The Light of Other Stars by Grundy

Chapter 1

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Elnor glanced around, reassuring himself that all was set to receive his visitor, and trying not to wonder too hard why the renowned Admiral Picard would be coming here of all places.

He had never met the man before, though if what he had been told was accurate, Picard quite likely remembered a promising boy answering to his name. He had been on planet around the right time for that.

Young Telos had been looking for role models, and in the eyes of a child Elnor Maitimion had seemed like everything a Romulan male should be – or perhaps it was just that Elnor had been doing what he could to help the evacuation. ‘Do what needs doing’ was something he had learned from both his father and his brother. If that had made him seem a good example for an orphan boy to follow, there were worse things in the worlds.

All the same, Elnor had been relieved when Telos outgrew his hero-worship phase. The last he had heard, the boy was doing well in what remained of the Romulan military and rising through the ranks rapidly enough that having no parents or extended family to smooth his way should not hold him back from anything he wished to do.

It might be awkward to have to explain all that to Picard. But the women of the Qowat Milat thought highly of the man. For that alone, Elnor would not have refused the request to meet with him. Lady Zani was a keen judge of character. She was also, the Way of Absolute Candor notwithstanding, a keen judge of when not to ask questions.

He was grateful for her discretion; it made it possible for him to remain on Vashti and continue doing what he could to help the relocated build new lives. It was worthy work, and in doing it, he sometimes felt he was learning as much about his own people’s history as he was about the people he assisted.

Elnor had been traveling for some decades now, long enough that he had to either move on regularly or spend his time among the more long-lived species if he did not wish to stand out. Men of Arda and their descendants on their colony worlds might be longer lived now than they had been in earlier Ages, but they had never regained the lifespan of the Numenorians. It took only a handful of years for them to notice he was not one of them. Among Romulans or Vulcans, he stood out less; both his longevity and his ears were unremarkable to them.

He did not regret his decision to travel. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations was a concept he hadn’t encountered prior to spending time on Vulcan – at least, not the full dimensions of kol-ut-shan, though something similar had been proposed by Vanyarin philosophers – but it was something that resonated with him. One couldn’t see more than just a tiny fraction of that diversity from the protected enclave of Aman.

All the same, he wasn’t sure how much longer he wished to remain away from Arda – he missed his family. He could not imagine how hard it must have been for them in the First Age, when there had been no way to communicate. Letters to or from home might be infrequent for him, but at least they were possible.

His father had not been best pleased when he first announced his intention to go into deep space – meaning beyond the elven space station where his uncle Arvo made his home.

---

Findekano glared at Maitimo.

“This is all your fault!” he snapped.

Maitimo blinked at his mate in bemusement.

“Your younger brother has been telling him about space since he was old enough to take up there, but somehow it’s my fault he wants to see more of it?”

Findekano’s glare only deepened.

“Yes, because you’re the one who named him – with a name like that, of course he wants to go traipsing all over creation to see all the stars!”

“I really was only thinking that he should have a name that began with El- to match his brothers,” Maitimo replied placatingly. “You liked that thought well enough at the time.”

He put a soothing hand on his son’s shoulder, aware that Elnor was distressed by Finno’s apparent anger.

“And of course he has to take after the older one who gets the worst ideas,” Findekano continued. “He couldn’t be calm and sensible like Elrond, no, he has to try to outdo Elros!”

“Going to see other worlds for a yen or two is hardly the same as choosing mortality,” Elnor protested. “I will definitely come back! One way or another!”

He hadn’t anticipated Atya reacting like this, and looked hopefully to Atto for something that would soothe him.

“The boy has a point,” Maitimo said with a wry smile. “And while I agree space travel is not completely free from danger, you have to admit it’s considerably less hazardous than the trip we took at his age. It’s also more than a bit unfair to compare him to his brother who is several Ages older. Elrond has had a good deal more time than Elnor to become calm and sensible.”

Findekano looked slightly guilty at the mild reproof, but he still gave both of them an utterly filthy look before sweeping from the room. In anyone less than a former High King of the Noldor, it would have been called stomping.

Elnor tried not to let his disappointment at his father’s reaction show. It was the first time he’d found either of his parents anything less than supportive of his endeavors. He wondered what his older brother would say – would he agree with Atya that it was too dangerous? Would this spark yet another fight between his grandfathers?

“Don’t worry yourself, Noro,” Maitimo said gently. “He’s only surprised, and trying not to show how rattled he is by the whole idea. He’s more upset than he cares to say at the thought of you beyond our own star. You may not be the oldest, but you are the first child he’s seen grow up – it’s natural he would be nervous.”

“He was in Mandos when Elrond was doing all his dangerous stuff,” Elnor muttered, trying not to sound resentful. He usually either didn’t mind or outright enjoyed being his parents’ youngest son. (Well, youngest so far. He still had hopes of becoming an older brother.) “And when Elros made his choice!”

“True. He never met Elros. And neither of us were around for Elrond’s worst ideas!” Maitimo chuckled. “I’m sure he would be the first to admit that he had his own share of moments that would have given Finno conniptions.”

Elnor couldn’t help but grin, particularly since he suspected he’d heard less filtered versions of those moments than his fathers had. Elrond cheerfully admitted that he’d have locked his own sons up and told them it was for their own good had they ever tried one or two of the things he’d pulled in the Second Age.

“That’s more like it,” Maitimo said with a smile. “Don’t let this dampen your excitement. He may be grumpy about it for a time, but Finno will come around. Until he does, I’ll be reusing all his fine reminders over the years about how safe space travel has become!”

Elnor couldn’t help but smile himself at that. Atto had generally been the nervous one about trips up to the starpod. Atya had always gently poked fun at him for it. However, it was Atya who had been much more skeptical about traveling on mannish spacecraft. The idea that his firstborn intended to spend a long-year on such craft might well be a bit too much.

“He’ll reconcile himself to the idea, Noro, you’ll see,” Matimo reassured him gently. “And probably drive you to distraction trying to make up for this afternoon once he does.”

---

Findekano hadn’t entirely made his peace with Elnor’s plans, but he had apologized and done his utmost not to let his nerves cast a shadow on his son’s hopes for the rest of the time until Elnor’s departure. He’d come with the rest of the family to see him off at the spaceport.

He’d also mentioned several times that if Elnor got into trouble – anywhere, at any time – it was not only his older brother and grandfathers (and nephews, and probably at least one of his nieces) who would come running should he need them. He’d been rather emphatic about it.

That was a somewhat reassuring thought just now. If Jean-Luc Picard had come all the way to Vashti rather than enjoying the peace of his chateau and the products of his vineyards in his retirement, it was probably not because all was well with the Federation.