Okk sooo since i absolutely suck at Stardates I'll just use the month/date/year combo...it's just to hard for me to figure that out and still be right :D Hope you enjoy this chapter...Hopefully it won't take so long to post the next one..this one had me rewriting it more than I really cared for but I hope you do enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who has read, favorited and followed this story..your support and comments are very much appreciated!
Vulcan, Shi'kahr Province D'H'riset – Residence of Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan
Stardate::2276.93 (September 3, 2276)
On a planet that was home to over six billion inhabitants the day was hot which was not unusual, the winds were blowing the red sands around the outside walls that surround the primary home of Ambassador Sarek and his family. In the kitchen Spock was sitting at the table looking over the current project proposal on his padd. He was intrigued by the idea of both Vulcan's and Romulan's working together along with humans and possibly putting aside their differences for the history and preservation of all their cultures. It was a once in a lifetime chance to reunite the brother races as well as get to know their Federation friends and allies.
It wasn't that Spock was uncertain that their current project wouldn't work, it was the thoughts and reaction from the team on Earth. He had sent a request to meet with them before coming to either Vulcan or Romulus and was admittedly curious about the company they had agreed to partner with on the current venture. Enterprise Excavation had a reputation known through out the galaxy for being efficient and friendly. They were also known for finding artifacts that most would give up on searching for or didn't believe exist. This wasn't the only reason Spock was curious though, something he would attribute to his human half. He wanted to know more about the company's CEO James T. Kirk, admittedly to be curious of a human was not unheard of largely due to the fact that the planet Vulcan was home to a number of the species but to be curious about a human was frowned upon due mostly to their emotional control.
Spock attributed his curiosity about the other man to his friend and co worker Nyota Uhura. She had been attending a xenolinguistics seminar on Betazed and had returned praising the group from Enterprise. "You should have gone with me Spock, I mean seriously you and Pavel would have enjoyed yourselves as well as got to meet some new people. The guest speaker for the archaeology and excavation group was Jim Kirk and to be honest, the rumors about him can't all be true. The Rag-nets say he's a womanizer but that didn't seem to be the case, he pretty much kept to himself and his friends. He did attend the xenolinguistics lectures as well. He seemed to be there to support one of the speakers, Liana Gaines who seems to be a part of the circle that surrounds Kirk. She was also one of the guest speakers for the psychology group as well. He was also there with Hikaru Sulu and Leonard McCoy who were also speaking at some of the lectures as well but it was unfortunate we didn't get to hear Montgomery Scott, though I heard his ideas on trans warp theory are phenomenal." She had continued to tell them about the seminar but never missed the opportunity to praise the group from Enterprise.
When the new archaeological site on Vulcan had been uncovered and Romulan artifacts as well as Vulcan were unearthed, the High Council had decided that an outside group may need to be called in and immediately Enterprise Excavation had popped into Spock's mind. After the stories Nyota had been telling them and Spock doing some research on his own, his curiosity about the other man had not been quenched it just seemed to get worse. When the board had decided to accept job offers for the excavation and digging, Spock was more than pleased to see the company name come across the list as one of the top three. He had gone to his father and mother to inquire about the status of the offers earlier in the day and had been pleased with the direction the conversation had taken.
Knocking on the door of his fathers study Spock waited for a response. When his father bade him enter, he had walked in pushing the door open and looked around the room. "Good afternoon Spock," It was his mothers voice, soft and full of love for her only son. "Greetings Spock, come in and sit with us." Sarek invited softly.
"Father, mother if you are not otherwise occupied I wish to discuss a business matter with you both." He didn't want to interrupt his parents time together and chose to get straight to business instead of idle talk. His father had left the current project in his hands and he wanted to be sure that the information he had just read was accurate.
Sarek looked at his son then glanced over at his wife, she smiled serenely at him then he turned back to his son. "You wish to know of the situation surrounding the archaeological dig on both Vulcan and Romulus." Sarek stated in a matter of fact tone. He showed no emotion as he spoke but his eyes held a fondness for his son most never saw. He was aware of Spock's interest in the new mining project they were over seeing and was pleased that he had wanted to oversee it himself. "It is good that you choose to oversee this project yourself Spock. This will help in shaping a new world for our people and those that we meet in the future." Sarek had moved from his position behind his desk to the settee where his wife sat. He held a padd in his hand and looking at his wife he turned back to Spock and held it out to him. "Here is the information you are wanting my son. It would seem that the board is in agreement with Enterprise Excavation and their expertise in handling precious artifacts." Sarek looked at Spock closely then glanced over at Amanda, "It is most fortunate that the rumors surrounding James Kirk have been proven to be some what false, or the decision may have gone to a company less qualified." He didn't miss Spock's reaction nor the smile that curved Amanda's lips as their son went over the information on the padd.
"It is most fortunate indeed that the rumors about Mr. Kirk have proven to be false." Spock spoke softly, absorbed in the information on the padd. He looked up at both of his parents and saw how they were watching him. He could feel the heat sliding up from his neck to his face and hoped he was not blushing in front of them. Looking first at his mother and the smile on her face then back to his father who despite the impassive look on his face seemed to be smiling at him with his eyes. "This is a very promising venture on the part of everyone involved. It would only be logical to have the most qualified group over seeing it as well." Spock watched as both his parents looked at each other then back at him.
"You are correct in this Spock and I am confident that you will achieve the goal that has been set. The project is now in your hands, I am confident that you will be successful on this particular project." Sarek glanced over once more at Amanda and gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head. He was more than willing to let his son work on this new project. Largely due to his birth, his wife had made the suggestion that it might be good for Spock to interact more with Humans. Get to know their customs and behaviors. Sarek looked at his son, who was now discussing the project with Amanda, although he showed no outward appearance of excitement Sarek could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice and was pleased. He knew that Spock struggled with his identity and felt that this would be a good experience for him. It was also pointed out by his wife that one of the members of the Enterprise group was from an influential family who held positions within the Betazoid council. Amanda had suggested they renew their acquaintance with the family and Sarek was beginning to see the logic of such an action.
"We will need to make sure that they are aware of the change in gravity and climate so that they are well prepared. Working out in the Vulcan sun all day will not be enjoyable." Amanda stated. She was already thinking of the benefits this project would bring, of all that could be learned of both Romulan and Vulcan history and cultures. "We will also need to make sure they understand both Vulcan and Romulan cultures as well as the languages."
"Mr. Kirk and Mr. Sulu are both proficient in a variety of languages as is Li...Ms. Gaines." Spock noticed his mothers arched eyebrow at his slip but she didn't comment on it. His parents didn't know he had been in contact with her since their last meeting. Liana was of course part of the diplomatic world on Betazed, "being the daughter of the Betazoid Ambassador to Earth has a weight of it's own," she had once said. She had made it clear without so many words that she understood Spock's feelings of Sarek's position and the strain it put on everyone. "I am sure that they will figure out what will need to be done and take the appropriate steps." Spock had read that Ji...Mr. Kirk had once said that the biggest downfall of some people was that they tended to underestimate him and his crew. He would not make that mistake, not before a face to face meeting had happened. "It would be foolish on my part, mother to assume they would not do their research on the planet as well as our cultures and habits before they made the bid for the job." He felt the corner of his lips tilt up at his mothers smile and nodded his head. She understood without him having to explain, he was sure that they would do their homework just as thoroughly as Spock and his team.
After discussing further plans with his parents, he had left them in his fathers study and headed for the kitchen. That was where Nyota and Pavel found him, sitting at the table with an empty fruit plate in front of him and a padd in his hand. Looking up at the entrance of his two friends Spock nodded his head and waited for them to join him at the table. When both Pavel and Nyota had taken a seat he handed them a padd and nodded at them, "It seems we will be taking a trip to Earth." He could tell both were excited by the smiles on their faces and couldn't help the slight curve of his lips at the edges. "We will need to make sure we are aware of everyone we will be dealing with as well as what they will be expecting of us and we of them."
"So we're finally going back to Earth? I'm so excited, I can't wait till we get to meet the Enterprise group. They looked like a fun group of people to be around, very professional but relaxed as well." Nyota was glad that the company had gotten the job for Vulcan and Romulus. None of the other companies could match the unique qualities of Enterprise Excavation. Taking one of the padds Spock handed to her she looked over the project information. When she came to the dossier of Jim Kirk she looked up from her padd to glance at Spock from under her lashes, grinning she winked at Pavel with a look that said watch this. "You know, it's going to be nice to see them all again. He and Liana were interesting people to be around. Dr. McCoy wasn't around much at the conference but Mr. Sulu and Mr. Scott were, they are a very close group." She noticed Spocks fingers twitch at the mention of Jim Kirk, smiling softly she continued. "You know, they say Kirk has a p6 psi rating and Liana is a p8 or p9? It was interesting to watch them interact with each other, it was almost as if they were talking without really talking." She watched Spock for a reaction and grinned when she saw his lips turn down slightly and his hands tightened around the padd. "I think that Liana is interested in someone else though, the relationship between her and Kirk is more like brother and sister." Nyota had heard the rumors about them being more of course but if one took the time to look closely they would see that was not the case. Still, she couldn't help but tease Spock over his curiosity about James Kirk.
"Mr. Kirk zounds wery interesting Nyota, vorking vith Enterprise Excawation vill be good for us all I think." Pavel smiled at his friend. It was because of Nyota he was aware of Spocks interest in the company owner. "Maybe ve vill learn zomething of Mr. Scott's trans varp beaming theory, I am most interested in zpeaking to him about zhis." He started speaking in Russian excitedly, his hands moving almost as fast as the words leaving his mouth.
Laughing Nyota answered the younger man and then turned to Spock. "So when do we get to meet the team of Enterprise Excavation? This project is going to take a while and the sooner we can acclimate everyone to their positions and the team members they will be working with the better. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if Kirk's brother didn't join us either here or on Earth. I heard that their mom, Winona is an archaeologist and that's what prompted Kirk in his field of choice. His brother Sam though is a research biologist and has experience in precision frontal lobotomy, so his knowledge will be beneficial to all of us too..."
Spock tuned out the conversation going on around him in favor of looking over the employee dossier for Enterprise Excavation. He knew the employee information already, it just helped him feel more confident in his decision to meet them on their home planet instead of them coming to Vulcan first, the only issue had been with the Romulan representatives, Nero and Ayel, particularly Ayel. They felt that they needed the home front advantage of knowing their surroundings therefore having an advantage over the other party. Spock disagreed as did most of the others involved in the project. Nero, despite the death of his wife and unborn child, didn't seem to harbor any type of animosity against humans, Ayel however seemed to have enough for them both. They had been informed that any type of unwanted attention would not be welcome and Spock was unwilling to risk this chance on getting to meet Jim Kirk.
Looking up at a question from Nyota he blinked, realizing he hadn't actually heard the conversation. "I apologize Nyota I did not hear the question, would you please repeat it?" He felt the tips of his ears burning and was sure they were a light green indicating he was blushing. He didn't enjoy being caught unaware and decided that he would need to focus for now on the matter at hand. At least until he was either back in his room or his friends had retired to their respective rooms.
Smiling Nyota repeated the question, "Do you think the Romulans will be ok with the time frame for the visit to Earth? I mean we all know how Nero is and Ayel isn't really going to make it pleasant, despite Nero's assurances. He seems to believe that Ayel means no harm to anyone and that he is all talk. I don't see things going well when we get to Earth but I'd like to hope it's an uneventful trip." Giving a soft sigh she said softly, "Romulans can be more trouble than their worth sometimes."
"The time frame for our visit to Earth should not be an issue, although they do have the option to leave earlier if they so choose." Spock wasn't going to shorten their time on Earth because Ayel or Nero didn't agree with something or someone, if they tried to cause trouble he would have them escorted back to Romulus.
"How can you be so sure Mr. Spock?" Chekov was aware of the mutual discord between the two races. "Maybe zhey vill enjoy zheir time on Earth. I vill be wery happy to be back, ewen if ve are not going to Russia."
Spock tilted his head slightly and felt an eyebrow tilt up, "They will wish to keep everything as calm as possible Mr. Chekov. Nero understands exactly what is at stake here and what it will cost the Imperial Senate if there are any problems with this project. They will contain their need to dominate any and everything."
Neither one missed the hard edge to his tone nor the determined glint in his eyes. This was more than a project for him, it was a chance to prove himself outside of his family name and if all went well then he would have achieved that goal. The confusing thing for Spock was his desire to know as much as possible about the owner of Enterprise Excavation. He didn't understand how one person could occupy so much of his thoughts, it was unnerving for him as well as exciting. His Vulcan half demanded he use logic to proceed with any further negotiations but his Human half however wanted him to use his emotions, follow his heart as his mother would say.
"Well I for one am not going to worry about them, my concern is meeting the excavation crew. From what I'm seeing here they seem to have all the important fields covered by at least one person on their team." She glanced up at Spock and noticed that he was looking back down at the padd in his hand. "Spock, have you sent the communique informing them when we will be arriving?"
He shook his head, "They requested that they be allowed to determine the date and location. Which works to our benefit because it simply means that they will be on our time schedule as far as the business end goes. It does not look as if it will be a problem however. Enterprise Excavation has worked with the Ferengi as well as the Andorians and both races, despite their history in how they deal with other species, has given the company a very high recommendation." Spock had been surprised by the recommendation from the Ferengi, despite their desire to always want to cheat or steal from their clients or dealers, they had been very impressed by the, "Humans capacity to understand what we wanted, negotiate a good trade deal, as well as deliver our items." The company trade rep had listed that they would work with the company again.
"Then it seems that the best decision has been made, we just hope that these rumors surrounding the company owner and members aren't all true." Nyota glanced at Chekov but was watching Spock. She was trying to gauge his reaction about the project they were getting ready to start as well as the people they would be working with. "What about down time, are we planning on working or relaxing.? I mean I know what the Enterprise team will be doing but are we going to join them if they ask us?" She wanted to see if Spock was willing to relax some of his Vulcan resolve and try to enjoy life. She knew about his curiosity when it came to emotions and how they were expressed by others. Especially since Vulcans tended to repress all emotion, giving most species that meet them the impression of indifference or a lack of caring.
"If the offer is extended to us to join them in their activities after work then we will do so. It would be beneficial for us to get to know the area we will be staying as well so we might offer suggestions of our own." Spock wasn't sure as to what constituted entertainment for the Enterprise crew but he was sure it would more than likely get him into trouble. Oddly enough the idea wasn't as unpleasant as it should have been.
He had learned at a young age that showing emotions could have extreme consequences. He had gotten into a number of fights at school due to his classmates and their disdain for his human heritage. Most of his classmates had seen it as a disadvantage, something Spock had learned to turn to his own advantage. He had studied harder than his classmates and was rewarded for his knowledge and quick grasp of the lessons. Still, he was half-human and his curiosity tended to get the better of him and he would often ask questions which would cause his classmates and professors to force themselves to hold onto their frustrations. Which in turn caused the issues between him and his classmates.
He watched as Nyota's eyes widened a fraction with surprise and Chekov gave a chocked laugh. He looked at both of them and frowned slightly, "What have I said that is cause for surprise or laughter?" He hated being the reason for someone elses entertainment, it reminded him of why he had learned the ways of his Vulcan heritage, repressing emotions as unneeded and unnecessary despite what his mother said but there were times when he felt the need to express himself and refused to give in no matter how bad the wish was.
"You know, Kirk and Liana are dancers too. They are known for their skills on and off the field especially with Liana being half-Human half-Betazoid. A race known for their sexuality and openness about almost anything, I can see why she would be a dancer but Kirk didn't strike me as the type. I wonder if we will get a chance to see them in action?" Something about their relationship bothered her but she didn't voice it out loud, deciding to wait until she had formally met the other group before making a decision.
"Liana is a dancer, a very remarkable one if I remember correctly. She has had formal training both on Betazed and on Earth and due to her mother's position on the council she has had extensive training with some of the best." Spock spoke softly, thinking about the communique he was going to send later on that evening.
"Ummm you know all that, how exactly?" Nyota asked. Curiosity was written all over her face and sounded through out her entire question. "You never said anything about knowing anyone from Enterprise?" Her eyes narrowed on Spock as he seemed to turn to stone at her questions. Spock could be stubborn if pushed to hard which could make him shut down completely.
"Her family and my family are acquainted due to the status held by both my father and her mother. We have seen each other at different social functions thorough out most of our lives and have continued to communicate with each other on a regular basis as well." It felt odd yet freeing for Spock to be able to admit that he knew Liana. When the companies dossier had come out he had meant to ask Liana about her position with the company but never got around to it. He didn't want any decisions to be made due to who he knew or who knew him, he wanted a fair advantage for all involved and in his communiques with Liana they never spoke of the project or the companies that had bid for the job. "I was not however, aware of her association with Mr. Kirk or Enterprise Excavation, it is not something we would usually discuss in our communications."
Looking at Pavel and smiling, Nyota shook her head and scrolled through the dossier for the excavation group. "Well honestly I'm ready when ever we get the word. It seems like it's going to be an interesting time for everyone. Being back on Earth will be a little strange at first, especially with all the noises of the city, the hustle and bustle of the commuters," Nyota smiled warmly and shook her head. "This is going to be the best thing to happen to us all since meeting each other." She watched as Pavel agreed excitedly and Spock simply nodded his head, a slight curve of his lips the only indication of how he was really feeling.
Okk everyone :) this is my first Spirk story so please bear with me...This is NOT cannon this story is strictly from my imagination, I do not own any of the characters except Liana Gaines...I understand those who feel that it's out of character or somethings don't add up but if you will just be patient you will understand where it is I'm going. Other than that I thank you for taking the time to read and hope you enjoy!