Orlyanal, Sea of Lataan, Senes, Stardate 2292.287
Malar wasn't used to awkward situations. She had always been bold and from Joa and from her travels both on Senes and on other planets, she had learned to be less blunt and intimidating when a situation called for more subtlety. Consequently, she was able to carry on a conversation with just about anyone. It was no different with Sarek. She knew Vulcans had a reputation for being intimidating, and though she understood why, she did not find them so. Sarek was one of only a handful of Vulcans she had ever encountered on her travels, and she treated him as she would anyone else. He had a superior intellect and as an ambassador, was no doubt considered an important person, but to her, all people were just people. She found titles and pretenses vacuous. She had no doubt that she would have had a perfectly easy conversation with Sarek that night had it not been for Losha.
After their comm conversation with Naalem, she had left Losha alone in the living room while she packed her things and worked on something on her padd. Betal was busy packing Losha's things in his room. He hadn't wanted to accompany her, saying that whatever she packed would be fine. Malar hoped the time alone, though brief, would be beneficial to him. He wouldn't have much time to himself in the next few weeks.
Sarek had come down from the guest room not long before the time she had advised him was customary for dinner. Though she generally preferred home cooked meals, several years ago she'd splurged on a very high-tech replicator that was programmed to create dishes from all over the galaxy. She liked to sample local cuisines before visiting countries and planets and it helped her make recommendations to her clients when she booked their trips. It was also nice to be able to have Deltan fruit salad, or at least something that closely resembled it, any time she wanted it. She wasn't sure that Sarek had ever eaten Hakaran or any Seenan food, so she'd instructed her housekeeper, Katas, to program a full Vulcan meal.
She'd known from Losha's father that Vulcans ate in silence, though he'd forgone that tradition on several occasions when she'd dined with them. He'd said he was comfortable following local customs, though she wasn't sure Sarek would be. She didn't relish the thought of eating in silence, but decided she might as well get used to it since she would be spending time on Vulcan. For Hakarans, meals were a time to catch up with family and friends and often they were events that went on for hours, the food sometimes being a distraction from the conversation. To sit at a table in silence was weird, though compared to some of the bizarre customs she had encountered on other planets, she supposed it wasn't that weird.
She found the Vulcan food palatable - it was not awful or inedible, though not particularly remarkable either. Perhaps this was just because it was replicated. Sarek seemed to find it acceptable. Throughout dinner, she did her best to remain silent, though the tension was palpable to her. Did Sarek and Losha feel it too? She and Losha never ate it in silence. And tonight Losha wasn't eating at all. She couldn't imagine that it was the food - he wasn't a picky eater and ate just about anything aside from animal products without complaint. He was actually a far less picky eater than she was. Granted, he had eaten very little immediately following the accident, but his appetite had returned in recent weeks. She assumed he was in shock.
She was pretty shocked herself. She'd known that Ambassador Sarek and the doctors on Deep Space Four had been working to find a way for Losha to have surgery, and she'd been hopeful. She dreaded to think about the possibility of him being blind permanently. But to learn in one day that he was free to return to Vulcan for surgery, that his father was dead, and that Ambassador Sarek was his grandfather was certainly something neither she nor Losha could have ever expected to hear. She knew that Losha had considered the possibility that something had happened to his father, that he was dead even, but actual confirmation of this was not something anyone could adequately prepare for.
She knew nothing of Sarek's situation with Losha's father, aside from what Losha had told her, which was that he had no contact with him since he had left Vulcan all those years ago. Perhaps the older man had been relieved to see his son go, and wanted nothing more to do with him. Perhaps, as Losha thought, discovering that Losha was his grandson was an unpleasant reminder for him. But as she'd told Losha, he was willing to help, and that had to mean something as far as she was concerned. Vulcans suppressed their emotions, but clearly they had them. She knew that well enough from Losha and his father and though she knew that people were capable of controlling emotions (Losha had become very good at that), no one could will them out of existence. She couldn't imagine that Sarek felt nothing. Still, she was not familiar enough with Vulcans or with Sarek specifically to be certain to what degree he felt anything.
She wanted to insist that Losha eat something, because if she insisted, he would. But she did not want to put him on the spot nor break the silence of the meal, so she held her tongue. She was surprised then, when Sarek was the one to speak.
"You need not consume Vulcan food on my account," he said, noticing that Losha had not touched the food Betal had cut for him. "I realize you may be unfamiliar with it and, as such, it may not be to your liking."
"It's not the food," Losha replied. "I'm just not hungry. I had a big lunch." Malar shot him a look, forgetting that he wouldn't see it. He'd hardly eaten all day - he had been anxious about Sarek's impending arrival and the news he'd bring. Sarek, apparently, had not failed to notice the look intended for Losha.
"I see. In any case, I would not be offended if you preferred something else."
"I understand. I'm really not picky. I look forward to trying the foods on Vulcan." Losha's words sounded forced, but as Sarek did not know him well, Malar was unsure whether he could detect this or if he took them at face value.
She and Sarek finished eating in what was to her an uncomfortable silence. After she cleared the table, Betal served them some Vulcan tea. Malar knew that it was acceptable to speak during tea, so she attempted to get past the awkwardness by engaging Losha and Sarek in conversation. Losha did not make it easy - he seemed determined to say as little as possible, which was very unlike him. She made conversation by having Sarek repeat the details of the trip for Losha's benefit.
They would pick up Naalem in Undaa the following morning and then leave for Deep Space Four. There were no difficulties making arrangements for that part of the journey as ships departed Senes for the station several times a day. After the six and half hour trip to Deep Space Four, they would have to wait four days for a ship to take them to Vulcan. Sarek offered them the option of remaining on Senes a few days longer, though he had to return to the station himself. Malar thought it might be better for Losha to spend some time alone, but he was anxious to leave as soon as possible, as if he feared something might prevent him from getting to the station in time to catch the ship to Vulcan.
Though it was much earlier than he would normally retire, Losha declared that he was tired and wished to rest not long after dinner. Sarek returned to the guest room to meditate. Malar went to her own room and grabbed the padd she had been working on earlier. She made sure Losha's door was closed before walking further down the hallway to the guest room where Sarek was staying. Losha could probably hear her, but she knew he wouldn't come out of his room to ask her any questions. At least not right away.
She knocked quietly on Sarek's door, and a moment later he opened it.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Sarek. I just wanted to give you this." She held out the padd to him.
"You haven't disturbed me. I have not yet begun my evening meditation. What is it?" He looked at the padd quizzically as he took it from her.
"It's just some pictures I thought you might be interested to see. Just some pictures I've taken over the years of Losha, and a few of his father. You can keep the padd as long as you want. It's just an old one I had laying around."
As Sarek continued to stare at the padd, Malar felt that perhaps she might have made a mistake in offering these to Sarek. Perhaps he had no interest in seeing them. Perhaps it had been too forward of her. Under ordinary circumstances, she wouldn't have been bothered by being too forward, except that she didn't want to damage any potential for a relationship between Sarek and Losha. She decided to offer him an out.
"Of course, you need not look at them if you prefer not to. It was just a thought I had. I don't know enough about Vulcans to know if you even take pictures. I know you have excellent memories so perhaps you don't need to." Sarek looked up at her and Malar got the strange impression that he was actually amused by her comment. Yes, the look in his eyes and upon his face clearly seemed to indicate amusement. Perhaps Vulcans did not suppress their emotions to the degree Losha believed.
"While it is true that Vulcans have superior memories to many species, the widespread belief that we have perfect or 'photographic' memories is false. The brain has no need to retain every detail one has read or seen. Much of it is simply clutter. Vulcans, like most species, take pictures for a variety of reasons, among them to retain a reminder of something or someone. And as these are not pictures that I took, I obviously have no memory of the circumstances under which they were taken." He paused and looked down at the padd again before looking back at her. "Thank you for sharing them with me."
"You're welcome." She couldn't help but smile. "Good night again," she said, and turned back down the hall.