The answer came to her later that night, as she was grumbling to Uhura about her mid-term exams.
"I have Systems Of Planet Classification, Emergency Engineering Procedures, The Theory of Beaming, Advanced Engineering, and Extraterrestrial Botany..." She started, and Uhura rolled her eyes.
"You think that's bad?" She laughed, shaking her sleek licorice hair out of its ponytail. "I have Exolinguistics, Elementary Klingon, Advanced Romulan, Masters in Vulcan, Extraterrestrial Culture and Customs III, and..."
Gaila wasn't really listening, because she had a sudden idea. She had to talk to Sulu, and she could use some help in Extraterrestrial Botany. Everybody knew that Sulu was a botany fiend. When he wasn't fencing or studying for something else, one could find him in the glass greenhouses on the Academy roofs, watering, weeding, pruning and tending carefully the plants that he loved. The cogs whirled in her mind. She was an Orion with a plan.
"Nyota," she said, cutting her off, "do we have any drills after classes tomorrow?"
"Besides dinner formation? No. . ." Uhura said. "Why?"
"I need to study," she said quickly. Too quickly. "In the greenhouses," she continued, "before they close."
"What in the universe are you up to, Gaila?" Uhura asked, with eyes narrowed. "I know that look."
Gaila feigned surprise, raising her eyebrows and laughing, showing her pretty teeth. "Who says I'm up to anything, Ny?"
"I do," Uhura said, grinning, "and I want to know what's going on. This had better be good."
"Well. . ." Gaila began, drawing a gusty breath and arranging herself comfortably on her bed, "I was talking to Pavel today," she stressed his name and fluttered her eyes. "So, I was talking to Pavel, and I found out something great!"
"Not again," sighed Uhura, ready to listen to all of the gossip Gaila was about to unleash upon her. After all, she wasn't in the communications field for nothing.