Chapter IV. Vulcan Meditation and a Dream
It was five months since Mother's outburst at the council house. As predicted, no one shunned us and the incident was forgotten. The war continued.
It was late both of Hellenes' moons had risen and were starting to wane in the night. T'Naa was in her bedroom in the back east corner of the villa. She sat upon a cushion laid upon the tile floor. Meditation candles burnt lending a soft waxy exotic aroma to the shadowed room. Light from the moons filtered into the spacious room through the window adding a soft glow. T'Naa looked at the statue of Surak in the little nook inserted in the wall. Then she glanced at the icon of the Lady and uttered an unspoken prayer. Tonight, hopefully the timing was right. Meditation was her link to her spouse. Gratius her bond mate hopefully was resting somewhere in space. There was a deep telepathic bond that often formed between Vulcans when they mated, it also formed between Latins. This bond was thought to be remnants of the Sindarin heritage of each race. What T'Naa had determined was that it was even more powerful and deeper between Gratius and herself. She could feel his thoughts, hopes, dreams, and whole self if he did not shield them from her when they were close. Yet now in the last three years they had been parted. It was difficult with such a strong mating bond to be separated from her husband. She could still sense his i'ki but not much else. Only recently T'Naa had determined that communication with Gratius was possible during meditation but only if he was asleep and dreaming of her.
This sharing of selves was infrequent because she did not know when Gratius slept and dreamt. But T'Naa often tried and had been able to connect several times; it lessened her sense of loss. Her Vulcan soul found these events pleasant and reassuring; they were in each other's mind communicating telepathically. T'Naa had heighted psi and empathy abilities far beyond anyone she knew and more powerful then she remembered as a young girl on Vulcan. T'Naa had noted this the first year of their bonding. She found she would feel Gratius' emotions and likewise he could detect hers. It was often painful initially as they would experience the other's sorrows and injuries. Yet as the years passed, they both learned to control what they felt so to protect the other. With it came a better understanding of the partner's inner self. She would respond to his desires and he would feel hers, it brought them closer to each other sexually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. They still were separate beings but the bond forged between them merged them somehow so they could sense each other's thoughts and communicate mentally even at great distances. Yet this ability to communicate when he was light years away was amazing to her. Their mate bond was extremely strong. After leaving Vulcan and experiencing this bonding with Gratius, T'Naa had wished to converse with her mother about these psychic bonds, but her mother would not respond.
T'Naa relaxed, breathing deeply, slowly. She closed her eyes and emptied her mind of thoughts. In moments she entered the white emptiness of meditation. In her mind, her eyes opened and she stood examining this milky void. Slowly across this small space a shape appeared. It gathered form and being becoming the vision of her spouse, Gratius.
Gratius slowly turned and examined the white emptiness of T'Naa's inner thoughts. The void gained colour and became a rusty sandy plain on Vulcan near Mt. Seleya, where they had met before they bonded. T'Naa stood before Gratius in the image he remembered from that first meeting. She was dressed in the tradition Vulcan robe but had it untied and opened to reveal the long violet tunic that clung to her tightly, falling to just below her knees, highlighting her womanly form. His eyes traced her body, starting from her small shapely sandaled feet and ending at the chocolate brown eyes of her beautiful olive toned face. He remembered this appearance because T'Naa had purposely left her robe open and untied. This was illogical for her but T'Naa had done it to attract his attention and stoke his desire for her.
She smiled and thought, "T'hy'la, Blue eyes we meet and share our thoughts."
T'Naa recognized the smile on Gratius' face. It was the same as when they had covertly met at this holy site on Vulcan almost a decade ago. Here at that shrine was where T'Naa chose to leave Vulcan and bond with Gratius. Her desire for him as her husband burned deeply overwhelming her emotion control so easily that she was frightened yet ecstatic also. She often visited this memory when she meditated. Often her husband would appear.
"Ashayam, my little Elve maid, my dreams are sweet this night."
"You dream and rest Adun?" asked T'Naa rhetorically, knowing Gratius was sleeping far away upon a star ship, somewhere in the expanse of Klingon space.
"Ah, as you must be meditating in our sleep room on Hellas, Tal-Kam."
"Correct." T'Naa sighed. She smiled brightly and approached Gratius, extending two fingers in the ozh'esta, the touching of the index and middle fingers with one's bond mate, the Vulcan form of a kiss. Hot powerful sensations passed between them and they locked eyes, saying nothing, thinking nothing for long moments.
"You are missed greatly. I find it agreeable to see you even if it is only in my inner thoughts with only our minds joined while the rest is only an illusion."
"Only agreeable?" teased Gratius. "It feels real to me and definitely not an illusion. Yet I would rather be home and lying in our room joined and …"
T'Naa quickly placed two fingers on Gratius lips. He stopped speaking, his eyes full of amusement and questions. It always amazed T'Naa that this small action would cause him to cease speaking and listen to her. When they were together, she often used it as part of her flirting with her spouse. The sensation this act caused in the spouses was very pleasant.
"Agreed coitus would be pleasant," T'Naa softly whispered. She removed her fingers and kissed Gratius on the mouth and he responded in kind.
Long moments passed, T'Naa sitting on her cushion moaned softly and sensually stretched her torso ever so slightly. A soft sigh escaped her lips minutes later and she relaxed.
In the meditation expanse, Gratius lay beside his adun'a and stroked her long raven hair lightly. He studied her face; she laid there, eyes closed, softly breathing, her head on his chest listening to the thump of his heart, and very content.
"How is everything, my Vuhlkansu?" asked Gratius
"I am content, Blue eyes, my Latin Adun," she sighed and then opened her eyes and studied his face. "Yet I sense you shield much of your mind from me. Are you truly safe?"
"Ah, I am as safe as all others at war. Yet in the coming days, we will see some ground combat. It could become more dangerous but do not worry. Our love protects me and your logic guides my actions."
T'Naa's breath caught and she trembled slightly. She traced the outline of Gratius' face with two fingers. "Sa'telsu, my Blue eyes, please do not hide the truth from me. I could not bear to lose you."
"T'Naa I sleep and dream, since you are with me, all I have are happy thoughts of our life together," responded Gratius. "I admit that the ground operations cause some anxiety in my being but it is of little consequence at this moment. Let us enjoy our time while it lasts."
T'Naa raised her left eyebrow in thought. "True he sleeps out in space, his body relaxed and his mind receptive to my thoughts. Perhaps a meld?" She placed her right hand on her husband's face and said,
"My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts."
Unbelievably, she found herself deeper into his mind. T'Naa saw his love for her. She felt the loss they shared when Marcus' twin sister disappeared within a year of their birth. Her Vulcan psyche sensed the bond that was established between them and his desire to be home with the family. She felt a green blush crawling up her neck caused by his lustful desire for her. T'Naa smiled and reciprocated similar thoughts back to Gratius even though it caused her to blush even more deeply. His eyes were closed but he sighed and grinned that stupid smile of his she loved so. Her heart melted and love swelled in her bosom. But she found nothing about the upcoming military action; he had closed that entirely off to her. She was frustrated and frightened.
T'Naa removed her hand and realized that the Vulcan scene had been replaced by the whiteness of her meditation haven. Gratius appeared to fade before her eyes.
"I fear that my dream state ends and I am awakening, Adun'a," he said softly with a hint of sadness. "Is all well at home?"
T'Naa realized that her mind probing had stirred him in his sleep; she frowned and was annoyed by her selfish action.
"Your sa'mekh'al has the farm in hand. Our children grow and learn. All is well. We all miss you. Adela prays much to The Lady and to Lady Galadriel for your safety. She is often out before the grotto in the morning when I arise," she responded rapidly as he disappeared from her presence.
T'Naa ended her meditation and opened her eyes. Her room, their room, their bed all appeared in place. She sighed and then stood quickly, with the gracefulness of a cat and stretched her torso. Her lips slightly curled up with her characteristic half smile that indicated happiness and satisfaction. She had not slept for five nights, meditating long hours. Finally tonight T'Naa had had success and managed to establish their bond. Granted at the great distance between them it only worked when her spouse slept and dreamed and it was often brief. Wistfully, she thought of dreams. Vulcans do not dream, but this had been like a dream.
"Dakh'uh n'pthak," thought T'Naa remembering Surak's teachings on fear. Casting out fear from her thoughts and heart, she relaxed. Now contentment ensued after the interaction with her mate.
Then her sharp Vulcan hearing caught Marcus' voice speaking softly. She frowned slightly. Perhaps they should have purged the memory of his twin from his thoughts. Gratius had thought that best, but T'Naa knew that the Vulcan half of her son would have an empty place in his subconscious if they removed the twin bond from him. So they left that small memory. Yet now he seemed often to dream and from what he spoke in his sleep it seemed to be about his twin.
T'Naa quietly left her sleep room and entered the hallway, her feet noiselessly walked upon the tiled floor as she silently entered Marcus' bedroom. She shivered slightly, the floor was chilly and T'Naa still was never warm enough on Hellenes. Yet she ignored this sensation and approached her son's bed. He lay on his back, breathing slowly. His rem movements indicated he was dreaming.
"Ah, but I do not know what you mean with the word Komihn?" said Marcus in his sleep.
T'Naa arched her left eyebrow and wondered what this dream was about. For a fleeting moment she thought to meld and see his dream, but then decided to allow him his privacy. T'Naa studied her son. His soft blond hair was disheveled and his bangs hung over his eyes.
"I will have Adela cut his hair in the morning," thought T'Naa lovingly. "It grows so fast."
She wanted to lightly kiss him on his right cheek but decided against it. T'Naa felt a small regret; it was illogical to have a favorite child and illogical to feel regret. Yet Marcus was her favored one. Worst she sensed that Lucia was aware of this fact. Control. She must have more emotion control and not favor him so much. It would be difficult with Gratius gone; Marcus was T'Naa's small reminder of her spouse. Adela often said that Marcus was a small version of Gratius and reminded her of when Gratius was a young boy.
She studied him more. How quickly he grows and without his father, if they were on Vulcan it would not be unusual. But Latins with their multigenerational families living together acted differently than Vulcans, she knew he needed his father. She, along with Ignatius and Adela, could only provide so much. Even with the help of Pater Theos, T'Naa knew that Marcus longed for his father's presence as did Lucia.
Marcus softly mumbled again, "Poli, I think you are mistaken."
T'Naa's right hand pressed against her heart. He was dreaming again of his twin sister, she was certain. This knowledge almost overcame her control and T'Naa knew she needed to retreat back to her room, lest she actually meld and invade his subconscious out of curiosity. The Vulcan mother slowly left Marcus' bedroom and returned to her own. She extinguished the meditation candles.
T'Naa reclined upon the bed and grasped her book. She touched the soft screen and went to the images stored in the book's memory. T'Naa looked upon the pictures of her three children when they were infants. Lucia so dark, like herself but with a hint of Gratius in her face. Marcus, so fair and pink from his iron-based blood, smiling as he lay by his twin sister, his blue eyes contrasting so much from her soft brown eyes. T'Naa had almost laughed upon seeing him after the birth, not olive skinned like Lucia but so pink with soft light yellow hair and almost round ears. He was so unlike his twin. T'Naa face twisted into her little smile at the memory. She wondered what it would be like to laugh, yet Vulcans do not laugh.
Then T'Naa's eyes and thoughts returned to the image of the twins, especially the girl and a single tear rolled down her left cheek and fell on the book. She quickly wiped it off the screen.
T'Pol was the child's name. It was T'Naa's grandmother's name. The baby T'Pol had chestnut coloured hair and light brown eyes that sometimes had appeared to be more hazel in colour. T'Naa remembered that about little baby T'Pol. Her second daughter was so petite and angelic in this image. She looked like a true Vulcan as did Lucia, green-blooded because of the copper based hemocyan, slanted eyebrows, and tapering pointed ears. T'Pol looked like a little Elve girl. T'Naa had been very content. It was logical to enjoy the emotions these twins stirred in her bosom. She had suckled the twins for nearly a year and then it occurred.
"It is illogical, why would someone take my ko-fu," mused T'Naa again. Even after seven years, the pain never left. The bonding of a Vulcan mother with her child was deep and infinite, shared thoughts all through the pregnancy and after during the suckling joined them. True as they aged, the bonding lessened to become less intimate so not to interfere with her bond with Gratius, but it still remained.
This disappearance of baby T'Pol rippled through all the worlds of the empire and parents kept their children close out of fear. Fear, something not common to the citizens of the empire, yet it still manifested itself even now, especially with the war occurring. The Empress had used all resources, even to appealing to the Sindar for assistance.
Lady Tauriel of the Sindar informed them that the Elves could sense nothing about the infant T'Pol's disappearance. T'Naa's rage and hatred had blazed for months; she had lost almost all control of her emotions and logic failed. If she could have determined who was responsible for this heinous crime she could have killed them with her own hand. Only Gratius' love and support and the fact that her two other children needed her pulled T'Naa from her black despair.
Yet even now she knew that T'Pol was alive somewhere, the bond was faint but still intact. So she knew…
I slept and my dreams came again, often they were dark things with hidden meanings I could not fathom. Yet tonight I dreamed of the little Vulcan girl again. It started simply. I was standing outside of our villa looking at the Evinos as it flowed happily past my home. Across the stream emerging from the trees stepped the young Vulcan. She was petite, with chestnut hair, brown eyes, and a slight rebellious look to her. Like all Vulcans, she had that condensing attitude of superiority about her. Yet this young girl intrigued me. Tonight's dream was different for we actually spoke and she acknowledged my existence.
As always I approached her and this time she did not retreat away but also approached me. She had a sehlat with her; that was a first.
"Perhaps she feels safer with the sehlat present," I mused.
"Tonk'peh," I stated softly as I smiled and looked at her soft brown eyes.
She stared at me for a moment. Her face was set and emotionless. Then she said rather icily, "Why are you here? You are not invited and should not be here."
For some reason I knew this was a dream, so I responded, "I could ask the same since this is my dream. I have seen you many times in my dreams yet you have never chosen to speak before."
"This is my space, not yours. I had hoped that you would cease to appear. It is illogical that you continue to intrude on my private thoughts. So today I decided to speak to you and perhaps ask you to leave," she replied forcefully. Her face displayed annoyance.
I moved closer to Evinos and then said, "Maybe we should agree to disagree about whose dream this is and instead introduce ourselves."
She studied me for long moments silently. I noticed her demeanor soften slightly and her eyes bespoke curiosity about me.
"Agreed," she replied. "Come nearer so we may introduce ourselves with some decorum rather than shouting at one another."
I crossed the Evinos and was surprised that my feet and clothing did not get wet from the water. Clearly this was a dream. As my foot stepped upon the other side of the stream, I realized that I was no longer at home. The ground was sandy, reddish in colour. I was confused.
"Where had our farm went? Only in a dream could things not be what they appear."
The Vulcan noted my dismay and said, "You look confused Komihn."
"Ah, but I do not know what you mean with the word Komihn?"
She stared at me for a moment and then replied, "You are unknowing of your species?"
"Certainly I know what I am just as I know you are a Vuhlkansu. I am confused as to why I appear to be on Vulcan when moments ago I was at home on Hellas."
"Hellas?" she asked, her eyebrow rising in an almost identical fashion like Lucia or Mother. This startled me and caused more questions in my thoughts.
"You are Greek Komihn?" she asked.
"Ri, I am not Greek or a Terran, since that must be what you mean by Komihn." I realized now that she thought that Hellas meant Greece, since that is how those Terrans referred to their country. It was obvious to me that she had knowledge of Terra's geography and history. So komihn must be her name for Terrans. I remember Pater Theos using Komihn to describe Terrans.
"You appear to be a Komihn but I would agree that you are too fair to be a Greek."
"My name is Marcus," I stated. Then I lifted my left hand in the ta'al and said, "Dif-tor heh smusma."
She returned the ta'al and replied, "Sochya eh dif Marcus." She lowered her hand. Then looking me over, she stated, "I am T'Pol, ko-fu of Kirak and T'Les, a member of the S'thk T'Vuh Skann. I reside in the H'terkri Provence of Vulcan near the city of Shi'Kahr, the capital."
I nodded and noted she now stood with her hands behind her back, her brown eyes searching me expectantly. I realized she wanted to have a more complete introduction.
I bowed my head in acknowledgment and then replied, "I apologize for my informality T'Pol of Shi'Kahr. I am Marcus T'Naa Marcellus, sa'fu of Gratius Marcellus Linux of the IX Legion of the Latansu Empire and of T'Naa of Vulcan, a sa'fu of the House of T'Naa-Marcellus, resident of Kolir in the southern continent of Hellas. It is merely a village." I included the village portion to needle this little smug Vulcan girl about her Shi'Kahr, the capital statement.
T'Pol's face clouded. She looked confused. Finally she asked, "You claim that your ko-mekh is a Vuhlkansu?"
"Ah, born in the city of Sha'Kir, near the..."
"I know of its location."
"You do not need to be so rude T'Pol."
She pouted briefly and I almost laughed. Mother had said that some Vulcan children struggled with emotion control and often had their emotions close to the surface. They were punished for this. I had thought that she had a rebel look to her and now it was apparent.
"Why do you have that stupid Komihn smile, yet claim that your ko-mekh is Vuhlkansu?"
"I guess I smile because I find you amusing, interesting, we are talking finally, I…"
"Amusing?" interrupted T'Pol. She now seemed very confused and off balance. Her left eyebrow again rose indicating rapid thought and wonder.
"I apologize for my offense. I did not mean to insult," I said to ease the tension.
T'Pol almost smiled with the corner of her mouth curling up ever so slightly, much like Mother. Again I was intrigued by her similar actions to my mother. She relaxed and looked me in the eyes saying, "No offense is taken if none was intended. I also apologize. You often have intruded during my meditations and it unsettles me."
"I did not intend to intrude; it always appeared to me that you entered my dreams."
T'Pol sat down on the sand by her sehlat. She looked up at me and said, "Sanu Marcus sit. I wish to know you better if you are to constantly annoy me."
I sat beside her but not too close and smiled thinking, "She teases me."
"What do you wish to know?" I asked.
"What is this Latansu Empire that your sa'mekh is a member of the ninth legion? And why did you say you were on Hellas and where is it located?"
I now was surprised. How could she be a Vulcan and not know of the Latin Empire? I stared at her for a moment and then said, "Vulcan and the whole Eridani system is part of the Latansu Empire besides the worlds of Rigel Kent, the worlds of Procyon, and numerous other small star systems. If you live near Shi'Kahr then you would be aware of this fact."
"Vulcan is not part of a Latansu empire, but a confederation with a Vuhlkansu High Command. My sa'mekh is an officer in the military. I am unaware of a Latansu Empire and of any planets around Rigel Kent that have anyone but Komihns residing. The Komihns are colonizing that system. They are our allies. And we Vuhlkansu would never be aligned with Andorsu."
"Poli, I think you are mistaken."
Her eyes flashed for a moment. "I am not mistaken and my name is T'Pol."
I sighed and smiled then said, "I again apologize. I have an older ko-kai named Lucia, but I call her Luci and she calls me Marco. I was a t'dahsu with another ko-kai. Her name was T'Pol like your name but she is gone now. I think I would have called her Poli and she would have called me Marco, copying Luci. For some reason, I seem to think that my lost t'dahsu would look like you T'Pol."
T'Pol sat silent for a moment and thought, "Anger, arrogance, and impatience are emotions I must learn to control. He seems kind and meant no offense."
Then she said, "Did your ko-kai T'Pol die?"
"Ri not that I know. She disappeared when we were only infants. Taken from my mekhs one day and never seen again. Ko-mekh grieved much over this." I answered sadly. I then hung my hand down and absently played with the red sand beneath my feet. My eyes looked out over the vast desert of Vulcan. My eyes felt wet as tears started to form as I absently studied the orange coloured star Eridani A, Vulcan's sun.
T'Pol slide closer to me and placed her hand upon my shoulder. "I grieve with thee, Marco," she said quietly and gave me a gentle squeeze in comfort. "Yet you are fortunate to still have another kaisu. I am an only kan. I am often lonely. I should not say that since loneliness is an emotion and Vuhlkansu do not get lonely."
"Yes they do T'Pol; my ko-mekh is lonely for my sa'mekh. I can tell this by her manner and how she acts."
Then I started a moment and followed up with, "You called me Marco, my nickname and you are touching me on my shoulder. This is not very Vuhlkansu."
T'Pol truly smiled at me and replied, "This is not real. I meditate. No one can see and disapprove of my emotional actions here in my special place."
I nodded and replied, "I think this is a dream but you seem so real to me. How old are you?"
"I am past eight years."
"So am I," I returned smiling. "We are the same age."
T'Pol thought for a moment. Then she looked me in the eyes and said, "Marco, I would find it agreeable if you called me Poli and we could pretend to be t'dahsu kaisu if you would find some solace in this arrangement."
I nodded and answered, "I would like that Poli. Perhaps when my skann comes to Vulcan someday, we could meet."
"Unlikely, my ko-mekh does not like Komihns; she says your smell is offensive."
I laughed at this and replied, "But I am not Komihn, I am a rish-ha-vel."
T'Pol sadly shook her head and stated, "That is even worse in my ko-mekh's eyes."
"Is she so very difficult to live with?"
"Ah. I am often punished for my emotional displays. She says I am an inadequate Vuhlkansu ko-tik that must work on my control. I know it is wrong, yet it is often not agreeable to me when I interact with my Ko-mekh."
"I am sorry for you Poli. Is your sa'mekh also difficult?"
"Ri, I honor him. He understands me and does not lecture me about control as frequently as Ko-mekh." T'Pol paused here thinking and then said, "Yet you stated earlier that your ko-mekh is lonesome for your sa'mekh. Is he gone?"
"Ah, he has been gone for over three years, fighting in a war against the Tlingansu. They attacked us. I know that Ko-mekh is lonely for him. Some days I can tell she misses him very much."
"What is her manner on these days of which you speak?"
"She is more reserved and meditates more in her sleeping room. Luci and I have learned to be quiet and attentive. My sa'mekh's foremother, Adela and her adun Ignatius are also more reserved. We often spent these days working outside in the gardens or studying. They pass. Often after a long meditation she seems happy."
"Happy?"
"More settled, less impatient with us. She often has a contented look about her. I am happier at these times. But it is difficult, Luci and I, well all of us, miss him greatly. We do not like the Tlingansu. Pater Theos tells Luci and me that we must strive to love and forgive our enemies but I think that is silly notion. It is much easier to hate the Tlingansu, they are barbarians."
"Pater Theos, he is a priest?"
"Ah."
"Your foremother and her adun live with you."
"Ah, she is wonderful. She often makes little cakes and favors them with peaches, or berries, even fire fruit. Ko-mekh taught her to make plomeek soup and it is delicious. We have it at nearly every meal."
I saw T'Pol smile as she placed her chin on her right hand. She absently patted her sehlat and stared out into the red desert. In a moment her eyes regained her focus.
"You are fortunate to have much of your skann together even if your sa'mekh is absent. Foremothers are very special."
We sat silently for a moment and slowly the landscape turned green and it appeared we were on Hellenes sitting on the south side of Evinos and looking at my family's home. For a fleeting second, T'Pol's eyes widened in surprise before she managed to assume a calm logical look as she studied the scene that slowly appeared and became real. Yet I knew she was amazed.
"Fascinating," she said. She turned and looked at me, her brown eyes questioning and she could not mask the excitement she was experiencing. "This landscape is Hellas?"
"Ah, over across the stream is my mekh's ha-kel," I replied and then pointed to the villa.
A vision of my mother appeared as she exited the urbana and walked across the courtyard in front of the villa then turned to enter one of the kitchen gardens. I saw T'Pol quickly place her right hand upon her throat. She studied this vision of Mother for long moments.
"Marco, is that your ko-mekh?"
"Ah, Poli. It appears she is gathering fruit and vegetables for the meal."
"I must leave now Marco. I have found this introduction pleasing. Perhaps we will meet again."
She stood and very unVulcan-like gave me a hug and whispered, "Tsatik sa'kai of my thoughts I have found our meeting to be very agreeable and not unsettling. Agree with me to keep this our tsatik?"
I returned the hug and replied, "Imaginary t'dahsu of my dreams, our tsatik will be stored in the deep recesses of my i'ki hidden from all."
She turned and appeared to walk into the trees. I watched as she and her sehlat disappeared but not before she turned and looked one last time at me, the villa, and my mother. I realized that she had a thoughtful confused look on her innocent face. Then the dream ended, I rolled over in bed and continued to sleep.
Far away and in another time line in the future, young T'Pol of Vulcan jolted awake. She sat up in her bedroom and heard, Brax, her sehlat's quiet breaths as he slept by her bed. T'Pol caught the metallic song of the te-resh-kah, a silvery bird of Vulcan as it announced dawn from the branch of the indukah tree behind her home. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms about her legs. Her brown eyes indicated deep thoughts.
"It was a dream this time, not meditation. Yet I took courage and confronted the intruder, no Marco, yes that was the name of this sa'tik from my dream. Curious Ko-mekh says Vuhlkansu do not dream," T'Pol mused. Then she stretched her body and lay back on her bed. "Interesting, very interesting, but also disquieting," she softly said to herself. "It was pleasing yet I find this vision of his ko-mekh unsettling and I am confused. Something pulls at me and I do not understand this."
She closed her eyes and tried to sleep but it would not come.
"Perhaps during meditation I can purge these images from my mind. Yet do I desire this?" thought T'Pol. After several minutes of quiet musing, she thought, "Ri, I do not wish this. Ko-mekh must not know or she will be displeased. Perhaps allowing these images to again return will enlighten me on their meanings."
Out in the vast emptiness of the stellar expanse between the Latin Empire and the Klingon Empire, an armada of heavily armed warships moved in a large wedge formation. There was no haste in this fleet as it traveled at half impulse. On D deck of the ship known as TES (The Empress' Ship) 'Fields of Pelennor', in the officer's quarters, Gratius awoke suddenly. He remembered the dream and the apparent reality of his interactions with T'Naa. He lay on his back and smiled at that bittersweet meeting of souls and minds. He heard his brother, Aurileus' breathing and knew he slept yet.
"T'Naa somehow managed to mind-meld with me in our subconscious states, even though we are physically separated by many light years. I am amazed at this as before," thought Gratius. "Her telepathic powers are even more powerful than I remember. I know thoughts are instantaneous but to share them when we are so far apart is unique to our bond."
He pondered on their exchange and surreal actions during this joining of mind and soul. He smiled, felt happy in his heart, and content.
As he lay there, his thoughts turned to what he had hidden from his spouse. Gratius was not concerned about the upcoming battles that loomed ahead. Planet hopping was his father's plan. Subdue the outer worlds and use them as bases. Gratius shook his head ruefully. He knew his father well enough that it was a ruse for conquest. His father, the Legate of the IX Legion, wished to add worlds to the empire. You accomplished that by removing the male population of the planet and then providing young unmarried male troops, supervised of course, to repair the damage of the battles. Children, females, the old and infirmed would not be harmed. Technology, resources, and a kindly helping hand is what the follow-on legions would provide. These worlds would be Latinized by the intermarriage of these young troops with the widows and young women left on the planet. Adopt and raise the children, feed everyone, provide assistance, and rebuild the world. Make them part of us. They gain and we gain. The plan always is to upgrade the infrastructure and provide additional resources for these worlds. He knew that the powerful pheromones produced by the unbonded Latin males would easily attract and overcome any resistance of the Klingon females to mating and bonding with these select troops. Shortly the planet would be populated with rish-a-vels, Latin-Klingons, all loyal to Empress Alivia.
"Klingons," muttered Gratius softly. "I would never have believed that we would have some Latins with Klingon wives. Not that they are unattractive, but still I prefer my Vulcan mate with her sharp wit, subtle humor, and chocolate eyes that reads me like a book. I doubt this joining of Latins with Klingons will result in the deep bonds that T'Naa and I relish. It seems wrong somehow to do this, yet Alivia condones if not demands it. Yet, who am I to question my sister-in-law, The Empress."
He sighed and then realized that his grey military-issue underwear was soiled. He smiled as he quietly rose to change and thought, "My T'Naa is amazing. I am very happy this day."