Chapter 17
(Sarek and Spock Prime)
Spock stare at the man he had called father for centuries, and he could've sworn he had never heard such a human statement from the stoic Vulcan. Peculiar. While the event horizon may have taken him back in time, potentially what else could it have altered.
He studied the older man with intent eyes before extending his hand in familiar familial Vulcan greeting. The crew surrounding Sarek rustled in shock, still unsure how to proceed. An elderly Vulcan willingly overing touch, but not just to anyone, T'Pau's kin.
"Crew beam up to the ship, I will follow suite after I finish the field interrogation of my kin," Sarek dryly stated leaving no room for question, beckoning the science team on.
They looked to protest, but Vulcan's were more intelligent than that when it came to familial bonds and potential imposters. So, they turned their eyes, and beamed up allowing the scene to unfold.
Spock's face pinched at the words knowing what the outcome could become, "That was very unwise for a Vulcan of your stature."
Sarek raised an eyebrow at him, almost as if begging him to continue, in a I'm your father and I'm amused to hear type of stoic way. Spock's eye twitched a bit, this version of his father was very odd, he was unsure how to proceed but his hand remained in the air waiting.
Breaking the space between them, Sarek leaned forward, and let Spock's fingers splay lightly against his temples.
"Our minds...," Spock murmured almost uncertainly feeling like a child about to finally tell his father a very long story, a story he had been long gone before to see, "One and together." Sarek finished firmly for him, even with his stoic stare, knowing his son as well as his own Adun. He was a part of Amanda, how could he not.
Even as a Vulcan he knew that human woman would destroy him body and soul, if he didn't return with what she would call a lost puppy.
And then they were enveloped in space and time, and Sarek could only but stare in the awe only a Vulcan could exhibit. His son's mind was as intricate, powerful, and complex as his own mother T'Pau's, maybe even nearing to beyond.
Spock's voice broke him out of his thoughts, "One hundred twenty-nine years from now, a star will explode, and threaten to destroy the galaxy. That is where I'm from. The future. The star went supernova...
(a star explodes)
Sarek recoiled at the sudden atomic wave, and the light of a thousand suns. It was a phenomenal but rightly terrifying sight. A star potentially going supernova would be catastrophic for the federation. Millions, upon millions of lives, and potential lost. Resources, and alliances lost in a snap.
Spock, "...consuming everything in its path. I promised the Romulans that I would save their planet..." The grief and regret through the bond were immense. Sarek was flooded with the emotion of millions of lost lives, which even for a Vulcan was near impossible to handle. The heartbreak was too much.
The Romulans were their enemies for centuries, Sarek would never deny his disdain for certain Romulans crudeness, but to condemn an entire race and solar system to complete destruction was worse than any punishment in the universe. Before they were enemies, they came from something similar, no matter how both species liked to deny it.
Romulus appears in front of them, and Sarek see's Spock amongst a group of Romulans.
"We outfitted our fastest ship," His son's voice was telltale making Sarek's heart clench even further. "Using red matter, I would create a black hole, which would absorb the exploding star."
Sarek was truly entranced watching his son in what truly was his element, science. The element of science and of intense, strategic brain power was enough to win the allegiance of any Vulcan. Sarek knew of the trauma his son had endured as a child be that of Terra, and Vulcan. He had turned his head away many a time, even with Amanda's furious scrutiny, because Sarek knew his son could only succeed by his own doing.
Sarek acknowledged the crudeness of his methods, but his heart shown silently with pride at what his son would/had become. He adapted and survived.
Then they were thrusted into the nothingness of space and time... his sons ship sliced through it without hesitation. Sarek watched as the jellyfish ship harrowed on, enroute to Romulus, and his stomach turned seeing the star consuming Romulus before the target could be made.
Spock broke the silence, "I was enroute, when the unthinkable happened... the supernova destroyed Romulus." Unimaginable pain once again flooded their bond as they gazed upon the amazing but horrific sight. The absolute consumption of a race, and of any forms of life around it.
Spock's ship was still in motion as he rushed to prevent disaster, "I had little time. I had to extract the red matter and shoot it into the supernova." Sarek watches as Spock in the memory carefully yet intently filling up a drop of red matter, and he shot it into the collapsing star.
His son's ship turned and attempted a would be escape, yet a Romulan battleship had appeared to be spared the absolute annihilation of their race.
"As I began my return trip, I was intercepted," disdain layered Spock's voice. "He called himself Nero. Last of the Romulan Empire. In my attempt to escape, both of us were pulled into the black hole." The Narada was pulled through first, with Spock's ship following closely behind. Literally sucked through space, and what Sarek believed and knew to be time.
Spock's voice broke through once again, "Nero went through first. He was the first to arrive."
Sarek watched as what the Federation had once thought had been the destruction of the U.S.S. Kelvin, and the small, tiny bit of relief he quenched for the time being, for both of their mentalities needed to stay on the topic at hand for the time.
"Nero spent the next twenty-five years awaiting my arrival," Spock's voice was rough in near surrender, "But what was years for Nero, was only seconds for me."
Regret even for that of a homicidal enemy; the level of empathy Spock was displaying truly unwound the true level of intelligence his sons mind had grown too, in front of Sarek. Even when weakened, he still was nearly as strong and genius just due to the fact he was graceful in his defeats. Many a man and Vulcan could gain prowess from being strong in everything, but when facing forces stronger than themselves their own weaknesses crippled them.
Spock continued, "I went through the black hole. Nero was waiting for me."
Sarek boiled with a cool rage seeing his now elderly son knelt before the Klingon who had no mercy. No mercy for the one entity who chose to help, but truly didn't have to in the eyes of many naysayers who didn't believe it to be fruitful to save one planet/solar system to what was categorized as a natural phenomenon when they could be saving their own skins.
Spock's level of empathy truly was astounding. It still shown through his defeat, alike a thousand stars, even with him being knelt so crudely in front of the crazed Klingon. His Aduna's eyes, a knife straight through his chest.
"He held me responsible for the loss of his world." Anger and weariness-tinged Spock's tone, "He captured my vessel, and spared my life for one reason. So that I would know his pain to the fullest extent."
An icy foreboding feeling trickled over Sarek, the implications alone were truly terrifying. What Spock was implying, Nero's intentions, the tragedy would supersede even that of Tarsus IV. So, so much unnecessary devastation.
Spock was literally showing Nero's madness to Sarek in its fullness, and his genius could still not comprehend the necessity of added tragedy to an already horrific situation. To not only demolish a race out of hate, but to also wipe out an entire plant, and species was unthinkable.
No matter the disdain between Vulcan and Kronos for the past generations, Sarek truly believed few and between could truly follow in Nero's mad steps.
So much pain revibrated in Spock's voice, "He beamed me here, so that I could observe his vengeance. As he was helpless to save his planet, I would be helpless to save mine."
The meld ended as quickly as it had begun, yet Sarek yearned to delve deeper in the mind before him. To unweave the complexities his son had grown in to. As well as to potentially aid alleviating some of his mental duress as is the purpose of familial bonds.
Yet Sarek stood back, knowing overstepping would cause more damage than aid. While Sarek was trying he knew he did not have Amanda's level of understanding when it was and wasn't ok to approach certain emotional situations.
Amanda's deep endless brown eyes stared back into his being with an age-old weariness that Sarek knew would kill her being in her son's eyes.
"Vulcans are seldom known for their prowess wit shown emotion and empathy," Sarek saw the confusion in his son's eyes at his words but continued, "but you are not just Vulcan, you are not just my son. You are also the son of Amanda Grayson."
The disbelief in those eyes truly displayed the differences in timelines. The surprise that he could be compared to the being that birthed and raised him, without disdain or disgust. Without being told he wasn't good enough or wouldn't succeed if he weren't Vulcan enough.
Sarek knew he was hard on his son but had hoped it wouldn't get to this level. He wouldn't allow it to get to that level, and after seeing and hearing the meld Sarek had the suspicion realities maybe slightly altered due to the black hole. It wasn't necessarily a horrible thing, but it would certainly explain George Kirk being on his vessel currently.
He continued though, "A human woman that holds so much love and empathy in her to the point that she has manifested the uncanny ability to keep trying no matter how many odds or mountains may be stacked against her. Something which many Vulcans are incapable of doing due to our ingrained sense of logic, which while I may generally practice the former do realize in many situations intelligence AND empathy are necessary."
Spock was about to say something, but Sarek held up a finger, stopping him in his tracks for the first time in decades. For the first time in decades Spock felt like a true child in front of the father that had been gone for too long. The father that had been harsh and had never felt to present to him, was so vibrant in this past, this universe. His father who had always denied his sons human heritage, and silenced his wife's concerns on the regular, even though Spock knew later in life of the love the two truly held for each other.
To see the level of respect and love so blatantly being shown to him and his mother by the Vulcan in his past life who would've never dared in public like this. It was breaking through his shields in ways Spock was still trying to understand. So, he stood obediently and listened with glossed eyes.
"Without your mother present in many peace talks I am certain the Vulcan peace team could have perished many a time," Sarek grimaced thinking back to all of the past situations his Aduna had respectively gotten him in and out of. "Empathy and understanding of emotions are truly a different form of intelligence some cannot grasp the same as others son, but I truly believe you have walked through the waters of pain and suffering from so many cruel souls to the point that you have been called to something greater because of your dual heritage. Only the faith you hold in yourself will allow you to continue on in your journey of greatness and discovery."
Sarek knew he would never be as good as his Aduna at these things, but he would try. Seeing his son shining so bright yet so broken, uneased Sarek to no end, seeing those familiar eyes swirl with emotions that just weren't right.
"Truly it is spectacular to see all the changes this universe will bring," Spock's voice was soft but strong his age showing through, "My father from my own had never been very open, but it is comforting to see what this new timeline will bring."
Sarek smirked, knowing that if he had guessed the same, so would his own blood.
"Ah yes," Sarek stated, "I am unsure how you're alternate Mother was, but prepare yourself for the prodding and I shall leave the rest to mystery." Sarek only smirked more at Spock's obvious confusion.
Hopefully you all enjoy! I've had this sitting for a minute but couldn't figure out how to end the chapter. I am currently working on the next one tonight, and hoping to have out a longer one this weekend touching on other scenes that I haven't elaborated on yet. If anyone has anyone suggests or requests, please feel free to let them be known! Thanks for the continued support!