The Sky's the Limit - Marco Palmieri [135]
Tiaru straightened her head and dropped her arms to her sides but maintained her quizzical stare. She had seen images of aliens before, but never had she met one in person. The man seemed striking in an exotic sort of way, with his smooth brow, small ears…and weren’t Terrans supposed to have hair? “I am Tiaru,” she offered. “This is where I live.” She pointed along a path of finely hewn cobblestones that invitingly led the way through the colorful gardens to the front door of her home. “Why have you come to Romulus?”
For a moment the man seemed to hesitate, as if her question had caught him off guard. Or perhaps he simply wasn’t used to questions from young children. But then he regained his confident air and kneeled down to look her directly in the eyes. “Well, Tiaru,” he replied, “you may have heard that a power known as the Dominion has invaded both our quadrants of the galaxy. The Federation and your leaders have joined together, to help drive them back and to keep you safe. My ship was sent to bring a Starfleet admiral to Romulus today. Right now he is meeting with the admirals of your own armies.”
Tiaru’s eyes widened and her heart jumped with enthusiasm at the mention of the admiralty. “My father was an admiral!” she proudly exclaimed.
“Yes, I know,” Jean-Luc replied. “In fact, I once met your father, and I found him to be a man of high principles.” He paused, as if choosing his next words carefully. “As it so happens, he is the reason I’ve decided to stop by your home this morning. I don’t suppose your mother is here?”
Tiaru couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Not wanting to look ridiculous in front of the Starfleet captain, she struggled to keep her enthusiasm under control. “Of course,” she replied as calmly as possible. “Follow me and I’ll show you in.”
The captain stood up and began to follow Tiaru along the walkway.
A thousand thoughts buzzed through her mind, but she hardly knew where to begin. She had heard about the war. Her classmates clearly believed it was all the Federation’s fault; that they had kicked into a tesrat’s nest, and now the Romulans had to rush in to save the foolish aliens from being stung to death. But this man did not appear to be a fool. And he had known her father. That had to count for something.
“Have you been to Romulus before?” she called back to him as he lagged a few paces behind her.
“Yes I have,” Jean-Luc replied, “but never before did I have the luxury of appreciating its beauty. In fact, your flower gardens are among the loveliest I’ve seen.”
Tiaru’s chest swelled with pride. Indeed, this Terran was no fool.
On the heels of the spirited Romulan child, Captain Jean-Luc Picard shielded his eyes from the bright Romulan sun as its rays pierced the rooftop of the house standing before him. Like many homes in the rural outskirts of the capital city, the edifice was not particularly large, the construction was traditional brick and mortar, and the colors were mostly drab shades of gray; nonetheless the architecture possessed a grandiose quality, with tall spires reaching toward the sky and ornate trim embellishing the framework.
The captain inhaled deeply, enjoying the curious fragrances of an unfamiliar world. The oxygen-rich atmosphere had actually made his brisk walk from the public transport station an invigorating experience.
Of course, the inconvenient detour was made necessary only because the local magistrates had refused to allow transport into a residential area. Despite the tenuous alliance, the Romulans’ insular nature remained very much in evidence. Current allegiances notwithstanding, Picard knew these were the same people who had recently attempted to conquer Vulcan; the same people who had threatened to destroy the Enterprise countless times…
Tiaru had reached the end of the path and began to bound up the short steps at the front door of her house.
Picard stopped at the base of the steps, unexpectedly gripped by apprehension. He had faced countless touchy situations throughout his years as a Starfleet captain, but never could he recall