The arrival in the Kitittan system had been unremarkable. Max had spent six months on the Abram Hall before transferring to another freighter. The Sunrise Beauty. After being ferrid between the freighters by the Rigellian runabout that had been helping re-supply the freighters. He found himself facing different responsibilities on the smaller vessel. So when he'd been called to the bridge near the end of his six month stint on the Beauty it was to find the lady captain had been requesting to have him there to witness their arrival. Max had discovered that she was also one of the handful of human officers who was aware of his real identity. And a former StarFleet officer herself. He felt it too intrusive to ask why she ended up in command on a freight boat. So both had whiled the hours away talking shop until they were far enough in system to get ready to establish orbit. Max had been surprised at the extent of operations, especially when the number of ships had gradually increased on the monitor. The "traffic stack" as he'd been told not only denoted four orbits of deflection around the planet plus a similar profile around its largest moon. But specific locations in these orbits. He had noticed that there were always four Vulcan heavy cruisers in station keeping in the lowest orbit to act as pickets, and serve as a transporter base for the surrounding ships. While the orbital view was breathtaking. He almost felt overwhelmed at the magnitude of this project. And it was being done without the knowledge of the earth or Vulcans governing bodies. As the Sunrise Beauty established orbit in the third ring in formation of six other freighters. His host. Captain Violla Maddox fielded a call from planet side. When the call concluded, she looked at him and said "With me sir". He followed her to what looked like a store room. Entering behind her, he was surprised at what was in the room. The captain walked around a large stack of box crates peeling the top of her coverall. He starting to feel nervous asking her intentions as he followed. And was surprised when he rounded the stack to find she had sat down facing him with the top gathered around her waist, and two young girls crawling into her lap to nurse. Beside her. A young lady in her mid teens sat off to the captain walked around a large stack of box crates peeling off the top of her coverall. He had begun to feel nervous about her intentions as he followed. And was surprised when he rounded the stack to find she had sat down facing him with the top gathered around her waist, and two young girls crawling into her laptop to nurse. Beside her. A young lady in her mid teens sat off to the side.
"Admiral, I would like to introduce you to my daughter. Mira."
The young lady bowed her head towards Max who returned the gesture.
"And two of your youngest grandchildren. They are twins, almost 2 years old and to my knowledge, the last of the third cycle. As soon as we get clearance we need to report to the clan."
Max was shocked. And smiled unable to contain his happiness at meeting the two toddlers. Squatting down. He reached out and gently caress the back of their heads as they nursed.
"I am surprised they allowed these two to be separated from the clan. How were you able to participate?"
she looked at him. The amusement plain on her face.
"It was remarkably easy for me sir. I am one of the original 20 students that your daughter was involved with. Also while I was peripheral involved with ECS and Starfleet my family had intermarried with the Killian's so we had long known of the sharing. While me and both of my sisters had wanted to be involved when we came of age,we had been told to wait and that only one of us would be allowed to participate at a time. Hence the cycles."
Looking down on the two girls as they contentedly nuzzled her. She continued.
"My husband was very supportive of my decision. He was involved in StarFleet and was content to allow me to remain involved with ECS. He became more insistent in the last two years before the embassy bombing that I keep my sisters and daughter away from earth and Ptellememnon, so at my family sponsors request brought on by my husband's insistence I stayed near Vulcan."
She held back tears as she paused.
"While I had a StarFleet commission. I could only command civilian freighters under my adopted families banner. After my daughter was born. I had almost been banned from leaving the clan holdings. So Kitittan had become my out. I could still traverse deep space and have my child with me, but I could never wear the uniform of my home world on account of some pocket despot wanted to make certain females into brood sows. My husband really did care for me. But it cost him his life. He died in the embassy bombing. I didn't find out till after he was gone on why they were so restrictive with me and Mira. And what he had been doing."
Max had been squatted down in front of her, letting her speak. He been gradually realizing he and Soval had been minutes away from contacting her husband when the bombing had occurred. He looked over at Mira who had been crouched alongside her mother. She been quietly listening to the conversation.
" Is there something I can do to help you?"
"No more than what was promised. OSU. I had asked to participate in the sharing, and I was allowed to. I was a member of a select group who had been educated and protected. And I'm still enjoying the benefits of that choice my parents made. Me and my sisters. Your daughter has been looked up to by many of us from that group of 20. And she already knows of these two. I have enjoyed most of what I was allowed to do. I understand that I was prevented from doing quite a number of things because of the threat of abduction and harm was high. Even on Vulcan and Rhiannon Mol'. So creating a family in a safe place while doing what I love unhindered is a fair trade."
She smiled at her daughter gazing back at her intently. Turning back to Max, she finally said.
"If there is anything I want it would be giving Mira a chance to make her own way, and reach as far as she can on whatever she sets her mind to do. The same that had been gifted to us. That should be enough."
Neither spoke much afterwards. Mira had moved to curl up on Max's lap, then fall asleep. Captain Viola had watched him amused as she settled the two girls and put herself back to rights.
"What will you be doing now? Now that you revealed these two?"
He'd asked. Reaching out to pat his grand daughters.
"Sinnce myself and my sisters had participated in the Sharing. We have the privilege of remaining in enclave to nurture the offspring of the Schn T'Gai. At the request of my family they stipulated that I command until I arrive here. Whereupon I would hand off command to my brother, then go and remain safe with my charges."
Max smiled sadly, knowing full well what that implied. All caretakers/surrogates had been requested by the clan elders to accept a place at the new colony. To build a life while keeping their charges safe. To the best of his knowledge, no one had made it an order or demand. It was a request and an invitation. One that Max himself would request of Genevieve when she would be freed with her daughter and mother. As he held Mira close. He sadly considered the outcome of Soval's decision. By upholding an IME naval doctor's recommendation to involve a rare but useful Vulcan tradition in order to safe guard what belonged to someone he held in high regard. By adopting them into the sharing, Max's family line had become grafted into one of the major clans of a noble world . Ensuring that what was Genevieve's would go on while those who had wished ill on them would fade away to usurp and harm no more. In his arms Mira actually started to snore. Amused. Both Max and Violla chuckled at her daughter. The two girls had perched in Viola's lap and regarded Max with a serious curiosity that would have been eerie if Max hadn't been used to it.
"We will have to ensure then that what we are asking of you, will be in yours and your sister's best interest, and not the prison sentence that Terra had intended."
Violla smiled as cuddled the two. Looking at them, Max could see the Vulcanoid features that hilited Katherines beauty.
" When these two come of age, they will definitely be a pair of heartbreakers sir. They will be meeting the matriarch when it's our turn to go."
"Any idea when that will be?"
Violla sat up straighter as the two cuddled closer. Her expression thoughtful.
"Many of these ships have been here for weeks now. After they've offloaded, they take on raw material to compensate for the service to us. We have found it easy to make this operation lucrative for both them and us. Many of the captains are extremely loyal to our own. It helps that many of them are related to the families in the enclaves and many are not big fans of Terra Prime. A fact that was reinforced when families like mine were sent there to find sanctuary and a new life."
"So we will be up here for a while then?"
"Plenty of time to spend with your granddaughters. I would surmise once they find out their new governor is top side cooling his heels, then things might ramp up."
Max then chuckled.
"As if that would be a burden? It's been years since I got to dote on children. So after all this prep work. I'm ready for a break."
Violla relaxed at that.
"Then for the next while, enjoy."
With a giggle, she settled back against the wall with the youngsters settled against her. As the Admiral and the captain focused on the girls. Outside, the Sunrise Beauty moved in phalanx with seven other ships in formation in assigned orbit. Far below on the night side of the terminator could be seen a Sunburst pattern of lights against the dark of a large continent. The community of Sol Heln stood as a beacon for those coming to these shores and for Max, once he got the chance, could see some tangibility in the hope to bring his family back together. As he spent time being acquainted with two of his youngest grandchildren. Only tomorrow would he see this hope acted on.