Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or any of its characters which are owned by CBS and Paramount.

Prologue

The little boy scurried over to his mother. His small arms were outstretched, reaching for her. She scooped him up in her arms to inspect his injuries. She noted only minor lacerations. He had been exploring on his own outside their home when he had fallen. Red dirt was embedded in the scrapes on his knees, and green blood was beginning to surface. He was endeavoring to control his emotions, but the sting of the injuries was too much. Two large tears – one in each eye – threatened to fall at the slightest provocation.

She placed him down next to her on the bench where she sat overlooking the desert landscape beyond their home. Looking down at him she began to speak in a gentle tone. "Soval, what does Surak teach us about pain?"

The little boy looked up slowly as to not dislodge the tears. "He teaches us not to feel it," he said.

"No," she corrected. "He teaches us to perceive it; to endure it, but to not let it control you. The pain is real, but you have the power to suppress it." She said.

The little boy closed his eyes. His face contorted for a moment before he smoothed his features. The two tears rolled down his cheeks, but no more followed. He was concentrating intently on the task when a tall male from inside the house approached the little boy and his mother outside. His boots clicked on the tiles of the patio where they sat on the bench.

"T'Rysa, you coddle him. You must desist in this." He stopped, as he looked at the little boy's face taking notice of the tearstains. His face was severe and unmoving. "Tears," he stated. "His emotions are unbalanced. His cannot control them," he said, his tone condescending. "This is not the first time."

"He is young still. Barely a child, Strev. His control will strengthen in time," she said looking up at her husband.

"He is too much like you," he said. His face was as unflinching as stone as he turned on his heel and walked back toward the house.

T'Rysa waited until Strev was back inside before she spoke again. "My beloved," she whispered as she knelt before the little boy. "You must learn to control your emotions. In moments you cannot you must learn to mask them from others. For now I will give you the strength," she said. Her face was serene; however he could see intensity behind her gaze. She raised her right hand and placed her fingers gently on his face. She aligned her index and middle fingers with his temple and rested her thumb on his chin. The little boy's brown eyes were wide as he stared into his mother's green ones.

"You must never tell anyone about this. Not even your Father," she said staring at him. He nodded looking contrite. Holding his face, she began, "My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts… Our minds are one."

Suddenly his thoughts opened like an endless desert stretching in all directions. He was not alone. He could not comprehend it, but he could feel his mother's presence in his mind. A rush of sensations engulfed him and for a moment he felt as though he was drowning in them. When he remembered to breath he was overwhelmed by feelings of love and warmth. All the emotions he had never seen his mother express. Emotions he never knew she felt in this abundance. She channeled them into him. He instantly felt a calm and tranquility he never felt before. It gave him strength. When she determined it was enough she ended the connection gently letting her fingers fall from his face. She was breathing hard. The little boy placed one of his small hands over hers and slowly she stilled.

"You must promise me to never speak of this to anyone. It is a long forgotten birthright from the time of Surak. But many have grown to fear it since," she said. "This gift lives inside of you as well." She stated staring into his eyes as she stood up.

"I promise," he said looking up at her.

It would be many years later before he would break that vow.

1. The Beginning

Soval looked in the mirror. A tall, imposing Vulcan with gray hair and brown eyes stared back at him. He studied the lines of his face. It was true he was well past his youth, but he was not yet old. At least not by Vulcan standards. But by what had transpired only five days prior he certainly felt so.

He was aboard a D-Kyr class Vulcan Convoy ship. They were two days out from their scheduled return to Earth. While he had been on Vulcan he had released T'Amara, his wife, from their marriage bond. She had called for the kal-if-fee. He did not want to challenge her decision. So he simply released her from their marriage. He had felt betrayal and anger, but he knew it was not logical to keep her in their marriage when she desired only to end it. There was no love between them. No affection. Only duty. His father and her family arranged their betrothal early in their childhood shortly after his mother had left. He wondered if she had stayed whether it may have been different.

He had to give T'Amara some due respect. She had stayed with him for many years. Even after he became the Vulcan Ambassador to United Earth. She had endured his first pon farr. And the ones that followed. She also bore him a daughter. But living on Earth proved too challenging for her. She returned to Vulcan after their third year on Earth. She had said she wanted their daughter raised on Vulcan. It was logical. But as Ambassador he continued to retain a permanent residence on Earth. They still met, but only sporadically, and for his time. It was not a marriage. At least not one the one he had envisioned.

After she left; he was alone. He was an outlander in a strange world. But as the Vulcan Ambassador, he had no choice but to ingratiate himself with the Humans. It was not as difficult as he had anticipated. In time, over many years, an unexpected affinity for Earth blossomed in the void. He found the Humans to be exhausting most of the time, but also surprisingly resilient and forgiving. The near constant contact with them required him to meditate often to maintain his emotional equilibrium. Sometimes his control slipped. But the Humans rarely seemed to notice. They were too busy wearing their own emotions in plain sight for all to see.

Over the years, he developed a rapport with Admiral Forrest of Starfleet of United Earth. Though he was a human, his quiet nature was agreeable to Soval. In the years that they worked together Soval found he rarely let his emotions guide his actions; often taking time for thoughtful evaluation. Soval admired his control. It was commendable, especially for a human. But now was one of the rare occasions Soval was at odds with Forrest. He needed to speak to with him.

Author's Note: So this is my first published fic so I'm still learning. I'm trying to stick to canon as much as possible as far as timeline for established events from the show. But I plan on exploring a lot of different circumstances and events through other characters. Reviews are always welcome and thank you for reading. Enjoy!