Open Secrets

The tu

“T’Pry

The voice came from behind her, and T’Pry

“Shall we continue,” he asked, his tone mocking, “or are you finally ready to submit?”

Her own lirpalost, perhaps somewhere in the mines, T’Pry

“Excellent,” he hissed through gritted teeth an instant before thrusting forward with the lirpa.

T’Pry

“There is nowhere to run,” Sten taunted as he pressed forward, swinging his blade before her face. “You ca

In the corner of her eye, T’Pry

She sensed his attack before he moved. When he did spring forward, she was ready for him and ducked to her right, his move exposing his left flank. T’Pry

“Sten!”

The new voice, raspy and perhaps even weak, called from somewhere to her right, and T’Pry

“Leave us, old man,” Sten warned, stepping forward and bringing his lirpaup. “This does not concern you.”

Instead of replying, the elder Vulcan thrust the torch at Sten, his strength and speed belying his age. The flames nearly caught Sten in the face, and he ducked to avoid them, but the healer pressed his attack, forcing his opponent to dodge and weave in order to avoid the fire.

“You’re begi

And then he disappeared.

T’Pry

“Run, T’Pry

The fog wrapped around the healer, obscuring him until he vanished before her eyes.

Standing to the side of T’Pry

“Healer Sobon, are you all right?” M’Benga asked, stepping forward to assist the elder. Well aware of Vulcan customs regarding casual contact, he stopped just short of actually placing his hand on the healer’s narrow shoulder. Standing at the foot of the bed, T’Nel watched the proceedings with an impassive expression.

“May I get you some water, Healer?” she asked.

After a moment, Sobon looked to T’Nel and nodded. “That would be appreciated.” Turning his attention to M’Benga, he said, “I am well, Doctor. Thank you.”

“What happened?” M’Benga asked.

Inhaling deep, regular breaths, the healer replied, “The fight within T’Pry

Stepping forward with a glass of water that she offered to Sobon, T’Nel asked, “When do you believe you will be ready, Healer?”

“Soon,” Sobon replied, shaking his head. “So far, my meld attempts have kept me in a largely passive role. Because of the intensity of the meld locking T’Pry

Frowning, M’Benga said, “Forgive me, Healer, but that sounds dangerous.”

Sobon nodded. “It is, Dr. M’Benga. If I am not successful, I may find my own katratrapped within T’Pry

M’Benga nodded in understanding. Sobon had spent much of his time ensconced in his study, reading through the centuries-old scrolls that he had said contained all that was known about Dashaya-Ni’Var.According to the healer, the ritual was cloaked in secrecy, and even the writings were chronicled in an obscure dialect of the ancient High Vulcan language that had not been used since a time before Surak. Simply translating the scrolls’ contents had taken him months and remained an ongoing process.