THE JANUS INCIDENT

It was a warm day, like every day on Vulcan. In the distance, the jagged red mountains shimmered along the horizon, but as Saavik stepped into the garden, she felt a refreshingly cool draft. Moisture was thick in the air as she admired the various flowers cultivated about her.

"Lieutenant, how good of you to pay me a visit."

Saavik turned toward the voice. "Greetings, Commander. It is our appointed time, is it not?"

From the doorway, the Romulan Commander smiled at Saavik's typically Vulcan reply. "Of course, of course. Please come in." She turned and walked back into her home. She wore a bilious blouse with wide sleeves, and a long wraparound skirt. Both were a matching maroon color, with a subtle checkerboard pattern, reminiscent of her Romulan uniform. Saavik followed after her. The Lieutenant was in a slightly casual version of her duty uniform -- black pants, white long-sleeve shirt, and red vest.

They entered into a parlor with large windows looking out on the courtyard. "You have an impressive garden, Commander. Very diverse."

"Thank you. It's my hobby. I need quite a few these days, to fill my time." She looked out the window at the flowers. "Most are native to Vulcan, but a fair number of them are from Romulus, Andoria, even Earth." She gestured to a couch. "Please sit down." Saavik took the indicated seat, and the Commander sat in an easy chair opposite her. "I was quite surprised to get your request. And I'm still not sure I understand what you require."

"My request is personal," said Saavik. "I am here in no official capacity." The Commander's expression indicated a heightened level of interest. Saavik drew a breath and continued. "Are you aware of my... heritage?"

"You mean the rumor that you are half Romulan?"

"It is not rumor. It is fact. Although I do not advertise this fact, I have never denied it. I was raised..." Saavik hesitated, searching for a better word. "I grew up on Hellguard." Saavik immediately sensed the Commander tensing up. "Please relax, Commander. I am not here for accusations. What's past is past."

"And yet, here you are."

"Yes. Because regardless of how or why I am Romulan, I *am* Romulan. Half Romulan. And half Vulcan. As an adolescent, I was rescued from Hellguard and raised on Vulcan. I was raised in the Vulcan ways -- they are all I know -- but they are only half of who I am."

"And now you seek knowledge of your other half?"

Saavik nodded.

The Commander raised her eyebrows and drew a breath. "It's not often I'm called upon to explain an entire culture." She rose. "Perhaps we might start with a cup of tea?" She stepped over to an alcove and pulled a canister of dried leaves from a cabinet.

Saavik rose and looked over her shoulder. "You grow your own?"

"Along with my flowers, yes."

A few moments later, they each sat down again. Despite the heat outside, they sipped from hot cups held delicately in their hands. "It was Mr. Spock who rescued you from Hellguard, was it not?"

"Yes. He brought me to Vulcan. He got me into Starfleet... He's guided my life."

"I could tell he was a formidable figure the moment I met him."

"During the Enterprise incident?"

The Commander nodded.

"What happened?"

"I thought I could appeal to him on a level that Starfleet did not. I realized too late that I never had a chance. Worse -- I ended up a prisoner. And when it came time that I was allowed to return -- my own people wanted nothing to do with me. It was a short visit to Romulus, and then I thought it best that I leave.

"Well, with nowhere else to go, I was offered asylum here on Vulcan. Vulcans can be maddeningly polite, but still, it is obvious that I am not the most popular resident. Early on, at least, Spock paid me several visits -- sweet moments of intellectual stimullation in a life that has otherwise become the very opposite of what any Romulan Commander would want. We want to command, after all. Instead, I prune flowers and grow my own tea..." Disappointment at what could have been darkened the Commander's face.

"Are you sure the stimulation was just... *intellectual*?" asked Saavik with an un-Vulcan smirk. Her question had the intended response -- pulling the Commander back from the brink of depression.

The Commander smiled a self-deprecating smile. "Well, any non-intellectual stimulation was most definitely one-sided -- and quite unreciprocated... How is Captain Spock?"

"Better... It was a difficult time after Genesis. And now he is busy at Khitomer with peace negotiations. I haven't been able to see him very much, lately."

"If you do, please give him my regards."

Saavik nodded. "Of course, Commander."

"Please, you don't have to call me 'Commander'."

"What else should I call you?"

The Commander said her first name.

"That is a beautiful name. However, I believe I would be more comfortable if I stayed with 'Commander'."

"Suit yourself... And so, having learned of Vulcan from the inimitable Mr. Spock, you now seek information on Romulus. Tell me, have you heard the story of how Romulus was founded?"

"The historical record is unclear, but nearly a millennium ago, the Romulan society split from Vulcan..."

"No, no, no." The Commander spoke as if to a confused child. "If you want to learn what it is to be Romulan, you've got to start using your brain less and your heart more. I'm not talking about fossilized DNA and musty old documents. I'm talking about the *story* of Romulus -- told to me by my mother, who heard it from her mother. And so now, I will tell you...

*****

"The ancient Romulan Aeneas was the son of the goddess Venus and the mortal Anchises. He and his son Ascanius left the burning planet of Troy and arrived at the planet of Laurentum. There, Aeneas fell in love with and married Lavinia, the daughter of King Latinus. The newlyweds settled on a nearby planet, which Aeneas named Lavinium in honor of his wife. His son Ascanius decided to establish his own colony on a nearby planet in the Alban system, which he named Alba Longa.

"Alba Longa became a prosperous society, and Ascanius' line ruled for generations. Years later, after the death of King Proca, the planet of Alba Longa was left to his two sons, Numitor and Amulius. Being the older son, Numitor ruled Alba Longa and agreed to let his younger brother Amulius control the treasury of riches brought from Troy by their ancestors. However, using this money, Amulius started a revolt and deposed his brother -- banishing Numitor and putting himself on the throne.

"To avoid future retribution, Amulius forced his niece, Numitor's daughter Rhea Silvia, to become a Vestal virgin -- a virgin priestess of the goddess Vesta. In that way, she would never bear any children who might seek revenge against Amulius. One day, however, during an eclipse on the 23rd day of the month of Choiac, the god Mars entered Rhea's bedchamber and raped her. Later, twin boys were born on the 21st day of the month of Thoth.

"Amulius was furious and ordered Rhea's execution, but his daughter Antho pleaded for her cousin's life. Rather than upset his daughter, Amulius spared Rhea Silvia, throwing her in prison instead. The twins, however, were not to be spared. They were placed in a spaceship and set adrift in the Tiber Expanse. The ship landed on the planet Cermanus, where a she-wolf heard the infants' cries and nursed them underneath a fig tree. And a woodpecker brought them food.

"A herdsman named Faustulus came upon the boys and brought them home to his wife, Acca. Faustulus named the infants Romulus and Remus. The brothers grew up into handsome and courageous men. They enjoyed hunting, and were even known to ambush ships loaded with plunder, distributing what they took among the locals to gain their favor.

"Numitor's supporters, meanwhile, were rallying together in preparation for a rebellion against Amulius. Remus was captured and delivered to Numitor. After a long discussion with him, Numitor realized the boy was his son and quickly called for Romulus as well. The three of them made a plan to overthrow Amulius, free Rhea Silvia, and reinstate Numitor as king. Romulus and Remus flew back to Alba Longa where, with the help of many Albans who also disliked the king, they gained access to the royal palace and savagely murdered their uncle.

"After returning the throne of Alba Longa to their grandfather, Romulus and Remus decided they would found their own society on a new planet. They traveled deep into space, searching for just the right place. They came upon a system with only two planets. One was lush and quite hospitable, and it had seven moons -- Palatine, Aventine, Capitoline, Quirrinal, Viminal, Esquiline, and Caelian. The second planet had a harsh environment. It rotated on its axis once per solar revolution, so one side was always in light and the other was always dark.

"Since both men were the same age, they couldn't decide who would be the leader of their new civilization, so they sought the advice of the gods. Romulus sat on the Palatine moon and Remus sat on the Aventine moon to await a sign. Soon, six vultures -- the bird of Mars -- flew over Remus' head, and his supporters cheered for their leader. Directly after that, a dozen vultures flew over Romulus, and his men claimed that this signified that he was the true victor.

"The brothers' men arranged themselves against each other. Remus claimed precedence because the favorable signs had come to him first. Romulus claimed the throne because his signs were greater. It was determined that Romulus and Remus would each be in charge of a section of their new society. Romulus would rule the planet with the seven moons, and Remus would rule the planet of eternal day and night. Remus was angry that his brother got the better world, so he attacked. In the ensuing altercation, Romulus killed Remus.

"On the ninth day of the month of Pharmuthi, Romulus officially founded the planet of Romulus, which he named after himself. It began as a small settlement, and Romulus knew that he had to increase the population if his world was to survive. Therefore, the planet Romulus became the refuge of anyone who wandered through the system, including many criminals. The problem with this was that no females were coming to the planet, and Romulus' subjects were becoming restless. The neighboring systems would not give their daughters to Romulus' criminals, so the bachelors had to get their wives through deceit.

"Romulus held the Consualia Games in honor of the god Consus, and invited people from the neighboring Sabine star system. The stadiums of Romulus were filled with Sabine couples, and just before the games were to begin, Romulus gave a signal, and his men seized the young Sabine women, making off with them. Romulus himself claimed his wife Hersilia during the chaos. The Sabines wanted to declare war against Romulus, but their wives and daughters stopped the soldiers and said that they would rather marry their kidnappers than see any more blood shed. A reconciliation was made between the two peoples, and King Tatius of the Sabines jointly ruled the sector with Romulus. Perhaps not surprisingly, Tatius was killed shortly thereafter, and Romulus ruled alone. By his wife Hersilia, he fathered Abillus and Prima.

"Romulus' reign finally ended after thirty-eight years. The king was at Capra Palus during a violent storm when a bright light suddenly surrounded him. A flaming chariot descended and carried Romulus into the heavens, where he was deified as the god Quirinus. And that is the god we Romulans worship to this day."

*****

The Commander smiled and folded her hands in her lap, patiently awaiting Saavik's response.

"You don't really expect me to believe this version of... history?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"It's so absurd. A wolf and a woodpecker?"

"Both the wolf and the woodpecker were sacred to the boys' father, Mars."

"And vultures on the moons? Was there at least an atmosphere on these moons?"

"I suppose so," offered the Commander. She paused before continuing. "Have you ever heard of the ancient god Janus?"

"Janice?"

"Janus. He is the god of doorways -- of beginnings and endings. He's the one depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions. He is the god of change and transition... from past to future... from one universe to another... Saavik, this could be the day of *your* transition -- from a sheltered life as only a Vulcan, to a richer one which embraces your Romulan blood."

The Commander got up from her chair and sat close to Saavik on the couch. She spoke earnestly. "Saavik, the myth is not about our history. It's about *us* -- as a people. About how we're explorers and conquerors and leaders of nations. We're noble but flawed, loyal but treacherous, ruthless... but passionate." She stroked the back of her hand against Saavik's cheek. Saavik flushed in response.

"Here's an interesting point for your historical perspective," continued the Commander. "Remember Acca, the herdsman's wife who raised the boys? Well, she was known as an unchaste woman and might have been the actual 'lupa' who suckled the infants. You see, 'lupa' is an ancient Romulan word that means both 'she-wolf' and 'prostitute'." She now slid her hand down Saavik's upper arm. "Also, Romulus' and Remus' names come from the root word 'ruma', meaning 'breast', because they were found suckling at a wolf." She now moved her hand gently over Saavik's breast and stroked it. Saavik shifted in her seat, but the Commander laid her free hand gently on Saavik's shoulder to keep her still. The Commander's gentle stroking became a more insistent squeezing.

"Commander..."

"Shhh..." The full-blooded Romulan leaned forward, reaching for Saavik's mouth with her own.

"Commander, I don't think..."

The Commander now held the Lieutenant firmly in her hands. "Remember, Saavik -- you came here seeking to find out what we are. I would think my story made it clear -- we are a passionate people who dare to take what we want." With that, she kissed Saavik hard on the mouth. Surprising even herself, Saavik responded by wrapping her own arms around the Romulan on top of her.

The Commander slipped her hands under Saavik's shirt to rub her tits directly. Moments later she stretched the entire shirt and vest over Saavik's head, removing them completely. The young half-breed sat before her, brown eyes shining, brown locks in disarray. Her cheeks were flushed hot and pink -- her nipples stiff and brown. Like Romulus to a she-wolf, the Commander began to suck at Saavik's teats. She teased them and tortured them with a passion born of denial.

"Oh, Saavik," she moaned. "It's been so long... so long..." She intermixed sucking both breasts with kissing Saavik's chest, neck, and face. Her hand slid down the Lieutenant's belly and inside her pants.

Saavik teetered on the edge of fear and desire. She could just as easily have jumped up and run out the door as she could have taken hold of the older woman pressed against her. Acting before her fear overwhelmed her passion, she pulled the Commander's blouse open to likewise suck on her dark Romulan breasts.

The Commander was only too accommodating. Standing up, she removed her blouse entirely, and tossed away her skirt. Romulans, like Vulcans, age exceedingly well, and Saavik admired the smooth tan curves of the Commander's naked flesh.

"I don't suppose you have any Sabine blood in you?" asked Saavik.

"None that I know of. Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to carry you off and have my way with you."

*****

Saavik tucked her shirt into her pants and straightened her vest as she approached the door. She turned to the Commander. "Thank you so much for..." She smiled as she blushed. "For everything."

The Commander smiled as well, but she was too old to blush. "You're welcome."

"Not just... y'know... I mean..."

"I know what you mean. And you're very welcome." The Commander leaned over and kissed Saavik on the cheek. "Thank *you*, for reminding a tired old woman who she really is."

"Peace and long life, Commander."

"Live long and prosper, Lieutenant. Will you visit again?"

"Yes. I'd like that very much."

(End)