Amanda and Sarek did not speak again for the rest of the evening. Amanda felt her insides burn with shame whenever she spotted him moving among the other celebrating Vulcans. It came as a wonderful relief when Ranven approached her with the news that it was time to depart for Shi'Kahr. The night was growing rapidly cooler, and she shivered slightly under the gauzy fabric of her dress. It was much colder here than she had experienced before in Shi'Kahr. Amanda supposed that the rural weather patterns must be significantly different from those in the city. Kamteh was certainly closer to raw desert.
The night had grown completely black when they started off towards Shi'Kahr once more. Amanda kept her gaze directed stubbornly out the window. She and Sarek didn't make eye contact the entire trip. If Ranven noticed anything, he didn't say. Amanda thought he might have even been asleep - the older Vulcan's eyes were glazed over as he watched the scenery go by, and Amanda would've bet a few credits that she heard a snore come from him at one point. The shuttle was therefore completely silent as it sped across the desert.
It was a blessed relief to finally climb out of the shuttle and depart for her own little home. T'Iva was waiting up for her at the house, but Amanda couldn't muster the effort to say more than a few words to her. She was too tired and too confused. She needed to sleep. Before she could climb the steps to her room, however, T'Iva called out to her.
"T'sai, a package was delivered for you while you were out. I left it in your room for you." Surprised, Amanda paused to thank her before hurrying up to her bedroom. Who could have sent her a gift?
Surprisingly enough, the little package was from Ataur. The note lying beside it read in Standard: "Use these to further your practice. I trust you will find the scents invigorating. Ataur."
Amanda forgot her weariness as she examined it. It was tied up loosely in gray-green cloth, and when Amanda began to undo the ties, a heady fragrance escaped it. Her curiosity mounting, Amanda hurried to unwind the wrest of the wrapping. When the cloth came away, it revealed three stout little candles of bluish wax, a packet of pungent loose tea, and a bundle of matches. Amanda let herself smile a bit, feeling her anxiety from her encounter with Sarek loosen slightly. At least she had friends here that she could rely on.
Amanda had hoped to settle right back into the rhythm of work again, in order to help herself stabilize. Unfortunately, it seemed that Vulcan dignitaries were ravenous to invite her to parties, events, and concerts. Her appearance at the Kamteh festival had apparently caused quite a stir. It made Amanda feel at once flattered and sheepish - especially since she had to refuse about half of the invitations. She was either too busy to attend or didn't know the hosts well enough to feel comfortable.
T'Rea was supportive of her decisions, telling her over a cup of Ataur's tea "You must conserve your energy. One's desirousness also seems to increase with exclusivity, doesn't it?" Amanda nearly spit out her tea at that. T'Rea had hidden depths - ones that reminded Amanda of a crafty, high-society socialite from back on Earth. She was glad that she had the opportunity to get to know the woman better. T'Rea's guidance was proving invaluable as her schedule became more and more complex, both with her duties at the Children's Institute and the increasing number of social obligations. Amanda's affection for the woman grew, and T'Rea also enjoyed meeting with her, as far as Amanda could tell. They met in person frequently to discuss Amanda's work, and sort out any questions and concerns Amanda had. It was proving to be incredibly helpful. In conjunction with Ataur's lessons, the meetings with T'Rea made Amanda feel much more at home.
It was during one such meeting that Amanda received some shocking news. She and T'Rea had just finished going over the more pressing matters of the week, and they were now chatting idly - if a Vulcan could ever be said to chat idly. "Ah, I had almost forgotten, ko-kan. The High Command and Council have just agreed to appoint a new Ambassador to Earth, as Ambassador Batar has decided to retire. There will be a ceremony next week."
Intruiged, Amanda set down her tea cup. She only vaguely remembered Ambassador Batar. She'd thought that, as Ambassador to Earth, the man would be interested in her program and have some contributions. However, she had learned within a few moments of meeting Batar that he was both incredibly conservative and highly unlikeable. He barely spoke to Amanda, and was cold and standoffish when he was forced to do so, even by Vulcan standards. She couldn't help admitting that she was glad that the position was going to be taken up by someone else. T'Rea seemed to pick up on her secret reaction. Although Ataur assured her that her lessons were going very well, T'Rea always seemed to be able to read Amanda's thoughts. Perhaps it was because the woman had met her before she'd learned to put a leash on them.
"Yes, it will be very beneficial to the running of Starfleet's initiative." T'Rea said, without any provocation from Amanda. "The new Ambassador is very promising, and quite amenable to the efforts of the project. That is perhaps to be expected, he is very young."
Amanda's heart fluttered slightly. "Who is he, T'Rea?" She asked, feeling as though she already knew the answer.
"Councilman Skon's son, Sarek. I believe you have met him on a few occasions. His father, as you know, was instrumental in coordinating the project between the High Council and Starfleet." T'Rea replied. Amanda stared at her. She was certain T'Rea was aware of the clashes she'd had with Sarek in the past. Amanda felt a little twinge of annoyance at this - she had a feeling that T'Rea was teasing her a bit.
"Sarek?" The walls of Amanda's barricade wiggled unpleasantly. "He is to be the new Ambassador to Earth? But..." She paused, her insides squirming, "I had the impression that he was not in favor of more open relations with Humans." She could feel T'Rea's gaze on her, but did not look up to meet it. Had she been back on Earth, Amanda would have been blushing crimson.
"He and his father did not always agree on the subject," T'Rea said. "Initially I believe he was against our project. However he did eventually decide to work with Councilman Skon on the particulars of the project. He was invaluable in several crucial points. His support for the project now cannot be doubted."
Amanda couldn't help it. "I find that...hard to believe." She said evenly, picking up her tea cup again.
"Do you? Not all Vulcans have complete control over themselves when they are in high stress situations," T'Rea replied. "Perhaps you were given the wrong impression of Sarek." Amanda thought of the stinging words Sarek had shot at her the first night they'd met. If that was his reaction to a 'high stress situation', she would hate to see him when something caught fire. "I'm sure that you have learned that the younger members of our species have not always mastered themselves. Although we strive not to show it, the struggle against our inner instinctual nature is a bitter one."
Amanda wasn't sure what to say to that. She'd never heard something so personal from T'Rea before. In fact, the only Vulcan who had conveyed to her such information about the inner workings of their species had been Ataur, and it was his job. In the face of this, Amanda felt she couldn't argue with T'Rea any longer.
"You mentioned a ceremony?" She asked, feeling as though she'd deflated slightly.
"Indeed. There is to be a ceremony at the Principle Building next week. I believe you will be able to attend. The importance of the occasion calls for some re-arrangement in your schedule, I think." T'Rea gracefully picked up her cup and finished the rest of her tea, her gaze directed out the window.
"I...will look forward to it." Amanda said, for lack of anything else to say. When T'Rea turned back to it, she suspected that there was just a hint of a smile in the woman's dark eyes.
"Yes. I believe it will be most entertaining."
With this new knowledge of Sarek, Amanda felt even more puzzled than before. Her situation was not ameliorated by her sudden inability to avoid him. Whenever she was at the Children's Institute, he was there with Selek. Whenever she was working in the Principle Building, he was meeting with his father. Amanda began to feel constantly on edge that she would run into him again. They hadn't spoken properly since the festival at Kamteh, and as the days went by Amanda felt the tension from that silence increase. To Amanda's intense relief, however, something happened two days after her meeting with T'Rea that completely drove Sarek out of her mind.
Amanda was visiting the Principle Building in order to present her notes to T'Sana and discuss writing a report to send to Starfleet. She had just left the meeting and was preparing to return home when she spotted Captain Prais striding across the huge atrium. He wasn't alone, however, and Amanda was surprised to see his companions were all wearing
Starfleet's uniform. They were mostly Human as well, as Amanda determined after Prais had spotted her and made a beeline for her.
"Amanda!" He called out jovially, far too loudly for the setting of the Principle Building. Amanda winced slightly at both the informal greeting and the echoes that reverberated off the polished stone of the hall. "Come and meet some of my comrades in arms!"
Amanda was subsequently introduced to a Captain Lang, of the USS Kelvin. He was a stout man, a little younger than Prais, and he seemed just as uncomfortable in Prais' presence as Amanda was. He seemed to be looking at her with uncertainty as well, until Amanda remembered that she should act human. She remembered how to smile and greeted the Captain and his First Officer warmly.
"What brings you to Vulcan, Captain Lang?" She asked, feeling awkward. Her Human interaction abilities were somewhat rusty, to her annoyance.
"Ah, well," Lang said, shifting on his feet. "We wouldn't normally have made a stop here, but we ran into a little trouble on the way to our current objective. Unfortunately we've got to let the ship have some time to cool off and repair. My crew and I are going to join you as visitors to the planet for a while."
Amanda nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that your ship is damaged, but I'm sure that you'll enjoy yourselves here." Nope, no you won't. I can't imagine how your crew is going to deal with being stuck on Vulcan for however many weeks. "I've been here for a few months now, and I've found every day fascinating."
"We're glad of the opportunity, as unexpected as it was." Captain Lang's First Officer spoke up then. Amanda found herself looking into far bluer eyes than her own. "I'm Lieutenant George Kirk, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh, that's right, I'm sorry," Lang said, looking flustered, as Amanda and Kirk shook hands. "I should have remembered to introduce you, George. I'm going out of my mind because of this damage, I'm sure."
"Don't worry about it, Captain." Kirk said jovially. Amanda couldn't help smiling at him - he was quite handsome, in a boyish sort of way, although his nose had obviously been broken at least once. He looked like the poster boy for Starfleet: broad shoulders, blonde hair and blue eyes, confident stance, and easy smile. There wasn't a hint of arrogance or conceit about him, though, which Amanda found relaxing in a Starfleet officer, especially after having spent time with Prais.
"Right, well," Prais said with a grin far less pleasant than Kirk's, clapping his colleague on the shoulder. "I've got to get this guy and his crew squared away. You say hello to Hollis if you run into him. That egghead's been locked up in his science labs so long I bet he's forgotten what the sun looks like."
Repressing the urge to frown, Amanda watched them walk away. Kirk gave her a friendly little nod as they moved off, which soothed her mood somewhat. She had feared her dislike for Prais was beginning to rub off onto all the Humans she was in contact with, but she didn't feel so worried about it now.
The next day, however, Amanda was back in a foul mood. She was in the library of the Principle Building, working hard to bang her report for Starfleet into shape. Her brain felt overtaxed and she was beginning to feel restless and jittery. The Vulcan libraries, to her initial delight, were overflowing with dense, intricate knowledge. She was less enthused, however, when she attempted to break into some of that knowledge. Many of the works were written in an antiquated form of Vulcan, which was difficult for her even with her quick language skills. The fact that the writing itself incredibly dense wasn't much of a help either.
After an hour's struggle through a long and winding text, Amanda was ready to throw her PADD across the room. Enough was enough! She checked to see if anyone was in the near vicinity, then shoved the PADD away from her across the table, picked up the giant Vulcan tome she had been working on earlier, and dropped it on top of the PADD with a thump. The tablet would of course not be harmed, but it was cathartic to be able to squash it under something big and heavy. Amanda scowled at it and collapsed back into her chair.
"Too much studying?" Amanda jumped. She had thought the coast was clear - but her nerves subsided when she realized that it was a Human, and not a Vulcan voice which had surprised her. She looked around to see Lieutenant Kirk striding towards her, his own PADD under one arm.
"A bit too much, yes." She admitted with a sigh. "I don't like to say it, but High Vulcan can put a strain on you after a while."
Kirk grinned at her and set his PADD down on the table. "Mind if I join you for a while? After a lot of begging and pleading I was allowed access to this library. Seems like fascinating stuff...although maybe I should stay away from those books." He indicated the giant tome Amanda had 'murdered' her PADD with.
"No, please do." Amanda said wearily, sitting up straight in her chair again. "I could use some company. What exactly were you looking for? I might be able to help you find it."
"Nothing, really." Kirk replied, choosing a seat and sitting down. "Just browsing. We don't get a lot of opportunity to look at anything outside of the Starfleet databases, so I thought I'd enjoy the freedom."
Amanda retrieved her PADD from underneath the Vulcan book and smiled at Kirk. "Well, if you want any suggestions, I've found some good light reading in here - well, light for Vulcan standards. They take their research very seriously. I'd go for the mythological stuff if I were you. That's where they allow themselves the most literary liberties. Here, check out these titles. Most of them are in Vulcan though..."
Kirk sighed. "That does sound interesting, but I can't read a word of Vulcan. Kind of a failing for a Starfleet officer, but our Communications Officer is always the go-to man when we need something translated. I don't suppose they've got anything in here in Standard, huh?"
"Oh, well, that's okay," Amanda said. She leant over her PADD, her fingers dancing over the screen for a moment. "For some of these shorter texts, it won't take me long to program a translator for you. How does that sound?"
"Right, of course!" Kirk said, hitting his forehead with the flat of his palm. "I should have thought of that. I'm surprised that you can do that sort of programming though - what exactly are you studying here?"
Amanda looked up at him briefly and smiled. "I'm here to observe Vulcan education and cultural practices," She said. "Teaching has always been a dream of mine. I like languages pretty well too. Something simple like a translator isn't too hard for me either, but if I get anywhere beyond that I can't do much. Oh, there, all done. I've done four different texts for you, sorry they aren't very long."
"Wow," Kirk said, accepting the PADD she handed across to him. "That's impressive, for someone who isn't trained as an engineer. Thanks a lot, Miss Grayson."
Amanda shook her head. "You're welcome, but please don't call me Miss Grayson. I get enough of that from the Vulcans as it is. You can call me Amanda. After all, Prais does." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but Kirk apparently got the gist.
"Poor Lang has had to spend a whole bunch of time with that guy." Kirk said. "You can imagine the sympathy we feel for him. I'm no longer wondering why they retired Prais and sent him off-planet."
"He's not always so bad," Amanda said. "But I wish that Starfleet had kept him on Earth. He's really not suitable for diplomacy on Vulcan. He tried to-"
"-shake hands, didn't he? Doesn't everyone know that one?" Kirk said with a lopsided grin. A little lightning shock went down Amanda's spine as she remembered her own encounter with violating a Vulcan's privacy that way. Kirk brought her attention back by saying "I want to say as a representative of Starfleet that we aren't all that stupid. I don't blame you for being annoyed with us for sending him out here with you, though."
Amanda shrugged. "Do you know how long you're going to be grounded here?" She asked.
Kirk drummed his fingers on the table. "Not for at least two weeks. We were ambushed when we stopped to check out a derelict not far from here. A group of bandits had set it up as a trap to get someone to wander by. We took care of them, but since they caught us by surprise we took some significant damage too." Kirk shook his head. "The Kelvin is getting on in years. It won't be long before they retire the old girl. It doesn't say much for her performance that she's been knocked full of holes by pirates."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Amanda said. "Will Lang get a new one if the Kelvin is retired?"
Kirk shrugged. "It depends on what he wants. Obviously the Admiralty can move him around as they please, but he can refuse a position. I hear," Kirk leaned in conspiratorially, a gleam in his blue eyes, "that they're working on building a brand new model. It's going to be far beyond anything we've seen so far." He settled back in his chair again and sighed. "Unfortunately it's going to be in development for a long time yet, probably for at least ten years."
"That's a lot of time to wait for a ship!" Amanda said. "I wouldn't pin your hopes on that prototype if I were you." She smiled. "It's nice to talk to a Human for a change, you know. I'm getting used to the Vulcans, a lot faster than I thought I would, actually, but...one does miss facial expressions."
"Hah, I'm sure!" Kirk said, laughing. "But, you know, sometimes you have to get through a lot of obstacles to learn something worth knowing. Hey, thanks a lot for the texts, they've just finished transferring. They're exactly what I was looking for." He smiled, and Amanda felt something in her chest flutter in an unfamiliar way. "I've got to go, Lang is constantly waiting on me for a relief from Prais. Wish me luck, I'll probably have to go play chess with the guy."
Amanda laughed. "Chess isn't all that bad. I hope to see you again soon."
Kirk nodded. "I think Prais managed to wrangle an invitation for us to the appointment of the new Ambassador to Earth that's happening in a few days. Maybe I'll see you there?"
Sarek's ceremony, Amanda thought with a shudder, and for some reason, a little surge of guilt. "Yes, I'll be there." She said, managing to cover her confusion with a smile. Kirk gave her a little wave and went off again, his Starfleet boots clicking on the polished floor. Amanda sat back down again and looked glumly down at her PADD. It was only two days until the appointment ceremony, where she would have to see Sarek again, and probably talk to him as well. The thought filled her with a tangle of annoyance, anxiety, and again that weird little flutter of excitement...At least I'll get to see George there.
Author's Note: Heehee, just a little cameo there! I apologize for any mistakes I made about George's rank or the ship or anything. And don't worry...there will be some more cameos in future ;)
ps. Thank you all so much for your reviews! They make my day 3 I'm really glad to hear that you guys are enjoying the story.