Orlyanal, Sea of Lataan, Senes, Stardate 2292.287

"He's dead?" Ambassador Sarek's words seemed unreal.

"I'm sorry. I assumed you were aware." There was kindness in his voice, something Losha was unprepared for. In his few prior conversations with the man, he had seemed very reserved, very emotionless, very Vulcan.

"So how does your son know? I didn't think my father was in contact with any of his family. It's strange he wouldn't have told me." Or perhaps not so strange, Losha thought. He had long ago realized he would never be able to predict his father's behavior.

"Spock encountered Sybok by chance in his line of duty as a Starfleet captain."

"And some alien just killed him?"

"Starfleet has classified some of the details of the incident, but I can tell you that he died so that others could escape."

"Where did this happen?" If he kept asking questions, Losha thought, it might seem more real.

"Unfortunately, that is classified information."

"Why is this all classified? Or is that classified too?" He could only begin to imagine what his father had done to get involved in an incident Starfleet considered classified.

"I can relay more details of the situation if you wish, but I do not believe now is the proper time."

"Why?" He would just keep asking questions to prevent reality from setting in.

"You have only just learned of his death. You have had no time to grieve."

"This doesn't seem real." Losha focused on the sound of the light wind blowing across the sea.

"I understand you were not expecting to hear everything I've told you today. Perhaps you need some time alone. We can continue this conversation later, if you prefer."

"I don't know how long it's going to be for any of this to seem real. Really, nothing has seemed real since the accident." He chuckled at his word choice and then paused. Uncomfortable situations made him laugh - it was something he'd never been able to control. Did the ambassador find the conversation just as bizarre and awkward as he did? He could not imagine that this calm, unemotional man was related to his father. He wanted to know the details of his father's death, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to hear them now because he wanted the conversation to end. It was too much to take in at once. There was, however, something that he did want to know now.

"When can I go to Vulcan to have the surgery?"

"There is a ship leaving Deep Space Four for Vulcan in five days. I trust that will be sufficient time for you to prepare?"

"Yes, there's nothing I need to do to prepare. I can't work, I just sit around all day doing nothing." Losha was anxious to escape the misery of everyday life that blindness had brought him, but he realized he couldn't just get on a ship to Vulcan and go. "But I need help. I've learned to do some things, but I wouldn't be able to manage without help."

"I assumed you would require some assistance. I had planned to make arrangements for someone to accompany you. Your partner or your aide, whomever you prefer." At that, Losha laughed outright.

"Oh, Malar isn't my partner. She's like my sister."

"My apologies, I should not have assumed."

"Well, I am living here with her so I can see why you'd have thought that. But no, we are like family." He smiled inwardly. Like family who can't stop irritating each other when they're stuck together all the time, he thought. They were both very independent people who preferred to live, well, independently. He'd stayed at the house in Orylanal many times before, but things were different now that he was blind, unable to function completely independently, and bored out of his mind. Betal was there most of the time, but when she wasn't, he hated having to rely on Malar. He hated relying on Betal as well, but she was getting paid to do a job. Malar had her own life to lead and he disliked being a burden to her.

"Then I assume you would like your aide to accompany you?"

That wasn't an ideal scenario either. "Betal barely knows me. She's only been here two weeks. She's very shy and she finds talking to me awkward. I don't think she's ever seen a Vulcan before and I don't think she'd be thrilled to make a trip to another planet full of aliens."

"I don't believe there is sufficient time to find a replacement."

"No, Malar will come. I just need to talk to her."

"Very well, shall I ask her to come speak with you?"

"Yes. But…" He wasn't sure how to ask. Better to just get it out. "I assume you did not have a good relationship with my father?"

Sarek paused before he answered. "We did not know one another well. He lived with me only two years before he left Vulcan."

"Where did he live before that?"

"With his mother."

"Oh." He hadn't expected to hear that, but he supposed even Vulcans divorced. It seemed strange to him that his father had parents at all. He couldn't imagine how his father had ever even lived on Vulcan, certainly not with a father like this. He wanted to know more, but he felt the conversation was strained enough. "Well, if you could get Malar for me, I'd appreciate it. I left my comm inside." He probably could have asked the ambassador to help him inside, but it was too awkward.

He heard Sarek getting up from the chair, his steps on the stone patio, and the door opening. He focused on the wind again. Unlike the ocean on Ivor Prime, the Sea of Lataan was fairly quiet. There were few waves and tides that were barely noticeable. There were also no seabirds. Most of the time the only thing he could hear was the wind, or an occasional splash or sound of a neighbor. It had been beautiful to look at, but it was too silent to enjoy when one couldn't see. More noise came from the insects in the shrubs abutting the house, but they made no noise now as the sun had not yet set. Nighttime was when they went about their business.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there when he heard footsteps approaching. Malar must have been otherwise occupied when Sarek went in or she would have been out sooner.

"So," she exclaimed as she approached him, "when are we leaving for Vulcan?"

"He told you?"

"He had already told me when we were waiting for you and Betal to return."

"What did he say just now?" It seemed a long time since the ambassador had gone inside, but he couldn't imagine that he had relayed such personal information to Malar, whom he had only just met.

"He just needed some information from me to make travel arrangements. Why? You seem anxious."

"I'm tired of sitting here. Let's go down to the beach."

He followed Malar down to the beach, holding onto her shoulder.

"Do you want to keep walking or shall we sit down?" She asked when they had walked some distance from the house.

"Let's sit down."

"So tell me what's wrong. Are you anxious about the surgery?" She asked when they had made themselves comfortable in the sand.

"No." And then it all came pouring out. He told her everything Sarek had said. Repeating it aloud didn't make it seem any more real.

"Wow, that's just unbelievable," she finally said.

"Yeah." It was all he could say. It was unbelievable.

"I'm sorry about your father. It's so hard to believe." She was repeating herself. What else was there to say?

"Remember when I told you that I thought something might have happened to him?"

"Yes."

The thought had first crossed his mind when it had been two years since his father had contacted him. "I didn't really believe it though. I knew, rationally, that something was strange, but I didn't believe it. I didn't want to and I thought I would have known. I knew the moment my mother died, even though I wasn't with her. I just can't believe it's been all this time and I didn't know. I know my mind isn't what it used to be, but I thought I would know. I don't know why I thought I would at least know that."

"I'm sorry." He felt her hand on his arm.

"I thought one day he'd be back again, just like always. Maybe it would be another eleven years, but I just never imagined he'd never be back. I suppose I should have known; he's never gone this long without talking to me, not since the war ended."

They sat there in silence for some time before Malar spoke. "Well, you have a grandfather now."

"Do I? He barely knew my father and I don't know that he wants anything to do with me. Imagine finding out the crazy son you haven't spoken to in fifty some years has a son? One who doesn't believe in your way of life. He probably wishes he'd never met me."

"He came here, didn't he?"

"Yes, but he was trying to help me before he found all this out. I think he just feels obligated." The awkwardness in his conversation with Sarek had been palpable.

"If he was trying to help you when he thought you were a stranger, he seems like a pretty good guy."

"I didn't say that he wasn't. Just that it's not like he and I are family now. Once I have the surgery, I'll be back here and I'll probably never seen him again."

"Is that what you want?"

"I don't want anything from him."

"Maybe he wants something from you. Maybe he wants to get to know you."

"No." Losha felt his throat constrict. He turned his head to the side so that Malar would not see the tears that were about to fall. He couldn't stop them.