Disclaimer:I still do not own the Star Trek universe, only the crew of the Crimson Assurance (minus Spock).

Notes for my most faithful reviewers:

Onaleia: Hmmm, interesting questions. One at least is answered in this chapter, the others...I believe I shall answer in due time. If you are still not satisfied at the end of this story, then I promise to write you a long email of explanation.
Ariennye Dhivae Argelia: I did not mean to be rude when I mentioned the whole only-anonymous-reviews thing. I just noticed that you signed in for your first review and didn't for the following...I was just curious. Spock may get a little out of character in this next bit, tell me what you think of him, and I am attempting to develope a little humanity in Keath.
Schematization: WOW! Such a host of compiments, I'm blushing. Creating characters isn't really hard for me, I would do it all the time when I was younger. Keath and company are just some of my favorites all thrown together. New ideas could never EVER bore me; I truly enjoy hearing other people's input on my characters. Thanks for the long review, it's nice to know that I'm doing somethings right.
Evilhamster13: Welcome to my version of the Star Trek universe. I'm glad that you like my story, but your romantic ideas on how I view the Romulan empire may tragicly come to an end by the time this chapter is over. If you hate how I've portrayed them, please tell me in a review. If, however, I have not incurred your abhorrance, then stick around.
To the Story:

A/N: This chapter contains references to the consumption of alcohol. I do not in any way condone this, encourage it, think that is right or even desirable for any person under the age of 21. If you are under the age of 21 and want to consume alcohol of any form, I strongly encourage you to go to your parents or any grown-up that you trust to care for your health and well being and talk to that person about your desire to drink. Drinking to excess, like smoking or doing drugs, is NOT GOOD! IT CAN AND WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE! Don't do it, okay?

Chapter 8

Fridays are whiskey days

I don't really remember getting to my room. I just remember sitting in my chair, facing the stars with a bottle of Jack Daniel's, and the loudest hardest rock that I had thundering in the background. Every time we came across a slave ship…every time I was forced to remember…even though I didn't drink any of the whiskey in my lap, my mind slipped into a quiet oblivion as I watched the stars drift by. I don't remember how long I sat there, beneath the stars, in the pounding music, in the nothingness. Time is only relative to people who wanted to remember the passage of time. I didn't. I only wanted the stars.

DXVJKE

"André?" Saul approached the Titan on the bridge nearly four hours after the last of the slaves had been brought off the Romulan ship. André had given orders for the Assurance to go to Red Rock One. This was the standard procedure that the Major had spoken of. Only once had she actually helped the ex-slaves get bunked down. She never did it now. The first officer turned to Saul, waiting for him to go on. "I wish to inform you that all of the liberated slaves have been examined by Dr. Carpenter and assigned quarters." André nodded his approval.

"Thank you, Saul," he said slowly. "There is one other thing that I would like for you to do." The Vulcan inclined his head, signaling his willingness. "Please go speak to the Major."

"I do not believe that it would be my place, sir." Saul said quietly. "I…"

André interrupted, something he never did, "She trusts you. And she will need someone whom she trusts to pull her out. Go please." Saul half bowed, acknowledging that he would do it.

DXVJKE

I didn't even know that Saul was there until he touched my shoulder. If any other person had done that, I would have broken his arm off, but Saul was different. There was this sense of peace that came with that slight touch that completely quelled any anger that would have erupted. I looked up at him, suddenly realizing that my music was off.

"Your door was unlocked, I hope that you do not mind my intrusion." I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. I set the untouched whiskey bottle on the floor beside me.

"Have a seat, Saul," he complied, "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, Major, I actually came to ask what I could do for you." I blinked slowly.

"Hmm? Why?"

"André said that you needed to be 'pulled out' of something. I have come to offer my assistance, but I do not understand the problem." I half laughed to my self. André, he never ceases to amaze me. I tried to brush it off.

"André is just being a mother hen, way too over protective of me. There's nothing to worry about, Saul. Really."

"I do not believe that that is essentially correct, Major." There was something in his voice told me that he wasn't about to back down on this issue. "Please, allow me to help you." I sighed. The problem with Saul is that I could NOT say "No" to him, I trusted him too much. I dropped my head into my hands, covering the emotions that I knew were evident on my face. I didn't want him to see me like this.

"I…I envy you, Saul. You can't remember what happened to you, your history. Mine plays endlessly before me. If I'm lucky I can stave it off for a few days, but coming into contact with slave ships…it makes me remember things that I want to bury forever." He was silent. I think he knew that if he just sat there long enough, I would spill. Well, he was right, I knew it, but I still didn't want to open up. I had been alone for too long…

I gasped. His fingers were lying gently on my temples. I don't know how he had moved so quietly that I didn't hear him, but he was there: beside me, before me, inside of me. I could feel his thoughts flitting through my mind. Let me help you…let me help… I wanted to push him away, but it was like fighting against a wall of velvet steel, gentle and impossibly strong. Analise, don't fight against me, let me help you… What did he call me? Analise… Analise was what my mother called me…

DXVJKE

I saw her face. That face, which followed me into my dreams, was now here before me. I could picture her thin face, so regal with the high cheekbones, her eyes that never displayed emotion. She was looking at me the way she did when she was afraid. Why is she afraid? She feared my father. His face flashed before me, that cruel face with the grating eyes, twisted in sadistic pleasure, nowhere near my mother's face, no matter how close their physiology was. Mother was beautiful, and that bastard Romulan…I could feel Saul shiver as waves of anger and pain emanated from my memories. I withdrew, or at least tried to. Saul still would not release me. What happened to her? Mother's face came again, emotionless and calm, and slashed beyond recognition. I saw her die. They made me watch my father beat her to death for trying to protect me from him. He whipped her again and again, first to punish her, but in the end because she would not scream. She would not scream. She only stared at me, whispering my name…Analise. I watched her die. My mother, Elayo, my only protector in that hellish world, was gone.

The next memory that reared up was on a slave ship. It was cold and dark and hopeless. I had been there for four years, in the darkness and the cold. I shuddered from the memory. The door at the far end of the hold opened, two of the slavers threw a large bulk into the cell with me. It didn't move and I was convinced that it, whatever it was, was dead. Until it moaned. I smiled inwardly. André. You saved him? He was so sick. I smuggled medicine, extra food, blankets, and clothes to him. Took him months to get back to some semblance of health. He never left my side after that. Another memory jumped to the foreground. André standing over a Romulan's body, green blood was dripping slowly off of his hands. The slaver had tried to…I shuddered again, desperately suppressing that memory, but it was there long enough for Saul to feel it…

DXVJKE

I felt his hands slowly slip off of my face. A strange feeling passed over me as he extracted his mind from mine; I had grown comfortable behind the wall of velvet steel.

I opened my eyes and wrapped my arms around my waist. I had not felt this insecure since my mother died. Saul was staring at me. His eyes were full of, I couldn't tell if it was empathy or sympathy, but he was there. He hadn't run away from the depth of pain that was trapped with in my mind, in my past. This man without a memory had taken some of mine, why?

"I grieve with thee," he said quietly.

"Why did you do that?" I heard myself speak, but my consciousness was miles away.

"One cannot walk that kind of road alone." Silence slowly descended, covering me and giving me time to heal. My mind stood on the threshold of oblivion, about to plunge down into the comforting darkness when Saul spoke again.

"Your father called you Katherine, didn't he?" I jerked my head up. "That is why you cannot stand to hear the name." I looked past him, out to the stars.

"If I ever find him, Saul, I…I don't know what I will do to him."

"Your anger is understandable, but it is not right. Taking another's life out of vengeance will only bring more suffering. It is not the Vulcan way."

"I'm not Vulcan."

"But your mother was." I looked back at him. "Her heritage is within you and you cannot kill your fath—"

"MY FATHER RUINED MY LIFE!" All the rage that I had kept locked within me exploded, and I had no desire tothwart it. "IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR HIM…" I stopped and looked at Saul. He was watching me his eyes unchanged. There was no condemnation or anger in them. I stood and walked away. I could not bear to talk anymore. I felt sorrow well up, following my rage.

"If it had not been for him, you would not be here. Your crew would still be slaves. All the people that you have brought freedom to would still be in chains or dead. I would be dead." He followed me. "Your past is not something that you can run from, Analise. Nor can you destroy those who are responsible for what has happened. It is painful, degrading, enraging, yes; I do not deny that. But if you reply in the same manner, you are no different than he is." I could feel him right behind me. "Who you are and what you have done is nothing to be ashamed of. Accept it and move on. Only a coward hides behind a wall of pain." I turned sharply. He almost smiled. "And I know that you are not a coward." He gently touched my shoulder and left.

DXVJKE

I stood there, in the dark, in the silence, thinking. These few minutes that had passed changed my life. All the anger that I had kept, all the bitterness that had festered in my soul during my life, all the pain I had endured, all the memories that had haunted me were gone. I wasn't afraid of my past anymore. I was only exhausted and yet I had never felt more alive. Saul had done something for me that I could never do on my own. He had thrown me a lifeline and given me peace at the same time.

And then I remembered. In the midst of him probing those dark corners of my mind, I could feel the emptiness that was in his. I knew then more than ever that I needed to get him home.

DXVJKE

So, now we have some of Keath's origin. Reviews would be greatly appreciated. It may be a while before I post the next chapter. I need to sit my muses down and figure out exactly where I want to take this. (Also, I haven't updated my Star Wars story fora long time, and my reviewers there need something to keep them going...) Hope that you enjoyed that. Tell me what you think and what you would like to know next. Until later,
DarkX