I will never cease to be amazed at the elegance of a Vulcan party.
Amanda drifted across the huge hall, her dress wafting behind her like a green wing. The main hall of the Principle Building, with its elegant vaulted ceilings and shining marble decorations was resplendent for the Ambassador's celebration. Amanda wondered how much of Councilman Skon's influence had needed to be plied in order to make the hall look so beautiful. There were new curtains draping the archways that framed the hall, slightly shining cloth of saffron and blue. Amanda couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the awe that the sight inspired in her. Only a few months ago I was a student with no grand plans for my life. How lucky am I that I've been able to be in this amazing place, with these fascinating people?
There were more official decorations as well. There was an elaborate dais with seats for all the members of the High Council at the far end of the hall, underneath the grandest archway. Beyond it, Amanda caught a glimpse of long tables set for a feast. Music echoed through the hall, just loud enough to intertwine smoothly with the hum of talking. Amanda felt a warm glow in her heart as she took it all in. It was almost like being in a child's fairy ta-
"Amanda! You look absolutely lovely!" The rather harsh voice of Captain Prais rang out across the hall, jarring the harmony of the music. Amanda turned, groaning on the inside, to see Prais, decked out in his finest Starfleet formals. He was accompanied by Captain Lang, although George was not with them. Amanda couldn't help but feel disappointed at this. She was certain that the Starfleet formal uniform would look very impressive indeed on Lieutenant Kirk.
"Bit of a stuffy shindig, but at least these Vulcans know how to make a good cocktail." Prais commented as he came up to her. "Let me repeat though - that dress is fantastic." Amanda felt a little angry blush color her cheeks, but she managed to ignore it and give Prais a polite greeting.
"Thank you, Captain." She said, a little stiffly. Prais was one of the people she actually enjoyed using her Vulcan barriers on. "Is Mr. Everard not with you?"
"Hollis is over there by the snacks," Prais said, gesturing with his glass of k'vass over at the unobtrusive tables in the corner, laid with Vulcan delicacies. "Apparently he's found some pretty young things to chat up." Everard was indeed speaking with two Vulcan women, although Amanda wasn't sure the term "pretty young things" really applied to them. They were dressed in less colorful dresses than the rest of the ladies, and appeared to be absorbed in conversation with Everard. Amanda peered closer.
"Those women are members of the VSA." She said, a hint of steel in her words. Prais' words were inappropriate in the extreme. Everard was, of course, giving them no more attention than was customary between colleagues. She resisted the urge to sigh as she turned back to view Prais' slightly red face, awaiting his reply. He chose to ignore her statement, switching the subject.
"Why don't I fetch you something to drink? You should allow yourself to celebrate a little. We're getting a new Ambassador! Much better than the last old Vulcan prig we had. I like the kid." Amanda felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She wanted to flee from Prais, but there was no way to do it politely. Lang seemed incapable of saying anything, himself. Amanda didn't blame him, however. The captain looked on edge and anxious - not everyone knew how to behave at a Vulcan ceremony, and Lang seemed to be using all of his processing power on not doing anything culturally offensive that would put Starfleet and the Vulcans at odds.
"No thank you, Captain." Amanda said woodenly. Prais wouldn't be shaken off that easily, though.
"I saw you were having a nice chat with our Lieutenant Kirk the other day. He's a good looking guy, isn't he? Wouldn't do you any harm to get to know him better, eh?" Amanda felt her cheeks grow darker.
"Lieutenant Kirk and I are just friends, Captain." Amanda tried to put more "go away" vibes into her tone, but Prais was not to be dissuaded. Embarrassment burned in Amanda's refuge as he leaned a little closer to her, his leering eyes full of unpleasant mischief.
"I bet you miss the boys back home. Can't be much around here to catch your eye!"
"Please, Captain-"
"That isn't a very respectful manner in which to address a lady, sir." Someone said behind her. Amanda's heart soared. It was George, coming to her rescue! She turned, a smile already on her lips.
The man behind her wasn't George, however. It was Sarek, looking even more august and severe than usual in formal black robes trimmed with blue. Amanda hastily wiped the smile off her face, horrified that Sarek had seen such an open expression of her emotions. Embarrassment flared in her again, much stronger than it had for Prais' rude comments. Sarek's gaze flicked down to her face, then back to Prais without a moment's hesitation. "I admit that I am not wholly familiar with Terran customs, but I would ask that you refrain from such behavior while you are here. It is disrespectful." His Standard was very slightly accented with a Vulcan lilt, which, for some reason, made Amanda's spine tingle in a very surprising way. She swallowed.
Prais raised his glass to Sarek, completely unfazed even by this. "All right, all right, no need to get angry. It was only harmless Human banter."
Sarek's eyes darkened. "I am not angry." He said evenly. "But I would prefer if you discontinued your 'harmless Human banter'." Amanda gaped at him, dumbstruck. She'd never expected a knight in shining armor to look like Sarek, for God's sake, but she couldn't help but feel grateful. The Vulcan's dark eyes were fixed on Prais, and the set of his features was almost noble.
"Well, Theo and I were just going to freshen our drinks anyway. Evening, Amanda." Prais gave Sarek an almost mocking little nod and strode off, the anxious Captain Lang scurrying after him. Amanda barely had time to open her mouth to thank Sarek when he suddenly turned on her.
"Are you all right?" He asked, his voice so flat the question sounded almost like a statement.
"Yes, I'm fine." Amanda said hurriedly, fighting to keep her emotions down. "He wasn't really bothering me, he's just rude."
Sarek squared his shoulders, his gaze moving to follow Prais and Lang across the room. "I am aware of the fact. It is displeasureable that he should be rude to you." Amanda wasn't quite sure what to say to that, so she adjusted her sleeve in as calm a manner as she could muster and tried to change the subject.
"Let me wish you congratulations, Sarek. It was a pleasant surprise when I heard that you were to be appointed as the new Ambassador."
Sarek inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you. The position is an honor. I am enthused at the prospect of working to improve relations between Earth and Vulcan."
Apologize! A little voice, eerily familiar to Selek's, piped up in Amanda's mind. She squashed it back and tried to hide her nervousness with babble. "It is certainly an accomplishment to achieve the position at such a young age." She said, battling her anxiousness back behind the walls, "I don't think you are much older than me." Apologize!
Sarek's dark eyes settled on hers. They weren't, as she had supposed, black, but instead a very deep shade of brown. There were minuscule highlights of mahogany and gold there, buried in the darker shades. "I am 27 years of age. It is not unheard of for someone to be appointed to an important office at such an age."
Amanda, for fuck's sake, apologize! That was not in Selek's voice, but in her own. Amanda's next words seemed to burble up out of her like water springing out of a fountain. "Sarek, I want to apologize for my behavior at- at the festival. And earlier at the Children's Institute. I was rude, and I'm sorry." It seemed to Amanda that there was a slight shift in Sarek's eyes, as if the lighter tints were becoming more pronounced. She swallowed. It felt as though they were standing quite close, although she knew there was at least two and a half feet between them.
"I accept your apology, Amanda." Sarek replied. Hearing him say her name made another little shiver dance down Amanda's spine. The incident with her scarf at the market was suddenly vivid and colorful in her mind. Her fingertips itched.
"Excuse me, Sarek - the ceremony is about to begin." A female voice said from behind Sarek. He looked over his shoulder, and Amanda saw that T'Rea was standing there, looking serene as a swan in her dusky purple robes. Amanda blinked once or twice - was that a knowing look in T'Rea's eyes? Heaven help me.
"Thank you, T'Rea." Sarek bowed briefly to the Vulcan lady and left without a second look at Amanda. Not that she minded - she didn't have the mental coherence to mind just at that moment. Amanda was reminded of the time, back in her high school days, when the object of her long, secret affection, one Jasper Carmon, had announced his own attraction to her. The affair had ended almost as soon as it had begun, but Amanda had the same fluffy headed feeling she'd experienced right after their first bumbling, earnest kisses. Fluffy, that was the only way to describe it. T'Rea seemed to pick up on her dazed attitude, and she drew up next to Amanda with a very light nudge to her elbow. "Come, we must find our own seats."
The ceremony itself was very, very solemn. Amanda should have expected this from Vulcans, but she was ashamed to admit that her head had been so wrapped up in other things leading to the celebration that she hadn't given the actual ceremony any thought at all. Different members of the High Council addressed Sarek in long, grave sentences, including the past Ambassador. Amanda was surprised to see that Captain Prais was included in the proceedings. She had forgotten that he was technically the highest ranking representative of Earth's interest on Vulcan. It made her skin prickle with annoyance to see him standing smugly among the honored Vulcan elders. They deserved their accolades, but from her own experience with Prais she doubted if he really merited any of his.
Surprisingly, the whole thing was over within the space of 20 minutes. Amanda had expected a long, drawn out ceremony, but apparently there was little to do. She glanced at T'Rea after Sarek was officially honored with his new title, and the woman picked up on her question. As they walked through the grand archway to find their seats for the dinner, she explained to Amanda "In truth, the ceremony does not call for a grand celebration. I believe, however, that Councilman Skon is quite fond of organizing such events, especially in the honor of his own son. His family is one of the most prominent, and I must say, richest, in Shi'Kahr. The Matriarch of their family, T'Pau, is a woman most highly honored among our elders - not only in Shi'Kahr, but the entirety of Vulcan." Amanda mulled this over as they found their places at the long table. She was relieved to find that she was not seated anywhere near Sarek, but her heart sank when Everard and Prais took up the seats opposite she and T'Rea. Fortunately, Prais had decided to ignore Amanda for the rest of the evening, and she was able instead to talk to T'Rea and Everard. Amanda had secretly hoped that she would be seated near George, who she hadn't seen all evening. She finally did spot him, however, further down the table, with Lang and the other members of his crew. When he spotted Amanda, George gave her a friendly wave and a large smile. She couldn't help but return it, even though T'Rea did give her a less-than-friendly glance when she did so.
The meal itself was incredible. Amanda had tasted and enjoyed quite a lot of Vulcan foods since she'd arrived on the planet, but these courses were especially lavish and interesting. Amanda had sworn to herself that she would be adventurous in her eating while she was on Vulcan, and that policy had not let her down. Dishes that looked slightly suspect had turned out to be the most delicious, although Amanda had noticed that Vulcans were in favor of strong, bitter tastes in quite a lot of their food. It didn't surprise her nearly as much as it had when she'd first come to Vulcan, however. Amanda felt a little proud of that - she was becoming acclimated to an important aspect of Vulcan culture, and actually she quite enjoyed it.
There were no speeches or announcements during the dinner. Apparently, the Human tradition of raising glasses in someone's honor was not observed among Vulcans. Amanda found that she didn't mind much. It gave her a better opportunity to speak with Everard, who she had barely seen in the past months.
"I've been simply swamped." Everard confessed. His cheeks were very slightly red from the influence of k'vass, but he was being in no way inappropriate. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself. "There has been so much work to do at the Academy. I'm meeting fascinating people every day, in fact, and the Vulcans have been more generous in their sharing of research than I had hoped. I have a wealth of knowledge to bring back to Starfleet and Earth when this is all done with."
Amanda blinked. Done with. She had barely thought about the end of her time on Vulcan. It had seemed an age away when she first arrived on the planet, but sure enough it was drawing closer. The program's contract had been for a year, and she had been on Vulcan for about five months now. How quickly it went by! And, although she felt homesick from time to time, the thought of leaving Vulcan made her feel sicker. She set down her fork. Her stillness alerted Everard to her change in mood.
"What's the matter, Amanda? Something not sitting well with you?"
She shook her head, and managed to give him a private smile. "I was only thinking that I'm going to be very sad when we have to leave. I've enjoyed it here so much."
Everard returned her smile. "I'm glad to hear it. I feel much the same." And they returned to their meal, feeling a stronger camaraderie between them.
Finally the dinner was over. Amanda felt a little bit lightheaded from all the food, and the small measure of k'vass that she'd drunk. The other guests were all wandering back to the main hall, where the music had returned in full force. Amanda looked around and caught George's eye by accident. He grinned at her and gestured towards a balcony, beyond the tables and screened by an arcade, that looked out over the open air. Glad to have an opportunity to speak with him, Amanda followed him there.
"I haven't seen you all night!" He exclaimed when she joined him on the balcony. The night air was surprisingly cool on her skin - Amanda imagined it must have been the contrast from the heat that always hung over any party. "You look very pretty, Amanda. That Vulcan hairstyle really suits you."
Amanda grinned and patted her hair self-consciously. She had been worried that T'Iva's beautiful pins might fall out and be lost, but the woman had done her job well. The pins were anchored to Amanda's head - she wondered if they would come out even if she shook herself like a dog. "Thanks, George." She said, coming up to join him by the railing. "Look at that view." The view from the balcony was indeed amazing. They could see Shi'Kahr stretching around them in all directions. Amanda could see the Children's Institute, the markets, and the residential area she'd dubbed "The Palatine Hill" for its grand houses.
"I have to admit, I've never been to a city so interesting." Kirk said, leaning on the railing. "And I've been to a lot of cities, on a lot of planets."
Amanda smiled. "I'm sure you have! How long have you been with Starfleet?"
"About five years now. Well, it's been five since I left the Academy for actual duty. And I've loved every minute of it. I always dreamed of being up among the stars. It's like living a dream. Except..." George frowned slightly.
"Except what?" Amanda asked, curious.
George grinned sheepishly. "Well, I've got a girl back on Earth...she's my fiancee, actually. Here," He stuck a hand into his pocket and rummaged around for a minute before pulling out a little picture, protected by a strong laminate. "Her name is Winona. I asked her to marry me before I left on this last tour. I don't know when we'll be able to scrape together a wedding, but hopefully it'll happen soon." He passed the little picture over to Amanda. The woman in the portrait was very pretty. Her hair was honey colored and she had lovely hazel eyes. Amanda smiled down at her before passing the picture back to George.
"She's beautiful. Congratulations." She said, and felt a little surprised at herself. As handsome as George was, she thought she would have been disappointed to hear that he was engaged. Strangely, she wasn't.
George beamed at her. "Thanks." He tucked the picture away, but Amanda noticed he took a moment to glance at it before he did. "As soon as I met her I wanted to marry her. It took me a few years before I could actually get the words out, though. Strange how it's easier to fight in Starfleet than it is to ask a girl to marry you."
Amanda laughed at this. George grinned back, and they stood in contented silence for a while, just enjoying the view and each other's company. It was pleasant to be out there together, hearing the wispy strains of music coming through the hall to them. "Hey," George said at last. "We're at a party, it'd be a shame to waste good music. Would you like to dance with me?"
Amanda laughed again. "Really? Here?" When he nodded, she shrugged. "Why not - I haven't danced with anyone in ages. You'd be surprised how uncomfortable about touching they are here. I hope you don't mind if I'm a little rusty. Some of the Vulcan-ness rubs off on you, I think."
"Don't worry about it." George said, extending a hand to her. "Winona always said I've got two left feet." Amanda smiled and took his hand. They danced for a while, a casual, friendly dance. George's hands were warm on her waist and in her own hand. It was nice to have someone's hand in her own - although the remembrance of Sarek's fingers at the festival and in the market was constantly surfacing in her mind. Why was she thinking about that so much? After a while, George asked "How about you? Have you got anyone waiting for you back on Earth?"
"No," Amanda said. "But I don't mind it. I've always been too busy for a boyfriend or anything like that. It just hasn't been one of my priorities."
"You should try making it a priority some time." George said. "You're far to sweet and pretty to be left alone. I would ask you if any of the Vulcan boys have been making eyes at you, but it must be hard as hell to tell what any of them are thinking."
"Yes," Amanda sighed. "It really is."
They danced in silence for a while longer, just enjoying the movement and the music for a while. A little nagging thought was preying on Amanda, though. Finally, she decided to voice it. "George," She began, "There is...someone...well, something...I'd just like to ask your advice on it."
"Shoot."
"You know the new Ambassador, Sa-"
"What are you doing?"
Amanda immediately dropped her hands from George and turned to look at the interruptor. She didn't move quickly enough, however, because before she could properly step away from George, Sarek had grabbed him and violently wrenched him away from Amanda. There was a thud as George's back hit one of the pillars of the arcade. Amanda stared, wide eyed, at the two men. Sarek's grip on George's arm and shoulder was dangerously tight. Amanda could see George wince in pain as Sarek pushed him against the pillar again. After what seemed like an age, but was in reality only a few short seconds, Amanda found her voice.
"Sarek!" She said, and her voice was more charged with horror and shock than she'd have liked it to be in the presence of a Vulcan. "Let him go!" Unthinkingly, she grabbed the Vulcan's shoulder and tried to tug him away. Her touch was like an electric bolt through Sarek. He immediately let George go and backed away. Amanda was shocked at the plain, vicious anger on his face. George was similarly surprised, but as soon as Sarek's grip was off him he was in a defensive stance, moving so that he was shielding Amanda from him.
"No, George, stop it." Amanda said, her voice slightly shrill. She pushed George out of her way and advanced on Sarek. "What are you doing?" She was surprised to hear the anger trembling in her own voice. How dare Sarek do such a thing? How dare he? Fury was pumping through her, riding on the current of her pulse.
Her accusation seemed to pierce Sarek like an arrow. He stepped back, and Amanda watched the expression on his normally blank face change from anger to horror as he fought for control. He wouldn't meet Amanda's eyes. "I- I apologize." He said, gripping the railing behind him. "Forgive me." Still without looking into Amanda's face, he turned and fled back into the hall like a wild animal, tense and fighting to control rage.
When he was gone, Amanda slumped against the balcony's railing, her shoulders trembling fiercely. George was immediately at her side. "Are you all right? Damn, I'm sorry. I really am." Amanda shook her head, trying to keep her lips from quivering.
"It's not your fault." She said. "I'm the one who should be sorry. And I am. I don't know why he would do something like that." She felt George grip her shoulder reassuringly.
"Why does any man act that way? Jealousy."
Author's Note: I am having so much fun writing this. I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as I am. I'm not super sure what's going to happen after this, but it's in the works and there will be a new chapter here soon!