Chapter 12

The council chamber was empty but for two attendants and the council head, T'Yshin, in her customary place as head of council. Alone, she seemed even more fragile than ever. She had been Sarek's ally in many battles, but once she was gone, it would seem that he would have no one but himself to fight against those that would have them shutter doors and hide from the rest of the known worlds. He brushed away the thought that day would find them all too soon, as he bowed before the Elder.

"Sarek, Xcha'al'at of the House of Seven Winds, you are called before the council, such as it is, for assignment."

There could be any number of reasons that only the council head was present, he would hope that it would be because of the short time between the summons and the appearance. It was more likely due to certain council members being unwilling to attend and have it seem that they were giving approval. Others of course, he was sure stayed away due to disagreement with the decision. No matter, the Head of Council's will stood when none was there to come forward in protest.

"I express my gratitude that the council has granted me assignment. There is no greater honor I have than to be of assistance to my people in their attempts to bring peace to other worlds, " He bowed again, this time in acknowledgement.

"This is by no means a unanimous decision by the council. Both T'Pau and Shardeen oppose your reinstatement. The balance of the council acknowledges that the pursuit of peace should outweigh their personal doubts regarding your choice of mate."

T'Yshin placed both hands on the table before her and slowly, with the aid of her Staff of State rose to her feet, circling around the council table until she stood next to Sarek.

"I assure you, honored T'Yshin that their trust will be rewarded," he responded to her with eyes downcast in respect.

"Now, since it is just you and I here, child, let us dismiss formalities for the moment," she motioned the attendants to open the heavy inlaid doors that led to the balcony over looking ShiKahr.

He raised his line of vision until her looked her squarely in the eyes. She would often dare him as a child not to be intimidated by her. Then it was a test for the future when he would be expected to hold his own with many heads of state; now it was a test of his ability to stand for himself.

"As you would have it, T'Yshin."

"Walk with me," she motioned him to follow her, outside to the Council Heights, the highest point above the city, from which all could be seen, far out into the desert beyond," You should thank your friends the Nori for this, Sarek. They would have no other. Take care that nothing untoward happens during this assignment that might reflect badly."

" I have full trust in she who is my wife, Honored One."

"For all of our sakes, we hope the human proves your trust is merited. Many of us have found these Terrans have been less than trustworthy. Many eyes will be upon you both, and your future will either rise or fall on how well Amanda Grayson comports herself."

"She is young, T'Yshin, but she has such faith and determination to succeed in all she does. She allows me to see worlds through other non-Vulcan eyes. It is as a gift to me, in allowing me to understand others."

"This was a gift you already had Sarek. Perhaps she only allows you to see it clearer."

"Perhaps."

A silence fell between them as they looked out unto the horizon preparing for what the future might hold.

"I will not be in this chair forever, child. Too soon I fear that I will move onto the halls of our ancestors. And she who would replace me is no ally of yours."

"It has been as such for many years," he softly intoned. It was no fault of his own that he and T'Pau seemed to constantly clash, each with their own separate visions of Vulcan's place in the greater scheme of things.

"Indeed, she long ago decided that your Solkar spoiled you, giving into one grandchild too often at the expense of her own child. And when Shurvil was killed leaving her without heir, that drove a deeper darkness into her mind concerning you, knowing that you would, as eldest son to her brother, be heir to her house."

"I cannot avoid what I was born to be. It would be illogical to do so."

"It would, and would it be logical for others to deny it as well," the Elder sighed, "Unfortunately, some who claim to have purged themselves of emotions instead have driven them into those deeper, more hidden places where they are allowed to fester. It is regrettable, but true none the less."

She reached up a wizened hand, and held his chin.

"You have always been a light, child, a bridge to another way of thinking. It was with purpose that your grandfather and your father exposed you to so many different worlds and cultures when you were young. Do not lose that ability by your rash actions. Now that you have chosen to tread close to sinking sands, be careful to walk lightly, lest they swallow you whole. "

There was affection in his eyes as he replied, "I will carry your words and their warning close, and will do my utmost to withhold the trust that you place in my skills."

She released him and turned to make her way back into the council chambers, "All will be waiting at Ajart. There are those there that will doubtless be pleased to see you again. Let them know their voice of reason is missed in council by T'Yshin. T'Reela has a list for you to review of volunteers who would be honored to become your staff."

She turned to Sarek one last time, "Go in peace, child."

"I walk in honor," he replied in formal greeting, bowing as she turned to leave.

"It is as it should be,"

And she was gone leaving him to his thoughts as he looked out on the city below.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Amanda had slept far too long. The light that was streaming through the shutters, as well as the empty bed beside her was sure confirmation of the fact. Yet it was still a struggle to open her eyes and pull herself out of bed. She wasn't use to being out late anymore, that was for sure. This was going to be a morning where she was thankful of the real shower Sarek had installed in the adjoining bath. She was going to need a jolt of cold water to get herself moving, followed by a dose of the hidden stash of caffeine in the form of some coffee that her grandmother had been kind enough to call favors on and have shipped in the diplomatic shuttle. It was but a part of a care package full of guilty pleasures that the Terran Embassy had delivered a few days back.

Sitting up, she sighed when she realized the spot beside her was undisturbed. Amanda wondered if Sarek had even come to bed at all last night. She had left him in his office, absorbed in research of some type or another. She didn't want to ask too many questions in case it would give away too much of what she knew. After the call, he seemed to be suddenly, well, more there then he had for some time. Her husband's mood changes were so subtle, she was still trying to get a handle on some of them, though she had no doubt he had them. It was like trying to read meaning into the angle of raised eyebrows.

Taking a deep breath, she shrugged on her light robe and padded across the tiled floor to the bath, hoping against hope that it would be good news that would come home with her husband. And that it meant a bed that was not partially empty again tonight.

The shower was just cool enough to wake her, but not so cold that it was uncomfortable. She stayed in it a little longer than usual, knowing that the garden would be grateful for any grey water sent its way.

Amanda had taken to not using the dryer function on full, but used it just enough so that she was not dripping and she could still feel the moisture on her skin and in her hair for a few fleeting minutes before the dry desert air spun it away. She slipped into a loose caftan and made her way down to the kitchen, pulling her hair back with a tie as she walked. She knew from the slight throbbing in her head that today would be a hot one, and by oversleeping she had lost the benefit of the coolest part of the day.

No sooner had she started making the coffee, then Eechiya came shambling in from the garden, nose actively testing the air. He seemed to be quite fond of the fragrance of brewing coffee, an odor that seemed to unsettle his master's stomach, hence its existence as house contraband. The fact Sarek looked upon caffeine as an unnecessary stimulant didn't help either.

"Sorry old boy, nothing for special for you this morning," she scratched his ruff briefly, then patted his broad head, laughing, "Last time I gave you a treat you barfed it up all over the floor and I still have not heard the end of that!"

Settling into her spot at the counter, she brought up the Terran news feed on her portable monitor. She wanted to be up on everything that was happening. The Vulcan feed would have been preferable, but the translations supplied always seemed clumsy and purposely kept vague for the general, unwashed Federation public. She always got the feeling that there was so much more in those original bands of text that Sarek would scroll through in lighting fast speed then what she was seeing in the translations.

Right now, all the interplanetary news seemed to be centered on some sort of a dispute between Nore and Chimeria. As far as she could figure out, what had once been neighboring colonies that had peacefully existed for two centuries on a single planet, had upon the discovery of a rare element, suddenly been driven into a violent and bloody dispute between the two formerly affable neighbors. As this was now threatening to interfere with the production of new type warp drive components that needed this element, it was a clash that stood front and center in the Federation news. She skimmed over the article briefly. It was always good to stay current- one never knew when this type of thing might come up in conversation when your husband was a diplomat. Then she went on to the next feed about the upcoming elections on Earth. One of her grandmother's longtime friends was up for Prime Minster of the UN, and she was valiantly trying to keep up with the election from afar. She suspected that the election would be long over and campaigns would start for the next one, before she would know any results.

Her daily regime had fallen in place rather quickly: Wake up, shower, eat, read the news feeds, spend some time in the garden. If Sarek was home, she would visit him in his library office, chat for a while, and then she would proceed to the task of slowly going through the language program for a few hours before a light mid-day meal. During the heat of the day, physical activity was minimal, even for Vulcans who tended to use it for study or meditation. With the additional strain of higher gravity, for Amanda it usually translated itself into a mid-day nap. As most business was conducted early mornings to mid-day, family and socializing was an integral part of the evening once the sun started to lie low in the sky and the temperatures once again became tolerable.

Suddenly, in the last week, that routine was being disrupted. First the party at the Earth Embassy last night, and then in two days time she had scheduled the appointment for the Medical Research Academy. Was it all for the better?

In front of her she had placed one of the small hormone pills she had been taking daily for the last week, studying it as if it could give her some insight on what she should do. Amanda had been excited for the chance to try for a child such a short time ago, but now she had started to have her doubts. Though she knew the odds were stacked against them, what if by some fluke, it happened? What if she actually did get pregnant? What if a miracle occurred and they actually found themselves parents? Part of her would be overwhelmed with the sheer joy of having created something tangible, a real living being, out of their improbable love. And if something of that love could survive them, was there any way she could deny that chance?

But another part wondered just how any child of hers would be accepted. While she would have expected discrimination on Earth, she had not thought it was an issue here on Vulcan. But now, now she was worried. She wished she could take a step back and think about what was best, but to do so would surely result in questioning by her husband, and she knew from seeing him in action that it was not something she wished to subject herself to. Maybe it was best to just leave it to the odds—they were so slim…

Hearing the door open, she tried to push such thoughts to the back of her mind. If she didn't prepare herself, he would read her like an open book. She hopped from her seat and moved to the doorway, only to see at least half a dozen Vulcans following after her husband, in what best would be considered a hurried fashion.

"Sarek? What?"

He turned back to her in for a brief moment, motioning the rest of the party to his office.

"I have been assigned to mediate the Nori-Chimeria conflict. We leave for Ajart in 5 days."

"Ajart? Nori-Chimeria?' She stood in the middle of the hallway, her mouth open.

"We will speak of this later."

And then the door closed behind him with a firm click, leaving Amanda to wonder whether she should laugh or cry- not that either would be acceptable.