Tie-hh'ellaer.

[mirror_brightly]

Waking clean was strange, but waking relaxed was stranger. It was slow, a tug and shift. There were tired limbs without soreness, light wounds that didn't exactly throb from grit, but itched. The ground was down and the bed didn't smell quite right, but the cold was gone

Comments

[original_fine]

Spock had risen early and Jim was grateful for that fact. If only because it meant having clothes for this meeting. He'd asked Spock to hang back, so he could have the requested conversation with Nero.

A conversation he had little hope for, but he'd been surprised before. He just hoped he was up to it--there was so much more swirling through his brain than just the safety of his crew, his ship, and himself, in that order.

But as he had before, he found that it was like flipping a switch. Seeing Nero, alone and armed--if, ostensibly, against a dead fish--banished all other concerns from his mind.

"Captain," he said from the doorway, loud enough to be clearly heard, and hopefully not so loud he'd startle, if Nero wasn't already aware of his presence. His hands clearly visible, he waited.

[mirror_brightly]

The knife went down and cut a second slab, a third. Before he turned, he set it aside. Stabbing it into the counter would have sufficied, put some fear into this spy but he had no knife to waste.

"Early," Nero replied and lifted a piece of the fish. What did he care if this fed saw him eat with his hands? Ayel wasn't here to sneer about it. "We still wont stop before dark." He jerked his head to the fish and moved, took a seat wordlessly as he ate. If Kirk couldn't figure what it meant, he deserved to starve.

[original_fine]

Jim understood what it meant. Though he was less certain of Romulan customs. Not even enough to gauge which were even still applicable to these men, after all these years. At least he'd put down the knife. Jim didn't want to refuse hospitality, however it was given, so he took a piece and sat. Everything ached--it would almost be good to start work again, loosen his muscles. He had no doubt he'd feel differently in a few hours.

"I always get up this early," he said. "It's hard to overrule that training. And I wished to speak to you."

[mirror_brightly]

Small amusements were valuable and rare, time had taught him that. The stiffness with which the human moved was more than a little bit satisfying. He watched him, kept careful eyes on him and the air around him, but he was not a threat. Not right now.

"Hm, do you?" Nero prompted shortly and said no more.

[original_fine]

He understood the value of not letting on the extent of your injuries or fatigue, but there was only so much he could hide. And he had no doubt that Nero missed nothing.

"I know you have no reason to trust me. But I have an interest in you, your ship and your crew coming out of this alive. I'd like to help make sure that happens."

[mirror_brightly]

Nero tilted his head. Most humans didn't quite understand the angle. Why he tilted his nose closer to the ground, stared past the brows. They didn't have enough predators on Earth. The Klivam had that, at least, knew it for what it was. Perhaps Hevam would recognize it if they had a few more creatures chasing them down. He took a bite of his fish and, for a long moment, said nothing as he stared at Kirk. When he spoke, it was in shades of red.

"You're the second lloann to tell me that," Nero answered slowly, his voice curled low, conversational. "If his shields had been down a second longer, I'd have mounted him to the front of the Narada for his treachery. Might have even left him alive for the experience of it.

"Nohhua know, he deserved worse."

Breakfast really was better over conversation.

"So," his head moved back, as though he'd leanred what he needed form staring at Kirk, "how will you help?"

[original_fine]

Jim wasn't ignorant of basic, primal psychology of the sort that tended to transcend species. Nor was he unobservant enough to miss the threat that was in every line of this man--not that history and circumstance had not provided enough evidence. Did he think Jim did not know what he'd done?

But neither was Jim the type to be intimidated--aside from anything else, a fear reaction only served to reinforce the aggressor's intent to harm. He chewed a piece of fish before replying. It didn't taste quite as good the next day, without the seasoning of hard labor.

"By being honest with you," he said. "It is, I admit, not much. But I have offered you no resistance. I have not attempted to escape. But here's what I know: the Enterprise and her crew will not let you do them harm again. Nor anyone. The moment you move, they will be forced to protect themselves. And you're outnumbered

[mirror_brightly]

"Lloannsu is a poor language for discussion," Nero replied, almost blithely. The cool edge of politesse that Rihannsu had twisted into him still lilted his words, but it was vacant. "An even poorer language for honesty.

"Where I'm from, it's considered the language of lies." Nero folded his arm and ran the fingers of his left hand against his palm. The teral'n was still in the Environmental deck, if it hadn't eaten it. Something worth digging up. "But I had never known it to be a language of wasted words.

"You don't understand this rrh-thanai." He folded his hand beneath the crook of his arm, let his eyes follow the shift of air and light as he considered the ship. "I am not the one outnumbered."

[original_fine]

"I'm not stupid enough to attempt to waste your time," Jim said. "Where I'm from, your past, Romulans and the Federation have had so little contact I'm not surprised there is mistrust and enmity. But cultural differences aside, the language doesn't inherently lie, and I will not. I can't make you trust me. But if you want me to understand the situation, you'll have to explain it. Now that I'm here, what understanding was on that ship up there is gone. I was Narada's, and Spock's, link to those in charge. I still can be. But you should know that loss of life--yours included--is what I want to avoid above all else."

[mirror_brightly]

"You don't understand trust, Lloann," Nero snapped, his amusement was wearing thin with all this circular talk. Exhaled bureaucratic air, littering up his space. It tasted of diplomacy and laziness, inaction and passive threats from betrayers to be.

"If I trust you, it is an exchange of honor. The failing of that trust will cost one or both of our lives, because your life is forfeit unless you can kill me first." Nero stared and leaned forward onto his elbows. "I am here because lloanna do not understand trust.

"Do you want me to trust you?" Nero asked slowly, almost darkly. Lloanna did not have honor. If this Kirk wanted to kill him, stab him while he was turned, this would be an opportunity. But if he tried, if he betrayed this trust, Spock's life could be forfiet as well, hostage covenant or not.

[original_fine]

Jim had felt some kinship with other Romulans he had met. The two commanders, especially, who, while on opposite sides, held values Jim recognized. And he thought had been recognized in him. Nero was different. Nero would not trust, would not look beyond his sense of betrayal even to see that Jim wasn't really asking him to trust. He had only his pain, his sense of honor--exclusive to him because he needed it to be, to exist in this life.

"I don't expect you to trust me," he said quietly. "I merely wanted to find a way out of this with all our lives intact. If I was trying to manipulate you, I would have a better chance lying. I am only offering you what I know--that if you or the Narada makes a move against my people, they will destroy you, and me too if I am in the way. You speak to me as if I am incapable of understanding your concept of honor, and yet you expect me to know it without being told. Tell me what you want, Nero. Maybe we cannot satisfy both our ideas of honor or justice. But it would be foolish not to try."

[mirror_brightly]

This was new, different, and Nero stared at the human in silence. If he was a liar, he was very good. It didn't seem right, though, because a liar would have agreed. If he was not a liar, what was he?

"What I want?" he repeated, questioned. Lloannsu had words in shades, separated concepts, made things faceted and different where they shouldn't be. "I want the only think I have ever wanted.

"I will settle for the honor that is owed me, ka-tala-tala, mnhei'sahe," Nero uttered and tilted his head to the side. "I will not kill you, if you do not deserve it, beg it, but your justice is not sufficient."

[original_fine]

His wife? His planet? No one could have those things back, just as Jim could not have Sam or Gary or half the crew of the Farragut back.

"I didn't think it would be," Jim said. "But neither do I know what would satisfy your honor. However. I would ask that you consider this: Neither the Federation nor Vulcan justice has a death penalty. And in any case, Ayel and Narada are unlikely to be held responsible. You can save them. I ask nothing but that you keep that in mind."

He ate another piece of fish, watching Nero calmly.

[mirror_brightly]

Hot anger flashed behind Nero's eyes, but he was not so foolish as to correct this error. No, let them believe what they wanted, it was a hedged bet, a gamble. He did not gamble, but after ch'Rihan there were few penalties left.

The fish smelled green now and Nero was silent as rage and thought combined behind his eyes, between his ears. How presumptuous, foolish. They were children, bartering with objects they didn't have, hinging on emotions, things they didn't understand.

"Twenty four billion, twelve still," Nero replied flat and hard. He held no love for the Havrann, had not bartered trust on them or theirs. "That is what I am owed. If you cannot repay this, we are done speaking."

[original_fine]

So that was it then--for now, at least. If Nero still weighed life for life, held Spock accountable for an equal number, as if suffering could be measured, entreaties to his better nature were fruitless. Jim had met men, and women, consumed with their own bitterness to a point beyond reason. Nero had long since passed it. Jim had hoped, as Spock had, that something might have eased in him.

"I cannot," he said. "We do our accounts differently. I am sorry for what you've lost, but I don't share your reckoning. We don't take life for life, where I'm from. My interest is in preserving life that still lives."

He fell silent, but he didn't leave his seat. He ate, unhurried.

[mirror_brightly]

Kirk didn't understand, Lloanna never did. Death was merely the easiest measure. It didn't matter, nothing would come of talking circles with this one. Nero rose and toweled his hands dry, silent whispering followed his feet.

"Today we bore. Watch your fingers or don't, I don't care," he announced and stepped aside, through the doorway. Perhaps breakfast was not best with conversation, it turned a yellow morning to an uncomfortable shade, prickling biting, chasing at his spine. Work would clear that, push the shades away.