The Gardens of the Desert, Part 4

[lindmere]

Title: Gardens of the Desert
Authors: lindmere and merisunshine36
Artist: ladymac111
Mixer: nextian
Beta: sail_aweigh
Series: ST XI
Character/Pairing(s): Joanna McCoy, Kirk, McCoy, Pike, Spock/Uhura/OFC, Winona/Sarek
Rating: PG-13 for violence and language
Word Count: 27,000
Warnings: Secondary character death, violence, discussion paralleling the autism debate

Comments

[sail_aweigh]

This is such an awesome story. I want to hug it to my chest along with "The Light of Distant Skies." I love the way you delve into the politics and the future ramifications of Nero's destruction of Vulcan. It seems to me to fall perfectly in line with the way Rodenberry liked to portray the future. Not a Utopia, but striving always to be better, overcoming our baser instincts. Your Jim, in particular, seems to embody this the way Kirk in TOS did. I found every character (except Kanu and Cartwright) sympathetic, even if I disagreed with them. I particularly ♥ Sarek for some reason. Perhaps because he once more chose a human for a wife, the man has good taste.

[lindmere]

Thank you SO much for the kind words, and for helping us with all your military expertise. We truly appreciate it, and you!

I watched enough of Enterprise to get the idea that Sarek is a bigger iconoclast than I ever thought. Maybe his family and position let him get away with it, or maybe he's the source of the rebelliousness that got passed on to his son. Either way, I like his way of dealing with change better than T'Pau's.

[sangueuk]

Thank you, ladies, for a riveting and emotional read! I made a few notes over the days as I read it and I hope it’s not too fragmented, but there was so much I enjoyed, I had to cp like mad!

The whole story was written with such assurance and very cinematic and visual with how it cut from scene to scene, keeping the pace up, bringing all the threads together. I admit, I was taken aback by what happened to Pike, but it was so, I don’t know - it hit me, is all. And poor D’Arcy!

Saavik and T'Sura exchange one of those long-suffering looks that all Vulcans seem to come equipped with the moment they leave the womb. ha! You did the whole cultural differences thing so well, and with real sensitivity.

I loved Sarek’s immunity to gossip, Winona’s creaky knees,

The fic was filled with wit: She turns back to her station and tries to pour her impossible longing for Saiehnn into a 3D scatter chart.I was riveted by the way Vulcan children learn - I have no idea how much of this you made up, or how much is canon/fanon, but it was so

[lindmere]

Thank you a thousand times for this wonderful comment! It was very kind of you to read it and even kinder to take the time for such a comprehensive comment for those of us laboring in the salt mines of gen ;)

Vulcans, as I think we agree, are an absolute bear to write, but I think I like Sarek best of all because he's just trying so hard--trying to keep up with the times when everything is changing around him. And as a TOS fan, I will always love uncomfortable sex conversations involving Spock.

Thanks again and best of luck with your epic--I'm really looking forward to it!

[secretsolitaire]

What an interesting read! It took twists I wasn't expecting. The opening scene was effective and gutting in the same way the opening of the movie is. *clutches Pike, and pets his poor dog* Enjoyed!

[lindmere]

It was wonderful of you to read it! I realize it's a huge commitment to read a BB story, and a gen one at that. I truly appreciate it! And yes, somehow we were comfortable offing Pike but I couldn't do anything really bad to poor Darcy :(

[anmkosk]

Intense :)

[lindmere]

Thanks so much for reading it, and for the comment!