Title: Mother Author: Istannor Series: TOS Part: 1/1 Rating: [PG13] Codes: Summary: The sixth Installment in the Years of Gol Series. Disclaimer: These are the characters of Paramount and Viacom, they own them, I only check 'em out from the library. I promise to bring 'em back. Thank-you to the Beta Dominitrix Editor, Mary Ellen, the Doc of Science. If there are no errors, thank her, not me. Feedback to Istannor@Aol.com Mother A knock on the door alerted Sarek that he had overslept. No, it was only 0700. Strange, Saylak had been instructed to knock at 0730 and only if no movement was heard from the master bedroom. He stretched and rose quietly so as to not disturb his sleeping wife. Their meld and activities the previous night had been...strenuous to say the least. Amanda was often sexually ravenous when under stress. He crossed to the stained-glass doors, opened them silently, and pulled the bedroom door shut behind him. Saylak waited patiently in the sitting room for him to cleanse himself and dress. When Sarek returned in full readiness, he signaled Saylak to relay his news. "T'Pau awaits you downstairs." This development did not surprise him. "Does she require only my presence or should I awaken Amanda?" "She specifically requested that I awaken only you." Sarek nodded and went down to his study, where T'Pau stood and gazed out at the morning sun. The room looked out over the cliff at the rear of the compound towards the desert and mountains in the distance. Akweth'c'thia: for the last 3643 years it had kept watch over the surrounding desert as the Clan seat. Built of hand hewn red stone even before the days of the Warring Clans, Akweth'c'thia had weathered 4647 years and innumerable assaults by nature and by sentient enemies. It had never fallen. Akweth'c'thia dominated the landscape, as any fortress must. From its high hill, the rocky walls rapidly gave way to sorroyo, then desert. The present front entrance to the clan ancestral home was up a gentle sloping incline that wandered through Amanda's desert gardens. Only 1699 years ago it had climbed through a killing field of traps and pitfalls, exposed to withering fire from the defending weapon masters. After the War of Surak, the defensive battlements had all been dismantled, re-used to build the nearby homes of the clan's dependents. The front chambers of the inner compound looked out on Amanda's lush desert gardens. It was the view most guests preferred. T'Pau preferred to look at the desert. "Mother, I welcome you to the place of your birth and the seat of your clan. My water is yours." Sarek gave the formal greeting as he entered his own den. This room, like all that he lived in and on, had belonged to his Mother first. She turned reluctantly, and gazed at him. "Refreshments will be here shortly." T'Pau bowed her head and went to sit in his chair. It was the one she preferred. He sighed and took Amanda's. "How can I serve you, my Mother? Is there something in particular that brings you here today?" "Do not be obtuse, Son." She glared at him in mild exasperation. She had no patience for his games of diplomacy today. "You are well aware of the reason for my presence here. Where is James Kirk?" Sarek struggled with his answer. His initial desire was to misdirect her, forcing her to reveal more of what she knew and what she planned. Unfortunately, his past battles with his mother had not usually been decided in his favor. "Upstairs, asleep. S'Alal-doe cares for him." "She is excellent." She wagged one finger as a sign of approval. "Will he live and will he maintain his sanity?" "He will live. The second question cannot yet be answered. Spock has forced your Grandson into the Devastation." "My Grandson...you have adopted the Human?" Sarek bowed his head once and waited for the war of wills to begin. "Will he have full Clan honors and duties? Will he inherit also?" "Yes." "The Humans will not understand what you have done. Many will feel Vulcan is attempting to usurp their claim on the most famous Starship Captain in Federation history. He may be forced to renounce Earth citizenship. When he is intact, he may reject your offer." It was not the attack he had expected, but he flowed with the sandstorm. Standing against his mother was never an easy task. "He can declare dual citizenship, if he wishes. I do not think he will reject our offer. James is T'hy'la to Spock and has already accepted the responsibility of that role. He willingly went to his death for Spock once. He has more than proved his worthiness." "You misunderstand me. I do not object to your decision, Son. It makes what I have come to do that much easier. I had planned to establish a Link with James to assist him in dealing with the Devastation. I now assume you will establish a parental bond with him to accomplish the same goal. When will you do so?" "Today, if he is strong enough. He is teetering on the brink of insanity and requires our aid as soon as possible. Spock has a parental link to support him, and what is lacking because of our distance can easily be replaced by T'Par. It is Kirk who is in danger." "I will assist you in establishing the link," she asserted. Sarek looked at his mother and wondered if she ever made requests. "Mother...I am not so mind-blind that I cannot establish a parental link with a Human. He is not an adept; he does not have the skills of an adult Vulcan, and he has no mind-shields. Why would I require your assistance?" "Sarek, not only shall you require my assistance, S'Alal-do and Amanda may be needed as well." Sarek sat back in amazement. He had never heard of any link so complex. "Why? What is he, to require such a union of minds?" T'Pau stared at her son. During their silence, Saylak entered with refreshments. They stopped to sip juice and eat sweetloaf, T'Pau's favorite. She dismissed Saylak with a nod of gratitude. Sarek waited patiently for her answer. T'Pau finished the bread, put down her glass, and leaned towards her son. "James is Vulcan's Flame. He is 'The One Who Ignites'." "Mother! Why must you fixate on that outdated prophecy? The 'One Who Ignites' is a myth." "As you wish." She relaxed back into the chair. "He is a myth, then." He immediately fought down his annoyance. His mother would enjoy the display and that was unacceptable. Admittedly, T'Pau's easy capitulation surprised Sarek. He attempted to evaluate his mother for any evidence of subterfuge or manipulation. He sensed none; that meant she probably intended none. She was serious; not good, not good at all. Sarek decided his best tack was to pursue more information. "What change does his presence portend, if he is 'The One Who Ignites' as you assert?" "If he is 'Vulcan' s Flame'? Is your memory deficient? Ask yourself what changes he has already wrought. Was your exiled son not the most famous First Officer in the history of Starfleet while he was under Kirk's command? Yet no Human had even considered him as a First Officer, before Kirk; he was thought a liability, unable to understand Human emotional needs. Did not Kirk discover 'The Lost' when he defeated the Romulan flagship? Did not that battle end a mystery from the days of Surak? Did he not douse the flame of Plak Tow in your own son? What was the prophecy?" Sarek recited from memory. "The Lost will be found. Eridani will follow where the Chosen leads. The lie will end. The burning will cool. The people will be reborn." "Have you forgotten the words of your elders?" T'Pau's voice dripped scorn. "Samel is a questionable source for prophecy, Mother. He was Gifted, that is true, but no-one now has the skills we lost from the old days. No one has the Gift of Interpretation." "You are correct, and that is one of our deficiencies. We lost many of our Gifts when we chose the lie of non-emotion. We will regain them again. Already more youths, and even older Vulcans, seek to explore the stars than we can accommodate in Starfleet and the VSA Space Program. They have become so eager, they even seek berths on merchant vessels. More Vulcans choose Humans as mates; there are 200 hybrid children, with more born every month. Our rebirth has begun. Do you think it would have occurred without the very visible friendship of Spock and James, along with your son's success in his chosen career?" "I concede the latter point but I disagree with the former. Why would James Kirk wish to be Vulcan's Flame? No outworlder would desire to be the one to fulfill that prophecy. He would have to be insane." "Fitting, since he is no longer what many would traditionally consider to be sane." She set forth her arguments relentlessly. One finger: "He is someone who seeks to complete his duty." Two fingers: "He has been raised, trained, and nurtured to be what he has become." Three fingers: "He is an agent of free will and his will has remained unbroken and unbowed." Four fingers: "He loves your son freely, no-one made him do so." Five fingers, spread wide: "Kirk will be Vulcan's Flame because our Needs are the Needs of those who formed him in the days before Surak was born. That is how long we have waited." She closed her hand into a fist. "What was separate will be made whole again." "Strength of will, loyalty, choice, duty; all these are attributes any Starship Captain would have. Nothing you say proves your contention. I remain unconvinced. Also, you speak of an adult, a living soul, as if he were your puppet. You cannot control everyone as the puppet master. I tire of your schemes and your hidden machinations. He is a real person, not solely a tool. Furthermore, what do you mean: formed him? What is he? You still have not answered that question." "We do not know...precisely, what he is. However..." Sarek interrupted her. "Who are 'we'?" "You have interrupted me, Son. I will proceed without interference." Sarek nodded his reluctant assent. "However, when he was dying on the sands at Gol, T'Par reached for his mind to heal him and force his consciousness to loosen its control over his body; she failed. She was not able to do anything but give him a small measure of healing. She could not break through his barriers without risking his death." "T'Par was held from his mind?" Sarek was reeling. "Did I not say so? He does not have traditional shields, but whatever he has was enough to keep his mind sacrosanct against the intrusion of the supreme adept of Vulcan. Granted, she could have forced her entry, but he would have died as a result." Sarek's face remained neutral, but the shock was enough to awaken Amanda and send her probing for his thoughts. He mentally sent her waves of reassurance, and an invitation to join them. Sarek quickly returned his attention to his discourse with T'Pau. He was not convinced. His mother often left out pertinent information when it suited her. This required far more investigation. "Spock has frequently melded with James, without any difficulty." "Spock's presence was welcomed and invited. Your son only met Kirk's partial resistance once, when Kirk was suffering from amnesia and concussion. Yet even without mounting a full defense, he almost defeated Spock. " Sarek decided to change his approach. "T'Par knows about James and it is now apparent that you are involved, also." Sarek mused out loud. "Spock must be involved and I have to believe McCoy plays a role. I wonder at McCoy's absence, but perhaps Kirk knows the reason McCoy is not with him now. Who are the rest of the pieces on the board, Mother? I have the right to more information since it is obvious I am in play now." "I am unable to divulge any further information." Sarek closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He reviewed the third level calming disciplines. "Is he Human, Mother?" "Yes." "Is he genetically engineered?" "Not in the way we have come to think of it. He was planned for, not planned. It was time; he arrived. " "And what of Spock? Is he a piece on the board also?" "Unquestionably. His role is pivotal." Sarek opened his mouth. "Do not inquire; I will not respond." He closed his mouth. "Sarek, I will tell you this: Spock does not know, and would not accept his own role in our future. As for James Kirk, even he has no concept of his full potential." "Do you, Mother?" "No, in truth, no-one does. We only know he plays a vital role in the survival of our people... and his. We have calculated potentialities and converging trends. Others, with differing skills have seen more. We are not allowed access to that information." "What others?" "Son," she warned. "Mother, I tire of your continual schemes and secret agendas. You have repeatedly interfered in almost every aspect of my family's life. This I can accept as your due, but James Kirk is not your pawn to maneuver. Why must you include an innocent Human in your plots, not once but twice? First you used him during Spock's Pon Farr and now you seek to use him again." "Innocent? Surely you have lost you senses. James Kirk is the least innocent man you have ever known." "I am not speaking about sex..." Sarek shook his hand in dismissal. "Neither am I. Kirk is a warrior, an assassin, a destroyer of worlds, a rapist, a conqueror, a thief, a liar, a blasphemer, an adulterer, an embezzler, a leader, a hero, and a visionary, but he is not innocent." "I have thoroughly researched this man. He is one of the most honorable men I have ever known. He has never used his power for his own personal gain. He has never betrayed his friends or his cause. He has never allowed anyone else to misuse his power or fame for their personal gain. He is guilty of nothing save being a Starship Captain. He has done his duty. He is innocent. If you would name him these other things, you must tell me your sources. " "I cannot divulge my sources, but if you doubt me, you will see it all. When we meld with him, he will not be able to keep the truth from us." "Let us speak of truth, Mother." Sarek sat forward. "Did you know what Spock was planning to do and neglect to warn me?" "I give you my word, Sarek, Spock's decision was an unpleasant surprise to us all." "If you and your co-conspirators can be surprised in this manner, why should I have confidence in your insight in any other area?" "There is no reason why you should, but you will do what you are asked, nonetheless. Your wife nears, calm yourself." Sarek bit back a retort. The doors swung open and Amanda entered. "Mother," She looked at T'Pau and bent her head towards her in a salute. "Daughter. I trust you rested well after a strenuous night of sex." "Sex always allows me to sleep peacefully, Mother." "Amanda, Mother, really," Sarek protested weakly. "Was he adequate?" T'Pau inquired as she ignored her son. "More than adequate, I would say he was inspired." Sarek rose from his chair and left the two women to continue their discussion. They turned to watch the doors close on his rigid back. "You were fighting again." Amanda observed. "Vulcans do not fight, my child. We discuss philosophies. Your husband and I have differing philosophies." Amanda snorted. "You and your son fight. Why do you insist on doing that to your son?" she inquired, in a pleasant tone. "Why do you assist me in pulling the Le Matya's tail?" "It's easier to let him go than to watch you two battle. Also, I get to soothe him after you leave." "Honesty deserves honesty. I embarrass him, as you say, though one could argue that Vulcans cannot be embarrassed..." Amanda crossed her arms and glared at T'Pau. T'Pau continued, "I embarrass him because it is the fastest way I know to get him to leave the room." Amanda chuckled. "Why don't you just ask him to go?" "I am old, Daughter. I require my amusement from the strangest sources. Come, give me your thoughts. At least you do not detest me." "Yet," Amanda corrected her. "Yet." An amused Amanda crossed over and knelt at her Mother-in- law's feet. T'Pau closed her eyes briefly and touched Amanda's meld points. She took the information she required and pushed her daughter away gently, sending a last little ripple of amusement and love as she exited Amanda's awareness. T'Pau stood. "I am hungry. Come and feed me, then we will repair to James' room for what must happen next."