The Family of Solkar
A/N: This is my idea of Star Trek history, connecting the era of Enterprise with that up to the 24th century. Much is based on the movies Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Star Trek: First Contact, the novel The Good That Men Do and Sarek, the episodes "The Forge", "Awakening", "Kir'Shara", "Demons", and "Terra Prime" for Star Trek: Enterprise, "Journey to Babel" and "Amok Time" from Star Trek: The Original Series, and "Sarek", "Unification, Parts One and Two" from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
With it's connection to The Good That Men Do, I am accepting the alternative timeline as seen the "These are the Voyages…". That means the death of Trip didn't happen as seen there, but that he was recruited by a covert security agency within Starfleet. This is also because it jives more with established dates than the final episode of the last series.
1.
As T'Pau stepped out of the transport, she looked upon the villa. A flood of memories threatened to shake her control, but she steeled herself against them. As she approached the gate, she heard the footsteps of Ambassador Soval and Minister Kuvak behind her. She pulled the bell chain and a moment later, saw a figure approach. The figure looked up at her and allowed her entry, as well as the others. Then he spoke.
"T'Pau, it is most agreeable to see you again," Skon, son of Solkar said. He then looked at the other two men and any hint of warmth left his voice. "Ambassador, Minister," he merely added.
Soval nodded his head, giving the younger man a slight smile. "Skon, it is agreeable to see you again."
With a similar nod, Kuvak added, "We are here to see your father. We have some business to discusses with him."
"It is most urgent," T'Pau added. Skon looked at her, unsure of what to do, but she nodded, saying gently, "Please."
Skon led the three guests into the villa. He excused himself, returning with this father. As Solkar entered the receiving room, he nodded gravely to the ambassador and the bureaucrat, then turned to T'Pau. She bowed her head to him.
"Vati, it is agreeable to see you again," she addressed him, looking up.
"My niece, it has been too long," he replied. "You have become quite…renowned…since last I saw you."
"She has shown a remarkable tenaciousness, Ambassador. She may have changed us all," came a comment from Soval. "For one so young to have taught a world about itself is commendable, to say the least. But, I know the teacher who began her on this path. This should be expected."
Solkar turned to the man who had addressed him. "And yet, there are times that she would not listen to my advice." He gestured to his visitors to be seated, as Skon left to bring refreshments. "To what do I owe this honor, especially after so many years away?"
Kuvak spoke up. "After the recent discovery of the Kir'Shara, our people owe a debt to the people of Earth. We are also in a process of reorganizing the government. We will be sending a different team to our embassy on Earth, and they will be working much closer to the United Earth government."
"Since you made first contact with the humans, and as you have many more years experience in dealing with them, we believe that you should take up a posting there," Soval explained.
"I am 141.6 years old, Ambassador-not a young man anymore," Solkar replied as a took a cup from the tray. As Skon brought the tray to the other guest, each took a cup. Skon then returned to sit between his father and his cousin. "And it has been many years since I served our people as a councilor with the people of Earth."
"That is logical. But we could benefit from your experience, Ambassador," Soval countered.
"Yet it was that experience that you refused for the past three decades," Solkar retorted in an even voice.
"Ambassador, we regret our actions of the last few years. Our judgment was clouded, but those times are passing. Please tell use you will consider it," Kuvak asked him.
Solkar looked at T'Pau, then Skon and back at his son. With a nod of the head, the men were satisfied. As they made their exit, T'Pau turned to them. "I shall be staying here,"
she turned to her uncle, "if that is agreeable to you." Solkar nodded and Soval and Kuvak left. As the door closed, the young woman turned back to her family.
"It has been many years since you have wished to stay here," Skon commented.
T'Pau dipped her head slightly. "It has been many years since I felt welcome in this home."
"It has always been you home, my niece. No matter our differences in opinions, you were always welcome here," Solkar assured her.
"I thank you," she merely replied.
"All of Vulcan should thank you. You have done our people a great service. Not only in your discovery of the Kir'Shara, but in your overtures to the humans," Skon told her.
"It is with great humility that I must say, it was not I who found it. Captain Archer, with some most surprising assistance, was the one who discovered it, and presented it to V'Las and the High Council," T'Pau explained.
" 'Most surprising assistance', my niece? You must tell us all about it. We shall prepare the ending day meal and you will enlighten us with these events," Solkar said as he headed to the dining area.
As T'Pau and Skon followed him and the three ate with meal, she explained the story Archer and his First Officer, T'Pol related to her about their encounter in the Forge with Syrran, whom they knew as Arev; the sandstorm and Syrran's death and his transference of the katra of Surak it the human captain. It was later what assisted them in finding the Kir'Shara so quickly after the Syrranites had spent years searching the T'Karath Sanctuary for it. It was later in the High Council chambers that she and Archer were able to stop Administrator V'Las from
his plan of attack on the Andorians.
"In the end, V'Las lost almost total control of himself, acted in a most unseemly way. Ironically, Captain Archer behaved more as a Vulcan would then the esteemed Administrator did," T'Pau ended her story.
"Perhaps the spirit of Surak kept Archer on the path of logic. As, the human's say, it 'soothed the savage beast within him,'" Solkar commented.
"It is most upsetting to hear about V'Las. One has to wonder what led him off the path of logic," Skon mused.
"It is a path he has been astray from for many years. Since he rose to power, he has turned away from the counsel of many other besides myself who wished to strengthen our relations with Earth. After initial contact was established, I remarked to many colleagues of the similarities I saw between our two peoples. When it was mentioned to V'Las, he seemed to fear and loath any comparisons."
"Ambassador Soval told me that just before the explosion at the Earth embassy at the beginning of the recent crisis, he alluded to this with Admiral Forrest. Soval, too, saw much of our people in the humans," T'Pau told them. She then turned to her uncle. "As you have now brought it up, I must ask: Will you return to serve our people at this time?"
"Curious, my niece?" Solkar asked, a hint of bemusement in his voice.
"I admit that I am," she replied.
Solkar nodded to her. "I would be honored to return to the diplomatic arena, though I will be request that Soval remain in his post. As I stated earlier, I am not as young as I once was."
Skon looked at his father curiously. "Then why did you not say anything when Soval and Kuvak were here, Father?"
Saying nothing to his son, his niece replied, understanding him. "He wished to, as the humans say, 'make them sweat.'"
The meal finished, the three retired early. Yet, T'Pau was unable to sleep. She rose early from her bed and stepped out of the villa into a garden. Attempting to meditate, but finding it difficult, she investigated the garden. There were many new plantings, all unfamiliar to her.
"They are from the desert regions of Earth," a voice explained to her, quite nearly reading her mind. She turned and found her vati standing in the doorway back into the villa. "I traveled there for a lecture I was invited to at Princeton University. While I was on Earth, a colleague told me about a spa in Arizona that had been established by other Vulcans to sustain us from the more temperate climate on Earth. There were shops nearby and I bought plant seeds, to try them on our world."
"They seem to be flourishing," T'Pau replied.
"Yes. I have taken it as a sign of the continued bond of our peoples." Solkar walked further into the garden. "Why did you not inform me of your views of the Syrranites?" he asked her.
T'Pau looked away. She almost felt as if he was disappointed in her. When her parents had died in a shuttle crash when she was young, Solkar, her mother's brother, had taken her in and raised her alongside his own son. They had been close over those years, Solkar, his wife, now deceased and his son Skon encouraging her to expand her education beyond Vulcan. When Solkar was still the ambassador to Earth, she traveled once with them, but found the planet uncomfortable. It was when she began working alongside Administrator V'Las that she became disenchanted with the Vulcan ways and she sought a deeper meaning. This was what lead her the T'Karath Sanctuary and the Syrranites.
They were viewed by the majority of Vulcan society as deviate and cultish, so she assumed that she would be shunned from her family. She left the villa before her aunt's death and had not returned for nearly two years.
"The Syrranites' ways are only now being accepted. I believed that you would agree with the popular view," she explained.
"As many of my friends and most of my critics would point out to you, I have never been swayed by popular opinion. As it happens, my niece, I too have leanings towards the Syrranites," Solkar replied. She looked up at him, curiosity etched in her face. "I do not consider myself to be one. But, it is my belief that theirs is a purer form of Surak's teachings. I am pleased to see that I have been correct in my assessments."
They returned to the villa's interior. Skon was already seated, the table set. He nodded to his father and cousin. "I received a communiqué from my editor on Earth. He has informed me that news of the Kir'Shara has reached there and that interest has already been voiced for a translation to be produced," he informed them.
"It is most fortuitous, then, that you will be you will be one of the scientists studying it," T'Pau said.
"I will be?" Skon asked, his eyebrow raised.
"I have it on good authority that your expertise has been requested for the work," she replied.
"Then you shall be busy while I am on Earth, my son," Solkar told him.
"Yes, it appears so," Skon added, eyeing his cousin. "You will be leaving for the capitol soon then, Father?"
Solkar nodded. "Your cousin and I will be leaving with the mid-day shuttle. I will stay a night in ShiKahr then travel on Earth."
"Then I wish you success on your mission." He looked at T'Pau. "What shall you be doing?"
"I have been invited to join the Council of Ministers," she explained. "There is much work that needs to be done for the healing of our peoples, not just the Vulcans but also our relations with our neighbors, especially the Andorians."
"An admirable pursuit." Skon finished his meal and rose from the table. "If you both will excuse me, I must set to work. I wish you both success." He raised his right hand and split his figure at the third and fourth digit, forming a V-shape. "Peace and long life…till we next see each other."
The salute was returned. "Live long and prosper, my son," Solkar returned.