Chapter Two
As Meris walked along the path outside, she heard a masculine voice ask from behind her, "Are you lost, Cadet?"
She turned to see young Vulcan in a Commander uniform. His hair was black and his skin pale, as was normal for a Vulcan. However, his eyes were not the usual totally expressionless pools of black that she was used to for Vulcans. His eyes were curious, betraying far more emotion than any Vulcan would ever allow. This man was a half-breed, which made him Commander Spock.
The second he saw her insignia of rank, he said quickly, "My apologies, Lieutenant. I mistook you for a Cadet. What are you doing out so late?"
"I was stargazing, Sir," she said simply.
"Might I enquire as to what species you are? I must admit I have never seen one of your kind before," Spock said, obviously intensely curious.
"I am Tavelisian, the only Starfleet officer as of yet from that system, just as you are the only half-Vulcan," she said briefly. As an afterthought, she added, "Sir."
"Lieutenant, how did you know I was half Vulcan?" Spock asked delicately.
"Sir, your whole manner indicates that you are Vulcan, but your eyes are far too expressive. Naturally, due to your lack of other characteristics typical of other races, I deduced that you were half Vulcan and half human," Ari explained.
"That is an astute observation, Lieutenant. Tell me, how long have you been studying here?" His eyes shone with curiosity now.
"I arrived today, Sir," she said.
"Welcome to Starfleet," he said simply. His Vulcan half obviously thought it the only logical thing to say at this point.
"Thank you, Commander. Might I enquire as to why you are out so late?" Now the curiosity was directed in the opposite direction.
"I was grading papers for my Vulcan Linguistics Class," he explained, off handed.
Meris nodded uncommitted understanding before asking, "As you are the only half Vulcan in Starfleet I know that you are Commander Spock, but to clarify you are teaching an advanced hand to hand combat class and a Vulcan 1 class, are you not?"
"I am indeed," he said simply.
"This is an interesting coincidence. I am to be your assistant during those two classes beginning tomorrow," she said.
"So you are Lieutenant Merisaerdri Varensa," the Commander said in recognition.
"Yes," she replied simply.
"This would indeed be an interesting coincidence, as you said. I have not studied the physiology of your species, so might I ask how you are to assist me in an advanced hand to hand combat class? Your physical limitations would suggest that you are a poor choice for an assistant in fighting class."
"My race is faster and more agile than either Vulcans or humans. Aside from that, we tend to be extremely flexible. Those two factors combined make for a good lesson in hand to hand combat. Would you not agree, Sir?"
"Is there anything else I should know for the class?"
"My hearing and night vision are more developed as well, if that matters. I'll warn you now that I cannot stand high temperatures for long periods of time. My race is suited to a mean temperature of 35°. Other than that...I can speak Vulcan, so please do not comment about thusly," she said, saying the last in Vulcan.
"Where did you learn to speak Vulcan?" he asked, thoroughly surprised that she knew the language without having been in Starfleet to learn it.
"On Tavelis, we are taught English, Tavelisian, Vulcan, Klingon, Romulan, Andorian, and Tellarite, every dialect in each of those languages," she said, listing off all of the languages she knew on her fingers.
Spock looked astonished at this and asked, "How long are you in school on your homeworld?"
"We begin at the age of twelve and graduate at age 36," she said as though it were nothing.
"Fascinating," Spock said.
Meris looked up at the sky again and remembered just how late it actually was. "Well, Commander, I had best be going, and you as well," she said.
"Yes. I look forward to hearing more about your species tomorrow, Lieutenant Varensa," he said honestly.
"Good night, Sir," she said simply in Vulcan. She nodded her head to him before turning and walking back to her dorm which, thankfully, was hers alone.
MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS-MERIS
The following morning dawned, and with it Starfleet Lieutenant Meris Varensa rose. She ate only precious little. Outside of the dorm, many members of Starfleet, mostly human Cadets, walked about. Most were heading to their first class, just like Meris.
A quarter of an hour later, Meris walked into a classroom. Sitting at the desk at the front of the room was that same Commander Spock she had met the previous night. "Good morning, Commander," Meris called in Vulcan.
"Hello, Lieutenant. I believe you were sent the lesson plan for the coming week. As you can see, today is an overview of the course," Spock said, turning to face her.
She nodded, showing her understanding. Then, she looked up and asked, "What, precisely, could you use my assistance with in this course?"
"You may assist me in the answering of questions, the grading of assignments, and other such tasks," Commander Spock said.
Meris nodded, concealing her disappointment. She had hoped that she would be able to teach if even a little. Instead, she was stuck with these simple tasks that even a student could do easily.
"And of course, you may teach some of the lessons a little later in the semester," he finished.
Meris's head snapped up, and her eyes focused straight on him for a second. Suddenly, she realized that she was staring and looked down again at the data pad she had brought with her. Quickly, she skimmed through the list of main topics they would be studying. She had no reason to worry about this class because she already knew everything they would be covering. After all, she spoke Vulcan fluently.
By the time she had finished this task, students were arriving, filling up the seats quickly in the lecture hall. Seeing this, Ari quickly took a seat behind the desk, carefully crossing her legs and arranging her skirt.
A minute later, Spock stepped forward and said loudly so all of the students could hear, "Hello, Cadets, and welcome to Vulcan 1. I am Commander Spock, and this is Lieutenant Varensa." She nodded in acknowledgement.
From there, Spock proceeded to explain what was expected of the students and the main topics of study for the class. Meris listened intently for the whole of the time, analyzing his speech and making notes on it. She would need this for when she was a teacher until the Enterprise was ready. According to the reports, she would teach for at least a semester before the ship was fully operational and space ready.
Meris sat quietly while Spock finished the introduction. He was so precise in his timing that just as he finished, the class was over. The students hurried out while Meris moved more languidly, taking her time as she strolled out. As she passed Spock, she said to him, "I'll see you at the other class."
This precious time between classes, Meris spent sitting outside in the sun reading over more carefully the course guidelines of both courses with which she was to help. Quite honestly, they were far from challenging. She would have little trouble helping and answering questions.
After an hour, Meris left her sun-drenched spot in the grass for the physical education building of Starfleet, ready to give the students of the next class a lesson in agility.
