Even if she were not aware of his reputation individually, she knows the reputation of Vulcans in general; they are not, on the whole, an untrustworthy people. But Irian has great difficulty trusting anyone, and perhaps it is even more difficult for her given that his reputation among her people specifically is rather mixed.

"I imagine that it would," she says, somewhat cautiously. "But, as I've said, there was a great cost."

For the first time in the conversation, she looks away from him entirely, glancing down at the table. When he said she was far removed from her world, he was right, in more than one sense — and it pains her, unexpectedly. More so for the fact that she cannot go back, for any reason.

"Some twenty years ago in my time, there was a great disaster that destroyed ch'Rihan and ch'Havran. Those of us who survived split into two factions. One, which seeks to rebuild the Empire as it was, and one which would choose a different path from what the Empire had become."

She pauses, and looks back up at him.

"Those of us in the latter faction have formed our own government. The Federation has chosen to give us aid —" Her look goes a little wry. "— as have the Klingons."

Strange, how it often takes such great disaster to bring their people together. It always has.