Father and son walked for nearly five minutes in absolute silence, unconsciously agreeing to head to ShiKahr, one of the nearby capital cities were Sarek and Amanda lived and where Spock was born and grew up.

It wasn't until they'd passed the local ShiKahr hall of records that Sarek asked, "Spock, what happened on Beta Rana 3?"

Spock looked slightly at his father, "The away team was attacked by Romulan soldiers."

Sarek often found himself more exasperated with his own son that the illogical humans he often worked with, "I meant that as a question of how your captain was injured."

Spock stopped, collecting his thought as Sarek stood nearby waiting patiently.

Spock began, "We were investigating what appeared to be a make-shift Romulan outpost when we discovered that it was a set-up, a trap to gather the Federation personnel in one area. Before a withdrawal could be ordered we were surrounded by 13 Romulan warriors who had no doubt been watching us from the moment we beamed down to the planet. Word came down to us via the Romulan team leader's communique that fire had been opened upon the Enterprise and combat had been engaged. We were, obviously, left to the discretion of the on-planet task force until someone won the space battle. No doubt because I was a Vulcan so physically similar to them and seen as a greater enemy for being in Starfleet, the Romulans chose to particularly focus their hostility towards me."

Sarek thought, "By that reasoning, logically, it should have been you that came away from the confrontation injured and not Captain Kirk."

"True, the entire time on the planet I was quite aware that I would be the primary target if planetary hostility broke out between Enterprise crew and the Romulans."

Spock began walking again, Sarek falling into step beside him as Spock continued his recount, "The Romulans soon received word that the Enterprise had effectively disabled their tactical mechanisms as well as weapon controls and were calling for immediate surrender. This, naturally, excited the Romulans into a state of particular hostility and they made it quite obvious they meant to exterminate the Federation personnel on planet."

Sarek glanced at a quiet Vulcan woman passing them in the streets, then said, "I still fail to see how it happened that you were not injured."

Spock continued hesitantly, "The Romulan soldier in charge of the on planet force began to organize a pattern of execution for us and trained his weapon on me as the first to be eliminated."

Sarek looked a long moment at his son, imploring him to finish for, as it was, the story made little sense.

Spock's voice took on a note of duty, as though reporting to a superior instead of talking causally to his father. It was one of Spock's oldest defense mechanisms, he turned a personal moment into a matter of work. "The Romulan's fire upon me coincided with actions on Captain Kirk's part. Captain Kirk stepped between myself and the Romulan executioner, taking the hit meant for me and therein incurring his injury. 1.3 seconds later the Enterprise beamed us up, having secured the Romulan ship's surrender and lowering combat-mode shields to allow transporter use."

Sarek was silent, thinking.

Spock stopped, "The rest of the account, you know. In the initial attack when the ship's shields were down deck 15, where sick bay is located, suffered heavy damage and was unprepared to deal with an injury to the extent that Captain Kirk had. Vulcan was the nearest Federation planet and their help practically guaranteed. Now, if you'll excuse me, Ambassador Sarek, I must return to the ship for the time being."

With that, Spock took his leave of Sarek, moving back the way he had come from the streets, his hand moving to retrieve the communicator from his belt.

Sarek wondered if Amanda had known this all along. It was hard to imagine that she would hide information when she could have easily told him (for no form of treachery was in her nature, though this was not quite a dire situation), but then again, Amanda wasted no opportunity to get Spock and Sarek to speak to one another. If this did happen to be part of one of Amanda's reunion efforts between father and son, then it would stand to reason that there was more she expected, or hoped, for him to find.

Sarek turned and headed back toward the path that return him to the healer's temple on Mount Seleya. Spock would likely say no more on the subject, but there was still one person he could confer with. Captain Kirk.

Sarek paused at the door to Captain Kirk's room. He knew that, in human manner, it was expected to knock, a rapping on the portal that would secure the room from outsiders under most circumstances. The doors of the Vulcan healing temple rooms, however, were made of thick, heavy stone and carried sound poorly even if one were able to pound on it hard enough to get an effect.

Instead, Sarek opted for the Vulcan form of warning to his presence and wish to enter. He had to forego the Vulcan assurance that the occupant's limited psychic powers would alert them to someone nearby and instead called out in a careful voice, "Captain?"

If the captain was asleep, Sarek would leave him be.

As it turned out, James Kirk seemed to be merely dozing. Sarek had seen Amanda do that for years, but it still made little sense to him. It was not sleep, nor was it awake, and neither was it a meditative trance or state. It seemed to serve no purpose at all but waste time when the person could be either sleeping and replenishing energy or up and doing something.

As befuddled as Sarek might be by the practice, it did not particularly surprise him when he found Captain Kirk doing it.

After a moment following Sarek's call, Kirk's throat emitted a grumble and he finally spoke in a heavy voice, "Someone there?"

Sarek did not yet enter... Kirk's response had not sounded enough to him like an invitation.

"Captain Kirk... it is Sarek. I was looking to speak with you a moment if it is not inconvenient."

Kirk cleared his throat, "Sure... come in."

Sarek stepped into the room, finding Kirk on the healer's bed. His eyes were half-closed and his gaze unfixed... breathing deep and slow. Sarek knew well the signs of human fatigue and the indications one was about to fall asleep in earnest. Kirk had them all.

"I could return later if you are resting."

Kirk lifted a hand, waving off the offer, "No... that's all right. I'm sure I'll be forced to sleep plenty once Bones gets me back under his claw."

Sarek stepped forward, "Doctor McCoy is hardly malicious, from what I have seen."

Kirk smirked lazily, almost to himself as though not expecting Sarek to understand, "I know... earth humor."

Sarek nodded. It might not clarify for him the particular usage of Kirk's words, but he understood enough earth humor to know it was not to be listened to. He didn't have to know what it meant to know it wasn't important.

Sarek moved closer to the captain, taking a chance to glance at the wound. "You've torn your skin, I see."

Kirk's brow furrowed, "When I first came to I tried to get up."

"A mistake."

"Tell me about it... but I get the feeling you didn't come here to chew me out for being a bad patient."

Sarek agreed with a slight half-nod, "Indeed, I did not. I came to ask you about what happened on Beta Rana 3."

Kirk took a breath, "Well, we'd received word that the Romulans may have been trying to..."

"Excuse me, captain, you misunderstand. I know already of the events that occurred on the planet and what brought them about."

Kirk looked up at Sarek, "Then what did you want to ask me about?"

Sarek stepped a bit closer, "I spoke to Spock, he was the one who told me how you were hurt. He said that you were shot in his place... you stepped before him and took the fire meant for him."

Kirk watched Sarek blankly, not saying a word, but waiting for Sarek to say more. Sarek, when Kirk said nothing, wondered if someone had misinterpreted the events, "Am I incorrect?"

Kirk shook his head faintly, never taking his eyes from Sarek (eyes that had grown suddenly quite serious), "No... that's what happened."

Sarek pondered this a moment, finally asking, "Captain... why did you put yourself between Spock and the Romulan phaser?"

Kirk was quiet for a while, taking Sarek a little off guard with a rhetorical question, "Romulans are a divergent strain of Vulcan ancestry, right?"

Kirk knew that full well, and Sarek knew that simply from the certainty and tone of Kirk's voice. "That's correct."

Kirk thought again a moment, then spoke, "If a human met an unknown humanoid alien and found itself in combat with it, any human would aim for the chest."

Sarek thought on this, "That's a non sequitur."

Kirk shook his head, "Not really. It's an assumption based on personal familiarity. It's what we know. The alien, if it in any way resembled us, we would automatically assign its vital organs to certain locations, even though there's no knowledge of this alien's anatomy. A human would try to look at the fight as if it were with another human."

Sarek waited patiently, indicating for Kirk to go on.

Kirk finally did after a moment, "The Romulans did the same to the landing party on Beta Rana 3. Spock's outward physical appearance just managed to draw their attention moreso than the human members of the away team. When the Romulan leader pointed his weapon at Spock, I stepped in to take the fire because where the Romulan was aiming I knew I would only injure my lung at worst. If it caught Spock where the Romulan had meant to... if he was hit where I was, Spock would have died. The Romulan was aiming at where a Romulan heart would be... where a Vulcan's heart is, too. If I hadn't stepped in, Spock would have died on Beta Rana 3, and there would have been nothing Doctor McCoy or all of Starfleet and Vulcan medicine could have done to save him."

Sarek digested this information, looking over at the bandaged side of Jim Kirk. It was true. If Spock had been shot there (particularly with a weapon that did not staunch blood flow), his son would have quickly bled to death... if his heart had not exploded first.

"You are right, Captain."

Kirk nodded, clearing his throat again and letting his eyes drift shut a moment in the silence that followed.

Sarek finally spoke, "Even so, you did not have to take the hit."

Kirk shook his head, "No... I did. I am captain of the Enterprise and her crew is my responsibility. The safety of everyone aboard is my prerogative... even an officer so high ranking as Spock is still under my care, and I would not let him die without trying to stop it... or divert it to myself if necessary."

"But, Captain Kirk, in logic, you are more valuable to the federation as a captain than a first officer would be."

Kirk tried his best to shrug from where he was lying, "That may be true, but my orders are not to look out for myself as the greater investment, it is to look out for the people under my command."

Sarek nodded... a logical response. Of course, he'd found that when humans made such a large decision, logic typically played little role in it.

"Is that the primary reason for your intervention?"

Kirk, surprisingly, smiled, "No... of course not. The excuse I gave you was too logical for a human."

Sarek was surprised James Kirk could see his human fallacy.

Kirk said pensively, "No... I couldn't let Spock die because I have a personal investment in him. He's my friend. I was afraid to lose my friend... to see him hurt, and at the time, it was a greater fear than that of death."

Sarek was puzzled and yet a little awed by the bravery and honor in such a foolish and illogical act. Sometimes the weakness of humans resulted in acts that even Vulcans, though the acts illogical, could admire for the heroism that were inherent in them in the truest sense of the word.

"That's an illogical answer."

Kirk countered, "To an illogical action, according to your own assessment, Ambassador."

Sarek grew quiet at this. Apparently his wife Amanda was not the only human that could engage in word battles with a Vulcan. Sarek had to wonder if this was a skill Kirk honed in such non combative verbal sparring with his son.

Sarek asked carefully, "Does Spock return this sentiment of friendship you extend to him?"

Kirk smiled wryly, "Not to implicate Spock as having sentiments, but I'm not one to give that level of friendship where it is not returned."

Sarek turned, about to move out of the room when he stopped and asked Kirk, "Captain... do you know the meaning of the word t'hy'la?"

Something flashed in Kirk's eyes, something that came and went so fast that Sarek could not read it, despite the intensity of its short flare.

Slowly, Kirk spoke, "Yes."

Sarek studied Kirk, "Do you have any brothers?" It was not Sarek's style, nor the style of any Vulcan to 'beat around the bush', but Sarek had adopted many mannerisms while serving as a diplomat in human relations to adjust for the audience and occasion. Besides, the convenient extra time to sort things out was not wasted.

Kirk had obviously known where this line of questioning was going, and he did not shy away from what Sarek was asking of him (a bold human move, for a Vulcan in the same situation may have outright challenged the questioner with the nature of the insult it was), "If you ask me, I have two brothers. One you don't know, Sam... the other is your son."

Sarek weighed this in his mind, almost thinking aloud, "You're not related in any real manner."

Kirk answered Sarek's verbal musing, "Not all family is born... some is chosen."

Sarek looked askance at Kirk, "That's a very human thing to say."

Kirk nodded, "It's a very human fact."

Sarek turned to face the lying captain squarely, "Do you really consider Spock to be your brother?"

Kirk thought a moment, but only a moment as he let a light and teasing smile tug at his lips, "Probably no more than you consider him your son, Ambassador."

"Again... an illogical answer."

Kirk tried to shrug again without disturbing his wound, "You'll find those a lot when you question humans... particularly on matters so personal, as you no doubt know already."

"No doubt. I thank you for your time, Captain, I will now leave you to your rest."