Soval's Tale

Chapter One

Disclaimer: Star Trek and all of its characters are the property of Paramount. No profit has been made from this story.

Summary: Soval comes for a visit with news of T’Pol’s father. Spoilers: Home.

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The door chime rang. "I’ll get it T'Pol," yelled Trip. He opened the door. Ambassador Soval was standing on their front porch.

"May I enter?" he said.

"Of course," replied Trip. "Welcome to our home. This is the first time you have been here."

"Yes," said Soval, "I have been much too busy to visit."

"Come in and sit down," said Trip. "T'Pol, it’s Ambassador Soval."

T'Pol came into the living room. She was dressed casually in blue jeans and a denim shirt.

"I have been cleaning," T'Pol said.

"You do not have help?" questioned Soval.

"Yes," replied T'Pol, "a woman comes in twice a week to help clean, but with the children the house gets messy easily and needs cleaning more often.”

"Where are the children?" asked Soval.

"In school," said Trip.

"All of them?" asked Soval.

"Yes, Malcolm is in what is known as pre-school," said Trip.

"Good," replied Soval. "Would it be possible for them to stay with friends for a day or two? I have something to tell you that will take some time, and I don't want the children to hear it. You can tell them when you think they are ready for it."

"They can stay with the Reeds," replied T'Pol. "Hoshi will take good care of them, and Chip is a good friend of Charles, the Reed’s oldest boy."

Soval did not ask about the rest of the Tucker children.

"Tea, Ambassador?" asked T’Pol.

"Yes," replied Soval. "Of all the things on Earth, I believe that tea is my favorite. Mint tea if you have it."

"We do," assured T'Pol. She disappeared in to the kitchen and returned shortly carrying two Vulcan cups with tea in them and a glass of beer for Trip.

"To what do we owe this visit?" asked Trip.

"I have a tale to tell T'Pol and you," retorted Soval.

"A tale?" said T'Pol "What kind of tale?"

"A true one," replied Soval. "It concerns you, T'Pol."

"Me?” said T'Pol, "How?"

Soval sighed. "I think you should finish your tea first and relax."

Trip was sure that the ambassador had hidden a smile when he said that, a fatherly smile. The three sat, drank and chatted about trifles. Finally T'Pol put her cup down and announced that she was finished with her tea.

"I will be finished in another minute or two," said Soval. Trip gulped down his beer and put down the empty glass. T'Pol gave him a sharp look for that. At last Soval put his cup down. "Finished."

T'Pol gathered up the cups and the glass and took them in to the kitchen. She returned immediately and sat down close to Trip. She did not press Soval. She knew that he would start his tale when he was ready.

“T'Pol," said Soval, "You are, as the humans say, one hundred percent Vulcan."

"Yes, of course, Ambassador. That fact has been verified by doctors who checked my DNA. Each time it showed I was completely Vulcan, not that I thought otherwise," replied T'Pol.

"As I thought," said Soval kindly.

Soval paused and sighed again. "You know that I am the director of the Vulcan Intelligence Directorate?"

Trip goggled at him. T'Pol nodded.

“You knew, T'Pol?" Soval said.

"Yes, I was in that directorate for some years. I was told that you were the director.”

"You never said anything," replied Soval.

"I though it was prudent not to," said T'Pol.

Soval hesitated and then went on. "You are aware that your father was a minor noble in your clan. That is why you are called Lady T'Pol”.

"Yes, I am aware of that," said T'Pol.

"But you did not know that he was one of our best agents," said Soval.

T'Pol hid her surprise. "No, I did not know that," she said.

"He was. I was the assistant director and was scheduled to become director when the previous one retired. Your father and I worked together closely. We were good friends," said Soval.

T'Pol took Trip's hand then. Trip squeezed hers for reassurance. She did not pull away, but left her hand in his.

"Are you also aware that T'Les was not your birth mother?" asked Soval.

T'Pol gasped insisting, "No, she is my birth mother."

"Your birth mother was a young Vulcan woman from our clan," said Soval a bit sternly.

"My father and T'Les were betrothed, but they only met the day before they married. They had been promised for several years," retorted T'Pol.

"Yes, T'Les came from a prosperous farm family on the other side of Vulcan. Your father had business investments that made him comfortable, if not wealthy. T'Les took possession of all that when your father was declared dead," replied Soval. "I do not know what happened to the assets. All that is left is the house."

"I was not aware of that," said T'Pol.

"We will return to T'Les shortly, but first I must tell you of your birth mother and her relationship with your father. Actually, if you can arrange for the children to be taken care of, I think it would be best if we go to Vulcan," said Soval.

"Vulcan?" replied T'Pol, "Why?"

"I believe that you will get a better sense of what I will be telling you there," answered Soval.

"Trip?" asked T'Pol.

"I’m good with that. Anything to hear what Soval has to tell us," smiled Trip.

######

A week later they were in T'Pol's house on Vulcan, seated in the living room. Soval continued his story. "As I said, she was a young Vulcan woman of our clan. The clan you chose when you reached the age of 15, if you remember," said Soval.

"Of course, my father’s clan. I did not desire permanent affiliation with my mother's clan, but his," replied T'Pol.

"A wise choice. Our clan is one of the oldest, wealthiest and most powerful clans on Vulcan, said Soval.

"But what of the young woman and T'Pol's father?" asked Trip.

"Your father," said Soval, looking at T'Pol, "was between assignments. We felt that he needed less exposure, so he was assigned to a desk job in the directorate. He met her there.”

"It was all innocent at the start, but soon they grew close. So close that when he entered his Pon Farr, instead of going to a priestess he went to her, and she helped him through it, but she was too young. She wasn't aware that she had become bonded to him and had ovulated. She was pregnant after the Pon Farr was complete," continued Soval. “They were not betrothed or married. Her pregnancy would have been seen as shameful to Vulcans. Your father took her to Earth. She worked in the Vulcan Consulate in San Francisco until the pregnancy started to show. Your father supported her then and provided her with an apartment, food and other essentials. She was put in the hands of Human doctors who were eager to find out as much about Vulcans as possible. This would be their chance.”

T'Pol started to look grim as she sensed where the tale was going.

"Your mother delivered you in a human hospital under the care of human doctors. She started to hemorrhage right after you were born. The humans could not stop the bleeding. The Vulcan compound did not have a supply of Vulcan blood of her type. She was losing blood too fast. She died a few days before a supply of blood could arrive from Vulcan. Your Father had her buried on Earth in an unmarked grave. He took you back to Vulcan secretly," said Soval.

“T'Les, agreed to claim you as hers in exchange for a quick marriage." said Soval. "We did not know at the time that T'Les was Romulan and was sent to help capture or kill your father. That is why she agreed to everything."

T'Pol gasped. "But T’Les loved my father," she argued.

"She didn't. Your father was captured by the Romulans with her help. He has been in a Romulan prison ever since. They have never managed to break him, though," said Soval.

"My Father is alive and in a Romulan Prison? How long have you known this, Soval?" asked T'Pol bitterly.

"T'Pol, we have just recently stumbled on the Romulan cell that T'Les came from. We managed to get someone in it for a short while. He found out about T'Les and your father. I did not know. I would have told you long ago if I had," said Soval. "We have captured a high level Romulan spy and have arranged an exchange. Him for your father."

"My father is to be exchanged? Does that mean he will come back to Vulcan alive?" asked T'Pol.

"You aren't making any sense, T'Pol," said Trip. "Of course he’ll come back here alive."

“The exchange is going to take time," said Soval "but it will go through. You must be patient, T'Pol. This is why I wanted us to come to Vulcan. We can contact the clan mother. She is helping with the exchange.”

#####

An appointment was arranged with the clan mother. Without preamble T'Pol asked, "When will the exchange occur?”

"We have many details to work out," said the clan mother. "But he will be released. Our captive is too important to the Romulans. Your father is no use to them. He has refused to break down under years of torture, so they have given up on him. Without the exchange they would kill him. He will be with you soon. Be patient, my child."

Trip took T'Pol's hand, but said nothing. T'Pol nodded. "I await his return," was all she said.

"Shall we return to your house?" said Soval.

"Yes," replied T'Pol. "Live long and prosper, Clan Mother, and thank you for all you are doing."

#####

When again they were seated in T'Pol's home, Soval returned to his tale. "High level spy? Can you tell us who?" said Trip.

"A certain assistant minister," replied Soval.

"The father of Koss!" exclaimed Trip. "Does that mean Koss is a Romulan and a spy as well?"

"Yes, Koss is a Romulan, but we are not sure if he is a spy or not. He lacks intelligence," said Soval.

"So T'Les was Romulan, and she helped get T'Pol's father captured," said Trip.

"Yes," replied Soval. "We found out recently that she had received a new assignment. She was to infiltrate the group that was going in to the Forge to look for Surak's katra. She was ordered to either secure the katra for the Romulans or destroy it if she could not get it out. To do that, she needed information on the katra. That is what she was stealing from the academy. By the time the true nature of her activities was discovered, the Romulans had already placed a person high in the Vulcan government: an assistant minister," said Soval.

"Koss' father," said Trip.

"You are right, Commander Tucker.”

"They felt they could accomplish two things. One: use his influence to get her reinstated so she could get more information on Surak’s katra and two: to force T'Pol to marry Koss," said Soval.

"Why would they want me to marry Koss?" asked T'Pol.

"Did you inform Koss you were returning to Vulcan when you brought Commander Tucker with you, T'Pol?" said Soval.

"No, just my mother, and I did not tell her of Commander Tucker," replied T'Pol.

"Didn't you ever wonder how that letter from Koss was waiting for you when you arrived? Or that T'Les insisted you read it? After you told her that you did not want to meet Koss, as you had nothing to say to him, T'Les insisted, rather harshly, that you meet him in the garden, where Koss told you that T'Les had been forced into retirement but that his father could get her reinstated if you were to marry him," said Soval. "Did you not wonder why they agreed to you returning to Enterprise right away instead of staying on Vulcan and being a wife to Koss?"

"No, I was just pleased that they had agreed to it. I avoided Koss by going to the sanctuary and meditating for two weeks," said T'Pol.

"Why Koss? What good would it do for T'Pol to marry him?" asked Trip.

"Because when you returned to Enterprise she would be a married woman. T'Pol would not violate her marriage vows. T'Les told the Romulans that you were an honorable man, Commander Tucker, that you would respect her marriage. The marriage to Koss prevented a relationship between you two. That relationship might have led to something deeper. T'Pol would then never abandon you willingly. She would be useless to the Romulans who planned to use her later without her knowledge."

"They sure were right about that," admitted Trip.

"T'Pol regularly wrote to the clan mother. She often told her of things happening on Enterprise. The Romulans needed as much information as they could get on the coalition of planets. T'Pol would probably provide that in her letters to the clan mother. The Romulans had a mole in the clan mother’s circle who would find out that information," said Soval.

"But why did Koss tell me about T'Les being in the Forge?" asked T'Pol.

"The Romulans hoped that you would try to find her and take Archer with you," said Soval. "They were sure Archer would die there."

"I would rather have had Commander Tucker with me, but Archer insisted on going," said T'Pol. "He did almost die. I saved him."

"I wanted to go with you even though I hate deserts. But Archer insisted I stay to continue the investigation," said Trip.

"It was unfortunate for the Romulans that T'Les was killed in that bombing," said Soval.

"T'Les told me that she loved me as she was dying," said T'Pol.

"She lied to the end. She continued to play her part," said Soval.

"Why did Koss release me from the marriage?" said T'Pol.

"He acted in error. He was told by his father that everything had changed when T'Les was killed. Koss took that to mean the marriage was no longer necessary, so he had it annulled. I guess he paid for that later," said Soval happily.

"That didn't seem to do me any good," said Trip sourly. "She didn't even tell me the marriage was over. I had to find out from Malcolm."

T'Pol looked down, "Another of my many mistakes concerning you, my husband."

"This is no time for assigning blame. Commander Tucker proposed marriage to you, T'Pol. You accepted his proposal. You have married, and with the help of Dr. Phlox you have three children. You should be happy," said Soval.

"We are," said both Trip and T'Pol in unison.

"Fine," said Soval adding a pleased eyebrow. "I told you that this would take some time. We should return to Earth now."

"To Earth?" exclaimed T'Pol, "Why?"

"Don't you want to visit the grave of your mother, T'Pol?" said Soval.

"You know where it is? I thought it was unmarked," said T'Pol.

"Unmarked but not unknown," said Soval.

#####

Several days later, on Earth, the three were standing in front of a weedy, overgrown grave. "This is it," said Soval.

"I must clean it," said T'Pol. "It needs a headstone, too."

"What name goes on it?" asked Trip

"Her name was T'Pol."

 TBC