"Black Widow"

[Guest Sarvek]

"Black Widow"

Erein Sar'vek t'Jhiin

March 17, 23--

 

Tomed

Eight years ago...

 

Thick blankets of fog rolled in from the Paehhos Sea towards the modestly decorated estate of the House Jhiin. The day's rain collected itself into stagnant rust-toned ponds as the sky's life-giving waters became jumbled with the ferric soil.

 

The House was alive with merriment, coming to the end of an extravagant banquet that would most likely strain the family treasury for several months. One by one, the dinner guests departed, leaving the House vacant save its residents and one of their most trusted friends.

 

Mortrih tr'Crahn smirked across the room at a young Rihan woman sipping on azure colored ale in the far corner of the atrium. Sar'vek t'Jhiin, the only daughter of his hosts. He'd had his eye on her for the past few years, ever since he and her father had become well acquainted.

 

Vhari was more than slightly intoxicated as he placed an arm around his friend's neck, his eyes sparkling as he saw who had caught tr'Crahn's attention.

 

"Interested?" he asked. "You're unmarried, and what good senator has no bondmate to keep his estate for him while he's taking care of governmental business?"

 

Tr'Crahn looked down at his shorter friend, his eyes gaining a chilling, calculating, quality. "You making me a genuine offer, or is that the ale talking?"

 

"Sar'vek is no child. She'd be able to make someone like you happy. Very happy. And no, I'm not so drunk that I'd sell my own daughter to a pig like you without thinking." Vhari slapped Mortrih on the back before laughing obnoxiously.

 

Sar'vek looked up sharply, hearing her name. Her eyes drifted to the opposite side of the room, where her father and one of his political cronies were apparently enjoying a good laugh at her expense. Men...

 

She narrowly avoided rolling her eyes before she noticed her father beckoning her. Would she be treated to what was most likely the least humorous joke of the year? The younger of the Jhiins stood, taking a moment to stretch out the kinks in her spine as she made her way over to the animated duo.

 

"I assume you know Senator tr'Crahn." He motioned towards the noble-looking man beside him.

 

"Of course I know him." The Rihan female smiled politely. "In fact, the senator needed help in locating another bottle of ale just this evening." The jab at his drinking habits was pointed, but spoken in a way that was more joking than slanderous.

 

Tr'Crahn smiled thinly. "Charming daughter au have, tr'Jhiin. She reminds me somewhat of a t'ahvin spider. A stunning creature, but from its mouth flows poison. Tell me, Vhari, does this venomous beauty have any other attributes I should know of?"

 

She spoke for herself, not trusting the details to her stupored father. "Two graduate degrees in the physical sciences, and I've been granted admission into the Galae Academy should I wish it."

 

"And do au wish it?"

 

Sar'vek shrugged noncommittally. "I'll make a decision soon enough. There's no hurry ... that I know of," she added as an afterthought. "Is there?"

 

Vhari smiled in Dionysian bliss. "That remains a matter for debate." He made a few abstract motions with his right hand, trying to remember what he was about to say. "Darling child, you would love ch'Rihan."

 

She didn't bother to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. "I've been to ch'Rihan, Father. Considering that you accompanied me on that little voyage, I certainly would hope you remember it." He was under the influence more than she had realized.

 

"How would you like to make it your full-time residence?" Tr'Crahn actually seemed like he was at least slightly interested in her opinion.

 

"I'm happy on Tomed. I can continue my research in peace without worrying about politics, with the exception of Tomed's carefree elections. But with his popularity, Father is na likely to be voted out of office for a while yet." She smiled, a bit of filial pride showing through her fiery exterior.

 

Tr'Crahn spoke a short sentence, though Sar'vek didn't register it at first, still thinking of the last election her father had been in. His words eventually fizzled to the top of her consciousness, and she looked up from the marbled tiling. "Are au joking?"

 

"About marriage?" Tr'Crahn shook his head. "Never."

 

Sar'vek's eyes slowly moved from the aristocratic features to the stubbier ones of her parent. "This is absolutely insane."

 

"Na really. In fact, it is quite reasonable. Au would bring great heapings of honor to the House of Jhiin..."

 

Hall of State

ch'Rihan

Thirteen months later...

 

Sar'vek walked through the inner passages of the Senate chambers, heading towards a destination rather than leisurely sightseeing. Her bondmate's personal chamber was on the top floor of the building, affording him and his guests a panoramic view of the city, but the woman formerly known by the surname of t'Jhiin had no interest in the landscape outside.

 

She didn't bother to chime for admittance to his study as she blew through the doors. "What was so urgent that it could na wait until this evening, Mortrih?"

 

"Sit down, dear." He didn't so much as look at her for a moment; his eyes rapidly following lines of text being presented on the screen in front of him. A moment or two passed before he directed his attentions to his bondmate. "Ale? Wine?"

 

Something was up. "Nothing," she answered in a colorless voice.

 

"Au really ought to loosen up, au know. It's na healthy for au to be on edge all of the time." He rotated the monitor towards Sar'vek and gave her a coy smile. "How're aus skills at reading ancient Vulcan?"

 

The scientist-turned-housewife squinted at the senator, furrowing her brow. "A little on the rusty side, but I'll manage." She rested her chin on a well-manicured hand, reading a few lines before chortling. "What in the names of the Elements is this?"

 

"Picked it up off of a Lloann'nha archaeological report. They apparently discovered these documents around a decade ago. Ancient history written from eyewitness reports." He nodded, seemingly satisfied with the authenticity. "Keep reading."

 

Snorting, she read aloud. "The va'mahrak was a biogenic destructive device of considerable powers, possessing the ability to destroy all carbon-based life on an M-class planet within a week." She looked up from the document, smirking at her husband. "Au are na actually taking this seriously."

 

"Keep reading." Tr'Crahn smirked, studying her face in preparation for when she got to the real kicker.

 

"The va'mahrak was developed before the time of Surak. After the logical 'reality-truth' movement came into effect, all of the schematics were destroyed with the exception of one set."

 

Tr'Crahn leaned against his chair, the smile widening. Sar'vek raised her eyebrows and kept reading. "This final set was genetically encoded into the RNA of a Vulcan matriarch to be retrieved when the weapon would solely be used for defensive purposes. This matriarch, by the name of..." The color washed out of her face, leaving an ill pallor behind. "Sartrav t'Jhiin." Her voice a hoarse whisper; barely cognizant of her surroundings.

 

He nodded triumphantly. "T'Vellah will na have a chance at ousting me from office when I go before the praetor with a working example of the most potent bioweapon in tow. Total domination," he said, enunciating the final two words menacingly.

 

"Na." Sar'vek stood quickly, knocking over her chair. "It's na possible."

 

"Why wouldn't it be? Au are a direct descendent of Sartrav. Au carry the encoded data within au. And for that, I married au."

 

She shook her head violently, backing up towards the door. "Why me? Why na another of his descendants? And why is this only being explored now?"

 

"Oh, we are na the first ios to try. But the others went about it the wrong way. They went after the Vulcan descendants of Sartrav, and did na stop to consider his Rihan daughters. Besides, this data was classified in the early days of the Lloann'nha. Na many were able to gain access to it."

 

Sar'vek stood there, the room taking on a reddish tone as she stared through Mortrih. "And why, pray tell, were au na able to get the data by now? Au have had more than enough opportunities by now."

 

He turned his attentions back to the console, acting as if he were na paying attention to her once more. "The large amounts of genetic material that are necessary to repiece the puzzle would require that au either be drugged or compliant for the scientists to retrieve it."

 

She turned towards the door, twisting the knob to na avail. Locked.

 

"What would au do if au could leave the room in aus present state of mind? Kill auself? Unless au make auself a cloud of vapor, we'll still have the schematics. Murder me? And disgrace auself and aur family?"

 

She turned, the icy calm of her tone sending daggers into tr'Crahn's ears. "I could tell the press. They would have quite the time publishing this little tale of aur desperation for reelection."

 

He smiled haughtily. "Au are na going to vanquish me with your oh-so-stunning feats of willpower. I've thought this through for years, Sar'vek. Years, do you understand me?"

 

"I understand your greed and lust for power, ie. Is it just too hard nowadays to win the election through your charm and appeal? T'Vellah's supporters just going to be too strong this year? They might be asking for aus head, but they have na gone so far as to resurrect a pre-Sundering superweapon." Her bitter words were an effort to spew forth.

 

Tr'Crahn's smile dissolved as his jaw tightened into a steel mass. "We will be beginning the samples a week from today. Au are free to return to our estate for the time being. Nevertheless, mark well what I said. If au even think to try anything, aus family's honor will be reduced to absolutely nothing." He electronically released the door's latch before turning towards the window, staring out across the city. Thunderclouds were moving in from the horizon as if the Elements themselves were displeased, moving over the city with a feral ferocity.

 

***

 

For the next five days, Sar'vek woke up, did the duties expected of her, and watched the sheets of rain plague the countryside without mercy before retiring to the house's laboratory. She didn't utter a word to her bondmate, and he made no efforts to smooth relations between them.

 

As she sat in the window, one of the servants approached her timidly. "Milady, I bring good news."

 

"Ie, what is it?" the former t'Jhiin asked, na caring in the least.

 

The young servant coughed slightly before replying. "Mortrih's latest round of debates went well. It is said that if nothing goes awry, he will be elected to another term."

 

Perhaps one of his opponents would send a t'ahvin arachnid to end his successes, she thought. She smirked rather ominously, the first time she had shown any emotion whatsoever since she'd visited the Senate Chambers. "Very well. Au may go."

 

The servant looked as though she wished to add something, but thought wiser of it, exiting with a small nod of the head.

 

"Then again," Sar'vek remarked to the rain, "there would be absolutely no evidence to suspect one of his opponents. The blame could very well be placed upon me."

 

The softly spoken words echoed in her mind for a moment, resulting in another sly smirk. "Then again ... if some horrific fate were to befall him, there would be na proof to prove that I was responsible..."

 

***

 

She returned to the estate later that evening carrying a small, innocuous parcel with her. Words such as 'instantaneous', 'painful', and 'honorable' still rang in her ears, and the emerald blood of the 'medicine' vendor still graced the blade of her dagger.

 

Mortrih would be home from the latest stop along the campaign trail late that evening, giving the Rihan time to prepare. She entered the kitchen, preparing her husband's for the evening for the first time since she learned the truth. He deserved the finest after his long day, after all. And the finest he would receive: the best ale, the most succulent julak berries, and the most refined poison as a seasoning.

 

Sar'vek piled the blue berries atop one another in a visually pleased mound, and delicately wove a liquid thread of poison atop them after she completed their arrangement. "Instantaneous," she repeated, grinning sardonically.

 

The woman moved with fiery grace as she set the bowl of berries and flagon of ale at his place. Dimming the lights, she sat at the opposite end in the shadows.

 

Sar'vek fell asleep at the table for a short time, the sheer exhaustion defeating her. She awoke to see Mortrih entering the dining hall; his angle and the lighting preventing her from being noticed as he sat, grunting. Much to her chagrin, he pushed the berries aside in favor of chugging the ale she had provided.

 

She moved into the light, looking more like a thoughtful beauty than a ruthless assassin. Smiling slightly, she held out her hand to him as she approached.

 

"My dear, loving husband, I apologize for my actions. My lack of words. It was cruel of me."

 

He grunted again, downing another glass of the ale.

 

"Will au forgive me?"

 

Tr'Crahn shrugged. "I'll have to eventually. Can na let domestic issues affect my public image."

 

She smiled, lifting her eyebrows. "I am so glad." She motioned towards the berries, blinking at her bondmate. "Will na au even eat something? I prepared the food from the bottom of my heart."

 

"I'm sure au did. And I thank au for the effort, but there was a banquet right after the debate. I could na eat another bite."

 

She mentally brought curses from all of the Elements and ancient deities upon herself for forgetting about the state dinner as she listened to his seemingly unending spiel. "The ale on the other hand ... io can na ever have too much."

 

Sar'vek reached over to the berry dish, picking up one of the stickier ios. Sweet death for whoever ate it.

 

But she would na be the io to sample its rich array of flavors. Her pride was too great. Without opening her mouth, she rubbed the poison onto her lips, praying that the poison could na be absorbed into her skin.

 

"Perhaps..." her voice trailed off as she pulled Mortrih to his feet, staring pointedly into his eyes. "Perhaps it is not food au hunger for."

 

Half-drunk, stressed, and having na spoken to his wife in a week, he didn't need clarification, ruthlessly bringing his head to hers, kissing her passionately.

 

Sar'vek let his limp body drop to the floor at her feet as strange gurgling sounds emerged from his throat. With a well-trained kick, she sent him sprawling onto his back. "That was for using me and my family in a plot for your own twisted goals." Drenching a napkin in ale, she sponged her lips before delivering another blow with her foot. "And that..." She paused for a second, knowing her words would be the last he would hear.

 

"That was for marrying me to gain access to my RNA." She smiled mercilessly as the lifeless corpse of tr'Crahn released his hold on her ankle. "Pity about that ale going to waste," she muttered as she left the banquet hall.

 

Two days later...

 

Those placed in charge of the investigation were suspicious, as Sar'vek t'Jhiin predicted. After all, senators did not simply drop dead in their homes without good reason.

 

The autopsy came up with trace amounts of the poison in his bloodstream. The chief investigator found na signs of forced entry, but there was always the possibility that an assassin gained entrance through other means.

 

Na hard evidence was ever found to implicate tr'Crahn's wife or any of his political opponents in this violent act.

 

Sar'vek returned to Tomed to continue her scientific research, but her freelance studies no longer captivated her as they once had. Her family was noticeably cautious when speaking to her, as if they suspected that a lunatic lurked within her. Though na unwelcome, they were obviously na entirely comfortable around her anymore.

 

And where did that leave her? She would na remarry, she did na wish to join a larger research facility on one of the larger worlds in the Empire.

 

Perhaps she could look into the Galae Academy once more. A new life for herself, with a chance to regain her honor and stature. Yes, that sounded rather pleasing after all she'd been through of late.

 

And perhaps, just perhaps, about a Galae vessel she would be able to avoid the web of intrigue that she'd stumbled into on ch'Rihan...

 

-----

Glossary

 

au - you

aur/aus - your

ch'Rihan - Romulus

io - one

Lloann'nha - Federation

na - not

t' - female designative prefix added to the family house name

tr' - male designative prefix added to the family house name

Edited March 18, 2006 by Sarvek