Chapter Text
"There she is!"
Saavik took a step next to where her first officer, Commander Risteárd Imre, pressed a hand on the station window. His large green eyes under the light brown hair focused on the incoming ship. The USS Contact left warp and approached her maintenance bay where she'd stay for the next two years. Nachson, Saavik's second officer, moved to her other shoulder in what was becoming a regular habit for him and Imre. The rest of her command staff fanned out, so they could see too. Jaxon Tran, looking like a blonde, Viking god, leaned his tall form over Imre's diminutive one and put a forearm on the window.
"She's already beautiful," he said in a deep voice and Melbourne accent.
"And she's going to be even better," Nachson said. His dark green eyes and sandy hair stood out against tanned skin, and more than one person joked that he had an invisible tether to Saavik. "That's when she'll be ours."
The Ambassador class starship slipped into her mooring where she'd undergo a major refit that would make her the jewel of Starfleet's forces protecting Vulcan. People all over the noisy concourse stopped to see the starship with glances at Saavik and her crew.
"I knew you'd get her, Captain," Imre said. His hair fell in waves over a full-sized head, as full-sized as his hands and feet. It was his shortened torso and legs that made him small. "But to see her makes all the changes real."
Like Saavik's promotion to Captain, Commander of Vulcan's forces, and it having meaning.
An overhead page told her she had a call waiting and she walked through the large amount of people walking the concourse in red uniform jackets, white engineering suits, and the regular clothing of the civil engineers. She took her call in a nearby alcove.
"Spock." She closed the door for privacy. He did the same in his temporary quarters on Oriki. They were obviously much larger than where she sat, but no less impersonal with its black and red color palette.
He answered with the same warmth. "Saavik."
An awareness came over her body at the simple sight of him on a screen. "Have your plans to arrive home changed?"
"No, I will see you in 47.15 hours as scheduled." He looked through the monitor and right into her own gaze. "It has been too long. My wife."
"Too long, husband."
"It is unfortunate that I could not contact you only for us to have this moment. I… need your help."
Why the hesitation? "Of course."
"Someone has requested my immediate aide, and since I cannot be on Vulcan until the time we specified, I am asking you to go to them."
Saavik thought of the Contact waiting in its moorings and the numerous other work that needed her both on Vulcan and off. "You would not ask if it could wait. Who has made this request?"
"It… is… Valeris."
Valeris. The Vulcan woman who was such an integral part of the conspiracy against Klingon peace after Praxis exploded, nearly killing Kirk and McCoy while murdering others, and ultimately betrayed Saavik and Spock as well. Saavik knew Valeris had been released from prison some time ago, but:
"At what point did she move to Vulcan?"
"One month and thirteen days ago, Federation Standard time. She informed me of this when she requested my aid."
"And this help we are to provide?" Saavik asked.
"Valeris is the defendant in a lawsuit alleging harassment of non-Vulcan species." Spock stopped.
Valeris acted on such discrimination before, even against Saavik, feeling she was entitled to what the half-Romulan had.
However:
"You would not contact me if you believed her guilty," Saavik said.
"No." But something threaded itself into that one word, something that made him pause again. "I cannot say I am not motivated by my own wrongful action."
Saavik's voice softened. "I know how the forced meld pains you."
He steepled his fingers, his brow low. "You also opposed it vehemently when you discovered what I did."
"Yes, I did. Nor have I changed my opinion, nor have you. Husband, we all have our… sins. I have many. It is not illogical to seek a path for a measure of reparation."
"It is illogical if it is only for myself."
"Which it is not."
A subtle weight left the line of his shoulders and Spock's dark eyes looked into hers. "Wife." He broke away to tap something on his computer and Saavik's chimed a second later. "Valeris sent me this meeting invitation. She works for the Vulcan government in the Trade and Development Agency. She requested the posting."
"Odd. It is a position I would not expect her to seek. Of course, at the time, no one expected you to seek an ambassador's posting."
"A decision that was right to make. Saavik, I know your schedule as well as you know mine."
The Contact in its moorings, the other ships and the Orbital station needing their captain, as well as Starfleet headquarters on Vulcan. And the meeting request was for later today.
She reached out and accepted Valeris' invitation, then organized the prompts until she set a new schedule. "I will speak with her and inform you of what I find."
His face softened. "Mostly, however, I look forward to speaking with my wife once more." His voice grew deeper. "It is now 46.50 hours until I see you."
"I await you." She watched him swallow at the words. Then, he smiled at her and her mouth curled in return.
She took a moment before leaving the alcove. Her command officers turned from the sight of their ship to her. They were new, new to her and each other, other than Nachson's tie to her, and in some cases, new to their senior department post.
Imre: first officer who had been recommended by Saavik's former captain; Nachson, Second Officer and Tactical, who came with her from the Armstrong; Jaxon Tran, Head of Security; Thalla Sh'shytral, her Andorian helmsman; Kamila Patrik, the pale ginger at Navigation; Sotraun, the large, dark Vulcan engineer, transferred from the Orbital Station; and T'allendil, the delicate, lighter than Sotraun, Vulcan science officer. Saavik had chosen each personally.
First steps.
"Transport to the Contact," Saavik ordered. "Meet with your shipyard teams. Verify your refit timetables and update Commander Imre. Commander, you and I will meet at the start of first shift. We have other issues to discuss including coalizing our forces."
One issue in a mountain of issues: connecting the power agencies on Vulcan, read Command's reports on the new possible threat, the Ferengi Alliance, and now Valeris.
"Tomorrow morning?" Imre asked.
"I have a new matter to see to and three more before then." As well as wanting to see Imre lead their people.
He gave a quick nod. "You heard the captain. We'll beam out from here."
As Imre took out a communicator, Nachson asked, "You need someone to go with you, Captain?"
"If I did," she reassured him, "I would have specified it."
"Besides," Patrik said, "what could happen on Vulcan?"
The last time Saavik and Valeris saw each other was on Vulcan. It was violent.
She caught sight of a compact blonde woman, tanned, leaning against the portal at the sight of the Contact in front of her. One thing Saavik had learned as the Armstrong's first officer was leading a diversified team. So, she waited.
Frances Stewart forced humor. "You said you have things to do, Captain."
"I do. My Chief Medical Officer and the woman who kept me alive is equally important."
Stewart put her forehead against the portal. "You know, when we came about the Enterprise after Captain Garrett made me and my team leave with you, you settled down for a bit."
Because Garrett promised me Spock would be saved from the Empire. Where he had stayed behind to fight in the Romulan Civil War, even though he and Saavik fell fast to pon farr and would die without each other.
It was why Garrett sent Saavik to Vulcan with a medical team: Sarek requested his children be brought home. If only to die.
"I looked out the portal to catch a last look," Stewart said. "She looked like this. I know, they're the same class, so of course, they do. But it's another thing to be standing here." Stewart kept on just as Saavik almost spoke. "You're the captain, you need to know if I can do my job."
Saavik said quietly, "Your answer?"
"Yes, I can. I just need to… get past the shock."
Saavik knew Frances received help with her survivor's trauma, but it was a long process. More than the six years since the Enterprise was lost defending the Klingons at Narendra III. "I would suggest you meet with your staff and design team. Focus on creating your new ship. Your future."
"Yeah." Stewart took a deep breath. "Yeah."
She followed after the rest of the command officers and Saavik saw Imre had waited for Frances. He caught his captain's eyes and nodded. He'd watch out for Stewart.
Saavik took her own moment to breathe and then called for transport to Vulcan.
And Valeris.
"Please identify yourself and your appointment," the panel outside Valeris' office door said.
Saavik selected the right time, used her Starfleet ID, and then informed the computer to verify she could represent Spock in the meeting.
It cleared her and informed Valeris that her next appointment had arrived. The door opened and Saavik stepped from the corridor into the white and tan office with two red chairs around the desk. The office size was neither big nor small, due to Valeris' level of position, just as she had the AI assistant at the door, but no living one. It was good; she already moved up.
A large window, half-covered by a mesh screen, looked at the building across from here. Valeris turned and stopped saying whatever she'd started to say. She once again had bangs cut all the way past her ears, but her dark hair grew long over them except for her forehead and ears. Her lovely lilac Vulcan dress hugged the body until it flared out at the skirt.
"Unexpected," Valeris said.
Odd. "Is it?"
"I did not know you were on Vulcan."
Increasingly odd. The appointment alone would say Saavik was there.
It also echoed of the last time they confronted one another. The atmosphere strained in the space between them.
Valeris glanced down Saavik's uniform, not much different from when she wore one. "Still Starfleet... and… a captain?"
"Yes," Saavik answered. "On both points."
"Married as well."
Saavik wondered what Valeris was doing. "Yes."
"To Spock. With three children."
"You bring him shame, Saavik. You made him less than he was. But I am better for him." The triumph in Valeris' expression as she said it.
Then a different look rising in her eyes with the knowledge that the final blow was coming – and Saavik wrenched away…
Despite the past intruding, Saavik realized something. "You did not read the appointment acceptance. And you have not researched me, although you have Spock."
Valeris' head came up. "What motivation would I have to research you, after our last encounter?"
You researched Spock despite your last encounter. "Valeris… I wanted to speak to you as soon as I was released from the hospital. I also reached out in the following years and only stopped upon your insistence not to speak."
"Again," Valeris spoke, hard, "my refusal cannot be a surprise. The last time we met, Rrelthiz came with you to kill me."
"Valeris-"
"Not for the first time. The Romulans at the Jakuta conference also told you to kill me."
Because they had seen that Valeris already betrayed her: She's got the dagger ready to put in between your shoulders the second you turn around.
"Rrelthiz grounded me while I lost myself to the faux pon farr so you may not be harmed by it. As for the Romulans, I did not heed them and instead protected you. Valeris," Saavik began again when the other woman held up a hand.
She closed her eyes and centered herself. "Both times, it was my actions – my crimes - that brought us into those situations." A calm came over her by saying it aloud. "I wish my focus to be on the present and future if you agree."
Something under Saavik's controls unknotted. "Agreed."
That satisfied Valeris. "We are not who we were."
No, they weren't. They weren't traitor and the one who brought near-violent retribution.
They weren't friends either.
"We have not been exemplary Vulcans," Valeris said. "Although perhaps only an Elder could have no difficulties."
Saavik said, "And we are not Elders."
The other woman nodded, the atmosphere lighter. "Then let me ask you. Why are you here? I made this appointment with Spock."
Saavik frowned. "He did not inform you he was off-world?"
"He did. However, when the meeting was accepted, I thought, he… managed to schedule his arrival."
The frown disappeared. "The most recent mission on Oriki made it impossible. He did not want you to be left waiting due to your legal issue and requested I come in his place. However, the appointment should have noted I was attending."
Valeris waved this away and Saavik suspected that the other woman hadn't read the appointment, just as she'd researched Spock and not Saavik.
She asked, "Shall we discuss the legal issue?"
Valeris gestured her to a chair as she took her own. Saavik pulled out a padd and brought up the file.
"At this point, I do not want to read the case to you. We will save it for a later time when we must discuss details. First, inform me of your statement regarding the event."
Valeris sat back and draped her arms on the chair arms. "It is no longer necessary. The case is dismissed."
Saavik's brows drew together as she skimmed through the file. "I see no such data here."
"It has not been formally withdrawn. However, I know the lead witness will be doing so."
"Carter Ryan? His wife is acting as a litigator?"
"Yes. Or she would have if the case would go forward."
Saavik put the padd down on the desk. "Valeris, you know what they claim you have done. The charges are serious. How can you be certain they will withdraw the case?"
"Because it did not happen and Carter Ryan agrees. He has not stated this aloud, however, I know he will take the correct action. Logical."
"Valeris, you asked Spock to help you with this."
"At that time, I had a reason for concern. I no longer do."
Saavik looked into that confident expression on the other side of the desk and honestly did not understand. "Would you give me permission to investigate further?"
Valeris' head tilted. "Will you be on the planet long?"
"Yes, I am Commander of Starfleet's Forces on Vulcan."
Valeris' hands tightened on her chair or at least Saavik thought so. "I thought Commodore Hayes was in command."
"I replaced him."
"… the position is meaningless. Surely you will not stay?"
"That once was true." Saavik sat back and crossed her legs. "However, I have the Vulcan Council's and Vulcan Command's approval, along with Starfleet's, to create the forces here to rival Earth's. T'Lar gave Seleya's support as well. However, I will be able to do this investigation. After what we have said here today, I do not want you to have any risk of losing your new start."
She watched Valeris turn that over in different ways before she said, "Then I cannot refuse."
Saavik nodded and stood before seeing what had been there this whole time. Valeris didn't wear one earring; she wore two. "You are betrothed? Married?"
"Betrothed. His name is Sotas, he also works in the department. We met through mutual acquaitences."
"He is your choice."
Valeris' focus turned inward. "Yes."
"Muooqw," Saavik congratulated her. "I will speak with you shortly."
She was at the door when Valeris called, "When will Spock arrive on Vulcan?"
Saavik answered with the proper time and asked, "Should I say you wish to speak with him?"
"Yes…. So I may explain why I contacted him before changing my mind."
Saavik nodded again and left.