Chapter 29: We Are What Was Surak

Soval gripped the edge of the makeshift craft hard. Falling off at this speed would most certainly result in life-threatening if not even life-ending injuries. Only a human would build a craft entirely powered by wind and then operate it at dangerously unsafe velocities. A Vulcan would never have considered such a dangerous endeavor, but that was the reason why a Vulcan would have to march for days, while at current speeds their vehicle would reach the sanctuary in less than two hours after as much time of travel so far. Not quite satisfied with V'Nur's piloting skills, the human had assumed control of the craft himself, leaving the operation of the sail to T'Pol.

His thoughts were interrupted when a growl from the distance alerted him to the fact that their craft was being chased by a rather large Le-Matya, the second most dangerous creature after the Sehlat they had encountered recently. Somewhat sarcastically Soval thought that Commander Tucker was surely getting a rather comprehensive introduction to the dangers of Vulcan wild-life. Upon T'Pol's calm instruction they all ducked and he heard the sound of a projectile being ejected. Looking back, he saw that the predator had died upon impact of whatever projectile T'Pol had shot at it. The inquiry into the nature of a weapon that worked perfectly well in the Forge would have to wait as Commander Tucker was still operating the craft at a dangerous speed and staying on the craft took enough of attention.

"They did what?" Jon asked and wondered if Malcolm had recently broken the rules on consumption of alcohol in addition to breaking the coms officer's heart.

"As I said sir, the only explanation is that Commander Tucker has built some sort of craft that works in the Forge. Our sensors can only barely penetrate the natural dampening field, but we could estimate their position by the three weak signatures we can pick up from the communicators that the Commanders and Ambassador Soval are carrying. Unless we've been following a sensor ghost, they have traveled two-hundred and forty kilometers in the last three hours."

"How the hell did he do that?"

"Wind," Hoshi chipped in. "From what I gathered from the database, there seems to be a fairly steady wind at this time of the year. It would be just like Commander Tucker to build the first ever sailing boat on wheels that Vulcan has ever seen."

Amusement spread around the bridge. However, Hoshi's somewhat forced chirpiness could not fool him for long. He had to commend Hoshi and Malcolm for their professional conduct and the fact that they could still work together. Not everyone would have managed to do that after what had apparently been happening during the lunch break.

"I'll be in my ready room. Lieutenant Reed, you have the bridge. Keep an eye on Captain Ahab."

"Aye Sir."

"Hoshi, hail Shran and patch him through."

"What is this," V'Nur asked. His daughter's human mate had brought the vehicle to a stand-still at one of the few wells to refill the water-skins. Unlike them the human needed a constant supply of water to survive the rigors of the Forge.

"It is called a crossbow, an ancient Earth weapon," T'Pol explained. "Lieutenant Reed insisted we take one with us. For good reason as it appears."

"Your ship has ancient mechanical weapons aboard?" he asked and raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"No, but the Lieutenant had schematics of one, allowing Engineering to produce it. Lieutenant Reed is ... inordinately fascinated with all kinds of weaponry."

"It appears so," V'Nur replied dryly as they mounted the craft again upon Commander Tuckers instruction. He forced himself not to groan in discomfort. Due to a lack of suitable material and time, the craft had solid wheels and no suspension of any sophistication, which had made the three hours of travel a uniquely taxing experience. Thankfully, unless the wind would suddenly weaken, there was less than an hour of travel left. His spinal column certainly welcomed that particular fact.

"Final station, T'Karath sanctuary," Trip announced. "We kindly ask all passengers to disembark. Please check your seating area for any personal belongings you might have brought on board."

He grinned at the long-suffering eye-roll he got from T'Pol. If Soval or V'Nur were not appreciative of his quip, they certainly didn't show it. Although, judging by their slow movements, they were probably too busy feeling miserable without showing it too obviously. Comfortable was certainly not a term with which to describe the ride, but since Vulcan ships weren't equipped with springs, the passenger comfort had been a bit on the short side.

It didn't take long and they were surrounded by Vulcans with strange hand-held weapons. Since T'Pol didn't raise or even load the crossbow, he supposed these were her clan members who had gone into hiding. He certainly would have grabbed a weapon himself if someone had barged into his backyard on a wind-powered ground car.

A young Vulcan stepped forward. She looked sort of cute, but however many of T'Pol's clan were hiding here, a hairdresser did not seem to be among them if her shoulder-length craggy mop was any indication.

"You've brought a human here?" she asked Soval and V'Nur curtly.

"Yeah, well hi to you too, sweetcakes," Trip chipped in before Soval or T'Pol's father could answer. T'Pol sent him a look of warning, although he could also sense that she was less than impressed with their hostesses manners.

Hoshi had known it was 'game over' the moment the Andorian female had entered the mess hall and asked gruffly "Which one of you is Reed?"

From that point on the normally unflappable tactical officer had almost fallen over his own feet and stammered like the resident village idiot in light of his obvious and instantaneous attraction to the blue-skinned bombshell. She couldn't really fault him. The alien was probably the best-looking Andorian she had encountered and those Imperial Guard uniforms did not do much to hide that the Andorian woman outscored her on physical attributes by a country mile, especially two prominent features on her chest. It brought back an insecurity that had been with her all the way since puberty hit and nothing started growing.

But that was not the important bit, she mentally defended Malcolm. Looks might matter, but she had realized that the woman's self-assertiveness was what had won over the Brit in a matter of seconds. If it was for her she would have liked nothing more than locking herself up in her quarters to cry hysterically, but what help would that be? The only possible result of that would be a return of the damn no-frats and all would suffer for her weakness.

At least he had the decency to look at her apologetically, but she had put a brave face to it and smiled back encouragingly. Distracted by her thoughts she walked into the outstretched arm of Pat McIlway, who had waited for her in front of her lab.

"I'm feeling sorry for you," she said sincerely and hugged Hoshi close. The unexpected consolation shattered Hoshi's brittle control and Pat dragged her into the hydroponics lab, where she could cry in privacy, away from the inquisitive eyes of the crew. Probably not even understanding what was going on, T'Lara walked up to her an slung her arms around Hoshi, holding her while she cried.

V'Nur walked up to the impertinent young female. Tradition demanded that one paid the utmost respect to the clan's matriarch, but at the current time that was quite a taxing task. He confronted her when she was sufficiently far away from anyone who could overhear their conversation.

"I demand that they're freed," he opened without a formal address in order to express his displeasure. "They have risked their lives to reach us. They do not deserve imprisonment."

"T'Pol chose herself to be imprisoned with him."

"You unjustly incarcerated her mate. Did you expect her to abandon him?" he asked her sternly, and with an unseemly amount of satisfaction he noticed that she was quite surprised by these news and had failed to hide her reaction.

"T'Pol has taken a human mate? That is unheard of."

"So is a clan matriarch, who is barely out of adolescence. The humans have a saying: There is a first time for everything."

"Humans are not telepathic," the young female argued. "It is most likely just infatuation born out of unseemly curiosity. T'Pol has always been known for her inquisitiveness."

"Soval is convinced they share a tel. That would contradict your theory, would it not?" the older Vulcan challenged her.

"No priest would dare to perform a bonding meld without the matriarchs permission, much less involving an off-worlder. Neither the deceased Eldest nor I as her successor have given such permission."

"A bonding meld is not a strict requirement for the formation of a tel, is it?"

Now the young female was in a state that his human rescuers would have called 'thunderstruck'.

"V'Nur, you are claiming that T'Pol and this human are the first recorded case of true Ashayam since the Time of Awakening?"

"I am not claiming anything T'Pau, but I must admit that you are taxing my patience. Without Charles we would still be four days from here, most likely closely pursued by the military. Instead of lauding him for his unconventional but ultimately successful thinking, you incarcerate him. As the bearer of Surak's katra I would have expected you to choose your course of action somewhat wiser."

V'Nur knew he had happened upon something important when the young female became uncharacteristically silent. It took her a long while to answer his challenge and the statement was laden with obvious confusion and frustration.