Summary: It’s probably pretty obvious, but these three happen to be at the same place, at the same time, and it makes for an interesting time.

Disclaimer: The characters and Star Trek universe belong to Paramount. This story belongs to us.

The diary of Amanda Grayson Sarek, the 4^th of Z’at, 2229:

We have finally arrived at the planet Varja…thank God! I am not thrilled with space travel; no matter how pleasant they attempt to make these ships, they are still just much too small for my comfort! So, we’ll be here for the next few weeks…until Sarek convinces the Varjian government to join with the Federation and end its trade with the Federation’s enemies. The Varjians have had some trade with the Federation for well over fifty years, but they also trade with the Klingons and it is rumored perhaps the Romulans as well. Being in a ‘neutral zone’, they have that right, but as they are very close to Federation space it would be preferable if they would join us. So, here we are where Sarek will no doubt work his magic and win another ally for the Federation.

Oh, I miss Spock so much. I can’t believe I have left my little baby light years away…he’s only two! I needed this though…needed to get away from being mommy and back to being Amanda, just for a little while. And he’s in perfectly good hands. Sarek’s mother will not let any harm come to him, and Skon practically dotes on him…so there’s really no logical reason for me to worry. But I miss my baby!

Sarek has meetings scheduled for most of our time here - no big surprise there - but that leaves me a lot of time completely to myself! I have absolutely no idea what I’ll do. Shopping, I suppose, and maybe visit some museums, or maybe watch some native theatre. Sarek generally likes to do those with me, but it’s so hard today whether he’ll have the time.

Ah, Sarek just came in the room, looked at me – intently – and then quickly left again. That means he’s been waiting for me and is getting a tad impatient. It must be time to beam down to the planet, so I’ll have to finish this up after we are settled into our hotel room.

Centurion S’harien took one last glance at his appearance in the mirror before heading into town. He looked at the Vulcan style tunic and pants with a bit of disgust. For two months now he’s been stationed on this planet, dressing in these clothes, testing his disguise and Vulcan language skills while he made contacts that would give him the information he needed, when the time came. These Vulcans were so dull; no life to them at all, no thrive to live, to conquer, to rule. Despite their uncanny similarity to his own people, S’harien found it difficult to believe that Vulcans and Romulans could ever have been of the same race. However, it would certainly work to his advantage on this mission.

The Varjians were not at all concerned about hiding their negotiations with the Federation from Romulus. In fact, they probably made sure that the Romulan government heard of it in hopes of boosting competition and getting a better agreement from his people. But the Romulan Empire didn’t operate that way. The only reason they hadn’t conquered this planet before was because it offered them a close base to watch the Federation without drawing attention to themselves. So far, the Romulan people had managed to keep their identity a secret from their enemies, and they intended to keep it that way. His current mission, one that would undoubtedly give him the Command position he has desired his whole life, was to masquerade as a Vulcan and gain as much information about the Federation as possible, while keeping track of the results of this negotiation. Varja would do well to remain neutral; otherwise the Empire would be forced to retaliate to let other "neutral" planets see the folly of joining with the Federation. If the Varjians, fools that they are, decide to join the Federation – which Romulus fully expected them too—then they would become enemies of the Empire. As soon as he gave the word, Varja would be destroyed long before any help from their new allies could arrive.

S’harien felt a slight twinge in the back of his mind, an objection to annihilating an entire civilization for the political agenda of his people, but he firmly pushed it aside. He was Romulan, a Centurion in the Empire’s fleet, and this was their way. Tradition must be upheld, and duties must be carried out.

***************************************

Amanda sat at the corner booth in a small café perusing her menu. It was lunchtime, and she wasn’t particularly hungry, but needed to occupy her time until Sarek finished his work. Their time on Varja was nearly over. Sarek was quite confident that they would be signing with the Federation very soon, so he had been working extra long hours to ensure that everything goes smoothly. This morning he had been up and gone before she ever woke up, so she was really missing him, however, she had enjoyed herself this morning. She did a little shopping, and then had herself primped and pampered at a salon. Deciding on large salad and a bottle of Altair water, she put down her menu to engage in a little people watching until her waiter returned. Her eyes scanned the room, quickly skimming over the patrons and categorizing their probable planet of origin: 4 Andorians, 3 Tellerites, 7 Ferengi, 2 Deltans, 3 Vulcans – one of which she recognized from their transport ship, and several Terrans, approximately 12, she estimated. ‘Good god, listen to me. I’ve spent too long among Vulcans!’ She forced herself to stop then looked back at the table straight ahead of her, whom she had missed in her earlier roll call because he had been looking at his menu, which obstructed his face. Now, however, his menu was also on the table and he was doing a little observing of his own.

‘Sarek?’ she thought, wondering was he wasn’t in his meetings like he expected to be, or sitting with her. When his eyes caught hers she tilted her head and raised her eyebrow meaningfully, to which he merely nodded his head towards her then continued his perusal of the room. A moment later he looked back at her, at which time she leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at him in a way he was sure to understand. He raised an eyebrow, glanced around him as though looking for someone else, then slowly stood from his table and walked over to her.

"Excuse me, but I could not help but notice you were staring at me."

‘What is he up to!?!’ she thought as she repressed a laugh, then decided to play along with his odd, but refreshing game. "Yes, I was, because you are about the handsomest man I have ever seen." She smiled broadly at him.

Sarek stood up a bit straighter, and he puffed his chest out some as he appreciated her compliment, "Am I?"

"Yes, definitely. Would you care to join me?" she gestured to the chair next to her.

S’harien had not realized Terran females were so…assertive. He raised both eyebrows in surprise, and he glanced around the room one more time before answering. "Yes, I would."

The waiter arrived and after Amanda ordered her salad it was his turn to place his order. What S’harien really wanted to eat was a nice big acktar steak… prepared rare…but that would certainly ruin his disguise. Instead, he just told the waiter to bring him the same thing as the woman was having, and requested that he also bring them a carafe of wine. Once the waiter left he turned his attention back to the woman on his right. She was Terran, of that he was certain, and although he found her to be very attractive her behavior puzzled him completely. This should be an interesting luncheon, if nothing else.

"So," she said, leaning back in her chair comfortably, "how’s your day been?"

"Boring, until now." He allowed his gaze to slowly travel over the contours of her body, then he focused his smoldering eyes on hers again.

"Boring?" she laughed at Sarek’s use of casual language, then she leaned forward and whispered in her sultry bedroom voice, "Well, then I’ll have to make sure I keep things interesting for you."

S’harien looked away to cover his astonishment at how aggressive she was. Romulan woman were aggressive, but they generally only looked at those men of great rank or from great Houses, neither of which he had; and a Romulan woman as beautiful as this Terran would certainly not bother with anyone less than an Admiral or Senator. Even the females of other species he’d met, like those lowly Orion slave girls, knew which men to snuggle up to improve their own status. But this woman, she knew nothing of his background, nor had she asked. This was a most unusual experience for him, and he found it refreshing not to have to posture socially to look important. He just hoped he didn’t screw it up. "Somehow I am certain that you are amply qualified to keep me…entertained," he tried to match her tone and mood.

"Well, I should hope that I am!"

Just then the waiter arrived with their wine, cutting off anything else she might have said. The waiter made a grand display over pouring their wine into the glasses and placing it before them. Once he was gone, S’harien lifted his glass in a toast. "To meeting intriguing, beautiful women on small, desolate planets."

Amanda actually felt herself blush at his tribute. It seemed like years since Sarek had made her blush. She softly cleared her throat and raised her glass to his. "To meeting handsome strangers." Their glasses clinked then each took a sip while staring at the other over the rim of their glass.

Their meal was served, but before they could dig in an announcement came over the café loud speaker, "Message for Dr. Amanda Grayson. Please use the white comm unit next to the bar."

"I’ll be right back," Amanda excused herself to retrieve her message.

He watched her walk over to the bar and activate the white comm unit. ‘Ah, her name is Amanda…and she’s a doctor! A doctor of what, I wonder.’ He didn’t have time to ponder anymore because he saw that she was already on her way back.

"I’m sorry about that. Let’s eat."

He began to consume his salad as she had begun to hers. After a moment of silence he tried to pick up where they had left off. "I hope that call wasn’t something urgent, Amanda."

She glanced up at him in surprise. Sarek never talked during a meal, Vulcan custom prohibited it. "Uh…no, not at all. I found a ring I wanted at a jeweler just down the road, but he had to resize it for me. That was his call letting me know it’s ready."

"Good. I wouldn’t want our… rendezvous to be cut short." He picked up the carafe of wine and topped of each of their glasses.

"Me neither." She picked up her glass and took another sip. "So, what are your plans for the rest of the afternoon?"

"Spending time with you, I hope." He had spent his time here on Varja associating himself with as many Federation members as he could. While most of his contacts were unable to offer him any new information, he did manage to ‘persuade’ a few of them into talking more liberally than was wise, and he even found a few who will no doubt be useful allies for his government. So, the rest of his time was essentially free, at least until the outcome of the negotiations was revealed to him, which would be anytime now. He could think of no better way to spend that time than with this captivating woman before him.

"Great," she said slowly, then took a few more bites of her salad while she considered this new side of her husband. "So, do you want to go out to a show?"

"Certainly. We can do whatever you wish, a’rhea."

"Hmm, what does a’rhea mean? I don’t recognize that word." She worked on finishing her salad, as Sarek was already done.

S’harien paused as he was reaching for the carafe. Of course she had never heard of it, it was a Romulan word, and he should have been more diligent in maintaining his disguise. "It is Vulcan, of course," he answered as he poured the last of the wine into their glasses.

Amanda looked at Sarek incongruously. "It is not. I would know it if it were a Vulcan word. I didn't do my doctoral dissertation on Vulcan etymology for nothing!"

S’harien started at her proclamation. ‘So, that’s what she is a doctor of. Of all the species in the Federation, why did she have to be an expert in Vulcan?’ He cleared his throat softly, "Yes. Well, it appears your education has been lacking. It is an ancient word, let me show you what it means." He took her hand in his then slowly bent over to kiss the palm, twirling his tongue lazily on her skin. He heard her gasp, and smiled slightly as he placed the hand against his side, next to his heart. He placed his other hand against her chest. "It translates in Standard as ‘dear heart’. A term used for the one who has captured your heart, as you have captured mine."

Amanda quickly looked around to see if anyone had witnessed Sarek’s…irregular behavior. It didn’t appear as though anyone had. "Really? I'll have to have my new grad assistant, Selek, add it to my dictionary database. It’s certainly a word worth knowing, isn’t it?"

"Indeed it is, Amanda. Now," he straightened in his chair, "tell me what you wish to do today."

"Well, I need to pick up my ring at the jewelers, but after that I am all yours," she said, smiling as she looked right into his eyes.

S’harien placed his hand upon Amanda’s back as he escorted her out of another Varjian center for the performing arts. He had never seen any of the shows until today, and was surprised that such a seemingly dull civilization could have so much to offer in entertainment. He would have missed all of this if he hadn’t met the wonderful lady walking beside him, the greatest treasure this planet offered by far. He was impressed by how engaging and witty she was, and how pleasant it was to spend time in her company. As he watched her enjoying the local sites, he began to reflect how pleasant it would be to have someone like her to come home to between missions, to have someone to share his favorite sites on Romulus with, to share his culture with. The day had not been without some tension; there had been a few times he’d had to lead them away from areas populated by Vulcans, where he was unsure he could pull off his ruse completely, but he didn’t think she had noticed.

"Well, I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time for a drink," Amanda said.

"I quite agree," S’harien returned, looking up the street for a suitable café.

"I know a place," Amanda told him, a mischievous smile crossing her lips.

"Lead on," he replied indulgently. She had shown him aspects of this planet’s culture that he would have never seen on his own.

"My my, but you’re agreeable. I think it’s right down this side street," she said, navigating him in that direction. When they were off of the main boulevard, he noticed very few signs for businesses, and nothing that looked like a drinking establishment. In fact, the surroundings were becoming increasingly run-down in appearance.

"Amanda, are you sure about this?" he asked. He was currently unarmed, to fit into his role as a Vulcan.

"Yep. I’m sure. Stick with me," she responded confidently.

"Very well," his eyes swept the avenue for potential threats. He did not want to engage in hand-to-hand combat unless absolutely necessary, although the pacifist Vulcans apparently did still practice the ancient warrior arts.

"Here we are," Amanda gestured to a dilapidated building that didn’t even have a sign out front.

"We are?" S’harien said with disbelief.

"Yes, we are," Amanda looked up at him and smiled, then walked toward the darkened doorway. Noticing his hesitation, she stopped and looked back at him standing in the middle of the alley. "Coming?" she teased. He looked up and down the alleyway before following her inside.

As S’harien’s eyes adjusted to the interior lighting, he saw Amanda looking in a cooler case, carrying on an animated discussion with an unsavory-looking Varjian who was ogling her backside as she spoke. S’harien cleared his throat loudly and joined her at the cooling unit. The Varjian’s eyes left Amanda’s rear end, traveled up to S’harien’s hard stare, and then settled back on his betting sheet.

S’harien’s eyes adapted fully to the dim interior and he noticed that the Varjian had quite an extensive selection of fine wines and spirits. Perhaps this was not just another hole-in-the-wall Varjian dump such as those favored by his contacts on the planet. Amanda scrutinized the bottles and containers.

"I’ve never seen such a variety of Rigellian rum before. And look… Saurian brandy for only 25 credits," Amanda’s voice was excited and she gazed up at him with her blue eyes glittering.

"There does seem to be a rather large selection of items. What would you like to drink?" he asked her, his arm sweeping across the cooler cases. She smiled at him again with an expression that he could not quite decipher.

"Want to try something illegal?" she asked with a straight face. S’harien considered her words. He could not afford a confrontation with the Varjian authorities during the middle of this sensitive mission. It would compromise his position and he would not be able to explain himself to his superiors on Romulus. In fact, they would probably leave him to rot in a Varjian jail cell for his stupidity.

"That depends on what it is," he told her truthfully.

Amanda started at his response. It wasn’t like Sarek to even consider doing something that was against Federation law. "I understand that this place carries… black market liquors."

"That would seem likely," S’harien said. The tension left his shoulders. Everyone on Varja used the black market. The local authorities turned a blind eye to illicit liquor sales and other vices. In fact, it represented the largest chunk of Varja’s economy.

Amanda decided to tease him some more. "I think we should try some Romulan Ale. I’d think you of all people would appreciate it."

S’harien felt the blood drain from his face. There was no way she could have discovered his true identity. He decided to play along to see if she had gotten wind of his subterfuge. "Oh, why would you think tha, Amanda?" He sincerely hoped this mission would not fail because of his indiscretion with this Terran female. His chest felt tight with anxiety.

"Because it’s in your blood," she said with that indecipherable expression.

S’harien controlled his tension. "My blood?" he said uncertainly, letting his ‘confusion’ show on his countenance in Vulcan fashion by raising a single eyebrow.

"Yes," she said, reaching out to touch his cheek. "It’s supposed to be like Vulcan Ale… only better. It gets you there faster, and later you don’t even remember the trip," Amanda finished with a smile. He felt himself relax. He had not slipped up after all. She was teasing him. He smiled softly and reached up to touch her hand on his face. She cleared her throat and looked over his shoulder. He looked behind him to see the Varjian storekeeper watching their exchange with great interest. S’harien returned his attention to Amanda.

"Very well. We shall try Romulan Ale," S’harien said. Amanda was surprised at his response, but she was willing to reinforce his adventurous mood. She turned to the Varjian and spoke to him in his native tongue. The man nodded, then apparently haggled with her over price. Amanda haggled back a bit, and they finally agreed on the damage. She handed him the credits and he pulled two dark blue bottles out of a cooler behind the counter. The Varjian twisted the tops off of the bottles and passed them to Amanda.

"He says it is perfectly acceptable to walk around with these in this area," Amanda told him as she handed him one of the contraband bottles.

"I do not doubt that," S’harien said sarcastically. You could probably walk around with a corpse in this part of town and no one would find it the least bit unusual, nor would the authorities take much of an interest either. He and Amanda went back outside to the bright sunlight. Standing still for moment in the warm sun, Amanda clinked her bottle against his.

"To finding little out-of-the-way dives," Amanda toasted.

"Yes," S’harien agreed. He hated the weak Varjian swill that they called ‘ale.’ It had no bite to it at all. He couldn’t wait to taste a little bit of home. He raised his bottle to Amanda and returned her toast, his mouth curving up in a smile as he remember his disguise. "To Romulans... whoever they are, I hope that they make excellent ale."

S’harien brought the bottle to his lips for a long pull. Not bad at all. He sighed contentedly and watched Amanda tentatively bring her own bottle to her lips. Amanda’s face puckered up and she nearly spit the ale out. S’harien almost laughed out loud at her predicament. Romulan Ale was something of an acquired taste for offworlders.

"It is not to your liking, Amanda?" he teased her. This had been her idea, after all.

"Well, I haven’t decided yet. Romulans, whoever they are, must have cast-iron stomachs!" The corner of S’harien’s mouth twitched upward as she cautiously took another small sip. This time she nodded her head in approval.

"I think this Romulan stuff might be growing on me," she told him as they retraced their route to the opening of the alley. He nearly choked on his mouthful of ale.

"I’m glad to hear that, Amanda," S’harien replied neutrally. He was very glad to hear it in fact.

By the time they emerged onto the main boulevard, his bottle was empty and hers was about three-quarters finished.

"Here," she said, handing him her bottle. "Finish this for me. I’ve had enough," she managed to get out before a large burp escaped her lips.

"Excuse me," she said, then burped again. S’harien smiled at her and drained the rest of the ale from her bottle, then threw the empty bottles into a nearby trash recycler. He watched her curiously as a third burp built up. To his surprise, she made a series of yelping sounds. He had no idea what to do. He started to grab her shoulders, but she waved him off. In a minute the yelping subsided.

"Whew. I hate hiccups!" she exclaimed finally, then smiled at him. "I probably deserved it. That’s what I get for ‘going Romulan’ I suppose."

"I suppose," S’harien replied noncommittally, wondering just how far she would really be willing to ‘go Romulan’ for him. His mind flashed on the two of them standing on the upper deck of the house he was barely home long enough to inhabit in Rahk'ahs. Her arms were around his waist and her head rested comfortably against his shoulder as they watched the sun set over the R’mox Mountains. "You are all right, Amanda?" he asked with concern. He had been certain that she wouldn’t be able to catch her breath during her ‘hiccup’ attack.

"Fine. Never better. Now show me some water flitters," she insisted, slipping her arm through his.

Amanda’s hand held onto his bicep as they made their way into the late afternoon sunshine. The weather had been most agreeable to S’harien, especially after a lengthy tour of duty in deep space. He smiled as the sunlight warmed his face. He felt none of the storm clouds that typically burdened his conscience. Amanda had lightened his normally brooding mood, and he found himself liking the man he was in her presence.

Amanda stopped at a small flower stand that was an explosion of bright colors and greenery. S’harien watched her sniff a few of the local flora, then gingerly select a small flower with pale blue petals. She put her nose close to it and inhaled deeply. S’harien reveled in her sensual delight in everything this backwater planet had to offer. She seemed to appreciate the simplest of things, making him value them as well. This woman did not strike him as the type who would complain when the Imperial Fleet assigned him to their far-flung outposts… she would adapt and find something to hold her interest anywhere. Amanda walked up to him and reached out and stuck the blue flower in the fastener of his tunic. She stepped back and admired her work.

"There. Now your outfit doesn’t look so dull and drab," she told him. He looked down at the tiny blue flower and had a sudden inspiration. He plucked it from his tunic and reached toward her.

"As much as I do not want to appear dull, I think I have a better place for this," S’harien said softly, brushing her hair back and then carefully placing the blue flower behind her ear. His hands went from her hair to lightly cup her face.

"See, I was right. That is a much better location and it matches your eyes," S’harien whispered as his fingertips lightly caressed her jawbone. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch for a moment longer.

They were walking along the boardwalk of the harbor, watching the small fishing boats bob in the water, when he saw a small stand selling some local wares. S’harien quietly left Amanda’s side to look at the items available. Among the usual touristy things, he found an interesting selection of hand-made jewelry, mostly leather goods, but there was one item he found particularly appealing. It was a set of necklaces, each made of a tightly woven rope with a large blue piece of coral attached to it. The coral was cut in such a way that the two pieces fit together perfectly to make a whole. It reminded him greatly of the sort of necklaces commonly exchanged on Romulus as ‘promise’ tokens given to the one you intend to marry. He bought them, and slipped his on then quietly stepped up behind her to place the second one around her neck.

Amanda instinctively reached up to touch the item on her neck, and look down to admire it once it was fastened. When she looked up to thank him she noticed that he wore a matching piece. Sarek did occasionally wear necklaces with clan markings or an IDIC symbol for formal events, but never anything this…native, and the message it conveyed touched her deeply. "They’re beautiful! Thank you."

"You are welcome." He leaned down to take a kiss upon the lips as his payment.

Amanda smiled, still a tad unnerved by this amorous behavior, but immensely pleased. They both watched the activities in the harbor then Amanda casually reached over and took Sarek’s hand between hers. Keeping their hands hidden from public view she began to slowly run her fingers down the length of his and across the back of his hand. This never failed to arouse her husband. "So, do you want to go to another show, or maybe go back to the room for a little…private entertainment?"

If ever there was a moment on this mission that S’harien almost blew his disguise, this was it. His jaw nearly dropped open in shock, a behavior his observations of Vulcans led him to believe would be highly inappropriate. He looked down at their hands, where Amanda was expertly bringing him to the breaking point, "Yes, I want that very much."

They left the harbor and quickly made their way back to the hotel. S’harien’s heart beat faster in his side as they entered the turbolift. The doors closed and they were alone. S’harien gently backed her into the wall and placed his strong hands on the shiny metal on either side of her head. His eyes darkened with passion and he bent to kiss her, his tongue finding hers. Amanda gasped as his muscular thigh pressed against her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into an even deeper kiss. His hands left the wall and cupped her buttocks, lifting her off of her feet, his strong leg finding a spot between her own. She didn’t have a clue as to her husband’s sudden interest in intimacies in public places, but she wasn’t about to complain. Their kisses became so ferocious that she could barely breathe. Her hand found the bulge in his pants and she unfastened them and reached inside to stroke him. She was rewarded with his moans of pleasure. When the turbolift chimed, he reluctantly put her down. Breathing hard, he awkwardly refastened his pants, and followed her to their room.

Once there, Amanda removed her robe so she was left in only the light slip she was wearing beneath it. S’harien removed his tunic and took her in his arms. They kissed, longingly and passionately, and he deftly slid the straps of her slip off her shoulders, allowing the garment to pool at her feet.

As he looked upon the vision before him, S’harien was overwhelmed with guilt. He was about to partake of a precious gift from this woman, and he wasn’t being at all truthful about himself to her.

Amanda noticed Sarek’s change of mood. "What’s wrong?"

"There’s something I need to tell you, but…" He struggled with his duties, one to the Empire, and one to her.

"Go on," she said, rubbing his arms to comfort and encourage him.

"I can not...not now."

Amanda considered this then smiled in understanding. "I know. You want to say you love me, is that it?"

‘Love?’ S’harien thought, then realized that yes, he did love her. Amazing, but true, in just one afternoon he had developed more feelings for this Terran than he had ever felt for another woman all his life. This new knowledge was both liberating and damning, for it made having to lie to her feel even worse. "It’s not just that, but I’m not at liberty to explain myself just yet. Can you accept that?"

Amanda shrugged indifferently. "Of course, darling. You’ll tell me whenever you can, I understand how it is."

S’harien thanked the Gods that he had had the good fortune of receiving this mission and meeting this woman. Pulling her tightly against him, he steered them towards the bed. Once there they parted long enough for him to unbuckle his pants, then Amanda helped him lose the encumbering material. She ran her hands lightly up his bare back. S’harien took her face in his large hands and gave her a long slow kiss. Breaking away, he smiled gently and took the blue flower from her hair and began to caress her breasts with it.

"I think we should take a shower before we begin, don’t you?" She began to back away, but he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"No, I do not! Come back to me, Amanda," he cajoled.

"No, I think we should," Amanda teased, but the raw naked desire she saw in his eyes almost made her forget her purpose. "Here’s why." She stood on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear. Sarek began to nod eagerly as he walked with her towards the bathroom, setting the tiny blue flower on the dresser. They had just reached the door when the chime of a communicator sounded from his pile of clothes sitting on the floor.

Amanda groaned with dismay. "You’re expecting a call now?"

S’harien nearly swore aloud at the interruption. Of all the times for his informant to call! "Just a small matter I must attend to. Go ahead; I’ll join you in just a minute."

Amanda straightened and ran her hand down the length of him, gently raking her nails across his shaft. "Ok, but don’t be long!"

He waited until he heard the shower start then he answered the call. It was his informant notifying him that the negotiations had just ended, and the results were known. This time S’harien did swear. There was no choice but for him to meet with this man now to pay him for his knowledge about the outcome. Any delay could cost him the opportunity to act as his government had instructed him to. Accepting his fate, S’harien quickly dressed then stuck his head in the door to let Amanda know of his intentions.

"You’re joking! You’re going to leave now?" Amanda stuck a wet head out from behind the shower door.

"No, I’m not, but I wish I were. I shouldn’t be too long, and I promise I’ll come right back here when I’m finished. Will you wait for me?" S’harien tried forced himself not to watch the beads of water as they made their way down her neck and between her breasts, but it was a losing battle.

"Where else would I go? All right, go do whatever it is you need to do, but you had better be back in time to take me to dinner!"

"You have my word, a’rhea." He quickly left before he forgot all about the Empire, and his duties. On his way out, he spotted the tiny blue flower and picked it up. Bringing it to his nose, he inhaled its delicate essence and smiled as he tucked it into his pocket to tease her with later that evening.

Amanda sat in the living room, watching the clock and impatiently tapping her toe against the carpeted floor. Sarek wasn’t back yet, and she had a feeling he wouldn’t be showing up as he had promised. When the clock’s chime indicated another hour had past, she gave up and left the room to have her dinner alone.

S’harien hurriedly worked his way past the people milling around the streets and into the hotel lobby. It was quite late, more so than he had planned, and he was only hoping that Amanda hadn’t left without him. He was crossing the large lobby when he saw the elevators door open and Amanda step out. He couldn’t help but stop to drink in the sight of her; nor could he prevent the smile that reached his lips when she looked in his direction, love radiating from her eyes. She started walking towards him, and he moved to meet her, but pulled up suddenly when a man he hadn’t noticed earlier stood up from a chair in the lobby and held his hand out towards Amanda, two fingers extended. He saw Amanda approach this man and place her paired fingers against his. They spoke for a moment, then turned and began heading for the lobby doors, in his direction. It was at this time that S’harien got his first good look at the man, and couldn’t believe what he saw. This man, this Vulcan, could very well have been his own twin. His survival instincts kicked in at the last minute, and S’harien quickly hid behind a potted plant so the couple would pass him unaware of his presence. Once they left the hotel, he began to follow them at a discreet distance to the restaurant.

"I'm glad you made it back. I thought I was going to have to find some handsome stranger to take me to dinner," Amanda told her husband, smiling mysteriously at him.

Sarek could not interpret the expression on his wife’s countenance. He surmised that she was in a teasing mood and that this was one of her little jokes. "I do not think that will be necessary. I am gratified that you waited for me," Sarek replied seriously.

Her smile broadened. "You're very lucky, Mr. Ambassador, that I am so patient with you."

"Luck is not logical. However, I am fortunate that you are patient with me," Sarek said, letting his private smile for Amanda curve upward.

"Well as long as you realize how good you’ve really got it, Vulcan. I heard that there’s a good restaurant right around the corner. Still feeling adventurous?" she commented, her sapphire eyes danced with mischief.

‘Adventurous?’ Sarek had no idea what she was talking about. "I will go where you lead me, Amanda," Sarek told his wife.

"Oh, I *know* you will," Amanda said with a laugh. "C’mon. Let’s go eat before I gnaw my own leg off!"

Sarek shook his head at his wife’s cannibalistic comment and accompanied her down the busy boulevard.

When they were seated at a table, S’harien quickly scooted down a small hallway where the coat racks and comm units were located, and where he could remain hidden but continue to observe this imposter with his Amanda. He watched them for quite some time, wondering how there could be another man, an alien, who could resemble himself so much. Wondering about the possibilities of such a man appearing with Amanda when he had so recently met her himself. His sensitive hearing easily allowed him to pick up their conversation. She called him Sarek, and they spoke of many things varying from the negotiations that had just ended, which apparently this man had played a key role in, to someone named Spock, and S’harien had a bad feeling he knew who that person was. His heart felt heavy in his side. Amanda had a husband and a young son.

‘He is not an imposter, I am.’ S’harien considered everything they had shared that day, and wondered how he could be so foolish to think a woman like Amanda would fall in love so quickly and effortlessly. He wanted to stay and watch them. To learn what sort of man this Vulcan, this Sarek, was that he managed to capture her heart. But time did not permit such luxuries, and that was another problem he had to deal with. They were not supposed to still be here, he and Amanda. He had had no intention of having dinner with her when he returned, but instead had planned to convince her, beg her; to come back to Romulus with him and be his wife; because this planet would no longer exist in a few short hours. He had done his duty and reported Varja’s decision to his commanders, and the order to attack had been given, and would begin very soon. How could he save her now? She was obviously in love with the Vulcan, and he could not betray his people by sabotaging the mission at this point. If he showed himself now, there would surely be a scene and they would all be detained until it was too late. He would have to find a way to warn her. He owed her that much. She was a civilian, and he had no wish to see her caught in the middle of one of the Empire’s military conquests. With little time to spare, S’harien did the only thing he could.

Sarek was discussing the benefits that the new alliance with the Varjians would have for the Federation when the maitre d’ approached their table.

"Ambassador Sarek, there is a communiqué for you. You may use any of the comm units down the hall." The man gestured in the direction of the units then bowed slightly before leaving them.

Sarek excused himself and walked down the small hallway where the coats and public comm units were kept. He was about to activate a unit when a deep voice behind him spoke, "Your caller is no longer online, Sarek."

Sarek turned around to question how this stranger would know such a thing when he saw his own visage looking at him from within the line of coats.

The mirror image stepped out and stood before him; both men were studying the other intently, looking for even the smallest difference, there was none. Both were even wearing the plain, steel grey tunic and pants that the Vulcan delegates chose to wear on this mission, to better fit in with the simple style of dress the Varjians seem to prefer. "Fascinating," Sarek murmured to himself.

"Forgive my ruse for getting you back here, but I’m sure you can imagine the stir it would have caused if I were to have approached you in a public area." S’harien smiled innocuously.

"Who are you?" Sarek asked.

S’harien’s smile vanished, and he got down to business. "I am someone in a position to know that Varja is no longer a safe place for you or your people to be. If you value your lives, you must leave this planet, immediately."

"Why? What do you predict will happen?" Sarek waited but the stranger stood silent. "Why would you warn me of such a thing? How does protecting my life serve your purpose?"

S’harien’s eyes instinctively roamed beyond the Ambassador’s shoulder to where Amanda sat at the table waiting, absently fingering the necklace he had given her earlier. "My reasons are my own."

Sarek followed the stranger’s gaze to his wife. A little niggling voice insinuated its way into his consciousness, a warning bell that raised his suspicions ten-fold. Suddenly that odd conversation with his wife in the hotel lobby was starting to make sense. ‘This man has been near Amanda!’ he thought. Sarek’s brow knitted together in barely-suppressed fury as he demanded, "Who are you!"

S’harien’s eyes snapped back to the Vulcan. "You are wasting time; time that you do not have!"

"If you are in a position to warn me than you are in a position to prevent this…catastrophe that is supposed to occur."

S’harien laughed forlornly. "No. I am only a soldier, a pawn sent to do my government’s bidding."

"A soldier? Vulcan has no military force offworld. Who do you work for? Tell me, and I can grant you asylum back home, on Vulcan." Sarek was beginning to realize that whatever was about to occur, was going to be big, and only he could do anything to stop it.

"No. That is not our way. I have a duty to perform, my honor to keep. Please, question me no more, Ambassador!"

Suddenly the crowd of diners burst into an uproar as a huge explosion resonated from outside the restaurant. The picture windows crashed inward and the area became black from the smoke and dust filling the atmosphere. All that could be heard were the sounds of explosions and destruction, and the cries of those injured or dying. Both men immediately looked to find Amanda, who was crouched down, taking shelter under her table, terror marring her beautiful face as she scanned the room in the direction Sarek had taken to the comm units. Sarek instinctively knew that she would not leave until she found him.

Amanda peered through the smoke trying to catch a glimpse of Sarek. There was too much glass and debris flying through the air for her to attempt to stand up. Carefully peering around the table, she caught sight of him through the billowing black smoke. She tried to call out but only succeeded in getting a lungful of smoke which set off a coughing fit. Tears streamed from her eyes as the acrid smoke assaulted them as she tried to pinpoint Sarek’s location again. Crawling toward the last place she’d seen him, she banged her head on an upturned table. Cursing, she looked up again to get her bearings, and to her surprise saw two Sareks standing in the corridor.

Simultaneously, both men’s communicator’s chimed as their ships attempted to locate them. S’harien ignored his, but Sarek immediately answered his own. "Ambassador, Varja is under attack. You must beam out, but we are unable to lock onto your signal where you are. You must find a suitable beam out location immediately."

"Can you not offer assistance?" Sarek had to shout to ensure he’d be heard over the noise on the background.

"Negative, Ambassador. There are too many ships. The logical course is for us to leave the area immediately and summon help once we have reentered Federation space."

Sarek looked at the chaos around him, then at the man standing next to him. S’harien quickly jotted down some coordinates on a pad sitting by the comm units. "Here, this is a safe beam out location. Hurry, take Amanda and go! There is nothing you can do here."

Sarek accepted the paper, and the logic of his advice. After relaying the coordinates to his ship Sarek turned to fetch his wife and run to safety, but S’harien stopped him before he could go. "Here, take this as well," S’harien grabbed the necklace around his neck and yanked it off. "It is more fitting that you should have it than I. Just…value what you have, Sarek."

Sarek grabbed the necklace, but before he could respond another explosion hit close by and this time he could hear Amanda screaming out his name in fright. He turned to ensure that she was still safe, for the moment anyway, but when he turned back to address the stranger once more, he found that he had vanished. A quick survey of the area did not reveal his whereabouts.

Amanda sat back and shut her eyes briefly and shook her head to dispel the dizziness. She must’ve hit her head harder than she’d thought. She rubbed her fists into her eyes and looked toward the corridor again. There he was! Running toward her! She tried to move to her hands and knees again to go to him. Just as she began to crawl again, she felt his strong hands scoop her up from the floor.

Sarek pulled Amanda as close to him as he possibly could to shield her from the incoming shrapnel. Together they made their way towards the beam out site, Sarek too busy dodging pulse-bomb craters in the street to give any more thought to enigmatic stranger who just saved their lives. After giving them a moment’s head start, S’harien emerged from his hiding spot and followed the couple to the beam out location.

S’harien waited until he saw them dematerialize, then he contacted his ship so he could also be transported back to safety. Once aboard, he quickly made his way to the bridge to check on the current status of the attack. As his current assignment dealt strictly with the mission on the planet, he had no duties to perform at this point, so he stood in the back and listened to the exchanges between the crew.

"Vulcan ship leaving orbit, Commander, and preparing to engage warp drive."

"Destroy it, Lieutenant," the commander’s voice calmly ordered.

"Sir, the Vulcan ship has already entered warp." The young soldier’s voice shook as he reported this failure to his superior. "We could chase her, but I doubt we’ll catch up before she reaches Federation space."

‘Amanda is safe,’ S’harien released the breath that he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding, then watched to see what his superior would do. The commander glared at his subordinate distastefully. "Then it is a shame you did not notice this ship earlier, isn’t it, Lieutenant? The Praetor does not look kindly on such incompetence."

"Yes, sir," the condemned man squeaked, "should we pursue, sir?"

"No. Let them call their Federation, our work here will be finished long before help could arrive." He noticed Centurion S’harien standing off to the side. Taking in the man’s civilian clothing he spread his hand in a mock Vulcan ta’al and said "Live long, and prosper. The Varjians sure won’t! Guess they must’ve bought your ‘Vulcan act’… although I don’t know how you managed to stomach all that Peace-and-long-life-Surak crap for two whole months. You should get hazard pay for that. Do not worry; the Praetor will reward you generously for your success on this mission."

"I have come to report for duty, Commander," S’harien replied wearily. He was sickened at the thought that he was the cause of all the destruction down below. The loss of that planet, that culture, those people; the value of which went unrealized until Amanda showed him their worth.

"Noted, Centurion. As you can see, we have everything under control here. You are off duty until the next shift change, then you will resume your normal station until we return to Outpost 7. After that, you have new orders to report to the Bird of Prey ‘Starblade.’ I heard a rumor that that old Klingon-made rustbucket has an opening for First Officer," the commander smiled as he told the centurion of his promotion. The centurion must have been fatigued from his undercover mission, however, because he did not seem pleased with the good news. The centurion saluted then entered the turbolift to head to his quarters.

Once there S’harien shed his Vulcan clothing, then helped himself to a long shower to ease the stress of a hard day. The shower did nothing to calm his nerves, however. He changed into his most comfortable duty uniform, hoping that it would return him to a warrior’s frame of mind. Unfortunately, simply changing his clothes did not change his mind about the day’s events. He could not get the images of destruction out of his consciousness. S’harien restlessly paced the length of his quarters then slumped down at his desk and poured himself a tall glass of ale. He looked at the dark blue liquid as he swirled it around in his glass, as blue as they skies on Terra, or so he’d heard. ‘Blue like Amanda’s eyes,’ he thought longingly, then set his glass down with a dejected thud. He noticed a fragment of blue out of the corner of his eye, and when he looked at it, he realized it was the flower Amanda had given him on their walk. S’harien picked it up from the floor and inhaled its sweet fragrance, remembering their day together, and the plans that he envisioned for them. Now his plans were the same as every other warrior in the Empire’s army…to serve, to earn rank and glory, to bring honor to one’s family. He was well on his way to accomplishing those goals now; first as Sub-Commander on the ‘Starblade’, and then as Commander of his own vessel, some day. All meaningful goals, and even though he at times disapproved of the manner at which these were achieved…well, it wasn’t his place to question the Praetor. S’harien reached down to pull a book out of his desk drawer, a book of ancient Romulan poetry, which he opened to his favorite verse. He took one last sniff of Amanda’s flower, then placed it between the pages and closed the book on another chapter of his own life.

Sarek, now dressed in his favorite meditation robe, sat in the dark facing the bed, watching the rise and fall of his wife’s chest as she slept. In the privacy of his quarters, he allowed his shoulders to slump. The enormity of his failure squeezed his chest. He absently turned the coral necklace given to him by the stranger in his hands and contemplated the events of the past few hours. He had failed miserably. As soon as his ship entered Federation space they contacted Star Fleet for help, but he was told that by the time the nearest ships got there it would be too late. The Varjians, the people he promised would have Star Fleet protection in exchange for their membership into the Federation, were dead. A whole planet, a whole civilization of people, murdered; and he did nothing to prevent it. He should have known…these people regularly dealt with the Klingons and Romulan Empires; naturally they would extract revenge if Varja joined the Federation. They were totally ruthless in their conquests. He should have surmised an attack and had reinforcements waiting to assist; that would have been logical. But no, he had been too shortsighted to contemplate the possibility of warfare breaking out. He and his staff had concentrated only on the negotiations at hand, not on the possible repercussions. If it were not for that stranger, his doppelganger, he and Amanda would have perished there as well.

Sarek focused on the coral in his hands. What was the likelihood that two Vulcans, unrelated, would look exactly the same; and would ever cross paths on a tiny planet light years away from home? Astronomical, surely; so miniscule that it would be nearly impossible to estimate the chances to any accurate degree. Amanda turned fitfully on the bed, drawing Sarek’s eyes her way. She had gone to sleep dressed as she was on the planet; so exhausted from their ordeal that she didn’t bother to change out of her tattered clothes or take a shower. Now she lay on her back, and for the first time Sarek noticed the jewelry adorning her neck. It was identical to the one given to him by his look-alike. ‘No, not identical,’ Sarek thought, ‘opposite. Mirror images.’ He got up and sat on the bed beside his wife. He gingerly picked the piece of coral off her chest and held it to the one in his hand…they fit together perfectly.

He swallowed the surge of terror that rose every time he considered that this man apparently had free access to Amanda. What if their similar appearance wasn’t a natural phenomenon? What if this man had been surgically altered to be his double? He obviously was part of the nefarious plot to destroy Varja…what part did Amanda play in his plans? He could have done anything to her…tampered with her mind, drugged her, kidnapped her…killed her. He shuddered involuntarily. That was his fault as well. He should have known better than to let his bondmate walk around unprotected… she was an easy target for anyone wanting to get to him; but that, at least, was one mistake he could correct. From now on Amanda would never go anywhere off Vulcan without either him or one of his aides accompanying her. She would be angry when she learned of this, but it was one matter on which he would not concede. He was not about to risk losing her ever again.

Amanda stirred in her sleep again, and this time he heard his name softly escape her lips. He smiled as he watched the play of emotions on her face as some unconscious images assailed her, but then her features relaxed as she slipped back into a deeper slumber. Sarek gently removed the necklace from around Amanda’s neck and placed it along with its mate on the table beside the bed. Next he reached under the hem of her dress to unsnap her stockings from her garter belt, before gently peeling them down her legs. He had just removed the first one, and had reached under her dress to get the second one, when a lazy voice reached him, "You could at least wake me up first."

He looked up into the smiling face of his wife. "I was only attempting to make you more comfortable, t’hy’la."

"Oh, that’s too bad." Amanda stretched and reached up to try to ease her throbbing head. She was surprised to find a sizable lump there. She must have whacked herself pretty hard on that table in the restaurant.

"Are you in pain?" Sarek asked, concerned.

"No, it's okay now, but for a while I must have been having double vision. In fact, I know this sounds ridiculously illogical, Sarek, but I thought I saw *two* of you in the restaurant!" She chuckled at her own silliness.

"Hmm," he said noncommittally, "what would be the chances of that, my wife?" He slowly leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss against her injured forehead. "There…all better," he teased, mocking the way she treated Spock’s minor injuries, which he always told her was totally absurd, even for a human.

Amanda laughed, "It works for Spock!"

Sarek nodded begrudgingly, "It does seem to ease his discomfort. Shall we get you changed so you may get some more rest?"

"Nah," Amanda said, a mischievous smile crossing her lips, "I'm not that sleepy. I'm actually sort of keyed up. Besides," she began to finger the opening of Sarek’s robe, "we have some unfinished business to attend to." She grabbed a fistful of his clothes and pulled him down for a kiss.

Sarek followed willingly, then shifted their positions so they would be more comfortable, and accessible. The stranger’s last words suddenly floated through Sarek’s mind, "…value what you have…" Sarek pulled his wife tightly against him, and deepened their kiss. That was exactly what he intended to do.

The End