Sarek


 * For the TNG episode of the same name, see Sarek (episode). For the novel of the same name, see Sarek (novel).

Sarek of Vulcan had a very distinguished career as Vulcan ambassador to the United Federation of Planets, a capacity he served throughout the twenty-third and twenty-fourth centuries, until his death from Bendii Syndrome in 2368.

Early Life and Career
S'chn T'gai Sarek, son of Skon and T'Rama, was born in the city of ShiKahr, Sas-a-Shar on Vulcan in 2165. Sarek was given a traditional upbringing on Vulcan and was groomed to be a diplomat like his father. At aged 7 he was bonded to the Vulcan princess T'Rea as is traditional. He also had a brother known as Silek. (TOS episode: "Journey to Babel", movie: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, novel: Sarek, TOS novel: Demons and TOS novelisation: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier).

By 2185, Sarek had begun his successful career as a diplomat often following in his father's footsteps. His early diplomatic career included many trips to Earth, including a visit to watch the World Series in 2185. His frequent trips to Earth and familiarity with Humans made Sarek the logical choice to negotiate the Interstellar Comprehensive Trade Act between Earth and Vulcan in 2197. (TOS novel: Spock's World).

In 2206, Sarek moved to Earth to serve as a diplomatic attache at the Vulcan Embassy under Ambassador Selden. Sarek would spend much of the next 15 years on the planet, and his stay affected Sarek's pon farr cycle and he was well into his 50's before he experienced his first pon farr.

In 2218, Ambassador Sarek was appointed as Vulcan liaison to the planet Freelan. Sarek's first voyage to Freelan was in 2221, when under Selden's orders to conduct trade negotiations for crysium ore that was recently discovered in the Freelan system. While aboard the Freelan space station, Sarek began to experience his first pon farr, and was forced to return to Vulcan where he married T'Rea and (unknowingly) conceived his first son, Sybok. (TOS novel: Sarek).

When Sybok was born in 2222, his birth was initially kept a secret from Sarek, but he later discovered the truth. His marriage continued until 2224, when T'Rea ascended to become High Master of Gol and the marriage had to be enulled. (TOS novel: Sarek and TOS novelisation: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier).


 * Note: Sarek states in the TNG episode "Sarek" that his first wife was from Earth. This was obviously a reference to Amanda Grayson.  It is supposed that either this first marriage was anulled - so henceforth it never happened - or that Sarek and T'Lea never married, which would contradict Sarek.

Rise to Prominence
However, Sarek's life began to change forever in 2228 when he met school teacher Amanda Stemple Grayson on Earth. Over the next year, the two begin to develop a strong relationship and the two were married in September 2229. Following a Human ceremony on Earth - including a honeymoon on Carmel Beach - Sarek and Amanda traveled to Vulcan where they were both joined to each other in a Vulcan ceremony. Following the wedding, Sarek and Amanda permanently set up home on the outskirts of ShiKahr. (TOS novels: Sarek and Demons).

The following year their son, S'chn T'gai Spock, was born. His conception and birth was not an easy one, and he was one of the first products of genetic manipulation between Humans and Vulcans. Sarek's early relationship with the young Spock was often strained, as Sarek often displayed shame at Spock's emotional outbursts. However, Sarek and Spock did have an underlying respect for each other. (TOS movie Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, TOS novel: The Vulcan Academy Murders and TOS episode Journey to Babel).

In 2243, Sarek's family were all living in his home when 21-year-old Sybok came to live with him. Sybok's presence may have caused some tension in the Sarek household due to Sybok's support for emotionalism which earnt disdain from many of his peers and his step-brother, and a degree of shame from Sarek. (TOS novelisation: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier).

Meanwhile, Sarek's career as a diplomat continued to flourish, after being appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Earth, he was eventually awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2248, for his diplomatic and peacekeeping efforts in holding the United Federation of Planets together. (TOS novels: Memory Prime and Spock's World).

2249, saw the beginning of an 18-year rift between Sarek and Spock. Sarek wanted Spock to enter the Vulcan Science Academy and eventually follow in his footsteps into diplomacy and continue the family career. However, Spock decided to enter Starfleet Academy instead. As a result, Sarek proclaimed Spock to be a vrekasht and vowed never to speak with him again. Being emotionally stricken at the rift between father and son, Amanda left her husband for a teaching job in San Francisco. Amanda returned in 2250 when it was revealed that Sarek's father, Skon, had died. (TOS episode: "Journey to Babel", and novels: Sarek, Vulcan's Forge and Recovery).

Ambassador Sarek
Throughout the 2250s and 2260s, Sarek continued his prominent career and earned the respect of many other Ambassadors from across the Federation and beyond. Sarek had earned the reputation that his diplomacy was guided by logic and that he could not be easily swayed to a course counter to his logic.

This was especially true in 2267 when the Federation Council was due to meet on Babel to discuss Coridan's admission. While Sarek supported their admission, the Tellarite and Andorian Ambassadors did not, which led to several heated arguments aboard the USS Enterprise. When the Tellatite Ambassador was later murdered, Sarek was considered a suspect because a Vulcan technique had been used to murder him, but it was later revealed to be an Orion spy disguised as an Andorian.

It was also during that mission that the 18-year rift with Spock ended, when Sarek needed an emergency heart operation. When Spock agreed to a blood transfusion to allow his father to live, the two began to respect each other again. (TOS episode: "Journey to Babel").

In the later years of the 23rd century, Sarek trained a young Curzon Dax in the ways of diplomacy when the young Trill served as an aide on the Ambassador's staff. After Dax left Sarek's tutalage, he would occasionally call on Sarek when he had difficulties focusing on a problem. (TLE novel: The Art of the Impossible)

At some point in his life, Sarek became the head of the Symmetrists however left the group upon seeing the drastic actions they would take to achieve their goals.

Steady Decline
By the mid 2360's, as he reached his 200th birthday, Sarek began to gradually suffer the effects of Bendii Syndrome. This disease, which caused older Vulcans to lose emotional control, and caused Vulcans to telepathically project emotions on to others. At first, Sarek's aide Sakkath was able to use his own abilities to reinforce Sarek's emotional control.

In 2366, nearly a century of working with the Legarans finally paid off, when the Legarans agreed to meet with Sarek to conclude a treaty. Sarek's wife and aides were convinced that Sarek could complete this one last mission. The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) took Sarek to this conference. However the progression of the Bendii syndrome, and the pressure of this final mission meant that Sakkath's assistance was not enough anymore. A Mozart concert brought Sarek to tears. As Sarek was a formidable telepath, he began to unconciously project his emotions on to others. This causes a number of violent outbreaks on the Enterprise - including Dr. Beverly Crusher slapping Wesley Crusher, and a massive brawl breaking out in Ten-Forward.

Afterwards, Dr. Crusher and Deanna Troi came to feel that Sarek was suffering from Bendii syndrome. Captain Jean-Luc Picard confronted Sarek, who reacted by losing control and becoming enraged. Picard agreed to enter into a mind meld with Sarek. This gave Sarek the emotional control he needed to complete his final mission. The mind meld allowed Sarek to reveal to Picard his love for Perrin and Spock - feelings that he couldn't reveal publically. Afterwards, Sarek returned to Vulcan. (TNG episode Sarek).

A year later, the disease had caused Sarek to lose all emotional control. By then, Sarek would spend most of his days in bed. When Spock left to prusue Vulcan-Romulan reunification, the Enterprise went to Vulcan to uncover a possible motive for Spock's leaving. Perrin boarded the ship to speak to Picard, but informed the crew that Sarek was too ill to make the trip. She allowed Picard to meet with Sarek one final time. For a few minutes, Sarek was lucid enough to give Picard a lead to follow on Romulus, that Spock may had gone to see Pardek. However, Sarek lost this control, and begged Picard to tell Spock of his love for his son. A few days later, Sarek died. (TNG episode Unification).

Legacy
After the death of Sarek, his widow Perrin gave Jean-Luc Picard a book that Sarek owned that had been written in Vulcan. Despite being unable to read the langugage, Picard's mind meld with Sarek allowed him to read through the book and gain an impression of some of the words in the book. (TNG novel The Devil's Heart).

In the continuity of the books authored by William Shatner, Sarek had not actually been suffering from Bendii syndrome. Instead Sarek had been poisoned by the Symmetrists with a substance which made him appear to be suffering from Bendii Syndrome - which was chosen to hide the fact that Sarek was being murdered. It was not until several years after his death that this fact was finally uncovered when Spock also was poisoned with this same substance, and began to appear to be suffering from Bendii, despite the fact that he was far too young to be suffering from the disease. (TOS novel Star Trek: Avenger).

Mirror Universe
For Sarek's Mirror Universe counterpart see Sarek (mirror).