The Lines Between: Extra
Trian
By Delmantheevil
"Live well. It is the greatest revenge."
-The Talmud
Admiral Trian was considered by all heights and concerns of the Romulan people, to be a great warrior and leader. He had been born in a favored position, his family rich, and their name well-known. His parents, and their parents before them were the kind of people who charmed all in their interactions; their refined social graces and general agreeableness had earned them an accumulation of high connections in every place imaginable. Thus, Trian, a single child, was born with his prospects already set high for him. His family before him had all leaned towards the military, so it was not shocking when he also, after leaving school in a blaze of glory and praise, joined the army. He climbed the ladder of ranks faster than anyone had expected of him, even considering his family's good connections. He gained favor with all, and treated all with respect.
Trian was the type of person who did not let anyone form his opinions about other people. He formed his own by watching them himself, and judging them by their own conduct and actions. The Romulan Admiral looked upon everyone he met, of every race, on equal terms with each other, and then allowed them to prove their own worth to him.
Nine years into his career, Admiral Trian, the Romulan's beloved war hero, shocked the Empire as he became the first Romulan in their history to marry a human.
The Romulans were outraged at his betrayal, this union with the enemy. One day he was their aspiring young leader, their courageous hero, the next he was the biggest traitor their history had ever seen. His actions were scandalous and raised discord amongst the people, but his lack of remorse drove them to hate and loathe him. They would have forgiven him and welcomed him back with open arms had he regretted completely his mistakes and left the woman who so obviously manipulated him into a marriage, daring to think she was worthy of a Romulan. But instead he refused absolutely all suggestions of any such sort, and stood tall as he proclaimed his love for the woman he had quite willingly married. Their hate lingered on the edge of a riot, and so the Senate, hoping to pacify their anger, publicly dismissed him from the ranks. The anger seemed to cool as the people pleasured in his disgrace, but the peace was not to last even a year.
The half-human, half-Romulan daughter born to Trian and his wife was the last straw. The riots broke out as the people protested the corruption of their pure Romulan blood. It was unacceptable on all levels, and they pushed and pushed until the Senate could no longer ignore their cries. The baby was not two months old when her parents were publicly executed and a ban was placed on all Romulan inter-breeding concerning any other race under penalty of death.
But even this could not slake the people's blood-lust. They wanted that baby dead.
Her innocent, harmless existence was a threat to them; a threat of the corruption of their race, their line diseased with inferior blood. They screamed out protests against her life. They sought to purge all remains of the tainted blood. After six months of controversy and struggle, a impasse was made; the child was to live. She was to live, but under the condition that she marry only a Romulan, and her children marry only Romulans. The child lived, but she was never to have a normal life.
Every day was filled with stares and whispers. There was no way she could escape it, the hatred and the shunning would continue her entire life. But instead of being beaten down by the circle of fury surrounding her, she grew up willful and rebellious. She was determined that a people so hateful and terrible could not have been right about her parents. She was determined that her parents were blameless; their murders the result of the prejudice and fury of the people. And she was determined to do exactly what they did not want.
She dug farther and farther into her human side, reading further and further into their history, their ways, their traditions, and fighting to appear as human as possible to everyone around her. As she hoped, this infuriated the Romulans; they had given her a second chance, and she was trying her hardest to mock them. Their anger grew, ready to explode. Later, she married a Romulan, but only because she fell in love with one, for no one could force her in love. Three years later, she gave birth to a daughter whom she named Tina. The human name given the child infuriated the nation once again, but the birth of the second child was what finally dropped the blade. Five years after the birth of her first child, this half-Romulan mutt proudly named her son Trian after her traitorous father. The people could stand no more. Their blood boiling, hoards of rioting Romulans attacked the home of the rebellious hybrid, and finally had their own justice as they killed the only offspring of the fallen idol with their own hands. Her husband was left with his two children to morn the death of his wife.
Trian grew to the age of six with a father, and yet, without a father. He was a broken man, he loved his wife passionately no matter what her reputation. Her death stole the life from him as well, and he left his children to joined the army. Tina and Trian grew up poor, with one nurse to raise them in their father's absence. Like their mother, they grew up in the shadow of their parents' and grandparents' actions. They had no one to turn to but each other. They clung to each other, comforted each other, cried with each other. And in both, a little bit of their mother lived, a little bit of her rebellion and a little bit of her human side.
The crisis came when their father was killed in action. The Romulan nation was not a forgiving place and, not able to pay for the house they lived in or the nurse who had looked after them, they were thrown out. Their were no orphanages on Romulus. Those who could not pay lived harshly on the unpitying streets. And that is what they did. They went cold many nights, and hungry even more of the time. Tina was 12 years old when she had to become the leader and supporter of herself and her brother. Many times she nearly starved making sure her younger brother had enough to eat, she worked till she could hardly stand to buy the bare necessities for herself and her brother. And every day she dressed her brother and herself, and they both went to school. And every day their school-mates reminded them who they were and what they would never be. No remorse. No compassion. Cruel, harsh words. And so she was determined that they would both learn and grow up to prove they could be something. To make their hateful school-mates eat their words.
"Tina, tell me that story again, that one Mother used to tell you. That Earth story." Nine-year-old Trian whispered one night as they lay shivering in the dark alley-way.
"That one about the human slave in Rome? Spartacus?" Tina asked, hugging her brother closer as he shuddered with the cold. She fixed the blanket more securely over his head. It was shaved completely, as were the heads of many other boys his age when their mothers did not want to deal with their thick, unmanageable hair.
"Y-yeah. That one. I like that one. And tell me why he won in the end again."
Tina was glad for a way to distract her brother from their dismal surroundings. Besides, she liked this story too. It kept her motivated.
She put on her animated, story-telling voice.
"Well, on Earth, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, this kingdom called Rome ruled the world. But the Senate was full of evil, cranky old men and they made some of the poor people be slaves for no reason. While some of the lazy, fat humans sat around and did nothing, the other humans had to do all the work and they didn't get paid or anything! And sometimes, they trained the slaves (gladiators they called them) to kill each other in an arena while they watched and laughed."
Trian sucked in a breath. "Why were they so mean?" He asked.
Tina shrugged. "Mother said it gave them a thrill when life and death was on the line. They liked the suspense. They also liked to idolize whoever won. I guess people are like that. They have to have someone to worship and someone to hate just to make life interesting." Anyone could have recognized the distinctly bitter tone in her voice.
"Keep going." Trian urged when he realized his sister was getting off subject.
"Alright, alright. So Spartacus was born a slave, and a guy who trained gladiators and sold them came to see if any of the slaves working there were good enough to be bought. Well, he thought Spartacus had big enough muscles and had a mean enough attitude to be a gladiator, so he bought him. And Spartacus was trained, and he got even more muscles, and lots of fighting skills. One day, some fat Romans came to watch two of the gladiators fight to the death and Spartacus and another human were chosen. Now the two were fighting, and Spartacus started to lose because the other guy was even stronger than he was!"
Trian's eyes were wide with suspense and he gripped her arm tightly.
"The other gladiator could have killed Spartacus, but instead he turned around, jumped into the stands, and started to attack the humans that were watching and pointing at them. He never reached them because a guard near by speared him in the back."
"But why didn't the gladiator just kill Spartacus?" Trian asked, subdued, "Then he could have stayed alive."
"Because," Tina answered, "he didn't want the humans watching him to have the pleasure of watching him kill someone else. He was tired of the way the slaves and gladiators were being treated. He was so brave that he'd rather die than give them any more entertainment."
Trian nodded in agreement. "He was brave."
Tina continued, "When Spartacus saw how brave that other slave was, it inspired him to rebel too. He got all the other gladiators together, and they broke out of the prison. They went around the kingdom freeing all the slaves they could, and soon they had a huge army. Spartacus was the leader, and he trained them all to fight like he could. Then he made a plan to lead all the slaves out of Rome so they could be free. But Rome wouldn't have any of it. They were mad that a group of slaves could escape from them because that made them look weak. So they sent out a big army to fight the slaves. The army was much, much bigger, so the slaves lost. They lead the survivors away and made them slaves again, and Spartacus was crucified in front of all of them. That means they nailed his hands and feet to a cross, and let him hang there until he died."
Trian shivered, but not from the cold this time.
"The Romans did that because they wanted to make an example out of him. They wanted everyone to see that they'd beaten him. They wanted all the slaves to see that they'd lost, and make sure they would never be able to rebel again."
Trian was silent for a moment, then asked, "So why did he win, I still don't understand."
Tina smiled. It was a hard concept for even her to understand. How could someone who lost so badly be the real winner in the end?
"It's because after he died, the slaves got even more angry. Like Spartacus had been inspired by the gladiator he fought, all the slaves were inspired by Spartacus. And so they rebelled again, and this time they won. Rome did not want the story of Spartacus to be known at all, they wanted to cover it up so no one would know that the Empire could be threatened by a group of slaves, but everyone remembered the story. It was told again and again; it became a great legend. And Spartacus became known as a great hero to everyone. They remembered how he fought and died for what he knew to be right……To be remembered well…….that was the real goal. Do you understand now?"
Trian nodded slowly. "I think so."
"Good." Said Tina grinning, "Now go to sleep."
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"Bye Liisira!" Trian yelled, waving over the top of his head to the girl walking away from him towards the other side of the Academy grounds. She turned around and waved at him back. He grinned happily and ran his hand through his thick hair. Still smiling, he turned round to make his way back home when he ran head long into his sister. They both tumbled back a little, being hit with the same amount of force. At fourteen, he was almost the same height as his sister.
"Watch it, brother." She said with mock anger. "You're going to be knocking me down soon."
Then she spotted the slight blush on his cheeks and looked around over at the girl from her brother's class walking away from them, then back at her younger brother with a knowing smile. Trian blushed again and turned his head quickly to pretend he was looking for something in his bag.
Things had changed in five years. Although the leering and whispering and teasing hadn't completely stopped, it had lessened. Those who knew them well seemed not to mention a thing about their past at all anymore. Their obedient behavior in school, their excellent grades, and their help to their classmates had, over time, had an effect on the people around them. They had found themselves gradually, although not completely, accepted. They had before been constantly monitored for any sign of rebellious or bad behavior. When none showed, and the disappointment passed, those around them seemed to forget, at least momentarily, who they were. They could talk to their teachers normally. They could walk into a room without more than a couple stares. They actually had friends.
But their status to the world had not changed, no matter how much their schoolmates' opinions now differed. That was something they must prove for themselves.
Tina and Trian walked back to their dorms in silence. Their sponsor had provided them with the dorm when he had paid for their five years in the academy. It had been difficult to get a sponsor because of their reputation, but their grades had been so good after graduation that a gutsy sponsor soon stepped forward. It was Tina's last year, and Trian's first in the Academy. Tina was going to graduate with all the high honors anyone could think of, and she had already set her mind on joining the military. Trian had decided as much himself. He had found that following in her footsteps was wise.
"Do you like her?" Tina asked suddenly.
"What?" Trian answered back in a high voice, blushing deeply.
"Do you like her? The girl you were waving to." She gave him a look that said You can tell me. I'm your sister.
Trian stared down at the grass as he walked. "I guess. Yeah. She's nice."
Tina sighed.
"What?" Said Trian defensively. "You've never liked a guy before or something?" He was angry.
"Actually…….I never have liked a guy before. That's the point." She said thoughtfully.
Trian looked at her, surprised. "But.....you're nineteen."
She laughed slightly. "Yeah. I guess there's something wrong with me."
"No," Said Trian quickly. Most siblings might have been very awkward having this conversation, but not them. "You'll probably just find the right one someday, and never have to have the problem of looking at anyone else."
She nodded. "Maybe. But I don't have time to think about that right now. I need to focus. I've got to get a good start when I graduate, you know. I can't think about guys. With the plans I've got, I don't think I ever will……I've got to prove--." She didn't finish the sentence.
A silence past.
Tina opened her mouth to say something else, but then closed it again. Then she opened her mouth again and this time said, "If I ever get married, it will only be for the deepest, strongest kind of love. Nothing else will ever persuade me to do it. Not money, or power, or even honor. If I ever get married, you'll know it was only for love."
This statement burned into Trian's mind. He wished he could be as firm and certain as his sister. From then on he would strive to be.
This was something he would never forget.
"Live well. It is the greatest revenge."
-The Talmud
Hey guys. Sorry if you're disappointed not having a new chapter yet, but I got this mini-side-story in my head, and I couldn't continue the rest of the story until I'd written this. I thought it was just a nice little look into Trian and his sister's past and their character. Because even bad guys have their reasons. Hope you liked it. New chapter coming soon. \\//