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A New Life - Part 4

Author - TLR
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A New Life

By: TLR

Rated PGDisclaimer: Enterprise is the property of UPN and Paramount Pictures.
Summary: This story picks up after the midday meal. Trip is sunburned, sore and happier than he's ever been. Enjoy.

April 10th, 2006

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Part 4

After the meal, Trip made his way out into the garden. He noted that the interior irrigation system he and his mate set up yesterday was starting to work. There was a faint trickle of water that entered the area, brushing past the plants and heading toward a large collection in the center. There it drained into an urn and back into the underground flow again. This way, no water was wasted, a fact that even made V'Lmir very impressed. Her stating to the Human "With this system the productivity of the plant life could very well double" was music to his ears.

It was no secret that since their arrival, the engineer was feeling a bit like a fish out of water. A funny thought given they lived on a desert planet now. But finally he'd figured out how to break that feeling. Burned and tired as he was, Trip still couldn't help but feel impressed by his work over the last 24 hours. He went back toward the bedroom and lay down upon the bed facing the ceiling. He was almost asleep as he felt his mate enter the room.

T'Pol came and sat beside him. She saw the reddened skin and could feel the burning sensation it was causing. With her, the Vulcan brought a small jar of ointment. It was crystal clear in nature, like thickened water as it glided on gently over his skin. Trip closed his eyes and allowed his wife's tender touch. The coolness the remedy brought was soothing and took away all of the burning instantly. It relaxed his heated brow and even sent a slight shiver through him, which was a welcome change to the mid day heat.

"What is that stuff?" He asked, his voice reflecting the heaven it was bringing.

"Tu'Mya" She replied evenly and continued to stroke small quantities of the ointment over his face, neck and hands.

"Tu?" Trip tried to repeat what she said but was half asleep due to the cooling sensation.

"Tu'Mya" T'Pol repeated feeling his calmness as a pleasant change from his exuberance of the morning. "It is the extract of a plant that has medicinal properties."

"Oh… like Aloe Vera on Earth." T'Pol thought a moment then agreed.

"Yes…they are similar except this one is also good for disinfecting, nourishing, and forms its own barrier when it is done." That point got Trip's attention.

"You mean it gets hard…." He started to get up to wash it off. He didn't want to look like a dork when Kentif returned.

"It is invisible, but it will help protect you from the harshness of the Vulcan suns. I use it on Elizabeth and Lorian every day. You do not see it on them, do you?" His mate could read the Human's thoughts about wanting to fit in and was able to answer his fears without him having to speak them.

"I guess not….Thanks….It really does feel good." Trip laid back and relaxed once more. "You know you could lay down here with me." He reached up and grabbed a hold of her arm. He pulled her downward, but met resistance.

"I must watch the children while your parents get some rest." T'Pol put the lid back in place on the jar. She set it down and turned back to her mate.

"Aren't the kids napping too?" Trip wasn't about to let this one go.

"They will be up soon. I need to be ready when they awaken." The Vulcan stroked his face smearing a wet spot of ointment deeper into his skin. Trip took that hand and moved it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss long the slender fingers.

"You know, Lizzie has Kamute and Keller. Lorian is in his crib, right over there. What else do you need to be ready for?" A large wicked smile came across his face.

"You need to be rested for when Kentif returns." T'Pol looked directly in her mate's eyes.

"I always sleep really well afterward." Trip showed an even broader smile then before. He raised and lowered his eyebrows a number of times indicating the idea held merit. This time, though when the Human pulled on his mate's arm, she allowed herself to lay down with him, curling into the crux of his arm.

Trip's hand came up and caressed her face, urging it close to his and stealing a kiss from her soft tender lips. This kiss was enticing, luring both of them back into that romantic mood they shared early this morning. He held her close, taking her mouth to his in splendid exploration. Their tongues played a sporadic dance back and forth, while their hands brought waves of great pleasure to each other. Trip rolled atop her, beginning to feel for the laces of her dress. His fingers yanked at the bodice, hoping to loosen it up while trying to fight the urge to rip it off her body. T'Pol's urges were also heightened. Her hands moved beneath her mate's shirt and began pulling it upward. All the while, their mouths were creating a frenzy the likes of which they could not possibly resist.

The bedroom door opened and in walked the small curly haired child. Behind her followed the two sehlats. Kamute came up to the bed immediately, blocking Lizzie's view of her parents. His tail wagged, slapping the wayward lovers on the legs. They stopped suddenly, realizing that all privacy had disappeared with the entrance of their daughter. Again they were short of breath, gasping to get control of their heated nerves. The lovers' hearts beat in time with one another, a mad frantic rhythm that denoted their state of arousal.

"I can't believe this." Trip whispered to his mate, knowing if he'd used their bond, the small child would have heard him.

"Momma….. Momma…."Lizzie tried to get around the large creatures but found them blocking her every move. T'Pol pulled down her mate's shirt and waited for him to roll off her before sitting up and acknowledging the little girl. She waved the sehlats to let her past. Elizabeth moved around them and climbed up onto the bed. She eased in between her parents and cuddled close to her mother.

"Hey sweet heart…. You have a bad dream or something?" Trip asked wondering why his child was up early and spoiling his alone time with mommy.

Elizabeth simply giggled, showing a grin to dad over her shoulder.

"You just wanted to be near Mommy, didn't you?" Trip watched as his daughter buried her head deeper into mom's shoulder. He put his arm out and invited his family to join him in a brief nap. T'Pol slid over into his embrace, laying Lizzie against him as well. They shared this position for the better part of an hour, until the child rolled over and cuddled with her dad. Trip, as expected had fallen fast asleep and his mate decided to use the quiet time to get in some much needed meditation. She would reappear to wake them up just before Kentif was due to return.

***

Trip was in the living area when there was a knock on the door. He went to open it expecting Kentif to be on the other side. Instead he found Ambassador Soval and Council woman T'Pau. They stood there in regal robes, hoods still draping their features.

"Ambassador… Councilwoman… Please come in." Trip tried hard to hide his surprise as he waved them entrance.

"We apologize for the interruption but we need to speak with Lady T'Pol." T'Pau was polite but direct. Trip nodded and offered the group a seat while he went to get her. T'Pol was still redressing her children and allowed Catherine to take over while she went out to see to their guests.

"Ambassador… T'Pau…. What is the purpose of your visit?" It seemed to Trip that T'Pol was not pleased to see them. She stood, like the others, who came to their feet upon her entrance. When no one started talking, T'Pol motioned for them to sit, then did so herself. Everyone sat except Trip, who came up and placed a soft hand upon his mate's shoulder. This was surprising to T'Pau, such a blatant act of intimacy in front of others, though she showed no outward disapproval.

"As I asked, what is the purpose of your visit?" T'Pol could tell what the councilwoman was pondering and decided rather than correct this motion, she would ignore it.

T'Pau again looked to Trip who was feeling a bit more uncomfortable around this particular set of Vulcans. He removed his hand and began to bow himself out of the conversation. "Well, I'll just be…" He was halted by the hand of his mate reaching up two fingers for his response. He acted accordingly and moved back to a position right behind her.

"I block nothing from my mate. It would be illogical to think that he will not know of our conversation if he leaves the room. Besides, I value his input. Please continue." T'Pol didn't even blink while telling off her associates. The wary look she received from the Vulcan female told her that there might be some issues to deal with in the future.

After a long pause, she started. "We've located Administrator V'Las." Her words were crisp and clear, but still they sent T'Pol's head spinning. V'Las was the one responsible for her mother's death, for the death of over 70 Syrrannites. She sat there in silence feeling her husband's presence trying to settle her wavering nerves.

"Lady T'Pol… did you hear what I said… We have found him…. He is being brought back to Vulcan to be punished for his crimes." T'Pau was more aggressive and found a quieting hand put out in front of her by the Ambassador.

Soval, who'd known the young woman all her life, was familiar with this pondering silence. He knew it was her way of processing information and that she needed this time to make the correct decision. It was one of the things he'd always admired about her. T'Pol never made rushed decisions. For that reason, she was an excellent attaché and would have made a very fine ambassador herself. T'Pau fell silent respecting the view of her colleague. Finally after a few more moments, T'Pol began to speak.

"He was caught by one of our vessels?" She asked still looking at the floor instead of her guests.

"No… ironically it was Shran who caught him, aboard a freighter bound for Romulan space." Soval decided to comment on this. After his new alliance with the alien, he felt it best to represent his interests to other Vulcans.

"Shran?" Trip echoed in, a bit of humor tinting his comment.

"Yes. After my assistance, Shran felt he owed me. When he heard of the Romulans we discovered in high ranking positions, he made it a point to convince his government that Vulcan wasn't the true threat to Andoria…. Romulus was. He tracked V'Las' movements from the time he disappeared and detected Vulcan like bio-signs aboard the freighter. He then bribed the captain of the freighter to go aboard and take a look." Soval relayed that story with the utmost respect for the alien's ingenuity. "He will be arriving back on Vulcan within three days."

"Well that's good to know. At least he will be brought to justice, but why are you coming to T'Pol with this. Couldn't you have simply called?" Trip seemed truly confused why this matter was so important to the group.

"Because it us up to us to determine his fate." T'Pol murmured in a very far away voice.
Soval and T'Pau raised their heads in reverent silence. They knew the gravity of the decision they were about to make.

"What, no trial?" Trip thought it odd that a people so logical could condemn the man without benefit of due process.

"He is guilty… There are several witnesses to his deceptions and even his giving the order to kill the Syrrannites in the forge." T'Pau was very even, no emotion denoted the severity of the act.

"Yeah, but… doesn't he get a trial before his peers?" Trip was still the lone voice of the other side.

"His peers, Commander would be on Romulus… He is Romulan, his genetics prove it. He acted as a spy and saboteur for years. That act alone is punishable by death." Soval wanted the Human to understand their actions were from true Vulcan law.

"Add to that the fact that he ordered the death of 74 Vulcans, one of them being Lady T'Les and there can be no other decision possible." T'Pau chimed in her two cents. Trip reached out through their bond to see how his wife was feeling about this decision she was being asked to make. He sensed her anger at this male warring with the distaste she had at the idea of killing another living being. He knew it was even harder on her since her mother was one of the victims.

"We will convene a hearing in four days time. Please arrange for the victims' families to be present." T'Pol, still looking out into space, uttered this proclamation.

"The victims' families?" Soval beat T'Pau to the punch in questioning her order.

"Yes… Since V'Las was acting as a Vulcan, his peers will judge him. Those that his actions affected the most should have a say in his fate." T'Pol was reluctant to make such a decision. She would fall back upon the democratic process and allow the victims' families to have a say.

"I don't mean to question you, but don't you think the victims' families will be a bit impartial?" Trip knew he was on a foreign soil, but couldn't believe his wife would have missed that fact.

"There would be no Vulcans on this planet that could be totally impartial. V'Las almost destroyed our civilization and everyone has come to know that since the release of the Kir'Shara. This is more to do with Surak's teachings." T'Pol defended her decision to both her husband and her colleagues. "It is natural to desire this man be punished, but to do so without emotion, that will be the test."

"So this is all a test?" Trip was even more disbelieving.

"I believe I see what you mean." Soval started. "There can be no question about this man's guilt, and the punishment is clear, as directed by Surak himself in those writings. You want to demonstrate to the victims that there is logic in this process and they must not loose sight of their control in this matter." T'Pol simply nodded in silence.

"So that means he is still gonna die?" Trip was confused.

"Do you not feel he should die for his crimes?" T'Pau was almost shocked by the Human's objections to the process.

"Vulcan's do not like killing. Only our most severe crimes are punishable by death. Murder is still one of them. Do Human's have a different view? Do you think it possible that V'Las could be rehabilitated?" Soval tried to allow the Human to express his view points fully.

"Well execution is rarely used anymore on Earth, but there are some extreme cases where it still applies. I guess you are right, this V'Las will never be rehabilitated to be a good Vulcan, not if he is Romulan. I guess the fact that no witness or evidence will be presented, is what is bothering me." Trip could see the Vulcans' predicament but was used to a more judicial way of doing things.

"Evidence will be presented. Witnesses will testify. There will be no question of his guilt." T'Pau corrected the Human almost as a knee jerk reaction. "I fail to see how the families being there is appropriate. It is not a matter that concerns them."

Trip chimed in on that one. "The hell it's not. His actions robbed them of their family members. It is definitely appropriate that they have a say." This confused the councilwoman since she thought he had been against the proceedings all together. She glared him down with a confused look.

"It's just that, the Vulcans he murdered weren't the only victims. He hurt many people and they should know that he is gonna be punished. Whether they have a say in it or not, well I am not sure about how fair that is, but they shouldn't be excluded all together." The Human's voice trailed off as he began to ponder the duality of his comment.

"They will have a say to the extent that they need to feel their opinions heard." T'Pol chimed in still with a far away look in her eyes. "The crimes are without question and the law is clear, as passed down by my ancestor. But unlike the previous government who made decisions against the will of its people, this government will listen to them and try to come to a compromise. Vulcans are logical by nature, Surak knew this. He wrote of this in his journals. It is how we control those things that affect our logic, we must learn from. Emotions like grief are powerful and can easily disrupt the flow of logic. They must learn this all over again, especially dealing with other species. This is a perfect test of this, and I believe they have a need to understand."

Now even T'Pau was impressed by the Vulcan's insight. She could see what T'Pol was attempting and remained silent awaiting her next orders. Trip too saw some sense in his mate's words, though he didn't pretend to understand fully the logic behind them. He decided to leave that conversation for a later time.

"Make all the arrangements for the hearing four days from now. Ask Shran to detain him until then. I wish to speak with him upon his arrival." T'Pol was shocking even Soval by some of her orders. The two simply nodded and stood to leave. There was another knock on the door, and Trip went immediately to answer it. "Now what?" He murmured in a hushed exhaustion.

It was Kentif, looking puzzled by the frustrated feeling he was sensing from the Human as the door opened.

"Kentif…." Trip waved him in. The Vulcan accepted and was met by the hooded council members as they began to leave.

"Ambassador Soval…..Councilwoman T'Pau… it is agreeable to see you." The builder nodded and displayed the traditional V sign. They returned his greeting as they moved past him at the door.

"Kentif…" They turned at the archway and looked back to T'Pol who stood there in a floor length, gold embossed dress of fuchsia. "Peace and long life, Lady T'Pol…. Your wishes will be done." And with that they left the structure. An awkward silence filled the room as Kentif looked first to the Human and then to his mate. Trip, on the other hand, stared at T'Pol who was still unsure if her plan was what her ancestor would have wanted.

"Lady T'Pol." Kentif broke the silence and nodded to the female. She returned the gesture then left the room for the kitchen. Trip wondered what her discord was from, but decided that too could wait until they had some alone time. He turned to the builder and told him about the interior irrigation system starting to work. Fascinated, Kentif asked to see this and Trip happily took him for a first hand inspection. After this, Trip, his dad and the builder got back to working on the exterior dwelling. This time both Humans wore the hair, face and neck protection Kentif offered. The heat of the day was easing, but to them it was still like a scorcher in the Florida Keys.

T'Pol came out after about an hour with several pouches of water for the crew. She went to her husband and indicated she needed to go into the city. Trip wondered if he should go with her, given her unstable state in central supply, but she reassured him nothing like that would occur again. V'Lmir and Catherine would look after the children, so there was nothing for him to do but enjoy his work. Before leaving though, she said a few words in Vulcan to Kentif that didn't sit too well with Trip. He questioned her through their bond as to what she said and got this as a reply.

(I merely asked that he be mindful that Humans are not used to the severity of the Vulcan climate. If he saw any symptoms of P'Mier, he needed to get you two back inside and out of the sun.)

(P'Mier?) Trip questioned back.

(Sun stroke, dehydration, delirium) She replied in a very matter of fact tone while walking past him toward the existing dwelling.

(Great…you're asking a Vulcan who has never been around Humans to know when we are delirious? First giggle and he'll send us packing.) Trip's thoughts were half humorous and half serious.

(He knows the difference between a giggle and delirium…….Have a pleasant time building, Thy'all.) She continued their interaction until she was back inside the dwelling.

***
In the city, T'Pol made her way to the council chambers that used to house the High Command. It was now her work place and she was going to have to get used to it sooner or later. She asked those working there, who all seemed to hold her in great reverence, if Surev, the Vulcan priest that took Surak's katra from the captain, was within the confines of the city. She was told, he'd returned to Mount Seleya, but would come if she were to summon him. T'Pol thought a moment and decided these chambers would serve a better place for this. With that, Kuvak, V'Las' second in command and ultimately the one that relieved the Romulan from his position, did as the young woman bid and sent for the priest to come right away.

T'Pol held up in V'Las' office, a space presently reserved to be hers. The room had a sinister feel as she realized this was the very place where the Romulan stood and gave the order to have her mother killed. Her emotions threatened to come out and overwhelm her once more, but T'Pol held them back. Instead, she used them to become more determined to make this plan of hers work. If successful, she would have no doubt of what her ancestor would want her to do.

Meanwhile back at home Trip was helping Kentif place the Lattinum rods. This material was stronger than steel but when heated could be bent into any shape they wished. The metal cooled quickly, as the Human found out when he stopped in the middle of bending a beam to concentrate on what his wife was experiencing. He could see her sit down across from a dried up old Vulcan male. They were within arms reach and that is exactly what the elder male did to her. Trip winced as he felt the entrance of the man's mind into his beloved's.

As he stood there holding both ends of the beam, Trip didn't see the angle he was trying for go far past the intended point, the rod now bending into a pretzel shape. It wasn't until Kentif came up and noticed the problem, did Trip realize his mistake. He called to the Human, afraid that he was not concentrating on the task in front of him.

"Commander….." This brought Trip back to the present. He saw Kentif pointing to the piece the Human held. At once, he saw the problem and was very upset with his own error.

"Damn…" He looked at the curled beam and tried to correct the angle. However, the heated area was too cool to be moved.

"There is no problem, I will simply return it to the laser beam and reheat the surface." Kentif saw Trip still have a somewhat far away look in your eye.

"This is very dangerous work, if you're in need of a break, I will understand. The heat on Vulcan is much greater than that of Earth. T'Pol warned me that you might be experiencing…." He was cut off by Trip's hand waving back and forth.

"I'm not being overwhelmed by the heat….It's T'Pol…..she is in the city and some older man is doing something to her…." This statement concerned the builder greatly.

"Is she in danger? Should you not go and protect her?" Kentif seemed more upset than Trip about T'Pol's situation.

"No… I don't sense fear or anything from her. It seems like she is letting him do this and wishes it to happen." Trip could feel the uncomfortable feelings in his head. The images that appeared baffled him then they were gone. A barrier of some sort, not his wife's came up and disconnected the Human from her thoughts. He checked their bond, and she was still there, calm and relaxed, not in anyway afraid of her circumstances. He snapped out of his distant funk and was clearer than ever now.

"Well?" Kentif asked almost impatient.

"She is well…. If something changes she will let me know." Trip forced back his concern, knowing his wife would make it clear when she needed his help. He returned to his work, watching the Vulcan reheat the metal bar to get the unwanted curves out of it. But in the back of his mind, the Human kept one finger on the pulse of their connection. He wanted to be ready for any changes as they arose.

***

T'Pol found herself in a large lit room, the likes of which she'd only seen in school pictures. It was an ancient place, walls of carved stone and floors of compacted dirt. She was dressed as she had been before the meld, in a gown her mother had sewn for her while she was away in the Expanse. It was beautiful, a bluish hue with embellishments of gold and silver threading creating soft swirls and patterns along the bodice and long flowing skirt. Wearing the clothes brought T'Les' emotions back to her daughter, through the touch of the fabric on her skin. All the love and caring she put into every hand sewn stitch called to the young child and begged her peace and happiness.

Looking around the room, she saw the figure of an elderly Vulcan male standing just beyond the shadows. T'Pol knew instantly it was that of her long lost ancestor, Surak, the very purpose of this journey. As he drew nearer, she bowed low from the waist, eyes closed and head straight with her shoulders. A surprising feeling came over her when she felt two fingers touch her chin and lift her face back to his.

"You need not bow to me child." The kindly male replied begging her to straighten and face him like family.

T'Pol was shocked. All that she'd been taught about him was that he demanded loyalty and respect. Surely her treating him like the family he was, could not be correct. She decided to do as he bid and get to the point of her journey.

"I have need of your council." T'Pol kept her eyes lowered and voice respectfully even.

"Yes… you are in great turmoil over this decision you must make." Surak's voice was more loving and caring, almost emotional to the young Vulcan's ear.

"I apologize if my emotions on this matter are not better controlled. The death of my mother has affected me more than I thought and this decision is rooted in much anger. I will do better at controlling it in the future." She stiffened her resolve and pushed yet another layer of control over those emotions he was sensing.

"I sense them because I am within your mind. No control will be able to keep them from me. You are right that this decision is rooted in anger. Despair often brings with it much anger." Again the elder Vulcan was caring and understanding, more than T'Pol would have expected.

"My despair should be over. My mother's death was four years ago." She seemed to berate herself for not coming to terms with it sooner.

"Your feelings for your mother will not go away, and certainly not in four years time. Your outward control has improved, but your inner feelings on the matter will always bring with it a level of despair." Surak motioned for her to sit on an adjacent stone formation. He did so himself.

"Add to this you have not dealt at all with your mother's death. You immersed yourself in the Kir'Shara, even to the exclusion of your mate. That is not the way to deal with the loss of a loved one." His terminology was odd to her. Here, the man that taught Vulcans to be emotionless was now using terms like loved one and despair. Though he was correct in pointing out that Vulcans had emotions, a fact that no living Vulcan would want to confess, his familiarity with their usage was totally unexpected.

"The Kir'Shara is important to our people. It is your own writings. Should I not know it inside and out?" T'Pol decided not to question her elder on his slippage.

"Your need to know the Kir'Shara, is more from your wanting to understand the death of your mother. She gave her life to find those writings. She gave up her prestige, her heritage to join the Syrrannites in finding my true path. You needed to understand this and wanted deep down to know if she truly had found what she was looking for." He looked directly into her eyes and knew he was hitting a very sensitive nerve.

"Your last interaction with your mother before the bombing was not a friendly one." He asked but it was more like a statement.

"No… we fought terribly our last few times together. I know now that she was trying to help me learn the true path, but I did not see it then." Small tears began to form in the corners of her eyes and she turned her face to hide this fact from her ancestor.

"Your sadness is appropriate. Your mother, T'Les was a very kind and caring woman. She lived up to her destiny as the nurturer of the chosen one." His hand came up and lay upon the young one's. This brought her water filled eyes back to his.

"How am I the chosen one?..... I have done nothing correct. I defied the High Command…. I went into the expanse when I was ordered not too. I allowed the Humans to go to P'Jem…. I even defied my mother when she wanted me to stay. I could have kept her safe….Saved her from the attack someway." Again she turned away, the tears falling freely onto her regal gown.

"If you remained, you would have been killed with her. T'Les understands that. Your destiny was to help the Human find the Kir'Shara and bring it back to my people. As for defying the High Command, both you and your mother sensed that the High Command had been corrupted. It was in your nature to sense these things. You went into the Expanse because you knew logically that the Humans were going to need your help. You saved your planet and many others. That was your destiny, not taking orders from a defiled chain of command." Another hand came up and covered his original. T'Pol still remained turned away, trying to stop the tears from flowing.

"Your going to P'Jem did not cause its destruction. The spy stations, the treaty violations and the dishonest practices the High Command were using was what got the monastery destroyed. You were merely instrumental in pointing out their dishonest ways. And your actions brought forth another part of your destiny. You were the first Vulcan ever to be trusted by an Andorian. At that moment, you planted the seeds of Federation." These statements made T'Pol turn back to him, tear stained face and all.

He saw her question and answered it before she asked. "Yes, your destiny has always been to bring Federation to my people. Your assignment to the Human ship, your interactions with the Humans, helping them to survive in the interstellar community, even bonding with a Human was all part of your destiny."

"I don't understand?" T'Pol's head was spinning.

"You were destined to lead your people into a new age of Federation. You could not do so if you were still functioning on the same level as other Vulcans. You needed to become more in tune with them." He felt her mind go to the one mistake in her life and addressed it.

"Your using Trellium to accomplish this however was not in that destiny of which I speak. You had a moment of weakness, a desire to accomplish your destiny, but found frustration in not being able to do so. You took a great risk, one I hope you will not take again." Now T'Pol could hear her father's voice coming from the white haired male.

"My trellium addiction is in the past. I realize it was not the logical thing to do and have not used it since Dr. Phlox assisted me with the withdrawal symptoms. But it may have been responsible for the formation of the bond between my mate and myself." T'Pol wanted to be totally honest with the man who seemed to know her every thought.

"Your bond with your Human mate started long before that time. His wanting to help you fit in was the key to its formation. Your time together, interactions and even the neuropressure sessions all enhanced what was already there. Again it was your destiny to bond with this Human… One can not fight destiny. That is not logical." Now Surak was talking more as she'd expected him too.

"This decision I must make… I am torn between my anger and my respect for human life. How shall I make it logically?" T'Pol knew she could be in here forever talking with her ancestor, but needed to make the time short, to spare the priest the added exhaustion of a prolonged meld.

"You must examine the crimes. You must ask yourself if rehabilitation would work on this particular criminal. And if the answer is still death, you must not allow your anger to dictate the form of execution. It is in the Kir'Shara, my proclamations on this matter. Use that to back up your reasoning to our people." He removed his hands and sat back in an upright position.

"Is my getting them involved the right thing to do?" She wondered if her logic was more from fear of having to make such a decision, than from wanting to show her people the right way.

"You can not teach those that are not there to learn." His message was cryptic but gave her the answer she needed.

"Your son and daughter, they have great destinies as well…. Please help them to find their way." Surak added sensing his time with the young woman was almost up.

"How?" she asked as his essence was fading from her mind's eye.

"Your mate will help you….Follow your heart." This was the last thing she heard from the sage advisor upon coming back to consciousness. The priest had initiated the break of the link, too tired to continue with such a strenuous procedure. T'Pol saw his weakened state and called immediately for medical assistance. Kuvak came in with assistants in tow. They picked up the frail monk and moved him to another room where he could recline on a couch until medical help arrived. He was weak, but alright and was taken to the medical facility to rehabilitate.

Kuvak remained with T'Pol, sensing she was quite disturbed by her extraordinary visit with her ancestor. He was reverent in his dealings with the new head of the council.

Lady T'Pol…. Are you alright? Do you require medical attention as well?" His voice was low and soft.

"I am well Kuvak…thank you. I merely need a few moments to meditate on my experience." T'Pol knew this was a polite way of saying give me a minute alone. As instructed, Kuvak left the office but remained close by incase the woman needed anything. He was most impressed by her handling of the event. Something which would have overwhelmed his senses seemed second nature to this young female. She remained another half hour then made her way back home. She too was in need of the comforts having her family near would bring.

***Four Days Later***

The day of the trial began like any other. The house was buzzing with activity. Although the construction was completed the day before, there was still some clean up left. Kentif offered to help, but Trip, having had a great time during the building, decided he wanted to savor this part alone. He did offer the Vulcan however, assistance with any of his future jobs. The slender male was quite impressed that this Human was so generous and made a mental note to take him up on his offer when the need arose.

T'Pol however, had been very quiet these last few days. Her meeting with Surak gave her much to think about, and to her mate's dismay, he saw her studying that darn palm padd over and over again. Every waking moment not spent taking care of the children, was given to this search. The distraction from his needs didn't worry Trip this time. He knew it was because of her new position. His wife had some very big responsibilities and it would take her some time to get used to that. He was really surprised when he was called to testify against V'Las at the trial. Getting ready for the proceedings, Trip found that same top fastener a bit difficult to close.

"Does this thing ever close easy?" He stated still frustrated by the collar. T'Pol came out from the adjacent room and went up to her mate. She laid her fingers gently on the fabric and eased the hook into position.

"You are simply responding to our bond." She murmured making him very confused. She saw his questioning and started to explain.

"I am very anxious about the proceedings today and since I am not allowing myself to experience the feelings, you are experiencing them for me." She looked at him, her eyes reflecting what she said was true. Her mate leaned forward and put his arms about her. Pulling her head to his chest, the smell and feel of this particular fabric reminded her of the comfort she knew with her father. T'Pol closed her eyes, inhaling heavily and relaxing her excited nerves a bit further. Trip could feel her easing beneath his touch.

"You're gonna do great today….." He leaned back and looked deep into her eyes. They mesmerized him as usual. "I'm so proud of you…..You know that, don't you." He saw his mate nod slightly. "I'll be right there, with you through all of it."

The Human pulled T'Pol back into his arms and started nuzzling lightly against her neck when there came a knock on the door. "What's with our private time in this house? You'd think with my folks here, we'd get a little privacy." Trip leaned back and looked into his wife's features.

"I doubt our children would knock." She answered plainly, bringing a sarcastic look to his face.
T'Pol went over to the door and opened it slowly. It was Catherine on the other side.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but the transport is here to take you to the capital city." She saw the lovely gown of gold and bronze that her daughter-in-law wore. Looking to her son, in his fancy dressed clothes she offered. "You both look very nice."

Trip came up and put his arm about his mother. "Thanks Mom, we will be right there." She left and went back to tell the waiting guards, while Trip took his mate back into his arms.
"You ready?" He waited to see her nod before going to the bed and gathering her cloak. Trip eased the item over T'Pol's shoulders then took his from the bed and swung it around him. Fully dressed, they headed out into the main living area to where the other Vulcan's were waiting.

The journey to the capital city was deadly quiet. When they arrived, Trip followed his mate into the tall building. Passing the checkpoint, Trip was glad that his hood made his being Human less noticeable to the Vulcan's around them. He was truly surprised as he rounded the next corner and saw the delegation standing just outside the legislative chamber.

Trip's eyes were pointed downward until he felt a familiar sense come upon him. As he looked up, there stood Captain Archer, Malcolm and Hoshi. A surprised smile appeared on his face totally unknown to the young engineer. "Cap'n!" He exclaimed, the southern accent coming out and ringing in the otherwise silent hallway. The Vulcans around them all looked toward the commotion.

Archer and party looked over as well, not recognizing their old friend dressed in such fancy duds. As Trip lowered the hood, he saw the smile comeback to their faces too. He walked past his mate and headed for the small group. Without thinking, he grabbed the Captain, slapping him several times hardily on the back. Trip turned to Hoshi next, a point that got everyone in the area's attention. As he got to Malcolm, T'Pol and her guards had made their way up to the group.

"T'Pol, look who it is." Trip was so excited to see his friends, he forgot where he was. The Vulcan's around them stood and stared at the spectacle. T'Pol waved her guards to leave them, and they did. She allowed herself time to properly great her old friends. She lowered her hood and began. "Captain,… Lieutenant,… and Ensign, it is good to see you again. I hope your journey was a pleasant one." This point got Trip thinking his wife knew that they would be here.

"You knew they were coming?" He asked very surprised that she would block this from him.

"I was not sure, but when I found out that the Captain was being called to testify. It was logical he be transported by Enterprise since they were in the far side of the quadrant." T'Pol noticed Soval and T'Pau approaching from the other end of the area. They hesitated at the council room doors and watched from this position for their colleague to join them. The entire group noted the two conspicuous characters.

"I am needed within." The former commander said to her friends. Trip looked at her wondering if he was to follow her. "Remain here and wait to be called." And with that T'Pol replaced her hood and joined her guards. They flanked her, following close behind and held the doors open wide as the three council members entered. Within a few moments, they disappeared.

"What was that all about?" Malcolm asked wanting to know what had been going on.

"T'Pol's new job has some benefits." The Human smiled and turned back to catch up with his old crewmates.

***

Inside the council chambers, the members ascended the long bench. As they did so, all the Vulcans in the chamber room bowed slightly and held the position until the trio seated themselves. Finally the last of the audience was seated. They waited patiently for the beginning of the proceedings. In Vulcan, Soval announced the intention of the meeting. He spoke of the need for the victims' families to have a say in getting justice for the deaths. This continued to perplex the attendees' but they were not offended by the idea, so they remained interested in what was to come.

Finally came the point for T'Pol to speak. She announced her acceptance of the new title. "As head of the council, I decree this proceeding to officially commence." At that point the door at the far side of the room opened and in walked the witnesses. The Captain, Trip and Kuvak took their place along a side railing. Malcolm and Hoshi filed in behind them and took a spot in the front row of seats. Archer and his best friend waited for the rest of the witnesses to take their seats. Like everyone else, they were interested to see what this meeting was to be about. T'Pol began a bit uneasy by the attention, but none the less in a professional manner.

”We are here to consider the evidence against Administrator V'Las." She pronounced and hit a large square marble piece hard onto the bench top. The sound made the Human's jump, but the rest of the audience knew it was a part of the proceeding. What they didn't know was what was to follow. There was a collective gasp as the door behind the bench opened and in walked three Andorians. Two of the blue creatures held tightly to V'Las who kept his head up in a regal position. Shran stood in front of the foursome and noticed the reaction of the group. He felt old habits start to encourage him to draw for his weapon. It was the words of council woman T'Pol that stopped him.

"Silence….!!" Her tone was a bit more than even. "Commander Shran has been of help to Vulcan on this matter and will be treated with respect." Those very words didn't sit well with the congregation, however they did comply. She turned to her ex-blue faced nemesis.

"You honor us with your service, Commander Shran. Vulcan is grateful for your help in this matter." There was no hesitation and even though everyone knew it was Shran's ship that blew up the monastery, T'Pol didn't allow their past grievances to ruin this markedly important moment in her people's history. Shran being so totally flustered by her statement, just gave a regal nod and held it for the appropriate amount of time afforded diplomats on his home world.

V'Las, however wasn't to remain quiet. He was determined to get his poison in no matter how much they tried to silence him. "Lady T'Pol… Forgive me if I don't say it is agreeable to see you." He smirked at the other members of the panel. When he came to T'Pau, his smirk was all the more evident.

"It figures you would appoint a Syrrannite to your new government. After all didn't they find your precious Kir'Shara. You are all fools. You could have joined us and together we could have been an unstoppable force. Instead you will now be crushed by the Empire because you are too busy studying some ancient relic. You are nothing but intellectual puppets." At this point V'Las got a back hand from Shran's first officer, Tholos. This officer was the one that originally wanted to kill someone to win the heart of the illusive young Vulcan eight years ago. He halted his attack on the prisoner at a wave of that same Vulcan's hand. The crowd was startled by the action but appreciated his respect for the council leader's wishes.

"V'Las… It has been shown that you are Romulan and you have been passing yourself off as a Vulcan to try and undermine our society. Do you deny these actions?" T'Pau spoke out, knowing that the alien still wanted to spread his propaganda. Rather than answer, he gave her a dirty look. She repeated the question again, not allowing his arrogant behavior to get her emotions unsettled. Finally he agreed to her interpretation.

"Of course I did. And I am not the only one. There are many of us living among you. You'll never know if you have rid yourself of our control." He relayed with a smug sort of smile.

"Oh, but we have eradicated you and all those like you from our world." T'Pol chimed in. Her choice of words alarmed the Humans in the group. "We found the genetic tag that distinguishes Vulcan from Romulan and all on this planet have been tested. We have detained many Romulans. Many others escaped, fleeing like you did on transport ships. We have alerted our allies to the problem and asked them to run routine scans of all Vulcans they come in contact with. Your people will not pose as Vulcans any longer." Her words were forceful, but T'Pol maintained her dignity as she glared down upon him.

"You…. You think you are so smug….You think your precious logic is gonna save you from our forces. When we come to take over this planet." The administrator was on a role, but Shran cut him off.

"You and your people will be destroyed." He said plainly. "Andoria knows it was not Vulcan that warred with us. It was Romulus. If your ships come anywhere near this planet, Andorian fleets will see to it they never return home." He turned to the council members, but mostly to T'Pol. "Honorable council, my government has authorized me to offer your people our assistance in protecting you from any further attacks by this species." The crowd went into a shocked silence. He turned back to the Romulan. "If your people try to hurt anyone on Vulcan again, they will have to come through me." His words were gutteral and contained a promise within that threat. All of a sudden, Archer stood from the crowd.

"That goes likewise for Humans. We will not tolerate any offensive action against the Vulcans and I am pretty sure that their other allies will feel the same, V'Las. If your people try this, they won't have a chance." He looked to T'Pol and gave her one of his patented fatherly faces.

Trip was astounded. He sat there utterly speechless, murmuring only the fewest of legible words. "Damn….she did it….Federation." Archer looked down to his friend wondering what he was babbling about. Grateful for the offer, T'Pol knew she had to have her people stand up for themselves. The crowd was blown away by the words of the Human and even more by those of the Andorian. She waited for the alien to look back in her direction.

"Administrator……, there is one thing you did teach my people. Self defense is acceptable. It is written in the Kir'Shara and part of our society. Though we abhor violence, we still have the right to protect our families. Vulcans may control emotions like anger, but we still have them. Our inane nature toward violence is what made logic so necessary for our world to survive. If it comes down to relying on this inane nature to protect ourselves from an attack by your people, we will do so."

"Well the ancestor of Surak has a backbone after all. I thought you were simply the brain child of the Humans. I don't know what your grand old ancestor would say about your new found courage." V'Las wore an evil grin, dealing with this female. This statement shocked the Humans and the Andorians. Neither knew of the woman's importance to her people and were just learning of it at this moment.

"He said it is logical to protect oneself and family against attack. The good of the many out weighs the good of the few or the one." This was a point she'd gotten from another talk with her ancestor. He came to her in a meditation time, surprising her with his presence. This way they could talk over what was needed without involving another.

"Oh another quote from your precious Kir'Shara?" The Romulan asked half giggling at the young woman.

"No…he told me himself. I have touched Surak's consciousness. It exists." This drew a collective gasp from the crowd.

"Mind meld…..Shame on you, your majesty…..You know that is forbidden." Now V'Las thought he had turned it back around.

"Actually, they are not, when performed within a bond." This even got Soval and T'Pau's attention. It had been long believed that direct descendants of Surak had special abilities, ones ordinary Vulcans did not. One of these abilities was to connect with the long lost ancestors through the thin silver thread of the familiar bond. Like T'Pol connects with her parents during meditation, she could also go beyond that generation, back into many others.

"That is a myth…. No one, not even direct descendants have really been able to do this. You are lying." This upset V'Las, knowing if she got the crowd to believe her capable, they would follow her lead without question.

"Real Vulcans don't lie." She came back indicating that he told many lies during his time impersonating a Vulcan.

"You have no special abilities. For all we know you are not a true descendant of Surak. You have never been made to perform the V'Miaria. Only that would demonstrate your true ability to lead your people." His ranting grew louder, as he kept questioning her lineage. Suddenly his words stopped, and his hands went to his throat. Surprised, his eyes darted to the young woman who now stood and glared down upon him with a concentrated stare. The administrator fell to his knees, falling from the grip of the Andorian soldiers. They went to yank him up, but stopped seeing the young woman wave them off. His eyes stayed upon her as his head leaned back exposing his jugular for the kill. Those eyes showed terror, as he felt the formidableness of her control. He was frozen in this position as T'Pol started once more to address the audience.

"The administrator is correct in saying I have never had to perform the V'Miaria. I was trained though, my mother passing down the technique to her first born as it is written. I hope this passes as a successful completion of that task." She allowed his head to right, but kept his mouth shut.

T'Pol then turned to address the Andorian. "Commander Shran… you may tell your government we would appreciate any assistance you can give in this matter. There will be no further aggressions toward your people by Vulcan and we offer our assistance with matters in the future that we can be of help with." He nodded and gave a very pleased smile.

Then she turned to the Humans. "Vulcan appreciates any assistance Earth can give and we hope our continued alliance will be a mutually beneficial one." She nodded to Archer and Shran then got the proceedings back on track. The lesser witnesses went on for the better part of the morning, before the council broke to observe the midday meal. V'Las was removed to a holding cell escorted by both Andorian and Vulcan guards, while Shran and his first lieutenant greeted the Human friends they had come to know.

Outside the council chambers, Trip and company waited for T'Pol to come out. She did so only briefly, the guards still flanking her every move. "Are we going back to the house for lunch?" Trip asked ready to invite the kit and caboodle over for a meal.

"I believe your mother has her hands full with the children. I have to remain. The council members want to review this morning's data. Perhaps you could go to the Human quarter for some nourishment, but beware of the midday sun." T'Pol seemed a bit distracted.

"I got a better idea." Jon chimed in. "How about you all come aboard Enterprise. We have several hours before we need to be back and I'm sure Trip is eager to see if we've been keeping his engines running smoothly. We'll have lunch in the Captain's mess. I still have some of that Andorian ale you gave me." This got an approving look from the entire group. He turned to T'Pol.

"I wish you could come too. The ship's just not the same without ya." His words sent a strange warming sensation through her heart. "And I got a million questions about that little magic trick you pulled in there." He laughed as he saw her usual frustrated eye roll.

"Perhaps if there is time, I will join you later, but right now I must go. You can leave from the south end transporter. It is more private. Sveiker will take you there." T'Pol pointed to one of her guards. He stepped forward and came to attention. She gave him orders in Vulcan, that only Hoshi understood then excused herself once again. Malcolm leaned over and asked the communications officer what that long conversation was.

"She told him to be sure that our guests are treated with the utmost respect and not to let any unfortunate occurrences happen." This peaked the security officer's interest.

"Does she think there's going to be some trouble here?" He was answered by the Andorian. "I would." To this Trip answered.

"T'Pol learned from the Kir'Shara that she was supposed to help bring about federation for her people. That it was her destiny to serve aboard an alien ship and help bring total alliance to the sector." Archer was shocked by his words.

"Alotta pressure on one set of shoulders." He looked in the direction of the retreating female. Sveiker indicated a side passage and led the way. Trip continued as they walked.

"Yeah, well look at all she's done. She's helped bridge the distance between us and Vulcan. She's helped to settle the warring between her people and the Andorians. I'd say her little performance in there has truly shown her people their new path. Hence her name…. the chosen one." The group stopped a moment hearing a fact they never knew about their ex first officer. "It's what it means in Vulcan." Archer looked to Hoshi and saw her nod.

"I didn't know that." He said wondering how much he didn't know about the woman that worked beside him for eight straight years.

"She always was a spunky little thing." Shran added in, his first lieutenant chuckling at his superior's assessment of the female. They walked on past a few onlookers, incident free and within a very short time were transported aboard the Enterprise. While Archer welcomed his guests with a before lunch cocktail, Trip headed straight to engineering, chomping at the bit to get his hands on the soft metal of his true first love.

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



Part 5


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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Well I'm the first I think. TLR this chapter was great as usual and I can't wait to see where this story takes us.

Interesting. T'Pol as Messiah. Surprisingly, it works!

Whoa, another great chapter! I can't wait for the next one (when do I ever not with your amazing storeis?) I really like how you're playing it out and it's adding quite an interesting story about Vulcans and all. But I like every piece of it! Great job.

I just love your stories. You're my favourite author on this site. Looking forward to the next chapter.

I'm confused. If I remember my Star Trek 'history' correctly, it wasn't until Kirk's time (forgot the title of the episode) that Humans found out that Vulcans and Romulans look remarkably alike. Spock was at the receiving end of quite a few suspicious looks in that particular episode (damn my failing memory. Someone help me out here please!). Archer et al. seem to take V'Las's appearance in their stride. Or not?

Thank you TLR, I love it, can't wait for the next part, you keep them alive..

Kenshin, You are correct that in Star Trek, season 1 episode " Balance of Terror" we got our first glimpse of Romulans, however that doesn't mean that after this trial, the Romulans didn't go back to their planet to regroup for about 100 yrs. It would be understandable for everyone involved to think after that amount of time, the Romulans were not going to attack and just put them out of their minds. Also, if you noticed, Romulans have ridges on their foreheads in this series, but in the original Star Trek, they looked no different from Vulcans. Perhaps that is the surprise they are getting ready for the Vulcans. V'Las and his cohorts were surgically altered, as his talking to his unaltered spy Commander Talok at the end of Kir'Shara and the entire Aenar, Babel shows demonstrated. Perhaps they got around T'Pol's foiling their efforts by planning to genetically altering themselves to pass as Vulcans in the future with plans to retry to infiltrate the Vulcan High Council again. Only this time being able to pass the genetic tests. Star Trek Enterprise used the Klingon virus as the reason the Klingons of Kirks day had no ridges. Why not go the same way with this.Just a thought. ........T

I really love this and all your stories, TLR. They are so uplifting and beautiful. Thank you!

Firstevil, yes, Humans don't learn that Romulans look like Vulcans or that there is any connection until Kirk's time. My guess is that they believe that the Romulans have surgically altered themselves to be able to pass as Vulcans. Maybe TLR can clear that part up a bit for us. I was a bit thrown by the line "We found the genetic tag that distinguishes Vulcan from Romulan and all on this planet have been tested." It hints at the connection and is confusing.

Another wonderful chapter TLR. I can't wait to see what happens.

We found out in Star Trek TNG that Vulcans and Romulans are actually kissing cousins. That a species long ago took some victims from Vulcan and transplanted them on Romulus and Remis. The ones on romulus developed into one's like Talok, the one's on remis turned into very different creatures due to the living conditions and lack of light. They were the dark creatures we saw in the movie Nemisis. I think there are many species that share genetic links, but aren't exactly alike. I don't think Archer and party will put those two things together. It was too subtle a slip, but we have to wait to find out.

Balance of Terror, yes, the was the TOS episode I remembered after several sleepless hours last night. A fanatic? Who? Moi? Heck no, it just gave me an excuse to read this excellent story again! Keep 'em coming, please!

Excellent ! More soon please.

I just read this chapter again and like it just as much. If you are asking for suggestions, would you consider putting into this story the dancing scene from Singin in the Rain with Gene Kelly. I know Vulcan is an arid planet but it has to have some rainfall to survive. I was imagining maybe Trip and kids "jumpin puddles in the rain?" Many thanks for hours of reading pleasure.

Had a really rough week at work. I will have the next section in by Tues I promise. Sorry about the delay and thanks for your patience. T

Exellent and I look forward to seeing more. Though I do believe this twists Trek Cannon a little.

I turned in part 5 today. Bucky should have it up soon. Thanks for being so patient. Hoping to the final part of "The dilithium mission" out by Sunday. T