Naruto: Infinity Divide
Homefront
Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
So, what's been going on while the war has been raging? This installment is back on Vulcan. Enjoy!
Port = Left
Starboard = Right
[ ] Signifies a foreign language
Last time:
Stardate 2282.160, Klingon Imperial Territory, Klingon Northeast Fleet
Klingon Admiral Krell was aboard his flagship, the C8 Dreadnought I.K.V. Terror. He really, really didn't want to believe the report he was reading. Captain Maang of the I.K.V. Rogueslayer reported:
Admiral Krell-
The Northeast Support Fleet has been destroyed to the last man. Our investigation of the Castille A System following the loss of contact with the D6G I.K.V. Orphanmaker has revealed no survivors. Almost all the debris we have found are caught in a decaying orbit of the gas giant Castille VI. We are searching for escape pods or log buoys, but evidence has it they fell into the planet's gravity well and were lost…
-Captain Maang
"Damn. Damn! We must fall back. What am I to tell Emperor Khavek IV?" thought Admiral Krell aloud.
…
Chapter 66
Stardate 2282.162, Planet Vulcan, ShiKahr District, ShiKahr City, T'Ara and Sovar's House
"Personal Log of Siegfried M'Fau; It has been two weeks since Grandmother T'Ara returned to active duty in Starfleet. It weighs upon me heavily, but Grandfather Sovar is suffering far worse. My Father and Mother are in Starfleet, Grandmother is no longer a reservist and Aunt Talok is travelling the stars performing. That only leaves Grandfather and I, and though he tries to hide it, I know he is grieving. He said that we should be alright once we adjust but I am very concerned regardless…"
Siegfried was 14 years old and had just finished his first year at the Vulcan Science Academy. He bore a strong resemblance to his Father's side of the family (particularly T'Ara) but had brilliant ice blue eyes and straight, platinum blonde hair that was downy soft that he inherited from his Mother Samui. Siegfried wore his hair long like his Grandfather Sovar and kept it tied back in a low tail. His most unusual feature was the whisker marks he inherited from his Father Naruto though.
Considering Naruto's sterling reputation at the Vulcan Science Academy, the younger M'Fau was considered exotic and handsome rather than strange or even freakish there. Siegfried had many acquaintances from the VSA but no true friends. He had always been a very private person and preferred it that way.
Though he'd grown up without most of the prejudice his Father had thanks to the hybrid examples of Spock and his Naruto. Nevertheless, young Siegfried was always considered different, and he felt he was an outsider looking in. His kahs-wan had been a success and like his Father, Siegfried had been trained in the martial arts and the old weapons from a young age in the Forge by his Grandfather Sovar.
The platinum blonde had also been successfully bonded to a stunningly beautiful girl named T'Rel Mihn (t'sai reldai maat i'ni). Her name meant lady priestess (of the) copper clan. She was descended of the copper miners from the Al-Stakna Mountains from ancient times. T'Rel was a genius linguist and spoke several languages. She and Siegfried had been very close as children but had grown apart as young adults.
T'Rel was somewhat enamored with her beauty and had many men pining for her whereas Siegfried was reclusive and studied astrophysics, quantum physics and computer sciences. While the pair were a good match for one another intellectually speaking it was debatable whether their personalities were compatible.
Starfleet was very interested in the younger M'Fau because he showed all the signs of becoming a brilliant officer like Naruto and Samui had. The military had gone to great lengths to get him to join a Starfleet preparatory school which toured several planets, but Siegfried preferred the Vulcan Science Academy and that was that.
But in the weeks between Academy Trimesters, young Siegfried would go through hell…
…
ShiKahr City, T'Ara and Sovar's House
Siegfried woke up feeling very strange, he couldn't describe the sensation other than he was burning. Going to see Sovar, the platinum blonde said, "Grandfather, I sense a strange phenomenon throughout my body. It's as if I'm on fire inside. I am very concerned."
Sovar thought, 'Could he be in pon farr*①? 14 is young but not unheard of.' "Siegfried, give me your thoughts. I think I know what it is," Gently placing his thumb and forefingers onto his grandson's forehead and temple, Sovar soon had his answer. He said to the blonde, "You have entered pon farr Siegfried. I need to contact T'Rel's parents and make arrangements for your joining."
The platinum blonde was shocked. "I am fourteen and she is sixteen now. Aren't we too young to be wed?"
"While it is unusual, it is not unheard of Siegfried." said Sovar. "I will contact Ayhan and Balev Mihn immediately."
Sovar soon was in touch with T'Rel's Mother, Ayhan. The Vulcan woman seemed uneasy about the situation and said, "T'Rel has chosen another, the Lirpa Champion Chu'lak Stonn. They are in Vulcana Regar. I am dismayed by the situation."
Siegfried's Grandfather said, "T'Rel is honor bound to appear at Mount Seleya for her marriage to Siegfried. You know this."
"I am well aware." said Ayhan. "My husband Balev has gone to talk to her and bring her back. I…am regretful this has happened. She became enamored with Chu'lak months ago and we could not talk her out of it."
Sovar said, "I expected better of T'Rel."
Ayhan nodded. "So did Balev and I."
…
For his part, Siegfried was devastated. "T'Rel chose another…? I do not want to believe this Grandfather. Perhaps I can talk to her and make things right. I am… hurting inside. She was my friend. How can she throw me away like this?"
"We will speak to T'Rel and her parents on Mount Seleya my grandson." said Sovar. "Hopefully the situation will be resolved."
…
Stardate 2282.176, Mount Seleya
Sadly, things only got worse. It took Balev nearly fourteen days to convince T'Rel and her paramour Chu'lak to go to Mount Selaya and by that time Siegfried's pon farr had driven him into the blood fever, plak tow*②. The young blonde was combative and barely able to speak in full sentences. It was only through Sovar's help that he was coherent as he was.
When T'Rel and Chu'lak arrived, they saw the state that Siegfried was in and Chu'lak said, "He is nothing but an animal now T'Rel. There will be no reasoning with him."
Chu'lak Stonn was huge for an eighteen-year-old Vulcan and was renowned as being one of the greatest Lirpa wielders in generations. Sovar was very skilled with the Lirpa but felt he would lose in a spar against Chu'lak. The young man was simply that good. Using a voice of supreme confidence Chu'lak said, "I invoke the koon-ut-kal-if-fee*③ for T'Rel's hand in marriage. We are already together anyway."
T'Rel nodded weakly and looked at Siegfried guiltily. The platinum blonde hissed, "Faithless one!" at T'Rel and she looked torn.
Sovar whispered to his Grandson, "Chu'lak Stonn is a master of the Lirpa. You must survive the first round. If he loses his Lirpa you can defeat him with other weapons."
Siegfried was silent but nodded and Sovar said a small prayer for his grandson's safety.
The priestess in charge said, "Let the kal-if-fee*④ between Siegfried M'Fau and Chu'lak Stonn begin…"
Chu'lak lived up to his reputation. Though Siegfried was quite skilled with the Lirpa, the older Vulcan was an artist with the weapon and was cutting the blonde to ribbons. Every time Siegfried moved high, he was struck low and vice versa. The younger Vulcan's blood was spilling everywhere, and he had yet to land a hit on the giant.
As the one-sided slaughter went on, T'Rel began to tear up seeing Siegfried being torn to pieces. Ayhan and Balev stared emotionlessly as the one they'd chosen for their daughter was dying before their very eyes. It was a horrible thing to watch for both of them.
Sovar watched as Chu'lak spun his Lirpa overhead for a perfect decapitating strike. Then Siegfried fell back as the blade sliced the right side of his face and took out his right eye. Sovar felt his heart breaking but guards kept him from intervening no matter how badly he wanted to.
When the bloodied blonde hit the ground, he instinctively clasped his right hand over his missing right eye. His left arm was sliced up badly, but he was still holding his Lirpa tightly. That's when his left eye lit up with chakra and the killing intent made all around him shiver except Sovar.
Chu'lak froze in fear for a split second not knowing what the monstrous presence was. Siegfried dropped his Lirpa and took on a kareel-ifla death strike stance. The blonde blurred out of existence and reappeared with a chakra laced open palm rammed into Chu'lak's chest.
The contact was catastrophic. Chu'lak's torso exploded as the cataclysmic impact caused his lungs and heart to rupture and blood sprayed out of every orifice. The Lirpa champion was dead before his body hit the ground…
Sovar let out a breath. "It is done."
The badly wounded blonde towered over the remains of the fallen giant with his left eye glowing fiercely as a star. The kal-if-fee was over…
The priestess supervising the ceremony called for healers for Siegfried after she declared him the victor. Chu'lak's remains were attended to as well.
Sovar was sitting with his wounded grandson as the healers tended to the platinum blonde's many injuries. Siegfried laid there enduring the pain in silence until T'Rel Mihn and her parents came over to see him.
T'Rel said, "Siegfried, I was blind to not see that you were the better choice all along. I want to take care of you and heal you. I am yours and you are-"
Siegfried cut her off. "I have no need for a faithless wife. Be gone."
Her eyes widened in shock. "You…You don't want me? But I realize now that I truly love y-"
"Find another fool." said Naruto's son. "I don't need you anymore."
T'Rel burst into tears of sadness as her parents took her away…
…
Stardate 2282.190, Planet Vulcan, ShiKahr District, Vulcan Science Academy
Two terrible weeks later, Siegfried returned for his second year at the Vulcan Science Academy sporting an eyepatch as well as bandages over half his body. Due to his healing factor his shallow wounds had healed, and his deeper wounds were just gashes now. His face was also healing rapidly.
His heart was bitter and torn though. The shock of killing a Chu'lak Stonn had brought him out of his plak tow.
The platinum blonde had been visited by Ayhan and Balev Mihn at home shortly before he returned to the VSA, and they both apologized on their daughter's behalf and said how glad they were that he'd won and was going to recover.
Siegfried thanked them for their concern and truthfully bore no ill will towards T'Rel's parents. It was not their fault for what their daughter had done.
Now the new Trimester was beginning, and Siegfried turned on his computer and began to speak to it:
"Personal Log of Siegfried M'Fau; today I will start my second year of classes at the Vulcan Science Academy. I look forward to another year of learning and-"
There was a knock on his door and the blonde paused his recording. He limped over to the door and said, "Unlock."
It was the Vulcan Science Academy's Media Team. Siegfried's ice blue eye widened in shock as a Vulcan male asked, "Is it true that you defeated the famous Chu'lak Stonn in a Lirpa duel?"
The platinum blonde wanted to face palm. He exhaled slowly and said, "Yes."
There were murmurs among the gaggle of student reporters. "Will you share the details with us? It must have been a titanic clash."
Siegfried said, "Interview terminated." Then he closed the door and locked it. After about twenty minutes, classes started and the M'Fau scion limped into his Astrophysics Class taught by Professor Iria who was Naruto's instructor in the past. She saw one of her most gifted students hobble into class and said to him, "Siegfried M'Fau, you are clearly injured. Will you be able to participate in class?"
…And so, it went. Although everyone was concerned for his wellbeing, Siegfried was becoming a spectacle with all his injuries and limping around… That and the Media Team wanted to know what happened and would not leave the blonde in peace until he complained directly to the Head of the VSA, Director Sekla. After discussing the situation with the Director, the Media Team backed off and the youngest M'Fau was able to return to his studies quietly.
…
A month later, the last of Siegfried's bandages came off revealing he had no scars despite the severe damage his body had suffered. The blonde still had an eyepatch but was told his eye was regenerating nicely according to the doctors whose care he was under.
He was getting ready to retire for the night when he heard a soft knock on his door. Tiredly walking over, he said, "Unlock." And the door opened revealing his former betrothed, T'Rel Mihn. He would have recognized her stunning violet eyes and shimmering jet-black hair anywhere. She was wearing a first year Vulcan Science Academy medallion and the copper-colored robes of her family.
T'Rel said timidly, "Hello Siegfried. I, I've wanted to see you for such a long time."
His left eye lit up like the sun. "What are you doing here?" he growled.
"I am a student here now, studying the science of linguistics." she replied. "I want to be with you. May I please come in?"
Siegfried turned his back to her and stalked back into his room. 'At least he didn't close the door in my face.' she thought sadly as she followed him in. "I like your room. It is logical and ergonomic."
"You didn't come here to say that." stated the platinum blonde. "What do you want?"
T'Rel noticed he'd grown bigger and more muscular like the pictures she'd seen of his Father Naruto. She said, "You are taller than I am now… I have been observing you from a distance since I joined the VSA. I wanted to come to you and help you with your wounds but… I was afraid. I want to be with you Siegfried. When you rejected me and shattered our bond it felt like I was dying inside. Please take me back. I beg of you."
His eye blazed in the low light of the room. "You betrayed me and then tried to kill me through that monster Chu'lak. What logical reason would I have to take you back?"
Tears streamed down her beautiful face. "Because I love you Siegfried M'Fau."
"There is no logic in that." replied the blonde.
"Love has no logic." she choked out. "Let us share thoughts, I will prove my love for you." She reached out to him, but he slapped her hand away.
"You will not touch me." he said. "I-" He suddenly clasped his covered right eye in pain and kneeled.
"Siegfried?!" she said, feeling the agony radiating from him.
The blonde said, "G-give me my data tablet!"
"But why?" she asked. "You need a medic."
"Give it here, you stupid woman!" he roared as he sank into a sitting position in pain.
She handed him his tablet and saw the Otsutsuki symbol start to glow on the back of his hand. Siegfried started punching formulas into his computer tablet so rapidly that his hand became a blur to T'Rel. She watched transfixed as the chakra crackled all the way up his arm. After what seemed like an eternity to the young Vulcan woman, he hit the last touch key and passed out.
"Siegfried? Siegfried!" she cried out as he slumped over to the floor. T'Rel quickly regained control of herself and called for the medics…
…
Medical Ward
It was hours later that the medical staff came out of surgery and T'Rel was allowed to come in and see Siegfried who was sleeping in a healing trance. She was holding on to his computer tablet still.
"We don't know exactly what happened." said one of the Doctors. "When he was brought in, the frontal lobe of his brain was composed of energy rather than matter. He was in so much agony that he passed out." He turned to T'Rel and said, "You may well have saved his life by calling us in young lady. What is your name?"
"I am T'Rel Mihn." she answered. "Is Siegfried going to be alright?" she asked worriedly.
"We believe so." said another Doctor. "What was he doing before you called us?"
She painfully recalled the situation and said, "We were talking when he suddenly grasped his eyepatch and demanded his tablet. Then he started entering data so fast that I couldn't follow. He collapsed and I called for medical help."
The doctor looked curious and asked, "What kind of data was it he entered?"
T'Rel said, "I don't know. I cannot fathom the math."
Within the hour Siegfried's Advanced Computer Sciences Instructor, Professor Lorot was examining the tablet and said, "Back up the data on this tablet to the VSA main computer! This data cannot be lost!"
"What is it Professor Lorot?" asked the medical doctor.
Lorot let out a deep breath as the data was confirmed to be uploaded into the main system computer. "It's something that would take me years to unravel alone. I must consult Doctor Sekla on what to do with it." He looked towards the sleeping Siegfried and said, "I always knew the boy was gifted but this…" The Professor quickly departed.
…
Sovar arrived within an hour of hearing his grandson was in the medical ward. He was surprised to see T'Rel there but did not show it. He quickly bypassed her to speak with the medical doctors before he came back out to the waiting room and sat down beside her. Sovar said, "It seems I owe you a debt of gratitude T'Rel Mihn. I must ask what you were doing there to begin with though."
She said sadly, "There is no debt, I love him. I wish he felt the same."
Sovar and T'Rel sat in silence after that…
…
Director Sekla's Office
Professor Lorat said, "I recommend we share this data with our colleagues at the Daystrom Institute of Technology*⑤, most notably the Advanced Supercomputing Annex at the Starfleet Academy. It will take years to put this to practical use but-"
The Director interjected, "Perhaps you could describe exactly what young Siegfried M'Fau came up with."
Lorot explained, "You are no doubt familiar with duotronic computers*⑥, Director Sekla?"
"Of course." replied the Director. "I was the primary sponsor for installing a duotronic main computer here at the Vulcan Science Academy."
The eccentric Professor cringed slightly, "Forgive me for missing the obvious sir! It was before I taught here."
Sekla said, "Please get to the point Professor."
"Young M'Fau has laid the foundation for the next generation of duotronics and perhaps beyond!" exclaimed Lorot. "Working with the staff here it will take decades to make a workable system but with the Advanced Supercomputing Annex working on it with us, the process could be cut to mere years."
The Director's eyebrows raised. "It is that advanced?"
"Without a doubt sir." confirmed the oddball Professor.
'It seems that T'Ara M'Fau's brilliance shines in her grandson, too.' thought Sekla. "Once Siegfried M'Fau wakes up, we will discuss the matter with him. Until then, keep this locked down."
Professor Lorot looked slightly crestfallen but said, "We'll just have to wait for young M'Fau to wake up then."
…
Stardate 2282.217, Vulcan Science Academy, Medical Ward
It had been a week since Siegfried fell into a healing trance and the medical Doctors estimated he would wake up that day. T'Rel was tired and restless from worry and Sovar was quietly meditating.
The platinum blonde's left eye clicked open, and he silently scanned his surroundings. He saw medical scanners around him and quickly deduced that he was in the medical ward. The last thing he remembered was T'Rel calling his name in fright. Siegfried looked over to his left and saw his Grandfather Sovar was there in his usual travelling clothes meditating.
Then he saw T'Rel looking pale and sick with worry. Sovar sensed his grandson's awakening and cracked and eye open. T'Rel also sensed the blonde waking up through what was left of their shattered bond. She rushed over and said "Siegfried!" with a huge smile on her face. She then leaned in and kissed his forehead.
The blonde was dumbfounded at her emotional reaction but really didn't remember passing out. His throat was parched, and he croaked, "What happened?"
Sovar gently pulled T'Rel back and said, "You passed out and T'Rel called in the medical staff. She may have saved your life Siegfried… You've been in a healing trance for a week. It is good to see you awake my grandson. I'm going to inform the medics that you are awake."
Seeing Sovar depart, the platinum blonde's eye returned to T'Rel who ran her fingers through his soft hair feather light. "I was terrified that I'd lost you." she said. "When you were being examined in the surgery room, I broke down and cried."
He simply asked, "Why do you care?"
She answered, "Because I truly love you Siegfried M'Fau."
The blonde's ice blue eye was full of confusion as T'Rel was ushered out by the medics to do a full examination on him. 'How can she say she loves me after what she did?' he wondered.
…
While the doctors were checking Siegfried both physically and mentally, Sovar was sitting out in the waiting room with T'Rel she was pacing until Sovar told her, "Sit down T'Rel, you are wasting needless energy pacing around like that."
She sat down beside Siegfried's Grandfather and asked, "Do you think he will forgive me?"
Sovar exhaled. "I don't know. You hurt him terribly you realize. But then you came back to him and helped Siegfried when no one else could. I suppose the scales are balanced in a way. You have my deepest thanks for helping my grandson. I cannot make him love you again though. That is up to you."
She nodded sadly. "As illogical as it sounds, I wish I could go back in time and fix all this."
"We all make mistakes." said Sovar. "There is no changing the past, only learning from it to shape the future. Perhaps you and Siegfried will at least be friends again, maybe more."
The black-haired beauty said, "Siegfried was always full of wise sayings like that. I guess he inherited that from you."
"I suppose." said Sovar. "I always thought Siegfried was just wise naturally."
The doctor came out and told Sovar and T'Rel they could enter in a few minutes. "How is he?" asked Sovar.
The doctor said, "Siegfried M'Fau is an incredibly resilient young man. He says that he needs to make up for lost time as soon as possible. He is getting his right eye checked as we speak."
"Is his eye alright?" questioned T'Rel.
Our scanners show it is as healthy as can be." answered the doctor. "He is just getting a full examination to verify his sight is also fully restored."
…
Siegfried passed all his tests and thought to himself, 'Now to get used to binocular vision and depth perception again.'
That's when he saw T'Rel walk in and she said, "The doctor said your eye is fully restored. I am so pleased to see both of your beautiful eyes again." Ice blue stared into violet awkwardly for what seemed like an eternity and finally she broke the silence. "Can we talk privately later? There is so much I want to tell you."
He looked at his down and replied, "We can speak in my room later. I need to see everything I have missed and look over my notes I wrote before I lost consciousness."
T'Rel said, "Professor Lorot took your notes and copied them to the main computer. He indicated they were very valuable."
"They are very valuable…to my grades." growled Siegfried. 'If Professor Lorot started messing with my formulas, he's liable to wreck everything!'
Sovar poked his head in sensing his grandson's irritation and asked, "Is all well you two?"
Nodding, T'Rel replied, "We were just talking about Siegfried's notes and the fact Professor Lorot has them."
That's when Professor Lorot barreled in with Siegfried's tablet in hand and said, "Mister M'Fau! I heard you were awake and rushed down here to see you."
The (currently shirtless) Siegfried said in a commanding tone, "I will take my notes back now Professor." Lorot held onto the tablet possessively for a moment before reluctantly handing it back to Siegfried who added, "I trust you haven't altered any of my formulas?"
The eccentric Professor shook his head 'no' rapidly. "They are…absolutely brilliant! I haven't touched them. But I must ask, what inspired these ideas?"
Siegfried answered, "I had an epiphany while I was discussing …things… with T'Rel."
Lorot turned to T'Rel as if noticing the beautiful girl for the first time and asked, "You are…?"
"I am T'Rel Mihn sir." she answered.
The Professor looked puzzled and said, "I don't remember you from Computer Science Class."
"That's because she is a linguist major, not a computer science major." stated Siegfried in a flat tone.
T'Rel nodded. "I speak fourteen languages."
Lorot turned to Sovar and said, "And you are…?"
"I'm just a wandering martial arts instructor." said Sovar in the same flat tone as his grandson to the oddball Professor. "Children, I will see you later." He gave the Vulcan salute and said, "Peace and long life." before he departed.
"What an unusual character." pondered Lorot aloud.
'Have you ever looked in a mirror?' thought Siegfried and T'Rel as one.
…
POSTSCRIPT:
*①: pon farr: pon farr is the Vulcan time of mating and is thus a major part of the reproductive cycle. The pon farr occurred approximately once every seven years during adulthood. During pon farr, a Vulcan loses all emotional control and had to address the condition or risk death. Mating is the most usual way to successfully resolve pon farr, but ritual combat and intensive meditation are also used.
*②: plak tow: plak tow is a Vulcan phrase which means "blood fever" and refers to the final stages of pon farr. Common factors during this stage of the Vulcan mating ritual are highly combative behavior as well as a high fever. Vulcans are noted to be almost unable to speak or think clearly while they are subject to plak tow. The fever can only be by the koon-ut-kal-if-fee either through the successful completion of the marriage ceremony or through combat.
*③: koon-ut-kal-if-fee: koon-ut-kal-if-fee is a mating ritual conducted by the Vulcan people and has been part of their culture since long before the time of Surak. Translated from the Vulcan language, the phrase means "marriage or challenge".
*④: kal-if-fee: The phrase means "passion fight." The kal-if-fee is a Vulcan challenge in which two male combatants fight for the right to mate with a certain female. During the Vulcan mating ritual known as koon-ut-kal-if-fee, one can claim kal-if-fee. Once kal-if-fee has been declared, the male that was arranged for the female must battle her chosen mate.
*⑤: Daystrom Institute of Technology: The Daystrom Institute is a scientific research and teaching organization, one of the most respected institutions in the Federation. Named for Dr. Richard Daystrom, the Daystrom Institute supports research and development in the fields of warp propulsion, cybernetics, astrophysics, archeology, and many others. The Daystrom Institute has several annexes across Federation space, including one at the Starfleet Academy.
*⑥: duotronic computers: The duotronic computer system, in the Federation, is a revolutionary technological advancement which was designed and developed by Doctor Richard Daystrom in 2243.
Just a note, T'Rel Mihn is meant to be overly emotional, just as Lorot is meant to be an oddball.
The footnotes return! Well, another chapter in the books. I've been meaning to write about Ziggy for a long time but had to wait until he was old enough to start making his own computer programs at the Vulcan Science Academy. Yes, him being a computer genius when he came of age was the plan from the outset. See you next time, Blue out. 10/7/23