A/N: This story shamelessly borrows a plotline from my favorite movie, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

Summary

This is the story of a budding romance told through two missions. Captain Pike recruits a civilian interpreter to assist repairing failed negotiations for a strategic Starfleet base. In a subsequent assignment she is stranded on a war-torn world fleeing enemy territory with a group of orphans. The crews of both Enterprise and Shenzhou work behind the scenes to help the orphans reach safety.

This is a story of Spock's journey. How, for the first time, he must face the almost certainty of losing someone under his command.

This is a story of finding a place to belong. For Spock estranged from his family. For the interpreter.

Characters include Pike, Spock, Number One, Prime Philippa Georgiou, Saru, Michael Burnham, Christine Chapel, Phil Boyce, Lynn Lucero as well as multiple OCs. It takes place before the Battle of the Binary Stars (or the Destruction of Vulcan.)

Places and Sequences

Noohra: Location of Enterprise's and Shenzhou's current mission.

Aschask Prime: Neighboring planet to Noohra and instigator of the war.

Varia: Location of a recent Enterprise mission. This mission, as well as Pike and the interpreter's growing affection for each other, is recounted through flashbacks as the children's journey on Noohra proceeds.

Gileseian Refugee Camps: Location of the settlements housing a people who fled their world after their government fell. These camps are mentioned as part of the Varia flashbacks. Their full story will be told in Retribution.

ooooo

Prologue

Enterprise, Orbiting Noohra

Pike took a deep breath and reminded himself not to shout. Still his tone of voice was like steel, unyielding and stern, each word punched out. "You. Let. Her. Do. What."

Number One and Dr. Boyce traded glances.

The officer in charge of the medical teams deployed to the mountain villages repeated, trying to keep his voice steady under his Captain's icy stare. "She stayed behind."

"Yes, that is quite clear. My question is why you permitted such a reckless action."

"Sir, she was adamant, very adamant. And quite persuasive. As she pointed out, it was our best and only alternative. That assessment was … logical."

Pike pointed at his science officer. "Spock, you were the ranking officer and she … she is practically a civilian. Should I infer you are incapable of controlling those under your command?"

"No sir, but …"

The Captain narrowed his eyes which was never a good sign. "Go on."

Squaring his shoulders, Spock replied, "I agreed with and to the plan. If there are repercussions due to my decision, I accept them."

"The cease fire begins in fifteen minutes. And according to its terms …" Una began.

"We must leave orbit and stay away for the next ten days. No scans and no communications during that time. And no Starfleet personnel are permitted to remain on the surface." Pike finished. "Any chance of locating her and beaming her out?"

Spock raised an eyebrow, "That would leave the children alone and unprotected."

"We could beam them out as well." Boyce speculated.

Una shook her head. "Transporter use will be detected. Additionally, removing a native violates the terms of the cease-fire and the invasion will immediately resume. Without time to regroup, the indigenous people will be overrun. Besides, it is unlikely we can find her without a communicator."

"Which I assume she is not carrying?" Pike queried.

"No she is not," Spock answered. "If her identity were discovered, she would be immediately executed as a spy. She could not risk keeping any of our equipment, including the universal translator."

"Why didn't one of the security guards remain with her?" Boyce asked.

"Too tall to pass for a native?" Pike guessed.

Spock nodded. "And only Lieutenant Matthews is fluent in their languages."

"Very well, we are out of options. Spock you are dismissed, get some rest, two months is a long time to be deployed in a war zone. Una, break orbit and take us out to 1,000 kilometers beyond the no entry zone mandated by the cease fire. We shall wait." And pray, Pike added silently.

ooooo

Later that night, Boyce checked the ready room and was unsurprised to find Pike still working. "Where's Una? I brought the good stuff."

"Combing the text of the cease-fire agreement looking for a loophole we can exploit."

"The lioness is unleased?"

Pike nodded. "Heaven help anyone who harms those children or our interpreter if Una catches up to them."

Or you do, Boyce added to himself. He waved two glasses, "Time for a break." Sitting in a chair on the other side of the desk, Boyce asked, "I assume you will talk further with our sensitive young science officer?"

Looking up from the PADD he was reading Pike responded, "Meaning?"

"You were, shall we say, unChris-like with him earlier."

"I already have, talked with him that is."

"Good." Boyce understood his Captain and knew that Pike wasn't angry with Spock but rather angry because he would be unable to shield Spock from remorse should anything go badly as a result of this decision.

Boyce waited quietly, which was rare, to see if his friend would initiate any conversation. When he didn't, the doctor said, "It's OK to admit you are attracted to Aalin and that that makes this harder."

"What?" Pike shook his head. "Not the time or place, besides, I'm busy."

"OK, I'll drop that subject, for now. And no, you're not busy. I'll wager you've been reading the same sentence for the past hour," Boyce countered.

Pike sighed and laid the PADD on his desk. "Very well. Say what you came to say."

"I came," Boyce emphasized, "to offer company. It's difficult when the shoe is on the other foot."

That caught Pike off guard. "What?"

Boyce smiled slightly. "Typically it would be you leaping into this dangerous quest to smuggle a hundred orphans out of a war zone via a multiday trek over the mountains. But this time all you can do is wait. I understand how tough that is from long experience serving as your CMO. So I thought you might like the company of a friend tonight."