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From: "Sileya" <sil@sileya.net>
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Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2004 12:27:21 -0600
Subject: [ASCEM-S] NEW CORR: It's All Relative [TOS, Sa/Am, Soran, Al, Nel, T'Sar, K, S/NC-17] 5/8
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PART 5 [CORRECTED VERSION]

Disclaimers in Part 1

Spock exited the turbolift - after being called away to attend to a matter
on the way to the mess hall with his grandparents - and turned right.  A
good twenty meters from the door of the mess hall, he heard a familiar voice
at quite a high decibel level.

"What the hell is this crap on my plate?"

Spock took a deep breath and squared his shoulders purposefully before
entering the mess hall, walking swiftly toward his grandparent's table to
rescue the yeoman.

"I ordered the steak!" Al yelled.

The yeoman, quite shaken, said, "Sir, we were informed that you wanted baked
monkfish."

Al looked at the crewman, then back at his plate with disgust.  "Monkfish?
I don't even know what a monkfish is!" the elder Grayson yelled.

"Yeoman, what seems to be the difficulty?" Spock asked.

"No difficulty, sir.  I was misinformed.  I will put in an order for steak
immediately."  He turned back to Al and asked, "How would you like that
prepared, sir?"

"As rare as you can make it without it walking up to the table!  Just stun
it and throw her on my plate."

The thought of anyone eating meat in that fashion made Spock slightly
queasy.

His grandmother entered the fray.  "No way, you old coot!  You're getting
the monkfish just like I ordered for you!"

Al looked at his wife with astonishment.  "What did you go and order that
for?"

"Because your blood pressure is through the ceiling!"  She folded her arms
across her chest, daring him to refute her.

Al sat back in his chair. "Aw, there's nothing wrong with my blood
pressure," he said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.  "Ever since I
had my last physical she's been on me about every single thing I eat.  I
mean, I'm 80 years old, and I've done okay for this long."

The yeoman scampered off to get Al's steak before the couple got into it
again.  As the elder Grayson was waiting for his steak, he ate a forkful of
monkfish.  "Hey, this is pretty good!"

Nell rolled her eyes.  "Of course it's good.  That's why I ordered it for
you!"

Spock sat in the vacant chair beside Amanda who thought it would be wise to
change the subject so her son would be included in the conversation.  "I was
just telling Mom about Sarek's mission."

"Yeah, the Mission from Hell," Al interjected.

Spock nodded and said, "I must agree that it is fraught with difficulties.
I am certain that Father and Soran will formulate a solution."

"When Hell freezes over," Al interrupted.

"Dad!  On the other hand, you might be right," she sighed.

Nell patted her daughter on the arm and said, "It can't be that bad, dear."

"I've never known my father to be so... unsettled," Spock added.

Even Al sobered for a minute.  "If Sarek and Soran are admitting that it's
bad, it's probably ten times worse than that."  Then the elder Grayson's
face brightened as he slapped Spock on the back.  "You know, Spock, you
might be able to help your father out."

Spock shook his head.  "I have no experience with diplomacy."

"Diplomacy is in your BLOOD, boy.  You practically grew up in your father's
study.  How about that time you told me you melded with a boulder?"

"It was a Horta, Grandfather."

"Well, whatever it was."

Spock came as close to sighing as he had all day.  "I do not see how,
Grandfather.  I am at a loss as to the nature of the problem as well, and I
cannot see how I can be of assistance."

Just then, Soran entered the officer's mess hall and quickly found his
k'war'ma'khon (family by choice).  "Spock, may I have a word with you,
privately?" he asked.

Spock looked up from his pok tar, intrigued by the intense light in Soran's
eyes.  "Certainly, Toz-ot (Uncle)."  He rose and the two walked to the
opposite end of the mostly-deserted mess hall.  There they each took a
chair, moving it away from the table so they could sit directly across from
each other, knees only centimeters apart and completely focused on what the
other had to say.

"Your father and I require your assistance," Soran said.  "We request the
use of a conference room on board the Enterprise, and we need you, as well."

Spock's eyes widened.  Sarek needed him?  "Naturally I will be of assistance
in any way I can.  I must clear it with Captain Kirk, of course, but I see
no difficulty with using the Enterprise to hold your conference.  What do
you want of me, though?"

"We believe that the Cellesians do not respect us because we have not
involved our family in the negotiations.  We need family members to join us
at the table.  Because of the women, namely your mother and grandmother, it
was decided to hold the meetings on board the ship for their safety."

Spock looked at his father's best friend skeptically.  "I cannot imagine
Sarek asking for my help during negotiations."

"Actually, it is only your presence that is required, but, frankly, I think
you can offer much more than that to the effort.  You have a natural ease
with emotional beings that Sarek and I have never been able to master, no
doubt from being half Te'hran, but I believe it would be useful here."
Soran leaned closer to the Starfleet officer.  "Spock, your father's
confidence is low.  He is evaluating his lack of effectiveness as a
negotiator, and he believes that he should retire permanently.  I am.
concerned for him."

Spock was stunned.  His father having doubts?  The same ones he'd been
plagued with all of his life?

Spock leaned forward, his voice low and strained.  "My father is known
throughout the galaxy for his 'effectiveness' as Ambassador.  He was
instrumental in Coridan's admission to the Federation; he has been working
with the Legarans for the past twenty years - nineteen years longer than
anyone else.  How could he possibly question his value to the Federation and
to Vulcan?"

Soran shrugged slightly.  "Everyone doubts themselves at some point,
Spock-kam.  Your father is no exception, but this time I fear he may be
beyond recovery.  I am uncertain as to why, but he is taking this particular
mission very personally."

Spock was silent, contemplating this news.  He had never in his life
considered Sarek as being fallible, as illogical as that might be.  Which
was better?  A father who is always confident and stubborn, or one who had
the same faults as his son?  Spock wasn't sure.  "I will do all that I can,
Soran-al.  You know that."

"Yes, Spock-kam, I do."  Soran took a deep breath, relieved that the boy he
knew hadn't changed in all these years away from home.  "We are adorning our
ceremonial robes with our Clan jewels and badges of office.  I think it
would be appropriate for you to wear your dress uniform with all of your
medals, and I believe a tour of the ship would also be in order.  They made
quite a show of displaying and explaining their weapons to us."

Spock nodded his acceptance, bowing his head slightly in respect.  Soran
glanced over at the table, then back at Spock.  "I will release you back to
your meal, Spock-kam.  From the look on Amanda's face I believe she will
demand an explanation, and I will give you that privilege." His eyes
twinkled with amusement.

"Will you not be joining us, Soran-al?"

"I think not.  I have some preparations to make, and I believe some private
time with my bondmate is in order."  They stood and Soran bowed slightly to
Spock, who returned the gesture.  He then departed the room.

Spock hadn't even reached his seat before his mother and grandfather began
firing questions at him.  He ignored them while he patiently made himself
comfortable.  Slowly Spock began enjoying his pok tar again, savoring each
bite as his mother began to drum her fingers on the table impatiently.

"Spock!" she finally exploded.

He looked at her innocently.  "Yes, Ko-mekh?"

Amanda blew out a deep breath, counting backwards from ten in her mind.  "I
don't find that funny when your father does it, and I don't find it funny
now!"

"What would that be, Mother?"  When he knew his mother was about to become
very upset, he relented.  "Ah, you want to know what Soran had to say,"
Spock stated, wasting more time.  "No matter, since I believe you will be
told of this later anyway.  We will all be in attendance at the next
negotiations, which Sarek is hosting here on ship."

"That's it?"  Amanda shook her head.  "Well, great!  I think it's a
wonderful idea, but I don't see why you two had to act so secretive about
it."

"You shoulda spanked that boy more, Mandy."  Al glared at Spock across the
table.  "I've always said that.  Nothing wrong with a little slap on the
bottom to keep a kid in line."

Spock resumed eating his meal, an effective method he'd learned to hide a
rogue smile.

~~**~~




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