Fancy meeting you here

Posted on Tue Feb 25th, 2020 @ 9:08am by Lieutenant Commander Aeryn Jameson & Telhas thu'S'Terion Sa-Shasol'kor t'Cheleb-Khor

2,230 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Mission 3: Diplomacy, what’s that?
Location: Station promenade

{ON}

Aeryn was taking a stroll getting to know her new home when she came upon a sight she hadn't been expecting and didn't really know how to deal with. She hadn't given much thought to meeting other Romulans and she knew very little of her Romulan heritage. As the Romulan saw her and started approaching she resorted to falling back on her officer training, and offered a polite smile.

When Telhas had read the Tal Shiar dossier about the new XO, he thought he should meet her in person. Since he had not been to the station for months, this was a good excuse to visit Faltan Station again, too. The Tal Shiar dossier lacked a lot of information, but the little information that was therein caught his attention. The new XO seemed to be half-Romulan. Much unlike his current preference, he was neither dressed in his House Guards uniform, nor in the robes of a Vulcan duke. Instead, he had decided to wear the black robes of a Romulan senator.

"Commander Aeryn Jameson, I presume?" Telhas said with a polite smile.

Aeryn was taken by surprise, all she knew about her kind was what she'd been taught and what she'd learned in her years in Starfleet. She nodded her head and offered a polite smile. "At your service, I wasn't expecting to find a Romulan senator here on the station. I am correct in my identification of your robes I hope?" She stood looking at him as she found her senses weren't picking up on his emotions, or his presence.

"Absolutely," Telhas replied with a gentle smile and gave her a slight nod. "Telhas t'Cheleb-Khor thu'S'Terion Sa-Shasol'kor t'Cheleb-Khor, member of the Imperial Romulan Senate and ambassador to this..." He shrugged. "I should say 'lovely place' if I would obey diplomatic politeness, but unfortunately the place is not too lovely and I prefer honesty. Yet I have to admit, the station has improved a lot since my last visit. And just to answer questions which are usually asked regarding my person: Yes, my name is not Romulan, but ancient Vulcan. No, I am not any more Vulcan than the average Romulan. And yes, I speak modern and ancient Vulcan fluently, but this has nothing to do with my job as ambassador."

"If you prefer honesty Ambassador, I'd say you're not like the a-typical Romulan. There are those Romulans who wouldn't appreciate Vulcans the way you do." She looked at him curiously. "May I ask why it is I can't sense you? It's like you're not even there!"

"I do not actually appreciate modern Vulcans. But I am aware of our past, and the ancient Vulcans with their way of life. Maybe not their violence, but their strong belief in themselves. And I think you have a wrong view on Romulans." Telhas laughed. "Regarding your question. What do you guess is the reason that you cannot sense me? Do not think too much, trust your intuition."

Aeryn gave him a curious look. "Because you're able to block me, you're a telepath aren't you?" She studied him uncertain if she was right or not.

"So, of how many Romulan telepaths did you hear?" Telhas looked bemusedly. "Not too many, I guess. Probably none." He gave her a moment to rethink her conclusion and continued. "On the other hand, we are the descendants of those who left Vulcan about two millennia ago. And we know that all Vulcans are telepaths. They also were all telepaths." He grinned. "Well, I could play a little with you, see if you trust in your own judgement or not, find out how easy or difficult it is to uncertain you. But both our time is too valuable for games, is it not? Your conclusion is correct. I am one of the very few who are gifted. But you should know that I do not block you. I rather block myself. Did you ever read the text book of S'Hevru? Probably not, since as far as I know the Vulcans destroyed or locked away every copy they could get. He lived three millennia before us, and he was a master of foshinahr, the way of the defensive psionic arts. He explains very well how you can learn to protect your mind. The shield, where you simply block other telepaths. The reflection, where you reflect any intrusion of another telepath back to that person. And the hidden mind, where you keep all your thoughts and emotions inside your brain and do not allow them to leave your body. I hope this answers your question?"

"I guess...in a way" Aeryn looked at Telhas curiously. "I'm afraid I know next to nothing about my Romulan side, I wasn't raised as a Romulan."

"Obviously not." There was no emotion in Telhas' voice. He simply stated a fact. "But now I have a question. Who is your father? A Romulan who fled the Empire?"

"I..." She paused. "Don't know who my father is! All I know about him is he's someone of influence. My mother never left any clues on her message to me, that's all she ever said." She gave Telhas a curious look. "Why is it you want to know?"

"Because you have a birthright to know your house," Telhas replied. "Your house contributes to your mnhei'sahe, and you contribute to your house's mnhei'sahe. You really should know your house. It makes you complete. And you should really know the Romulan culture with all its facets. You may not embrace it, you may even reject it, but you should know it." He wondered whether he should help her. In principle, it was not his problem. Yet in his self-image he was responsible for all with Romulan blood running through their veins. He was not just any Romulan, he was Patrician. "It is up to you if you want to keep things as they are, or if you want to find out what it means to be Romulan. And to find out who is your father. I can help you with both, if you want. But you should be aware that it will take time. Both. Your decision, Commander."

Aeryn had spent years considering this very question, she had to admit she wasn't whole. Knowing nothing of her Romulan half made her incomplete. "I..." She paused. "I would appreciate your help in finding out more about myself." She offered a smile. "Where do we start?"

"Perhaps with a coffee? As I said, this will take time. You know any good café?" Telhas asked.

Aeryn motioned them onward. "I saw one on the promenade when I first arrived here but I haven't had chance to try it yet, why don't we try it now." She hadn't expected to find a Romulan she'd actually get along with but was glad to have found this one.

"Sounds good to me." Telhas gestured Aeryn to lead them to the café. While they were walking he talked. "So, where should we start? With the past, of course. Everything starts with the past, do you agree? As you may know, the Vulcans were not always as they are today. Before Surak's teachings spread, they fought a series of devastating wars. They simply were too many for the planetary resources they could utilize, and the heat of their emotions mirrored the heat of the desert. My ancestors also played a vital role in these wars. However, the Vulcans started to become weary of the endless wars, but they did not see how they could escape the violence. There were some ideas to colonize other planets, but the resources for space travel were not available. Ironically, because the resources were allocated for the wars." He laughed. "They were blind, were they not?" They reached the café and Telhas gestured Aeryn to settle at a table with a good view on the promenade.

Aeryn took a seat. "I always thought that Romulans and Vulcans didn't see eye to eye, yet you are like no Romulan I have encountered before." She studied Telhas. "You have a lot more appreciation for Vulcan heritage. I'd like to learn more, especially about your mental abilities, being half Betazoid I'm both empathic and telepathic."

Telhas smiled politely. "I appreciate my heritage. It has always been important to my family. We can trace our roots six thousand years into the past, to King S'Terion of Cheleb-Khor." He turned to the waiter, who had just arrived at the table. "Coffee, black, no sugar."

Aeryn looked at Telhas curiously. "That must be amazing, to know so much about your heritage. I only know my Betazoid roots." She looked at the waiter. "A hot chocolate please."

"Sometimes it is amazing, most times I just feel the weight of six millennia of leadership resting on my shoulders." Telhas shrugged. "I have to serve as an example, this is my obligation. I am Patrician, nothing more, nothing less. So, please tell me about your Betazoid roots. I am always interested in the heritage of people."

Aeryn nodded. "My grandmother is the Patriach of the first house, the house of honesty and truth. My mother is...was, the next Patriach but as it is that duty would fall to me but I deferred my right to my cousin instead. She's a pure bred Betazoid and she lives on Betazed, besides I don't want to give up my life in Starfleet. I wasn't raised by my grandmother anyway, I was raised by foster parents. My foster father is Vulcan, Admiral T'Par."

Telhas nodded respectfully. "Important names, this is for sure. So, your foster father taught you the Vulcan culture and Vulcan language, then?"

Aeryn nodded. "My father wanted me to purge myself of emotion but my mother gave me the choice. I chose to learn how to control my emotions but I prefer to be this way. My father thought it most illogical."

Telhas laughed. "And here we are exactly at the point why my ancestors left Vulcan! As I told you, the ancient Vulcans were in a series of wars, and then Surak showed them a way. Purge yourself of all emotions and anger will not control you. No anger, no war. This was appealing to his fellow Vulcans, and soon he got more and more followers. But not everyone followed him. One group were the Children of Ket-Cheleb, where especially the now useless warlords and warriors gathered. My ancestor Tellus was one of them. They debated what they should do. The cousin, some say brother, but this is not true... anyway... the cousin of Tellus, a man named S'Task, took the lead of all these groups. S'Task himself was a scholar of Surak, but his master's teachings looked too radical to him. His philosophy demanded to avoid any radicalism. Control of emotions, yes, purge, no. He also pushed the debate in the direction that a revolt to restore the old ways would be wrong. Instead, they turned to the solution which had been in discussion before Surak. Leave the planet and colonize other worlds. This is what they did. They left Vulcan. My ancestor, Tellus, led the Children of Ket-Cheleb and was responsible for the security of the travellers." He sipped coffee before he continued. "And what S'Task left for the Vulcans as farewell was a poem, the Last Song."

He changed to ancient Vulcan to recite it correctly.

"Enthrone your pasts:
this done, fire and old blood
will find you again:
better hearts' breaking
than worlds'." *

Turning back to Federation Standard, he continued. "It has been forgotten by both, Vulcans and Romulans. But my family kept it. We still have the original scripture in our house archives. Thankfully I always wanted the scrolls and books Tellus took with him from Vulcan close to me. Otherwise they would have been destroyed together with Romulus. Some people say it is a wonder, or good luck, I take it as a divine sign. They have a destiny and I am their guardian. Are you a spiritual person?"

"To be honest, I don't know." Aeryn gave the Romulan a curious look. "I've never really come across anything I've believed in strongly before. "Are you thinking that you think it's destiny that you and I have come across each other? That it's my destiny to be taught by you?"

Telhas shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But I think it is my destiny to show everyone with Romulan blood in their veins the ways of our ancestors, if they want to listen. Tel-Apep, the ancient Vulcan god of wisdom, is a patron of my house. Although we are the chosen ones of Ket-Cheleb. But that is another story, for another time." He emptied his coffee. "I am sure that you still have many questions, but for now I would rather prefer to talk about some formalities of cooperation between my embassy and this station. So maybe we should continue our talk in your office?"

"Of course" Aeryn picked up her half finished drink to take it with her. "If you'd like to follow me I'll show you to my office." She offered a smile, thinking how curious it was that she should find a Romulan that she actually enjoyed talking to. He was right, she did need to know more about her heritage.

{OFF}

* The Last Song is taken from Diane Duane's book "The Romulan Way".

 

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