The Pon T'Keshtan

CHAPTER SIX

When Nyota arrived at Medical Conference Room One, she didn't know what to expect, but since she suspected it had something to do with Spock's mental condition, she was eager to attend. Dr. McCoy, Nurse Chapel, Dr. Surrey, Captain Kirk and the Vulcan, Sa'aat sat at the large, white, highly polished conference table which dominated the room. Nyota ignored the empty seats furthest away from the others, taking a seat instead next to Christine Chapel, where she felt, she could engage the others and not be left out of any discussions or sidebars that might take place. After settling into her chair, Nyota folded her hands on the tabletop. Christine reached out and gave Nyota's hands a comforting pat with one of her own, and Nyota gave her a smiled thank you in return. Sa'aat offered the lieutenant an emotionless glance from across the table but nothing more. Dr. Surrey, looking as though he might have slept in his Medical-Blues, winked at her the way a favored uncle might, and Dr. McCoy looked at her with what seemed like uneasiness in his face.

"Thank you for joining us, Lieutenant Uhura," Kirk said from the head of the table, sounding unusually formal.

"Captain -" Nyota responded with a slight bob of her head.

"You know everyone?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Okay, then, let's continue..."

Kirk turned his seat slightly to his left, and Nyota realized that a communications view screen set up there transmitted the image of Sarek. He was seated in the rear compartment of a large shuttlecraft that was, as far as she could tell, in flight. Behind Sarek, a narrow aisle lead to a cockpit area manned by two Vulcans, a male and a female, with their backs to the view screen.

"As I was saying, Ambassador Sarek, as a follow-up to our previous discussion," the captain began, "information has come to my attention in regard to Commander Spock which impacts his physical and psychological well-being..." Nyota noted that as the captain spoke, he stopped occasionally to ponder his words briefly.

Kirk continued, "...I am hoping that by sharing this information with you, and with the others in this room, we can... come to some sort of agreement on how best to address the issues and formulate, for Spock, an effective treatment regime which... hopefully... will result in his being able to return to active duty as soon as possible. It is understood by all present that the information discussed here is considered absolutely confidential and may not, and will not be discussed with... um, anybody else... without expressed written permission."

The captain looked around the room to the other participants. "Okay?" he asked, and received general nods from everyone else in the room. He leaned toward the view screen saying softly to Sarek, "Ambassador, are you comfortable discussing this information in front of the shuttle crew?"

"I have little choice, Captain," Sarek answered frankly. "The size and configuration of this shuttlecraft does not furnish one with a great degree of privacy. However, I will say that this particular shuttle crew is comprised of Vulcans known to me to be of high character who have, on all occasions, shown deference to me and great discretion in matters of my personal interest. You may, therefore, continue."

"Okay, then... Let's start with Doctor McCoy..." The captain leaned right, toward McCoy, and said quietly, "And, uh, keep in mind, Bones, this meeting is being recorded."

"Are you telling me to watch my mouth, Captain?"

"Pretty much, yeah -"

McCoy rolled his eyes, but stood to make his presentation. A large projection screen lit up opposite the com-link view screen, and Christine and Nyota had to swivel their chairs in order to face it.

The projection was a holographic cut-away view of Spock's body stripped down to its skeletal and muscular structures. According to the title bar, the image contained data gathered by the two medical scanners and a medical tricorder. The holograph, which turned and pivoted on input and verbal cues from Dr. McCoy, was surrounded by detailed captions and drop-down memo fields which, when accessed, supplied viewers with more descriptive information, both in medical jargon and layman's terms.

"Seven months ago, Commander Spock returned to the Enterprise from New Vulcan having been subjected to a chemically induced plak-tau, in accordance with the Ek'tevan Prerogative edict. Scans of the commander at that time revealed he suffered from multiple abrasions and contusions." Arrows appeared in abundance all over the image. "...Punctures - most of them caused by teeth, lacerations, muscle strains..." More arrows appeared. "...And hairline fractures to the right clavicle, articular capsule, right iliac crest, left mandible, and the orbit around the right eye." His words caused still more arrows to light on the chart.

"Taking into consideration the density of the Vulcan skeletal structure, I think it's pretty safe to say that more than necessary force was used to cause damage to the bones(1)," McCoy said pointedly. "In addition, Spock suffered from dehydration, fever, hypertension and congestive heart dysfunction caused by an accelerated and irregular heartbeat brought on by the plak-tau inducing drug." Longer text fields attached to the drop-down memo fields appeared on the projection, detailing each of the symptoms noted by McCoy.

"...Despite his condition, Spock bypassed conventional medical treatment at the time of his arrival on the Enterprise, and instead participated in a meditative and restorative sleep referred to by the Vulcans as a po-zung... The po-zung corrected the majority of his injuries; however, recently Spock reported to Nurse Chapel that he was still experiencing low-grade pain along the pelvic region. A follow-up scan is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. We have also learned that, since returning from New Vulcan, Commander Spock has suffered from sleep deprivation, recurring nightmares, and has recently experienced a hallucination. It is unclear if these are directly related to the plak-tau drug, and/or are manifestations of psychological complications, but that's part of what we're all hoping this, and subsequent meetings, will help to clarify."

The holographic depiction of Spock shrank into the lower right corner, while the rest of the screen remained blank until McCoy's verbal cues activated the appearance of other images. "Now," McCoy continued. "We were told by the then-seated Vulcan Transitional Council that Commander Spock had been bred to no less than five females during his chemically induced plak-tau, and data from both the medical scanner and medical tricorder support that assertion. Along with his own blood and semen, Commander Spock's body was replete with the blood, saliva, tears and vaginal secretions of five Vulcan females."

Five different whorls of DNA showed up on the projection screen.

"Comparing these DNA structures with information secured by the former Kahr-Lan, Sa'aat, from the Medical Facility on New Vulcan, we were able to identify the five females as the following individuals..."

"Uh, excuse me, Dr. McCoy," Dr. Surrey interrupted, raising his hand.

"Yes, Dr. Surrey?"

"Do I even want to ask how Mister Sa'aat came by this information?"

"Probably not," McCoy answered.

"As a Kahr-Lan in the Vulcan Military, I had certain privileges granted to me by the State which allowed me access to documents that would have, under most circumstances, been classified," Sa'aat offered. "When I obtained the information, I had legitimate authority to access it."

"Are you comfortable this doesn't violate the standards of confidentiality as regards personal medical information, Dr. McCoy?" Surrey asked.

"The information provided here simply identifies individuals; it doesn't touch on any aspects of their medical history or current medical status, so I don't believe it constitutes a breach of medical ethics."

"Ooookay," said Dr. Surrey, leaning back into his chair.

Dr. McCoy turned back to the projection screen and stated, "Of the five females, this one is known as T'Liik."

When the woman's face appeared on the screen beside the depiction of her DNA, something Nyota couldn't name congealed and turned over in the pit of her stomach. Disgust, anger, resentment, jealousy... whatever it was lay there like a cold and unhealthy blob. She unconsciously put a hand to her belly to cover it.

She had seen the five females previously in the Medical Facility's surgical arena on New Vulcan. Two had already been bred to Spock and were sleeping when Nyota first saw them, and Spock was engaging the third... Nyota's face pinched at the memory. She had caught glimpses of his interactions with the fourth female, but couldn't bear to watch when the fifth was presented to him... (2) Since returning from New Vulcan, Nyota had, with some success, pushed the women out of her mind. Not thinking about them had been easy when they were nameless and unidentifiable. She could pretend they never existed; that they were somehow unreal. But here, was one of the five - one who might be carrying Spock's child - and Nyota had to fight to keep her composure. She wanted to vomit, she wanted to yell obscenities, she wanted to scream, and she wanted to cry... Instead, she balled her fist and held it over the unnamable blob in her stomach.

T'Liik was one who had been asleep when Nyota and McCoy first entered the observation and transcription station above the arena. At the time, Nyota hadn't gotten a good look at her, but the woman in the computer image was tall and lean, with dark tan skin and smooth black hair piled up on her head in broad curls. Her features were thin and fox-like, copper-eyed with a sharp nose. Her lips were sensual, full and well formed. In another situation, Spock might have been attracted to her, Nyota thought. The text field beside her picture stated she was the pid-com(3) of the Sonuk Maat (4), and had once been married but lost her husband and son when Vulcan was destroyed. She was twenty-seven years Spock's senior; still relatively "young" by Vulcan standards. Nyota frowned at the picture but said nothing.

"This one is Karil (5)," McCoy said, and a younger woman's image appeared. She looked almost childlike, with a moon-shaped face and large almond-shaped eyes. Her hair was in a short bob with bangs, and the contrast between her "masculine" hairstyle and cherubic features lent her an almost doll-like, androgynous quality. She was from Semuk's clan, the Sreem Maat, the text said, and was about nine years younger than Spock. She was the female Nyota had first seen mated to him, and the sight of her set Nyota's teeth on edge.

The third was identified as T'Edri, and Nyota remembered only catching a glimpse of her when T'Pau first handed T'Edri over to Spock. She was tall, and unusually voluptuous for a Vulcan. Her hair, raked back by large combs in the picture, along with her upswept eyebrows, made her whole face look as if it had been pulled tight. She was listed as a widow, the same age as Spock, from the Visch Maat.

"This is V'Rha'lahn," McCoy continued, and Nyota recognized her as the other sleeping female. She barely looked mature; it was a wonder she had been mated to Spock at all. She was willowy and flat-chested with a rather dour expression and small black eyes. The text stated that she was unattached, eleven years younger than Spock, and was also from Semuk's clan.

The fifth female was the one Nyota hadn't really seen or noticed. She was another member of the Sreem Maat named T'Cloo. She was unremarkable except for her ears which were as large and elongated as a male's. The text field indicated that she was about fourteen years older than Spock.

Before McCoy could speak further, Captain Kirk put a hand up to interrupt him. "Am... Am I reading this stuff correctly, Bones? Why are so many of them are from the Sreem Maat?"

"When Nero of Romulus attacked Vulcan," Sarek said from the com-link view screen, "planetary evacuation procedures ordered fertile females and small children evacuated from temples, schools and medical facilities first. Then private shuttles were allowed to leave. Of course, only the wealthiest families could afford or had ready access to private shuttlecraft on such short notice, and since Semuk's family was wealthy, his clan members survived when others did not."

"There's also -" Dr. Surrey started to say, and then stopped himself and looked over the captain. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Captain Kirk."

"No, go right ahead, Dr. Surrey. This is an open forum. Did you have a question?"

"Sort of." Surrey indicated the caption beside T'Cloo's image. "There's also a notation saying that this young woman is 'unaccounted for'. What does that mean, exactly?"

"After she left the surgical arena, the medical staff apparently lost track of her. Like Semuk and T'Pau, she's disappeared," Dr. McCoy explained.

"That is not entirely accurate," Sa'aat corrected. Everyone looked at him for an explanation.

"Hiding more information from us, Sa'aat?" McCoy growled.

"The information is not so much hidden, Doctor, as it is simply, as yet, unrevealed," said Sa'aat, unfazed by the doctor's acerbic tone. "To be more precise, T'Cloo did not survive the plak-tau. When she was removed from the arena, she had already been pronounced dead. As she was a member of Semuk's clan, he claimed her body. What happened to it after that is unclear."

"Why don't the medical records show her as deceased then?" McCoy challenged.

"Medical records data can be purged, manipulated, lost, delayed..." Sa'aat answered.

"Yeah, well, you'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you - "

"Gentlemen," Kirk warned softly.

"How did she die?" Nyota asked, in a barely audible voice.

Everyone turned to face her as Sa'aat answered frankly, "Her neck was broken."

"Did Spo- ?" Nyota put her fingers to her mouth to keep from finishing the sentence.

"Although rare, it is not uncommon for females to be killed by a male in plak-tau," Sa'aat said. "In such a state, the male is bereft of sense and exerts no control over his physical prowess. Spock's actions may have lead to the death of T'Cloo, but he was not responsible for it."

"He may still feel responsible," Dr. Surrey argued. "Does he know he killed her?"

"What he knows or does not know, remembers or does not remember, is as yet uncertain," said Sa'aat.

"Which is part of the reason why we're having this meeting," Kirk reminded everyone. "We need to share as much information as we have with one another so we can better define what's going on with Spock and figure out some way to help him."

"Well, I just have a few more things to 'share'," McCoy said. On the projection screen, the five DNA strands and their associated pictures shrunk around the holographic image of Spock's body, leaving the top half of the screen clear for more data.

"Although the Vulcans only admitted to Spock having been paired with five females, DNA evidence establishes there was, in fact, a sixth female who had some level of intercourse with Spock," McCoy stated, and a new DNA helix appeared on the top of the projection. "Additional evidence also proves he was sexually engaged by a male." A seventh helix joined the sixth at the top of the screen.

Dr. McCoy stopped for a moment to compose himself, then lifted his head and continued. "The medical tricorder, which provides far more detail than the medical scanners, indicated layers of bruises on Spock's body - newer bruises over existing ones - suggesting that during these last two encounters, Spock was most likely beaten into submission. Considering his exhaustion at the time, and his inability to reason due to the plak-tau drug, he didn't have much chance to defend himself. Concentrations of saliva on his face also suggest that at one point, the sixth female spat on him."

Christine looked at Nyota, reaching out to comfort her when she saw unshed tears had sprung up in the lieutenant's eyes. Nyota shook her head, trying to deny the facts presented on the screen. She then swept the tears away angrily so they didn't blur her vision of the projection.

"Now, it's our belief that any injury Spock sustained as a result of their... activity... was rectified by the po-zung, so he may not have a clue as to what happened to him..." McCoy said. "At this point, we don't know if that's a blessing or not."

"I'm assuming you've identified the sixth female and the male," Nyota croaked through a throat tight with anxiety.

"Yes. The sixth female has been identified as T'Pau," McCoy said. T'Pau's picture appeared beside her DNA strand. "And the male was Minister Semuk." Semuk's picture joined T'Pau's.

Kirk glanced back at Sarek's image on the view screen. The Ambassador's expression was inscrutable. At the table, Sa'aat, likewise, was unreadable.

Dr. Surrey raised his hand again, and said, looking over to Sa'aat, "The information here shows that these two are also 'unaccounted for'."

Sa'aat gave him a level look and, after a pause, stated, "Former Minister T'Pau vacated her Council seat. One-hundred and thirteen days ago, she vanished from her estate outside of the main city on New Vulcan and has not yet been located."

"How can a high level, wealthy Minister just vanish?"

"It is a large planet and investigative resources are slim."

"Is she dead?" Surrey asked point-blank.

"Unknown."

"And what about Semuk?"

"It is perhaps best not to dwell on the disposition of Minister Semuk at this time," Sa'aat said bluntly.(6)

"Does that mean what I think it means?" McCoy interjected.

"I do not know, for I do not know what you think," said Sa'aat.

"Where is he?" asked Surrey.

"Unknown."

Nyota, trembling in her seat, barely heard what they were talking about. Struggling to maintain her self-control she said, "I... I don't understand," her voice shook, although she tried to level it. All eyes turned to her. She gestured toward the images on the screen. "How could they - ? I mean... W-why? Why would they do that to Spock?"

Sa'aat looked down at the tabletop, concealing whatever information may have lain hidden in his eyes, while McCoy answered, "We don't know why. All we know is that there is evidence and these identifications are accurate. As for motive... At this point, anything I said about it would be speculation." He took his seat beside Captain Kirk again.

Dr. Surrey could tell from Nyota's expression that McCoy's 'we-don't-know' answer, while most likely accurate, was not helpful to her so he added, "If it's useful, let's go ahead and speculate for a little bit; throw some ideas around; talk in general terms... It'll be sort of like 'Rape 101'... Okay?"

Nyota nodded, barely, and the others silently relinquished the floor to Dr. Surrey.

"Well," Dr. Surrey began, "historically, there isn't a lot of data on Vulcan rapists. Although they were once an extremely violent race, aggression was nearly expunged from Vulcan culture when they started following the philosophy of Surak. So, most if not all of the information we have on why rapists rape is based on studies of the crime as it is committed by Humans, not Vulcans."

Dr. Surrey rose from his chair to walk around the table as he talked. "When Humans rape," he continued, "they do it to express or exert power over their victims. Sexual gratification, although sometimes a component of rape, is not the predominant or precipitating factor; neither is procreation. Psychologists tend to categorize rapists into four distinct types, but there's a lot of overlap, so bear in mind that no single rapist conforms precisely to whatever category he or she may be placed in. And, yes, females can rape males; it's documented. Now, some individuals rape because they don't feel as though they're sexually desirable, and the forced intercourse is used as a surrogate for the intimacy they can't otherwise achieve. They're sometimes referred to as 'compensatory' rapists. This type of assault doesn't seem to fit in this particular situation, though."

Dr. Surrey continued to talk as he circumnavigated the room. "There are also rapists who have questions or deep concerns about their own sexual orientation or their perceived role as males, or females. They exert their sexuality in forceful ways to prove their masculinity, or femininity to themselves and others. Most often, however, rape doesn't dispel the perpetrators' own sense of inadequacy for long, so they continue to repeat the offense as a way of reassuring themselves. A lot of serial rapists are born from this dynamic."

"I doubt a serial rapist could last long among Vulcans," Kirk said. "Their society's legal and moral ethics wouldn't tolerate it; and a predator like that would stand out like a sore thumb."

"Indeed," said Sarek. "Further, T'Pau and Semuk, to my knowledge, had not exhibited this type of behavior prior to their assault on Spock. Therefore, that category does not seem to fit our circumstances."

"I agree," Dr. Surrey said, stopping at the end of the table opposite Captain Kirk. "But there are two other general categories under which rapists can fall. One is referred to as the 'displacement' rapist. These are individuals who act out their anger or frustration through rape; displacing their rage onto their victims rather than facing whatever it is they're angry or frustrated about. Sometimes, the rage is so profound that the male displacement rapist can't achieve an erection - which serves to make him angrier - and he then uses objects to assault his victim. Female rapists often fall into this category, too; attacking males in retaliation for some perceived wrong done to them by another male, or perhaps by a legal system they felt didn't adequately protect them." Surrey started walking again, heading toward the projection screen. "The final type is the 'sadistic' rapist. Sadistic rapists rape for the hell of it. They inflict a lot of pain on their victims, and want their victims to suffer. They often use torture or terrorism, and revel in their victim's humiliation. Some sexual sadists are also serial rapists.(7)"

"The displacement one sounds closest to the mark," Captain Kirk interjected. "...T'Pau and Semuk were the architects of the Ek'tevan Prerogative, right? And Spock stood in direct defiance of their edict, and did so publicly... Could they have, I don't know, blown a gasket or something, and assaulted him because they felt he needed to be taken down a notch or put in his place; y'know, punished for defying their authority?"

"Vulcan's don't generally 'blow a gasket'," Christine reminded him.

"Well, something was certainly 'off' about T'Pau," McCoy said. "Lieutenant Uhura and I saw how she reacted to Spock's refusal to submit to the chemically induced plak-tau. 'Livid' isn't usually a word applicable to Vulcans, but I tell you, she was livid. At one point she even stomped her feet and was practically spewing on people." McCoy turned to the com-link screen. "You can vouch for that, Ambassador. You were there."

"Her behavior was atypical, yes," Sarek conceded, "which is why she was prompted to vacate her seat on the Council."

"And Semuk was like her lap dog," Nyota said bitterly. "He followed her around; did whatever she asked him to do; agreed with everything she said..."

"He was enamored of her," Sa'aat said.

"Decided to speak up about Semuk, after all, did we?" Dr. McCoy put in.

Sa'aat ignored the doctor's comment and went on, "Semuk lost his spouse when Vulcan was destroyed. Subsequent to the p'pil'lay(8), he had hoped to take T'Pau as his mate. She initially resisted his overtures, since his family was of a lower standing than hers, but she had come, over time, to consider him as a potential spouse. However, their relationship had not yet been consummated, legally or otherwise."

"And how do you know that?" McCoy asked.

"Semuk told me," Sa'aat said.

" - Pretty chummy with him, weren't you?"

"Chummy?"

"It's a human colloquialism for friendly, cordial, sociable, intimate," Christine explained.

"We were not chummy, as you describe it. I was a Kahr-Lan in Semuk's army; our relationship was a professional one."

"But why did he make you a general in his army, Sa'aat? You never actually explained that to us," McCoy said, his tone implying that there was more to the relationship than simply a professional obligation. "Why did he like you and trust you so much?"

"I was unaware that any explanation was required," Sa'aat answered. "However, since you seem to be markedly consumed with curiosity as regards Minister Semuk, I will oblige you."

Sa'aat adjusted his position so that his chest and shoulders were visible to everyone and he faced Dr. McCoy directly. Dr. Surrey recognized this as a Vulcan posture called "the puv-tor"(9). It indicated Sa'aat sat in defiance of the others in the room, felt himself superior to them, and was responding to them with unsaid pride and confidence. "I was and am a member of the Hurgh Ghor Guild on the black-asteroid Dremarka 17 -"

"That's an assassins' guild, isn't it?" Christine interrupted, surprised by the revelation.

"Yes," Sa'aat said flatly.

Christine's mouth fell open. "You murder people?"

"I do not murder. I assassinate."

"Like there's a big difference?" McCoy asked.

"Murder is an illegal killing done with malice and for personal gain. Assassination is emotionless, impersonal, and quite legal in many parts of the galaxy."

"But I thought Vulcans didn't believe in killing. Isn't that in direct conflict with the teachings of Surak?" Christine asked.

From the com-link view screen Sarek spoke up. "Surak preached that one should not take another's life lightly, for once taken, a life cannot be returned (10). However, when logic dictates that a death is necessary, or in those instances when capital punishment for an offense has been decreed, all Vulcans have the capacity for killing. We are, all of us, taught the eshak, ki'fa, tal'shaya...(11)"

"A contract for the disposal of Minister Semuk was issued through the judicial system on Begara Seven," Sa'aat clarified, "and I was legally enjoined as a member of the Guild to implement the conditions of that contract."

"What did Semuk do that warranted execution?" Nyota asked.

"That information is restricted."

"You mean you were told to kill him, and you didn't know why?" Christine asked.

"No," Sa'aat said. "I knew why the contract had been issued. The restriction on the information surrounding the contract applies to you, and anyone else who was not a party to the commission of the offense or its adjudication."

"Was he convicted of a rape?" Nyota asked, her tone smoldering.

"The information is restricted," Sa'aat repeated, saying the words slowly, deliberately.

"You tried to protect Spock when he was on New Vulcan..." Nyota pressed. "You knew he was in more danger than just the forced implementation of the plak-tau drug..."

"You are speculating. That is unwise."

"Is it inaccurate?" Nyota snapped.

Sa'aat was silent.

"You bastard - " Nyota said, jumping to her feet. Sa'aat remained unruffled and unyielding, and that made her angrier. She leaned across the table and shouted, "Tell me what you know!"

Captain Kirk stood and extended a calming hand toward her. "We're here to exchange information, not to argue or accuse, Lieutenant," he said, and the firm sound of command in his voice caused Nyota to restrain herself and sit back down again.

Kirk then turned to Sa'aat as he, too, retook his seat. "You were contracted to assassinate Semuk, but you didn't carry out the contract," he said. "Semuk lived - "

Sa'aat replied, "When I went to Vulcan to administer the contract, the planet was under attack by Nero of Romulus. I assisted in the evacuation of many Vulcans, including Ministers T'Pessmar and Semuk. Semuk, aware of my employment, begged for his life, claiming he had been unjustly and inaccurately convicted. I found there to be sufficient cause for his appeal, and spared his life, pending further investigation - as is the right of every Guild member. He was grateful..."

"And made you a general - " McCoy said.

"Yes."

"He made his paid assassin a general in his own army?" Dr. Surrey repeated.

"It was not... entirely... of his own volition, but, yes."

"What the hell does that mean?" McCoy asked.

Sarek intervened in the cross-examination. "Sa'aat has many skills. Although not quite empathic, his mental perspicacity is very refined."

McCoy looked back to Sa'aat. "You brain-washed him - "

"As I understand that term, it is not accurate, no," Sa'aat said. "I forced nothing upon, and took nothing from Minister Semuk. I simply... guided him to his own conclusions, so that I might keep close to him while I continued my investigation."

"And, um..." Dr. Surrey asked, raising his hand slightly. "What was the outcome of that investigation?"

"You are an excellent Inquisitor, Dr. Surrey," Sa'aat said. The compliment was a real one.

"Answer his question," McCoy said.

Sa'aat looked at McCoy and stated, "The original sentence was sustained."

"You killed him - " Kirk said.

"After facing him with the evidence of his guilt, and acquiring from him a confession of his crimes, I carried out the execution."

"Then where's his body?" McCoy asked. "The reports say he's missing."

"I left the body in the front room of his villa. If it is, in fact, unaccounted for, I do not know what became of it."

"- And you weren't charged with a murder under Vulcan law because you had a contract for his execution administered by the Begara Seven Judiciary," Kirk understood.

"I was not charged with a murder under Vulcan law because I do not believe Minister Semuk's death is yet common knowledge. But, your assertion is otherwise correct. I would not be convicted of a murder, should Minister Semuk's body reappear, because I was acting under the veil of the adjudicated contract."

"You know, if you'd just tell us what the hell you know, Sa'aat, we wouldn't have to sit here for hours playing Twenty Questions with you," McCoy groused.

"I do not understand that reference," Sa'aat said.

"You're a smart guy; figure it out."

Captain Kirk tapped a finger on the top of the table. "Gentlemen, gentlemen... We're getting way off topic here. We were talking about possible motivations for a sexual assault on Spock, and ended up on an assassination contract. Let's... let's get back on-point, shall we?"

"Thank you, Captain Kirk," Sarek said from the com-link screen.

The captain looked to Dr. Surrey. "You were saying, Doc?"

"Well, I don't remember exactly," Dr. Surrey admitted. "But I do feel it's necessary to point out again that before we ascribe any motive to T'Pau's actions - or to those of Minister Semuk - we have to remember that what we're tossing around right now is pure conjecture. So, let's not get too attached to any one train of thought, or mistake our opinions for facts." He raked a hand through his silvering curls. "And there may also be an exculpating factor here that we haven't spoken to yet."

"Which is - ?" Kirk prompted.

"The Vulcans went through an undeniably horrific trauma when they lost their homeworld; and since that time - if you'll pardon my frankness, Ambassador Sarek, Mister Sa'aat - some of their behavior on a societal scale hasn't been exactly 'reasonable' or 'logical', in the strictest sense - which is how most Vulcans usually relate to logic. On New Vulcan, we saw the leaders pass and enforce an edict that forced their citizens to procreate, based on a fear that the Vulcan race was facing imminent extinction. Now, that kind of knee-jerk reaction to a problem would be out of character for Vulcans on a normal day. However, the destruction of their homeworld wasn't 'normal' - and neither was their reaction to it. Drastic shifts in how societies behave aren't uncommon when they are faced with large-scale calamities like natural disasters, or wars, or terrorist attacks, or... whatever. Sometimes even when their intentions are good, leaders can make horrible decisions and commit legal atrocities, believing what they're doing is correct, and necessary and for the greater good..."

"Kind of like what happened on Taurus IV," Captain Kirk said.

"Exactly - "

"I'm not familiar with that," Christine said.

Kirk leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. "About twenty years ago the Earth colony on Taurus IV faced a widespread famine. The colony's food supply had been all but destroyed by a fungus, and in response the colony's leader, Governor Kodos, made the decision to execute over 4,000 colonists. He hoped that by paring down the population, the remaining food would be enough to sustain the survivors until new supplies could be brought in."(12)

"That is an extreme but very on-point example of the 'knee-jerk reaction' I was talking about," Dr. Surrey said. "Although the Vulcans' reaction wasn't as drastic as that of Governor Kodos', it could still be construed as unreasonable and ill-advised. For all of their history, logic and self-discipline, the Vulcans have never before had to deal with the degree of life-ending, life-altering trauma they faced when Nero destroyed their world. T'Pau and Semuk's actions may have, in part, been a delayed reaction to that catastrophic event of a year ago. Faced with a cataclysm they'd never encountered before, and probably feeling completely inadequate to protect the remaining population from extinction, something had to give... "

"Are you trying to make excuses for what they did to Spock?" Nyota asked through tight teeth.

"No. I'm simply saying there is a lot more going on here than just an assault on our Science Office."

"Just an assault - ?" Nyota fumed.

"I didn't mean it that way," Surrey said, his voice calm and reassuring. He retook his seat at the table. "I'm not trivializing what happened to Spock, I'm just trying to put it into context. There's a history connected to this whole affair that we can't ignore. We have to consider that the destruction Vulcan could have been a contributing factor in the drastic shift in the temperament of the Vulcan Council members, and that it may also be a cause, in part, of Spock's current level of distress."

"You're describing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - " McCoy put in.

"Yes. But PTSD with a twist. Remember, Vulcans were also physiologically joined to their planet. Their seven-year Pon Farr cycle, for example, was inextricably connected to the evolutionary and ecological seven-year cycles of their world (13). When their planet died, so did a part of what makes the Vulcan people Vulcans. So there's also a real physical component to everything that happened, too. This is an unusually complex set of circumstances we're addressing here, and Spock is right smack dab in the middle of it. There aren't going to be any quick fixes for him or for the Vulcan people."

"I think we're getting a little off-topic here, again," Kirk interjected. "Let's not try to heal Vulcan society just now, or try to assess blame, or... whatever. Let's focus on Spock. I think we've pretty much beaten into the ground the fact he was assaulted. Right? Nobody questions that, do they?" There were no objections. Kirk went on, "Okay. Then the next question on the docket has to be: how do we help him?"

"Well, we can't answer that until we know what he's going through, Jim," said McCoy. "And you know Spock, he's always been pretty tight-lipped about his personal affairs."

"But we've already made some progress in that regard," Dr. Surrey chimed in. "The fact that Spock requested another session with me is... Well, it's huge. It means that even if he can't define what his problem is, he's acknowledging he has a problem and is seeking to address it. That's a required initial step in any therapeutic process - and he took it without any prompting from me."

"How can he address something he can't even remember?" Christine asked. "I mean, I was under the impression the plak-tau inducement impacted short-term memory, making it impossible for the males to remember what happened while they were under its affect."

"That is, in essence, correct," Sarek said from the view screen. All eyes turned toward him. "The plak-tau inducement causes anterograde amnesia(14). Males injected with the drug remember nothing, or little, of their experiences while exposed to its influence: vague images, a few sounds, scents... Both Sa'aat and I were subjected to the drug, and remember very little."

"But, how can Spock even begin to deal with being raped if he doesn't even know a rape took place?" Christine asked.

"Captain Kirk suggested earlier, and I tend to agree, that because Spock is half-Human, there is the possibility that he may have retained more memory about his plak-tau than did the rest of us," Sarek said.

"It's more than possible, Ambassador. I'd say it's probable," Dr. Surrey stated. "I've only had one session with Spock, but some of what he's described to me from his dreams and hallucination, and some of his more subtle actions may indicate, on an unconscious level at least, he remembers a lot more than we think he does... And that poses a real problem."

"How so, Doc?" Kirk asked.

"Well, try to imagine how you'd feel if your mind was pushing half-chewed images up to the surface of your consciousness about an incident you couldn't remember. You can't tell what's an actual memory and what's a metaphor; you can't tell what's real and what's hallucination. And because you can't differentiate between the two, you don't know how to react; if you should be angry or not, or scared or not, or defensive or not. Confusion would tug up every bad feeling or question about yourself you ever had - every loss, every doubt, every wounding ever experienced - adding a layer of utter bewilderment to a situation already rife with anxiety."

"I think that's what Spock's going through right now," Nyota said.

"So do I," Surrey confirmed. "His mind is a mess, and he's trying to clean it up, to extricate himself from the tangle inside of it, to get back on his feet."

"So, how do we help him, Doc?" Kirk asked.

"That's the problem. The first question we have to ask ourselves is: do we tell him what happened to him or don't we? If we don't tell him, then we have to spend the rest of our lives lying to him about it, or avoiding the subject altogether, which, as intuitive as Spock is, would be almost impossible. He'd pick up on it immediately. Then, not understanding why we were lying to him, he might doubt himself even more, become more anxious, more confused, more disconnected from himself and those around him... We could end up doing more damage than good."

"Soooo, we tell him - " Kirk said, half questioning.

"Well, it's not that easy. On the one hand, if we tell him what happened, it may help him put everything into perspective and allow his conscious mind to better cope with whatever he's experiencing right now; put him on the path to recovery... On the other hand, if we tell him, the shock might just push him right over the edge and dump him into a psychological bear pit he can't get out of, and then we're back to damaging him again. You also have to be aware there is always a degree of self-blame and shame rape victims experience once they've acknowledged what's happened to them, even though they themselves didn't do anything wrong. If we tell Spock what we know, and he understands we had the facts before he did, the mortification and disgrace he may go through could be... incredible. I've never treated a Vulcan rape victim before; so I have no idea how he might react. I'm pretty much flying blind here."

"There is also the complication of the Vulcan mind itself," Sarek reminded everyone.

"Exactly," said McCoy. "Vulcan brains are wired differently than Humans'. It's not unusual, for example, for the Vulcan mind to manifest deep mental trauma in a physical way. With Spock that could be reflected in his inability to sleep and the pain he's feeling in his body. In extreme cases, the Vulcan brain can even completely neutralize parts of itself to stop the memory of the trauma from further affecting the rest of the system. If that happens to Spock, we may lose him altogether."

"So, if we don't tell him, it may hurt him; and if we do tell him, it may hurt him." Kirk summarized.

"The proverbial rock and a hard place - " said Surrey.

"Well, crap," Kirk snarled.

"Is there any possibility of using the Fulara," Dr. Surrey asked the Vulcans.

"What's that?" the captain asked.

Sarek explained, "The Fulara is an ancient Vulcan ritual in which traumatic memories are subjugated by burying them so deeply in the unconscious that they no longer impinge upon the conscious mind."

"Are there any Vulcans left who still know how to perform that ritual?" McCoy asked.

"Sa'aat is an Adroit," Sarek stated. "He gained the skill when he was one of the brethren at the Ip-sut Monastery." Everyone looked to Sa'aat, but he sat without movement or expression.

"That sounds good," Kirk said. "Why don't we try that?"

"We'd first have to tell Spock what happened to him, so he would understand why the Fulara was necessary, and... We'd be back to square-one," said Dr. Surrey.

"Do we have to tell him?" Kirk asked. "Can't you whammy him while he's asleep or something?"

"Invade his mind and abscond with his memories?" Nyota asked. "Hasn't enough been stolen from him already, Captain?"

Kirk ignored her terse, insubordinate tone, and answered gently. "If it'll help Spock in the long term -"

"It's obscene -"

Sa'aat crossed his arms over his chest and said, "I will not perform the Fulara without Spock's knowledge and permission." He then sat forward, placing his palms on the table, with his head slightly lowered in what, Dr. Surrey knew, was a gesture of contrition among Vulcans, and continued, "I made an error in judgment when I first saw and removed the data presented here today from the Federation medical banks. I thought by doing so, I could assist and protect Spock; believing the plak-tau inducing drug was strong enough to keep the memory of what happened to him from incapacitating him. His mind is more complex than even I realized, however, and I now understand and acknowledge that my actions were... ill advised."

"Is that an apology?" McCoy asked.

"Sounded like one - " Kirk said.

Sa'aat sat back in his chair, slowly, and refolded his arms across his chest, saying, "Lieutenant Uhura is correct. Nothing else should be stolen from Spock, and no other decisions about him should be made without his presence and full consent. Spock is a Vulcan. When presented with facts in a direct fashion, he will endure. We must tell him the truth."

"Agreed," said Sarek from the com-link view screen.

Captain Kirk looked to Dr. McCoy. "Bones?"

"We won't know how he'll react until we tell him, Jim, but I agree," McCoy said. "He has a right to know what happened to him so he can make an informed decision about what to do next."

"Nurse Chapel?"

"Spock can handle it, Captain. I think we should tell him."

"Uhura?"

"He's struggling so much right now, Captain." Tears welled in Nyota's eyes again. "He's so strong, but... He doesn't understand what he's going through, or why, and the confusion is eating him up inside." A few tears spilled onto her cheeks and down the front of her uniform, yet she continued, "I don't know how to tell him, but I agree he needs to be told. I'll need help, though, in learning how to assist him; how to approach him; how to handle him, touch him. I need to know what to do so I'm not pressuring him, or re-traumatizing him..."

"I can help you with that," Dr. Surrey said.

"So, do we tell him, Dr. Surrey?" the captain asked.

"The truth always has a way of coming out no matter what we do, Captain," Surrey admitted. "Spock is dealing with a whole variety of stressors: PTSD, the destruction Vulcan, the death of his mother, the forced breeding with females he didn't know, two rapes he can't remember, and... the possibility that he might be the father of children he never planned for. That's a lot to heap onto anyone's therapeutic plate. However, if I'm going to establish a bond of trust with Spock in therapy, I can't lie to him. Right now, he's willing to seek therapeutic intervention for what he's going through, which means he's receptive to help and change. If we're going to tell him what happened, this would be the best time to do it."

"But, what about the 'bear pit' - ?"

"It's always there; and that sucks, but it will always be there until Spock puts a lid over the top of it himself."

"Okay, that pretty much sounds like a consensus to me," Kirk said, running a hand over his face. "So... how do we tell him?"

When the meeting ended, Nyota's head felt heavy and full of pain. They had agreed to wait until Sarek arrived before revealing anything to Spock, allowing him to enjoy his shore leave - as much as he could enjoy it - and allowing time for Surrey to give Nyota a primer on how to exist as the partner of a rape victim. Until Sarek's arrival, though, Nyota had to stay mute about the subject. The idea of hiding things from Spock, or avoiding his touch for fear he might "read" something in her, or lying to him made her heart ache.

"I would kill for a shot of Jack (15), right now," she muttered to Nurse Chapel as they stood for a moment in the corridor outside the conference room.

"Come to the Medical Bay," Christine said. "I can get Dr. McCoy to prescribe something for you that's better than that for a headache."

"Medicine or 'medicine'?" Nyota asked with a pained smile.

"A little bit of both. Something the Andorians cooked up."

"Ooo. Sounds interesting. I might just take you up on that."

Dr. McCoy and Dr. Surrey both exited the room, with Kirk following them. The men muttered to one another, so engaged in their after-conference conversation they didn't realize they had left Sa'aat in the room. As Nyota reached back into the conference room to shut off the lights, she saw Sa'aat standing before the projection screen, looking at the images of the five Vulcan females. His arms were crossed, but he reached out periodically to tap the screen in order to activate the drop-down menu features.

"Do you know if they're pregnant or not?" Nyota asked from the doorway.

Sa'aat turned to her, arms still crossed, his face expressionless. "No," he said. "I no longer have access to the medical data banks on New Vulcan."

"But you could find out... if you really wanted to," she suggested.

Sa'aat's eyebrows rose. "Yes," he said turning back toward the screen.

"Don't you want to know?"

"The disposition of any child of Spock is Spock's concern, not mine. If he wishes me to investigate, I shall. If not, I shall not. The decision is his."

Nyota took a few steps into the room with Christine a silent step behind her, and said, "I know this may not mean much to you, but... I want to apologize, and to thank you..."

"Indeed?"

"The apology is for snapping at you during the meeting. I was out of line, emotional, and I'm sorry. The thank you is for agreeing with me about not forcing the Fulara on Spock."

"My opinion on that matter was my own," Sa'aat said.

"I know, but... it coincided with mine and gave mine support, so... Thank you."

Sa'aat turned off the projection screen and headed toward the door, passing Nyota and Christine on his way out. Nyota's eyes followed him. When he reached the door, she said, "You don't like me much, do you?"

Sa'aat stopped. He turned to face her and said, "I neither like nor dislike you. I have no feelings or regard for you in any capacity whatsoever. You are irrelevant to me. My only concern at this moment is for Spock."

"You love him, don't you." It was a statement, not a question.

"My state of mind regarding Commander Spock is not subject for conversation, Lieutenant."

"You were intimate with him when he was younger, as his savensu. You know him better than most of us. You monitored him and his family since that time; followed his career. You protected him on New Vulcan, and you're protecting him now..." Nyota said. "I don't know you... I don't pretend to understand what it is you feel for him - or if you feel anything for him - but I recognize that you love him, that you care about him, and I don't mind that. I don't consider you a rival, and I would like us to be allies - for Spock. I think he can use all the friends and champions he can get right now. So, if there is any way you can help him; if there is any way you can offer him support; if he needs you to... to supply him with strength, or protection, or fondness, I want you to do it."

"I was unaware that I required your permission," Sa'aat said.

"You don't... but I'm giving it to you anyway."

Sa'aat was quiet for a moment, and then stepped out into the corridor without a response. Still considering Nyota's remarks, he was heading off when Christine called to him. "Um, Sa'aat - "

Sa'aat returned to the doorway, an eyebrow raised.

"I need to see you in the Medical Bay, too. For a quarantine check and release; just routine."

"Very well," he said with a long, heavy sigh.

"You could try to be a little more enthusiastic about it," Christine joked. Sa'aat gave her a slight scowl in return. "That's better," she said brightly.


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(1) Vulcan bones: According to Vulcan Physiology at the Memory Beta site, Vulcan bones are denser than those of Humans; i.e., "...Their muscle mass was much longer and their skeletal frame was denser compared to Terrans which was a direct result of their living on a higher gravity world with a thinner atmosphere... Although the bone structure of the Vulcan skull is thinner, the actual skull casing is formed of extremely dense matter which allows a thinner depth of bone actually to be harder as well as stronger than a human skull. Thus, fatal blows to a Human head are less life threatening to a member of this race."
(2) To really understand what's being described here, you'll need to read my other story "The Ek'tevan Prerogative".
(3) Pid-com: the Vulcan word for a "matriarch"; the female leader of a family, tribe or clan.
(4) Maat: the word "maat" is Vulcan for "clan"; the Sonuk Maat is the Clan of Sonuk.
(5) Karil: the name means "winter" in Vulcan.
(6) Semuk: In my previous story, "The Ek'tevan Prerogative", Sa'aat killed Semuk and sent proof of the killing to T'Pau. At this point in this story, however, it's been determined that after the killing, Semuk's body vanished from his home and Sa'aat has not been charged with any crime. Sa'aat knows that Semuk is dead, but he doesn't know where the body went. Reading further in this chapter will reveal more of how Sa'aat himself chose to view his killing of Semuk.
(7) Types of rapists: This information was gleaned from several different resources including but not limited to "Why Men Rape" by Sharon Supriya; "Why do rapists rape?" by Sheriff Raff -Answerhag ; and Feminist Critics Engendering Discussion: "Can Women Rape Men?" [www(dot)feministcritics(dot) org].
(8) P'pil'lay: The Vulcan word used for the breaking of a mind-meld between bonded couple either due to divorce or the sudden death of a spouse.
(9) Puv-tor: it's the Vulcan word for "swell".
(10) The quote attributed to Surak is actually, "Vah mau vah tor-yehat ri stau. Kup-fun-tor ha'kiv na'ish du stau? Dom nam-tor vohris nem-tor ha'kiv." It translates from the Vulcan as, "As far as possible, do not kill. Can you return life to what you kill? Then be slow to take life." Surak also said that if you take the life of another, you should join their mind as they die so you can feel their death; that way, their death is also yours.
(11) Eshak, ki'fa, tal'shaya: these are all Vulcan words defined as follows: "eshak" is killing with the mind alone, "ki'fa" is killing in self-defense, "tal'shaya" is killing by breaking the neck.
(12) Taurus IV: This story is in reference to the history of Taurus IV as relayed in the Star Trek TOS episode "The Conscience of the King". (Episode 13, aired December 8, 1966) In that episode, it was revealed that some of Kirk's own family had been among the people executed by Kodos, and that the executions were entirely unnecessary because the supply ships arrived at the colony much sooner than expected, so there was more than enough food for everyone. Author's Note: From the original series, this was one of my favorite episodes. All of the performances were excellent, there's great interaction between Spock and McCoy, and the story unfolds very well.
(13) 7-Year Cycles: According to Star Trek on-Line Geekipedia: "...Federation doctors and biologists have noted this 7-year cycle in all Vulcan animal life to one extent or another. It is now believed that all Vulcan life was synchronized in this 7-year cycle at some point in the very distant past. Astronomers have noted a 7-year cycle of solar activity in the Vulcan star system and it is believed that animal life on T'Khasi (what Vulcans call their homeworld) evolved to breed without fail during this time of especially low solar activity when radiation levels of all kinds were at their lowest..."
(14)Anterograde amnesia: a loss of the brain's ability to form memories after the occurrence that induced the amnesia occurs, leading to a full or partial inability to recall the recent past. This is often an effect of so-called date-rape drugs like Rohypnol; excessive drinking leading to a "blackout" can also cause anterograde amnesia. Usually the loss of function dissipates as soon as the drug fades from the body or recovery of the traumatic event occurs, and further memory is not impaired. Author note: I viewed the use of the plak-tau inducement drug as something like the use of a date-rape drug, because it incapacitated the victim to a great extent, allowing the state-sanctioned breeding (which Spock viewed as a rape, as it was against his will) to take place without interference and without requiring the victim's consent.
(15) Shot of Jack: a reference to the alcoholic beverage Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. In the 2009 motion picture "Star Trek", during a bar scene, Uhura ordered a series of drinks and then asked for a "shot of Jack, straight up