Five Months Ago
Varian Presidential Palace
Alone in the rooms assigned to them, Pike and Aalin stood side by side staring at the lone bed. Chris rubbed his chin and cast a sideways glance in her direction. She mumbled; he could not make out her words.
She had said, "Is the universe trying to tell us something?"
ooooo
Eight Hours Earlier
Enterprise Orbiting Varia
Aalin tuned out the ongoing conversation between the Starfleet officers as they discussed mission details outside of language translation. A poor habit she admitted long ago, one her parents frowned on and attempted correcting by withdrawing privileges; it remained a habit moderated but never broken.
Instead her eyes searched the ready room, carefully examining for clues betraying she had for a few hours last night, innocently, slept in Captain Pike's arms. As always, the space was neat and tidy, nothing out of place, nothing left behind that did not belong. That's a relief, she thought, and one less worry.
Today was it, make or break. A second attempt of Captain Pike's formal greeting delivered to General Ablick in his native language. In the first round of talks for establishing a Federation base on the planet's moon, this crucial step went wrong, and the insulted Varian leader immediately ended negotiations. In her head Aalin reviewed the planned greeting; she had changed little of the original, merely switching a few word placements. None of the alterations seemed material. But alien languages are tricky, what appears an insignificant comma or a misplaced adjective can alter the entire meaning.
Yet her disquiet stubbornly remained. Typical jitters due to the high stakes of the mission, she reminded for the fifth time.
With the ongoing conversation's words receded, her musician's ear focused on the voice pitches of its participants. Captain Pike's smooth baritone. Admiral Cornwall's alto. Another Admiral's gruff bass. Ambassador Shran's tenor laced with his ever-present mischievousness. Ambassador Sarek's baritenor monotone.
"Admiral, those medals reflect and represent the service and sacrifice of many working together, rather than actions of an individual. I will not wear them in a machismo game with the Varian head of state," Pike repeated his voice firm and unbending.
Bass replied, "I wasn't making a suggestion Captain."
"Chris, I know you dislike wearing the ribbons," Cornwall, assuming a mediation role, began in a tone meant to plaster widening cracks between the flagship Captain and the Admiral serving as Under Secretary for Gamma Sector Security.
"This isn't about likes or dislikes. I will wear the decorations at appropriate events honoring the sacrifices of those deserving them as much and more than I; I will not wear them as a prop. And I assure you if the intention is my establishing peer respect or dominance of the room, a visual display of honors is unnecessary."
Aalin noticed as he became more intransigent, Pike's voice deepened. Something about this change metaphorically tapped her shoulder, as if unrecognized yet important dots needed connection but remained just out of reach.
"I agree," Shran said, "Restrained confidence radiates strength more than vain pompous displays."
"That is a rare admission coming from an Andorian, given your species preference for outlandish theatrics," Sarek answered with a taunt. The Vulcan and Andorian Federation Council representatives relished baiting one another.
Shran's antennae stiffened, danced, then relaxed. "My conclusion and recommendation would differ if one of my own were leading these treaty negotiations. And if a Vulcan were delivering the greeting, I'd remove the stick from their ass. Captain Pike's natural authority requires no artifice."
"This is an order," Bass interjected and punched out, his pitch rising with displeasure.
"Which I respectfully refuse sir," Pike answered calmly and serenely. His voice returned to its usual mid-range baritone.
"Chris, come off your high horse and relax your principles in this one instance," Cornwall's alto urged having dispensed with measured mediation. "This mission is important, very important; it cannot fail."
"We will get you this base," Pike promised with unwavering conviction. "Understatement and nuance can be far more powerful tools than overt showmanship."
"But …"
"Kat, perhaps the quickest and straightest path to your goal is a straightforward measuring of our, the General's and mine, equipment negating the need for adolescent posturing," Pike said matter-of-factly.
The crude phrasing hit its mark. "Alright Captain, you're on the front line so this is your call," Bass conceded his pitch returned to normal.
As the high notes, low notes, and in between notes of the voices swirled in her mind, a vague something continued gesturing for Aalin's attention. She missed Pike's address to her.
"Ms. Matthews?" he prompted.
"Yes, sorry," she replied with an embarrassed hint in her voice and an apology in her eyes.
"It's time," Pike repeated then said to the group. "Please excuse us."
Once certain the communications link terminated, Aalin asked Chris, "Any questions? Do you want me to clarify anything?" She paused then suggested. "One more practice run?"
He gave a quick head shake. A junior crewman entered the room. Pike handed a stack of PADDs to him instructing, "Route the approved equipment upgrades to Louvier, the supplies requisitions to the quartermaster, the stellar cartography requests to Lucero, and the overnights to Number One." After the yeoman left, he turned attention back to Aalin and replied, "No, I'm ready. Plus, I don't want to overtrain and peak too soon."
"Huh?"
With a smile Chris explained, "That's athlete for over rehearsing. Shall we?" Absentmindedly he placed a hand on the small of her back as they moved to the door of the ready room, guiding her. Lost in thought she didn't notice.
While walking from the turbolift to the transporter room, Aalin was quiet, eyes gazing ahead and unfocused, trying to sort out the puzzle. Twice Chris steered her out of the way before she collided with a bulkhead or grazed a passing crewman.
"Halt," he ordered. "What's going on?"
Startled out of her contemplation she replied, "I feel like I'm missing something and it's important." Shaking her head in order to clear it she added, "Nerves, I guess. And worry."
He led her into a vacant lab and locked the door. "That's understandable given the pressure we've put you under. I'm confident in you and your work. And if there are problems, we'll fix them. Together. With the help of my crew. But once on Varia, I need you on your A game. Which means evaluate and adapt but don't second guess. Which means be vigilant but don't waste time and energy on worry. You have my back and I have yours. Got it?"
Aalin nodded. They exited the room. In her mind an ephemeral line stretched between two dots before fading away. She stopped in the middle of the hallway. The pitches Chris just used, they calmed and reassured on top of his words. Is it possible? Noting he was now several paces ahead she hurried to his side. "Can you lower your voice an octave during the greeting to Ablick? I can't go quite as far as you, but something like this." She repeated the first line of his prepared speech at the bottom of her vocal range."
Chris turned to her. "Why"
"I know this sounds off the wall, but I think it might be important."
ooooo
Varian Presidential Palace
Reception Hall
Aalin stood at Chris's right and slightly behind, close enough to whisper in his ear if needed. Outwardly she radiated poise; her interior emotional state told a very different story.
Catching her attention with an almost imperceptible sideways glance, he mouthed, "Breathe."
Only then did she realize she held her breath.
General Ablick entered with his vast entourage. Others loitered at the outer edges of the room guaranteeing a large and varied audience if the Federation's representative failed to meet the Varian's standards and outsized expectations. As the General approached Chris flashed Aalin a dimpled smile and whispered, "And we're off."
Surrounded by two dozen high ranking officers fanned into a semi-circle, the taller Varian leader stood in front of Pike. Enterprise's Captain began speaking. In a slight movement Aalin pressed towards the floor with her hand, palm facing down. Without missing a beat, Pike pitched his voice lower and continued delivering the address.
When he concluded all in the room remained quiet.
One minute.
Another minute.
Three minutes. Four. Five. Chris stood, hands behind his back, unperturbed and radiating confidence, showing no need to fill the silence. Aalin's poised stance nearly faltered.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten minutes passed with no response from the Varians. Chris continued unflinchingly holding the General's stare. The butterflies in Aalin' stomach morphed into stinging insects. Her heartbeat ticked up as her confidence and hope fell.
Eleven.
The twelfth minute ticked by.
A broad smile replaced Ablick's cold and vaguely hostile stare. To Aalin the General's facial expression resembled a leer but at this point she'd take any positive response. The Varian leader then slapped Pike on the back with a hand which resembled the paw of a large grizzly bear more than a humanoid appendage sending the shorter, slighter man forward a couple of inches.
Ablick blared in fluent Federation Standard, "Well done Captain." He stepped in Aalin's direction, too close to be termed polite or professional, his tone was a mix of condescending and seductive. "But then it helps when we cook with the ripest ingredients."
ooooo
Enterprise Orbiting Varia
The rematerialization process had barely completed when Pike said to Aalin in a soft voice more intimidating than a shout, its steely tone barring refusal, "Ready room. Now." Before Kyle could report to the bridge their Captain had returned, Pike, simmering anger near a full erupting boil, marched off the platform and strode out of the transporter room doors.
"It didn't go well?" Kyle asked the only other occupant in the room.
With a sigh Aalin replied, "Yes and no."
When she entered, Pike was pacing the length of the room. "Explain," he demanded. "Has the General behaved in this way to you before? Has he done anything more egregious? Have others? Why didn't you tell me when it first happened? I don't care if the jackass is the supreme deity of this galaxy and Andromeda, no one harasses in that way anyone serving under my command." He stopped and thrust hands onto hips. "Well? Are you going to explain?"
Aalin slipped into a chair at the conference table. "If you stop barking long enough for me to get a word in edgewise."
Looking at her out of the side of his narrowed eyes he huffed, "Go on."
"I'm sorry you were sideswiped with this at a crucial moment. Kudos by the way for holding back, for a couple of seconds I thought you were going to deck Ablick. Though perhaps that's just the sort of theatrics the Admirals were looking for."
His eyes narrowed further. "This is not a laughing matter. Nor am I in a mood for jokes."
"Please sit," Aalin said. "Staring up at you is wrenching my neck. Thank you." Her voice took on a tone and cadence meant to soothe, "Chris, you've read the reports, this is their culture. Nothing the General did violates their mores. I didn't report this to you because his behavior was annoying but not so far out of bounds I felt at risk. I was forewarned and discomfort isn't a good enough reason to chance ruining these negotiations. I guess, and I am ashamed to say this, I got used to the behavior, it became ignored background noise."
"That doesn't excuse reprehensible actions," he countered.
"I'm clarifying, not excusing," she gently reminded. "Inappropriate behavior was confined to Ablick and two of his aides. I interacted with the General once which I subsequently reported to you, and rarely with those Colonels. Mostly it was violations of personal space, though I caution the Varian's definition of that boundary is different than the Federation's." A pause. "A couple of times they got a bit handsy."
Chris clenched his hands into fists before flattening them on the table, then inhaled and exhaled slowly. His anger did not abate. "I'm pulling the plug. You're not returning to the surface. Teach what you've learned to another interpreter. Then the talks can go forward." He stood and resumed pacing. "No one should endure unwelcome intimacies, even mild or as you intimated, so called harmless ones. No. One. Not on my watch." This was uttered with unshakable finality.
"May I make an observation?"
"Would a refusal stop you?" he asked in a tight voice while striding by her.
"Probably not. Your reaction …" Aalin began then stopped and carefully chose her next words, "it feels out of proportion to what happened. I understand your initial reaction, that's my fault, I didn't prepare you. Now … your anger now feels hotter and unyielding in a detrimental way. This happened to me, yet I am less upset about it than you. What's going on? And can I help?"
Chris halted midstride. Memories had bubbled up from his subconscious, unwelcome ones from Talos IV. Damn, he thought, how in the hell were those triggered? I can't allow them to drive my reactions and decisions. He said, "I need a few moments." Then appealed after Aalin's reluctance, "Please. And well done by the way. We made it past the first hurdle because of your work."