Disclaimer is in the first chapter. Letters in Italics represent people's inner thoughts. English is not my native language, many mistakes, etc, etc.

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A Tale of Two Mirrors

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Two mirrors, two truths, two worlds, but only one future. Really, dear mirror on the wall...

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Chapter 2: …who is evilest of them all?

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He stumbled and reached for his phaser. But his fingers refused to obey. His phaser slipped and fell to the floor.

Desperate, he reached for the door's button. But felt his legs give way. His body stumbled and he collapsed.

Panicked, he attempted to grab the communicator from his belt. But it was useless. He did not command his hands any more.

Crawling on his elbows, he managed to reach the couch. If he could use it to stand on his feet again… He could get her – he was stronger…

She observed him quietly, like a cat watching a canary.

When exhausted and panting he quit the effort and sat on the floor with his back against the couch, she gave him a wicked smile.

"Although it is only a poor resemblance," she purred, "try to imagine what it feels like laying on a bed like this for two days. Being completely unable to do anything else but breathe."

She approached him walking lightly on her toes, in fluid movement, without making a single sound. "Sarek stood by my bedside the whole time. On the second day he even dropped artificial tears into my eyes.

"Like it?" she smiled, showing him the silver-colored crossbow she held.

"He gave it to me. A gift for our first wedding anniversary. Quite handy, isn't it? Vulcan steel, you see; light as a feather. Oh! The poisonous spear? That is my own personal touch," she said, with a broad contented smile.

"T'Rea was quite a resourceful opponent… But now she's dead," her eyes flashed with venomous hate. "Like you soon will be."

"Bi- Bitch!" he managed to spit out. "You married an alien dick? You fucking whore!"

"My dear Tony," came her sarcastic reply, "Sarek's so much more than a dick!" Ignoring the chairs, she sat on the table facing him. "An impressive dick, nevertheless…" she raised a teasing eyebrow, "but he is so much more than that."

He gathered all his strength. He had to warn his men, his crew, someone! And she was the only way… "Man-Mandy, listen to me-"

"I already told you to call me Amanda!"

"Amanda… sorry... listen… listen to me. I'll make you rich; I'll give you everything you want-"

"Really? Like what?" she laughed. "Money? Wealth? Sarek is richer than you'll ever be, even if you robbed a thousand ships. Power? He's second in command of the Vulcan army. Sex? He makes me come just by thinking of me. Really, what can you offer, Tonino?"

His mind was working frantically. The situation was not that bad, though he had to get back to his ship immediately. There was an antidote; the Vulcans had fixed it, which meant that their doctor could fix it too. The wound was serious but only if left untreated.

Trying to remain calm, he looked down on the floor. The carpet was soaked but he couldn't feel it. He saw only… red. Did all that blood come from him?

With a pang, Glory's captain realized he had to plead. And for the first time in his life, he did.

"Amanda… I beg you. We were together for six years. Don't tell me they meant nothing to you. I love y-"

"Filthy bastard, you don't even know the meaning of that word!" she yelled with such hostility, her face was distorted and he barely managed to recognise her voice.

Immediately he looked at the door. Surely someone had heard her! Any minute now his men would break in and slice her treacherous throat-

"What?" she asked ironically. "Don't tell me you expect your thugs to burst in and save your pathetic ass? Don't bother, the room is soundproof."

Hearing that, Fierm's heart plunged. He fucked her for six years, he though he knew her. Who was that woman?

"Now, Tonino," Amanda clasped her hands, "what a dilemma we have here! Let me see. On one side there is you, a low-paid imperial captain, who would sell his own mother to get what he wants, and who's dying.

"On the other side there is him; a high-ranked general from a noble family, who is filthy rich. Oh, and let's not forget." With a swift move she jumped from the table. "HE doesn't like sharing! Asshole!"

"Wha- What are you talking about? I lov-"

"I'm talking about Pleawick, you fucking prick!" Uttering that hateful name, her blue eyes flashed a furious blaze, and his breath was caught on his throat.

"Pleawick who?" he asked in an attempt to distract her - there was no way she could have known... "What are you saying?"

"Oh, as if you don't remember such a big promotion," Amanda sneered. Turning away, she clasped her hands behind her back and started pacing the room.

"You know Tony, when we first met back at the Academy I knew you were a first-class opportunistic alpha male. You wanted to rise high and I thought that, if I stood by your side, I would be safe.

"You were ambitious enough and wanted to draw everybody's attention when entering into a room. Your chauvinistic dick didn't take crap from anyone, and I thought that protection would extend to your woman too.

"So I said to myself; he's young and not that bad looking. I'll spend four years in the Academy and another five in space and at least I'll be safe. All I have to do is look like all the other women, pretty and naïve.

"Once our mission ended I planned to throw another bimbo in your bed. Having been left heartbroken, I couldn't stand working with you.

"Naturally, I would resign and return to Terra. That would be the end of Mandy, the lieutenant's woman. As for Mrs. Amanda Grayson, she could easily find a teaching position in an elementary school back home. Serving one term on a starship would be quite an addition to my CV, not to mention the money.

"I would spend the next year or so trying to scrub from my skin all your filth, and then I would find myself a quiet moron to marry, and perhaps raise a couple of brats.

"But no! I was wrong! You didn't simply want to rise high; you also wanted to rise quickly. So quickly, you were willing to sacrifice anyone and anything to get what you wanted. Including me!"

"I never-" he cried in protest, before she cut him.

"Don't bother!" she shouted back. "I'd installed a hidden camera in our bedroom and I had a rape kit! Every morning for six years I checked myself and I was clean! And then one morning, guess what! I was not!"

"No, you're wrong-" he said, but she took two quick steps and stood right above him.

"Do you know how I felt?" she asked furiously, hitting his face with her fists.

"Watching the holovid?" Another punch.

"Watching you open the bedroom's door to that filthy pervert?" Another punch.

"Watching him take my gown off while I was sleeping?" Another punch.

"Watching him take a stimulant to get his dick up?" Another punch.

"I... Was... Angry!" She emphasized each word with the hardest hits she could deliver.

Then panting, she took a step in the back so as to admire her handwork that lay on the same spot. His face was bruised and there was blood running from his cut left eyebrow, nose and mouth.

"But now I feel better," Amanda smiled and panting, she sat on a chair. "Oh, yea… much better.

"You know, Tony… You were dead the moment you stepped inside this room. Hell," she laughed, "you were dead the moment Pleawick stepped inside our bedroom. I was gonna kill you and make it look like an accident.

"After you passed me on to that asshole, I knew it was only a matter of time before you'd do it again. Sooner or later you'd find me expendable and my lifeline would shrink dramatically. That is why I offered to join the rest of the group for the Romulan raid. I was gonna approach each of the men to see which one was willing to help me stab something sharp in your back.

"The Vulcans postponed my plan indefinitely… Or at least that's what I believed. When you walked inside this room, I couldn't believe my good fortune," stretching her arms, she smiled wickedly, "or your bad luck. Depends on which side you're standing. I bet you didn't know you were living on borrowed time, huh?" She gave him a cunning wink and Fierm fumed.

Frustrated and feeling totally helpless, he let out an angry roar. The spear in his chest was killing him. The wound was fatal and he knew he had to return to Glory's sickbay as soon as possible.

"Stop growling," Amanda moaned. "Can't you take it like a man, for once in your pathetic life? You lived inside shit; can't you just find the courage to die with dignity? Oh, well," she snorted, "I guess it's a little late now, trying to learn new words."

Accepting the fact that he had to plead once more, he grinded his teeth. "I'm dying… Please-"

"You should be grateful you're dying now," she cut him, without the smallest hint of remorse in her voice. "Sarek's ship left Romulus five minutes after you attacked us. I notified him; it's a mental bond between married couples. Vulcan stuff, you wouldn't understand.

"The fact is they'll arrive soon. And trust me Tony; you don't want to keep on breathing once Sarek gets here. He knows all about us and about that filthy satyr. Hmmm, I wonder what he'd do to Pleawick, if he ever gets his hands on him…"

Although he was seriously wounded and almost entirely paralyzed, his mind was still working. He decided to appeal to her Terran egoism. "An alien? How could you?"

"And why not? He's got balls, like any other man. And in case you've forgotten, I'm not his whore. I'm his wife."

"He's an alien, Mandy. They're our enemies! You're not one of them. And you'll never be."

"Are you lecturing me, Tony? Screw you! I did what I had to do to survive. You'd do the same – if not worse. Besides," she smirked, "we are enemies now. But isn't it simply semantics? Today we're enemies, tomorrow… who knows?"

"The Empire will never negotiate with those devils. We'll bring them to their knees before they manage to say 'hail' to the Emperor."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," Amanda smirked. "Do you know what the political disagreement between T'Pau and T'Rea was? Ha! You'll be surprised.

"T'Rea was thinking just like you. She believed that, due to our many differences, war between Terra and Vulcan was inevitable, and because of that, Romulus was too dangerous to be left out of this. Do you wanna know why?" Sitting comfortably on the chair, she stretched her legs.

"To make the long story short, centuries ago one of Sarek's ancestors won a major battle. But he didn't kill the defeated enemy soldiers, as was the custom. See, he too had lost many men and had to replace them.

"So, what the fox did instead is that he tried to take their leader on his side, by presenting that decision as a 'logical argument'. The two men's dialogue was immortalized by Vulcan historians and every form of artwork, from paintings, to statues, to poems.

"The conqueror's name was Surak. This ship, where you'll die, is named after him. Guess what happened next! The 'logical argument', which means presenting in a conversation logical arguments, turned out to be a major success for his clan that other clans soon adopted.

"Surak's actions literally changed Vulcan history. Surak himself became the most powerful Vulcan warlord and clan leader; his victories in battlefields were soon equalized by his diplomatic conquests.

"Seeing the benefits of logic and unification, everybody accepted that new philosophy. Those who didn't soon became a minority and perished from the face of the planet.

"What followed was Vulcan's golden age. Economic growth led to revival of arts, literature, sciences. That was when Vulcan philosophers began experimenting with logic, its components and its variables."

She paused and for a moment observed him lying immobile on the floor. "Are you listening to me? You haven't died yet, have you?"

"Bite me," he growled.

Amanda raised her eyes to the ceiling, pretending she was shocked. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a language. You know, Sarek during sex says the same thing. Hmmm, I wonder…"

She let out a small chuckle before continuing. "Okay, here's the best part.

"At that time, another Vulcan philosopher developed a principle known as Kol-Ut-Shan, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. In short, IDIC or idiocy as I call it. A celebration of our differences. Cool, huh? When Sarek first explained to me that principle I almost laughed until I realized I owed it my life. Ironic, isn't it?

"Anyway, that philosopher managed to gather around him a small group of followers but the majority of the population, fearing for their species purity and loss of strength, decided to eradicate them as a threat.

"That was when the 'Romulans', as that group called themselves, decided to leave Vulcan and swore never to return, unless the tide changed and the rest of the planet accepted their principles and fully embrace unification.

"So far Romulans, like their Vulcan cousins, avoid the Empire – they are idealists, not stupid. But because of their philosophy, Vulcans fear that Romulans might approach Terra first, which risks revelation of Vulcan secrets to Terra. Biology secrets, if you get my meaning. Merely that thought keeps every Vulcan awake at nights.

"Hence the different opinions, and the clash!" Amused Amanda clasped her hands. "T'Rea tried to convince Sarek and the Council about the necessity of a Vulcan attack on Romulus. Something quick and…" she raised a suggestive eyebrow, "massive, if you catch my point.

"T'Pau on the other hand, after centuries of separation, wanted to write her name in every history book as the first leader who initiated peace.

"Besides, what will happen if just one Romulan survives and joins the Empire? The Vulcans would be doomed; that would be their end.

"T'Pau observed how Terrans think, through our captured spies. She also knows that the Emperor will stop at nothing to get what he wants. She might stop Terran spies once, twice, but not for ever. And unlike you or T'Rea who saw only until the next war, T'Pau sees ahead, far, far ahead.

"She envisions something that is currently unthinkable, even to the logical Vulcans; a peace agreement between Vulcan and the Empire. She sees a future where Terrans and Vulcans will explore space together. You know… the vast, dangerous space you used to work while you were still alive?" Her voice was filled with irony.

"T'Pau's plan is simple. To her people she will promise peace and prosperity. To the Emperor, she'll claim Terrans could use Vulcans. They are stronger, quicker and perhaps more ruthless.

"Of course she'll present it in a way the Emperor thinks Terrans will have the upper hand. But one of the things T'Pau taught me is that politics is like sex." Amanda smiled amused. "As long as the job gets done, does it really matter who's on top?

"The problem was that she lacked the reason, an excuse to reveal her intentions to the High Council. You see, she is very powerful but, for something this big, even the powerful T'Pau needed allies within the notorious Vulcan Council.

"Sarek's wife wasn't much help. Neither was our policy of sending one spy after another. Right now things are… shall we say, not so friendly between us? Vulcans know Terrans only through our spies… Not the finest choirboys in the congregation.

"At that time, guess who walked in the picture? Me! An original Terran specimen. And I didn't go to the planet as a spy; I simply was in the wrong place, the wrong time. Poor, innocent Amanda.

"Sarek would kill me like the others, only he was curious. And after having me," she smirked, "not only he liked how I taste, but he can't get enough of me.

"A slave is a slave and at first I was no more than that. I guess Sarek hadn't thought of anything else either. He believed that he could continue sleeping with me, and do T'Rea once in every seven years.

"The turning point was Sarek's fever - everything changed that day. That bitch refused to save his life and called for a champion to defend her. That was her last mistake; Sarek literally tore him apart. First him, and then her.

"The people who observed the ceremony were shocked by the course of events. A Vulcan man during the fever usually takes his woman, no questions asked. But Sarek after his victory, instead of taking T'Rea to the caves, broke her neck in front of everybody.

"By doing that, he was doomed. His family realized that and considered killing him to spare him the agonizing pain. You see, in his madness, he didn't let anyone approach him, including any woman.

"On the other hand, they tried to think of something - anything - to save him. He's Vulcan army's second in command and losing him was practically out of the question.

"That was when T'Pau had an ingenious idea. She thought of me, Sarek's kafeh. Not only her idea worked, and Sarek lived, but he also claimed me in front of everybody. Sort of a… public announcement, let's say.

"After that, things went their way. T'Pau became my best ally. Since that day she shows me favoritism and encourages sympathy for the poor, weak Human slave that saved the great general's life. She is using me to turn the tide.

"With T'Rea out of both our ways, T'Pau managed to convince the Council to secretly start peace negotiations with Romulus. That's where Sarek's been. You see, after he began fucking me, he became the very personification of IDIC."

Hearing hew own words, Amanda laughed amused. "You're looking at Terra's first unofficial ambassador on Vulcan!

"Isn't it funny, how something as idiot as IDIC, not only saved my ass, but also made me very rich? Not to mention that Sarek is a hell of a stud. I got two out of two!

"Anyway, Sarek is no longer a high ranked military commander. He's Vulcan's first ever ambassador to Romulus, responsible for the unification project. After that, watch it Terra. Here we come!" she sang in a playful tone.

"T'Pau likes me and she'll continue liking me, as long as I serve her plans. You see, I'm not a threat like T'Rea. As an outworlder I can't resume a seat in their precious Council. She even passed a vote that allowed our marriage and I moved in Sarek's master bedroom," Amanda concluded and rose from her seat.

Fierm smiled mockingly. "So everything you said about your sufferings was a lie. I should expect that from a traitor."

Amanda snorted. "Do you honestly believe that I made up all of this? Even the-" Refusing to utter the word, she bit her bottom lip so hard she almost drew blood. "Are you this dumb?"

She shook her head in wonder. "Well, I guess if you lived with lies all your life, you can't understand the truth, even if it hits you right in the face. Everything was true, Tony. The trick is I didn't tell you everything."

Amanda pursed her lips and suddenly her expression became serious. "They say a little confession is good for the soul. Although you are far from the confessor type of guy…" She gave him a hard look and leaned on the table.

"I really haven't spoken with anybody else for five years, Tony. And I suppose you'll die soon," she said with a deep sigh, before continuing her narrative.

"First time Sarek tied me on his bed, I lay there petrified. After the massacre I had just witnessed on the Romulan ship, my mind buzzed with stories of carnivorous, blood-sucking aliens we are taught at school.

"When Sarek began studying and fondling my body, I could tell he was curious. I just lay on the bed covered in sweat, while he fingered me.

"Even now, thinking about that day turns me on... Sarek's fingers, like his dick, are a real work of art. What happened next caught us both by total surprise, when we realized his touch made me horny…

"My lust triggered his, and everything else came naturally. I came so unbelievably hard, I almost blacked out. The crew heard me screaming and thought Sarek had killed me. That's why our room is always soundproofed.

"Can you imagine my shock, when I realized an alien fucked me like none of my cocky Terran lovers had? Everything I had been taught until that time, hate, Terran supremacy, flew out of the window.

"That was when Sarek took a big risk. Slowly, he untied my hands first and then my legs. He watched me like a hawk the whole time, to see what my reaction would be. I knew that had I given him an excuse, even the slightest, he would have broken my neck without a second thought."

She took a step forward. Her gaze hardened as she stood determined in front of her former lover. "I never gave him that excuse. And he never tied or forced me after that.

"But that doesn't mean things are easy. Vulcans… don't express emotions. Do you know what it feels like, living among people who don't smile, don't laugh and don't cry? People who are impossible to understand what they think?

"And Sarek…" She took a deep breath. "He is a difficult, very difficult man to live with," Amanda confessed. "It's always his way, or no way. And to make matters worse, he doesn't know me only by the waist down, like you. I could fool you, but him…" she sighed.

"It is impossible to trick or fool Sarek. As a touch-telepath, he knows my thoughts. But he does want me, despite of knowing my true self." Her hands sensually caressed her curves. "And at the end of each day, he is just a man with needs... Like you are... or should I say were?"

He shook his head in disbelief, determined to hurt her like she hurt him.

"That will never happen," Fierm said, in words that dripped poisonous hate. "Even if the Emperor decides to begin negotiations with them it might take years, even decades to establish official diplomatic relationships. You'll be dead by then."

"Don't you think I know that, Sherlock?" She rolled her eyes. "Sometimes you're such an idiot," Amanda sighed and walked towards the replicator. She pressed a button and a small part of the wall opened to reveal a control panel.

Amanda pressed two more buttons on the panel and to Fierm's amazement the wall to their left split in two, revealing a round window to the outside, so large, it almost covered the entire wall.

She sat on the window's ledge. For a few moments she remained quiet, looking outside of the window. Glory drifted a few miles away.

Amanda Grayson observed her reflection in the dark glass. She looked at her face. Flawless skin, pink cheeks, thick hair, the result of a healthy diet Sarek was forcing her to follow. She observed her eyebrows, her round ears, her perfectly styled hair…

There was a time when the austere hairstyle of the woman watching her from the dark mirror would make a young, uncaring Imperial linguist burst into laughter.

Once upon a time… But not anymore. Not since the day she met the only other person who made all this necessity.

The only person who made all this… tolerable.

And Glory still drifted silently in space, calling her like a siren calls its prey…

And a feeling of nostalgia, painful and sharp like a barbwire, circled her heart.

"It must be time to change shifts," Amanda whispered, trying hard to control a choking feeling in her throat. "Do you know how my parents are?" Her voice almost broke.

Fierm, who with each passing minute felt life drained from him, saw a last opportunity.

"They are well. They never believed you were gone. They miss you and every day pray for your safe return."

"Oh, yea? What are their names?" Amanda asked, still turned away. "Liar," she smiled bitterly, looking at the ship she used to serve once upon a time. "You never asked me about them."

He let out an angry breath. Of course and he never cared about her stupid parents. He had no reason to, yet now he cursed himself. They'd left him a message after her 'accident'. If he had returned that call…

"I once tried to tell Sarek," Amanda added, "that I needed to know about my parents. Not in these words of course… but it didn't work either. Vulcans seem to take quite literally the biblical advice that when a man marries he must leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife."

She turned to face him smiling bitterly again. "See, Tony? We have more in common than you believe…" Another thought crossed her mind and this time her expression changed to sadness.

"He will outlive me, you know," Amanda continued her impulsive confession, looking vacantly at the vast black space.

"Vulcans live approximately two hundred years. One night, after our marriage, I joked about that. He was in an excellent mood… I had been very naughty you see," she smiled gloomy, "so I thought of talking advantage.

"Half serious and half funny, I told him that, when I grow old and wrinkled, he wouldn't want me any more… That he'll send me back to my parents, with a small 'thank you' note.

"I never saw him angrier – apart from the fever and the night he killed–" She bit her bottom lip again, refusing to say the name of her abuser.

"Only this time it was so much worse! I could feel his anger, right in my mind, hitting me like a hammer… He sprang from the bed like a flash. He said he'll never let me go. He accused me that all this time I never understood what I meant to him, that I never cared about him…

"Scared, I wrapped my arms around my knees and curled in a ball… I honestly believed that he'd hit me - but he didn't. Angry, he left the house, while I lay on the bed, terrified.

"I thought 'this is it'. Sarek had never been angry with me before. I spent the next day dreading his return, constantly thinking of the Romulan captain and the servant who were tortured to death…

"When he returned next evening, he walked inside our room without saying a single word. He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of the house, to the hovercar. I started crying and asked him where he was taking me, but he remained silent and gave me no reply.

"Our ride didn't last long. We went to a familiar place, the city hospital. And there he handed me to the doctors… These Vulcan healers who know Human anatomy so well… And they made sure I'll never leave him…"

A deadly silence, that followed Amanda's last words, fell upon them like a heavy veil.

At this moment Fierm decided not to say anything else. He needed to keep his strength and spent the next minutes imagining his men knocking the door to present a report. He would order them to literally tear her apart. Who did that whore think she was?

So the couple waited in silence for the next five minutes… Ten, fifteen, twenty more minutes passed, then half an hour. Fierm began swearing to himself. Where were his men? He would cut down their salary in half for this-

Suddenly Amanda stirred. "Finally," she murmured, stepped down from the ledge and went to the bedroom. Fierm watched her from aside as she opened the closet and knelt down on the floor.

Oddly enough, she smiled.

"Hey," she whispered in the tenderest tone Fierm had ever heard her use. "Are you awake?"

Someone was in there! Although no reply reached his ears, Fierm knew she was talking to someone who all this time was hiding inside the closet.

"Yes, I know. But it was only for a moment and the pain is now gone, right? Don't worry, I'm here. There was one bad man but I took care of him. Hug?"

Fierm's eyes widened as two small hands appeared from inside the closet and circled her neck.

She rose carrying a toddler in her arms. The child wore a black suit that matched his raven hair and came in deep contrast with its white skin. Lying in her arms, it hid its face in Amanda's embrace.

Stunned, Fierm watched them. Amanda gently caressed the child's head with a radiant smile.

Watching her, her former lover thought that during all the time they knew each other, he had never seen her so genuinely happy. As she exited the bedroom, the child whispered something in her ear.

"Of course not!" she replied. "I made sure he can't harm us, see? He'll die soon."

As the child turned to face him, Fierm's breath was caught in his throat. Amanda had said that Vulcans had only black or brown eyes, yet the child's eyes were the bluest Fierm ever saw, with one exception… hers.

His surprise did not escape the mother's gaze.

"Yes," Amanda boasted, caressing the child's soft hair. "He is my son. Mine and his," she smiled and pressed a gentle kiss on the child's cheek. "The bad people gave us a headache but now we are fine, aren't we?"

"Abomination," Fierm spited in disgust.

Unaffected by his reaction, Amanda carefully set her son down.

"The only reason you still have your tongue inside your mouth," she said smoothly, "is because he's a baby and doesn't know that word. But I'm warning you, Tony. If you repeat this once more, your tongue won't be the only part of your face you'll be looking for."

The little child stood a few feet away and watched curiously the strange man that lay on the floor, in a small pool of alien red blood.

His mother knelt between them to make the introductions. "Tony, this is Spock. Spock, this is a dead man."

"Bitch," Fierm swore under his breath but Amanda ignored him completely.

"See? He's angry, because he's weak and harmless," she smiled reassuringly to the child, straightened his clothes and gave him another kiss on the cheek. "I took care of him. Don't worry, baby. I'm here, Mommy's always here. And sa-mekh will soon join us. Would you like to play until he arrives?"

The child nodded. "Okay, I'll get your cubes. Don't come near him and stain your clothes."

Amanda returned to the bedroom while Spock observed the strange alien man who lay helpless against the couch.

Apart from the sparkling blue eyes, the child's face bore no other resemblance to Amanda. As they sat on the floor, looking silently at each other, Fierm realized something.

The kid didn't smile. It didn't cry either – in fact its face was an empty neutral mask, clear from every hint of emotion, except perhaps a touch of curiosity.

"Here they are," Amanda returned, carrying a wooden box. "Lots of wehk-vla to shape them in any way you want," she smiled and placed the box on the floor in front of her son.

Fierm gathered all his strength for what he knew might have been his last attempt.

"Mandy, listen…" he murmured weakly. "I'm sorry for what you've been through, I really am… I know I can't make amends, but… listen to me. Here's what I propose… I'll help you, you and your kid... I'll hide you both… In a colony, close to Terra. And he'll never find you… Both… you'll be safe... I swear… I swear…"

His words fade out as slowly but steady the last of his strength was abandoning him.

At first Amanda didn't reply. For a few moments she just stood there, observing her small child that sat quietly on the floor, shaping a complex polyhedron.

Despite the room's heat, she put her arms around her, as if she was cold. Then she walked and stood next to the window, her face serious and grave. Glory still continued its quiet orbit around them.

A last ray of hope shone in Fierm's eyes. Bingo! Why hadn't he thought of that before? Motherhood was universal and who knew what crap Vulcans did to their children to keep them from smiling like a normal kid?

"Wouldn't you… like to see your son… smile?" he asked, coughing blood.

The memory brought a sad smile on her face. "I have seen him smile," Amanda confessed, "when he was an infant. And no matter how much I'd love to see him smiling again… you see, my dear Tony, I would rather not see him die from the mating fever. His father's genes you see… Sarek has sworn to me, he'll make sure Spock is always safe.

"And at the end of the day… that's all it matters, isn't it? Besides," she turned toward him and tilted her head, "you're right. Now it's too late to make amends."

A noiseless white flash filled the entire window behind her. Surak shook lightly while Glory exploded in a close distance.

"Sarek's here," Amanda announced, her arms still wrapped around her. "You should have died, Tony," she said dryly, raising an indifferent eyebrow. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

She turned to her son, who was still focused on his complex puzzle. "Spock honey, sa-mekh's here."

"Ha, fai-tor nash-veh," murmured the child, without averting his gaze from his polyhedron.

"Yes, honey, I know that you know. I simply… Oh, never mind." Amanda rolled her eyes in frustration. "You and your father's logic," she moaned and sat on a chair close to Spock.

Watching the boy's creation, her face was lit up by another proud smile. "That's very impressive, honey. Well done."

"Lesek," her son replied, his attention focused entirely on his work.

Although no sound reached the room, Amanda knew that the arrival of Sarpk, her husband's military ship, had wreaked havoc at the other side of the locked door.

Naturally, she knew how the battle would evolve. After all, it was only logical.

And several more minutes passed by, until a small light flashed above the door's lock. Someone from outside was attempting to override the room's security.

Realizing she and her son had only seconds alone, Amanda spread her arms in an embrace. "Spock, come here."

The little child obediently rose to his feet and approached his mother who picked him up, sat him on her lap, and gave him a teary smile.

She placed her hand close to her son's ribs, where his small heart was beating rapidly. Mother and son looked at each other; two pairs of blue eyes sparkled like the stars around them.

"I know I don't get to say this often," she whispered in a voice drowned with emotion, "but… never forget that I love you, so very, very much. It is our little…"

The child observed his mother's expressive face with eyes older than his age.

"…tsat," Spock completed her sentence. His mother squeezed him tight and with trembling lips placed an affectionate kiss on his forehead. A small sobbing sound escaped her throat as tears from her face rolled on her son's cheek. Realising they won't be alone for much longer, she quickly wiped them away from both their faces.

Then the room's door opened and Fierm realised he'd lost the game and with that, his life.

For the first thing that entered the room, was an agonizing Human scream followed by a low-pitched death rattle.

Before the sound could fade, death stormed inside. He bore the image of a tall Vulcan man dressed in black, his eyes a pair of burning charcoals ready to consume everyone standing his way.

"We're fine!" Amanda yelled. "We're safe!" Yet before she had the chance to utter another syllable, she and her child were lost inside the man's devouring embrace.

Breathing hard, and making sure his wife and son were unharmed and within his arms, Sarek of Vulcan shut his eyes and took a moment to reestablish his control.

"Everything's fine," Amanda said in a muffling voice, trying to sound calm and reassuring. "I'd locked the door. We were safe the whole time. Spock even play-"

Her words were cut short as her husband's strong hand circled her neck.

"Did any of them touch you?" Sarek asked; his soft voice low and threatening, while his thumb gently stroked the curve of her throat.

She met his ominous, dark tone with a fearless look. "No!"

He knew she was untouched; he knew it the whole time. But smelling her scent, clean and fresh, seeing her face and hearing the words from her own lips caused him a sentiment of utter satisfaction.

Removing his hand from Amanda's throat, Sarek caressed his son's head. Spock too was unharmed. A chill crawled up Sarek's spine, flooding his entire body. Just the thought of his small son in the mercy of enemy soldiers…

Spock, feeling the large, heavy hand, and sensing an enormous wave of relief coming from their bond, was puzzled by his father's reaction. But again this was the family's first off-planet assignment; perhaps such emotional behavior was not unusual, the boy thought and, instead of commented it, he savoured the rare, paternal caress.

Then the Vulcan warrior sniffed. An enemy.

Even if Sarek hadn't seen him with his peripheral vision, the repulsive smell of human sweat mixed with red blood would be enough to track him down.

His pitch black eyes turned to the man who laid on the floor, the man who had threatened the ones who belonged to him.

Meeting the Vulcan's ebony gaze Fierm realised Amanda was right – where was death when you prayed for him?

"Did you touch she who belongs to me?" Sarek asked, hovering above the paralysed man.

A terrified Fierm barely managed to shook his head. "I swear… I didn't lay a hand… on her…"

"That remains to be seen," Sarek replied coldly, throwing him a dark look. Fierm felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

Another Vulcan man, dressed in military uniform, stood at the door. The Human corpse he held in his right hand, was still shaking from post-mortem spasms. With a steady hand, he pointed at Fierm.

"Osu, the enemy soldiers identify this Human as the leader."

"Indeed."

Fierm let out a gasp as Sarek grabbed him by the throat and lifted him so they were eye to eye.

"Sarek!" Amanda's firm voice held her husband's hand like an invisible force. "Not in front of Spock."

Sarek tilted his head. Amanda's request was logical. Spock was quite young; a scream had a 72 percent probability of affecting his hearing.

Not releasing the Human from his tight grip, he gave his wife a neutral look. "Then take him to the bedroom," Sarek replied, his austere voice in perfect sync with his authoritarian personality.

Spock sank in her embrace and Amanda hugged him tightly. She threw one last contemptuous look at the man lying on the floor, the man who resembled her last link with her past.

Then she adjusted her son in her embrace, turned and walked to the bedroom, where there was a smaller replicator. It was time for Spock's meal. And her son, like his father, didn't like his schedule interrupted.

When the door closed behind them, Sarek draw his prisoner closer. They were so close that Fierm felt the Vulcan's hot breath on his face.

"You. Touched she who is mine."

Fierm's eyes widened in fear. "N-no," he barely managed to reply in a hoarse voice.

"Yes," Sarek said, and through their physical contact sent to the rival male a mental image. Fierm and Amanda, sitting on the table, holding hands.

"But…but… that is nothing," Fierm stuttered because he knew these were his final words. "Nothing!" The pure terror made his voice reach an unusually high-pitched, strangled cry.

Only this reply infuriated the Vulcan.

"Nothing?" Enraged, Sarek gnashed his teeth - his two eyes, an endless ebony abyss.

"Nobody touches she who is mine," Sarek declared, and Fierm screamed as a full mental assault crashed into his defenceless consciousness.

He stopped screaming when Sarek first broke his jaw, and then crushed his throat.

Disgusted by the smelly red blood, Sarek tossed the lifeless body aside and turned to his ot-lan who all this time waited patiently in the doorway.

"Clean this filth," Sarek ordered and took a moment to compose himself. He walked to the bedroom but, before opening the door, a thought held him.

"Did we suffer any casualties?"

"No, ambassador. All our men are well."

"Excellent," Sarek nodded. Ambassador. It would take some time to get used to it.

"Osu," the ot-lan hesitated, "there are a few Human survivors. What shall we do with them?"

"They are enemies," Sarek stated, "and we must follow the regulation. Take no prisoners."

"Yes osu," the ot-lan bowed his head in obedience.

Sarek opened the bedroom door and stepped inside. Spock was sitting on a chair, drinking his juice. Amanda turned towards him.

It is over; Sarek communicated through their bond and felt her gratitude envelop him.

Thank you my love, Amanda sent back, summoning what she knew was her sweetest smile. Only her Vulcan husband wasn't affected the slightest.

Do not smile in front of Spock! Sarek raised a reproving eyebrow and Amanda tensed at the sharp mental reprimand.

She lowered her head. The smile disappeared from her lips; it was replaced by a carefully practiced unemotional mask.

It began the day Spock was born. Sarek, who until that day always enjoyed her emotionalism, forbade her to express any emotions in the presence of their child. Spock was to be raised like a pure-blooded Vulcan, and that was nonnegotiable.

Facing a battle she had no chance of winning, Amanda sat obediently on a chair opposite her son. Folding her hands, she looked down. The marital bond she and her husband shared was overflowed by a wave of sadness.

Sarek's expression remained unchanged. Yet sensing his wife's sorrow stroked a chord deep down his severe heart.

Displeasing one's bondmate was not only unproductive, but also dangerous to one's health. It could even become… lethal.

Like in a fog, he recalled the burning pain that devoured him as he faced T'Rea's challenger after her betrayal. For a proud warrior, it was a disconcerting… uneasy thought.

No, he couldn't afford to sadden Amanda. She wasn't only loyal and mother to his heir – she was also a most pleasant bondmate.

He swept her with a warm feeling of affection, a heart-warming sentiment his Human wife had never known before they met.

Later, Sarek conveyed through their bond, when we will be alone. Later, adun'a.

Amanda looked at him with her alien blue eyes she knew her husband secretly worshiped. She raised her head and straightened her back. She could do this, she was strong… She had to be strong… For Spock.

Her lips stopped trembling and she took a deep breath. Determined, she nodded.

Sarek watched her efforts with satisfaction. He sent her a feeling of approval and walked to the bathroom. With hasty moves he took off his clothes and, unable to hide his disgust, threw them in the cloth refresher.

Then he walked into the shower to wash off that revolting mix of human sweat and blood. He needed to remove from his body the disturbing smell that surrounded him because it brought back a sickening memory… of the day Spock was born.

The hospital's healers were handsomely paid. And Sarek of Vulcan did everything within his power so that nobody would reveal details of his newborn son.

How the infant, upon his birth, looked so… human.

Covered in Amanda's red blood. Watching his father with those large blue eyes.

Causing to Sarek, who had specifically requested the child to resemble nothing less than a full-blooded Vulcan, a severe shock.

He pushed the unpleasant memory away from his thoughts and stepped out of the shower.

Putting on his robe, Sarek watched his reflection in the mirror. His image watched him back; severe and unyielding as always. Even now, five years later, he was still amazed how an alien female caused him such an internal turmoil.

It was five years ago that he took a decision that even amazed himself.

When he took for the first time in his bed an alien female, Sarek never anticipated how she would change the course of his life.

But Amanda had proved both worthy and willing. And she had served him well during his Time. In fact, after T'Rea's betrayal, no member from his clan expected him to emerge, not merely alive, but served so well. Sarek could indulge himself with an emotional bondmate.

But in regards to his offspring and sole heir… Sarek was unwilling to make even the slightest concession. This time he wouldn't make the same mistake as he did with Sybok. He would personally supervise Spock's upbringing.

They were fortunate Spock had his blood. As for the eyes…

His small son had remained away from the public eye for the first two years of his life. But now with all the attention focused on them…

Sarek lifted the mirror, revealing a hidden cabinet behind it. Among packages and bottles of various sizes, he selected a small vial, closed the mirror and returned to the bedroom.

Spock had just finished his meal and Amanda set his plate aside.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "Would you like me to prepare you something?" Sarek shook his head in refusal and sat on a chair opposite the room's large mirror.

"Approach, sa-fu." Sarek raised the small vial he held. "Do you know what this is?"

His son nodded. "Ko-mekh told me."

"The healers made them. You will wear these during the day. Before going to sleep you will remove them, yes?"

"Yes, sa-mekh."

"Did you have the opportunity to put them on?"

"No, sa-mekh. My head hurt and ko-mekh put me to sleep in the closet."

Although Sarek's expression remained neutral, his vision darkened. His sole heir was so close to being harmed… He looked at his adun'a. Amanda's lips twitched and Sarek sent her a feeling of gratitude. Standing behind Spock, she smiled shyly at her husband and gave him a small wink.

Sarek turned his attention back to his son. "That is acceptable. We will make the necessary repairs and return to Romulus. There we will spend the next five years. Our family is being given an assignment by the High Council. It is a great honor, Spock."

"Yes, sa-mekh."

"When we arrive at Romulus, our family will be constantly under the spotlight. Our clan represents Vulcan's best. Our behavior must be exemplary. This," he pointed at the vial, "is important. At first your ko-mekh and I will help you wear them. In time you will do it yourself. Come."

Sarek sat his son on his lap and together they faced the mirror.

Only a small twitch in Amanda's lips betrayed her displeasure. Under her saddened gaze, Sarek opened the vial.

"To touch them, I have cleaned my hands," he said. "You will do the same. Now, hold still."

And Spock remained perfectly still, while his father helped him wear for the first time his black colored contact lenses.

When Sarek finished, Spock observed his reflection in the mirror. After blinking a few times, the little child marvelled at how his image was dramatically altered by something this trivial.

"Wow!"

His father watched amused his son's emotional reaction. Feeling grateful his family was unharmed, Sarek caressed Spock's head and decided only this once to spare his son another lecture on control.

Instead he formed the ozh'esta with his index and middle fingers and extended his right hand to his adun'a.

Only Amanda didn't watch him. She stared at Spock with a melancholic look in her eyes. At that moment she knew she had lost a little more of her son.

Dissatisfied he didn't have his wife's full attention, Sarek sent her a mental tingle through their bond.

?

Amanda, sensing Sarek's question, blinked. She turned to face her husband who waited… for what?

Her eyes fell on his hand, forming the ozh'esta, waiting to join hers in a finger embrace, a rare public Vulcan sign of affection.

She almost sighed.

Sometimes she missed it. The Human Hug.

Sarek almost never touched her in the presence of others. In the rare occasions he did, he offered her only his two fingers, as if on the edge of these fingertips could fit all the passion he showed her behind closed doors, in the privacy of their bedchamber.

Yet, somehow all this passion, all their lovemaking couldn't make for the simplicity, the naturalness of a hug.

Yes, she definitely missed it.

But the ozh'esta had to suffice.

Amanda joined two fingers and reached for her husband's hand.

For the first couple of seconds their touch was like a warm feeling, which almost immediately exploded into a spontaneous blaze. It spread from her hand, flamed her entire body, face, hands, feet, until it nestled between her legs, setting her loins on fire.

Well, if she had to be frank with herself, this was… quite a compensation.

She rose from her chair and sat next to her husband, when a thought came to her. Something she said earlier to a dead man, a conversation she had once had with T'Pau, her best ally in her husband's world.

"As long as the job gets done, it doesn't matter who's on top." T'Pau taught her that.

And yet, her spirit rebelled. She didn't want to give up. She refused to give up. Not everything. Not Spock.

Without breaking the ozh'esta, with her other hand she reached out to her small son, who sat on his father's lap. She caressed his hair, his small back, she straightened his clothes.

A claim, sorts of. Human in its expression. Human in its need.

She could practically feel Sarek's sharp gaze. Her husband was following her every move, watching her like a wild predator from his desert home world.

He was fully aware of her claim. Yet, he did not comment it.

An unspoken agreement. Vulcan in its silence. Vulcan in its unison.

Their small son was still observing his mirror image, totally oblivious to the voiceless rebalancing of powers that took place behind his back.

"Sa-mekh!" Spock exclaimed. "This is fascinating! We look alike!"

Unable to hide his pride, Sarek observed his family's mirror image.

His wife, sitting next to him, was watching their son, trying to suppress a smile. Unable to hide her emotions for the boy. Yet she remained loyal. Willing to serve him, willing to save him, willing to please him. And in the process please herself.

And his son. His heir. An heir he would shape in his own image. This time Sarek wouldn't make the same mistakes.

As the couple sat next to each other, their eyes met through the mirror. Satisfied, Sarek laid a heavy hand on Spock's shoulder – as heavy as their legacy.

"Of course we are," Sarek replied. "We are S'chn T'gai. We are Vulcan's finest."

.

The end.

Vulcan words (from VLD)

Sa-mekh: father

Wehk-vla: polygon

Ha, fai-tor nash-veh: Yes, I know

Lesek: thank you

Sarpk: a famous ka'athyra (harp) maker

Tsat: secret

Osu: lord

Ot-lan: Lieutenant

Sa-fu: son

Ko-mekh: mother

adun'a: wife

ozh'esta: finger embrace

Author's note: An insightful reader said this story captures the Mirror Universe in "a visceral way". I found that quite descriptive because this story is written as an allegory.

Fierm represents those people who think they can party in the expense of others and remain unpunished. Amanda represents those who are caught in the middle and try to survive in every way they can. She is not innocent, but again nobody is.

Sarek is Fierm's nemesis, the punishment for his hybris and arrogance. He is also the catalyst who changes Amanda's life – whether she wants it or not. Change is always inevitable.

Amanda's misadventures have a mirror-happy ending. She lives and prospers, but not as she had planned. Yet she will fight in every way she can to protect her future, her child, even if it means sacrificing some of her personal needs. And Spock in return will always share with her their little secret.

I apologize if this story is not exciting. I don't think I could describe a breath-taking battle scene even if I wanted – I'm not that good writer. LOL

Instead this story is partially written as a tragedy. I did break one major rule though, and presented to the readers an execution. But only because I am really, really, really pissed off with those people who believe it is okay to party in the expense of everybody else.

In my culture, hybris and arrogance are always punished by nemesis. That is the natural order of things, not a threat. "Threats are illogical," said a certain Federation Ambassador. "And payment is usually expensive." (TOS-JTB)

Thank you for reading. Your comments, thoughts and ideas are always important as they help me improve as a writer.