Vahklas
By Blacknblue (aka Bluenblack)
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. I wrote this for fun. Anyone is free to download and/or redistribute this story as long as you keep it complete and intact, and as long as you don't make any money from it.
Note: Vulcan terms used in this story were taken from the online Vulcan Language Dictionary, the Vulcan Language Institute, or I made them up myself.
A/N: This story makes several references to events that took place during earlier stories in my series. In addition, this story incorporates aspects of the Vulcan social and economic structure as described in my prior stories. If you have not read my earlier work you might have issues following along with this. Or you might not. Enter at your own risk.
Anyone is welcome to use anything I invent in these fan fics as long as they don't make any money off it. I also appreciate it when they take the time to give me a brief nod. Otherwise help yourself.
Chapter 7:
"Ma-mehk?" T'Lissa pulled herself up by both hands until she could peer curiously over the edge of the table. "What you makin?"
"It is a Human dish called meat loaf," T'Pol told her.
"Why you makin meet lofe? You don like meets," the little one inquired.
"This is true, daughter," T'Pol told her, continuing to knead ingredients together between her gloved hands. "However, it is one of your father's favorites, and he has not had the opportunity to enjoy it in quite some time."
T'Lissa reached out a finger toward the mix and was intercepted.
"No, T'Lissa. Meat must be cooked first." T'Pol slipped off a glove and reached for the spice rack.
"Why comes Sa-da likes meet n' you don'ts?" T'Lissa asked. "Krei T'Min said only amimals eats meets, but Sa-da's nots an amimals. Why come T'Min says that?"
"T'Min is still very young, as you are," T'Pol told her. "She has much to learn. Most Humans eat at least some meat occasionally. The optimum diet for Humans includes a mixture of both meat and plants."
T'Lissa climbed into a kitchen chair and considered this while T'Pol continued her food preparation. "How much 'm I s'posed to eat?" she wanted to know.
"That will be a matter for you to decide once you have reached adulthood," her mother informed her. "For the present, your father and I will supervise your diet in order to provide you with optimum nutrition."
"Does I eats meets sometimes?" T'Lissa looked intrigued.
"No," T'Pol told her, mixing the sauce. "Your current requirements for Terran proteins are met by taking dietary supplements."
"C'n I have some water?" T'Pol paused in her work to obtain a mug of icewater for her daughter, along with a fresh green onion. Mother and child spent a peaceful few moments together, working and munching, until another thought occurred to T'Lissa.
"C'n I have some meet lofe when it gets cooked?"
T'Pol stopped. A strange expression came over her face.
"Whassa matter Ma-mehk?" T'Lissa asked in concern, detecting her mother's distress. "I sowwy. I di'unt meenta do bad."
"You have not done anything wrong, daughter," T'Pol assured her. She peeled off her gloves and wiped her hands thoroughly. Then she moved around the table and took a seat next to the little one. "You are half-Human. It is entirely logical that you would wish to sample Human food..." T'Pol paused and took a deep breath. "If your father agrees, I will offer no objection."
"Oky," the little one said.
T'Pol hesitated and continued, "However, there are some things that you need to be aware of."
"Watssat?" T'Lissa blinked her bright eyes and looked up with innocent curiosity.
"Thus far, you interactions with other children have been limited to family," T'Pol told her. "Even among family, the other children you have encountered were old enough to be capable of self-discipline. There is a reason for this."
"Why come?" T'Lissa wanted to know, taking another healthy crunch off the end of her onion.
"Your appearance is Vulcan," T'Pol told her. "For now, your father and I believe that it will be best for you not to acknowledge your Human half to anyone but family."
"Why come, Ma-mehk?" T'Lissa put down the onion and used both of her tiny hands to take a sip of water. "Is bean Human bad? Sa-da's not bad. Anna's not bad. Hoshi's not bad. Eric's not bad."
"Being Human is not a bad thing," T'Pol said firmly. "Nor is being half-Human, as you are, a bad thing. It is a very good thing. But there is a reason that we must keep this a family secret for now. Therefore, it is not desirable for anyone outside of the family to learn that you have been sampling Human food, or that you must take Human protein supplements, or anything else that would let them learn about your Human blood."
"But Sa-da!" T'Lissa protested vigorously. "Sa-da's Human. I gotsa tell about Sa-da!"
"You may tell about your father being Human," T'Pol agreed. "If anyone inquires further, simply inform them that it is a private matter. It is unacceptable for anyone outside of family to inquire into private matters."
The little one considered this. "Oky. But why come?"
T'Pol took a deep breath. "The reason for this will be revealed when you are older. It might be that you will someday be free of this necessity. You father and I would find that quite agreeable. But for now, it is imperative that you follow my instructions."
"Duzzat mean I can't have any meet lofe?"
"We will discuss it with your father when he returns home."
#
Trip looked up from the work bench as Ensign Wu strolled over. "Larry. Just the man I'm looking for," Trip said with an evil smile. "Me and Greta are about to tear down this regulator, and with those macho muscles of yours I nominate you for the main casing connectors."
Larry Wu rolled his eyes. "You've been picking on me ever since I won that last weight lifting competition," he complained good naturedly. "If you little wimpy guys would move around once in a while, you wouldn't need me to do all the work."
"But then," Greta told him with a lascivious grin, "us girls wouldn't get to see those muscles ripple." All three chuckled.
"Seriously, I'm here on a mission, boss," Larry told him. "The receptionist told me to give this to you on the run." He handed over a note.
"Didn't look like you were running very fast when you came over," Trip snorted as he unfolded the note.
"Hey." Wu held up his hands. "On Vulcan, that's as fast as I get." He watched Trip's face change. "What is it, boss? Trouble?"
"Naw." Trip put the note away. "Just another bureaucrat to deal with." The other two groaned in unison.
"Better you than the rest of us," Greta told him with scant sympathy. "That's why you get the air conditioned office."
"Wanna trade?" Trip asked as he walked away.
"No!" came the chorus behind him.
Trip took his time hiking back to his office, pausing along the way frequently to check on various work stations. He had a good idea why Kuvak wanted him to call, and he really wasn't looking forward to the conversation. But on Vulcan, one simply did not ignore a call from a High Council Minister. Not even if you were friends with his son and his daughter-in-law. In fact, especially not then.
In his office he took time to pour a tall mug of ice water and down it. Then he refilled it before sitting down in front of the terminal. As a personal friend of the family, Trip had a special access code for direct contact. In less than a minute the face of Kuvak's primary secretary/receptionist/assistant/fetchn'tote appeared on the screen.
"Captain Tucker. Minister Kuvak is expecting your call. Maintain contact."
The screen went to a holding pattern for a few seconds until Kuvak came on. On one hand, the old guy looked better than Trip had ever seen him. Several of the lines on his face had disappeared completely. On the other hand, he looked troubled. Trip sighed silently. "Peace and long life to you, Minister. How may I serve?"
"Live long and prosper, captain. Your prompt response is agreeable. I wish to repair the damage inflicted on your association with my son's adun due to my family's interference with your project."
"Dama-? Oh." Trip rubbed his brow. "You're talking about the way things are a little bit strained between me and Anna right now."
"Correct. As it was my son's action that precipitated the conflict, it is my place to negotiate a settlement of the matter."
Trip winced. "It isn't that serious, honestly. Me and Anna have worked together for years, and this isn't the first time one or the other of us has gotten our feathers... I mean it isn't the first time that we have come into minor conflict. It will blow over on its own, eventually. If anyone is at fault, it's me. I was upset and I reacted badly."
"I must respectfully disagree, captain. My son reports to me that Anna is deeply troubled, to the point where she refuses to eat and has difficulty sleeping. My family indisputably bears responsibility for this situation. Surely there is some compensatory action that can be undertaken."
Trip buried his face in his hands and let a deep sigh escape. "I'll talk to Anna. I had no business taking my frustration out on her. Honestly, I didn't realize she was still so upset." He dropped his hands and looked at the screen. "This is a simple case of Human personal friction after an emotional discharge. We've got well established customs for fixing this kind of thing. Let me talk to Anna, ok?"
"I am relieved. It is reassuring to hear that your culture provides a standard set of responses for dealing with such difficulties. If I can be of any assistance, I request that you do not hesitate to call upon me."
"Will do," Trip said. The screen went blank and he slumped, rubbing his aching temples.
#
T'Hosh finished her evening meal in typical solitude. She left the cafeteria and proceeded down the corridor toward her quarters. Through the active intercession of her distant kinsman, Kov, she had been able to obtain satisfactory housing in the apartment complex that the Humans had constructed for their employees. It was a significant benefit, and she fully appreciated the advantages. Therefore, when Kov made a slightly unusual request T'Hosh did not hesitate to comply.
She entered her living quarters and sealed the door with a feeling of profound relief. Finally, she could be free from the constant sense of negative evaluation. Unlike most of the Vulcans involved in the warp upgrade project, the former crew of Vahklas had small difficulty interacting with the Human staff members. It was their fellow Vulcans that posed a challenge. She poured herself a small glass of wine and sipped it appreciatively, enjoying the soothing warmth. Perhaps an illogical indulgence, but she was past caring about such minutiae.
The comm unit made connection almost immediately. Kov offered respectful greetings, which she returned. "All is well to date, krei," she reported. "To the best of my knowledge. I have overheard no conversations to indicate dissatisfaction with Captain Tolaris in either his work performance or his overall behavior. As you may be aware, Humans are prone to disseminate information of general interest with great rapidity. If there were problems, I believe I would have been informed."
"Your confidential assistance in this matter is appreciated, krei T'Hosh," Kov told her with a slight inclination of his head.
"Is it permissible to inquire as to the reason that you are monitoring Tolaris so closely?" She waited while he thought about it.
"It is permissible, but I am unable to provide you with a substantive answer," Kov told her enigmatically. "There is an ongoing issue that I am not at liberty to discuss."
"Understood," T'Hosh inclined her head. "I will inquire no further. Live long and prosper." She closed the connection and sat back, considering. Then she keyed in another string of numbers. Tolaris answered immediately.
#
Tolaris expressed his appreciation to T'Hosh for the information and closed the connection. If Kov was singling him out for close observation, it had to mean that he knew about his faux pas aboard Enterprise. Tolaris growled. The woman had invited him to meld with her. She had sought out emotional insight willingly, even eagerly. What right did she have to...?
He rubbed his temples and thought about consulting a healer. The headaches were getting worse. Probably due to the stress of his situation, he concluded. Meditation wasn't helping much. He really needed to get back out into the desert. The only thing that helped relieve the pressure was hunting. If he could only find something to kill, to taste fresh blood still hot and pulsing. Then he could calm down.
He made a decision. Even though it had only been two days, he needed the release too badly to wait any longer. He would go out tonight at T'Khutrise. The public transport line had an exit point just outside the small meditation retreat atop Telo mesa. It was a popular destination for day trips among city dwellers who want to commune with nature for a few hours. The area around the retreat was rich with small game. He could take a change of clothing and basic supplies, kill, clean up and return before dawn.
Meanwhile, he had to do something. The pain was becoming intolerable. Perhaps a cold water shower would help. He headed for the sanitary facility.
#
She could feel his aching weariness clearly, long before he arrived. T'Pol prepared a pitcher of iced tea, rather than water, and made sure to include a plentiful admixture of lemon and sugar.
"Ma-mehk," T'Lissa wanted to know, "why come Sa-da sad?"
T'Pol paused in stirring. "I do not know, T'Lissa. I do not think he is actually sad, so much as depressed. I suspect it is due to extreme fatigue. I recommend that we attempt to assist him with his routine when he arrives."
"Oky!" The little one brightened at the thought of being able to help fix things. When Trip finally made it through the front door, T'Lissa was waiting with a mug of iced tea in one hand, and a towel in the other. Her father looked down and grinned before giving her a resounding smooch. Both ladies felt a surge of affection pour through the family bond. T'Lissa returned the grin proudly.
"Mmmm," Trip tasted the tea. "That's a nice surprise. What did I do to earn this?" He looked at T'Pol, who met his gaze steadily.
"Countless things," she told him as she awkwardly knelt to untie his shoes.
"Here, Sa-da," T'Lissa reached up on her toes with the towel and started jumping, "I wypa swet offa yer face." He braced himself against the wall with his free hand and bent over, trying to stand on one foot while T'Pol took off his shoes and T'Lissa almost knocked him backwards with the towel. Chuckles emerged from behind the terrycloth.
"Now his feet, T'Lissa," T'Pol instructed. The little one got busy rubbing her father's toes with the towel as her mother disposed of the socks and pulled out a pair of house slippers. Trip started snickering.
"That tickles!" T'Lissa matched his giggles and the pair had fun for a few minutes. Then T'Pol handed her daughter the slippers. She carefully shoved them sideways on to the wrong feet and stood up triumphantly.
"Dinner is prepared," T'Pol said, as she pulled herself to her feet. "I hope it is to your liking."
"It's meet lofe!" T'Lissa announced excitedly. Trip looked impressed. "Ma-mehk said mebe I c'n hav' sum if yu sez it's oky." He stopped his shuffling progress, necessary in order to keep the misaligned slippers from falling off, and looked pointedly at his wife.
"T'Lissa and I have been discussing the need to keep her Human heritage a family secret," T'Pol told him. "But having said that, it is still entirely reasonable for her to be curious about Human cuisine. The choice is yours."
"Well," Trip looked down. "You can try a taste and see how you like it. Not a good idea to make a habit of it, but sure, you can try it."
"Yay!" The little one scampered for the table. T'Pol watched thoughtfully and reflected that until they had T'Lissa, she had never understood the true meaning of the word scampered. Trip took the chance to sneak his slippers onto the right feet.
As it happened, T'Lissa hated meat loaf. "Uck! It nasty Sa-da! Why come you wanna eets dat stuff?" Trip philosophically forked up another bite and shrugged.
"I guess that just leaves more for me," he grinned. T'Pol struggled to contain her relief and filled her daughter's plate with salad.
After dinner, T'Lissa curled up with one of her favorite story books and Trip started yawning. "Husband," T'Pol said in resignation, "is it within the realm of possibility that I could persuade you to at least take a brief nap before you begin your evening paperwork?"
"I might just do that," he said to her stunned relief. "It's been a lousy day. I feel like I've been beat, kicked, and dragged over a rock pile."
"Come then," urged him toward their sleeping chamber, trying not to shove eagerly. "A brief rest will benefit you greatly." The chance to rest beside her bondmate would also benefit her own emotional equilibrium, she reflected. "I will clean up the dishes and join you afterward, if that is acceptable."
"That sounds great, hun," Trip smiled wearily. They passed into the lower gravity field and he let out an involuntary groan of relief. She assisted him in undressing without receiving any objection. Her mate was indeed exhausted. T'Pol's concern increased. She covered him with a single blanket and went after a damp cloth to wipe his face.
"Did something untoward happen today?" she asked him quietly. Ever since he came home the day that Tolaris had started with the project, the two of them had not discussed Trip's work. T'Pol was determined not to provoke the situation any further, and Trip did not volunteer any comments. But this kind of fatigue was exceptionally intense.
Her adun kept his eyes closed. "Me and Anna have been rubbing each other the wrong way for the past few days, that's all."
It wasn't all, and she could feel it. "Tell me the rest of it, Trip." She kept her tone even but made it plain that she wasn't asking, she was instructing.
Her adun let out his breath in a long exhalation and shook his head on the pillow slightly. "I blew my top the day that... the other day. Anna got ticked, naturally. We've been dancing around each other ever since. Today Kuvak called and told me that she's really upset and wanted to 'negotiate a settlement' of the situation. I calmed him down and went to talk to her and... it didn't go real well." He grimaced.
T'Pol sat immobile. "Rest, husband. Sleep. You will be better able to cope with everything once you have digested your meal and caught up on some lost sleep."
"You're," he stopped to yawn. "You're probably right." She stroked his face and leaned forward to kiss him. He was asleep in 42 seconds. T'Pol sat beside her adun until he was soundly invested in the first stage of his sleep cycle, then smoothly stood up without jarring the bed. She walked into Trip's home office and sat at his desk, triggering the comm unit and entering the code for Minister Kuvak's residence.
#
Kov was worried sick. Anna had come home from work even more upset than usual. Despite Chef L'Merien's best efforts, she hadn't touched her food. The two men traded glances and watched her poke and prod at the vegetables and steamed mollusks with concerned expressions. Kuvak asked, "Are you feeling ill, Anna?"
"No," she forced a wan smile. "I'm all right." She was lying and Kov knew it. His beloved refused to meet his gaze, even when he broke custom to reach over and take her hand. This situation was not going to continue, he privately vowed.
The House Steward walked in silently and stood at stiffly. Kuvak glanced up. "Yes, Krewar?"
"There is a comm message," Krewar announced flatly. "For Lady Anna. From Lady T'Pol. Shall I take a message?"
"No, that's ok," Anna stood up, seeming relieved to get away from the table. "I'll take it in the alcove."
"As you wish," Krewar inclined his head and led the way into the next room. Kov forced himself to go back to eating, even though the food tasted like sand. He wondered if Trip would agree to meeting with him to discuss the matter. Father and son proceeded with their meal in customary silence for several minutes.
"THAT RAT BASTARD SON OF A BITCH!"
Anna scream smashed through from the next room and echoed down the hallway, yanking both men to attention. They traded shocked glances. The next burst of sound was not quite as loud, but still quite audible.
"Why didn't you TELL us, T'Pol? We would have spaced him for you. Any of us would. Unless you'd rather have had us girls skin the dung beetle alive instead."
A brief pause ensued, followed by, "I don't care, that's no excuse." Another, longer, pause. "I know, you told me. But so what? It's still no excuse. No means no. As soon as we're done here I'm gonna go kill him myself. Trip won't have to get his hands dirty."
Kov sprang from his chair and started heading for the doorway. Kuvak looked unsettled, no doubt recalling what happened the last time Anna became enraged, and the property damage that resulted. He still owed the Lonet-Quor sanctuary compensation for that fire.
Kov entered the next room to find his t'hy'la with a crimson face, staring at the comm screen and pounding her frustrations out on the arms of her chair. Krewar stood nearby looking, for the first time in Kov recollection, as if he had no idea what to do.
"Anna." Kov said. He reached for her and she swirled, glaring. He recoiled and reconsidered the idea of comforting her just then.
"Kov! Do you know what... th..." she choked on her words and finally raised both fists with an inarticulate howl of rage. Kov winced and caught her fists before she could injure herself or break anything serious.
"Whatever it is," he told her firmly, "we will deal with it."
"Oh, yes," she snarled, "We will. We certainly will." Her face suddenly changed. "Oh crap. Trip." She turned back to the comm. "I'm so sorry, T'Pol. All this time Trip has been packing this around, and I've been a real bitch. Please tell him I'm sorry. I'll apologize in person as soon as I see him."
T'Pol's image had been wearing an alarmed expression until Kov's arrival. As soon as his presence starting calming Anna down, the Vulcan woman's face smoothed over. "I doubt that Trip expects an apology, Anna," T'Pol told her. "If anything, he blames himself. Nor do I wish you to take any action of any kind against Tolaris. I simply could not allow this friction between you to continue because of something I did."
"Don't talk stupid, you didn't do it." Anna's voice was quieting. "Don't worry, we'll take care of this. That pig is hitting the street tomorrow. But I still think it would be better to put his head on a pole."
"Such a solution would generate more difficulty than it solved," T'Pol assured her. "I am reluctant to assign Tolaris such a significant portion of my attention. In fact, there is no logical reason to terminate his position."
"No logical reason? Says who? His presence is a clear and present threat to every woman in the factory," Anna proclaimed indignantly.
"As Chief Minister T'Pau pointed out," T'Pol said with as much dignity as the situation permitted, "he would not have been released unless the healers were certain that there was no danger. And once again, I initially agreed to it. He did not attack me."
"I don't care. You told him to stop and he didn't. And he hurt you," Anna growled. "All I would have to do is whisper in the right Human ear at the start of shift tomorrow. He'll never live to make it out of the factory. Manufacturing plants are dangerous places to work you know."
Krewar's face actually changed to a perceptible degree. Kov nearly collapsed from shock at the sight, but there was no time to indulge in emotional excess. Instead he put one hand flat against Anna cheek and whispered in english, "Beloved, let me help. Please." Something in his voice must have gotten through, for she closed her eyes. Suddenly a surge of rage came pouring through their young bond. He channeled it as rapidly as he could, bleeding off the pressure and sending back cool stability. Anna started to relax, slightly.
"I will handle this matter," Kov told T'Pol. "I am responsible for instigating it, I will bear the responsibility for dealing with it. Neither Anna nor Trip shall be forced to endure his presence again."
Anna shuddered her way back to awareness. "He'll never work on another Human project, or one that Humans are affiliated with, that much I can promise you."
T'Pol winced. "I request that this matter not be broadcast. I realize that-"
Anna interrupted. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else. But I won't need to. All I have to do is say that he's blacklisted as a known criminal. That will do it. If anyone gets stubborn, I'll remind them that I'm Kuvak's daughter-in-law. Nobody will argue with a Council Minister. His career is dog meat, you can count on it."
T'Pol looked relieved. "I should return to my duties. Live long and prosper." She disappeared.
Anna marched back into the dining area, followed closely by Kov. She closed both doors, and spent several minutes informing her mate and his father about the details of T'Pol's call. Kov's blood ran cold. "This is incredible." Kov swallowed hard. "None of us had any idea. Tolaris said that there was a disagreement with Captain Archer, and his Human emotions overcame his logic."
Anna laughed harshly. "Figures. What would have happened if he told you that he forced her to stay in the meld after she wanted loose? Then burned her brain when she tried to fight loose and ended up giving her whatever-that-syndrome-is?"
"We would have banished him from the ship at minimum," Kov said grimly. "At bare minimum. Quite possibly more."
Kuvak wondered, "How did he escape punishment? Surely Human law, even without specifics tailored for telepathic assault, must provide some response to this."
"He inflicted physical damage, so yes. Of course he could have been prosecuted. If T'Pol was Human, and Enterprise was a Boomer ship," Anna told him, "we could have just kicked him out the airlock. But Starfleet won't let the captain punish anyone without a trial, especially when they're not an Earth citizen. T'Pol said she asked the captain to keep it quiet. She didn't want anyone to know that she'd been experimenting with melding."
"Logical," Kov said, feeling wrath grow deep inside. He fought to contain it. This was not going to be good. Not only had Tolaris injured his friends, he had deliberately used Kov. More, he had deliberately used Anna, and caused her pain by doing so.
No, this was not going to be good. He would need extra meditation tonight before he confronted Tolaris tomorrow. Violence was never desirable, no matter how richly it might be deserved.
"If Captain Tucker was aware of this," Kuvak asked, "why did he consent to adding Tolaris to his staff?"
Anna snorted. "Trip's committed to making sure that he never does anything that might make T'Pol or T'Lissa look bad, no matter what it might cost him personally. He called T'Pau for advice and she told him that a Vulcan boss would have no logical reason not to hire the ... not to hire him. So Trip decided that he wasn't going to refuse him a job just because he was a worthless, miserable, scum sucking-"
"Anna," Kov said softly and stroked her hand. She stopped and threw herself into his arms, sobbing quietly. He held her and avoided his father's eyes. Kuvak, on the other hand, continued sipping his water and appeared unconcerned.
"Poor Trip," her voice was muffled against his chest. "He was acting like some kind of prince, and here I've been pouting and whining just because he growled a little. I should have him smack me." Kov tensed, and Anna giggled. "Settle down, it's just an expression. He wouldn't do that even if I did ask him to, which I won't."
"Once more I am consumed with respect for that young man," Kuvak said thoughtfully. "However I cannot agree with the Chief Minister's opinion. Given the circumstances I doubt that most Vulcans would have been willing to hire Tolaris. I can testify that I would not."
"Nor will I provide him with further assistance," Kov said with quiet vehemence. "Let his clan provide for him. If they will not, then let him starve."
"Sounds good to me," Anna said.
#
T'Pol cleaned up the breakfast dishes with a feeling of cautious relief, tempered with concern. She had confessed to Trip just before he left about her call to Anna the night before, and Kov's statement that he intended to deal with the matter. She was gratefully surprised when Trip took it in stride. Perhaps the unaccustomed extra rest had helped more than she realized.
"Hey," he had said, stroking her hair. "It was yours to tell, not mine. If you're ok with it, I'm ok with it. And none of them are gonna blab about it." She had grabbed him in a neck hug and planted a deep kiss, to which he had offered no objection.
"T'Lissa," she called, "come. We must prepare for the outing."
Her daughter came bounding into the kitchen with a sketch pad in one hand and a fistful of crayons in the other. "Ware we goin' Ma-mehk?"
"We are to meet krei Jul and Healer Kerlek at the University," T'Pol told her, "for additional testing of your telepathic development."
"Oky," the little one agreed. "I get clozes on."
"First," T'Pol told her, "you must bathe. Then you put clothing on."
"Why come?" T'Lissa demanded. "I don' smells bad."
"That is a matter for subjective assessment," T'Pol retorted. "In any case, you are already covered with crayon material and marker ink. Proceed to your bathroom and divest yourself of your sleepwear. I will join you shortly to assist."
"Yer meen!" The little said fiercely. "I don' wanna bath."
"T'Lissa," T'Pol said calmly. "You are going to bathe. You may go willingly, or I will pick you up and dunk you. Which do you prefer?"
"Urrr!" Her daughter threw down the notepad and crayons before turning to stalk off.
"T'Lissa!" The child halted. "Pick them up." The little one hesitated. "One... two..." T'Lissa turned and started gathering crayons in a hurry.
A mere one hour and 53 minutes later, they were ready to leave. T'Pol took her daughter's hand firmly and marched her out to the garage where the family aircar was parked with a determined stride. The little one, still unbowed but not as truculent, followed along without actually fighting to get free. The flight was conducted in petulant silence.
T'Lissa started to loosen up a bit when they reached the University. Copious vegetation and small wildlife roaming the grounds triggered her naturalist reflexes, and she immediately started pestering her mother for information. T'Pol was forced to stop every few steps to provide an in-depth description of every flower, animal, insect, moss, bush, vine, and passing alien that they encountered. Most of the aliens offered a smile or the equivalent.
The two healers were waiting in Kerlek's office. Greetings were exchanged, in T'Lissa's case with bouncing enthusiasm. The adults took a seat in Kerlek's consulting room, while T'Lissa got busy dismantling a plastic replica of the Vulcan digestive system. Jul opened the discussion.
"I have been consulting with Human colleagues, under the guise of conducting research in comparative psychology," she told T'Pol. "The more I learn, the more fascinated I become. Also, the more I realize that monitoring T'Lissa's mental development is going to be a far more complex undertaking than we originally realized. I propose the initiation of a regular schedule of psych assessments to be conducted in conjunction with her physical examinations, in addition to her telepathic training."
"Healer Kerlek? Do you concur?" T'Pol asked.
"I do," he replied. "Based on my own studies of the Human central nervous system, I consider the suggestion logical."
"Then I agree," T'Pol said. "I am certain that Trip will have no objections," she added as an afterthought. She included mention of her husband as a backhanded reminder that under Human custom, both parents held authority for such decisions. Even though under Vulcan law, since it involved their child's health, authority for the decision was hers alone.
"That is agreeable to hear," Jul told her. "Since I intend to request his assistance with comparative testing in order to establish baseline characteristics. I also request that you assist in this endeavor as well."
T'Pol said slowly. "I am willing to do whatever is necessary for the sake of my child's healthy development."
"The complications involved in this situation are multiple," Kerlek said thoughtfully. "Human telepathy is almost impossible to study under typical circumstances, to the point that its normal operational parameters are virtually unknown. All we can say with any confidence is that it seems to operate instinctively and involuntarily. When one complicates the situation by the presence of both a Vulcan mating bond, and a paternal bond with a mixed blood child, it will be difficult to determine whether the word 'normal' even applies to Charles anymore."
"Ther's nothin' wrong with Sa-da," T'Lissa stoutly maintained. "Sa-da's the goodest Sa-da."
"Indeed," he mother assured her. "For you, he is the perfect father." T'Lissa settled down, mollified, and went back to work splitting open the mannequin's stomach. "What effect do you anticipate our family environment having on our son?" T'Pol stroked her belly automatically.
"Certainly another aspect to be considered," Jul agreed. "I suspect that your son's telepathic abilities will develop even more rapidly than T'Lissa's, due to constant stimulation from the sibling bond. But only time will determine the answer."
#
Junior Liaison Larka settled down on the bench, heavily padded as was typical for Human offices, and assumed a position of waiting. She expected Captain Tucker to be late for the appointment. Humans in positions of authority often were, both as an expression of power and because they were chronically busy. It didn't matter. She was ready to wait all day if necessary.
She was surprised that a serious incident hadn't occurred sooner than the fight which caused her transfer from Earth. The ambassadorial staff here didn't even understand the basics of Human custom - like the importance of prior messaging before a visit, particularly to a workplace. She recalled again the recording of the brief combat between former Attache (now Junior Clerk) Koret and a Vulcan technician. Her antennae twitched involuntarily. Idiot. Captain Tucker had been remarkably patient with the fool. Far more patient than Koret deserved.
At least she was here now. As explained by Ambassador Kilruym, her most important responsibility would be to ensure that relations between People's Hero Tucker and the embassy remained cordial. Secondarily she would provide a point of contact for any Andorians involved in the Human warp project. In her spare time she was to offer supplemental training to embassy staff who were required to work with Humans in the general public. She did not anticipate an active social life.
She was pleased and somewhat surprised when Tucker arrived only eleven minutes late. Larka stood up and noted he was wearing an expression that, according to her training, indicated suppressed anger. She pulled her arms in close to her body, folded her hands in front, and inclined her head forward. For Humans, this was supposed to be the least provoking position that an adult female could assume while standing.
Tucker wiped his face with a sleeve and looked at her. He sighed and walked over, smiling with what looked like effort. "Hello. You must be the new liaison from the embassy." He offered a customary hand clasp. "Good to meet you."
Larka took the hand and bowed slightly. His dossier confirmed that Tucker had spent considerable time working with her people. It was safest for her expect that he would understand her body language at least as well as she understood his.
"I am deeply honored, captain," she murmured. "I thank you for sparing this time to meet me."
"No problem," he told her. "I'm sorry about bein' late. Had a personnel situation to deal with. Let's go into my office and get some icewater."
As soon as the door closed behind them Tucker adjusted the climate controls. Larka felt a high speed burst of cold air begin to circulate and sighed in relief before she could catch herself. Tucker grinned over his shoulder at her. "I don't usually spoil myself like this, since I just have to run right back out into it. But you're giving me an excuse. Grab a chair, something cold and wet coming up."
She took the mug with thanks. "Now," Tucker settled into his chair. "What can I do for you?"
She launched into an explanation of her presence and objectives. He nodded thoughtfully, with only an occasional comment. At the end Tucker shrugged. "You're welcome to drop in anytime. If you want, I can fix you up with some office space here. Won't be much, but it might save you having to carry files and such back and forth."
"That would be most helpful, captain," Larka told him. Inwardly, she was delighted. She had made a good first impression. To receive this type of offer without even requesting it was an excellent sign.
"Let me call my second," Tucker told her, reaching for the comm. "She's the only one here with any idea about what's going on in the office end of things." He spoke briefly with someone named Anna, who agreed to meet her in the cafeteria within half an hour.
"Sorry I can't stick around," Tucker stood up. "But I'll point you toward the eatery. At least it's more comfortable than the reception area. Call me if you need anything, or call Anna. If there's any issue with the Andorians here we want to know about it and fix it ASAP."
She smiled and offered a Human bow, including the antennae flex indicating respecful acknowledgement. "I will certainly do so, sir. Thank you again for your generous welcome." She listened and followed his directions toward the food service area, reflecting that Human's weren't really hard to work with at all, as long as you didn't poke them too much.
TBC