Liberty Two-Four

Chapter 1

Rating: PG-13, for bad language and action scenes
Date: 20070722
Genre: (alluding to) Friendship/Romance, Action, T’Pau
Archive: Triaxian Silk (Library at P’Jem), please. Other archives may request permission to archive or link to this story by email. (You’ll probably receive green light).
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters and background setting from Enterprise. (Though I’m not sure who exactly owns T’Pau). The names and related intellectual property belongs to them. I just try to write an interesting story about them.
Summary: T’Pau arrives at Earth for diplomatic meetings with the United Earth prime minister.

A/N: This story is roughly based after the events of Terra Prime (which I still have to see, btw). It’s definitely AU, the way I want to write about T’Pau is entirely non-consistent with her appearance in TOS (and ENT as well, probably).

I want to thank HR, Distracted, Blackn’Blue and Rigil Kent for being such influential writers. Translatio, Imitatio, Aemulatio.

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Chief Minister T’Pau’s expression was devoid of emotion as she strode purposefully through the courtyard of Vulcan’s embassy on Earth. The courtyard was filled with a good number of people reading or studying PADD’s, conversing quietly or engaging in recreational mental activity by playing a game of kal-toh. The presence of her security guards made sure, however, that that everyone gave her more than enough room. Even the Humans were not-so-subtly avoiding her little group. As they neared the inner gate of the compound she saw the human delegation that had come to escort her.

It’s a necessary complication, I suppose she thought before mentally chiding herself. The human escort was merely a show of respect for her position, and while Vulcan’s didn’t allow themselves to feel slighted, showing respect for ones position or experience was an integral part of their interactions. She suspected her dislike of these escorts had more to do with her dislike of Humans in general, as well as with the inevitable negative impact these escorts seemed to have on her ability to move with speed from one location to the other.

The humans have a saying: ‘Patience is a virtue’. If you want to uphold your façade of experience and wisdom acquired through age you should try to reign in your youthful exuberance and impatience. The memory of Minister Kuvak’s sage advice caused her to relax her stride somewhat more. She doubted any Human would deem her ‘exuberant’ or ‘impatient’ but she didn’t want to risk them learning her ‘youthfulness’ either.

Engrossed in her mental musings she nevertheless didn’t miss the unexpectedly high number of security personnel, MACO’s, with the escort. It was a disconcerting notion, as it obviously meant the Humans were on an elevated state of alert. She was about to inquire the leader of her own delegation as to any information he might have about it when a sudden commotion among the human group caught her eye.

***

With a smile and a wave Tan said goodbye to his escort. He was determined to not let Vulcan stoicism affect the way he interacted with other people, human or not. As he expected, Kel didn’t react to his ‘exuberance’ other than raising an eyebrow, before making that split-fingered greeting thing he usually did. He would never let it show, but Tan usually enjoyed his visits to the Vulcan embassy because of Kel. For a Vulcan, he was surprisingly amiable and tolerable of Tan’s ‘unseemly displays of emotion’, as Kel liked to call them. Or rather, called them; as a Vulcan, Kel didn’t ‘like’ anything, as he so often said.

For the past weeks Tan hadn’t had any business in the Vulcan compound as his work had kept him busy with the ongoing reports of increasing xenophobia and outbursts of violence. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been able to identify any more cells of Terra Prime, by far the most dangerous organization involved. He suspected his superiors would soon send him on another fishing expedition in the bars of this city.

When, on his way to check out of the Starfleet HQ, he heard the receptionist talk about the delivery of a number of packages to the Vulcan compound, he had jumped at the chance and offered to take them there, drawing quite a few stares from the people present. Someone of his rank didn’t usually offer to do simple courier’s work, but Tan wanted an excuse to get into the compound, even if it was only to the reception.

By all accounts, my behaviour would be considered highly illogical by our green-blooded friends he thought with a wry smile. Truth be told, it doesn’t make all that much sense to myself either, when I try to rationalize it. So I rather don’t.

He was merely meters from the courtyard when he heard the explosions.