#saavik s'chn l'vor

[unscrxpted]

For: @starfleets-marvels-motherfxcker​

Tayen stumbled into the city. She’d been walking for so long. Was that man sure it was only fifteen minutes? She looked around, then walked up to someone. Please, please, please... “Hello? Where can I find S’Chn T’Gai Spock?”

The person blinked at her. “What?”

“Spock,” she repeated, growing more terrified by the second. “I need to find him. I’m his niece, Tayen.”

“Impossible,” they scoffed. “She is dead.” They shook their head and walked off.

Tayen whined. No, no, please, someone had to know where she could find him. Someone had to listen to her. She walked around a bit more, making her way to a man who looked to be some type of authority. “Can you take me to S’Chn T’Gai Spock?” she asked hopefully, trying to hide the fear in her voice.

The man raised an eyebrow. “I can. He is with the High Council, but… I am sure he will not mind. Come.”

She sighed in relief. Good. She took shaky breaths, looking around frantically, trying to hold herself back from losing herself in panic. She followed him along, thinking over what V’Lyt had said again. She’d thought about it the whole walk, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it. B-970… it didn’t make sense. How could it make sense later?

After what felt like forever, the man opened a door, gesturing for her to walk inside. Tayen walked in, looking around. “Councilor? This is…”

Tayen looked up at the man and the councilor. “S’Chn T’Gai Tayen.”

Their eyes widened, and they shared a look. The Councilor turned and went through a door, clearing her throat. “Ambassadors… I am going to have to ask you to prepare yourselves. You have a visitor.” She turned back and opened the door, waving Tayen inside.

Tayen looked around as she walked in. Her eyes locked onto her uncle. She smiled, tears falling down her face. She had been so scared. “Uncle Spock?”

[unscrxpted]

Levi kept his arms crossed, finally bringing himself to look at Michael's and Sylvia's faces for a split second, relaxing just slightly but still tense. Of course, he didn't see the face he'd have so easily recognized. Because she was a universe away.

Lilith can't get you here, the tiny, usually ignored rational voice chimed in the back of his mind. For once, you're safe.

He cleared his throat softly. "Nice to meet y'all." He looked at Jackie, addressing her directly, a trace of a smirk on his lips, "Suppose I'll be seeing you around."

unscrxpted​:

Levi raised an eyebrow, looking over at Michael when she spoke, but not making eye contact, bristling slightly at being addressed. Stop it. Fight it. Control it. He chuckled softly.

“Well, if it helps, you’re not the first famous mutineer I’ve met, ma'am,” he said, his accent growing slightly thicker the more he spoke. “Met, uh… Clyde McKay and Alvin Glatkowski in Hell. Awful interestin’ duo, really. Though I think they were more famous in my time than here in yours.”

“You would be surprised at the names I know that share that lucky title,” Michael chuckles. “Well, I may not have succeeded at my goal, but my niece ended up accomplishing it for me several years later so in the end I’d like to think I won.”

Rebecca wrinkles her nose. “No, the Federation used me to do that, I don’t think I count.”

“Okay, okay, I know we love this debate, but this is not a great first impression and I really love you guys but honey we did talk about this,” Sylvia pulls on her wife’s arm a little bit.

“It’s too late for you, mama, mother, everyone here knows Rebecca,” Jackie rolls her eyes. “It’s not like you can hide the crazy when you’re in Rebecca’s legal family.”

Her arm gets hit by Saavik. She frowns and glances down at her. “Ow?”

Meanwhile, Pallin and Rebecca take a moment to share a knowing look. He nods very slightly and she quickly clears her throat. “Okay, Aunt Mi– Saavik, be nice– Michael, Aunt Sylvia, how ‘bout I show you guys to your room for while you’re going to be aboard? Let science bay get back to work here.”

[unscrxpted]

Brynn watched Saavik and Tayen. Her heart broke for them. They were on the outside of what she'd been through. On the side the rest of her unit would have been on, if they'd been allowed to be.

"My whole life, since the day I was created, has been about helping people," she said. "Well, in some... twisted way. The first interaction I had with him was dying on him. I owe him. And I don't like being in debt."

changingthelegacy​:

Tayen sat down, putting her head to her knees. Her shoulders started shaking as she began crying. “This can’t be happening. I can’t deal with this. Not today. Not right now.”

Brynn looked between everyone. Ah, damn it all. She jumped off the bio bed. “I can do it. I’ve… I’ve been through the same thing. Maybe I can help.”

Saavik gently kneels beside Tayen, trying to reassure her. Hannah turns to Brynn.

“Only if you want to, darlin’, it’s not a requirement. We’re not gonna force you to do that, especially not since you only just got here.”

[unscrxpted]

Levi looked up at Pallin, blinking and chuckling, nodding a bit with a small smirk. "Mm. Yeah. Now that you mention it, yeah. But I think me and Saavik over there are a little less childish."

The demon glanced between the strangers again, lingering on the youngest once more before looking away. "What's with them?"

unscrxpted​:

Levi raised an eyebrow at Saavik, laughing softly. “That so? I dunno, little darlin’. I quite like judging it and looking at the results.” He wrinkled his nose, sticking his tongue out at her in return.

He glanced at the women, barely managing to minimize - but not totally prevent - how much he shrunk into himself. Women… scared him. After Lilith… He shuddered a bit, keeping his eyes down.

Saavik rolls her eyes at him, as if one needed anything else that would seal the comparison between her and her mother, before hopping down off the stepstool Pallin had set up near his station for her and going to greet her great-aunts. Pallin raises an eyebrow and glances to Levi, trying to hide the trace of a smile on his face. “Is that what it is like when you watch her mother and I debate the best way to work on anything in this science bay?”

Keep his mind off of the new arrivals. He knows that something should at least be attempted, though Captain Tilly would not notice his reaction, nor would her and the admiral’s daughter– Admiral Burnham, however, was raised on Vulcan by Vulcans. She would notice the smallest changes, logically, so it was best to try and help ease the other’s mind off of it.

Unbeknownst to him, he was only half-right. Jackie noticed. Jackie notices everything, because she has to, just… in case. She’d noticed him shrinking slightly at her mothers but shows no reaction, turning to greeting her cousins instead.

[unscrxpted]

starfleets-marvels-motherfxcker​:

“Valeris was killed by me when she attempted to attack Rebecca after Rebecca talked to the council and convinced them to stay in the Federation shortly after she killed Hailey,” Spock nods simply at that.

Saavik sighs softly. “Her son has been in the brig on the Polyhymnia since this, recovering from years of childhood trauma she inflicted upon him. Mother thinks eventually he will do better.”

"Good," Tayen said. "She deserved it. I hope she suffered." She glanced over to Spock. She really had no idea what to say to him now. No doubt he was thinking what she was thinking: why her and not his daughter? "I'm sorry." I'm sorry it was me.

She sighed heavily. She couldn't say anything about Valeris's son. Not when she still had faith in Celena. "Can't seem to get to Earth fast enough. I just want to see... everyone. How's Dad been?" Change the subject. Yes, good idea.

[unscrxpted]

Levi raised an eyebrow at Jackie, wrinkling his nose a bit at her. "Mmhmm, okay." He leaned close to her. "You do know that I'll just ask you later, right? I'm nearly two thousand years old, Jacks."

"Alright, Grandma," Tayen snorted, shaking her head at Rebecca.

Emala laughed and crossed her arms. "Rebecca, you do know that I'm billions of years old, right?"

"My oldest sister is old enough to be her youngest daughter's grandmother," Liam laughed. Then he paused, thinking about his words, how he'd phrased it, deflating a little.

unscrxpted​:

Levi smiled softly, kissing the top of her head. He paused at the last comment, laughing a bit. “Hmm, yeah, I don’t think I ever asked. How old are you, really? And don’t try to bullshit.”

“Are we sure we wanna know the answer to that question?” Azura said.

“Mm, nope, I’m used to feeling old, not sure how I’ll handle it if I end up feeling young,” Liz chuckled.

“I’m older than you,” Brynn pointed out.

Jackie snorts, clearing her throat. “Mm. You really don’t want me to answer that. Especially my moms. My moms very much do not want the answer to that question. Let’s just go with saying it’s impolite to ask a lady her age.”

Rebecca frowns. “It’s weird hearing children talk about being older than you.”

“Says perma-20, I look older than you and I was born when you were like 22,” James scoffs at his sister.

“God, sometimes I forget mom’s older than me,” Annie admits. “Which sounds really, really weird when said aloud.”

“Aunt Alara used to think she and mother were the same age,” Saavik giggles.

“Shut up!” Rebecca groans.

[unscrxpted]

Levi raised an eyebrow at Saavik, laughing softly. "That so? I dunno, little darlin'. I quite like judging it and looking at the results." He wrinkled his nose, sticking his tongue out at her in return.

He glanced at the women, barely managing to minimize - but not totally prevent - how much he shrunk into himself. Women... scared him. After Lilith... He shuddered a bit, keeping his eyes down.

unscrxpted​:

“Still don’t really get it,” Levi sighed, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed loosely over his chest. He glanced between Pallin and Rebecca, shaking his head. “I mean, I’ve seen… a lot. But she takes the cake.”

He glanced at the door for a moment, doing a slight double take, his gaze locked on the youngest of the three women walking in. Oh. Oh. He smirked lightly, turning his attention back to Rebecca. “Seriously, what’s the point of the, uh… that?” Gesturing vaguely to the… extremely stupid thing the woman in question was doing.

Jackie’s always watching. That was probably the biggest key when she went somewhere new. Get to know how the people here act and move. Prepare for the, honestly almost inevitable chance you’ll be stuck with people you don’t know.

But her eyes lock with the other and she cocks her head at him slightly. Oh. Oh boy. Oh, goodness. Fantastic.

Raising an eyebrow, she glances to her cousin and… sighs, for a moment. “That’s about right.”

Rebecca looks over and gasps. “Aunt Michael!!! Aunt Sylvia!!! Hi!!! Just gimme a second here–!”

Setting her work aside and making sure nothing’s going to fall, she finally steps away and makes about half a step forward before Sylvia reaches her and smothers her in a hug. Rebecca laughs and hugs her back just as tightly, matching her aunt’s enthusiasm at seeing her.

“Mother does things her own way,” Saavik remarks somewhat crossly to Levi. “There is always a reason behind her behavior. Perhaps you should spend less time judging it and more time looking at the results of it.”

Pausing, the nine-year-old then accentuates the comment by sticking her tongue out at him. Pallin raises an eyebrow, slightly amused. Oh, yes, he thought, Saavik was most certainly her mother’s daughter.

[unscrxpted]

Tayen sat down, putting her head to her knees. Her shoulders started shaking as she began crying. "This can't be happening. I can't deal with this. Not today. Not right now."

Brynn looked between everyone. Ah, damn it all. She jumped off the bio bed. "I can do it. I've... I've been through the same thing. Maybe I can help."

changingthelegacy​:

“I…” Tayen cleared her throat. “When Hailey… her katra, which humans call a soul, lived on. She was connected with James while she was dying, and she used that connection to… well, basically, gift him her katra. That’s why he’s… More Vulcan than normal.” She took a deep breath. “And now we need to go home so we can put her to rest properly.”

Brynn tilted her head. “So… his sister… is affecting him from the beyond?”

“More or less, in human terms,” Tayen replied.

“Uncle James is insisting he is fine, and I doubt he will willingly go to New Vulcan. He has been lying about her.” Saavik shakes her head.

“That stubborn bastard,” Hannah mutters under her breath, shaking her head. “Is there anyone we know can get through to him?”

“The only people I have known Uncle James to really listen to were mother and Aunt Hailey…” Saavik looks at them helplessly. “I can call mother.”

“I know one other person who’s a lot closer than Rebecca,” Elaine offers from where she’s been sorting out medical charts in preparation for upcoming physicals. “Nova Kirk.”

“Nova won’t know how to talk to him about this, and I hate to say it but neither would Rebecca,” Hannah points out. “Rebecca’s good with her words and all, but… if anything, she’d encourage him to hold onto Hailey right now. Which I assume is out of the question.”

[unscrxpted]

"I..." Tayen cleared her throat. "When Hailey... her katra, which humans call a soul, lived on. She was connected with James while she was dying, and she used that connection to... well, basically, gift him her katra. That's why he's... More Vulcan than normal." She took a deep breath. "And now we need to go home so we can put her to rest properly."

Brynn tilted her head. "So... his sister... is affecting him from the beyond?"

"More or less, in human terms," Tayen replied.

changingthelegacy​:

“I didn’t even say anything,” Brynn said quietly. She kept following Hannah, barely paying attention to what was going on.

Tayen dropped her PADD. She took a shaky breath. “It’s her. Isn’t it?”

“You’re right, you didn’t,” Hannah chuckles softly. She glances over to Tayen and Saavik in confusion.

Saavik nods. “When Uncle James brushed me off, I initiated a mind meld to see what was going on, and sensed her. Aunt Hailey used their mindlink to share her katra with him. That is likely why she kept them connected through her death.”

“Someone wanna explain this for the non-Vulcans in the room?” Claire looks up from her desk, eyebrows furrowed.

[unscrxpted]

"I didn't even say anything," Brynn said quietly. She kept following Hannah, barely paying attention to what was going on.

Tayen dropped her PADD. She took a shaky breath. "It's her. Isn't it?"

changingthelegacy​:

“No, something is wrong,” Tayen snapped. “Since when do you not offer to keep a lost kid with nowhere to go?! And do the salute unironically?! You’re not just rattled, you stubborn son of a bitch, and you damn well know it!”

Brynn looked over at the door, hearing Tayen yell. She cleared her throat. “I… I see…” She sighed. “And I brought it all back because I died in his arms.”

“I am fine, Tayen. You are reading into this too much and looking for things that are not there.” James shakes his head. “Just because I did not initially offer, does not mean I was not going to. You rush things when she will need time.”

Shaking his head, he moves to head back into sickbay.

“Don’t blame yourself. He’s been avoiding talking about it. Anything could set him off… he’s very fragile because Hailey was linked with him when she died. Uh– Vulcan ability, it’s kind of like two-way telepathy. She was in a mindlink with him when Valeris snapped her neck, he felt her die. And he’s been avoiding discussing it since initially admitting that.” Hannah shakes her head. “He’s in a fragile state, it’s not really your fault. If anything it’s Starfleet’s fault for letting him come back to active duty so soon.”

[unscrxpted]

Brynn shot Hannah a look, but complied anyway. She took slow, deep breaths, forcing the memories out of her mind.

Tayen turned. "Saavik. Hey. If it's about James, I don't know how to help you. He's being more stubborn than usual, the stupid bastard."

changingthelegacy​:

“No, something is wrong,” Tayen snapped. “Since when do you not offer to keep a lost kid with nowhere to go?! And do the salute unironically?! You’re not just rattled, you stubborn son of a bitch, and you damn well know it!”

Brynn looked over at the door, hearing Tayen yell. She cleared her throat. “I… I see…” She sighed. “And I brought it all back because I died in his arms.”

“I am fine, Tayen. You are reading into this too much and looking for things that are not there.” James shakes his head. “Just because I did not initially offer, does not mean I was not going to. You rush things when she will need time.”

Shaking his head, he moves to head back into sickbay.

“Don’t blame yourself. He’s been avoiding talking about it. Anything could set him off… he’s very fragile because Hailey was linked with him when she died. Uh– Vulcan ability, it’s kind of like two-way telepathy. She was in a mindlink with him when Valeris snapped her neck, he felt her die. And he’s been avoiding discussing it since initially admitting that.” Hannah shakes her head. “He’s in a fragile state, it’s not really your fault. If anything it’s Starfleet’s fault for letting him come back to active duty so soon.”

[unscrxpted]

starfleets-marvels-motherfxcker​:

“Even objectively speaking, I would say that Uncle James is an amazing father. The girls were at large orphaned after the war, with Brynn and Avery being exceptions in their own strange circumstances, and he has devoted his entire being to their care and happiness.” Saavik smiles, but then her face falls at the mention of Hailey.

She’d nearly forgotten that. She clears her throat a bit and looks away, uncertain. Logically she should tell her. So no one else has to, so no one else has to hear that question. But she’s been giving her so much good news…

“She is dead,” grandfather says, having rejoined them. “Hailey was– Hailey was originally training to be my successor, but was killed by Valeris during an incident after the war where New Vulcan nearly left the Federation.”

Tayen smiled. "That sounds like him. Good for him. I'm proud." She paused at Saavik's reaction before the realization hit her. No. No, no, no... there was only one reason she'd react that way.

She looked over at her uncle as he spoke and confirmed her guess, feeling the breath being sucked out of her. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying - and failing - desperately to keep herself from crying. Why had she been saved and not Hailey? It all felt so wrong. Hailey meant more. Hailey was more important. She was always more important. So why was Tayen alive while Hailey stayed dead? And why couldn't she even remember her cousin dying?

She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. "Is the bitch dead?"

[unscrxpted]

starfleets-marvels-motherfxcker​:

“…right, six years. Mother has adopted a number of other children since the war, ten in fact. There was Eva and Emala right after she returned to the Polyhymnia, then Billy, Mary, Pedro, Eugene, Freddy, and Darla from her old universe, then Brandon, and most recently Annie. And Uncle James has five daughters– Anna, Suri, Aida, Avery, and Brynn.” Saavik smiles brightly. “They’ll all be happy just to see you again.”

"Really?" Tayen said. So many names. And no memories of ever hearing them. She shook her head, smiling. "And James? He's a father? That's almost too good to be true. I wonder what they're like."

She drifted off into thought for a minute. What were they like? Did they take after James, being emotional and ready to cause trouble? Were they calm and sweet?

She looked back to Saavik. "What about Hailey?"