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Summary: Before they were known as The Romulans, they called themselves the Rihannsu. For nearly one hundred years they journeyed from star to star searching for a new home. Here is a tale of shipboard life, twenty-five years into their exodus from Vulcan.
Many thanks to my friends at the Bluemoon Treksmut sweatshop for all their encouragement in my writing endeavors.
Disclaimer: Well, Gene Rodenberry gave us the Romulans, but Diane Duane gave us the Rihannsu. Vorik was Jeri Taylor?s creation, but Vorik the muse just seems to follow me where ever I go.
Note on this series. Not sure if it will be titled the Ghost of ch?Rihan or before they were Romulans. Either way, this is one in a string of stories, which depicts the lives of Romulans and Vulcans. You might even call it fringe or miscellaneous Star Trek.
Marriage in Exodus
As her hand gripped the well-worn metal railing, the uncertain bride took in a deep breath attempting to calm herself. The intermittent rattle and hum of her home ship grated on her already overwrought nerves. If it got any louder, she thought to herself, they might not hear those equally annoying chimes. She knew they were there, waiting for her. The gentle murmurs of the gathering of family and well wishers only added to her trepidation.
Here she was, at the appointed time, the appointed place and she hated these shoes! They pinched her feet as she walked, causing each step to burn like fire. They had been her mother's, and were well suited to HER long thin feet. But, T'Lea of the Res'thru house acquiesced to her family and donned the traditional garb. The young Rihanha ruefully thought to herself: if nothing else feels right about this day, at least the dress fits well. This short, shimmering, gown resembled the ice-capped peaks of their left-behind home world. Passed from mother to daughter, this silver cloth has, for generations, served as a symbol. It represented the cooling-ice the Vulkansu female offers to her male during these fiery raptures. For all of her life, she had looked forward to this bonding day with great joy and anticipation.
The deep boom of the gong rippled her spine. That sound was her intended: calling to her, demanding her presence. Again, T?Lea took in a deep breath attempting to collect her wits. The tinkling of the bells began, signaling her entrance to the ceremony. With their prize carefully guarded in the center, the marriage litter solemnly descended the stairs.
When she saw the decorations, she felt enormous gratitude. Many had gone to great lengths to transform this drab room into a festival. Strewn in ribbons and banners, the great vaulted ceiling looked less like a rickety space ship and more like the great halls of their home planet she had read about in her novels. Everywhere were the insignias of their family, ancient symbols of life and light, even flowers from the hydroponics bay bedecked the normally spare walls of the metal plated interior hull. Tables were laden with food and gifts. The guests wore the finest this exodus had to offer. All eyes turned to her as he made her entrance.
She had spent the morning preparing for this joining. Despite her attempts to concentrate upon the sanctity of this ceremony, illicit thoughts continually fleeted in her mind. The usually somber woman had to force herself to rationality. Over and over in her mind she told herself: this was the right course, the right choice for her life.
This pairing had been arranged during their childhood. They shared similar
values. Their personalities were compatible. There was a comfort
in the presence of the other. No trying, no nervousness, they were as close
as brother and sister.
If this was so right, then what was this dread in her stomach?
A twinging of her insides, sweaty palms, something whispered inside
of her: this is a mistake! Her upper lip beaded with perspiration.
This burning had lasted for five days. The onset occurred while she was
on an errand at the far side of the ship. It was an errand that had taken
more time than expected. It was an errand that had turned into more than
she had ever dreamed possible
She had never longed for the fire of passion. Her mind leaned toward
the practical. The foibles of love and lust had no part in the path
of her life. But yet, and the sudden inkling of "him" caused her stomach
to twist. She had been a coward to abandon him. But she had had no choice.
Her honor was at stake. The very face of her family needed to be preserved.
If she were any respectable daughter of this house, she had to turn her
back on that young man. Who was he anyway? Merely the son of a bakery woman.
No one. No clan. No house. Nothing to offer her, except everything.
Her throat tightened at her sudden thoughts. He only had everything to
offer her. Everything she now wanted, he held in his hands. But this one
who awaited her today at the end of her walk, he offered her this world.
But she found herself no longer desiring it.
Once at the foot of the stairs, T?Lea finally felt the full impact of the crowd. It was a sea of faces, many were familiar, but a few were foreign. Many came to witness this joining. It was not an important one. But any celebration on this tiny ship was an open invitation for all Rihannsu. At the far end of her march was her betrothed, flanked by his family and best friends. The smile on his face revealed his great joy of her arrival. Pangs of guilt swept through her as she saw his beaming smile. How she wished she shared in his enthusiasm too.
That will pass. She told herself. All will sort itself out, once you
get back to your usual life. That fling is over. That dabbling in the passions
is gone. It was not real. She had nearly convinced herself, until.
A face.
A face she had seen in her dreams these past two nights. Bedclothes
soaked in sweat, hands clenched in the sheets, thighs pressed together,
T?Lea writhed and moaned through the nights. As the instincts swept
through her body, it had been his face at the front of her mind. Her own
mother had come into her room after hearing her cries in the night. The
night before her bonding, she had been crying and burning for another.
But the fires were beginning to subside. Every day was less difficult than
the previous. The worst was over.
But was that his face?
Her gaze scrutinized the sea of faces. Then someone shoved their way to the front of the crowd. Her heart stooped, her throat tightened and she choked back a sob. As her eyes brimmed with tears and her lower lips quivered. A flurry of emotions passed through her as she recognized the face. He is here!
He wore the traditional garb of the challenger: a wide opened tunic
and bare feet. With his lirpa gripped at his side, he stared hard into
her face. The woman beside him gave him a look and asked whom he thought
he was. But neither of the lovers noticed. They only saw each other.
He silently mouthed the word, challenge.
T'Lea shook her head quickly, conveying a negative answer. But the intensity
of his dark eyes and his look of longing changed her mind in a split second.
He again mouthed the word, challenge.
Suddenly all was clear to T'Lea. Hope lifted her despair. She pursed
her lips together and she nodded her assent. Very slowly, she glided past
the crowd then halted before her groom. Though T?Lea looked upon her intended,
all she could feel were the eyes of her heart's master, piercing into her
back.
This one before her was the symbol of her world, her entrance into adulthood.
But now everything had changed. Tr'Vel was his name. He had known her since
childhood. His eyes swept up and down her form. Her elegant silver garment
glittered in the dim lights of the place of marriage or challenge.
"I am here at the appointed place," his rough voice boldly announced.
With a sure hand, T'Lea's father handed tr'Vel the mallet. He swaggered up to the stand. Her heart raced in her body as she watched him approach. Now was the time.
Say it, she commanded herself.
She left her place and rushed up the podium.
"Kallifee!!!"
Tr'Vel looked at her in astonishment and nearly cried out, how dare
you! But the masked sentinels halted his approach with their deadly weapons.
His eyes shot her an angry look then he descended the podium. The
mallet now held limp in his hands. This man had never lost at anything.
Everything he touched was his. It was well deserved. He had the luck
of being born into a noble family. His honor was matched to his stature.
He was a born winner. Tr'Vel found that his desire for her magnified in
the face of this rejection. But his anger ruled his heart and hardened
it.
As T'Lea clasped her hands steadying her own nerves. She sauntered down
the aisle of onlookers, as she recited the ancient phrases.
"As it was in the beginning, as it will be for all of our tomorrows,
I chose this one." She halted her march right in front of the man who had
come to challenge.
He looked down upon her, admiring her bravery. Her hands longed to run over his bare chest, but she stayed her impulse. His intense gaze held hers and she stepped back, leading him into the center of the ring. Her groom stalked up to the pair.
In a harsh whisper he sneered, "You are not the only daughter
of your father!"
"I know," was her terse reply, but her eyes never left the challenger.
Tr?Vel glared at his rival and ripped off his own shirt as his plak tow rose. The ancient blood fever was at its height in both the men. Tr'Vel's provoked by his bond with T'Lea. The challenger?s induced by the two nights of intimacy with her.
As the men circled each other, T'Lea reminisced of her nights with this
stranger. How he had touched her soul as well as parts of her she
had never known existed.
She had been to the market place the far end of the ship. Her parents
had sent her off to purchase things for her new home. While surveying the
various delectables in the market place, her eye was drawn to a man behind
a window. He was in a bakery talking to a child. Her curiosity was
aroused and she entered the modest shop. When he looked at her, his eyes
captured her heart. Not usually at a loss of words, T?Lea was surprised
to find her words now stuck in her throat. After a firm swallow and a gentle
licking of her lips, she managed to stammer out that she would like a loaf
of bread.
When he asked her what kind, T'Lea had no idea. She had never shopped in this district before. The delicacies of this section reflected the population of the people and they were unfamiliar to her. Her people were from the southern continent. This was northern cuisine. As he began to speak to her, his deep voice was like music and she was entranced. They way he moved was easy and he seemed very comfortable in his soiled apron.
She noticed he wore a short sleeve shirt. The dark hair on his muscular
arms was lightly covered in flour and he brushed them off with his delicate
hands. They looked delicate in comparison to what she was used to. Her
father, brothers and even tr'Vel all had hands which were large and thick.
This man's were groomed and lean. A sudden image flashed through her mind
of his hands on her body. She had to shake herself back to concentrate
on his words.
His easy movements captivated her attention. Then he took full notice
of her. The reverence in his tone pleased her. Her higher nobility
was evident in her attire and the clan insignia embroidered on her purse.
Her lisping accent as well revealed the origin of her clan.
During these days of the exodus, most had put aside their old feuds
and conventions. Only to have others arise in their place. But for
the most part, the travelers got along, keeping their stations which had
been firmly established in millennia of life upon the mother planet of
T'Khasi.
T'Lea had been just a baby when she and her family had blasted off the
planet in their riveted ships. Technology and star charts ruthlessly taken
from their potential conquerors. She had been the last of her line born
on the home world and she would now be the first of her family to be married
here in the void.
His accent was that of a simple man from the North and, unlike her servants, this man looked her straight in the eye. He held her gaze and T?Lea found this visual contact exhilarating. Her heart would beat just a bit faster in anticipation of his gaze.
With her rich robes flowing about her, she felt conspicuous in her veil.
As she pulled it back from her face, the young baker watched with great
interest. T'Lea swore that his eyes lingered at her lips. He
quickly returned his attention back to the bread in the case.
She admitted to him that she has no idea about bread. Then he
laughed. His laughter was music to her ears. His deep slight chuckles caused
her to smile too. For the remainder of the workday, customers straggled
in and out, but she remained in the shop. Talking with him, even trying
her hand at kneading some dough.
But they never parted.
Towards closing time, his mother came in. When she saw this lady in
her shop, she merely winked to her son, saying, "Vorik, it is not necessary
to join me for end-meal today." She then left the pair alone. At
the end of the workday, he closed up the shop.
She stood by his side, enjoying the sight of him washing his hands
and forearms in his small basin. One hand rolled over the other, lathering
the soap. Again she envisioned those hands and a warm flush crept into
her face, as her heart beat rose.
"Are you ill, lady?" Vorik halted his washing, as he noticed her greened
face.
"No," she bashfully glanced down to her boots. "And please, it
is T'Lea." Her hands quickly hid her purse within the fold of her robes.
Vorik enjoyed her coy gestures. He had already noticed her clan insignia but it did not matter to him. He grew bold and presumed to ask, "I would be honored if you would dine with me this evening."
Well, that was both their undoing. By the end of the night, in a rush of animalistic passion, the two clutched at each other?s clothing. They would steal into alcoves, for a hungry taste of the other. Hands slid up sleeves and fingers tangled in hair, as they groped at each other.
His lips brushed her ear as he breathlessly whispered, "We could be
alone, if you so chose?"
Her voiced trembled as she answered, "I wish for that."
Her fingers outlined his lips and he sucked in his breath. That was
the beginning of the long walk to his chambers.
Once in his chambers, it was a flurry of kisses. Neither could slow down as the hunger and the deep passions swept them away. She smiled as he unbuttoned his tunic. T'Lea slipped off her rich robes and demurely stood before him in her thin shift. To Vorik, her hourglass form was perfect, youthful and ripe as her figure silhouetted in the dim light behind her.
Her hands lifted and she unclasped her hair. Vorik sighed as a
river of black tresses tumbled down her arms and swirled about her shoulders.
The intensely aroused man let go of his shirt and it landed on the floor
behind him. T?Lea quickly stepped towards him and her hands impulsively
ran over his bare chest.
His hands thrust into her hair, losing his fingers in the rivulets of
black. She pressed her hips to his and he moaned as she rubbed against
his bulge.
"I burn for thee," Vorik whispered breathlessly in between deep kisses.
"What is happening?" T'Lea barely got out. "I cannot stop."
Vorik gathered her in his arms and brought her to his bed. He gingerly
laid her down, then settled his body on top of hers. As she thrust her
fingers into his black silky hair, she pulled his face to hers. Her mouth
could not stay off his and her lips nipped at his in hungry kisses.
His hands found her curves, exploring her delicious body. Her legs parted
and one leg wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. Their need grew
urgent as the raptures consumed them.
Her body throbbed and her will dissolved as the madness descended.
With a force which shocked and pleased them both, T?Lea rolled them both
over. A shared, hearty laugh filled the room as she pinned his willing
body to the bed.
Her warm, delicate hands gently brushed over his face. An overwhelming
instinct to grasp his face surged up within her. It was a need just
as fierce as her desire to impale herself upon his hard shaft. Deep inside
of T?Lea was a great ache and she knew only he could relieve it.
In her eagerness, she pulled his pants off. Vorik lifted his hips off the bed to aid in her efforts. With Vorik now completely naked beneath her, she wanted to savor him. T?Lea?s fingers brushed over his arched brows, down the bridge of his nose, then over his lips. Her gaze swept down his body while he kissed her fingertips one by one. His supple green nipples peeked out of the sparse hair upon his chest and he moaned as she tweaked first one then the other.
He grasped her hand and gently kissed her palm. His other hand slipped to her panties and slowly peeled them to one side. Still garbed in her shift, T?Lea maneuvered on top of him. They both cried out as the tip of his shaft slid into her tight entrance. She cried out in pain as this first sundering of her virgin sex overwhelmed her senses.
Vorik had known pleasures before; dabbled in relations with other girls
but nothing like this. He knew the mechanics of the act but had never experienced
this degree of passion and emotions.
A film of sweat broke out all over his body. His body was an inferno,
burning as hot as the one on top of him. He clutched her tiny wrists in
his firm grasp, as she straddled his body. She moaned as she took him.
Then he shifted his hips and buried deeper into her body. She let out
a soft cry of pleasure then bit her lower lip. With little effort, he quickly
flipped her over onto her back. Her hair fanned out around her lovely,
green, flushed face. He took a long kiss from her mouth then traveled
down her body, suckling her breast.
She cried out, "Now! I burn!" And T?Lea struggled against his grasp.
His firm body hovered over hers. She shivered as her bloodfever grabbed
hold of her. Her frightened eyes and trembling lips reflected her inner
terrors as the uncontrollable instinct swept through her body and mind.
Vorik?s own fear was growing as well. But her begging to be relieved
inspired him further. Her pain was from arousal and she whimpered
to him to end her agony. He settled his weight on top of her. Those delicate
hands, which had captured her imagination now lovingly, brushed her hair
back from her face. Delicate kisses were shared.
Then she cried out and clenched her eyes tight, as he slipped in and
out of her body. He halted the intrusion, letting them catch their breath.
?Again,? was her breathless command.
He whispered for her to relax, then began the slow and unceasing rhythm
in and out of her body.
Once he released her hands, she grabbed a hold on his shoulder, steeling
herself against the pain. Once it subsided, her passions flowered. A mutual
rhythm was sought until they were an undulating wave of thrusting instinct.
Over and over he plunged into her body. She clutched him closer, holding
him to her body. T?Lea?s whimpers were unceasing as his steel shaft stabbed
and rammed at her inner bundle of nerves. Vorik moaned continuously, his
manhood swaddled in her flesh. They reached a frenzied pitch then cried
out with one mind-shattering scream. Their pace slackened as the
pleasure transformed into delicious ebb of euphoria. Warmth spread out
over their throbbing bodies and minds. Vorik fell on top of his beloved
as her legs fell to the sides. The victims of these raptures now thoroughly
spent.
It had been two nights of intermittent mating. They rode the madness,
as it ebbed and flowed between them. On the second morning, she felt
calm and believed it all to be over. She rolled over and looked upon his
handsome, sleeping face. She had to steal away otherwise she would never
be able to leave him. In their moments of lucidity, they had shared intimate
and personal information. He knew her name and family, but it did
not matter to him. There had been no promises, but she still felt that
it would have been easier for them both if she just slipped away.
Now the two men circled each other, the ancient fury contorting their
faces, as they fought for the right to claim T'Lea as their own. Vorik,
she knew, was fighting to be by her side. But tr?Vel was only fighting
for his wounded pride
Neither man was especially trained in this weapon, nothing beyond the
token lessons, which all males and females learned in their youth. But
as both men wielded their lirpas, swiping at the other, T'Lea grew fearful.
The ramifications of this battle began to fall heavy on her heart.
The death of tr'Vel might cause her father to seek retribution on Vorik,
despite the ancient laws of hands off after the kallifee. All T'Lea wanted
to do was to halt the fight, but she was powerless to do so.
The taller tr'Vel lunged at Vorik and struck a blow. A trembling T'Lea
gasped as the razor sliced through the skin, leaving a trail of a green
blood along his chest. The drawing of his own blood enraged Vorik
and he charged. He let out a blood-curdling cry trying to intimidate his
opponent. The taller man easily side swiped him again, but this time he
did not emerge from this clash without marks. Though Vorik over shot his
mark, he managed to draw blood from the man, as the razor sharp blade grazed
tr?Vel?s calf. He stumbled in his charge and tr'Vel aided Vorik's fall
to the ground with a blow from the blunt end of his lirpa.
Tr'Vel gave the downed man a kick then hopped on top of him. Vorik managed
to roll over before the man pinned him to the ground. Vorik felt the handle
of the lirpa press into his chest and had to abandon his hold on his weapon
to fend off this attacker. The crowd let out a groan as tr'Vel's knee rammed
him in the groin.
Vorik double up and tr'Vel quickly rolled off of him. With the blunt
end of his weapon he slammed it into the side of the groaning man's face.
Once, then twice he savagely struck him in the face.
?Mercy!? T'Lea cried out.
The fury faced man glanced over his shoulder and steeled his heart
to her. With his own fever now purged by the combat, he no longer desired
her. He tossed a last look at his defeated opponent and began to walk away.
He drew in a deep breath as he approached his prospective father-in-law.
"Finish it," was her father's utterance.
?No,? T?Lea whispered in despair.
Her heart dropped and all hope of a peaceful resolution slipped away with her father?s dreadful decree. An equally stunned tr'Vel halted his advance, astonishment passing over his face.
"It is our way," continued her father in a calm but loud voice for all
to hear. "No mercy! This man has dared claim that which I have lawfully
given you. If he lives, he will haunt you all your days . . .all of our
days. Finish it now. Either way, you WILL be my son." The stern faced father
glanced over to his next eldest daughter.
Tr'Vel snorted his agreement and stalked back to the man. In these
few moments of respite, Vorik had managed to get to his feet. Then
for what seemed an eternity the two men fought furiously for their lives.
The clashing of their metal blades and the thuds of the wooden handles
punctuated the pervading awestruck silence of the hall.
With the handles of their lirpas pressed together in this death struggle, the men?s faces were only inches apart.
"How do you know her anyway?? Tr?Vel spat out. ? I have never seen you. Unless..." Then tr'Vel's eyes grew larger as the truth hit him. The fog of the blood fever had finally cleared as the adrenaline rush of the battle gripped him instead. "You have tasted her!"
Vorik felt a rush of boldness as he leered at him. "And more." He used that momentary surprise to get under tr'Vel's guard and thrust him away.
Tr'Vel fell flat on his rear, stunned by the revelation and the thrust.
It was Vorik's only victory, though slight and fleeting. Tr'Vel was stronger,
larger and his muscles won out over Vorik's will
Vorik's arms and chest stung and burned with the multitude of cuts
and welts from tr'Vel's blade. Trickles then rivulets of deep green blood
wound their way down his limbs pooling into puddles upon the floor.
His forearms burned from wielding the weapon for so long. His thighs continued
to give out, as his muscles wrenched and charlie horsed from the unexpected
quick moves and prolonged activity. His legs continued to give out, no
long able to support his weight. His strikes grew fewer, weaker and
less sure. Finally an equally exhausted tr'Vel gained the upper hand. With
one full swipe, tr?Vel?s lirpa struck a lethal blow across Vorik's belly.
The razor sliced his flesh and his innards burst through.
"Vorik!" T'Lea cried out.
The mortally wounded man clasped his hands over his spilling flesh. His knees gave out and he sank to the floor. T?Lea?s anguish reached a fevered pitch as she ran across the room, slipping in the pools, skidding to her knees before him. Her arms went around him and she cradled him in her embrace. His green blood began to soak her sliver bonding dress. Tr'Vel towered over them both. His breathing heavy and rapid as his body trembled in the aftermath of his over exertions. Inside, he felt a mixture of relief and sorrows as he watched this painful death.
"You are released," was tr?Vel?s defeated announcement. His lirpa was thrown to the ground in a loud clatter, echoing in the silent room. "I would not be consort to one who has defied me and disgraced her family with this." He waited for her response, but her attention was fully upon the face of her beloved. In that moment, tr'Vel wondered what this power was between them.
He caught his breath, then whispered to she who had been his betrothed, "Have your last moment with him. He is dead!" T'Lea's eyes brimmed with tears at this pronouncement. Vorik?s breath gurgled as his mouth filled with deep, green-black blood.
Tr'Vel declared in a booming voice, "He is dead!" He gave his father-in-law
to be his due acknowledgment as he passed him by. T'Lea's father murmured
his approval, but travel did not halt his exit. Instead, he quietly thanked
his mother for the offer of her scarf. As he wiped spots of blood from
his face and hands, the crowd parted, allowing this losing champion to
leave the scene of his empty victory.
T'Lea cradled her lover in her arms. Vorik struggled for each final
breath, sputtering and coughing blood upon her silver gown. With his life
essence slick upon his paling lips, he gasped out his words.
"My mother.. . I told my mother of you." A spasm of coughs brought
more blood to his lips. Green rivers now flowed from his open belly.
Her heart's desire was slipping away before her eyes. She sobbed all
the while her lips kissed his face. She choked back her sobs to tell him
her deep secret. A secret she felt quicken in her womb as they had battled
for possession of her body, her life, and her property. Her lips
brushed his ear as she whispered, "I am with child. Your child. Our child."
Vorik winced at this revelation. Dark limpid pools met hers as
their tearful gazes locked. In this slight moment, they were transported
back to his room sharing their passions. With his last sparks of
life, he kept his eyes open, fixed upon she who is mistress of his heart.
Her trembling hands fluttered to his face as she sought his katra points.
"No," he weakly demanded, "No, You cannot know this."
"My mind to your mind," Though her voice quaked in sorrow, she was determined
not to deny themselves this final connection. His hand limply reached for
her face and he completed the chant. "My thoughts to your thoughts."
Delicate tendrils of thought, passion and essence entangled. Her heart
wept as he attempted to sputter his love for her. In unison, they reached
deep into her being and touched upon the tiny spark of life dwelling within
her body. A flame ignited between them, melding their hearts into one.
< Feedback is always welcome. You can write me at salatrel@excite.com
Vorik now lay lifeless in her arms. Her deep sorrowful sobs filled
the foyer as the crowd quietly dispersed and her family abandoned her.
She clutched him to her body attempting to absorb these final flickers
of warmth dwindling from his shell. She shuddered as grief wracked her
body. She shut her eyes and ears to the outside world, preferring
this emptiness within. With this one fatal stroke, T'Lea, of the travelers,
had won then lost her life.
The end
