Title: SOLIDARITY
Author: T'Lin ( LinkyS@aol.com )
Series: ENT
Code: T'Pol/Sato
Rating: PG-13
Summary: T'Pol offers to help Sato overcome her fear of the unknown.
Warning: This story takes place after "Fight or Flight" and contains spoilers for "Breaking the Ice". Although it has no sex in it, it does focus on the beginnings of a f/f relationship. If this isn't your thing, I suggest you look elsewhere for your reading material.
Note: Written for Round IV of the Femme Fuh-Q Fest - http://www.geocities.com/femme_fuhq_fest/
Archiving: FFF, ASC/EM enterpriseslash and my own site - http://www.geocities.com/tlin_s/ - all others, please ask first.
Feedback: Gladly accepted ... private or public ... no flames please.
Disclaimer: Paramount, Viacom, whomever, own the STAR TREK universe, I'm just borrowing the gals for a little harmless fun. I promise to return them when I'm done. I make no money off of this, it is all in fun ... no copyright infringement is intended. This original story is ŠT'Lin, 10 November, 2001.
by T'Lin 0111.10
It was Gamma Shift. A skeleton crew manned the bridge while the Captain and the rest of Alpha Shift slept. That is, all of Alpha Shift except for Ensign Hoshi Sato and Sub-Commander T'Pol. Sato and T'Pol were deep in conversation ... a conversation only they could understand.
For Hoshi, it was a chance to hone her skill and improve her dialect ... for T'Pol, it just made conversation easier. She no longer needed to translate every word ... a necessity that resulted in her speech patterns having a rather abrupt quality to them. But in Vulcan, her words flowed easily, and Hoshi noted that the sharp edge, that many associated with 'bitchiness', was missing.
They had been in conversation for many hours, 'getting to know each other' as it were. The conversation started simply ... talking about home, family, childhood experiences and the like. Eventually, Hoshi told T'Pol about her request to go home.
She said how her recent experience made her realized she did not belong in space. Yet when she asked the Captain to bring her home, he pointed out how valuable she was, and asked her to reconsider. She agreed to stick by her decision to join the crew, but reluctantly ... after all, her linguistic skills were needed out here.
T'Pol could sense her fear, even in the abstract. Who knew what would happen the next time they came across some unknown horror. She knew that Hoshi would have to overcome this fear, if she was to survive and not endanger the rest of the crew. So, in T'Pol's mind, there was only one solution ... she would have to teach Hoshi arie'mnu.
Of course, in order to do that, she would have to propose a mind meld ... an ability that the Vulcans had kept from the humans. The reasoning behind this secrecy? The assumption that the humans would fear such a display of mind control, and banish the Vulcans from their planet.
Regardless of what Vulcan High Command thought, she had been put in a position of responsibility for this crew ... and would have to evaluate the situation based on her own observations of what she thought their reaction to such knowledge would be. Although the Captain and Mister Tucker would most likely have a negative reaction to such knowledge, she was not so sure of about the rest of the command staff.
Keeping this in mind, she resigned herself to opening her mind to Hoshi, if she was receptive to the idea. That is, if she could devise a way of introducing the technique without setting off more alarm bells in Hoshi's oversensitive psyche.
T'Pol theorized that the best way to go about this was to proceed slowly. Let Hoshi experience a brief, mild, mind touch ... then give her time to think about the experience. Bracing herself both physically and mentally, she said, "Hoshi, there is a technique I can teach you, to help you handle your fears."
She paused a moment, trying to gauge Hoshi's response. Seeing only curiosity, she continued, "Before I can teach you this technique, however, there is something I must tell you about Vulcans."
The curiosity changed to suspicion, as Hoshi asked, "And what would that be?" She had always known that Vulcans kept secrets from humans, but she had never been one to actively discover what those secrets were. For some unknown reason, she had always been a bit reluctant to discover the truth.
T'Pol looked her in the eye, and saw the reluctance there. Suddenly, she stood and began to pace across the small room. When she finally spoke, it was as if she had abruptly changed the subject. "Tell me Hoshi, have you had much contact with Vulcans?"
"Aside from you? Not really. One student last semester, and a few conversations since I agreed to join the Star Fleet five years ago." Curiosity once again overcame her suspicion.
"Yes, that is very limited exposure, considering how long we have been on Earth," T'Pol observed. There was a slight hesitation, then she continued, "With such limited contact, you may not have noticed this, but Vulcans avoid physical contact whenever possible."
"Yes, I had heard that ... there are a great many theories as to why. Some not very nice," Hoshi added, a bit embarrassed, "if you know what I mean."
"Yes, I have heard many of these theories. I assure you, none of them are correct," T'Pol said, as she returned to the chair she had vacated just moments before. Once again facing Hoshi, she continued, "What I am about to tell you is confidential. I do not know why the Vulcan High Council has chosen to keep this information from humans, but they have. Personally," she amended, "I see no logical reason for this information to remain between just the two of us, but for the time being, I must insist that it does." T'Pol paused, waiting for Hoshi's answer.
Realizing that T'Pol would not go on without some kind of assurance from her, Hoshi said, "Until I know what it is you have to tell me, I cannot agree one hundred percent." Obviously, this would not suffice, so she added, "Very well ... as long as I am convinced that this information presents no threat to the ship or crew, it will remain confidential."
"I assure you, there is no threat." T'Pol took a deep breath before continuing. "Vulcans avoid physical contact because we are touch telepaths." Seeing no strong reaction to this news, T'Pol continued, "We are also able to experience one another's thoughts and emotions by the means of a 'mind-meld'."
This made Hoshi react. "What are you trying to tell me here? That through contact you can read peoples minds? That by 'melding' you can control others? Is that how you plan to help me 'handle' my fear?" Her fear of the unknown was once again starting to consume her, although she tried to keep it under control. She could understand why the Vulcans had kept this from humans if the implications where all that she feared.
"No, it is nothing so simple as that," T'Pol assured her, as she tried to ease her anxiety, "and nothing to fear. Physical contact, especially when unprepared for it, can result in the transfer of thoughts and or emotions, but they are seldom very organized. If I were to accidently brush my hand against yours, I would, at most, sense your surface thoughts, but nothing more." Seeing Hoshi relax slightly, she continued, "If I were working with you, and expecting to come into contact, I would not sense anything from such a brief touch. You have nothing to fear in that regard."
T'Pol watched Hoshi for a few seconds, to make sure that she had convinced her that she posed no threat before continuing with the explanation of the meld ... a task that would prove a bit more difficult, she was sure. "A mind-meld is different. It cannot be initiated accidentally, or without the consent of both parties. There are many levels to melding, depending on the reason for the meld, and the relationship of those involved."
As she hesitated on how best to continue, Hoshi said, "You said you could help me overcome my fears. Tell me, do you propose to use this 'mind-meld' to brainwash me in some way?" She was trembling with the implications of such a meld, and the memories of the mind-control experiments she had read about in her history lessons. The prospect of her mind being controlled by someone else sent shivers down her spine.
T'Pol could see the fear radiating from her, and realized she had best explain the limitations of the mind-meld before Hoshi bolted from her cabin in fear. "No, I assure you, I mean nothing of the sort. There are limits to what I can and cannot do through a mind-meld. As I said, there is a technique I can teach you, whereby you can control your own fear. It is called 'arie'mnu' -- the closest English translation would be 'passions mastery'. In order to teach you, I would need to establish a teaching meld."
Hoshi was skeptical. The idea of opening her mind to T'Pol was almost as frightening to her as anything she had encountered in space. "I don't know ..." she started, but was interrupted by T'Pol.
"Before you decide against my proposal, allow me to initiate a low-level meld. One where surface thoughts and emotions can pass between us, but nothing more." T'Pol paused to assess Hoshi's reaction to the proposed meld, then pressed forward, not wanting to lose the slight advantage she seemed to have at the moment. "Afterwards, you can decide whether or not you wish for a deeper meld, and instruction in mental control over your own fears and emotions."
Hoshi was torn between curiosity and fear. Intellectually, she knew that this experience was the kind of thing she was here for ... after all, she was a communications specialist, and telepathic communications fell under her jurisdiction. In the end, her curiosity won out. She braced herself, as she said, "Very well, but if I ask, will you stop the meld?"
"Of course. It is against our code to forcibly meld with another being." The mistrust left Hoshi's eyes, apparently that simple admission was all she needed. T'Pol said, "Relax, and clear your mind," as she mentally prepared herself for the meld. She had never initiated a meld with a human, and was unsure if anyone ever had ... suddenly, she was uncertain if it would even work with the non-telepathic race, but she could not allow her own uncertainty over the outcome to color her thoughts now.
Speaking quietly, she explained the principle behind the meld, placing the fingers of her right hand on the meld points of Hoshi's face as she did. Intoning the ritual words, her mind lightly brushed against the others. Hoshi gasped as the contact was made, and T'Pol heard it, as well as sensed the emotions flowing through her.
T'Pol did nothing to frighten Hoshi, but opened her own mind to let Hoshi explore at her leisure. As it was, Hoshi's surface thoughts were enough to let T'Pol know she was no longer frightened by the prospect of a meld ... at least not from T'Pol. She sensed wonder and curiosity, trust and desire. This last caught T'Pol by surprise, and she instinctively probed Hoshi's mind to discover if she were the source of the emotion.
At her mental intrusion, Hoshi's emotions changed slightly. When T'Pol realized that it was embarrassment she was now feeling, she sent comforting thoughts, letting her know that there was no need for embarrassment. She not only understood her desire, she shared it, in her own way.
Once Hoshi's personal anxiety was assuaged, T'Pol started to dissolve the meld. T'Pol was convinced that if they remained in the meld much longer, they would start to examine these emotions that neither were ready to contemplate just yet.
Hoshi was surprised by her tears, and even more so by T'Pol's fingers lightly brushing them from her cheek. "I'm sorry, T'Pol," she said, as she abruptly pulled away from the Vulcan and stood up. She had not intended for T'Pol to know of her desire, assuming that the Vulcan would find such a relationship illogical. But seeing that T'Pol shared her desire, yet was unwilling to act on it, was almost too much for her to bear right now. Hoshi stood, looking out at the stars, when she heard T'Pol close behind her saying, "There is nothing to apologize for."
"Isn't there?" Hoshi asked, as she turned to face T'Pol. She was startled to see her standing so close, and wanted to reach out and touch her, but held back, seeing the reluctance in the Vulcan's eyes.
"No." There was a slight smile on T'Pol's lips as she said this, but it left as quickly as it appeared. "It is late. Think on what I have told you this night, and what I have offered. I will not press you now for an answer, but remember that a teaching meld is far stronger and deeper than what we just shared." T'Pol did not go on, knowing that Hoshi already knew the implications of a deeper meld.
"I will tell you now that I would like to learn from you." Seeing T'Pol's slight nod of approval, Hoshi added, "You do realize that I had no intention of telling you of my feelings for you, and from your reaction, I can only assume that you had no intention of telling me of yours. Will it be possible for you to teach me, without these emotions getting in the way?"
"You are correct that I had no plans of revealing my desire for you, but not for the reason you may think." T'Pol paused, contemplating whether or not this was the time to tell Hoshi of her betrothed, but until that issue was resolved one way or another, she would keep it to herself. Instead, she said,"Of course, now that we know of our mutual desire, the circumstances are forever altered. Unfortunately, the situation is a bit complicated, but if you will bear with me, I believe a solution will present itself eventually."
"Of course ... as the saying goes, we hardly know each other. Let's become friends, and if our relationship is to develop further, it will. In the meantime, you can teach me how to control my emotional response to scary situations," and with a mischievous smile, added, "and I'll try not to get too aroused by the physical contact."
Hoshi's smile was mirrored in T'Pol's eyes, and in a sudden impulse, T'Pol reached across to Hoshi and lightly touched her cheek with her extended fingers, saying, "You will not be alone in your efforts." keeping the contact feather light, she quickly removed her hand and backed away. Stepping toward the door, she added, "Good night, my friend. Sleep well. We will start your lessons whenever you feel comfortable doing so."
"Good night, T'Pol ... we can discuss my lessons over breakfast, if you'd like."
"That would be satisfactory." And with that, T'Pol left Hoshi's quarters, knowing that the rest of her sleep cycle would be spent in meditation over her future with Koss. She had postponed their bonding when she had decided to stay with the ENTERPRISE, but it was her duty to join with him eventually. How could she justify a relationship with Hoshi in light of her duty to her betrothed, no matter how little desire she has for fulfilling that duty.
She did not know how to resolve this dilemma, but she would ... for it was the only way that she and Hoshi would find happiness ... and above all else, she wished to make Hoshi happy.
The End