Max could not say that his visit to his former home world would have been pleasant. Especially after the powers that be thought him dead

Chapter Text

Max could not say that his visit to his former home world would have been pleasant. Especially after the powers that be thought him dead. At the old U.S. Navy barracks on the east side of Angel Island. He and his fellow teammates had set up their headquarters. Every morning, dressed in utility uniforms, they would board the private commuter ferry to head to the Institute on the nearby pier at the north end of Sausalito. Built when space had become premium at that end of the bay for the quiet little town. Once there. They would go to a side entrance on the north side of the main building located on the east end of the pier, then down one level into the archives. Max had found it strange that they would maintain an archive of such sensitive material on a dock of all places but one of his colleagues was familiar with the building trades , assured him that the building was sound and the documents well protected against humidity. It was with a touch of humor that same man told him the Institute trustees were involved in building a more permanent, stable home further inland. Near Death Valley Junction. And it was because of those preparations that their group had been able to show horn into the activities. While the preparations for moving were well underway, another group had been involved in the Terra Prime mission of cataloguing all systems close to 001. Those ripe for conquest. Amazingly the two groups never conflicted or encountered each other much during their assignments. Despite having at least three Vulcan archivists on his team. The Terra Prime inquisitors never let on that there was a rival group involved in purging all relevant information pertaining to a Star system 9 light minutes out from this very world. While this work was going on, at least two or three times a day Max would be drawn aside and given a data cube. At night. He would sit down with Sevrin and play it on his personal PADD. The information on it consisting of nothing more than a progress report on the security of his family including video. Max would sit to the side and every once in a while give a side glance at Sevrin to watch the boys reactions. He had to say he was impressed by how completely enthralled the young man was of his granddaughter. He was under no illusions that this was nothing more than a fascination for a very extraordinary young lady.. The fact that the two regarded each other as brother and sister spoke volumes of their relationship. He considered this young man as a grandson. And the loyalty that the young man exhibited towards Katherine worked very much in his favor. It's still steamed Max to no end that he couldn't just hop on a flitter and fly across the bay to visit his family. The surveillance footage and reports belayed any ideas to that end. Terra Prime had his residence so gift wrapped that he would be dead the moment he stepped out of the flitter with his family close behind. Those reports also outlined the efforts V'Shar and Andorian operatives we're making to vacate people who were in danger of abduction by Terra Prime. He also noticed that Abigail, Genie and Catherine would hardly leave the place. Often spending time in the backyard garden. Strangely. His sons wives would bring their families over and have a social gathering. The video footage of those occasions seemed to intrigue Sevrin the most. And Max understood why. Compared to Vulcan families. Human families were much more animated in displaying their emotions. And when Katherine was interacting with her cousins and aunts, she would just light up. Max had surmised that Sevrin had never seen that before and would be completely enthralled by the display. Max knew without a doubt that Katherine had a very strong ally in her half brother. Deep down, Max was glad that when things started happening. All his family would be taken, and by example his sons would remain to reap the consequences of their actions. Max knew deep down. Soval had taken his words to heart in regards to Max's sons. Efforts had also been in progress to locate Max's oldest daughter and her ever growing brood and extricate them. So despite the annoyance of all this subterfuge, the efforts to keep those dear to him were a blessing. On one of the evenings after work while they had been perusing the most recent surveillance videos, he was surprised when Sevrin had straightened in his chair and intensified his attention on the monitor. Curious. Max didn't say anything knowing he would have an answer shortly, instead looking with the young man at the subject being played. Sevrin had reached over and started to play back the video. Max noticed it was a back yard scene where Abigail, Genie and Max's daughters in law were sat in a cluster around a table. Several meters away where the backyard lawn abutted the garden, Katherine and Bridgette had the younger children sitting in a semi circle playing a game. This is intriguing. Max thought as he focused his attention on his oldest grand daughter in the picture.

"What do you see son?" he asked as Sevrin actually turned into a statue, his concentration intense. He received no answer as the young man completely focused his attention on Katherine. Max had turned back to the screen in an effort to decipher what was going on. Then he realized it. As Katherine was speaking or interacting with her cousins, she would be gesturing as as she spoke. And it was through those gestures she was communicating. To someone outside the family gathering.
"She is very clever, your grand daughter is OSU. Very observant and it would not surprise me that Kenack had taught her the ghost speak."

The Voice came from above and behind Max. He twisted around To see one of his Vulcan colleagues standing behind him also studying Katherines actions intently.
"What is she conveying?" Max asked. Plainly curious.

"What she is saying is for OSU's Soval and Sevrin. If it is for either to share, they will. Have patience."

Was the cryptic reply. Max could only agree, but focused back on the image of his grand daughters. Noting also that Bridgette was also doing the same thing. This casual pantomime lasted through the entirety of the video. One of the few video clips that seemed to focus specifically on a specific person. He shook his head wondering about how much in depth the one sided conversation carried. Later as he perused the intel surrounding his home and surrounding neighborhood, he had gradually noticed the signs of others that were carrying out surveillance of the area. He had to agree with Soval in that his family were prisoners for the most part. He was curious in that they were not out right bullied or harassed. Max later had been informed of a couple of attempts by Terra Prime to induct Genie into their New Eve project only to find their shock teams over whelmed, then waking up in the desert mere steps away from the gates of one of their camps. Beaten, gelded and no memory of how they ended up there. Terra Primes people finally had to acknowledge that Vulcan stood by the protection of their own and never bothered Genie or her daughter and mother after the last attempt. They did have the nerve to insist Katherine remain at home, finding the fact that she was a hybrid hard to stomach. So while Genie or Abigail were free to leave to conduct business. There was always a concealed guard watching over the house in case some zealot decided to enact more drastic affirmative actions. It surprised Max how often those types of events occurred. Something he found him self contemplating long and hard during his activities at the Institute. The data they were looking for was surprisingly large and more than once they found themselves in a quandary about wether to take it with them or destroy it. They remained there another week to wrap things up and by then, they had come to a firm decision. The articles of data would go with them. So when two large delivery flitters showed up at the loading dock, it was no surprise that a StarFleet Ensign showed a requisition to the Institutes Director and in short order, there was not much space in either vehicle when they were done. The flitters left falling in easily with the Coast Skyway transponder pattern while the group boarded the Angel Island ferry to head back. By the time it arrived at the far terminal, no one noticed that 15 people were missing