#vulcan-centric

After an initial chapter that kicks off the plot narrated by Kirk, Sarek takes over as primary narrator which I absolutely love. I’m all about getting to see Vulcan and the Big Three through Sarek’s eyes. We get to hear his thoughts about Spock, Kirk, McCoy, Amanda, Vulcan, and his colleagues and students. Y’all, apparently deep, deep down, Sarek just wants to like people and be liked in return. 

Any way, we find out that Amanda has had some kind of issue with her nervous system that is triggered by living on a foreign planet for too long, but she’s receiving some kind of experimental treatment by the medical team that helped Amanda when she was pregnant with Spock! She’s expected to make a full recovery but she’ll be spending most of the book, if not all, in a coma. Sarek misses her but he’s determined to carry on valiantly while he waits. He’s taken a teaching position at the Vulcan Science Academy since he’s not currently available to go off planet.

We follow Sarek through his daily routine and he has some really humorous observations about how humans and Vulcans interact. Sarek actually has a lot of thoughts about romance, dating, courtship, and bonding. But mostly he’s amused by all of it.

He has a human teaching assistant, Eleyna Miller, who he basically considers a try-hard. She wants to be perfectly Vulcan. After about 50 pages, it starts to feel like she might have a crush on Sarek, which ya know... same, gurl. No judgies. Except she comes across like she’s a little unhinged. If she’s not the eponymous murderer, the author is being too heavy handed too quickly with his red herring. I’m evenly split between her being a secret Romulan who has infilitrated the VSA and is sewing chaos or she’s secretly in love with Sarek and she’s trying to kill Amanda hoping to take her place as Sarek’s bondmate.

And yes, there’s a murderer. There are currently three total patients including Amanda receiving the experimental treatment. They are completely dependent on life support, they can’t be revived bc it completely strips their nervous system even the part controlling the autonomic systems, and their life support systems are on dual, independent batteries bc they would die before a back up generator could kick on. So it’s super sus when one of the patient dies due to a power failure. On top of that the patient is the wife of the main Healer who helped invent the system. 

A mystery is afoot!

Never fear, Jim Kirk is here. Y’all... Jim is the World’s Worst Detective. He is written as pure gold Himbo, the laughably incompetent dum dum who means well, bless his heart. He creates a list of potential suspects and then starts demanding everybody account for their whereabouts. He is told multiple times that he has no jurisdiction here, but the Vulcans humor him, seemingly amused by his attempts at logical deductive reasoning. And he’s bad at it. He accuses T’Pau (he apparently has very hard feelings about her nearly letting him die), then strongly considers Sarek, working himself into a mental tizzy, then considers both Spock and Bones but only half-heartedly. He clears his entire suspect list and starts over bc surely one of them is the murderer.

Without spoiling the novel, Jim only survives the plot bc McCoy is aware of how oblivious and dumb Jim can be when he has a hunch and McCoy is prepared to be a counterweight his olympic level jumps to the wrong conclusions.

The identity of the murderer is pretty obvious throughout the story. It’s so obvious it circles back around to making you wonder if it’s a red herring. The only reason this group of very smart men didn’t solve the case sooner is bc they are blinded by their own biases about who is capable of what.

Anywho, the group is running around trying to unmask the murderer and keep them from striking again. The murderer is indiscriminately destructive in their goal.  There’s a lot of action scenes, but my favorite aspect of this book is how much of it focuses on the relationship between Sarek and Spock and how badly Sarek wants to reconnect with his son. For a murder mystery focused almost exclusively on stoic male characters, there’s a lot about feelings and I love it.

This book has some genuinely good original characters and M’Benga (My medbay boo) makes an appearance. I would definitely recommend this. The mystery is not that mysterious but it turns out to be a good character study for Sarek.

The story starts with Sarek being notified that the Vulcan High Council has voted to hold a Referendum on continuing to be a member of the Federation. This referendum is basically putting the Federation, and humans in particular on trial. The trial will be televised (y’all, Vulcans love COURT TV LOL) and then there will be a planet wide vote on whether to stay or leave (VEXIT?) As the ambassador to Earth, Sarek is required to argue the government’s position which is leave. Should Vulcan leave the Federation, all Federation citizens will have to leave Vulcan and return to their home planet and vice-versa, including Vulcan members of Starfleet (AKA Spock), all Vulcan ships serving in Starfleet will be recalled, and all Federation property on Vulcan will be forfeit (and vice-versa). Basically, it’s a mess if you’re from the House of Sarek.

Jim, McCoy, and Spock are subpoenaed by T’Pau to testify at the Referendum trial (Officially deemed the Referendum on Repeal of he Vulcan Articles of the Federation). Spock gives a brief summary of Vulcan thoughts on aliens. Basically, when the Vulcans realized there was life out there, they were super excited (as excited as Vulcans get any way) and they were welcoming. Unfortunately, the first alien race to come to Vulcan was the Orions. It went as terribly as you can imagine. Vulcan managed to fend off being conquered and became far more reserved about off worlders.

The Enterprise rendezvous with another ship to transfer passengers who need to return to Vulcan for the trial, including Sarek and Amanda (Amanda, my queen!) It literally mentions they walked in with the two fingers touching! Vulcan kisses!

They basically wanted to make sure the Big Three know what they’re getting into. Sarek is basically like “I know you’re used to Spock, but he is way friendlier and far more easy going than the average Vulcan. Most Vulcans have never even met a human and they have unfortunately think of you guys as advanced monkeys.” Like literally, the book says fewer than 5% of Vulcans ever go off world where as the average Federation planet will have 30-40% of their citizens go off world at least once in their lives. I thought that was pretty wild and it explains the xenophobia! Amanda basically tells them that Vulcans are content to hide behind logic and they have to make them see this is not logical. 

Bones is trying to figure out why he was even invited. “Last time we were there, we basically broke the rules.” Sarek: “Yes, that’s widely acknowledged...” Ha! The events of Spock’s Pon Farr are general knowledge on Vulcan.

Can you imagine everybody on Earth knowing about your First Time? LOL. 

Anywho, the Enterprise arrives at Vulcan and Shath, the customs and immigration who processes Bones and Jim, is v rude and gets almost visibly angry about Terrans on his planet. It’s odd, but Bones files it away for now. SPOILER: Bones is a mf-in’ boss in this story and it’s at this point we learn at this point that he had some kind of RNA treatment to help him understand Vulcan without a Universal Translator. Handy. It took me nearly 60k in student loans to learn a second language. RNA treatments might’ve been cheaper.

Spock is their local tour guide and about ten pages cover the Vulcans’ understanding of the existence of God. I’ not really sure why. Probably Sybok? Not sure... Anywho, Bones buys an IDIC pendant and they head to a reception at the Vulcan Science Academy. Jim is his normal charming self and they also are impressed that Bones has bothered to learn Vulcan. Several admit that they’d had their minds made up, but having actually met and interacted with humans, maybe they should withhold judgment until they’ve actually heard the evidence at the trial. That’s all you can really ask right?

The next day, Bones is all Sherlock Holmes and trying to figure out why Vulcan is all of a sudden anti-human. Some digging reveals that Shath, the customs official, was part of Spock’s wedding-party-that-wasn’t. He pulls the known organizations and affiliations of all the members of Spock’s doomed wedding Party and discovers that there is a strong vein of anti-human sentiment running through that particular group. And guess whose name shows up this most on this list of anti-human groups? T’Pring.

This broad. Always in the middle of some mess. Spock’s reaction? “Most disturbing.” LOL. That’s basically a scream from him. But they don’t have time to investigate what this might mean. It’s time for a trial! 

Actual Bones upon seeing the surprisingly opulent courtroom, large crowd, and the cameras for broadcast: “I want popcorn. Do they play the national anthem?” Spock: “No. Nor does the fat lady sing, I am afraid.” 

There are about two dozen witnesses but most of them take place off screen. I’m only highlighting the ones that are on screen.

Witness 1- K’s’t’lk 

a non-hominid alien who is described as a “small, bright form like a giant twelve-legged glass spider who makes a soft wind chime like noise when moving.” The most important thing about K’s’t’lk is she bites the Vulcan who cross examines her and it’s TOTALLY WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE RULES!

Bones: “It’s a regular free-for-all!”

When court recesses for the day Spock goes to see T’Pring. They are passive aggressive in that way that Vulcans love and it is great. If they’d been humans, somebody would’ve got stabbed. Basically T’Pring says that the having was not as pleasing as the wanting. Stonn died bc he induced his Pon Farr to make her bond with him and died of hormone overdose (ha! the full Vulcan couldn’t handle it). She’s mad so she spent along time thinking about how to make this Spock’s fault and how to make him pay. It’s his fault that Stonn was so jealous he risked his life in a deadly chemical experiment and so she’s going to destroy the Spock’s beloved Federation!

Talk about Disproportion Retribution! Any way she brags about her brilliant plan in detail. Too bad the 24th century doesn’t have any discrete digital surveillance equipment or this would be over already. Instead, Spock has to be able to prove what she said in court without coming across as a scorned lover.

Witness Six- Bones

This writer keeps calling him Leonard Edward McCoy and I find that wildly distracting. That must be the father of our beloved Leonard Horatio McCoy aka Bones, but whatevs.

Bones testifies like a B-O-S-S. He goes for the Perry Mason is like “Oh yeah. Those wild humans and their violations of the Prime Directive! By the way, how many violations have there been? Oh, you don’t know? I’ll tell you. 29! That’s a lot, right? Wrong! That’s 29 violations across the exploration of 23,000 planets! And the Enterprise must be the worst offender right? NOPE! The Enterprise had 5 violations across 5 years while exploring 633 planets!” *Chef’s Kiss* 

He also walks his accuser into a trap and gets Shath to admit that the reason behind the proposal (no liking humans) directly contradicts the teachings of Surak. “The spear in the Other’s heart is the spear in your own. You are he.”He also reminds them of IDIC. How can you have IDIC on Vulcan with no off-worlders? He reminds that xenophobia starts out as an outward hate and then all ways turns inward. Vulcan has already fought civil wars that nearly brought them to extinction. They can’t afford another.

He ends with “Surak would be very disappointed in you if you blew up the planet and so would we.” *Mic Drop*

Witness Seven- Sarek

“[Dr. McCoy] quotes Surak. On Earth there is a saying that ‘the devil can quote scripture for his own purpose.’” 

Sarek goes on to argue that maybe Vulcans are bad for Terrans and they should leave the Federation to preserve not only their own culture but Earth’s as well. At the end of his argument he resigns his ambassadorship effective immediately BECAUSE HE’S LOYAL TO HIS FAMILY. Y’ALL! He actually says it! With his own lips!

McCoy interrupts and is like “Sir, before you resign, can you tell us what the government thinks of the plot to sell formerly Federation-owned property on Vulcan after secession to secret buyers who bribed government officials in advance of this trial?”

PANDEMONIUM!!! Court is in recess! Five to beam up to Enterprise!

Sarek and Spock are shocked to learn that Bones used the ship’s computer to hack the Bank of Vulcan. (He was only able to do it bc the computer is AI and was partially programmed by Spock while the Bank was programmed by Sarek and they use similar strategies.) They can totally prove that this anti-Federation sentiment is not grassroots and is the result of corrupt and spiteful government officials bribed by T’Pring. 

Witness 18- Kirk

Kirk doesn’t really add much of substantive value but is his normal charming self. He talks about how excited he was to come to Vulcan bc it’s one of the first foreign planets Earth school children learn about. He also asks why there is the sudden concern about culture contamination. Vulcan has always said humans are too stubborn and wild to change and there’s no proof that humans are changing the Vulcans. 

His testimony is interrupted by Sarek arriving to announce T’Pau is dying.

(Ignore the caption)

T’Pau advises them to expose T’Pring and the others, then gives her Katra to Amanda (which is a big move if you saw T’Pau in St: Enterprise) before dying. This makes Amanda the Eldest Mother of the House of Surak and Sarek the Head of the House of Surak. If Vulcans vote to leave the Federation, they will have to expel the entire House and lineage of Surak!

They have a memorial for T’Pau and 3 million people show up. The crew of the Enterprise beams down to represent the Federation. It’s a beautiful service. 

Witness 23- Spock

Spock is a man of few words and his grandma just died, so he’s brief. He’s basically like, you’re so afraid of emotion you’re willing to killing necessary alliances to avoid it. But fear is an emotion. Be careful what it drives you to do

Then the planet votes. After a day and a half, it’s declared they will stay in the Federation!

All the conspirators are arrested and jailed. T’Pring asks to see Jim and Spock and McCoy accompany for moral support. She’s like “You must be pleased with yourself” and they’re like “Yep!” She’s like “Once again, you’ve stolen what should be mine.” Bones has finally had enough and is like “If we could take it, it was never yours to begin with. You didn’t own Spock, you didn’t own Stonn, and you don’t own Vulcan. Grow up, little girl, and do something productive with your life!”

Slow clap!

Final Thoughts