Deep Space Four, Stardate 2292.251

Negotiations with Ambassador Tala had taken an unexpected delay. Ursai, Senes' second largest state, was demanding to be a part of the talks, despite the fact that they had initially wanted nothing to do with the Federation. Their civil war having ended only slightly more than a decade ago, Hakans had no desire to see another one and so had acquiesced. Ambassadors Sarek and Tala now waited at Deep Space Four for the arrival of the Ursai ambassador. Sarek had been in his quarters acquainting himself with information about Ursai and its ambassador when he received a message from the Vulcan Immigration Service informing him that Losha's application for permission to travel to Vulcan, which he had sponsored, had been declined. Shortly afterwards he had received a call from Dr. Naik, who had received a similar message.

"Why would they have denied it? It doesn't seem right!" Amanda was agitated.

"The application should have only been a formality. In such a case, where the applicant is traveling for the purpose of medical treatment, it typically would have been approved automatically." He was just as curious as his wife but he also had his suspicions. The application should have been approved automatically, unless…

"Yes, especially with you sponsoring him. I just don't understand. What reason could they have for preventing someone from having a surgery that could save their eyesight?"

"I will endeavor to find out. But, Amanda, consider the possibility that he is not who he claims to be. I do not want to 'jump to conclusions' as you would say, but stateless persons are typically granted special permission to travel to Vulcan unless there is sufficient reason to believe that they have ill intentions."

"You think he has ill intentions?" A look of disbelief crossed her face.

"I don't know. I am only saying that you should consider the possibility. I know you have become friendly with the boy but we know very little about this man. A Vulcan who does not control his emotions can be a dangerous person." Unbidden, a memory of his oldest son crossed his mind. He quickly pushed it aside. He had no desire to re-open that old wound. "Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned this. I just didn't want to see you...disappointed."

"Disappointed? Sarek, it doesn't matter if I'm disappointed. A man may be permanently blinded!"

"I know and that is why I intend to look into the matter further."

"I know you'll do what you can. You always do." For a moment, a smile replaced the worry on her face. She stepped towards him, fingers extended. He touched his fingers to hers. He hadn't suppressed the emotion deeply enough; he knew she could feel his hurt instantly. She reached up and stroked his face tenderly. There was nothing to say.

A flash and a ping on his PADD alerted him to an incoming message from the Vulcan Immigration Service the following afternoon. He quickly scanned the message and let out a soft sigh.

"Amanda," he called softly to his wife, who was seated on the couch across the room. She looked up from her book and froze, clearly aware from his face that the news wasn't good. Only she could read him that well.

"You heard from the Immigration Service?"

"Yes." He fixed his gaze on her, trying to choose the right words. He had learned long ago that one could not deliver such information to a human as one would to a Vulcan, especially when that human was one's wife.

"Just tell me. Was I right about him being a Romulan? I didn't want to bring it up yesterday because I know you thought it was silly for me to think so."

"I never said you were silly."

"No, but you thought it. Your silly human wife with illogical suspicions."

"You may be illogical at times but that is to be expected as you are human. But I have never thought of you as 'silly."

"Alright, just spit it out. Tell me the bad news."

"He has numerous criminal convictions on Senes which he did not disclose on the application."

"I see," Amanda sighed heavily. "What has he done?"

Sarek looked down at his PADD and read from the message. "Possession of an illegal substance, intent to distribute an illegal substance, robbery, assault, solicitation of prostitution."

"You were right."

"It is unfortunate." He looked up from the PADD, watching her closely. She would be upset.

"He seems so nice, and Naalem idolizes him. He's done a very good job raising him, despite whatever he's done. And he clearly has a job now. Surely those are old convictions?"

"I have not reviewed the files. Regardless, failure to disclose criminal convictions is sufficient reason for an application to be rejected."

"He would have been approved if he'd been honest?"

"I cannot say. Perhaps, if a sufficient amount of time has passed since the convictions...but it is illogical to speculate. The fact is that he was untruthful."

"Still, it seems awful that he'll be blind for the rest of his life. Even criminals are entitled to medical treatment on Vulcan. It's not as if he's a murderer."

"No, but neither is he a Vulcan, Amanda. Not in the eyes of the law."

"That's not his fault. I don't even understand how there can be such a thing as a stateless person. How can someone exist and yet belong nowhere? It's almost like acting as if he doesn't exist at all."

"You are right in so much as the issue of stateless persons is one that no one takes ownership of and stateless persons therefore suffer the consequences." Sarek sighed. It was a complicated issue indeed, one that was beyond his control.

"There must be something we can do. Talk to him, Sarek. Maybe he can explain. There must be something you can do. I don't think he's a bad person. Call it illogical human intuition. I'm sure you'd rather call it gullibility but I can't accept that nothing can be done to help him."

"It is disquieting that he was dishonest but I tend to agree with you - even someone with criminal convictions deserves needed medical treatment. He has already served his punishments for the crimes. I do not know that there is anything further I can do in light of his falsifications. However, I intend to speak with him."

"Thank you, Sarek." She smiled in relief. Yes, he would do what he could because this was important to his wife and she was right, it was the right thing to do.