At the embassy since late the previous day, Sarek watched the sky tilt towards evening and a shuttle descend on the building's landing pad. Most off-world traffic went through a port similar to the one outside Paris he had used to return to Vulcan with Perrin but there were a few, like the Algean delegation Sarek saw leaving the shuttle and being guided in by his lower level aides, granted prior clearance to dock directly at their destination.

Placing his finished Pok tar on the replicator in his office, he reconfigured the empty dishes into a lirpa. Sarek walked just outside the doors to his office and waited.

He could hear the Algeans speaking loudly as they entered by the East Records Hall. Some of the Embassy personnel coming and going by Sarek looked down at them approaching and at Sarek with curiosity but no concern over the long spear-like weapon he held. They saluted him with their passing by. Checking his stance, having learned the importance of appearance early in his career, Sarek realized he was leaning into the weapon, allowing it to hold some of his weight. He shifted back onto his feet to center himself. He recalled when he was just 68 and able to stay awake without issue for 3.2 days. I have lost some of my fortitude these past decades, Sarek thought. The delegation finally stopped before him as he considered how long it had been since then, slamming their spears down into the ground. Sarek offered his weapon to them.

"Take my strength; I offer it to you and yours that you will hold it for me in faith and trust." The lead Algean took it from him and repeated his words, offering his own spear as the others followed. Sarek took the first but his aides stepped in to take away the others. They left him to face the delegation alone.

Everyone entered his office and took their seats; Sarek had had several chairs set up separate from his desk; him alone on one side to face the 8 members of the delegation where a row of pre-Surak artifacts had been. Sarek studied the members of the delegation; none present were those suspected of having committed the attacks. But, Sarek noted, among these could be he who was tied those events. He decided to focus on one sitting towards the back; their focus shifted to his desk when the lead delegate addressed Sarek.

"Ambassador Sarek, you honor us with the chance to speak. Your federation had already made its judgments in enforcing the ban. Our economy suffers from not being allowed to trade."

"Though not an intended effect, that it did affect your economy was an unfortunate but not unforseen outcome of the ban." Sarek looked away briefly as though deep in thought but he again regarded the other Algean. He had reached over to another delegate sitting closer to it and as the other nodded both got up to exchange seats quietly. He noted the Algean's continued fixation on his desk; closer now, Sarek saw his focus was the PADDs specifically. He continued speaking.
"However, the Federation would lose its respect if we allowed even suspected cases of behavior counter to our morals go unchecked. You do understand this."

"Yes, ambassador. I have closely studied your laws and your heroes—Cochrane, Kirk, Kodos." Sarek raised an eyebrow at the last.

"Perhaps in his own mind. However, Kodos the Executioner is considered to be a villain to those in the Federation."

"I apologize—I must have misunderstood." Sarek gave no response. "Is there nothing we can do to resume trade?"

"Resolve the war. Until such a thing occurs, the Federation will not lift the ban." Answered Sarek. A snarl twisted the Algean's face.

"Then I have been led on a chain like a fool here today!"

"You have been offered a chance to explain reports of abuse and what you are doing in the efforts of ending your war. I never claimed otherwise; only you have deceived yourselves." Sarek replied standing up as the others crouched in their seats. All fixed their eyes on him with a look of hate even a Vulcan who'd undergone the Kolinahr would note. Raising his hands when they too stood, both sides watched each other.

"This building is heavily guarded; I have had my aids alerted." Sarek pressed a small device that blended with the embroidery in his robes. "You will not win if it is your wish to fight." They came at him anyways, the first swinging Sarek's lirpa.

It had been replicated from low-grade steel instead of stronger, more standard rodinium, so Sarek swung out his arm to meet it along the handle and snapped off the blade. He then ducked low, away from the still moving arch of the weapon to crush off the club on the opposite end with his grip. The Algean threw away the rest and motioned for the others to circle around Sarek. Though the spear he had been given seemed sturdy in his grip, Sarek also broke it and threw it away, unwilling to risk causing any substantial harm.

Two Algeans behind him reached for his legs but when he noted their movements in the corner of his sight, Sarek twisted back and reached for their necks. With a nerve pinch, they both collapsed on the floor. His aides then burst through the door with the Tellarite guards that had been stationed by his office that day. Two of the Algeans fell back to deal with them. The guards took out their phasers, quickly subduing the Algeans coming at them. Sarek felt confident in leaving the rest to them; he followed the Algean who had switched to sit closer to his desk and who was now reaching for the PADDs that were resting on it.

"Do you think I would leave such sensitive data out for anyone to find? That would be illogical though evidently such thinking is beyond you." Sarek directed at him. The remaining delegates had begun screaming as they attacked his aides, none whom had been prepared for such a level of combat. One of the guards was knocked unconscious; the other had his phaser ripped away. Security will be arriving regardless, Sarek thought.

"We will not lose our way of life to rumors!" the Algean he faced shouted, now trying to unlock one of the PADDs.

"Access denied. User not recognized." The device stated. He roared in frustration and threw it at Sarek, cutting above his eye.

"The only data on those is the Federation's public records. And I assume that which brought you here today is something I know to be too substantial to be mistaken for rumor." Security now entered and took down the rest; them and his aides started towards Sarek.

"Then I will kill you and her!" The Algean cried.

"It will change nothing," Answered Sarek, raising his voice above the Algean's, imbuing it with malice as an intimidation tactic to pacify the situation. The man charged him. Sarek felt he should have reacted quicker, would have if he were still only 68. But he was not, he was tired, and he could not stop the Algean; the others were just enough out of reach. He felt a hard hit compacting his stomach and tearing at the weakened spot in his heart where he'd been operated on many years ago. Sarek fell to his knees. Soon being dragged out of the room by his aides, he watched as security finally detained his attacker. Blindness was setting in in the form of a green film as his aides took him into the hall. It spread to his hearing, sense of smell and touch; Sarek's awareness fell away completely then with one last mental scream for Perrin as his defenses fell, for a concern that they might—darkness.


"Will he be fine?"

"Mr. Landover, let's just finish your physical; I can't discuss other patients with you."

Sarek sensed everything first before seeing it. Around him, suffering and complaints with lethargy hinted the nature of the space he was in. It was not logical to his mind that those sensations were its purpose; but he retained a dull perception for a while. So he allowed what he could know and sense to flood his mind and raise it up from the dark.

Sarek opened his eyes and sat up quickly, feeling no pain to do so. A Denobulan Starfleet medical doctor walked over to him after forcing Reynard, across from Sarek, to lie down.

"Ambassador, so glad you could join us. Thought we would have to entertain you for a whole day but it seems just a few hours are enough for your species to be fine after such an injury. Though I will say we, Dr. Huston—" another human doctor waved to him, "and I, were a tinsy bit frightened for a while. It seems you've had heart problems before?" Sarek was testing his focus on a few things around him, ending with Reynard, whom he had heard speaking while still under.

"Is that man over there shaking?" Sarek asked. Though he had seen it before and knew it was a symptom, Reynard's movements now were extreme enough to rattle the bed several inches into a tray of hypo sprays. The wide Denobulan smile disappeared off the doctor's face.

"I am afraid so; but you shouldn't concern yourself, he is being taken care of."

Soon, Reynard was being rolled out into another room and given a hypo spray as they put him in a wheelchair.

"You have not answered my question." The doctor said. He blocked Sarek from watching them wheel Reynard towards his caretaker. Unconscious now as Sarek had been, he still shook violently while another nurse restrained his body against the back of the wheelchair.

"Will they not treat him?" Sarek asked; his response was a sigh.

"There is really nothing to be done for him; now please, I can't say anymore than that." Answered the doctor.

"Yes I have had medical difficulties regarding my heart previously." Sarek now focused on the doctor.

"Good. I mean good in that you are finally cooperating."Sarek nodded, understanding. "There was some swelling of the heart tissue and some of the scarring did tear but we were able to fix both. However, you did experience a tinsy bit of blood loss that accounted for your loss of consciousness. We were able to top you off in the end. All is well." He finished.

"Then I will return to my office." Sarek replied.

"Ah." Sarek raised an eyebrow as the doctor removed Sarek's communicator from the folds of his robes before continuing.

"I was told to let you know that you will not be going back to work today or tomorrow."

"I am currently experiencing no ill effects."

"I was also told to tell you that if you complained you would be put into forced retirement to ensure you actually rested for once."

"Who said this?"

"Kavik." The doctor answered. Sarek had suspected this.

"Shall I have my aides gather my personal effects and bring them to me here then?"

"We are letting you leave today, just not letting you work. "

"Indeed. When, today, am I to leave?" Asked Sarek.

"Just waiting on a few results to be certain. A Vulcan of your age needs to be checked over thoroughly."

The doctor thrummed against a tray beside Sarek's gurney where he'd rested Sarek's communicator. Sarek looked down at his robes and noted the front was opened to his waist. He buttoned them up and waited for an answer.

"Ah yes." Sarek looked over at the other man's excited utterance.

"Since you were so curious about him I can tell you a little something I found funny when I saw his chart. That patient from earlier had the same last name as one of my fellow interns back when I was at Starfleet medical. Not quite sure what happened to her."

"Was her name Perrin?" Sarek asked with force. The doctor's response was surprised.

"Yes; it was. Do you know her? I guess you knew the other patient too. I apologize for not letting you two speak then. She's still alive?"

"It is of no consequence now; why does your last question suggest you thought she might have been dead?" The doctor hesitated to answer after a relieved breath.

"She left under bad circumstances; I'm afraid it wouldn't be right of me to say what. But I can say she really blamed herself for the whole mess. Perrin was a dedicated student. Really, nothing could have been done by then regardless."

"Then you feared she'd ended her life." Sarek stated.

"Oh yes. No one spoke to her after; no one saw her. Then again, we only knew she existed at all by seeing her in the operating room."

"She did not form…friendships with her associates in the program?"

"She seemed like she hated everyone. Though she was a bit nicer with me and Selar, another intern."

"Were you the only non-humans?"

"Yes; why?" Sarek didn't answer. He looked to an approaching nurse.

"You're free to go Ambassador. Dr. Bogga, come with me." Giving Sarek a parting wide Denobulan smile, the doctor went with the nurse.

Sarek took his time getting up, still lethargic but not in any pain. He reached for his communicator but Kavik appeared and took it.

"Ambassador."

"Kavik." Sarek answered with resignation.

He went to where he'd seen Reynard being wheeled out, passing a few photos of Vulcan lining the walls. There were two of the Vulcan Fire Plains; Amanda used to take Spock there as a child, he recalled. He slowed even more to look at them a moment longer. Both highlighted the large statues cut into the ridges surrounding the moats of magma giving rise to its name.

"Since I cannot as you are currently holding my communicator hostage, message Reynard that I will—"

"He will, Ambassador. At least for the next few days his caretaker can bring him to the villa."

"I am fine. He is not." Kavik raised an eyebrow but did not counter him.