Romulani ite domum

Posted on Sat May 12th, 2018 @ 9:34am by Lieutenant T'Pral

810 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Pulling Together
Location: Vulcan

ON:

[Vulcan]

The door to the home opened and T'Pral stepped out, using the railing to steady herself. She turned back to the couple loitering just inside the jamb. "Live long and prosper," she offered, with the accompanying salute. "Thank you for your hospitality, and the information."

"Peace, and long life," the male returned with his own salute. The female simply nodded before they retreated within.

The door closed and T'Pral turned back to the street. She extended her collapsible cane and leaned upon it, her gaze slowly panning across, taking in the town, and reflecting on what she had learned.

The family had been friendly, and were quite willing to share with her their story. They were Romulan refugees, part of a group that had arrived on Vulcan fifteen Earth-years prior. The Romulan way of life had always seemed deeply flawed, and Ambassador Spock's unification efforts intrigued them. Now, they were fully integrated into their Vulcan community. So much so that, at passing glance, one wouldn't tell the difference. Their oldest son was even undergoing Kolinahr.

But their integration was not entirely agreeable. A certain group, calling themselves Guardians of Surak, had harassed them. They were told to return to Romulus, that they had no home on Vulcan. They were not wanted. At first, they almost did so. They did not expect that sort of welcome, given what Ambassador Spock had told them. But soon they came to realize that the Guardians were an outlier. As more and more Romulan families settled on the planet, the Guardians' arguments became less personal, and more general. Now, they simply spoke against the Romulan "threat".

T'Pral's panning gaze paused upon the ruined statue to Spock. These Romulans idolized him. why would they destroy a monument they likely erected? She decided she had to hear for herself what the Guardians had to say.

Finally moving again, T'Pral made her way through the town. While each home had their own connection to the planetary information net, there were also public kiosks peppered in strategic locations. Just in case one needed a shuttle schedule at the last minute, for example. She gravitated towards one, pulling up what she could find on the Guardians of Surak.

The analysis she found was worrisome, if one was prone to such emotions. While everyday Vulcans ignored them in their day-to-day lives, there was an undercurrent of concern. Some suggested that the Guardians could become violent, but more logical arguments dismissed that outright, saying that there was zero evidence for that conclusion, and that all Vulcans were welcome to speak their mind and debate opinion.

She decided she had to see it in person. It didn't take long for her to find an announcement for a public discourse that very day.

[Later]

The Vulcan male, garbed in ancient and traditional robes, his hair tonsured and cropped exceedingly neatly, stood upon the dais. His hands were tucked neatly within his sleeves in front of him, the sharp angle of his arms not unlike the folded handle to a teapot. The only adornment upon his person was a medallion emblazoned with Surak's name in Vulcan script. He was speaking, his voice echoing across the square so all could hear. It was a deliberate design, one maximizing communication potential without the need for technology.

"...the Romulan scourge upon our planet must cease," he was saying. The crowd gathered before him murmured quietly. T'Pral couldn't tell whether it was approval or not; logic suggested it was a mix. "Their duplicity is known, and inflexible. See how they warred with one another on stardate 56845. That nature has no home on Vulcan. It will corrupt our way of life! Romulans know not Surak's teachings, they know not of logic. If we are not vigilant, Vulcan will become as Romulus. Logic forgotten. We will return to the dark times, before our Awakening. Those who marched beneath the Raptor's wings are returning. Everything Surak fought for will be torn down. Ambassador Spock was an idealist, and a fool. His illogical love of Romulans invited them here, to our home. See how they repay him - by blowing up his statue!"

He continued like that for some time. T'Pral had heard enough, however. She limped away from the gathering and towards a transporter, her thoughts running through her mind. Pieces were beginning to fall into place, but there were still questions that needed to be answered. Namely, why are the Guardians blaming the explosion on the Romulans, a group who idolized Spock, and had likely erected the statue themselves? She needed more heads.

Reaching the transporter, she made a decision. She used the terminal to scan the planet for human life-signs. Selecting the most logical group to be her crewmates, she entered the coordinates and vanished in a cloud of orange light.

OFF:

Lt T'Pral
Chief Engineer
USS Calypso

 

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