I do not own Star Trek, any of the canon characters, nor do I make any profit from my writing. It's late and I should really put on my special PJ's and go to bed.
Wardrobe Issues II
Kirk was waiting for the landing party in the transporter room. Bones was there with a medical team. Hirsch would live, but need surgery. The knife had pierced a lung.
Holmes caught his breath and gave his captain his report.
"We only saw two, males. They were hiding behind a rock and looked Vulcan or Romulan. They killed Corbett with an arrow, so I don't think they have advanced technology. Corbett didn't have his translator on. They might have thought that he was going for a weapon."
Kirk was angry and frustrated. Corbett's own stupidity was likely the cause of his and Noeson's deaths. This was basic Starfleet training. Equipment should always be at the ready, tricorders and translators should be on standby and vocal command mode before a beam down into an unknown situation. They had done hours of drills on this very issue. Complacency had set in and it was time to re-establish basics. They would be running drills again.
Kensed and Lorven reported the incident to Cherval.
"Are you certain that they meant to attack?"
"Eldest, I do not know for certain. I saw one of them reach for a device on his belt. We know that they possess sophisticated equipment capable of detecting life signs. I did not dare take a chance on them getting past us and finding the rest of the survivors and the Treasure. I have heard the Romulan raiders say that Starfleet is out to avenge the loss of Vulcan. They would not be likely to believe that our group bears them no malice."
"Now they will never believe it. However, what is done is done, Kensed. Our colony's days are numbered, anyway. Perhaps our end will be quick and merciful."
Chaudhuri and Nhegmi had asked to meet with the command team in the briefing room. They had assembled a rather curious looking device. Neelah Chaudhuri explained their plan.
"Nhegmi and I have put together these receivers with built-in translators. They are capable of processing both auditory and visual input, as well as transmitting them. We'd like to beam them down near the clusters of survivors, already switched on and running. There should be a recorded message of peaceful intentions and an offer of assistance in all the languages that we know with Vulcan roots. It would be played on a continuous loop."
Lt. Nhegmi switched the sample unit on and demonstrated its functions. The diminutive Hoorian was an engineering whiz.
"We should include simple instructions for the machine's use in the message. All the respondent needs to do is to speak to the red light. When the device is activated in this manner, we will receive the signal on the Enterprise."
Jim, Spock, and Counselor La Plante worked on the message, which was recorded in nineteen Vulcan-based languages and dialects. Spock and Nyota made the recordings. Then the devices were beamed down near the largest clusters of survivors. One was set down in the clearing where the landing party had been attacked.
Kensed and Lorven were now even more vigilant. The survivors had been detected. They had slain Starfleet personnel. Surely they would now be out for vengeance. More armed men would come and the survivors would be slaughtered. The Ancient Treasure they guarded would be stolen or destroyed.
Suddenly the clearing was filled with a bright light, a transporter beam. When the light dissipated, a mechanical device stood in the spot where the Starfleet men had first appeared. The device began to speak. At first they did not understand much, though some of the words seemed familiar. The message would stop and start again, each time containing a few words they knew. The eighth time the message ran, they finally understood it all.
"We are from the United Federation of Planets. We come in peace on a mission of mercy. Our scans of this world reveal that you have recently come under Romulan attack. We desire to be of assistance to any and all survivors of said attack. We believe that the incident which occurred here involving Starfleet personnel was the result of a misunderstanding. We harbor no ill will against you."
"If you understand this message and are in need of assistance, speak to the red light on the side of this device. The message will be transmitted to us. Again, we come in peace. We have no hostile intentions."
The two brothers looked at each other. At last Lorven spoke.
"Chernal the Eldest must hear these words and decide what to do."
Chernal was very old. She had seen nearly two hundred and eleven summers. She had come to Tragan V one hundred and thirteen years ago with almost one thousand other colonists. They had sought escape from the violent ways of the Romulan Empire. Some wished for a return to logic, others for a way of life that was more moderate, a peaceful existence with freedom of emotional expression. When they left the Romulan home world, they had brought with them the Ancient Treasure.
The Ancient Treasure was a collection of scrolls and tablets that dated from the time of Surak. The Seheikk'he, or Sundered Ones, (those who left both logic and Vulcan to become Romulans), stole them and brought on their journey. The Tragans simply stole them back, and had been protecting them all these years. They held them to be more sacred than their own lives and had defended them from the Romulan military.
There were now only fifty-three souls left on Tragan V. The recent Romulan attacks had left the planet so devastated that there was only food left for five days at half rations. If the colonists died off, the Romulans would come and take the Treasure. It would have all been for nothing.
And now there was a new worry, the Federation. She had heard that a Romulan had destroyed Vulcan and killed all her people. The Federation would be out for blood.
Chernal was making her daily prayers to the Source when Kensed and Lorven interrupted her.
"The Federation ship has left a device in the clearing with a recorded message. They offer peace and assistance."
"I would see this thing for myself."
Chernal slowly made her way to the clearing, leaning heavily on her cane. She gave Karl to Kensed to carry. Chernal had to listen to several messages she only partially understood before the machine played the one in her language.
It was as the young brothers had said. The Federation offered them peace and assistance. It might be a trap, but Chernal was running out of options. If Starfleet had such devices as the one that spoke to her, surely they also had weapons capable of finishing the colonists off and taking the Treasure. She had heard that Starfleet was mostly composed of Humans, who were known to have a weakness for children. Perhaps Karl would be his people's salvation.
When the food ran out, elderly Chernal and the fragile infant Karl would be the first to perish. If the offer of help was a trap, perhaps their lives would buy time for the others. Chernal and her beloved great-grandson would be together in death.
Chernal gathered Karl up into her arms and spoke into the red light.
Spock and Nyota had gotten in a few hours rest before the Enterprise received a signal from the planet. Someone had spoken to the red light in an ancient Romulan dialect. Jim had summoned them both back to the bridge.
"I am Chernal, Eldest among the people of Tragan V. You offer us peace and assistance. How do I know that I can trust you?"
"I am Spock and I speak for my captain and for Starfleet. We mean you no harm. If we wanted to destroy you, we are more than capable of doing so. We know that you have been attacked by the Romulan military and we would like to assist you."
"Why would you do this?"
"The Terrans have a saying "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." It is also our way to help those in need."
"We are unaccustomed to such benevolence. I would meet with you and your captain before delivering all of my people into your hands. I would also see for myself what it is that you offer us."
"That is acceptable to us. Perhaps we could beam you and a small party aboard."
"There will be only myself and this small child."
"Chernal, do you need time to make preparations?"
"There is nothing to prepare. We are ready now."
"Then stand a short distance away from the device and we will bring you on board our vessel."
As Chernal hobbled to the agreed upon spot, she gave Lorven charge over the survivors in the event of her death. She also ordered him to make certain the Treasure was secure and could not be easily found.
Chernal and little Karl were beamed aboard the Enterprise. Scotty handled the transporter himself. Jim, Spock, Nyota, and Bones were present, along with a security team. Chernal was scanned and found to carry no weapons.
The Enterprise officers all wore translators, except for Spock and Nyota, who both spoke Chernal's dialect. As Chernal stepped from the transporter pad, Spock offered her an arm. Bones noted the old woman's painful gait.
"Ma'am, let's get you a wheelchair to sit it while you tour the ship. I could also give you some medication to relieve your pain, if you'd like. I'm Leonard McCoy, the ship's doctor. Perhaps one of us could hold the baby for you."
Nyota translated for Chernal and then offered her the use of a universal translator. Chernal decided to accept both that device and the offer of the wheelchair.
"I will consider the medication and hold the child myself for now."
It was clear that she did not trust the Enterprise crew.
Nyota finished the introductions. When the wheelchair arrived from sickbay, Jim led the way to one of the small conference rooms.
Chief Cook Hamed Mofasu had quickly set up a feast. He was told only that the guests were Romulan, an elderly woman and an infant. He prepared a variety of soft, delicately flavored foods and hoped for the best.
Chernal found the variety of food impressive. All of the Starfleet officers were eating it, including the Vulcan and the pregnant Human woman. It was most likely not poisoned. She accepted Spock's offer to fill a plate for her and watched him as he did so. She did not see him add anything to the food.
The ship's doctor brought a chair specially designed for holding infants and a cloth designed to protect a child's clothing from spilled food. Chernal allowed the man to place Karl into the chair and feed him. It brought her great joy to see her little great-grandson greedily fill his tummy for the first time in days.
Noticing that the baby was trying to chew on the spoon, the doctor replicated him a teething toy. Karl chewed away on it happily.
Chernal relaxed a bit and fed herself. A full belly was a good thing, but she would take care not to let it influence her decisions.
Jim, Spock, and Nyota took Chernal on a tour of the ship, showing her guest quarters, the Rec Room and dining facilities, and sickbay. Chernal consented to letting Bones examine little Karl. The doctor was surprised to learn that the baby was a Romulan-Human hybrid and almost nine months old.
"Forgive me for saying so ma'am, but he seems a little small for his age."
"He was born almost three months too early. His mother died shortly after his birth. It has been a great struggle for me to keep him alive. I had a milk animal until recently, but the Romulans slaughtered it the last time they came."
"I can give him nutritional supplements. His mental development seems right on track, though. He is certainly a happy little guy."
Chernal had decided that she would trust these Starfleet officers. She accompanied them back to the small conference room where they had eaten. They put together a plan for the rescue of the other fifty-one survivors. Chernal would record a new message that would be broadcast on the devices already in place on the planet. Kirk had promised that the Tragan survivors would be given political asylum. However, there were a few assurances Chernal needed first.
"I have some questions, especially for Spock."
"I will answer them if I am able."
"When I first saw you, I thought you must be a Romulan traitor, gone over to the Federation. However, as I observe you, you truly seem to be a son of Surak. How is that possible? I was told by the Romulans that Vulcan and all her people were destroyed."
"My world is gone and less than 1% of my people remain alive. They have colonized a new home world. I thank you for calling me a son of Surak, though many Vulcans do not regard me as such. I am like Karl. I had a Human parent. My mother was Terran. She died during the Destruction of Vulcan."
"I am grieved for your loss. Were any of the Ancient Artifacts of Surak saved from the Destruction?"
"They were not. All that is left of the Ancient Knowledge is what the Elders retained in their minds and have recorded."
"So do you believe that they would trade a place for the Tragan survivors on the New Vulcan home world for some of the Treasure that was stolen at the time of the Sundering?"
"I would need to examine these Artifacts and then communicate my findings to the Council of Elders. Two of my kinsmen are members."
"I will take you and one other to see them, one you can trust to keep a secret. Whether the Vulcans will deal with us or not, the Ancient Treasure must leave this world when my people do. We have guarded it since the Sundering."
"I would trust my Captain with the lives of my wife and unborn child. Together we have kept many secrets."
Jim was quite moved to hear these words from Spock. It was not often the Vulcan expressed such sentiments.
Chernal was also impressed with Spock's words. It was a rare thing for two from such different worlds to become friends. Perhaps there was both truth and meaning behind the promises these men had given her for her people.
All the Tragans had been rescued and transported save Kensed and Lorven. Chernal had bid them remain until she returned with Kirk and Spock.
They were taken to a cave deep in the side of a mountain and led to a hollowed out vault. Inside the vault were seven stone tablets which contained the writings of Surak. Three of the tablets held works Spock had never read before, but were consistent with Surak's teachings. There were also four scroll jars. Chernal explained that they had not been opened for over a thousand years, for fear of damage and decay. She had no idea what they contained.
Spock was in awe, a rare occurrence for him.
"Jim, we need to place the Artifacts into sealed containers and then into a guarded chamber on board. We must tell no one what we saw. I will contact Elder T'Pau via scrambled subspace channel. If the Romulans knew what the Tragans had here, they would have destroyed the colony and recovered the Artifacts long ago. We are all in great danger until they are delivered to a place of safety."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Spock, but I'll trust your judgment on this. You and I and these two gentlemen will handle moving these items. When we get them to the ship, we'll post a twenty-four hour guard. I suspect T'Pau has the clout to have our mission changed so that we can go directly to New Vulcan if need be."
The Artifacts had been sealed and moved to the ship. They were placed in a secure room and a guard posted. Chernal, Lorven, and Kensed were satisfied with the arrangements. The two brothers finally got food and some well-deserved rest.
T'Pau was clearly surprised by the story Spock told her about the Tragans and the Artifacts. Even if they were only copies, they would be precious beyond measure. The Tragans had risked their lives to preserve them. Vulcan society would repay that debt of honor with a place for them in the colony. Some of the Sundered would be restored.
When she had concluded her conversation with Spock, T'Pau convened a secret, emergency meeting of the Council of Elders. They readily agreed to all of T'Pau's terms and also voted to give the Tragans homes, land, and cash to establish themselves, all at government expense.
When the meeting had concluded, Elder Tovorek approached T'Pau.
"I would offer thee an apology for remarks I have made in the past about thy grandson and his Human heritage. He had repeatedly shown himself to be one of Vulcan's most honorable sons. He saved many lives and now he helps to bring home a piece of our past."
"Thy apology is accepted. I must contact my grandson and tell him of the Council's rulings."
Spock gave Chernal the news over a late supper. Jim and Bones were feeding and playing with little Karl. The baby had blown raspberries through a mouthful of food, covering Bones with sweet potatoes. Jim broke into fits of laughter.
Chernal stifled a sob. Spock grew quite concerned, but was unsure what to say. Nyota moved her chair closer and put a hand on Chernal's shoulder.
"What is wrong, Elder Chernal?"
"When your Captain laughed, he reminded me of Karl's father, whose name was also Karl."
"Sometimes it helps to talk about things that make us sad. Would you like to tell me about Karl?"
"The Romulans first began to attack in earnest fifteen years ago. They killed my husband, son, and daughter-in-law. Only I and my granddaughter Chavela remained. I had a small farm to manage and not enough help to work it. Pirates came, but found nothing of value. They had a Human boy in their possession, but were tired of having to feed him. They traded him to me for a barrel of wine, and not very good wine at that. The boy said that his name was Karl Logan. His parents had been traders, but the pirates had slain them and taken Karl as a slave. They tattooed his face with slave markings."
"Karl was a delightful child, who grew into a brave and strong man. He had Chavela became mates. They had a daughter together and Chavela was pregnant with little Karl when a group of Romulan soldiers came, led by a Commander Dorist."
"My Chavela was a beautiful girl, and Dorist wanted her for himself. She and the little girl were working on the far edge of the farm when Dorist came with three of his men. Karl tried to defend his family, but they slit his throat. Chavela was stabbed many times trying to reach her husband and child. Dorist carried her away to his quarters and there discovered that she was with child. He was disgusted and returned her to me. In his anger, he held us captive for several days. I was unable to get to Saavena. Chavela knew that she was alive and in great pain, but we could not find her, only Karl's body. The Romulans must have taken her."
"Chavela never recovered from her wounds. They festered and claimed her life shortly after she gave birth to little Karl."
Spock and Nyota were unsure as to how to proceed. The story was just too similar. Chernal's Saavena had to be Jack and Lewis' adopted daughter.
She has a right to know, Nyota.
Yes, Spock, but I can't be the one to tell her.
Then I will do so.
"Elder Chernal, did you say that your great-granddaughter's name was Saavena?"
"Yes. Do you know something of her fate?"
"I may. Would you allow me to move your chair to the computer terminal? I would like to show you some images. I need to be certain that we are both speaking of the same child."
Spock showed Chernal the images Jack and Lewis had sent to him and Nyota. Sonrisa's first steps, Sonrisa listening to her language lessons, and Sonrisa in a pink satin dress and fairy wings, seated on a rocking horse.
Chernal confirmed that Sonrisa and Saavena were one and the same child.
"I will not seek to take her from her new fathers. She has a good and happy life. I am very old and will most likely not live to see Karl reach adulthood. Do you think your friends would take him, too? He is young and he will forget me in time."
"I will contact Jack and Lewis. I am sure that they will want Karl. However, I doubt very much that Karl will ever forget you."
It was very late in San Francisco, nearly midnight. However, Spock and Nyota wanted to keep their promise to Chernal. Jack was a surgeon and accustomed to having his sleep disturbed. He was not angry at all.
Jack sat there in front of his terminal with his mouth hanging open, and then made Spock repeat himself several times. Then he woke Lewis up and made Spock repeat the story again.
Lewis shook his head.
"Nope, Jack, it won't work that way. How would we be able to explain to our daughter that we took her baby brother and left her great-grandma alone?"
"You're right, Lewis. We've gotta have them both. Spock, will you pass our conditions on to Chernal?"
"I would be most pleased to do so."
Spock was not half so pleased as Chernal, who readily agreed to the arrangement.
Spock and Nyota were exhausted. Nyota spread the rash ointment on her husband's back. The rash was nearly gone now. He put his pajama top on and joined his wife on the bed, preparing for their nightly "ritual." Suddenly, Nyota gasped.
"What is wrong, beloved?"
"Spock, the baby! Something is not quite right."
Spock searched for their child through the bond. He was still there, but Nyota was distressed about something. Spock hit the comm link button and contacted Bones.
"Doctor, I am bringing Nyota to sickbay. She is concerned about the baby."
"I'll meet you there."
Spock had carried Nyota to sickbay. Bones had met them there.
"Put her on the exam bed, Spock. I'll run a scan."
The doctor scanned Nyota's belly repeatedly.
"I can't find anything wrong, darlin'. The baby is just fine. Did you feel some pain?"
"It wasn't pain, Len. Just a really weird sensation. Oh, there it is again."
"What, that right there, that's happening now?"
"Yes. What is that? Is it serious?"
Bones broke out into hysterical laughter.
"Lord, I just love first time parents! No, darlin', it's not serious, but it is wonderful. Your little guy just kicked his first field goal! It's probably his way of telling you it's time to rest. Now, back to bed with the three of you! Let this poor, old country doctor get some rest."
As they were leaving, Jim came running in.
"Scotty said he saw Spock running through the hall in his pajamas carrying Nyota. Is everything okay?"
"Yep, everything is fine. Hobgoblin Junior just kicked his mama for the first time."
"Len, I told you not to call my baby that!"
"Go to bed, people. We're not havin' a pajama party in my sickbay!"
TBC