The 100th anniversary of the Xindi attack was a somber event.

The initial shock had faded over time but the seven million deaths had not been forgotten. A crowd of humans gathered outside Starfleet HQ. Shouts of "Never again!" rippled through the gathering. Some still held onto anger, even now, in a time of peace.

It was Sarek's first official visit to Earth since he'd been appointed as a member of the Federation council. In due course he would transition to his new position as the Vulcan ambassador. He'd been training for this moment his entire life. As a child he'd been coached by his forefather, the first Vulcan to have ever greeted a human, Solkar. Later, he'd shadowed his father, and had been schooled on what it meant to represent Vulcan's interest whilst also playing the role of mediator, ensuring the alliance between both worlds continued to prosper.

He'd spent many evenings consuming Terran database fact files, followed by lengthy meditation sessions, schooling himself to remain true to the Vulcan way and to not be led down a path that defied the teachings of Surak. But no amount of training could have truly ever prepared him for his responsibilities. The anecdotes he'd been told and the information he'd carefully stored in his mind paled in comparison to reality. The noise was unbearable. The smells were strange. And as for the people…the impassioned way they chose to express themselves was intolerable.

He suppressed the urge to wince and cover his sensitive ears. Why did they feel the need to shout? The attack on Earth was long ago and their cries would have no impact on the past. It was most illogical. Silently, he wondered whether it would be possible to represent his species from afar, though he quickly squashed the implausible thought. He would be spending a significant time on Earth, as was his duty. His personal comfort was irrelevant. The needs of the many outweighed the need of the one.

Sarek was stood on a stage, alongside his young assistant, Sakkath, who also showed growing signs of discomfort, shifting subtly, but not so subtly to go unnoticed.

"You must calm yourself, Sakkath." Sarek said in a low, even voice.

"I do not understand the logic of us being here on this day," Sakkath responded with the subtlest of frowns.

"Our presence here signifies solidarity with Earth."

"Why? Our people did not aid them in their quest to locate the Xindi."

"That," Sarek said, "is precisely why we must show solidarity in the present. Too many mistakes have been made in the past. It is important that we correct them, for the sake of both our worlds."

Sakkath did not get the chance to offer a further retort as Captain Henry Archer arrived. The remembrance ceremony would soon begin.

The crowd began to clap, whistle, and if possible, scream even louder than before. The young blonde human male was dressed in official Starfleet uniform and a canine followed at his heels. He waved at the spectators enthusiastically, then moved with purpose across the stage. He greeted each representative of the Federation founding worlds and showed great care in respecting their individual cultures.

He heartily shook hands with Sheth Th'viannir of Andor. "Thank you for your people's assistance all those years ago. We wouldn't be here today without you."

Sheth grinned and clasped Henry's hand firmly. "We have not forgotten what your people did for us either. Perhaps we can catch up over some Andorian ale after this is over?"

Henry let go and his hand fell back down by his side. "I'd like that."

Next, he insulted Grak Cugow of Tellar Prime by telling him that he was uglier than a Klingon Targ. The Tellarite licked his lips and looked down at the canine with a snarl.

"No one mentioned food in the briefing, yet I see you have brought with you a delicacy."

Horrified, Henry quickly placed himself as a barrier between his dog and the Tellar Prime representative. "Sorry Grak, he isn't food. He's my companion."

"He's too skinny anyway. I wouldn't wish to eat such a scrawny creature."

"There will be plenty of food at the reception after I make my speech. I'm sure you'll find something to suit your particular…tastes."

"Actual food? Or just the usual replicated garbage Starfleet considers edible?"

"The real deal." Henry confirmed. "Now if you excuse me, I have to say hello to the Vulcans."

When he reached Sarek he raised his hand and parted his fingers, forming the traditional Vulcan salute. It wasn't a gesture that came naturally to him but he'd spent hours practicing it.

"Live long and prosper." Henry said, a warm smile radiating on his features.

Sarek returned the gesture. He and his assistant did not look impressed. In fact, they did not look like anything. They remained indifferent. "Peace and long life, Captain Archer."

Henry tried not to take it to heart. He knew that it was simply the Vulcan way but it didn't stop him from feeling some frustration as it was impossible to tell if he was making a good impression or not. "Henry, please." He insisted, trying his hardest to establish a connection with the ambassador to be.

Porthos The Third chose that precise moment to lick Sarek's hand. The Vulcan's eyes grew wide with fleeting repulsion, but it didn't last long. He calmy extracted himself from the situation, pulling both of his hands up and clasping them neatly in front of his ceremonial robes.

Henry blushed furiously and grabbed the beagle's collar. "Sorry about him. He's not usually so friendly to strangers."

"I will continue to address you with your formal title and Starfleet ranking."

"Yeah. That's probably for the best." Henry exhaled heavily. He'd been on stage for less than ten minutes and he'd already managed to almost cause a political crisis by offending one of the most important Vulcans in the Federation. "What should I call you?"

"Although I am not officially the Vulcan ambassador to Earth yet, you may address me as such. I believe doing so will help ease the transition."

"That seems…logical."

"Indeed."

He nodded. Crisis averted. "It's good to finally meet you in person, Ambassador. I look forward to our diplomatic discussions!"

"I am sure they will prove to be…productive." Sarek inclined his head in a slight nod before straightening and looking all the world like a silent statue. The time for greetings was over.

"Right then…" Henry said after a few moments of awkwardness transpired. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Illogical, Sarek thought in response to Henry's parting words. There were no roads in sight and the ceremony was not a show of any kind. The sensation of drying canine saliva on his hand was extremely undesirable. It was taking all of his self-control to not furiously wipe his hand against the material of his robes. He would need to meditate for a long time after his duties had been fulfilled. There were more sensations to contend with than he had been expecting.

Henry Archer strode to a podium that was situated center-stage. His expression took on a seriousness that matched the occasion. The honor, or the pressure, depending on how you looked at it, fell upon him to make a speech to mark the occasion. Each species acted exactly as you might expect. The Vulcans were expressionless and quietly motionless, bar the occasional unemotional blink. The Andorian's antennae twitched with unequivocal, empathetic rage and the Tellarite made a series of guttural grunts.

Henry surveyed the crowd, then briefly looked down at the obedient canine companion that sat beside him. Porthos The Third was a gentle natured beagle and seemed entirely unphased by their very public appearance. Henry reached down and pet him in an attempt to calm himself. He disliked this part of the job but it was a necessary duty. "Good boy." He murmured, then straightened and faced the congregation. Earnestness burned passionately in his blue eyes. He gripped the podium tight and began.

"We all know why we are here." He paused, waiting for the initial noisy response to die down. An impactful silence rippled through the gathering. "Today marks the 100th year since our planet faced the unthinkable. My grandfather and his crew bravely entered the Delphic Expanse and prevented a further attack on our freedom…on our lives. But we are not solely here to remember the cost that the Enterprise went through to secure our present safety. We are here to reflect on the lives that could not be saved. I am reminded of a old Earth poem. It was orginally intended for fallen soldiers but the sentiment is relevant to today's date. If you know the words, please do join me." He exhaled and hoped that he didn't sound as frazzled as he felt. When he continued, the crowd spoke, their words syncing up with his. "They shall not grow old, as we are left to grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them…"

Sarek lost himself in the sudden quiet. Withdrawing into his own thoughts, the Admirals words washed over him, their meaning lost in translation. He surveyed the crowd and he quietly observed the change in human behavior. They were still expressing emotions, even now, in the silence. He found their mannerisms…tedious. As his dark brown eyes flicked imperceptibly across the mass of people, he found nothing of value or interest, until the moment he began to suspect someone was observing him in return. He paused, his gaze falling upon a very aesthetically pleasing human female. She was stood a few rows back. Her eyes were two shades lighter than his own; they reminded him of the deep, rich golden sands found in Vulcan's wilderness. He couldn't be sure she was watching him. In fact, he was almost certain that she wasn't. For the most part humans tended to ignore the presence of Vulcans outside of diplomatic interactions as they did not know how to acts around Vulcans and Vulcans did not know how to interpret human mannerisms. But then the woman did something quite unexpected; she smiled and offered the Ta'al. This eradicated any doubt in his mind. She was looking directly at him with a great deal of interest. He got the distinct impression that the smile was just for him and not for anyone else on the stage or in the crowd next to her. There was Sakketh, of course, but she wasn't focused on his assistant. He did not know why but this caused a strange, persistent fluttering sensation to form in the center of his torso. He had never experienced such a sensation before. Perhaps this is what a cardiac arrest felt like? But no, it could not be. He was a young, healthy Vulcan with no pre-existing health conditions.

He watched her soft pink lips move and form words. He read what she was saying. It was not Earth standard. Dif-tor heh smusma. Vulcan. She was greeting him in the language of his people. The fluttering sensation worsened. Never had his heart pulsed so rapidly whilst doing so little. He suddenly felt overwhelmingly and illogically warm, the tips of his ears heating beyond his control. The corner of his mouth twitched and for once he found himself wishing that he could express himself openly as humans habitually did but wishes were for children. He was neither a human nor a child. He was an adult Vulcan male and a representative of his people. He could not afford to be distracted by anything. He added the woman onto the list of things he needed to meditate away later that evening but the flutter, flutter, flutter in his heart refused to leave him. She continued to smile throughout the entirety of Archer's speech, and though he tried, he could not bear to tear his eyes away from her.