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Thali closed her eyes and breathed deeply, then reopened them, revealing a purplish tint in the whites, and Thelin realized that she had been crying recently. “All right? No, Thelin, everything is not all right.”

A dozen terrible thoughts raced through Thelin’s mind, and he felt his blood pumping, readying him to leap into action for whatever need his bondmate might have. “What? What has happened?”

Thali cocked her head to the side, her antennae hanging droopily, and a sad smirk crossed her face. “Zhavey received a communication from the Elders this morning. They finally made their decision.”

Thelin’s heart sank. For nearly three years the Eveste Elders had been dragging their feet concerning their petition to marry. Given the reproductive imperatives handed down by the Andorian leadership in recent years, this was highly unusual; but they were a highly unusual case. Very little scientific data yet existed regarding reproductive compatibility between the Andorians and the Aenar, and this had resulted in one delay after another as the Elders debated how to proceed. “What does it say?” Thelin asked, already dreading to hear the justification for the denial.

The woman picked up a padd from the desktop in front of her and read in a hollow, dispassionate tone. “In the matter of petition for bonding in marriage: The Council of Eveste Elders recognizes and respects your desire to select a mate with whom you have an intimate familiarity. While such pairings are oft permitted, they remain bound by decree of the procreation imperative. The council finds that insufficient scientific data yet exists to ensure reproductive compatibility between the Aenar and the mainline Andorian race. Therefore, with regret and without prejudice, the council has no alternative but to deny your petition at this time.”

The padd clattered down onto the desk as both Thelin and Thali sat in silence. A single tear ran down Thali’s cheek.

Without prejudice, Thelin thought. What an ironic choice of words. After taking a long moment to collect his thoughts, Thelin took a deep breath and spoke. “Thali…we’ve known all along that this would be a struggle. We’ve been dealing with it for years now.”

“Yes, Thelin, that’s right…for years.” She closed her eyes for a moment, and when they reopened, it seemed as if her despair poured forth from them. Her voice was reduced to a faint squeak. “How many more years shall we keep up the charade?”

“Thali…” Thelin stammered. “It’s not over yet. It’s…it’s just our first appeal. We’ll try again when the next enclave convenes in a few months. I know geneticists who can testify on our behalf. After all, I’m living proof that the two races are entirely compatible. Not everyone will be so closed-minded.”

“Thelin, do you really believe that will change anything? The decision is made. They want us to bond with our own kind. Our relationship is too reckless for them to abide it.”

“This is preposterous,” Thelin spat, his resentment for the aloofness of the Elders beginning to stir a passionate reaction from deep within him. “Three years we’ve waited, and when all is said and done, they simply announce that they can’t stomach an interracial bonding.”

“Stop it,” Thali said with enough emphasis that Thelin was taken aback. “Don’t turn this into a racial issue. You know the reasons for the genetic profiling. They have to be sure we’re compatible. It’s the law. There’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Genetics?” Thelin gave out a laugh of indignation. “What do you think race is, other than a matter of genetics? They can’t see anything beyond the shade of our skin and the social perceptions. Do you deny that our application would have been approved years ago if not for my Aenar blood?”

“Oh, Thelin, you’re acting so callow! Of course there are social factors to consider.” She slowly shook her head, giving him a look of sympathy. “It’s complicated, Thelin. You stay there, holed up with your climatologist friends, yet you have no idea what the climate is like out here in the real world. We aren’t just bringing together four