Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you to Fameanon, Ahlysha, maba7x, and Caren Rose for reviewing!
Shi'Kahr, outskirts, September 22, 2152
"Where are we going?"
Yuris sighed and helped her into the aircar. "We are leaving this planet, Eponine. We're going to Mazar. The environment is closer to what you are used to, and it will be less harsh on your body."
"Why now?" she asked, but he did not answer. He started the vehicle and set a course for the transport station, being sure to obey the traffic laws. He would not have this escape ruined so early on because of his desire to get out of here as soon as possible. He forced himself to calm down, for Eponine's sake.
"The hottest part of our year is only a few weeks away," he offered, suspecting she wouldn't buy it.
"I've adjusted to the heat...somewhat."
"The dry season on Vulcan is brutal," he continued. "I will not have my patient succumbing to heat stroke again."
She sighed and leaned back into the seat. "Monsieur and Madame Nosy are only two in a larger group of people who do not like you, am I correct, monsieur?"
He nodded. "My name is Yuris. But for our purposes today, you may call me Zynek."
She turned fully to him, her eyes flooding with comprehension. "I'll watch for the law if you do the talking," she said, and he stared at her.
"You have done this before?"
"Escape from the law? Several times," she said quietly, looking out the window.
He sighed. "It would be helpful if you would keep an eye out for security that might prevent us from leaving. But be subtle, Eponine. Security is trained to notice nervousness and potential...shady dealings."
"I know how to be subtle, Yuris...Zynek?"
He allowed himself a small, wry grin. "Just stay close to me and act calm. If we are stopped, act confused."
She smiled slightly to herself and stared straight ahead, the folder with her papers and identification clutched tightly in her hands.
The transport station was crowded and noisy, but Yuris focused on his goal, holding his folder tightly in his arms along with his bag. Eponine strode beside him, her eyes sometimes shifting to the corners and ceiling of the great hall, looking for cameras and security personnel that might incriminate them or stop them. They got through the baggage check and metal detectors without any problems, and Yuris calmly proceeded to the ticket station, Eponine at his side.
The man at the station was austere and cold, but Yuris calmly handed him his ticket and waited for a verdict.
"Mazar?" the man said with a raised brow. "That is not a very pleasant destination. Why are you going?"
"I am aware it is unpleasant," Yuris said coldly. "I am not particularly eager to leave my home, but business has forced me to take this trip."
"One way?"
"My plans are indefinite."
The man gazed down his nose at Eponine. "And this human?"
"The daughter of my colleague. He is meeting us on Mazar."
The guard gazed at the two of them, and Eponine tried to look bored. She gazed around at the stations with an apathetic expression, and the man finally let them through.
They boarded the shuttle that would take them to the transport, and Yuris found a seat in the back and absorbed himself in reading a PADD, avoiding everyone's eye. Eponine did the same, reading a piece of literature he had found for her from the human database.
It was pure coincidence that Eponine was seated by a window, and Yuris glanced out of the viewing port and saw Security Directorate flitters circling the transport station, preparing to land. The shuttle they were on, however, took off a few moments later, and Eponine leaned back in the seat. Yuris followed suit.
"Since this trip was unplanned, we will have to share a room. I assure you, I will respect your privacy."
She smiled at him. "Of all the things I've been told by the men in my life, I believe that the most."
Eponine turned back to her reading, and Yuris let his gaze linger on her a moment longer, warmth spreading through his limbs. Whatever happened now, whatever befell them, he swore to himself that he would protect her.
…
Strom walked calmly with the guard who led him not to an interrogation room, but to the very chambers of the High Command. The ministers all looked down their noses at him, except for Kuvak, who looked pensive. Administrator V'Las, seated in the middle of the row of men, fixed a triumphant, nearly gleeful stare on the doctor as Strom stood before them, composing himself for their inevitable questions.
He had covered his tracks with a very complicated algorithm he had learned in secondary school from a friend, an engineer, and he was confident that most Vulcans could not break it. But this was the Security Directorate, the High Command, who had the best minds on Vulcan on their side. Still, they only had evidence to suspect him, not convict him. He knew he had covered himself well enough to escape outright suspicion.
Minister Kuvak put his PADDs in his robes and looked at Strom. He looked as if he wanted to speak, but V'Las interrupted him, his tone smug and assurred.
"You know that aiding and abetting a known deviant could be considered treason against the state, do you not Dr. Strom?" He flicked his robes over his wrists and stalked around the table toward him. "Especially one with the rank and medical background that Dr. Yuris has."
V'Las snapped his fingers and waved one of his assistants over. "Yuris has degrees in bioengineering, microbiology, and other assorted specialties that, combined with his deviant status, make him a threat to Vulcan." He cocked his head and stared Strom down. "Are you aware that helping him escape Vulcan might be considered treason, a crime that still carries the death penalty?"
Strom held his head high. "And what solid evidence do you have against me? All I have been told is that passage aboard a transport was obtained for the former doctor, and that my console in my office was used to obtain them. I do not wish to argue with his Excellency, but how can you convict me of a crime when there is no evidence to clearly say that I am guilty? I mean no insult, but until I see solid evidence brought against me, I consider this trial unjust and illogical."
V'Las's eyes narrowed at Strom, "What more do we need than that evidence, Doctor?" He stalked around him, reminding Strom of a sehlat honing in on its prey. "Who else with motive has access to your computer console and the encryption to log on? Are you claiming some kind of conspiracy?"
Strom flared his nostrils, but stayed silent.
V'Las scoffed. "It is well known that you are a friend of the deviant. I have several correspondence between the two of you, where you call each other chosen brothers. Are you really going to insult the intelligence of the High Command by denying your part in this...escape?"
Kuvak stepped forward. "Administrator, I must agree with Dr. Strom. The evidence we have is purely circumstantial. We cannot convict, let alone execute him with what we have here. I would call an end to this inquiry on that basis."
Strom felt a rush of relief at those words, and he turned to the administrator with a neutral gaze. "It is not my intent to insult the intelligence of the High Command. But where lives are at stake, it is not logical to be completely sure of a man's guilt?"
Kuvak nodded. "Administrator, I cannot allow this to continue. Do not be so eager to deal out death and judgment. It is not logical."
V'Las rounded on Kuvak. "Are you questioning my logic, minister?" He almost sounded angry, but Kuvak stood his ground.
"A conviction of treason, and therefore a sentence of death, requires a unanimous vote. You do not have my vote. I suggest we release this man."
V'Las turned away and waved his hand backward, as a message to the assistant he had called forward.
"Release him," he spat, and then turned, eying Strom with a dark glare. "I'll be watching you, Dr. Strom," he said, ire tinging his voice. Strom simply nodded his head and kept a neutral expression. "This isn't over."
Kuvak stepped forward still. "Go home." he said, a note of apology in his tone.
Strom nodded and turned, leaving the chambers of the High Command without another word, and it was only when he was back at his home that he allowed himself to breathe.
…
Yuris departed the shuttle with Eponine at his side, keeping his gaze from meeting those of the other passengers. He quickly retreated to their room and set down his things, and only when the door was closed did he relax and sit on the bed.
He glanced at Eponine, who was gazing out of the window. She looked shocked, frozen in place, and he leaped to his feet and rushed to her side.
"Eponine?" he murmured, lightly touching her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
She gasped for breath and clutched the window sill. "How...how are we looking down at that?" She pointed a shaky finger to the planet below.
"We are in orbit," he explained softly. "Just as your moon orbits your planet, and your planet orbits your sun, so we are in orbit around Vulcan. We'll be leaving in a few minutes."
She nodded absentmindedly. "Mon dieu...what is the blackness among the stars like?"
"Cold," he muttered. "One cannot breathe in space. There is no oxygen. Have I not taught you this?"
"An idea, or a lesson, and reality are very different things, monsieur."
He quirked an eyebrow. "I beg to differ. Gravity, the force that holds you to the floor right now, is an idea, and it is also reality. Otherwise, you would be floating around in this room, weightless."
She frowned at him. "That is not what I meant."
He looked down at his planet as the transport broke orbit and set course for its destination. Eponine squealed and clutched the sill, and he returned his hand to her shoulder, caressing her clothed flesh to reassure her.
"It is all right, Eponine," he whispered, walking her carefully away from the window. "You're safe here."
"We are traveling among the stars?" she breathed, staring up at him with wide eyes. He nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"It is quite a marvel, is it not?"
She fell silent, staring at the floor, perhaps trying to feel for the movement of the transport. "I imagined it would feel like a ship on the ocean..."
She backed into him, pressing her back into his shoulder, and he paused, breathing in slowly. This only caused him to be assaulted by her scent, and he unintentionally bowed his head so he could be closer to her sweet smell.
Then he remembered that she was probably touching him because she was frightened, and he banished his dirty thoughts and sent comfort through his touch.
"The journey will be smooth and uneventful, I assure you," he murmured in her ear. "You can sit down, if that makes you feel more comfortable."
She nodded, seemingly unsteady on her feet, and he helped her sit on the bed, sitting beside her.
"When we reach Mazar, I will interview for a job that is being offered at a clinic, five miles from the Vulcan Consulate. I have been searching for a new home for us as well, and I have found a suitable place to live. You will have your own room, as you did in my home on Vulcan."
She smiled at him. "You are too kind, monsieur. I don't know where I would be without you." She paused. "Actually, I do know...I would be dead."
The thought made his stomach turn, and he lightly squeezed her shoulder before removing his hand. "I only hope this transition will be agreeable for you. There is much for you to learn...much for both of us to learn. For my people to learn. I am sorry that you got caught in our politics."
Her smile was wan, and she sighed, scooting a little closer and lightly pressing her leg into his, but only for a brief moment. "We'll be all right. I'm tougher than I look...and you're a strong man. I have no doubt we'll see this through."
Her optimism made the tiniest smile tug his lips upward, and he resisted the urge to stroke her hair.
"We will, Eponine. Whatever comes, I will protect you."
