K'hat'n'dlawa

Journey to Vulcan

Amanda triumphantly threw the last item from her desk into the waiting crate. It was cluttered full of PADDs, styluses, data slates, and framed holographs of her mother, father, and sister. She felt like she was not only purging her desk- she was liberating herself.

The Embassy had never been her favorite place, and now with Sarek gone, it was her least favorite. She was glad to be free from it. She had submitted her resignation as soon as she arrived that morning- and after one last day of work, she was ready to leave.

She sealed the box, and then looked around. They had yet to find a replacement for her- hell, they had never even found one for Karen, who had been gone for months. That was their problem, not hers. By the time she returned from Vulcan, she would have her degree and would be able to find employment elsewhere. No more answering comm-lines, scheduling appointments for ambassadors, or running all over the building with PADDs that needed to be signed. It was over, and she was relieved.

She hoped that when they returned, the whole thing would have blown over- or at least, mostly. She knew it would never be completely over. Years down the line, it would still be mentioned in articles pertaining to them. She knew that, and accepted it. There would be repercussions from this ordeal, but she would deal with them when they arose. Right now, she needed to look on the bright side of things.

"Grayson?" came Linette's voice from the doorway. Amanda turned to her former boss, prepared for whatever she might say. "Do you have a moment?"

Amanda was immediately wary. She and Linette had never really gotten along, although things had improved after Karen's departure. Deciding that she had nothing to lose, she nodded her head and followed Linette into her office down the hall.

"Close the door." Linette instructed as she went behind her desk. Amanda obeyed, and then turned to the other woman.

"I really need to be going, Linette." Amanda said. "I have a lot to do this week, and I should be getting started."

"What's the rush? Going somewhere?" Linette asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I am, actually. I'm trying to get away from nosy reporters." Amanda replied, a hard edge to her voice. "And other equally-nosy people."

"I figured as much." Linette said with a nod. She remained standing, not sitting at her desk as she usually did. She didn't even take offense at her last statement. "You know, I didn't believe that editorial one bit. I know you wouldn't let someone push you around like that. Besides, I can't imagine a Vulcan trying to strangle anyone- no matter the circumstances. From what I know, they're opposed to violence in all forms. So I knew it was bullshit- I wanted to tell you that, so you know that not everyone believes what the media spews out. I figured you might take some comfort in that."

"I don't need comforting from you, or anyone else." Amanda replied. "What matters is that I know the truth."

"That's good and all, but sometimes reassurance helps." Linette said. "If you didn't know already, the L.A. Chronicle retracted today, and the writer of that article has been suspended without pay- they might end up fired. That should teach them not to mess with the Vulcan ambassador- and indirectly, the High Council. From what I heard, they're pissed. Well..." she gave a sardonic smile. "As pissed as Vulcans can get, anyway. I heard a couple ambassadors talking about it today. The Terran government is getting some backlash about reining in the media."

"I've learned to stop reading the news." Amanda said. "I tend not to like what's being said, these days. It's not just the L.A. Chronicle any more- they've all picked up the story."

"And they'll be dealt with, too." Linette said, nodding slowly. "They always are when crap like this happens- and trust me, it's not the first time. And I doubt it will be the last."