Mysterious Vulcan from Tarsus IV

by Starsinger

Suggested by AlbusSPotter, Sarek comes to talk to Kirk about Spock's lack of friends and just who that Vulcan was on Tarsus IV. Don't own any of them.

There was a knock on Jim's apartment door. "Enter," he called absently. Maybe he should think twice about that, the thought crossed his mind. You never know when that might be a reporter. It wasn't, Ambassador Sarek stood outside with two young Vulcans. Jim stopped wiping dishes as he stared, "T'Mera, Sedork?" All the Vulcans entered and spared a passing glance at the spare surroundings. Sarek stopped as his companions approached Jim.

He stood there impassively, not quite sure as to what to do. Finally, they reached out and touched him. They weren't part of the Tarsus 9, they never actually saw Kodos, but they were still victims. Their parents died in the square that night, and they starved along with the rest of the children. When the nights grew cold, Jim had made sure that they were pushed to the center of the mass of children huddled together for warmth. "You really are alive," T'Mera finally whispered. She reached forward and kissed him on the cheek. Even Sarek looked surprised, as intimate as it was for humans, it was even more so for Vulcans. It named him brother.

T'Mera and Sedork had survived the destruction of Vulcan by the simple expedient of having not been on Vulcan. The Vulcan Science Academy had taken a field trip to Alpha Centauri to show the wonders of an aquatic world. Most of the students and faculty had taken that trip, and had to wait as Spock Prime found a suitable world to colonize. It was hard work, building a new world, but they didn't mind. Jim found himself ushering them to the dining room table, and they sat around, talking. T'Mera was studying to be a healer on the new Mt. Seleya. Sedork had married and had a young son

Jim suddenly looked up at Sarek, "You were the Vulcan who rescued me."

Sarek nodded, "T'Mera, Sedork and their parents were cousins. I was sent to help bring them home and help in the rescue efforts. The only reason the children came out of hiding was because I am Vulcan. Understandably, they did not trust humans." Eventually, the younger Vulcans left, promising to keep in touch.

"They're remarkable, Sarek. I'm touched they thought so much of me to come. Thank you, Sarek, I would probably have died if you hadn't shown up when you did. I owe you my life twice over, now."

"Spock," Sarek responded. "He never really had friends. He grew up an outsider because he is half-human."

"Was he bullied?" Kirk asked.

"Yes, one day, he even retaliated, beating one of the boy up even though the other boy was much bigger than he. It was then he questioned why I married Amanda." Sarek's eyes grew distant as he remembered his wife. "You are probably the first male friend he has ever had. He always got along well with women, of any species. His attachment to Uhura is gratifying."

"He told me he went berserk when I died," Kirk said.

"How much do you remember?" Sarek asked.

That was a troubling question. He remembered putting his hand up on the glass wall, smiling, and then everything went black. "I don't remember being dead. I remember hearing voices and drifting in a sea of blackness. I remember you and Spock Prime trying to reach me. That was my first inkling that I wasn't dead. It's all a haze, Sarek. None of it seemed real."

"What about Tarsus?" Sarek asked.

A different pain flickered across Kirk's face, "I was determined to keep everyone alive, it didn't matter whether or not they were human. Everyone who lived was giving Kodos a black eye. So many dead and nothing that could be done to save them." Jim's blue eyes seemed lost in the not so distant past.

"I tried to find you after we'd gathered the children together. They'd already transported you to a ship headed for Earth," Sarek said. He was quietly unhappy about that whole thing. "Then, you disappeared."

"Well, the only name anyone really knew for me was as JT. I did a lot of things after leaving Tarsus IV, including getting arrested." Jim reached over and picked up his PADD. "Ambassador, during my misspent youth, I worked on a project that was a grain designed to resist most famine and other natural occurrences that produces famine. I started it on Tarsus IV before the famine. I don't want credit, I don't need the money. I was wondering if it could be released through the Vulcan Science Academy. People would benefit from this research."

"Quadritritocale," Sarek mused. He looked over the specifications of the plant and nodded his head, "Yes, I think it's possible to manage what you want. Are you sure you don't want any proceeds? This could make very wealthy."

"I want the proceeds to go into a fund. First, one for Joanna McCoy, for her college if she doesn't want to go into Starfleet. The second one, a secret, in case I have any children. You never know," he said with a grin. "The last to go to the fund for a memorial to the Tarsus IV tragedy. I don't want this to happen again. Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."

"That was a wise human who said that," Sarek replied. "I'll keep you updated on the progress. This will take a little while before it becomes a reality. Thank you, Jim. For my son's and cousins' lives. Live Long and Prosper."

Jim smiled, "Peace and Long Life, Sarek."