just like you." And he waved a toy sword at invisible enemies. "And I'm going to make you proud to be my mother."
Ael nodded, trying to sort things out. She understood that he had been unable to let their plans, to let her, get in the way of his revenge of his cousin. She understood that he could not have let it pass, any more than she could have let her chance pass to betray Levaeri V in order to save the Rihannsu.
"I did what I had to do," he said, "I would do it again. It was mnhei'sahe."
"I understand." she murmured.
"Now you must also do what mnhei'sahe requires." he said. And he seemed to be fatigued with the effort, for he fell back, deeper into the bed. She resisted the urge to rush towards him, to try to ease his pain.
I cannot.
You must. She thought, striving to do what she knew what was right, but her heart wouldn't let her.
He has betrayed you; treachery has no payment but death.
She stood there, sorting out her feelings, dealing with them, living out memories.
"I will serve you as is best to the ship, and mnhei'sahe." She smiled at him as he finished his oath to her, to her ship, Bloodwing, and to it's crew.
O Elements, help me. Her heart cried as she made herself do what she must. She walked over to the controls and turned off the life support for Tafv. For treachery had no payment but death. Mnhei'sahe demanded it.
Author's Note: I would just like to ask for your opinion on this. If you like it, please tell me what you liked about it (unless you like the whole of it, and can't come up with a specific thing). Either that, or tell me what you didn't like about it. I would just like to know what you think and that there's someone reading this.