[I/HD2] JP by Lt DeVeau and LtCmdr Saveron - Where Vulcan Flowers Grow - Part 2

[Amanda Nordstrom]

((Holodeck 2, USS Invicta))

Saveron: The remainder of the slope should prove easier.


::It was regrettable that he had brought Alora into that situation,
which had not been his intention. He had simply wished to show her an
agreeable memory from his own youth; much as she had before. It seemed
that for each of them, their intentions did not translate particularly
well. Cultural barriers.::


DeVeau: The worst part’s over, right? I guess this is a good way to
face one’s fears, right?


::Grey eyes regarded her expressionlessly for a long moment.::


Saveron: Affirmative.

::Riiight.::


::It wasn’t too much of a scramble before they stood on the sandy floor
of what was now a very respectable ravine. Rock walls towered high above
them, whilst the sandy floor was very smooth indeed. The rays of the
late afternoon sun lanced a band of orange light onto the rock walls and
floor.::


Saveron: The sfhai t’aihghuimh are best viewed further along. These
ravines run east towards the Voroth sea, cut by ancient water courses.


::Not that any Terran would have dignified such shallow puddles with the
name of ‘sea’.::


::The ravine broadened a little and eventually they came to a place
where the glimmer of shallow water was just visible in the distance and
the walls were heavily covered in the small, brown plants, like sickly
aloes. The Vulcan sun hung on the horizon, creating a sunset like Terran
blood and bathing the canyon in red light.::


::The Vulcan looked around for a moment, apparently satisfied, and
perched on the edge of a random boulder that interrupted the flat sand,
long legs stuck out in front of him at an angle, regarding the sunset..::


Saveron: This is the optimal location to view the eisgh t’Nyone. ::Which
translated as the Breath of Nyone.::


::Alora was not quite so confident as the Vulcan and any movements she
made on the boulder were slower, quite a bit more careful. She eased
down to sit beside him and drew her legs out to mimic his position.::


DeVeau: What is the eisgh t’Nyone?


Saveron: You will observe momentarily.


::For a moment there was that light in his eyes that suggested
suppressed amusement.::

::Alora wrinkled her nose at the Vulcan, but made no verbal protest. If
it was something that he thought she’d enjoy, she wouldn’t truly attempt
to ruin it. She made no other comment, asked no other questions, simply
remained where she was and enjoyed the beauty. From time to time, one
hand would lift so she could smear sweat across her brow, or take a swig
of water.::


::As the sun dipped lower the air began to stir. Throughout the day
there had been a gentle breeze moving past them, towards the east from
land to sea, but now that began to reverse and draw air west up the
ravine from the sea.::


::The air from the sea was marginally cooler and more humid and as the
sun at last dipped below the horizon and the colour of the sunset
changed from Terran blood to Klingon, the temperature in that narrow
chasm began to drop. The air was thin and as the temperature dropped so
did it’s ability to hold the moisture it had absorbed from the sea;
seemingly out of nowhere a mist began to form, softening shapes and
giving the ravine a ghostly quality.::


::As the mist thickened there was movement on the rock walls. Even as
they had in his quarters when he changed the environmental settings, the
sfhai t’aihghuimh began to unfold long, translucent filaments from
amongst their fleshy brown leaves, waving them in the misty air to
absorb the water. Moments later tiny, snow-white flowers opened and
filled the chasm with a heady perfume. Insects with tiny bodies but
large, transparent wings like a dragonfly began to zip from flower to
flower, their strange proportions a response to the high gravity and
thin atmosphere. As they flew they made high-pitched trills, calling for
mates.::


::It was an eerie sight, the mist despite the heat gave the ravine an
ethereal feel in the growing twilight, the gossamer plants and
fairy-like insects like something out of an old legend. It was as if the
world of Faerie had somehow found expression on this far-flung planet,
complete with resident Elf sitting and watching the display
dispassionately.::


::He looked over at Alora.::


Saveron: This is the eisgh t’Nyone. Nyone’s Breath, or the Breath of the
Sea. This mist is what gives life to Nel Gathic lands. ::He said
quietly.:: This is what I wished to show you.


DeVeau: Wow...just…


::Just what? Silence was all she could answer with, for the sight was
spectral and magical at the same time. The delicate symphony of the
insects joined in the hushed melody of the breeze while the tendrils
that lapped at the moisture in the air danced to the tune. As she
listened to their song, any tension that had built up within the young
woman melted away. She shifted and leaned back on the stone behind her
to watch with rapt attention.::


::No words were spoken for some time as she silently reveled in the
glorious display before her. Eventually, a soft sigh slipped from her
lips as her hands lifted to press against her cheeks in wonder at the
view, then fall back to their previous position.::


DeVeau: Can we stay here forever?

Saveron: Negative. We can however return whenever you wish.


::From her words he could only deduce that she found the experience
agreeable. It was a reaction that he found preferable. He slid down to
lean his back against the rock, so that their faces were close to level
and spoke in quieter tones.::


Saveron: I had considered it preferable that you would find the
experience agreeable.


::And perhaps there had been some method in his insistence on bringing
her the hard way. Grey eyes met green for a long moment.::


Saveron: I find it agreeable to see you… happy.


::He’d never lightly accused her of an emotion, but there was really no
other way to describe it and she had given him permission. That she was
so easy to read was, in a strange way, part of her appeal. He had
wondered what she made of him, who was quite the opposite. For all her
awkwardly expressed interest, she was alien and not easy for him to
fathom. And though he could not express himself the way she did, he had
done what he could to do so with his words and his actions. But amongst
his people there was another way.::


::Reaching out he offered her his hand, index and middle fingers
extended, ring and little fingers folded back.::


::For a moment the only thing that stirred was the wildlife that
continued in its display while the two humanoids rest upon the boulder.
Alora’s gaze dropped to stare intently at the gesture he made.::


::There was hesitation, but not from a lack of desire, more from
surprise. It was not long, just a hint, but then her own hand lifted,
her own fingers curled inward, save two. Slowly, they joined with
Saveron’s as green eyes lifted once more to find and meet grey.::


::It was a shallow contact between minds unbound, moderated by the fact
that only one was a telepath, but Saveron opened that contact so that it
was very mutual. Two minds, just touching.::


::His mind Alora had sensed once before, the stronghold that kept the
emotional chaos inherent in his kind in check. But where others rejected
all emotion he acknowledged those that were not disruptive to inner
peace. Like friendship, like contentment, like a growing appreciation of
and attraction to another person, another mind, now touching his own.::


::It was more peaceful, the mental touch this time. It was more like a
caress, the whisper of fingers against a cheek, a flutter of breath
against one’s hair. Although his body was warm, his mind was cool,
refreshing, like a forest where she lay resting beneath the canopy. As
his innermost emotions, careful and controlled, trickled through, her
own rose to the surface. Friendship, yes. Contentment, they matched
his in all ways - even the attraction. Perhaps that was the one most
hesitant, accompanied with an almost silent fear behind it.::


:: He had barely sensed Alora’s mind the last time they had touched, it
had been a very one sided exchange. Now her thoughts rippled and danced
before him, bright and vibrant as sunlight on flowing water, an
environmental effect he hadn’t truly understood until he had left
Vulcan. She reminded him of that new, alien experience. Her mind was
very different to those of his own people, and fascinating in its
difference, but he did not delve into her thoughts, he had not been
invited. Rather he focused on what thoughts welled to the surface
freely, of their own accord, one unexpected.::


Saveron: oO Do not fear me, or doubt me.Oo


::He told her silently, mind to mind. In his own thoughts there was no
uncertainty, but he had a lifetime of experience in watching his own
thoughts, accepting them as a part of himself. Rather he showed her how
he felt, at peace with what might come, and let her react to that. Here
he could say without words what he could not voice aloud.::


DeVeau: oO I do not fear you. Oo


::There was a ripple in his thoughts, the ghost of the words ‘you
should’ seemed to hang there for the barest moment before disappearing.
He didn’t try to hide it. Rather he let her see him as he was. Less
disciplined than many of his kind certainly, but eminently comfortable
with that. He wanted her to be comfortable with him. Yet he sensed a
certain hesitancy, a faint worry, in her thoughts.::


Saveron: oO Then what do you fear? Oo


::She didn’t tell him. She showed him, in a sense. It was brief, a
flash of images - two faces. The first was of a man he didn’t
recognise. He was young, considered fair to gaze upon in the eyes of a
young woman, though his mouth twisted into a sneer. The second was that
of the Orion pirate, his own face formed into an intense glare, hatred
flashing in his stony gaze. Then something followed, a different sort
of fear, one that was unreadable at first, then formed into a third
image - that of Alora, her arms stretched out toward Saveron, but him
turning away from her in rejection.::


Saveron: oO No, no and no. Oo ::He told her gently.::


::The triple negative was applied to each image in turn. She had opened
to him, showed her the fears that she held and he negated and soothed
each one in turn.::


::He did nothing without careful thought, and his actions now were the
same. He had planned this evening as he had acted before, the logical
progression of recent actions. Her interest, that he had been slow to
understand he had also been slow to internalise, yet when fully
processed he found it was reciprocated, and he would never, ever, wish
her harm. He was most definitely not her Orionese tormentor. Yes he was
physicially strong, but he would never hurt her. Pacifism above all
else. And the third? He did not know who the other man was, but he was
not Saveron. The Vulcan was himself, and all that he was he set before
her, if she wanted him.::


::A slow hush of breath escaped and Alora shifted, drew closer to him,
though she never broke physical contact. Her free hand rose, her
fingers danced lightly, carefully across his cheek, a silken and brief
caress before they fell away.::


DeVeau: oOWhat do you want?Oo


::Her caress was sweet, like water after weeks in the desert. There was
a careful pause in his thoughts, an obvious reining in of an impulsive
response, held back behind that wall of training.::


Saveron: oO You. But only what you would give. Time, company. Perhaps
more eventually, if you wish. Oo


::There was then a touch of humour in his thoughts, as though he were
laughing at himself. He showed Alora something then, one of his own
scars. A flash of a childhood memory, another mental contact, an alien
one. A young Vulcan girl, he and she both younger even than Saavok was
now. That influence was long gone, but it had been chosen for him. He’d
never had to choose before, never had a need to court someone. It was a
new experience for him. There was there a measure of uncertainty. He
didn’t really know how one should proceed, and the cultural barrier only
made things more difficult.::


Saveron: oO Patience, and understanding. Oo ::There was a dry,
self-deprecating tone to his thoughts.:: oO And you? What do you want? Oo


::His response seemed to set her at ease and she relaxed. Her cool
fingers returned to touch his cheek, the caress lingering this time,
tracing a gentle path over his warm skin.::


DeVeau: oOThe same.Oo


::He inclined his head slightly, proffering his cheek for her touch,
eyes half-lidded. Through their mental contact it was obvious that he
enjoyed the touch, even though it had a different effect on him,
activating different neural nodes as her fingers drifted across them.
Hands and faces, key in Vulcan telepathy.::


Saveron: oO Then that would seem to be a good premise upon which to
proceed. Oo


::He reached up to trail a finger across Alora’s cheek, touch warm and
feather-light, sensing her own perception of that touch through their
linked minds.::


::The effect of his touch was different than hers. It brought on a
distinct wave of pleasure and spurred her to draw even closer to him.
Though the night was cooler than the day, the heat was still intense.
His own body was warm to her touch, but despite it she didn’t care.
There was pleasure in his closeness as well.::


DeVeau: oO I would have to say that’s a very logical conclusion.Oo


::Her skin was cool beneath his touch, but not cool enough. They could
not stay there too long, she would overheat. It was a reminder of how
different she was, in every way. It was part of what made her fascinating.::


::He thought a wordless affirmation, finding a deep contentment in her
closeness and their contact. It was something that he had missed these
last nine years. As she drew closer he leaned in and brushed his cheek
lightly against hers and lingered there a moment. It was an intimate
gesture amongst his people as it brought the facial neural nodes into
contact, deepening the mental connection. Here it did not have quite as
marked an effect, but it was still pleasurable for him.::


::Though she was not Vulcan, the gesture was still one of great
intimacy. A soft sigh brushed against Saveron's ear and her sense of
contentment was coloured with a trembling of desire and a hint of
surprise.::


::He pulled back then, just a hint of chargrin colouring his thoughts,
far beneath the deep contentment and yes, happiness that he held there,
kept in check behind the barrier of his training, lest he act as he
should not..::


Saveron: oO Thank you. Oo


::Wordlessly he signalled his intention to break the mental contact, and
a moment later his hand left hers and they were once again alone within
their own minds. His gaze focused more fully on her green eyes, her
flushed cheeks. She had an alien beauty about her that was very
appealing, more so for the mind behind it. A mind he had touch now, the
way she should be touched.::


::Alora inhaled deeply, then let it go in a slow, controlled manner.
She hadn't wanted him to break away, but she didn't want him to be
uncomfortable either.::


DeVeau: That was...wow, it was...


::She really wished she could wax poetically like some she knew. Kestra
would have never been so clumsy. Her tongue ran over her lips and, now
that her focus had shifted, more mundane needs began to voice their
concerns.::


DeVeau: May I have some more water please?


Saveron: Of course.


::He offered the flask on it’s sling to Alora then settled once more
with his back against the rock, watching the insects as they zipped from
plant to plant in the deepening twilight, letting her be alone with her
thoughts.::


::As was his nature and training, he analysed the experience. Perhaps he
should not have been so bold, but Alora had done nothing to indicate
that his actions were unwelcome, and he knew of no other way to
communicate what he wished her to know, nor how Terrans went about such.
He simply did not have the words. Their recent interactions had given
him indications that she found his company more agreeable than most, and
he knew of no other way to learn the true nature of her interest.::


::He had not wished to overwhelm her however, who as far as he could
tell was completely unaccustomed to mental contact, and amongst his
people such was deep and intimate. He considered it advisable to keep
the contact brief. As she drank he looked over silently at her, grey
eyes scanning her face as he took a moment to memorise every angle.::


::Alora tilted the flask back and drank deeply of the water. The heat
wasn’t as bad, but it was still far more than she was accustomed to.
She drained a goodly amount before she came up for air, then ran the
back of her hand to carry away a trace of water left there. She froze
under the scrutiny from the Vulcan, then slowly closed the container so
the water would not spill.::


DeVeau: What?

Saveron: A memory is preferable to a holograph, if appropriately formed.
::He said honestly.:: I would remember you, here, now.


::Like it was yesterday; forever.::


::Alora honestly felt like she was going to melt. Perhaps it was partly
the heat, but truthfully, to have a man say something like that to her.
Maybe it was said in a Vulcan way, but it was still as romantic as
anything that those books he favoured might contain. If they were the
influence behind it, then she was grateful to the author!::


DeVeau: You can see me every day.


::She pointed out so eloquently. Here he was, dancing with grace and
aplomb and she was stepping all over his toes.::


Saveron: I would find such agreeable, but it may not prove practical.
::He observed, knowing their busy work schedule.:: And ‘every day’ is
not now. I have an eidetic memory and will remember this moment clearly
when I am old… and when you are gone.


::For even given current Terran lifespans, when she grew old he would be
but middle aged. He might well live another hundred years after she
died. And who knew what tomorrow might bring? She might not find his
company so agreeable in the future; he accepted that possibility. That
would not lessen the importance of this moment to him.::


DeVeau: You’re right. ::She agreed and inched closer though she did not
touch him. Not without his permission.:: Every day is definitely not now.


::And oh how she wished now could last forever.::


Saveron: But every day brings new potential. I would find it agreeable
to spend further time in your company, if you would not object.


DeVeau: No, Saveron, I would not object. Not in the slightest.


::The Vulcan nodded gently. What more needed to be said?::


::Her cheeks were flushed and he could see that Alora was sweating,
noted the amount of water that she drank. The light level was dropping
rapidly now and after a moment he rose to his feet in one fluid movement.::


Saveron: We can return here at any time, should you wish it. ::He looked
away then for a moment, towards the sea.:: Computer, arch.


::The Holodeck’s arch appeared on the sand before them.::


::The perfect night had to end. Alora rose as Saveron did then followed
him toward the arch. She paused in the threshold to gaze upon the
beauty they were leaving behind.::


DeVeau: Saveron...will you promise me something?


::Grey eyes looked down into green.::


Saveron: What would you have me promise, Alora?


DeVeau: Will you promise to take me to the real eisgh t’Nyone some day?


Saveron: Affirmative.


END


“More than words is all I ever needed you to show;

Then you wouldn’t have to say that you love me

Cause I’d already know.” ~ Extreme, More Than Words


A JP by


Lieutenant Commander Saveron

SO and CMO

USS Invicta

R238802S10


and


Lieutenant Alora DeVeau

Chief Science Officer

USS Invicta

M239008AD0