About The Kolinahr

Posted on Mon Dec 23rd, 2019 @ 10:19am by Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Commander Sonak
Edited on on Thu Dec 26th, 2019 @ 8:10pm

Mission: Neutral Zone Neutrality
Location: Mol Krun'chi Colony, Romulan Space
Timeline: 2396

Before the dawn, she was awake, as was he- in truth, the Vulcan seldom slept, but maintained a meditative state that rejuvenated him. Thus she could sleep soundly, knowing he was far more alert to their surroundings, aside from he comfort she enjoyed being close to him in slumber, bodies, and minds intertwined. Now she chose to awaken as his internal clock indicated the approaching sunrise. Which had already adjusted for local time and calculated the time of sunrise and sunset, committing them to memory as he did so. Which provided her, in contact with his mind, a full awareness of the time.

Thus predawn she began to disengage from a dream she was having of a day at the beach when she was 11, the dream becoming lurid as her image of herself as a child gave way to her adult self, squinting in the sun at her somewhat youthful father and her brother Albert, all of nine years old, sticking his tongue out at her as he built a sandcastle. As her consciousness level rose, she swam to the surface of her true surroundings. The sensations of the world slowly returned to her- the woven fabric sheets, the scent of the scrubbed clean home the locals had loaned them, the humidity of the morning air. The lack of feel of the starship beneath her- no thrumming of the deck plates nor sensation of motion. Just the world, solid and unmoving.

Mol Krun'chi, if she understood it correctly- because they hadn't named the planet, at least as much as she'd been able to ascertain.

The day had been a long one, and trying. Diplomacy was a stressful art, as the nuances of one’s verbal, empathic and bodily behavior (and the interpretation thereof) could potentially lead to disaster- a poor turn of phrase, dismissive body language, appearing to not listen or comprehend, or even something as simple as an incorrect answer could make the difference between a successful negotiation and a breakdown of communication. While there were many things in life that just came naturally to the career Starfleet gal, diplomacy was a genuine challenge to Rita Paris.

Regardless of the duty that had been assigned, and she needed to be here. While Mnhei’sahe Dox likely would have expected to come alone to attempt the negotiations, she was inexperienced, and she drew strength and confidence from Paris’ presence. Sonak was as ever steady as the north star, which of course is where Rita drew much of her own strength. Starfleet- where standing together made them far greater than standing alone.

A light meal had been taken, and in the simple quarters provided, she had slept soundly, wrapped in the strong arms of the man who had crossed space and time for her. He who knew her like no other. The one who calmed her troubled mind, helped her process her fears and anxieties, and patiently helped her process her logic. Despite how relatively slow and inefficient her process was when compared to his own.

Yet he found her fascinating, and bore great respect for her. So much so that he had bonded with her; although in truth, that had begun as a happy accident. The result of a ploy she'd attempted when she deduced he was in danger, on an occasion when her instincts had been quite correct. While cooperating with the Talosian possessing him, Sonak had deposited a Ka-dasirkolin in her mind. Taking in the sight of his profile as he lay on his back, she remembered thinking about him in that moment.

But he... he’s nice. He was reaching out to me, I’m... well, not sure of it, no. But that’s part of the attraction. He had to be reaching out to me, he’s one of the last of his kind. Their planet is gone and he’s out here with all of us humans and he wants to understand us so he needs me-

No longer one of the last of his kind, in a universe where Vulcan thrived, today he was here representing them as an ambassador of reunification. Who better? In their native timeline, with Vulcan gone, Sonak believed reunification was the best option for the continuation of their species, although he believed just as clearly that he needed to adapt to the humans. Which he most certainly has, she mused, kissing his shoulder with adoration.

Pausing to appreciate him, Rita allowed her heart to swell with the love that she felt for him, which she shared with him through their link as t'hy'la, that most intimate bond they would share for a lifetime. Each orbiting the other, complementing and bettering both for the union. In her mind, she revisited the oath she had sworn to him when she knew he held her heart, which she still recalled word for word to this day.

I love you as you are, and I will support the choices you make. I will remain beside you as long as I am able. No matter how far you travel or how long you may live, you will always have my love within you, even after I have long since faded to memory. My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts, my heart to your heart, my soul to your soul. No matter what fate holds in store for us, there will always be some of you within me, to guide me through troubled times and ensure I will never be alone. So within you I leave a bit of me, to soothe your soul and remind you of the wonders all around you.

Inhaling deeply of his sandalwood scent, she rolled off the bed to start the day, bare feet hitting the packed earth floor of an alien world.

As she rose and stretched, Rita gathered a few items to take to the reclamator with her to relieve herself. The bronze bracers she had confiscated from the Amazons of Hera’s Planet, Meroset 347, in the battle for that world. Much had transpired since then, and in the here and now, she often found herself invoking the deity’s name. Hera had become a part of her life, as had the bracers themselves. Three times she'd saved the deities life, and Hera had saved her just as many now.

Sliding the bracers on in the cool morning air, she used them to call forth some equipment she needed from the extradimensional space which they accessed. While there were weapons, arms, and armaments contained in said space, this morning she needed something simple- a pair of running shoes, socks, a clean pair of panties, a pair of shorts and a top that hugged her bountiful bosom like the hands of her lover. With precision and speed, she dressed for PT like a practiced military officer.

Returning to the bedchamber wearing the top with the simple word HERA emblazoned across the somewhat strained navy blue fabric, she kissed her logical lover on the forehead. Through their empathic and telepathic bond, Rita silently expressed where she was going, what she was doing, and when she expected to be back. He placed no such demands upon her, of course. In truth, he was most likely already aware of all of those facts, as his powers continued to grow, slowly returning to the strength they had once possessed, in the universe from whence they had escaped.

Yet she told him all the same, out of courtesy, and out of respect. After all, given the number of times he had come to her rescue through their years together, she had learned that it seldom hurt to keep her husband well-informed of her whereabouts and plans.

Slipping into the exercise clothes, she quietly stepped outside in the brisk morning air to stretch her muscles, preparing them for the task at hand. Running had always been a part of Rita’s life. When she was young, she ran to try to beat the boys, to prove she was faster and better. As a young adult, she had run as a participatory sport that she enjoyed, as opposed to the activities forced upon her by her overbearing and oppressive father. When she ran, she felt free; in those days, freedom was a precious commodity to her, and she savored it.

Surprisingly often throughout her Starfleet career, the ability to run both quickly and for long distances had served her remarkably well.

Leaning into some long stretches, she mused over how much her life had changed, yet some things were still a constant. Here she was, on a Romulan splinter colony of peace-loving Romulans who were considering reunification efforts, on the Romulan side of the Neutral Zone. Under the predawn light, the planet could have been Utah; yet it was an alien world far from her own homeworld. Upon sensing the pending dawn, still her body roused her, and called for the rush of endorphins, the wind on her face and in her hair, the challenge of speed, placing one foot in front of the other to cover ground, and boldly go.

17-year-old Rita would be impressed with 34-year-old Rita for keeping at it all these years… as well as just how far she had come. Shaking off the chill, she launched herself down the dirt path leading out of town, rapidly building up speed. Her long legs were accustomed to the work, and embraced it. Her lungs were excited to breathe in the natural air, tasting the scents on the wind that were unfamiliar, yet welcome.

The lights of the township faded behind her as she ran, and she pushed herself for speed as given the current circumstances, she could. There was no reason to pace herself for anyone else, nor need she be careful of passersby in the corridors. This was cross-country running, the very sport in which she had excelled in her Academy days, which she now practiced on an alien world. Using it to shake off the cobwebs and lingering worries over the diplomatic negotiations, for which she was in command. Which meant that she was responsible for their success or failure. Which bothered her far less than the potential cost of her failure, which was likely to be paid by these people.

Such was the burden of command. Which she had accepted and made peace with long before now.

The kilometers flew by, and as the sun rose, she turned herself back toward the town after circling it a few times at a distance. She would have time to bathe, get uniformed and prepare for the second day of talks, and already she was beginning to arrange her agenda in her mind for today’s meetings and topics.

The Federation waited with interest, and there were now questions that could not be answered immediately. Thus she was considering how best to proceed when she heard the rustle of feet in the damp, morning grasses behind a nearby barn on the edge of the farmland just to the left of where she had been running. Immediately, the seasoned officer realized that she was being watched. While her human ears weren't as keen as the Vulcan ears of her mate, or the Romulan ears of the locals, she could also make out the sound of two distinct sets of young voices shooshing each other.

Pausing to mop the sweat from her brow, Paris paused to take in the locale, a stretch of farmland on the outskirts of town. A barn was just off the trail to her left, which seemed to be where the voices were coming from. While she was no prescient, nor was she psychic like her logical mate, years of adventuring had granted Rita Paris something of a sense for when danger was near. This did not appear to be one of those times, so she peered cautiously around the corner of the barn.

"Hello?" she asked. "I come in peace..."

Scrambling away, there were two young Rihannsu children that seemed to be no older than young teens, a boy and a girl. Both were dressed in dirty gray pants and grayish-green, loose-fitting tops that looked like work clothes as the shorter of the two, a younger male with shaggy brown hair tried ducking behind the taller girl.

With shoulder-length, lighter brown hair pulled into a ponytail, the girl turned over her shoulder at the boy and rolled her eyes as she spoke in Rihan, "Really, Davan? I think she's seen us and how is that hiding? This is why I always win when we compete over who is to do the morning chores."

Turning towards Rita, the slightly older looking girl blushed slightly green as she shoved the boy out from behind her, switching to a heavily accented Federation Standard. "I... uh... we wish your pardon. We... do not have many visitors here and we... we wanted to see."

In an isolated community where everyone knew everyone, strangers were news. The girl who explored the universe in a minidress understood curious locals. Opening up a genuine friendly smile, Rita Paris spoke in oddly dialected Rihannsu. "It's all right, it's good to be curious. By embracing curiosity we explore and discover, and learn. Curiosity is always positive, so long as it's tempered by a bit of caution, right?" the buxom blonde nodded to the more anxious young man, who was not succeeding at not staring at Rita's impressive pinup physique in her rather skimpy running outfit. Ignoring teenaged hormones in action, Rita stepped forward slowly, her hands open, with palms up.

"I'm Rita Paris. I'm a Human, from planet Earth, about 42 light years..." Searching the skies, the dawn had erased the stars from the sky. Shrugging, the earth girl waved to the lightening skies. "Ah, I can't see the stars to navigate, but out there, far away. I'm a visitor here, an explorer. It's nice to meet you."

"You're... human?" The young girl looked, not at Rita's endowments, but instead at her rounded ears. Her eyes showing both wonder and a bit of fear, "I am... I am Rhae. This is my brother, Davan. You are from... Spacefleet? Mother and father said you coming here would let the Tal'Shiar know where we were."

Smiling gently, Rita nodded. "Hello, Rhae, Davan. Yes... I am Starfleet, but I come representing not the fleet, but the United Federation of Planets. They are a union of over a thousand worlds, who have come together in peace, to learn and help one another, to share our knowledge and grow together. We came here with the help of the Artan fleet, so we could come cloaked in silence and secrecy, while our starship drew the Tal'Shiar off our trail. Because we wanted to come, to help reunification talks- but we had to make sure your colony would be safe. Because peace talks are no good if your colony isn't protected."

Hunkering down to a squat, to be less intimidating with her height, Rita continued. "We're talking about trying to set up a new colony, with reunificationists and Vulcans and Rihannsu all together to see if it can work. We still have to see if all involved will approve of it, but it's a step. One that won't endanger your colony, and won't expose you to danger. We want peace, yes, but not if it endangers your people."

On the one hand, she was speaking to the locals, not delegates, and outlining her plan, which might or might not come to pass. But Rita Paris was honest to a fault, and while these two were young, they were not too young to appreciate the danger she brought with her to the planet. So to her, she owed them a genuine explanation- after all, she was literally the Federation's ambassador right now, and that came with obligations to the hearts and minds of the people. Which made something click in the back of her brain, and suddenly she realized where she had been going with these negotiations all this time.

"Is your Starship BIG?!" The younger one, Davan, blurted out excitedly, "Is it bigger than a..."

"DAVAN! RHAE! Silence!" Came a harsh voice from the field, coming towards them in the golden light of the dawn that crested the rolling hills. The two young Rihannsu froze, with anxious expressions on their faces. Clearly, they were children caught crossing their elders. "You are supposed to be in the south field helping your father pull the old reeds that got jammed in the harvesters. Not out here, doing what I told you not to."

The woman looked older than Rita, but not by much. Perhaps in her late forties, but a bit more worn from working a farm and braving the elements daily. But still there was a beauty about her, with light brown hair pulled up into a loose bun on her head. The 'Romulan' military clearly projected an image of uniformity with their slick, straight black hair all cut the same. But seeing average people simply living their lives was making it clear that there was more visual variety to these people than their government allowed to be seen.

Stepping up to Rita and looking her up and down, she put a hand on the older girl's shoulder and stepped between the two, like a mother protecting her cubs. "We have found that ‘peace’ usually means something entirely different to offworlders. 'Peace' usually comes at the cost of those in the way of explorers. What is the cost of this 'peace', offworlder?"

"Her name is 'Rita', mother." The young Davan said, sheepishly from behind, to which the elder simply shot up an eyebrow and glanced back with a light smirk, in a way mothers let children know to speak when spoken to. There was no implied threat of punishment in the glance, just a clear reminder of boundaries as the mother turned back to Rita, waiting for an answer.

“The cost of peace is universal, ma’am,” Rita replied without rising, instead choosing to remain in the squatting position she had adopted with the kids. Giving the woman literal higher ground would be less threatening or intimidating, and Rita understood these subtleties. “Trust is the cost. It is always the cost of peace… for both sides must find a way to trust one another sufficiently for honest discussion and compromise. In this case, the colony has extended their trust for these talks. There will be the trust of those who move forward with this idea of reunification, wherein they must trust their distant cousins, and trust they will extend that same trust. But with that trust shared, peace can be possible.”

Spreading her hands, the Earth explorer shrugged slightly. “Trust isn’t easy to come by, and we understand that. So we talk, and we address fears, and we try to find a solution that will bring us closer together. By finding our commonalities, rather than our differences. I understand you have survived by remaining hidden, and we’re not asking you to compromise that. We represent parties who want to give peace a chance… and it starts with all of us… with trust.”

Tilting her head, the woman was still taking Rita in, evaluating the strange alien with narrowed eyes. But as she did, she also removed that hand from her daughter's shoulder and her posture lightened ever so slightly. "I fear for them... Rita. For the future of my children. I fear that this land my family and I have cultivated will lie burnt and scorched one day, for the one mistake which brings the Sseikea's to our door. But..."

As she spoke, she cast her eyes down behind her for a moment and looked at the young girl, "What did Surak say of fear, Rhae?"

Standing up a bit straighter, the young teenage girl stepped out from behind her mother slightly and recited, "Cast out fear. There is no room for anything else until you cast out fear."

The older woman smiled lightly, then looked back at Rita. "They defied me, and sought you out when they saw you. But they did so without fear. There is folly there, but also a path to that future without old fears. I would be foolish to not see both, and I would choose to not be foolish. I choose… trust."

Gesturing with her head for Rita to stand, the woman continued, "I am called Chian. What is it you would have us compromise, for this peace of which you speak?"

Rising smoothly to her full height, Rita Paris smiled- an understanding expression as she stepped forward to offer her hand. “For you and yours, there is no compromise needed. Only trust- in the future, in the good of all of our peoples, in the fact that despite their actions, the Tal’Shiar love their children, too. They act out of fear- fear of losing control, fear of losing their way, fear of losing their culture. The compromise is on their part, for they must overcome that fear and be willing to see a brighter future for us all, rather than more anger projected at the universe. As Surak said, Where fear walked, anger was its companion.”

While culturally, Rihannsu were hesitant hand-shakers, the woman called Chian glanced down at the offered hand while raising an eyebrow. Hers was a look of genuine surprise while her daughter seemed to perk up excitedly at what Rita had said. "Mother, she knows the teachings of Surak!"

"Indeed." Chian said, glancing down at her daughter with a bit of a mildly chastising expression, before taking Rita's hand. "Though today, may you find neither fear nor its unwelcome companion by your side. You will find none here. And if I may... because I know my daughter is bursting to ask... how did you come to learn of Surak's words so well?"

“That warms my heart to hear,” the alien adventurer replied with a smile, shaking the hand then letting it go. “As for how I came to know the teachings of Surak… many years ago, I met a most remarkable individual- a Vulcan. A master of Gol, a Kolinahr- one who has purged themselves of all emotion, and embraced pure logic. He was the most amazing soul I had ever encountered in my travels, and he taught me many wondrous things… not the least of which was, of course, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.”

“That is how I came to know the teachings of Surak, although I must admit, I know very little of those teachings,” the human woman explained, being a bit hedgy with the whole truth, as she did not want to seem biased by pointing out their relationship. Although she certainly was not lying- every word was true. “In fact, the Kolinahr of whom I speak is here, as the Vulcan delegate in these negotiations, representing the Vulcan High Council. His name is Sonak, and if you wish to speak with him, to know more, to learn, to ask… he welcomes every mind that comes to him seeking knowledge. After all, There is no other wisdom, and no other hope for us, but that we grow wise.” she finished, dropping another Surak quote she had picked up through her association with the Kolinahr who held her heart.

While the boy, Davan, still seemed skittish and shy, Rhae seemed fit to burst at Rita's description of her Vulcan spouse. "Mother!! Mother!! Can we?!? Can we meet him?!?"

"Well, as you can see, we are still quite a… passionate people." The Rihannsu mother said with a sigh as she turned to her daughter. "You, little one, have chores, and I'm sure our visitors have much work to attend to while they are here."

Turning back to Rita, Chian nodded. "In truth, we have only the texts that the Artan ships bring us. Books and teachings. The children have never seen a Vulcan before. Never seen the truth of Surak's teachings in action before. We strive for an ideal that is almost… abstract to us now."

"Today is another day of talks, I think. But you have a point. When we break for the afternoon, come to the town square. Any who wish to meet, to talk, and to ask the wisdom of Vulcan, I believe Sonak will oblige them." Reaching for him in her heart, as she had no power of her own to reach for him through their bond, Rita asked the question of him, although she was already certain of the answer. His reply was of no surprise to her, for she had spoken truly of him. Even as they spoke, he himself was already in the town square, making contact with the locals populace curious and hungry for answers.

"I stand corrected- he's in the town square now. So if you wish to meet him, come now, or later. A Kolinahr will always strive to bring enlightenment to those who seek it," the nubile navigator narrated.

Looking down at her children, both clearly excited by the prospect of meeting not just a real Vulcan, but a Kolinahr, Chian rolled her eyes. "I would be doing them the greatest of disservices were I to deny them this."

"Davan, go to the south field. Tell your father we are going to town square." She said to the younger boy, who immediately took off running into the field. "The chores will wait. This is more important "

"Bring your neighbors if you wish," Rita offered. "I'm glad you will come to meet him As for me, I need to get a shower and put on something a bit more dignified if I'm to start meeting people today..."

With a wave, Rita started jogging down the road, then once she was sure the conversation was over, she broke into a run, her long legs eating ground as she finished her morning run.

Her thoughts, as they so often were, of the Kolinahr.