Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Star Trek franchise.
Hey guys! I just published this little intro to see if my writing was any good. I've never put anything up and just wanted to see how it was received. Let me know if you get a chance!
Introduction
"I want you to go through officer training."
His words hit Cadet Laura Brennan like a ton of bricks. "Sir?"
Pike eyed her, his face serious. "You have all the makings of a leader, Brennan. And a damn good one. I've seen how you interact with the other cadets. You are withdrawn, keep to yourself and yet you inspire respect, especially among the other engineers. Your friends are loyal to you with question or hesitation. If I knew nothing else about you, that would be enough."
Her face was warm as she tried to maintain eye contact with her adviser. "Captain Pike, as you've stated, I'm an Engineer. I don't have any desire to switch over and become a yellow shirt. And sure as he- well, I don't have much else that says that I have the qualifications."
Pike raised an eyebrow and reached for a PADD on his desk. "This is a report done by Commander Spock. I believe he is your Vulcan linguistic professor?"
She nodded dumbly.
"According to his report, you have an incredible gift for xenolinguistics. He finds you to be his best student, exceeding even his number one student in the field. And I quote, '...Cadet Brennan is unmatched in her understanding and spoken application of over three hundred and twenty-seven languages. She demonstrates an impressive aptitude to not only the language but an awareness of the culture behind it...'." He placed the PADD back on his desk. "Commander Spock is not known for handing out praise. In my years of knowing the man, I have never heard him bestow anything close to this."
She slumped in her chair, shocked that the Vulcan had said those words. 'And here I assumed he didn't realize I existed.' She bit back a smirk. Turning her attention back to Pike, she let out a small groan at the determination she saw. "You aren't going to give me much of a choice, are you, Captain?"
He gave her a wide smile. "Of course I will. I can't make you do anything. (She scowled at that). But just think about how your résumé will look if you complete the training. Promotions will come with ease and you'll have a head-start on a promising future. Not to mention, with your skills as an engineer and linguistics, just think how many ships will want you. You'll have the pick of the litter."
She hated that he was right.
"And aren't you trying for the Enterprise?"
She tried not to roll her eyes. "Sir, permission to speak freely?"
"Of course."
She fixed him with a glare. "You sure do know how to lay it on thick."
He burst out laughing.