A/N: Hello! Yes I know it has been a while, BUT I have a valid excuse beyond life being busy. Basically, I'm writing something else for a friend for her birthday –which was a while ago, but I've been busy- and it's about the Andorians. But I decided to set myself a challenge and since it's a tale about the Andorians, from the POV of the Andorians and I'm an obsessive nerd who cannot stop myself, I have taken it upon myself to really flesh out the Andorian culture, world and language. Yep, that's right. I am building a language for these people. This naturally takes time and it's still not ready, but I decided that this update can go up and I'll keep working on the rest. This is also a warning about the next update. In all honesty, I don't know when it'll be. It could be in a couple of days, it could be in a couple of weeks. I'm sorry about this, but I really want to try and make these aliens as fleshed out as possible, particularly when it probably will have to come into play for this fic as it is going to be about the clashing of cultures.

So… basically I'm sorry about how long this has taken, I am still working on it, but I don't know when the next update will be, and hopefully when I do update, the wait will have been worth it.

And now, I hope you enjoy this post!


Chapter 8

(Nine years ago; Onboard the Kumari.)

Shran strode through his ship down to the Medical Bay. As he reached the door, his antenna picked up the distinct sound of screaming. The door opened and the screaming hit his ears. He stepped in and saw his fourth lieutenant holding a squirming biped in his arms. It was screaming and thrashing, water on its face, red blood on pink-tinged skin.

"Mami! Mami! Ich will meine Mami!"

At least it was able to speak some sort of language that could be translated easily –although why it had not already been done surprised Shran.

"Lassen Sie mich gehen! Lassen Sie mich gehen, ich will meine Mami!"

The ship's doctor was trying to scan the alien, but it kicked out and screeched, sending the scanner flying.

"Medic, can't you sedate it?" snapped Shran.

"Commander, I don't know what our sedatives will do to it. If it is a juvenile, I cannot just attempt it, you know that."

Shran gave a curt nod, grudgingly acknowledging his people's laws regarding offspring. They were time-honoured and respectable. It did not make the screaming creature any more tolerable.

"Restrain it in the medical bed, then we'll get some answers." said Shran, ignoring the affronted look of Medic. After all, he had to keep his crew safe. If it meant frightening a youth to confirm their safety, then so be it. Medic was an active thaan, he was driven by nurturing inclinations. Shran was a secondary. He had no such inclinations outside his own Clan.

The alien was carried to the bed and between them, Shran and Thon restrained it. It let out more horrible sounds, reminding Shran of a wailing sprog, but he could not dare assume that was what it was. It could easily have been promising their deaths, a tiny version of a Klingon. Actually, that was an amusing thought.

Medic scanned the creature quickly, and his eyes skimmed over the data, his mind and the computer practically working in tandem, like primaries blending together in collaboration. Finally the computer beeped and Medic pulled out a particular piece of his equipment –an intravascular bleeder. So the alien had a cardiovascular system, like a Vulcan. Blood was red, like a Betazoid. Cocking his antenna, Shran's mind supplied the information that that probably meant iron was the main metal in the blood –if the blood had a metal in it.

Medic had the blood processed, Thon watching the alien for any sign of danger. Shran watched them both, admiring his crew's efficiency, while worrying what the alien might have brought onboard the Kumari. His chief scientist was scanning for biological dangers from the bridge.

"Ah, this should do the trick!" said Medic in satisfaction. He pulled out some sort of mixture and injected the contents into the alien's appendage. Almost at once it began to quiet down, letting out little noises as it stayed awake, but no longer struggled. "Now I can see what we are really dealing with."

Shran watched Medic studying his scans, moving to the bed and looking down at the alien. It was small, pale pink, brown hair or fur on its head. Its body shape was a familiar shape, similar enough to Shran's own to be a little bizarre, if he had not known that so many species from different planets seemed to share a design pattern. Biped, two upper limbs, five digits at the end of each one. Frosty eyes roamed like a panicked zabathu's –green iris, Shran noted with mild interest.

"Translator?"

"It broke mine in the struggle." explained Thon, sounding embarrassed.

"Doesn't look strong enough to do that." Shran gave his fourth lieutenant a bland look, "You dropped it and stepped on it when the alien fought back."

Thon flushed, "… Maybe."

Shran rolled his eyes. "You're not getting a new one."

"Commander?"

"Medic?"

"My analysis indicates that the alien has a large enough brain, suggesting it is capable of rationality, but parts do not appear to be developed –however I cannot determine if that is because of age or it may be a feature of the species."

"But you do think it is a juvenile?"

"I do. But I'll need to conduct more tests to be certain."

"What about data from the ship?"

"Tarah's working on it now. It took a battering Commander." said Thon, still squirming with embarrassment.

"What else did you find?"

"I found other aliens onboard, dead. They were all much bigger than this one."

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" demanded Medic, "I can use them to determine the age of this one.

"I was preoccupied." snapped Thon.

"Enough!" cut in Shran. "As soon as Corspa is done confirming there is no risk of biological attack, we'll have the other alien's bodies brought to you to see if this is a juvenile."

"Yes Commander." they both replied.

"I'm going to get in touch with Imperial Command. Let me know when you've made progress."

The chan and thaan nodded and Shran left the room, wondering if he would be forced to leave his post to drop the alien off on Andoria. If he had his way, he would never set foot on Andoria again. He was much, much happier on his ship, away from his conglomerate.


"Commander there is nothing for it, you'll just have to keep the alien on your ship until you are done with your patrol."

"I understand General. I assume if it is an adult it is to be confined to the brig?"

"For the time being at least. If it is a youth, well, leave it in the care of your medic."

"Yes General."

As Shran cut off his comm. link he sat back and pondered what else he was meant to do with the alien. Medic was the only one on the Kumari that was Active. Everyone else was a secondary, and while short term they would be able to care for infants and youths, they were not parents. Their minds did not work that way.

As if summoned by thought, Medic called him to Sickbay.

The alien was asleep, curled up into a tiny ball. On other beds, hidden by curtains, were the bodies of four others, all larger than the living one.

"They were a family." sighed Medic, shaking his head. "The two parents and three offspring."

"So two sexes?"

"Indeed, from what I can tell, our living guest is a life carrier."

"Like a shen?"

"More like a zhen from my initial scans. And I have been able to determine that she is very young."

"An infant?"

"More on the cusp of becoming a youth."

"Well that settles a few things. Is she healthy?"

"Healthy enough, although she will need feeding soon. I will try to determine a suitable meal."

"Have a bed put in your quarters for her to remain in until we return to Andoria."

"Yes Commander."

"Mami?"

Shran turned. The alien had awoken and was rubbing her face awkwardly with her hands.

"Mami?" she called again, sounding bleary.

"I believe she's looking for her parents." said Medic. Shan rolled his eyes, he had deduced that for himself. The alien's eyes opened and she saw Shran and Medic. She froze and whimpered.

"Mami!" she cried again. "Mami! Mami!"

"Your mami is not here." said Medic in a gentle voice.

"Wh-where is my mami?" she asked, beginning to shake. Clearly Medic had switched on the translator.

"I am sorry little wum, she has been taken by death."

"Death? What's that?"

"Death means that a person goes away and will not return." said Medic, approaching her slowly. She scrambled back and tumbled right off the bed with a cry. Medic rushed forward and scooped her up, setting her down on the bed again as she began to let out horrible noises of pain. Shran realised she was crying. Crying like an Andorian infant. He hated the sound of crying infants and youths. He strode forwards and took the alien's hand.

"Listen to me." he ordered. The alien sniffled and looked up, green eyes wide and face bright pink. "Are you listening to me?"

"Y-yes."

"Good. Now, Death is a spirit which takes the yves of people away from their bodies when they run out of time. He takes the spirit away to the Afterworld, and the bodies stop working. Death does not like doing this, in fact, it is his punishment for his arrogance and selfishness that he must do it, and be loathed by everyone alive. Death has taken your family, and you will miss them, but they are not gone completely. They still exist as energy, but you cannot see them."

"My… mami…"

"Is gone forever. I am sorry."

"But… my papa? My schwester, my bruder?"

"Gone. You are with us now… I'm afraid from now on you will live with us."

"But you're… you're not human."

"Human? Is that what you are?"

"I'm a girl."

"What do you call yourself?"

"Raizel."

Shran sighed, "Very well, let me ask again. What is your species?"

"Like… am I a Vulcan?"

"Are you a Vulcan?"

"N-no." The questions were calming her, not distressing her. Shran decided it was his calm tone, so he decided to press on despite Medic looking annoyed.

"So what are you?"

"I… I am a human. Mami said… mami said that I am human."

"Very well, and you have a name as well?"

"Raizel."

"Then we shall call you that as well."

She nodded, still wide-eyed and frightened, but she looked up at his face and said, "What's your name? What are you?"

"I am Commander Shran of the Starship Kumari, I am an Andorian."

"You're very blue." she said, her little hand twitching up as if she wanted to touch his face. Medic smiled to himself, while Shran's annoyance flared. He hated aliens commenting on his skin tone as if it was odd.

"This is Medic, he will look after you." he told Raizel.

"Where are you going?" she whimpered.

"I have work to do." he said, turning away and walking out of the sickbay.


(Present)

"Charming." said Archer, shaking his head as Shran finished his tale. The Andorian gave him a narrow eyed look.

"I was a commander, and I am no doctor. Leaving her with Medic was standard procedure. In any case, I'm a secondary, it would have been foolish to remain with her when she was in the care of an active."

"So how did you end up bonding with her?"

Shran looked away and shrugged, "It's complicated."

"Always is." sighed Archer, draining his glass. He was quiet for a moment, then said, "I wish you had told me sooner. But I understand why you didn't. But… you need to understand something Shran, before this goes any further."

Shran met his eyes.

"This is not going to be handled well on Earth. Raizel Andreas was the lost child. The whole world mourned her loss. She is a symbol of the dangers of space travel, she is a part of the culture that is very powerful. She will cause a huge stir among the people of Earth and you need to be prepared for whatever may come of it."

"You think I will held in contempt despite having done nothing wrong?" asked Shran.

"There will be people who talk about things like that." said Archer gently. Shran considered a moment, then shrugged,

"Sounds like my normal life."

Archer frowned at him, but Shran did not elaborate. Instead he said,

"You should go pink-skin, my Clan Leaders will not stand your presence in the conglomerate much longer."

Archer nodded and set down his glass. "Tomorrow I think Hoshi should talk to Raizel, just the two of them. Will that be acceptable?"

Shran shrugged, "If you like."

The defeated air was back. Archer wanted to say something to cheer his friend up, but there was nothing he could think of. So he just left. As he made his way through the Andorian city the hair on the back of his neck stood up and he looked around. It took him a moment, but finally he spotted Raizel standing in the mouth of a cave, staring down at him, surrounded by what he thought were Aenar for a moment, but then he realised they were watching him with clear eyes. They were young Andorians, primaries he realised. They surrounded her like an army, and what struck Archer the most was the fact that she looked like she belonged there. It was then he realised that however cooperative the clan was going to be, it was her friends they would have to fight with to get her to come to Earth.


(Mess Hall, Enterprise)

"So what's she like?"

Hoshi sighed as Travis grinned at her with excitement. "She's… she's a teenage girl."

"What do you mean?"

"She's temperamental, but vulnerable. She's scared and angry and confident."

"Well… is she excited about meeting other humans?"

"Not in the slightest. She didn't want us there."

"Oh…" Travis looked disappointed. "I'd have thought meeting others like her would have been a good thing."

"Maybe, but she's spent her whole life trying to be Andorian. I think we just reminded her how impossible that really is."

"Well… I guess I can't blame her for being angry then." Travis poked at his food, then said, "So… is she going to come to Earth? This news really isn't going to stay quiet for long."

"I doubt she'll want to, but I think Shran will make her go."

"What's Shran like as a dad? I can't imagine him being a dad to a human."

"He… I don't know. I got the feeling the two of them aren't seeing eye to eye, but maybe that's just a recent phase. I think they do have a relationship but I don't know how strong."

"What about the rest of his family?"

"That's the thing, I think Shran is as terrified of his Clan Leaders as I was when I saw them. Honestly, imagine a king and queen who are the most tyrannical beings you've ever seen, double it up and then you have some idea of the aura those four gave off. I was afraid to blink at them."

"That bad?"

"They made Shran curl up like a kid, and I never thought that man could be cowed by anything."

"Me either." Travis shook his head at the idea. "What's the house like? Is it true the family lives together, all the generations?"

"Yes, it's huge."

"Talking about the Conglomerate?" asked Phlox as he and Lieutenant Reed joined them.

"Yup." said Travis, smiling in greeting.

"It's absolutely fascinating. I would have imagined if a human or Vulcan family attempted to live in such a way, they would, how do you put it, um, crack?" The Denobulan grinned at the idea.

"I don't know… worked for my family on our shuttle." said Travis, mixing his pasta and sauce more thoroughly.

"Ah, true, but over two hundred individuals living in one small space?"

"It wasn't that small." said Hoshi, "Although… I guess for over two hundred people, it might be pretty small."

"Andorians are practically designed to be in close quarters with each other."

"With their tempers?" asked Travis.

"They are infamous for their loyalty, not for their aggression." said Phlox, "While those two can be heavily interlinked, there is a difference. The Andorian sense of loyalty overwhelms everything else, including common sense, and it is my understanding that they are trained to think of their planet, and their people as an extension of their conglomeration. It's rather telling that when they give a location they always start as wide as they can."

"How'd you mean?"

"If you asked for an address from an Andorian, they will always give you the planet, then the province, then the city, then the conglomeration. It may seem simple and insignificant, but in reality it is a constant reminder of their place in their world. The planet always comes first."

"Huh… never thought of it that way."

"My observation is that Andorians are a little like hive creatures."

"You mean like bees?" asked Lieutenant Reed.

"Exactly. They are all connected, working together to keep things harmonious and functional. Any deviation from this interworking system does not appear to be welcome at all."

"You mean like adopting an alien child?" asked Travis soberly. Phlox's smile faded to seriousness and he nodded.

"Indeed."

The three humans shared a look as they suddenly wondered how Shran had been treated along with his human daughter.


Comments and reviews are much appreciated, as always.

Night's Darkness