A/N – Thank you to danalexkayarimad, spockawocka5678 and spectravel for the reviews AND partyof4 and Black-Dirge for adding to your faves.
Chapter 2 – The Last Praetor
Early the morning Sen awoke alone. "Neema," he called as he left his room.
Moments later, an older Romulan female wearing a grey jumpsuit appeared before him carrying a tray of Kava juice and penkris eggs in a pocket of wheat bread. "Your breakfast sir," she said.
"Thank you. Have you seen Alawa?"
"She went to the pond, sir."
Hmmm a swim sounds nice especially since I have a long day of meetings ahead.
Within the vast garden, a green tinged crystalline structure encased a warm fresh water spring. Luxurious wooden lounge chairs surrounded the large pond formed from cream and fuchsia rocks. The rounded rocks provided natural steps, grooves and seats almost better than an artificial pool would. Just as Sen threw his robe on the chaise, Alawa emerged from the pond completely nude. "Good morning Sen," she said. Dumbfounded, he stared at her. "You swim clothed?"
"Yes," he muttered trying not to stare since he realized it wasn't such a good idea to become too aroused.
"You told me to speak my mind and never act like a servant again. Am I still a slave or do I have my freedom?"
"By Romulan law to remain on the planet, you must remain a slave. However, as Praetorsyn I grant you …your freedom." Sen placed his robe around her shoulders.
"So I can go anywhere I want and do anything I want?"
"Yes," he replied sadly fearing she would leave for good.
"Then I will do so." Casting the robe aside, she jumped up and wrapped he legs around his waist. "I've wanted to do this since the moment I met you." She nibbled on the tips of his ears.
In a state of utter ecstasy, he ran his fingers along the back of her neck to the spot he discovered the night before causing her tremble in delight. Savoring every touch, he lowered them down to the lounge while she undid his trunks. By touching her, her Orion animalistic desires consumed Sen.
Hours later they cuddled next to each other, glistening, panting, glowing and smiling. "It's true what they say about Romulan stamina."
"It's true what they say about an Orion woman's passion."
Together they dove into the pond where she playfully splashed him. "What are we doing today?"
"I'm attending meetings…boring meetings."
Alawa wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly letting him feel a spark of friendship and sated desire. "Well at least your morning wasn't boring."
A knock on the door interrupted them. "Sir, you have your meeting in a few minutes."
"Neema please take Alawa shopping today." Sen kissed Alawa lightly on the lips. "Though my shirts flatter you better than they do me, you'll need some clothes for elegant parties and whatever else you can think of."
"If I'm not your slave then what am I to you?"
Sen glanced down. He couldn't answer that. He couldn't verbalize the things he suspected about himself or the need he felt to touch her mind which became a near addiction. "Whatever you wish to be," he stated flatly. After he put on his trunks, he quickly kissed her goodbye.
That day's meeting confirmed the destruction of Vulcan through military reconnaissance. For the first time in years the Senate became completely quiet. No one spoke of conquests or expansion. Many of Sen's brethren looked fearful. Though the empire had nothing to do with its destruction, they wondered if they would be blamed and if the Federation would take an aggressive stance. All agreed to adjourn for now and wait two weeks to assess the situation and see just what the Federation did.
After a slew of one on one meetings with the senators, Sen returned home just in time for his evening meal. Before he could take two steps inside, Alawa flew into his arms and kissed him. "So do you like?" She twirled in a simple but elegant gold mini dress with a matching headband.
"Very lovely," he replied. Her cheerfulness rubbed off on him.
"I have loads of gowns too. I will have a chance to wear them won't I?" She pouted and batted her eyelashes.
"Of course you will." A delicious flavorful scent radiated from the kitchen. "Did you cook Nierona chowder?"
"No, I'm rubbish in the kitchen but I did choose the Idra fruit." She removed an orange and white speckled bubbled fruit the size of a large strawberry from her pocket. "They're my favorite." She took a bite and fed him the second bite. "C'mon, dinner's done."
Sitting together at the very end of the grand dining hall softly lit in yellow light, Sen ate his favorite seafood chowder. "You'll hear it on the news but Vulcan was truly destroyed; over six billion dead."
"I mourned when I heard it. The guards spoke of it last week." She looked at him sympathetically. "If you mourn for them, I won't tell."
"I mourned when I heard it last week." For the first course, they ate in an awkward silence. Several times his servants bustled about bringing refills. Etiquette dictated they serve him silently. However, Alawa greeted them with a smile and said a polite comment or two which they returned. The typical Romulan xenophobia should have prevented that. "How does a girl who grew up in the middle of nowhere command such social graces and get my staff to accept her despite her being an alien?"
" It just comes naturally. My parents always said I was special." She passed him the bread. "What are you doing tomorrow?
"Tomorrow I'm going to the shipyards to approve and improve the specs on our new ships." Nothing pleased him more than to see all his scientific discoveries being put into practice with the engineers figuring out how to put theory into reality.
"Can I go, please?"
"There's nothing glorious about it."
"Please," she begged.
"Very well," he conceded.
After dinner, he relaxed with a glass of ale while Alawa chatted with Neema in the kitchen about shopping, clothing and other topics that completely bored Sen. Touching the control panel on his inn table, the wall in front of his couch split into five view screens: planetary news, intergalactic news, scientific frontiers, the sports channel and his guilty pleasure: Iumnahna Dohhae- Ailhunz: Desperate Housewives. Later Alawa joined him and politely remained quiet until he found out who Nura's baby's father was and who Raziel plotted to kill.
"Not many Romulans can split their attention between five different screens and still comprehend all of them." She sipped from his glass before setting it on the table. Slowly and seductively she positioned herself to where she straddled him.
"My parents always said I was special."
"You are." She gently kissed the tips of each of his ears. "Close your eyes. I have two presents for you." When he did, he felt her clasp something around his wrist. "You may look now. These are silk replicas of Alawa leaves. My parents named me after that plant because my eyes are the same color. The next time you're in a boring meeting, you can look at this and think of all the things we do together. Then you won't be so bored."
Sen studied the spade shaped penny sized bluish green leaves on a synthetic vine. "Then I won't be thinking about my meetings at all." His hands slid from her thighs towards her hips. "Should I close my eyes for my second present?"
"No," she replied. "Your second present is that I requested that no one enter the living room tonight. The Uhaii agreed to stay out of sight but not out of earshot." She pulled apart her dress down the middle to reveal her nude jade green figure.
After a thrilling but exhausting interlude, they fell asleep. Well before the sun rose, Sen awoke on his couch nude with Alawa snuggled against him; both of them lying beneath his royal robes. For awhile, he caressed her, enjoyed what he considered perfection. Always quiet and unassuming, his Uhaii guard Bakarne watched as Sen carried Alawa upstairs to his room. Before he could go in, Bakarne scanned the room for listening devices, bombs and most anything dangerous or compromising. Once Bakarne left, Sen placed Alawa in the bed before showering and resuming his studies.
The next morning when Alawa joined him and his guards just before they beamed to the shipyard, Sen nearly laughed at her outfit: denim multi pocketed coveralls with a tool belt, work boots and a cap. His beautiful Orion lover looked like a deck hand.
"Stop snickering Sen! I'm fully capable of building engines. Maybe I don't have your understanding of all the high theoretical math and science behind it but I know a lot of it and how to apply it."
After a few relayed beams, they arrived at the secure facility. Massive partially built green Romulan warbirds filled the hollowed out moon shipyard. Several had a sleek look of a bird of prey, built for speed and maneuverability. Colossal Deridex class warbirds could hold smaller attack ships in its hollow double winged pattern. Those remained in the very early stages of production. Hundreds of mechanics using various tools worked on the ships, tiny specks against the enormous ships.
A female engineer with short grey hair wearing a tech uniform saluted them. "Praetorsyn, we are honored by your presence."
"Thank you Enarrain Tototl." He returned the salute. "Alawa here is most anxious to implement my lofty equations into practical engine and weapons improvements. If you will show her some areas where you need assistance, I would be most grateful."
Tototl skeptically glanced at Alawa. "By your command sir," she answered.
"Your cooperation is most appreciated. After all, we wouldn't want her talent or her lovely new outfit to go to waste." His slight humor amused Tototl but he could see Alawa fuming so he took her aside. "There's no need to be angry. Your skills compliment mine."
"You should learn practical applications as well. Why don't you help?"
"What are those?" He pointed to a three shelved cart with the largest box in red at the bottom, the medium blue one in the middle and a small gold one at the top.
"Anti-gravity tools for massive parts," she said pointing to the bottom box. "Brass tools for anti-static work and that one is very delicate jobs."
"That is why you're better at engineering." He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I don't even know how to open those boxes…except in theory since I'm a scientist." At that remark, he raised one eyebrow causing her to smile.
She pressed her hands against his chest and kissed him. "You're my handsome nerd."
Sen heard several people joining them nearby. "Time to join my fellow nerds for some theorizing," he remarked as he strode away.
Late that afternoon when Sen returned, he found Alawa and several technicians modifying power couplings to improve the energy flow on his flagship. Immediately, they snapped to attention and saluted him except Alawa who blew him a kiss. With the normal work day finished, they worked on their own project. The crew that included techs of both sexes looked slightly apprehensive at the sight of him, par normal, and disappointed.
"I thought you would be here later." Alawa donned a crew hat now as well as some grease smudges which he noted as she hopped up to greet him. "We're nearly done and they asked me to get one drink with them afterwards." She shifted from one foot to another. "Since you'll be returning everyday for a bit, we had some other ideas we wanted to try."
Like his staff, this crew seemed genuinely fond of her. For some of the males, their interest seemed to be more than friendly, typical in the company of an Orion female. "Well I wouldn't want to disappoint but I can only spare you for one drink."
Since he didn't know practical engineering, he pretended to inspect some of the items they worked on. "Well done." He approached the highest ranking engineer of the crew, a woman younger than himself. "For the next ten working days, your crew is to spend two hours a day making improvements to every system. Log everything you do from techniques to materials but your total budget may not exceed a thousand credits. No safety standards may be compromised. I encourage you to think outside the square. Afterwards, we will test your improvements. If I am impressed, we will implement these changes fleet wide, name them after your crew and give each member of your team a bonus. Do you find this acceptable?"
She and her entire team looked at each other eagerly. "Yes sir," she answered.
Sen and his elite guard, the Uhaii branch of the Tal'Shiar left the technicians to do their job. They waited in the round room known as the Aelhe or thinking room. The subdued slightly slick white walls had several equations written on them. Sen picked up a stylus and began ciphering on one. "Zelipe, now that I am of age to be taken seriously, what is the public's opinion of me?"
A male Romulan roughly Sen's age stepped forward. Often, Praetors confided in the Uhaii because their loyalty and mental conditioning prevented them for divulging political or personal information to anyone. Their honesty grounded their leaders as well. "They find you aloof but no other Praetor has commanded greater admiration for their intellect. They feel that you are smarter than the entire senate combined. They wonder about your strength as a leader though and your desire to lead."
"That does give me something to think about." Sen corrected some of the equations on the board. "Alawa has become important to me. What is your personal opinion on that?"
"Both you and your father have four billion citizens that you're responsible for. Balancing all their wants and needs economically, militarily and socially every day is a burden many would kill for but once they have that power would fail. However, not one of them is responsible for your well-being."
Sen looked at him skeptically. "The Uhaii branch is responsible for that."
"No, we are responsible for keeping your being well even if keeping you alive counters your direct orders." Zelipe referred to the one of the laws of the Uhaii: if a Praetor issued an order that endangered their own life, the Uhaii would ignore it to keep the Praetor alive. "Of all the females you've been with, she is the only one who is solely enamored with you and not of your position. If you have one person who makes you happy while you look after the rest of us, so be it. On a minor note, when you're with her, you seem less aloof."
"Thank you Zelipe. I think you're right. May I ask a favor of you?"
"Anything," Zelipe replied.
"Get a guard for her, if possible a member of the Uhaii," Sen stated.
"Since regulations forbid the use of an Uhaii to guard a mere slave and public opinion of said use of an Uhaii would be frowned upon, we are making arrangements. We've already begun scheduling our off-duty hours to coincide with her schedule. It seems many of us share her interests in gardening, engineering and shopping." Sen's shocked expression amused him. "We've been friends since childhood. You think I didn't notice the way you are with her; she brings out the best in you except for the over possessiveness." Zelipe chuckled a moment. "Not to mention that bracelet she gave you. Your entire guard has noticed." The rest nodded.
"Zelipe, you really think she meant the meant it in the way most Orion females would?" With the Orions, slavery was based on a caste system with the rich being in charge as with most societies. Slaves wore collars around their necks. Also they were a matriarchal society. While they didn't have formal marriage rites, the females gave their chosen male or males a bracelet to where to symbolize that they owned their love and to ward off other females.
"Yes I do but I'm sure you'll find out for yourself."
"I plan to." Sen smiled and returned to ciphering.
When he returned to Alawa that evening, he touched her hand and focused. She really did give the bracelet to show that she possessed his heart. That night they christened the flagship.
The Uhaii
Twenty-five years ago Sen's Uhaii guards were chosen in the most unique but traditional way. Many children, mostly of lower classes or from outlying farming or mining areas who had little in the way of prospects assembled for a unique opportunity to see the capitol city of Rhesaena and other great rewards. No one knew exactly what the contest entailed but participated anyways.
In a small classroom setting, these children gathered in groups of twenty with their only guidance being an older woman they thought to be a teacher instructing them to wait and to do as they wished while they did and of course to behave. Then she left them alone. Most of the children were about ten years old, some a little older and some a little younger. Within an hour, they had broken off into social cliques.
One of the boys read an electronic pad that none of the other children understood. A couple of the children looked on curiously at the advanced science the boy read. The boy explained some of the things he read and chatted with the small group that sat near him. At one point the boy looked slightly dizzy. Zelipe suggested some food and drink for the boy. The boy had forgotten that he had brought food and drink because he was so into his reading. He then shared.
A couple hours later some bullies decided to pick on the eccentric boy who read about advanced sciences. A slightly older and therefore larger boy named Urdu, who had just watched them solemnly prior, punched the bully in the stomach. He confessed that he defended the nerdish child because he reminded him of his younger brother who died of a childhood illness.
Several like groups formed a bond of friendship with the eccentric child. Because of that friendship, the empire granted them the opportunity to gain a well rounded education but with the specializations of hand to hand combat, weapons training and tactics to become Uhaii. Some classes they attended with the eccentric boy named Sen. Their families were rewarded as well.
All in all for twenty guards, the seeds of a genuine childhood friendship were cultivated through mental conditioning to a deep devotion to their leader that blackmail, torture and bribery couldn't break. Unlike hired guards, it was their honor and pleasure to sacrifice themselves for their leader. Many of them kept covert ties with the underworld through a varied network of acquaintances. This kept them aware of any plots against their leader and gage public opinion. Like the rest of the Tal'Shiar, they were above the law and justly feared. In reciprocation, their leader learned to further cultivate that loyalty with his genuine appreciation and friendship.
A couple of weeks later, Sen stood beneath the morning sun in a large clearing within his garden. Three enemies circled him: an Andorian with a knife, a Klingon with a Batliff and a Human with a phaser. First the human took aim. Sen charged him dodging the phaser fire. He grappled the human and touched to pressure points on his wrist forcing the human to let go of the phaser. At the same time, he applied pressure to the human's neck to make him pass out. Before Sen could fire the phaser, it jammed so he cast it aside. Before he could dodge, the Andorian stabbed him in the back. With no other weapon available, he slammed the Andorian and Human's heads together. Then he threw their bodies at the charging Klingon. The bodies combined weight on top of the Klingon temporarily winded him. As Sen pounced on top of the pile, he struck a quick blow to the Klingon's throat.
"End game," announced Prinel.
The three Uhaii on the ground stood up and pushed buttons on their belts which ended the rather blurry holographic images that surrounded them from the neck up. While the technology wasn't good enough to fool anyone, it did provide excellent training. Zelipe reviewed the results with Prinel.
Sen took the cool towel from one of his servants and wiped the sweat from his brow. "If you are guarding me, why must I be some sort of combat expert?"
"If an enemy breaks through our defenses, you'll need to defend yourself. If you are trained, you stand a much better chance of living. Foremost, that is our goal: keeping you alive." Zelipe tilted his head up.
"You really get smug when you out logic me." Sen grabbed another towel. "I'm going for a swim."
"So that's what you're calling it," Zelipe remarked since he knew Alawa did her morning laps now.
The palace alarms suddenly screeched and four massive gun turrets at each corner of the property emerged taking aim and something in the distance. Ten of the Uhaii grabbed him and ushered him to a large boulder nearby. Another guard almost carried Alawa towards it. Several other Uhaii dashed inside issuing orders and listening to some communications. A hidden elevator inside the rock took them far below the surface.
Sen held a worried Alawa. "This is standard for any ship that approaches the estate if it is unarmed and has proper credentials. They figure the ship could be a ruse. If any ship approaches armed or with forged credentials it is intercepted and shot down; no questions asked. Until they determine that there's no danger and inspect the ship, we have to remain here."
"I'll protect you." She traced the muscles of his torso.
"All clear," Toak announced. "That Romulan vessel that destroyed Vulcan ejected an escape pod. The auto pilot guided it to our space. The pod had its own cloaking device which de-cloaked once it passed The Neutral Zone." Toak shook his head in disbelief thinking that report had to be wrong. "One of our ships picked it up. The survivor doesn't have much time. They brought the pod and the survivor here. This is top secret."
The elevator shot to the surface. Sen dashed into the red medical shuttle. Amongst a flurry of activity, the med techs tried to revive a middle-aged male Romulan with tattoos on his bald head. For the few seconds of life he had left in him, Sen tried get a reading from touching his face. Without formal training, he only received the most memorable images from this stranger's mind: the future destruction of Romulus from an exploding star, an enemy known as the Borg and a couple other memories that faded as the patient died. The Sen went to the cargo old and found a life pod with technology clearly Romulan but very advanced.
"Zelipe bury the body, modify the memories of all the med techs and put the pod in the bomb shelter. I will study the technology with the help of a very trusted engineer."
"Yes sir," he replied.
A month later in the city of Cularo boasting botanical gardens that featured flora from most every known planet, Sen attended a party in celebration of spring and the launch of the new warp powered fleet. For the first hour of the party, the fleet maneuvered in the atmosphere amongst the cheering crowd which included several celebrities and most of the Senate. Many of them not only greeted Sen but Alawa as well, oddly accepting his Orion concubine as almost his wife. Often Sen wondered if it was due to the Uhaii guard who followed her or maybe because she acted as a bride of a politician, elegant and supportive. However, she honestly supported him, Sen, and not the politician which he felt each time he touched her.
An older lady, known as Iratze, Romulus' premier fashion designer greeted him and Alawa focusing more on her. "I'm so glad you wore my design. Thank you."
"No thank you. Sen loves it as well." Alawa twirled in the satin taupe snug bodice dress with a full skirt that had just a few flowers the same color as her skin.
"I do love it. Maybe you can design the royal robes as well. Alawa will let you know the requirements."
"Thank you," she replied.
Several more ladies wanted to speak to Alawa while the senators pulled Sen away to discuss military budgets. During their socializing, Sen noticed several males politely greeting Alawa. Even though he had faith in her fidelity and knew none of the men would dare to touch her, the normally tiny pangs of jealousy he felt exacerbated themselves into paroxysms which took all his willpower to subdue.
Instead he distracted himself shaking the hands of various captains of industry and military personnel. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a group that seemed odd; odd that they would be socializing since they disliked each other but had been grumbling about the increase to the military's budget. Sen approached knowing they would have to greet him. While the highly efficient and devious Tal'Shiar obtained secrets like no other, Sen's ability granted insights that no one suspected. That's why he never let on about his aversion to handshakes. The moment they clasped his arm, he saw images of them trying tamper with his father's transport. Most likely the Uhaii would have noticed this in time but still.
Green rage engulfed Sen to the point where he lost all reason. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed his mostly decorative curved blade he carried at his side. With a ferocious growl, Sen swept his blade towards them. In that one maneuver, he slit the throats of Eseal Aurkene of the Economic Corp and Senator Jaoine. Senator Manco fought in vain as the Uhaii merely watched since Sen seemed to be in no danger because of his combat training. Manco turned to run so Sen grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to face him. Using an upward thrust, he gutted Manco and pierced his heart. Normally Sen would have just had them arrested but he had lost all control.
As the green cleared from his vision, Sen quickly assessed the situation with the mental acuity of a Vulcan. Ancient laws and fear of the Tal'Shiar would help. Regaining control, he addressed the crowd. "Irrefutable evidence brought to me by agents of the Tal'Shiar proves that Eseal Aurkene, Senator Jaoine and Senator Manco conspired to assassinate Praetor Dai-hiro Ang. By law, such conspirators are subject to execution." Most of the crowd nodded in horror and agreement. "By the ancient code of the Emotaeno, the Praetor or Praetorsyn may perform the punishments themselves on any criminal they wish." Sen motioned towards the bodies. "And so it is done. However, their families will remain unharmed and will not suffer. That is my decree." Sen motioned for the lesser guards to take the bodies.
A servant offered him a moist towel which he cleaned the blood off himself while the rest of the party nervously watched. "Everyone may continue to enjoy the party. I must take my leave now."
On that day, the press nicknamed him Plash Kholhria – Blood Vengeance. Since he like it, he so named his flagship.
During the shuttle ride to his estate, everyone sat in silence. However, Alawa took his hand. From her touch, he felt serenity. Alone at his home, Sen meditated in his room trying to pacify the violent urges he felt.
A few hours later Alawa joined him. She kneeled next to him and pulled him close. "Are you alright?"
"No," he muttered against her chest.
Gently, she massaged his earlobes. Earlobe massages comforted him. By contrast, nibbles to the tips turned him on. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not yet," he replied. "You feel so damn good."
"You're a little warmer than normal. Maybe you should get some sleep."
"I guess." As he fell asleep, she patted a cool moist towel against his face between butterfly kisses to his lips.
The next morning Sen awoke much later than normal and alone. Instantly his temper flared. She belongs in my bed! A cold shower didn't help his anger. A sensuous scent assailed him as he entered his room.
Alawa greeted him and placed the back of her hand against his forehead to check for fever. "Sen, you're burning up. You need rest and a doctor."
MATE! MATE! His mind screamed. In one swift move, he threw her on the bed and tore her sundress off of her.
"What are you doing?"
"YOU'RE MINE! You're my mate! You belong to me!" He bit her shoulders drawing blood. Then he nibbled on her nipples. "You taste delicious." As he held her down, he parted her legs. "You feel so damn good!" At that point, the gentle loving Sen looked down a very long tunnel and helplessly watched an animal ravage his lover.
Two days later, Sen awoke next to Alawa in their bed which was shredded. Gently, he turned her over to see bruising and bite marks. Quickly he removed his hand. "No more," she creaked.
"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I lost control. Somehow I knew I had to be with you or I would die." Then he saw some of her blood on the sheets due to his roughness. "You need a doctor." He pushed a button next to his bed. "Neema get my Aunt Efia. It's an emergency. Alawa needs help." His aunt was a physician and genetic scientist. They trusted her medical expertise and her discretion. "Forgive me," he pleaded.
When Alawa reached for him, he shrank back. "You don't love me anymore?"
"No," he replied. Sen feared what he wouldn't feel from her anymore.
"Hold me," she whispered. "You'll like what you feel."
"You know about my ability."
She nodded. "I guessed."
Reluctantly, he gathered her in his arms and pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you so much." Normally, he felt only lust from her but now he sensed love. "It's not just lust anymore is it?"
"No, I do love you and I have for awhile. My lust is just a little overpowering because I'm Orion." She caressed his cheek. "The first day we were together, you told me I could be whatever I wanted to be to you." She kissed his cheek. "I know what I want to be now."
Resting his head against her forehead, he heard one word echoing through her mind. Your mate.
Fifteen minutes later, a grey haired Romulan woman who closely resembled her brother the Praetor entered the room carrying a metal medical case. She took one look at Alawa and ducked into to the hall, nodding to someone below. "Sen, your father wants to speak to you. I'll take care of her."
"Thank you Auntie E," he said as he left.
Downstairs his father waited with a glass of blue ale. "You thwarted an attempt on my life and proved your strength and brutality: impressive. Now you have achieved the last component of leadership."
Often his father told him that a leader needs for his people to mostly love him, believe in his intellect and vision and to have a modest fear or him as well. After hurting Alawa, the last thing Sen wanted was praise. "Really father, I'd rather not talk about it."
"Well then, we need to discuss something quite pertinent now: your mother. Did you know she was my third wife?"
"No," Sen honestly replied.
"My first wife died during childbirth due to a weak heart. The child died a week later. During my time of grieving, I visited a soothsayer who said that I would be the last Praetor but I refused to believe her. Two years later, I married again. My second wife had three miscarriages before she died. After the first miscarriage, your aunt became a geneticist to discreetly ensure the line would continue but the gift had been lost."
Centuries ago a mass exodus from Vulcan occurred when a faction of the population refused to follow Surak's teachings. With only fusion drives and barely space worthy ships, those radicals nearly died on that trip. They had only a one in ten thousand chance of even finding a habitable planet but their leader guided them to Romulus and became the first Praetor. The Praetor-ship continued and many believed the Ang line had a gift of vision which had guided them to Romulus and then guided their people's future. Sen knew this history. "I'm not sure I understand."
"We lost the gift over the centuries: a curse for never attempting reconciliation with our brothers." Dai sighed and look guilty about it. "The loss of both my wives and children angered me so much that I tried to expand our empire but we lost that war during The Battle of Cheron. Many lives had been lost and so The Neutral Zone was formed based on an agreement through subspace communications.
Soon after the end of the war, I met your mother. The attentions of one so young and beautiful flattered an aging Praetor. However, I'm not a fool." Dai sipped some more ale. "After an extensive background check, I found out that her documents were falsified and her Romulan citizenship fallacious. She was an activist from Vulcan who wanted unification or at least a dialog between the two cultures. Normally, she would have been imprisoned for treason.
However, by the time we broke her cover she was six months pregnant. Since I was so old and because it is standard practice, I had a paternity test performed on the fetus which proved that I truly was a father. Four months later, I had a beloved son. Your mother named you in the Vulcan tradition.
You're mother came from the Risvitan Kash-Tok clan, known for their scholarly pursuits. Supposedly, they have some odd eccentricities as well but my spies couldn't find out what they were. However, they did find out that the Risvitan have a sister clan known for their diplomacy and preservation of Vulcan's history. Supposedly that clan shamed itself when their ambassador married a Terran female."
Little does my father realize that the only way he's getting a grandchild is if it is a Romulan/Orion hybrid. "Why didn't you tell me about my heritage sooner? Are you ashamed of me?"
"I have never been ashamed of you. I've only felt pride and love for you." Dai looked down sadly. "If you knew your heritage, I feared I would lose you to Vulcan."
"I've known my heritage for a long time because mother told me about it, well some of it. I've tried to learn the best of both worlds from vids I've smuggled in."
"And you chose to stay," Dai commented fondly. "From your scholarly achievements, I thought you might have some of the Vulcan mental disciplines. I learned about them so I would know what to expect. The Uhaii know but are sworn to secrecy. Plus they revere you and view your heritage as a benefit as it has been proven so far."
Dai gulped down another shot of ale and poured another. "Vulcans experience Pon Farr still, something long forgotten by the Romulans. The only reason I know about it was because of my spies on Vulcan."
"So you knew," Sen muttered.
"Yes but the problem was that I couldn't let anyone else know. I feared you would experience Pon Farr once you turned thirty-five which is the age a full Vulcan experiences it. I swore I wouldn't let you die from it for lack of a mate. However, if you experienced Pon Farr with a Romulan woman, your secret would be revealed. If anything happened to her before she told, someone would become suspicious. That left me with one option: get a female that was disposable so your secret would remain safe."
"Disposable," Sen stammered. "NO!" Sen screamed as he bolted up the stairs three at a time.
A/N
Since canon Trek doesn't really exist because they contradict themselves constantly, my take is somewhat blended but I tried to put some exposition to explain it all. The Orions are a big example of that. As to Romulan history, the Praetor is approaching two hundred years old at this point. From the rough timeline, after his second wife died the Romulan war began and ended after a couple of years. About ten years later, he meets T'Prina the undercover Vulcan activist who gives birth to Sen. That began the quiet time in the Star Empire because Dai was so happy to have a child. If Sen didn't have Alawa, he would have died during Pon Farr and a couple years later, the Praetor would have attacked due to grief and the end of his line: hence, The Balance of Terror episode in TOS. With Nero's reset of the universe, Sen survived Pon Farr and that's why things are a little different especially in the advancement in science and such.
Pon Farr – In TOS, Spock experienced it in his thirties. In The Voyage Home it happens at 14. In my verse, Spock at around 30 and full Vulcan at 35. The later ages make sense to me since they lince so long.
Reveiws are always welcome. What do you think of Sen? The training of the Uhaii? Zelipe? Can anyone guess why folks take a shining to Alawa?
Next up – Some Spock & Uhura lovin