There are always wars and rumors of wars. However, to prevent any possible legal battles, I will inform you all of the following: I do not own Star Trek, any of the canon characters, nor do I make any profit from my writings.

The Jorian War VIII

Queen Viella spent over an hour gazing at all the wonders Nebula Galactic had to offer.

Suddenly she realized something. The Ferengi had been holding out on her. There were many more wonderful items to be had than what they had informed her of. And perhaps they had overcharged her. The starship crew were commoners for the most part, yet they seemed to be able to afford to purchase several items at one time. Counselor La Plante had just placed an order for forty-three items of clothing for her infant daughter. Viella set the PADD down. She would need to do some more research.

T'Vessya had also been scanning a catalog, the Orion Woman's Secret. Sipel was only shy in public. After she had placed her order for two silk teddies and three sets of matching bras and panties, she passed the PADD along to the young Queen.

In the meantime, Queen Janna had picked up the NG catalog. Long denied most luxuries by her overzealous spouse and brother, Janna decided it was time to cut loose. No doubt King Gerlhu would be feeling guilty about the injury he had caused her. It was not the first time such a thing had happened, though he had never struck her with his hand. Hopefully the surgery Dr. McCoy had in mind would correct the situation. In the past, Gerlhu had always apologized and asked what he might do to make amends. This time Janna would have a list prepared.

Queen Viella marveled over the contents of the Orion Woman's Secret catalog. The colors and the descriptions of the fabrics were most enticing. However, most of the clothing she saw there did not seem to cover much. T'Vessya had just made a purchase, so perhaps she could explain the purpose of such attire.

"T'Vessya, may I ask a question?"

"Certainly, Your Highness."

"I have observed that several of the young women here, yourself included, have made purchases from this catalog. Most of these garments seem quite brief, yet all of you seem modestly dressed. Does this clothing have some special purpose?"

T'Vessya blushed a lovely shade of pale green, but responded to the Queen's question like a true diplomat in training.

"Most of the clothing sold by the Orion Woman's Secret is underwear, intended to be worn underneath one's outside clothing. Other items are considered sleepwear, which is to be worn to bed. However, the primary purpose of all these garments is to make one more attractive to one's mate."

Queen Viella considered this information and the plain shifts that she wore under her royal attire. They were really quite ugly when compared to the pretty things T'Vessya and the Starfleet women wore.

"So you bought such garments to please Sipel?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

T'Vessya blushed again.

"Fascinating" thought Queen Viella. She never would have guessed that such things appealed to the logical and quiet young Vulcan male. She resumed her perusal of the lingerie catalog, wondering which items Guran might like best.


T'Pau was somewhat embarrassed when her neighbor T'Relah had shown up at her door with the two half-naked children who had escaped from the backyard. However, she retained her composure and thanked the woman for their safe return.

Once the children were inside the house and the door closed, Rachel took her daughter by the hand. She gave her the "stare of truth."

"Whose idea was it to take you clothes off?"

Hannah gulped.

"It was mine, Mama."

"Hannah T'Pau, what were you thinking?

"I didn't want to get my new clothes dirty. You said we had to be careful and conserve water on New Vulcan and that we should try not to make too much laundry to be washed."

Rachel smiled in spite of herself.

"Yes, I did say that, didn't I?"

Hannah nodded vigorously, hoping that she could get herself out of trouble.

"However, it's not socially acceptable to go out of the house in your underwear. Plus, you and Senar need baths again, so I guess we didn't save any water, did we?"

"No, Mama. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry Grandmother. I think we made the neighbor lady angry with us. She said something about you and Grandfather being crazy...por shinsarat...that means crazy, doesn't it?"

T'Pau carefully controlled her features and tone of voice before responding.

"Yes, that is what it means. It is of no consequence. However, in the future it would be best for thou and Senar to confine thy play to the backyard."

Hannah and Senar both agreed to this and Rachel took then into the bathroom to clean them up. Tauril swept up the sand with an amused glint in his eye.

"Hannah T'Pau...so they have named this spirited little one after thee. That is most appropriate, for she is much like thee."

T'Pau was going to dispute her husband's opinion but then thought better of it. Tauril was nearly twenty-four standard years older than she and had known her since she was a small child. The first time they had met, T'Pau had been two years old and riding the family sehlat down the street, her father chasing after her.


The mood on the Enterprise was somewhat somber. The negotiations had been halted until after King Gerlhu's surgery. The King was also having some blood pressure issues, which Bones wanted to stabilize before the operation.

Mathematics had never been Queen Viella's strong suit, but she was fairly certain that the Ferengi had been cheating her. Guran had teased her about her ignorance when it came to how much things were actually worth. After all, she had once kidnapped Ambassador Sarek (one of the most powerful representatives in the UFP) and gave him back for food and trinkets worth less than two hundred credits.

She borrowed the Nebula Galactic catalog from Nyota and went to see Shrelb, who was an expert on trade negotiations. Queen Viella took copies of her agreement with the Ferengi and receipts for the dilithium they had purchased in the past year. Shrelb agreed to review everything and get back to her with his opinion.


Saavik and Torel remembered each other from Hellguard. Torel had started work in the mines just before Saavik had made her escape with several other children, hiding in the woods near the mines. She remembered the incident in which Torel's ribs were damaged.

An overseer had kicked the child in the chest because he was not working quickly enough. Torel had been in the mines just a week and had not fully learned the job. Saavik had not seen him again after that, so she assumed that he had died. It was most pleasing to know that he had not.

When the adults and other children were occupied, Saavik took Torel aside.

"When we were on the starship, I heard some of the rescuers talking. They said that they killed some of the Romulans who hurt us. Did they kill the big man who hurt your chest?"

"Yes, Saavik. I saw him die. He will never bother either of us again."

"My new parents would not be pleased to hear me say this, but I am glad that he is dead."

Torel nodded in agreement and gave his "aunt" a hug. The universe was a much better place without that particular Romulan.


Spock was off duty and decided to pay a visit to his father's quarters, rather than stay in his own where Nyota had lowered the temperature by two more degrees. Sarek did bother to hide his amusement as his son stripped off layer after layer of clothing, until only loose pants and a thin t-shirt remained.

"It would appear that your wife is freezing you out of your living quarters. Your mother nearly did the same to me when she was expecting you. I had to replace the air conditioning unit for the bedroom because Amanda wore it out. It had run continuously for nine weeks that summer, set at twenty-one degrees, instead of a comfortable thirty."

"Nyota has our quarters set at twenty-four."

"Just wait, my son. Are there not nearly two months before the child arrives? You will be sleeping in your coat by then."

Sarek looked at his son more closely. Though still on the slender side, his boy seemed to have filled out just a bit more recently.

"My son, I do believe that you have put on a kilogram or two. This also happened to me before you were born. Your mother craved the most interesting foods, which I often found myself sampling. I do not recommend lemon sherbet and Pepsi. Your mother wanted a Dr. Pepper float and that was the closest approximation available."

Spock looked like he might vomit at the thought of such a combination.

"Nyota has been very found of toasted cheese sandwiches and peppermint ice cream. She dips the sandwiches in the ice cream. I prefer to consume them separately."

"If your son is anything like his father, any weight that you have gained will quickly be lost when he begins to crawl. You were a very active and curious child. I regret having missed so much of your infancy."

Sarek was quiet then, his thoughts turning to baby T'Shana. He was also missing her infancy.


Bones finally got King Gerlhu's blood pressure stabilized. His surgery went even better than Issow's, as the fluid-filled cysts were not as large and the damage to nearby tissues not as extensive. Queen Janna sat by her husband's bedside, waiting for him to regain consciousness. Duke Germish and Issow took turns beside her.

When the King awoke, the first thing he did was apologize to his wife. Next, he asked his trusted advisers to help determine the best way to inform the Jorian people that the strict religious rules would be rescinded. Gerlhu wanted to be honest with them, but feared a revolt if they knew the reforms had been based on the delusions of a sick man, not the visions of a prophet.


Shrelb was momentarily distracted from his work by a subspace call from Andor. Tama and Elara, his two fiancees had good news. They had found a second male, Tichon, whom they thought would make an excellent marriage partner. Shrelb had met Tichon before and felt that he would be an acceptable candidate. Tichon was a businessman but seldom traveled off-world. He would be around to support and protect the females when Shrelb was away on diplomatic missions. Shrelb agreed to meet with him when he returned home to Andor. Hopefully that would get his father off his back.

Shrelb returned to the task at hand. The Ferengi had seriously undervalued the Erdrusian dilithium, paying only a third of the going rate. They had also charged Queen Viella nearly five what the merchandise they had sold her was worth. She would not be pleased. Fortunately, the trade agreement she had made with them expired in less than a week.


Bones was very concerned for the dilithium miners on Jorian and Erdrusia. Guran had been trading only with the Federation and had purchased the best safety equipment available for the Nalthusians.

Remembering that Kehel had spent a day working with the Erdrusian miners, Bones asked the young Rigelian to meet with him and discuss what he had learned there. Kehel agreed to meet him in the Rec Room for a coffee break. Coffee for Kehel also involved two large pastries. Bones had never met anyone else who could eat quite as much, not even Cupcake.

Kehel got right down to business, telling Bones of the colorful but inferior coveralls the Erdrusians miners wore. They were always suffering cuts and infections from the jagged, unrefined crystals. This had even led to a few amputations. Bones shuddered to think how much dilithium might be entering their bloodstreams through all those cuts.


Hannah and Senar were perfectly matched playmates. What trouble the one didn't think of, the other did. Tauril and T'Pau's backyard was full and laughter and squeals. Jason and Torel played more sedately, except when Saavik got involved. She had to be reminded that Torel could not play quite so roughly on account of his breathing issues.

T'Pau was surprised how gentle Saavik could be with little T'Lonna. She liked to hold the toddler and rock her, singing some of the songs Spock and Nyota had taught her.

Sirin and Rachel were quite concerned that the children might have offended the neighbors. Tauril assured them that T'Relah and Kruneth would suffer no ill effects from the proximity of spirited children. T'Pau agreed with her husband and rose from her seat to stir the soup she was making, a vegetable consomme which could be served cold. Sirin noted the stiffness in her joints.

"Grandmother, perhaps thee should reconsider my offer of knee surgery. Now that thee has two children to care for, it might prove beneficial to have increased mobility."

T'Pau knew that Sirin was right. Senar and Saavik could be handfuls.

"I know this to be true. Where would the surgery take place?"

"It would be best done in San Francisco, and would involve an overnight stay in the hospital and two weeks of physical therapy. Thy family would of course stay with us."

"I shall consider it. Perhaps it might be done after Torel has recovered from his procedure and when Saavik is on a break from school."

The children all smiled at one another and at Grandfather Tauril, whose eyes were twinkling. He had always wanted to visit San Francisco.


When they had visited Joria, the officials there had wanted to limit the diplomatic team's contact with the locals, fearing contamination. None but the Jorian mining commission knew whether the workers had adequate safety equipment. As Joria was not a UFP member, merely a trading partner, the Federation had no jurisdiction in the Jorian mines.

As was Bones giving King Gerlhu his post-op examination, he decided that there would be no better time to tell the monarch of his concerns for the Jorian miners.

"Both you and the Prophet Issow have suffered due to dilithium exposure. I wonder about the health and safety of the miners on Joria."

King Gerlhu had similar concerns. He also wondered if there was a way to turn the situation to his advantage.


Nyota was taking it easy, putting her feet up in her quarters, as per her doctor's orders and her husband's insistence. She had just concluded a pleasant subspace chat with Gaila when the door chime rang. She pressed the comm button.

"Who's there?"

"It is I, T'Vessya."

Nyota released the door lock.

"Come on in."

T'Vessya entered the quarters and observed Nyota resting on the couch.

"Nyota, have I disturbed you?"

"Not at all. In fact, you're rescuing me. I'm bored silly. What can I do for you?"

"I find myself in need of some information. There are items of a personal nature not yet available on New Vulcan..."

T'Vessya was looking rather embarrassed.

"I very much enjoy the diplomatic missions that Sipel and I go on with Sarek. It would not be possible to travel quite so much with an infant, so it would be beneficial to postpone reproduction for the time being. Contraceptive injections are not widely available for Vulcan females and some healers are reluctant to give them. It seems all of New Vulcan expects every able bodied-female to reproduce as often as possible. When I was a student at Berkeley, my roommate and her friends had mentioned other ways of preventing pregnancy."

Nyota thought of Sipel, T'Vessya's bondmate, who was just a year younger than Spock. She also remembered that T'Vessya had made a purchase from the lingerie catalog. Obviously the pair engaged in sexual activities "out of season."

"T'Vessya, I know just what you need."

Nyota rose, slowly made her way to the sleeping alcove, and returned with one of the silicone condoms Bones had given her and Spock last year. She downloaded Dr. McCoy's little instructional video on proper condom use to a PADD and gave the items to her friend.

"Take this down to Sickbay and ask Christine Chapel for some more and the lubricant to go with them. I think that these can also be ordered from N.G."

T'Vessya nearly smiled at this. None would be suspicious of a package from Nebula Galactic.


Spock had warned them about Thorgal and the colony's sperm bank. Sirin and Rachel decided to avoid all the potential unpleasantness and simply show up ready to make a donation.

Thorgal processed all of Sirin's family and clan data, then informed the couple that there were four requests for semen from any available S'chn T'gai clan member.

Sirin and Rachel had discussed the situation in advance and agreed that Sirin's sample should be used by anyone who wanted it. Their only stipulation was that they be notified of any children conceived. They would tell their children of these half-siblings to prevent any future issues of incest. The population of New Vulcan, while ever-increasing, was still small enough that this might be an issue.


Prophet Issow and Duke Germish had been trying to come up with the best way to inform the Jorian people that their state religion had been based on the delusions of a sick man. However, every idea they came up with had the potential for evolution or bloodshed. The people might be angry.

King Gerlhu thought about this.

"I think we give the people too little credit. They are intelligent. We shall tell them the truth, while expressing our concerns that others may have been afflicted in the same manner as Issow and I. Perhaps we could conduct mass health screenings with the Federation's help. As roughly thirty percent of our people work with the dilithium in some capacity, they will most likely be too concerned about their own health to make any trouble."

"It would help to smooth things over if we withdrew any claims to Erdrusia and Nalthus. I also think that it is time to seek Federation membership. They need our dilithium and we need their help."


Sirin heard the coughing and ran toward the boys' room, even as Jason was coming to fetch him. Torel could not seem to catch his breath. Rachel followed closely behind, as Sirin had forgotten his med kit. After a few treatments with the inhaler, a chest rub, and a nebulizer, Torel was breathing more easily. However, his parents were quite concerned. The situation was only likely to get worse.

Torel needed his corrective surgery as soon as possible.