A/N: This story is technically still on hiatus but I figured I'd post another chapter rather than leave everybody hanging. Concrit and reviews are welcome! I reply to all reviews, PMs or follows, so feel free to drop a comment.

15 years ago

The people that were gathered in the small room were mostly young. The older Vulcans refused to listen to his "blasphemous" teachings but he was tolerated because he was respected as one of the oldest Vulcans in the colony and because who his son was. The old man had always been interested in the old Vulcan ways more than other of the other colonists. On T'karis Surak's teaching were regarded as weak, but Sulak, as the old man was called, believed that Surak's teachings of logicalness and thinking over blind violence had given Vulcans the stability they needed to keep from destroying themselves. It still distressed Sulak to see how crime was present in the colony and the lack of control that the younger generations had. The group assembled before him was a prime example. Even though a significant portion of the colonists weren't entirely Vulcan, it still was no excuse for the paltry control they exhibited. The older man turned his focus outward, looking at the crowd arrayed before him.

The noise level rose and fell, laughter broke out, and even small scuffles as the Vulcan youngsters tussled with each other. As he looked, he noticed the number of people in his group had fallen. He knew that his son Solkar had been telling the other Vulcans not to attend the group, and that his father's teachings represented everything that the colonists were trying to leave in the past. Still, Solkar hadn't entirely denounced the group because his two children T'Kas and Silkar attended the sessions. Sulak knew his grandson only came because his twin sister insisted on coming. Silkar disagreed with his grandfather's talk of meditation and logic, but he had taken a startling interest in the techniques for mental skills that was somewhat disquieting. In addition to Silkar's interest, to Sulak's dismay he had detected a disturbing habit in his young grandson. The boy showed no respect for the sanctity of another's mind; he thought that everybody should give him whatever he wanted, and he delighted in causing pain and showing power over others. Despite numerous conversations with his son, Solkar refused to see anything wrong with his son's behaviour. And privately Sulak was sure he encouraged it.

Sulak looked at the small figure of his grandson seated cross-legged., His black hair had fallen forward and his brow was furrowed with concentration. A few places away a boy was whispering to another child throwing glances at Silkar he did so, he said something to the other boy and then they both laughed. Solkar inwardly frowned at the two boys' lack of control. However, he knew the children were only displaying an attitude to Silkar that was held by many of the colonists. Silkar was widely regarded as odd and though there were few people who would admit it: many feared the young boy.

Sulak saw his grandson's face changing, an intense expression grew. Silkar turned and stared at the two boys. They didn't notice his gaze and continued talking and laughing. Silkar glared at them, and then abruptly closed his eyes. One of the boys stopped talking, his face furrowed in pain, and then he screamed. His friend stared at him in shock. Silkar opened his eyes and gave a small smile at the sight of the boy screaming. The boy stopped screaming, green blood trickled from his nose. He looked around wildly, then he stiffened and fell over his body twitching and jerking, like he was having a seizure.

Sulak quickly moved toward the seizing boy, glancing at his grandson as he did so. Silkar showed no remorse and looked cruelly delighted with the results. Sulak kneeled next to the boy and pushed back the crowd of Vulcans that had gathered. They didn't realize what had happened but Sulak did. Sulak touched the boy's temple establishing a link; carefully he began repairing the damage Silkar had done. When he withdrew, the boy was still unconscious but lay quietly now. Sulak stood up aware of the crowd of people staring at him, ignoring their looks he gave orders for two people to take the boy to the infirmary.

As he turned away he saw, Silkar and his granddaughter, T'Kas, standing there. He could see by the way she looked at her brother that she knew what he had done. Silkar looked unapologetic and defiant.

Sulak continued the group as originally planned, but afterwards he caught his grandson alone. He admonished the boy severely for what he had done. Silkar stood there sullenly, then after an angry outburst walked away. Later a rumour spread throughout the colony that Sulak had mentally attacked the boy. Sulak knew who was responsible: his own grandson. It didn't matter whether the rumour was the invention of a vengeful 10-year old who didn't want to be reprimanded for his actions, it still was believed. Or at least many used it as an excuse to stop Sulak's teachings. Solkar forbade his father to have anymore groups

Sulak defied his son's orders and continued teaching in secret the few that still wanted to learn. He was gratified to see that his granddaughter T'Kas still remained in the group. Over the next few months he taught as much as he could , trying to instil in the young vulcans the ideals and philosophy he hadn't been able to give his own children. He knew that his time was limited sooner or later he would be found out.

It was hard to remember his early life it had been so long ago, but he remembered being a few years old and taken from his parents, he knew that they had most likely been killed. But he wouldn't allow them to have died in vain; even the prospect of his own death didn't stop him from trying to save some of these young Vulcans from the principles that they had been embroiled in since birth. And with that goal in mind he hatched the plan that led to his downfall.

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Sulak was coming back from sending a message. He walked quickly down the hall hearing the distressed note in a young girl's voice. He found Silkar standing next to a young Vulcan girl, clumsily trying to force her to mindmeld with him. He pulled his grandson away, shaking the boy as he did so, and the girl had gratefully ran away. Silkar jerked away from his grandfather's grasp, and stared up with hatred at the man. Sulak began berating his grandson, "You are deviant, your behaviour is lower than any I have ever had the displeasure of seeing, the things you do are sick and evil, you do things no Vulcan would do"

His grandson snarled at him "I'm not a Vulcan!" then he turned and ran away.

An hour later the old man had returned to his quarters, he was seriously distressed by his grandson's behaviour. This was why he was risking everything with his plan, he couldn't risk anyone else becoming like Silkar. Sulak slowed changed into his meditation clothes ,then settled down on the stone his used for that purpose. He closed his eyes and was just beginning to enter the first stages of mediation, when the door sounded. He opened his eyes and said "enter". To his surprise his grandson was standing there, instead of anger the boy expression was calm and strangely emotionless. Sulak inclined his head and greeted his grandson with the Vulcan greeting. Surprisingly the young boy returned the traditional greeting.

Silkar spoke "I have come to talk to you"

Sulak waited for the boy to continue and when he did his voice was even "You say I'm deviant, you dislike my power." The boy straightened up as he talked "you say I'm not Vulcan." He spat the last word like a curse. He stared at his grandfather, something darkly present in his young eyes "and I'm not!"

Sulak spoke this time "Silkar you may only be half-Vulcan, but you are Vulcan you must embrace this part of your heritage and discard the negative practices encouraged by others."

Silkar spoke "you mean my mother's people? I'm not a traitor like you. I don't seek to be a pacifist snivelling coward either. I will rule and the weak will fall." He stepped closer to his grandfather until he was less than two arm's length away. He said "I know what you've been doing".

Sulak felt a small a flicker of apprehension, but said "What are you talking about?"

Silkar stared "I'm not stupid. I know you've been trying to contact the federation, through one of the empires' traitors."Silkar continued "You say I'm deviant, you think I'm a pervert. You say what I do is wrong. You're the one who is wrong. You're a traitor a traitor to your own people. It's you that's deviant."

Sulak knew there was no use denying what he had been doing Silkar obviously knew. Watching the young boy carefully he began to explain what he had been doing. He finished with "I've been contacting someone for the good of us all. This colony is wrong and my actions whether they are wrong or not do not change the wrongness of yours".

Silkar said angrily "I'm not wrong! You are."

Sulak shook his head "Silkar you have strayed far from the right path but there is still time, accept that you have been doing wrong and change."

Silkar was trembling with rage at his grandfather's words; suddenly he pulled out a disruptor and levelled it at Sulak. Silkar yelled "Take that back, I'm not wrong, Say I'm not wrong! Say it!"

Sulak stood up cautiously and shook his head refusing to acquiesce to his grandson's request.

"Tell me! I'm not those things you called me. Tell me!" The disruptor trembled, the boy's voice shook, tears ran down his face. "Say it" he yelled again.

Sulak spoke quietly "All those things I said about you were true, one can't deny the truth. Silkar you can change, but you have to want to"

Silkar screamed at him "There's nothing wrong with me. I don't have to change, and I want you to admit that!;

"No" Silkar said simply.

Silkar stood there breathing heavily, staring at his grandfather. Then the disruptor went off; a beam of energy lanced out hitting Sulak in the chest. The older Vulcan looked surprised ,then crumpled to the ground. Silkar dropped the disruptor unable to believe what he had done; he stared with horror at the inert figure. "Grandfather" he said quietly, before he could move towards the old man, the doors opened and his father and several guards entered.

Solkar touched his son on the shoulder and said "He was a traitor and you got him to confess, you did your duty"

Silkar didn't care about his father's words; he stared at his grandfather watching as the guards moved his body and the head lolled limply. He asked "Is he dead?"

Solkar frowned at his son's question but said "he's not, merely injured." Silkar looked away unable to watch as his grandfather was taken away and asked "What are you going to do with him?"

Solkar looked down at his son and Silkar saw a shred of remorse before it was covered by an icy expression. Solkar looked away and said "Silkar you know the penalty for treachery"

Silkar knew and it was enacted a few days later.

Silkar was setting up a game of 3-D chess, he had begged T'Kas to play. She was an awful player and in truth he made no effort to make her better. Often he liked to play against somebody that wasn't challenging; the pleasure of utterly crushing an opponent was thrilling. He needed something to take his mind of what had been going on. He knew his Grandfather's execution would be soon he just didn't know when. He had gone that day to try to apologize to the old man, but Sulak had refused to speak ton him. In desperation Silkar had tried to force his way into the old man's mind, trying to let him know he was sorry, and surprisingly he had let him in. Silkar had felt Sulak say "you have never experienced the consequences of your actions; you must do so to learn." Silkar had tried to draw some meaning from the old man's words but he couldn't understand what he had meant. As he had withdrew from Sulak's mind he had felt stuck for a moment, then suddenly he pulled free.

Silkar had set up half the pieces when he felt it start. Silkar had always been more sensitive, than others and could sense things from much farther away. He knew without a doubt what was happening as a pain lanced through his body driving him to the floor. the chess pieces tumbled down around him. Screams started, his grandfathers' screams. Silkar put his hands over his ears and huddled on the floor trying to blot out the sound, but he couldn't because it was in his mind. He tried to close off his mind as he realized what was happening, but the thoughts and emotions easily cut through. A scream was heard again, this time it was in his mind and it was his own. As the pain intensified, Silkar hit his head repeatedly against the wall until blood ran into his eyes, he gripped his arms tightly his fingers biting into them, and he rocked back and forth. It was almost half-an hour before the sensations ceased abruptly. Silkar sat up; green blood was running down his face, his fingernails had pieces of his own flesh under them.

He knew why the feelings had ceased.

Silkar glanced upwards as he heard a sound. T'Kas was standing over him She said "Silkar?" She stared at his ruined appearance. Then he felt a gentle probe in his mind. His mind which was already raw and weakened with what he had experienced offered little resistance. Silkar saw her expression change to horror as she realized through his jumbled thoughts what had happened. Silkar stretched a bloody hand out to her pleading "T'Kas."

She backed away from him horrified with what she had discovered in her his mind, then turned and ran not looking back.