Soval's Sorrow

Soval’s Sorrow

By Myst123

Disclaimer: It all belongs to Paramount. No money was made.
Spoilers: The scene which inspired this piece is from "Cease Fire."

Author’s Note: In "Cease Fire," Soval and T’Pol share a very interesting scene which may do no more than reveal a mentoring relationship between these two, but I saw something far more personal. The following is pure speculation on my part, but I can see that someone will drag Soval kicking and screaming into the 22nd century, so why not his daughter who forces him to accept a human son-in-law at some point in the future?

Rating: G
Genre: General

***************

He remembered the almost angry tone of her voice, how she rejected him and his stance on humans during the incident at P’Jem.

He remembered a time, when she was just a child, when she adored him. When everything he did was perfect.

Now, she could barely look at him let alone speak in a civil tone. These humans were infecting her.

He blamed Captain Jonathan Archer for her rebellion, conveniently forgetting that she often challenged him and his philosophy long before she met Archer and this human crew.

He recalled the first conversation they had held in months. He tried to make the most logical of arguments. Somehow, she wasn’t persuaded, although at times he saw his baby in her responses, which made him hope she would return to him.

Archer, the philistine, had made another rude comment about Vulcan ears.

What is their fixation with our ears?! Soval demanded of T’Pol.

I believe they’re envious.

Do you realize you have picked up a slight human accent? You were one of the most promising members of my staff, T’Pol. If you’d stayed in San Francisco you’d be assistant counsel by now. You might even have a diplomatic posting of your own.

I’m aware of that.

Then why have you remained on Enterprise?

We believed they needed our help when they first developed warp drive. That hasn’t changed.

Captain Archer’s record is evidence of that, but there are others who can assist him.

I find the work gratifying.

Gratification is an emotional indulgence. You disagreed with our recommendation that Archer’s mission be cancelled after the tragedy at Paraga Two. Why?

I was on board Enterprise at the time. I felt my opinion would be welcomed.

You believed you knew better than the High Command? That sounds a great deal like an another emotion – arrogance. Perhaps it’s time for you to consider another assignment.

Just because Captain Archer has earned my respect doesn’t mean I’ve been contaminated by his emotions.

He winced, remembering his words she had appropriated and thrown back in his face. And then how she had defiantly looked back at him and followed that human. He could still feel the pain from that look and gesture.

Where had he gone wrong? How had his child left the logical Vulcan path so completely? He cursed her great grand-mother and her mother for having filled her mind with the stories of humans.

******************

Soval was not one for great introspection.

T’Pol was aware of her father’s displeasure, as well as his unstated hurt at her rejection of him and his ways.

Soval didn’t know that he himself was somewhat responsible for her response to human sarcasm. How such gems as “Not quite the warm welcome you expected, Captain?” when he, along with his daughter and Archer, were fired upon by the renegade Andorians, or “What do you recommend? Wandering through these ruins till we find an Andorian soldier and trust he’s been informed not to shoot us on sight?” made her think strongly of another man who she held closely in her heart, a man with a sharp, sarcastic tongue. Another man of substance and strong convictions. Commander Tucker had the same ability to get at the heart of a situation with his dry, wry, sarcastic tongue.

T’Pol knew her father was largely unaware of Commander Tucker’s existence except as an annoying human who was entirely too volatile. Soval blamed Archer for her unwillingness to leave Enterprise, but Archer was just part of the picture. T’Pol believed that what the humans were doing was important as a balance to the narrow confines of Vulcan space exploration. She didn’t always agree with Archer, but she did honor his commitment to human exploration of space. When she contemplated her decision to stay on Enterprise, she could sigh with relief that there was a logical explanation, and that she could thank Archer for providing it. But the truth was more complex than that. She wanted humans to succeed, yes, and to learn from the years of experience the Vulcans had acquired. But she also wanted to learn about humans, to value them the way her great-grandmother had. The way Mestral had as well. And she wanted to get to know one particular human better than a Vulcan should.

As she stood behind her crouching father, and listened to his endless criticism about the choices she had made, she wanted to shake him. Why did he have to be so stubborn, to see humans as inferior, to judge them so harshly? As he droned on and on, using the same old reproaches, she felt she had had enough. Just because Captain Archer has earned my respect doesn’t mean I’ve been contaminated by his emotions, she snapped at him, the closest she had ever come to telling him the truth. She saw he didn’t understand what she had just told him, that he had taken her words to mean she was rejecting the Vulcan path.

She recalled the moment on the bridge when Soval had reprimanded Archer for his reckless behavior, and Commander Tucker had called Soval pathetic. T’Pol almost winced at the recollection. She dreaded Commander Tucker learning the identity of her father, for his distrust of Vulcans was just as unwavering as her father’s contempt of humans. She had tried to tell Commander Tucker of a time when Vulcans valued humans, to make him understand, using the narrative device he loved most – the story – to make him rethink his position. But Commander Tucker was every bit as stubborn and incapable of self-reflection as Soval. This was all most annoying to T’Pol.

In many ways, she wanted a fresh start on this human ship, to stop feeling the pull between the strict codes her father lived by and the stories about humans and Vulcans so dear to her heart.

But, as much as T’Pol wanted to reject everything her father stood for, there were parts of him she subconsciously valued. And therefore valued in a most annoying human.

Damn that subconscious!

*************
end

Back to Fan Fiction Main Menu

Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS!

Nine of you have made comments

Hey, Myst!

Nice twist!

Nice story of Soval's thoughts on T'Pol and the conversation in Cease fire.I like T'pol's reason for rebeling againsts Vulcans restrictive culture why she wanted her freedom to be an indivual free from other vulcans.And her struggle with Vulcan and human cultures her fascination of the stories of human's she's heard.And her feelings about Tucker.Very well written hope you'll write another story soon.

he he...
hmm there are some similarities between the two.
Though I think trip has shown the greater potential for growth.

this could be very interesting indeed

I love this introspective gift, Myst. Just wets my appetite for the rest of the story I am sure you have lurking in your back-brain ready to stun us into unutterable joy! Go on, you know you want to write a sequel. I want to witness Soval's reaction when he finds out about Trip and Trip's reaction when he learns who T'Pol's father is. You have set in place an intriguing first step and I can't wait to see you build on it. If I have to beg Myst, I prepared to do so! Please give us more - Thank you for a great piece of insight, Ali D :~)

Hey myst. I held off on reading this story until I'd seen "Cease Fire" so I could understand it better, but now I've seen it so YAY!! Great story, nicely written. I too would love to see a sequel where Trip and Soval find out about T'Pol's relationship with the other.

A sequel would be wonderful. Please? Pretty please? I agree that Trip has shown a little more potential to grow and mature. But maybe Soval is too caught up in his ways, and needs a reminder of the IDIC philosophy from his daughter when she brings home a human mate(-hint hint).

Thanks for sharing, keep it up, and we're all waiting for a sequel!

Hi myst123,

I enjoyed this glimpse into the thoughts of Soval. The first lines of your story set up the theme nicely; Soval's blaming (or faulting) humans and not himself. His daughter is willfull and he is willful, and that is a cause for the rift.

I loved your line, "(Soval) hoped she would return to him..." It's a wonderful indication that Soval is immovable! And of course, this makes it clear that he has a way to go, if he is to be satisfied with their relationship again.

Nicely done, myst.

Loved the ending

Damn that subconscious!

I really like this story. It only saddens me that the writers didn't see the great potential for a father/daughter dynamic with Soval & T'Pol.

It certainly would have added more color to their interactions. *sigh* What might have been.

Anyway, this was really well done, myst. I wish you wrote more!