Title: After the Rescue

Part: NEW 42/73

Author: Karmen Ghia, karmen_ghia@yahoo.com

Series: TOS

Romance Code: S/Mc and then some.

Rating: NC-17

Appendices: http://members.tripod.com/karmen_ghia/atrappendices.html

See part one for disclaimers, etc.

"And where have you been, little one?" Hraja asked sternly of the little communist.

"I couldn't find the twine in Master Ghet's storeroom, I had to go to Master Whilla and he made me sweep his studio and make tea before I could leave. Then Master Dhec had me count bars of bronze while he and Farro cast in vreisimine. They called me over to watch because I might want to be a metal sculptor when I grow up. But now I'm here and I have a message for Master Ghet from a beautiful lady that wants to see him."

"You'd better tell him, then," Hraja grimaced, thinking of the beautiful lady he'd left in the kitchen some time ago and led the child to Master Ghet.

They waited until the Master deigned to notice them.

"There's a lady named Amamasark here to see you, Master," the child announced.

"Amamasark?" Master Ghet repeated, puzzled. 'Amama Sark. Amamda. Amanda. AMANDA SAREK.' He went all cold inside and put down his tools before he dropped them. "Show me this lady."

"I put her in the kitchen, Master," Hraja volunteered as he and the child trotted at Master Ghet's heels.

"You're not Amamasark," Master Ghet said, nonplused, to the furious model in the kitchen.

"Who the fuck is she? I'm here to model for Master Khat and if he doesn't need me then pay me and me let me go on my way."

"Hraja, why..." Master Ghet began.

"His door was closed like they were working, you know I can't open those doors when they're closed, Master," Hraja protested quickly. Since childhood, this was the one rule no one beneath a Master broke. The Masters themselves very seldom interrupted each other when their studio doors were closed.

This was, however, an emergency and Master Ghet led the model, Hraja and the little communist to the painting studio. He hesitated and knocked softly.

"GO AWAY! WE'RE WORKING!"

Master Ghet stepped back from the door and drew a breath. He flung the doors wide and marched in at the head of his little party.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, GOZINE?" Master Khat flung down his palette and pointed at Master Ghet.

"WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING, MAJAKHAT?" Master Ghet roared back, pointing at Amanda.

Tien was very much reminded of a painting he'd seen on Bazeria of the trial of a Frocusion revolutionary leader. Same composition of pointing fingers and angry faces. He looked up to see their St. Kzahran gazing mildly at the ferocious Master Ghet.

"I'm modeling," she said.

* * *

"No, she's fantastic and I was right to keep her," Master Khat was arguing with Master Ghet yet again about Amanda.

"I guess," Master Ghet said ruefully, wondering if MajaKhat meant as a model for St. Kzahran, for which even Master Ghet privately admitted she was superb, or in his bed or both. "Whatever you want, just keep her away from me." He marched back into his own studio.

There had not been a scene that first morning. Master Khat had ordered Master Ghet out of his studio and Master Ghet had gone, taking Amanda with him. There had been some angry words from Master Khat about that but in the interest of peace and not tearing the model's arms off, he had relented. After all, the transports had gone and he doubted Master Ghet was going to kill her. He let her go, assured she would soon be back on the model stand. Besides, it was lunch time and everyone was very hungry.

Master Ghet led Amanda to his studio and closed the door. He walked to the far end of the room and wheeled on the last person he'd expected to ever see again in this life.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled in his heavily Rom accented Vulcan.

"I've come to congratulate you, Maja ..."

"Don't call me that! Call me Master Ghet."

"Then I've come to congratulate you, Master Ghet," Amanda said slowly. "You have done what I thought could not be done."

"Which is?" Master Ghet prompted after a moment of silence.

"Swayed Sarek's promise to me," Amanda said quietly.

Master Ghet waved her to a chair and sat on the other side of the room.

"You came all this way for that, Terran?"

"No, I want you to come back to Vulcan with me. I believe a suitable arrangement can be made for all of us," Amanda said, thinking, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'

"Oh? Such as?"

"I do not know. I will know on Vulcan."

"I know what 'arrangement' you mean, Amanda," Master Ghet snarled. "Probably the same one I was offered by T'Pau for Spock. Shame, secrecy, a little house somewhere, the occasional visit, never an entire night, never a public, legitimate or legal bond, nothing of my own, just whatever you leave me. Is that what you've come to offer me, Terran, your leavings?"

"No, Master. Sarek has divorced me."

"Why?"

"For you, I assumed," Amanda said quietly. "He said he had shifted his commitment to you. I assumed he was divorcing me so he could marry you. He told T'Pau he wished to return to you."

"What did the old witch say?" Master Ghet wondered if they were talking about the same Sarek. The one he'd last seen on Hobie's ship was fully resigned to the needs of the many over the needs of each other.

Amanda fought back her tears. "She said she did not object to the liaison." Even T'Pau had forsaken her in the end.

Master Ghet narrowed his eyes at Amanda: "T'Pau's objection or approval mean nothing to me."

"Why do you hate me?" Amanda eventually asked in the ensuing silence.

"Do you think that's why we fell in love, Amanda, because I hate you?" Master Ghet asked coldly. "What an ego you have. You were the last thing on my mind."

"I know why you fell in love with Sarek," Amanda said slowly. "I know very well why." She held the Master's cold eyes. "And I know why he fell in love with you. I'm sure they are the same reasons Spock had."

"Leave Spock out of this." Master Ghet stood and began to pace.

"As you wish. I've come to ask you to go back to Sarek. He needs you, he loves you. He admits it is not logical but there it is. I could not inspire these things in him but I will not stand in your way Maj... Master. I have learned how unwise that is."

"What do you mean?" Master Ghet stopped his pacing and stood outlined by the light slanting in the window.

"I saw what losing you has done to Spock. I prefer not to see it happen to Sarek as well."

Master Ghet was silent. Amanda continued: "I regret that I did not support your cause on Vulcan because I now realize you really were a far better choice for Spock than T'Pring, even though Sarek was opposed to you."

Master Ghet was silent. Amanda continued: "I had hoped that Spock could somehow satisfy his father and himself by following the Vulcan way, at least in his marriage to T'Pring."

Master Ghet was silent. Amanda continued: "I thought all would be well when they had children. I must admit that the issue of children went against you with me on Vulcan."

Master Ghet opened his window and threw up. When he'd finished vomiting, he rinsed his mouth with cold Relan tea from the morning and stared at Amanda with cold, dead eyes.

"Do you really want to know why I hate you, Amanda?"

She nodded.

"Because you were the one person on Vulcan that could have told me I was in love and not insane and you did not." He watched Amanda lower her eyes. "I thought I would die of that madness and you simply watched me suffer. You didn't care what happened to me as long as you could live a quiet life with your son and husband. You've had everything - love, a child, a husband, security, position, a past, a future - but you could not spare five minutes of kindness on me. I know too well how cruel you Humans are but my mind was clouded by the idea that Spock's mother might be different from the rest of her species. I was wrong then and I do not care how you suffer now. In fact, I hope you suffer tremendously. You won't die, I can assure you of that - although you might wish you could." He crossed the room and opened the door. "Now get out. I want you on the next transport going anywhere, even if it's a Klingon training ship. Until then I do not want to see or hear you."

Weeks later Amanda was still part of the Commune, adored by everyone except Master Ghet and had become MajaKhat's lover.

Hraja had tried to maintain a polite distance from Amanda out of respect for Master Ghet but he was touched by her interest in his sick bird and her gentleness that reminded him so much of his own. She, like he, was a good listener and for the first time in his life Hraja was able to talk to someone who would not interrupt him. He found himself telling her all the hopes and dreams and fears for the future he held in his seventeen year old heart. He wanted to be a Master Sculptor like Master Ghet and live in the Commune for the rest of his life. Hraja could see no better future than that and he prayed for it with his whole being.

Amanda gave Master Ghet a wide berth. This was not difficult as the Commune was completely engrossed in its work on the cathedral and the areas of painting and sculpture did not overlap at that point. She spent most of her time with the painters and MajaKhat. They'd tumbled into bed the second night of her residency and her sorrow had lifted a little. It was consoling to know someone still wanted her and that MajaKhat was beautiful did not decrease her pleasure.

He was also a great artist. Amanda was not schooled in art but she knew when something spoke to her soul. She'd been deeply moved by the mural sketches, even in their rough form they had moved her greatly. She'd suddenly found her deepest wish was to be a part of their creation and was relieved that Master Khat would not allow Master Ghet to send her away.

Amanda found life in the Commune very much to her liking as well. Everyone was always busy, always interested in what they were doing. They took their meals together and it was like being part of a big, happy, hard working family. Tien, Kalzat, Hraja, Farro, Polmira, Lyra and Bot liked her gentle ways very much and were especially attentive to making her feel at home. She couldn't pick up the Patois but everyone spoke Standard to her once they discovered it was the language she was most comfortable in. She was impressed that they spoke it so well and was told that the Masters had decided it was something the Commune needed to know. To accomplish this, the Masters had bought some Standard speaking humanoids and they had lived in the Commune for a few years before going home.

"Home?" She'd asked.

"Home." Tien shrugged. "They left, they said they were going home, we did not ask any questions."

Amanda found the communists brusque but not rude. They were too busy to waste words and too happy to be unkind.

* * *

"You're willing to retire from diplomacy if I give you Master Ghet, Vulcan?"

"Yes."

Hierophant Kroldt sat back to review the series of events leading to this remarkable conversation with Sarek of Vulcan.

He had ignored the Vulcan's first contact and continued to ignore his messages until General KmordriYhet had demanded an appointment with him. The general had brought a half Nzrealian banker named Obsta Fira with him. Apparently, Obsta Fira was a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend's soldier of fortune somewhere out in the back of beyond in Klingon space. The Hierophant could not but be impressed that this rascal could get to him with such ease. Where was the half Nzrealian's awe of his exalted position? Where was Kmordri's respect for his ecclesiastical privacy? And why did they only want to talk about Sarek and Master Ghet?

"Let me understand this," Kroldt said majestically in Klingon. He paused, majestically, waiting for Obsta's translator to catch up. "You want me to send Gozine the Confessor to Sarek of Vulcan because the Vulcan wants him."

"Yes." Obsta and Kmordri were in perfect agreement for very different reasons.

Obsta had been moved to the core by Sarek's love for Maja. He was so happy he could still be deeply moved by anything, he'd had promised Sarek he would do whatever he could to bring them back together. He'd ignored the Vulcan's objections because now Obsta felt he was on some sort of spiritual quest and nothing could stop him. His ardor had carried him all the way to the Hierophant, who now sat staring at him in disbelief. He could not know he was making KmordriYhet's fondest dream come true.

KmordriYhet was not so romantic. He was one of the smarter members of his clan and had been looking for a way to peacefully remove Master Ghet from the Klingon Empire for years. Being intelligent, Kmordri had realized early on that the strange alliance between the Hierophant (whom he respected), Master Ghet (whom he feared), the Tossarian pirates (whom he distrusted), and the Haat clan (whom he loathed) threatened to overtake the power of the Yhet clan.

The Haats and Yhets had lived in an uneasy balance of power for three centuries. In order not to kill themselves, they had compromised by putting the Tzaj clan on the Imperial throne and thus far that had been a successful arrangement for all of them. There were bumpy times: none of them were angels, each grabbed up as much power and position as they could and the Tzaj were experts at playing each against the other. Until recently all was well; until the Haats began to consolidate their holdings into real and lasting power with the aid of their allies inside and outside the Empire.

This was the worst part. How dare the Haats make alliances outside the Empire that were not with the Romulans? It was unheard of and, moreover, unnatural. The Yhets had earned their xenophobia from certain unpleasant events concerning offworlders in their history. They had a better relationship with the Romulans than any other clan but even that was rocky. The mainstay of that was Admiral KzaxreaYhet's 'friendship' with the Rom emperor, who was, unfortunately, dying. Admiral Kzaxrea had arranged the failed marriage between the Klingon and Romulan emperors' younger children. Kmordri still regretted the dissolution of that union. Malira had been the Yhet's greatest ally in the palace until the anti-Rom feeling sprang up and threatened to kill her. The marriage and heir had had so much potential for the total domination of both empires, alas.

It was General Kmordri's mission in life to knock the supports out from under the Haat clan whenever and wherever he could. He was, therefore, delighted when the Obsta Fira person was described to him as someone who could help him do just that. Kmordri had given serious thought to the Kroldt-Ghet-Tossarian-Haat alliance. A strange alliance, but not unassailable, as he now saw.

Kroldt had listened patiently, if not suspiciously, to Obsta Fira's plea. KmordriYhet seemed not to have any reason for supporting the half Nzreali except as a favor to some friend of a friend etc. Kroldt assured them he would pray for guidance in this matter and told them to get out. He was wary of anything Kmordri supported because he was wary of anything that Yhet was involved in. It was Kroldt's opinion that there was nothing more dangerous in creation than a Yhet with some real intelligence. Especially if it was brought into play against you.

And now Sarek of Vulcan was willing to leave diplomacy forever if he could have Master Ghet. It was a dream come true - sideways.

Kroldt was as wary of Sarek as of Kmordri and for the same reasons. The Hierophant had never met Sarek before but certainly felt his influence in his past dealings with the Federation. Sarek was smart, fast and knew where the Klingons were weak. The Vulcan had brokered a peace in a war that was going very nicely in non-aligned space. A war that the Klingons, the Haats especially, were waiting patiently to exhaust the participants so they could swoop in and take over the entire sector without firing a shot. It would have given them a nice, long, hard to guard frontier with the Federation and even left some Federation outposts inside Klingon space. Alas, it had all ended badly - the warring planets had even applied for membership in the Federation, adding insult onto injury. This was but one of many such outrages committed by Sarek of Vulcan against the Hierophant Kroldt. He could mention all the borderline planets Sarek had lured away from the Klingons to the Federation, all the treaties that gave the Klingons a short shrift or excluded them entirely, all the trade agreements that left the Klingons out of the loot. He could go on and on but life was short and he had other things to do.

And now this bizarre miracle had occurred: the evil Vulcan was so smitten with Gozine he'd give it all up for the little one. Well, Kroldt himself was rather smitten, had been for the past thirteen years and was now not entirely sure he could lose him. Not to mention allow the Empire to lose one of its finest artisans and priests.

Kroldt was evolved enough to put himself in Sarek's position for a moment. He didn't like it; it was painful. It was even made worse by the fact that Kroldt might actually be in that position himself in the near future.

The Hierophant still did not know why Gozine had risked his life for the Vulcan. Gozine's answer was that god had told him to rescue Sarek. Kroldt had not disputed this much: there were too many times in the past when Gozine had done something at 'god's behest' that turned out to be not only brilliant but beneficial to the Church, the Haats and, strangely, the Tossarian pirates.

That was rather odd and the Hierophant had given much thought as to why, since becoming intimate with Gozine, the Haats had suddenly made peace with the Tossarians. The peace was led by General KizjietHaat, whose confession Gozine had been hearing for years. Kroldt felt there was a connection there but the wealth and power afforded by this dubious alliance stilled his scruples.

Now he had this welcome and unwelcome offer from Sarek before him. It was a difficult decision; he would pray for guidance. He called for his ships and crew. He would pray for guidance on his way to Zhaharnisha.

* * *

"Stay out of their scanner range, Qwuushi."

"Looks like a Klingon convention on Zhaharnisha, Hobie." Neria-Tza was nervous in spite of his cool appearance on the bridge of the Dancer. Grabbing a Klingon Commune out from under the ridgeheads was nervous-making enough, now he wondered if they weren't betrayed.

"No, they'd send more than four warships and the Hierophant wouldn't be anywhere near here if they knew our errand and expected a fight," Hobie answered the XochiCheq's thought. "Those aren't Haat warships either." He turned to the communications station. "Mizat, who are those guys?"

"Based on their communications, I'd say they're Yhets or their agents." Mizat could break almost any encryption code and liked to flaunt this fact.

"Are they escorting the Hierophant?" That would be strange indeed, the Hierophant was usually escorted by the Haat clan.

"I don't think so. They're staying out of the Hierophant's flotilla's scanner range as well."

"That makes me very nervous," Hobie mumbled, thinking he'd like to warn the Commune but any subspace transmission in that direction would give them away and he only had this one ship: the Dancer - built for comfort, not for speed. He had not expected to meet anyone all the way out here at Zhaharnisha. 'What good is second sight if it cuts out just when you need it?' he thought ruefully. "Well, let's see what they do." He turned to Mizat. "Have the Maja, Yaja, Tien and the Zoltir head this way just in case we need them." He regretted that his new ship, the Maria Norris, was not spaceworthy yet. She was a beauty.

* * *

"The Hierophant has just arrived!" Tien flew into Master Ghet's studio and back into the Commune, which was trying to pull itself together for the Hierophantical visit.

Master Ghet looked at the half finished sculpture he had been wholly engaged in. "Oh, shit." He handed his tools to Hraja and went to change into a cassock. When it was warm enough he liked to work in a loin cloth, however, he could not greet the Hierophant in that. At least, not in front of the Commune.

He had just gotten the cassock on when the Hierophant's escort teleported into his studio and arrested him in the name of the most Holy Klingon Imperial Church.

An hour after that KmordriYhet's men arrested Master Khat and took Hraja, because he was Khat's son, and Amanda, because she was obviously Khat's lover (no woman fights like that for a mere acquaintance's son), as hostages to guarantee Master Khat's good behavior.

As soon as they were gone, Hobie and Neria-Tza found the Commune in an uproar. They heard the news and ordered everyone onto the Dancer with whatever they could pack in five minutes.

* * *

"You might have given me a chance to pack, Master," Master Ghet said coolly to the Hierophant.

"You don't need anything from there, Gozine," Kroldt said. "You can buy whatever you need in you new life."

"Which is what, Master?"

"I don't know. It does not concern me. I will miss you."

"Then don't send me away," Master Ghet looked at his lover with big eyes. The 'new life' Kroldt kept on about concerned the MageCheq very much. Kroldt was keeping his distance so Gozine could get nothing useful out of his telefield except flashes of sadness and loss.

Kroldt kept his distance for fear that if he let down his guard with Gozine he would lose his resolve to hand him over to Sarek. He had made his decision and contacted Sarek to meet him on Hzabeda. It was the most intelligent thing to do. Painful, but Kroldt knew he would get over it someday. Also, Gozine was only a mere slave in the Empire and it was foolish to become so attached to property.

"It is done, Master Ghet." The Hierophant rose to go. "For the greater glory of the most holy Klingon Church you will preach a sermon to the Hzabedaians before you leave your life in religion. The subject of this sermon is obedience. I will leave you to meditate on the subject." He swept out majestically, leaving Master Ghet to contemplate obedience in all its forms.

* * *

end of part 42

This story also lives at http://members.tripod.com/karmen_ghia

Appendices: http://members.tripod.com/karmen_ghia/atrappendices.html