A/N: Hi, everyone! Welcome to Chapter 4 of Elaria!
Thanks to lightsabove, IWillNeverStopFangirling, FOEVERMORE, spiritgirl16, Frostivy, let me guess, GodricGryff, Amiri, WarriorDragonElf54, and AussieMaelstrom for reviewing! Thanks also to everyone who's added this story to your alerts and favorites; I appreciate it greatly. :D
In regards to the story: I can't say too much in this pre-chapter author's note, without risk of giving something away. All I can really say is that you find out Elaria's connection to Vartik and Jaylira, though there's of course further development of it in later chapters. XD
Also, as a side note, the image for this story, the black-haired woman? That's what I picture Elaria looking like. :D All original credit for this picture goes to the real-life model in the image, the lovely Rachel Dashae. No copyright/arts infringement intended with the usage of this pic as my cover art; I'm just a fan. :)
As always, please review when you're done reading. I love getting your guys' input.
Alright, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 4
Elaria sat silently in her seat on the transport shuttle, opting to look out the small window rather than speak.
Which was probably just as well; hearing her voice reminded Vartik and the others that she existed, and it never seemed to be a happy reminder. Particularly for Jaylira, to whom she should have been closest. But Vartik had lied to his precious popstar daughter about Elaria, about who and what she was. Just like Jaylira's dyed hair and colored contacts, it was all lies and fakery.
And while it still tore at her heart, she'd learned long ago to numb herself to that pain. Succumbing to it would accomplish nothing, and her rebellious pride was too great to allow such a thing anyway.
Suppressing a sigh, she looked away from the black sky outside the window and instead directed her attention to the three men from Starfleet. Or rather, two Starfleet men and one who was something else. She'd quickly realized that while the third man, with the icy eyes and smooth voice, was with Kirk and the Vulcan, he also held himself apart from them. And the two Starfleet officers were clearly wary of the man, which intrigued her.
While not overtly impressive-looking aside from his good looks, there was something about him…a sort of contained energy, like he could erupt into action at any moment, if he so chose.
As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned slightly to meet her gaze. He arched an eyebrow in an almost taunting way, and she felt a flash of irritation, mixed with some amusement. Rolling her eyes, she looked away, feigning disinterest. The man –Khan, she remembered him calling himself- assessed her for a moment longer before turning to once again face the front.
Feeling thoroughly sick of her life, she picked at her black nail polish for lack of anything better to do. A few moments later they reached the Enterprise, and she couldn't help but notice the change in Kirk's expression.
It was like he was returning home to his loved ones after a long time away. Which was ridiculous; he'd only been away for the day. Yet even so…the joy and relief on his face was obvious.
She found herself oddly envious; he must be close with the people on his ship, to have such a look. She'd never had that sort of closeness with anyone, and her isolation from the love that she should have had wasn't likely to cease anytime soon. Vartik and his wife Caroline were the only ones aside from the private family physicians who knew her true heritage.
Even precious Jaylira didn't know the real story. It was a secret that she bore alone. It caged her, and had left her soul bruised and battered from the emotional strain. She'd even sought death on multiple occasions, so desperate she'd been for escape.
But she'd been thwarted each and every time, and Vartik had made it clear after her last suicidal undertaking that yet another attempt to kill herself would see her sequestered away permanently and under constant guarded watch. Because if she died, the odds of Jaylira perishing in the event of an accident went up.
As the only other human-Karitani hybrid in the known universe, Elaria was literally the only viable donor for the popstar.
Of course, it should have gone both ways. But Vartik and Caroline had no love for her, the younger twin. The unwanted one. The only reason she'd been allowed to live at all, when Karitani tradition stated that the second of the twins should be abandoned, was because if Jaylira ever need an organ transplant, or even a simple blood transfusion, she was the only option.
And her sister didn't even know their real connection, having been raised to believe that Elaria was some sort of genetic experiment, or something along those lines. She didn't know what exactly her –their- parents had told her, but knew that Jaylira had started hatefully calling her 'freak' and other such names not long after they'd hit puberty; Vartik, always distant to Elaria, had become downright cruel to her around that time as well, and it had crushed something inside of her, something that had never really healed.
But that's fine, she told herself sternly. I don't need them anyway. I don't need anyone.
Khan was determined to focus on assisting Kirk and thereby help his people. But there was something about the Karitani woman, Elaria. He'd catch his thoughts drifting to her at unexpected moments. Her interactions with Vartik and his daughter had been so volatile, and while she'd acted like their words hadn't bothered her, he couldn't shake the feeling that it had affected her, somehow.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye as they docked inside the Enterprise and disembarked. She stayed near Vartik and Jaylira, but not too close. She hung on the peripheral, as if hesitant to go any closer to them.
He wondered if she were frightened of them, then immediately dismissed the notion. Elaria didn't strike him as the cowering type; the fire in her eyes made it clear that she had the spirit of a warrior.
His thoughts returned to the immediate situation when Kirk turned to him. "You're going to behave, right?"
He didn't bother trying to stop the smirk that came to his lips. "But of course."
Kirk, not a fool, didn't look convinced. "Uh-huh. Sure."
Khan arched a brow. "Having second thoughts, Captain Kirk?"
Kirk didn't answer, instead turning to Spock. "I'm going to head up to the Bridge," he told his friend. "You take these guys down to Bones to get checked out."
"Very well," the Vulcan answered. "I'll join you when we're finished."
Kirk nodded. "Good. See you up there."
And then he was gone, striding down the hall. Spock watched him go, then led them in the opposite direction. They took a turbolift up a few levels, they arrived at MedBay. Khan recognized the physician, McCoy, as being the same from two months before. And judging from the doctor's scowl, McCoy hadn't forgotten him either.
"Spock," McCoy said by way of greeting.
"Doctor," the Vulcan acknowledged. "I have brought out passengers for their pre-departure work-up."
McCoy nodded. "I'll get started right away." A glance at Vartik and the two women. "I'm going to do a basic med scan and then take a blood sample from each of you."
The Karitani man didn't look at all pleased. "That's not necessary."
"Actually it is," Bones said. "I need confirmation that you're all suitably healthy for space travel."
"It is standard procedure," Spock assured Vartik.
A tense silence, then "I will consent to this for myself and my daughter. But to do this for Elaria would be a waste of resources."
Bones wasn't the least bit dissuaded. "Since they're my resources to waste, I think that's up to me."
Vartik pursed his lips."You will not draw her blood."
Bones lifted his eyebrows in disbelief but gave no ground. "I won't allow anyone to stay on this ship without at least being scanned and a blood sample taken for analysis."
"That decision is not yours," Vartik insisted, "but rather the Captain's."
McCoy crossed his arms. "Believe it or not, I actually outrank our fearless leader in terms of medical expertise. Which makes it ultimately up to me. If you don't agree to the work-up," he continued, "I won't allow you to remain onboard. The same goes for her.
Vartik regarded the doctor for a long moment before speaking. "What purpose do these tests serve?"
The doctor was clearly losing his patience, but managed to his voice controlled. "To assess your current physical condition and see if you have any pre-existing conditions that we to be aware of. Also to determine if your system contains any potentially hazardous pathogens or viruses that could be transmitted to the crew." He looked at them severely. "I don't allow the captain on board without undergoing at least a basic scan. What makes you think I'd make an exception for you?"
It was obvious that McCoy wasn't going to budge on the issue, and Khan couldn't help but feel some respect for the doctor for holding his ground.
"We might as well just get it over with," Elaria said, speaking up for the first time since they'd left Earth. "He's clearly not going to let you bully him in acquiescence."
Vartik narrowed his gaze at her. "You want him to take a blood sample from you."
She snorted. "You overestimate me. I don't care either way. But I feel obligated to point out that my presence here is at your behest. Allowing them to remove me from the ship seems counterproductive, whether it's for the sake of your secrets or not."
Vartik growled at her, a low rumbling sound.
She looked completely unfazed. "Tolrianu," she said; it was presumably a word or phrase in the native Karitani language. Whatever the meaning, it seemed to be something that Vartik agreed with, albeit reluctantly.
"Run your tests and take your blood samples," he said to McCoy. "But no more."
"Provided everything turns out normal, that's all I'll need." He gestured to Jaylira. "Since you're the guest of honor, why don't we start with you?"
The popstar hesitated, then smiled nervously. "Okay.
Bones took her blood first, then scanned her with his tricorder. He repeated the process with Vartik, then waved at Elaria to come forward for her turn. She hesitated for a split second, not long enough for anyone other than Khan to notice. But he did notice, and wondered at it. She'd voiced her indifference to the medical work-up, but there had still been that second of hesitation. And Vartik and his daughter were looking on with clear disapproval as Dr. McCoy drew Elaria's blood.
As for the Karitani woman herself…her expression was distant, as if her thoughts were far, far away.
He wondered what she was thinking about, then cast it from his mind; it was irrelevant to the mission, and to his goals of freeing his people.
"There we go," McCoy said a moment later. "You're all set. The tricorder scans all seem normal. I'll get the bloodwork done within the hour, and we should be good to go, provided nothing unusual turns up."
Spock nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."
"Sure thing." Bones waved a dismissive hand and returned to his main work bench, thoughts already on his planned tests.
A/N: Thus ends Chapter 4.
So, yes, Elaria is the "unwanted" daughter, though it's also much more complicated than that; I'll expand on it even further in later chapters. :)
Also, if anyone cares to know, the Karitani word Elaria says, "tolrianu", has the literal translation of "No alternatives", and basically the overall meaning of "There is no other way."
As always, please let me know how you feel about the chapter. Did I write everyone convincingly? Did everything make sense? Any and all feedback is appreciated. :D
The next chapter will most mostly likely be posted in two or three days, depending on my schedule. Stay tuned!