Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I'm simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD's get released.

Tomorrow's Yet to Come

Chapter Forty-One – Score One For Our Side

Maria sat doodling, while Jara Kobodi lectured the class. The memory implant done by Che'koth meant that Maria didn't need to pay attention while the fat slob lectured. Jara held up a plant and asked for a volunteer to list the medicinal properties. Maria looked around the room and saw several hands shoot up, but none faster than Ava's.

It's different for Ava, she thought to herself. She missed out on so much, living the way she did. School is still a novelty to her.

Jara Kobodi looked past Ava to where her favorite pet Grenla sat with her arm raised. Jara nodded at Grenla, and the girl recited the medicinal properties of the plant.

"Excellent, excellent," Jara said. "Perfect as always, Grenla."

Maria turned around and looked at Ava, whose face mirrored her own shocked feelings. Grenla's answer was wrong. Without thinking, Maria raised her hand and called out to Jara Kobodi.

"Excuse me, Jara Kobodi, but I don't understand," Maria said.

"Mira?" queried Jara Kobodi. "Why am I not surprised? What is it you do not understand? Grenla's answer was very simply stated. I would think even you would not have any problems understanding her."

"I'm not understanding," Maria said, her voice hardened by anger. "Because I think she's wrong. I believe the medicinal properties of that particular plant are more related to the throat and for coughs, and not for ailments of the digestive track. Unless," Maria added, her voice sickeningly sweet, "that is, you gave us the wrong information in your lecture last week?"

"What?" blustered Jara Kobodi, pawing through her notes. "Oh, yes, well, I see. Yes, Mira, that is correct."

Maria turned around and smiled at Grenla, whose eyes had protruded so far out of her head, she looked like a giant frog.

"Class dismissed," snapped Jara Kobodi. "Mira, please speak to me after class."

Maria sat and watched as the students filed out of the room, one by one. Ava hung back, and gave her a worried look, but Maria smiled reassuringly and motioned for her to leave.

"Yes, Jara Kobodi, what is it I can do for you?" Maria asked.

"Do not ever correct me again!" shouted Jara Kobodi, slamming the door. "The nerve of you, a student, correcting me, an instructor, in front of the class. I will see to it that you leave the Training Academy immediately!"

"Why?" Maria asked, quietly. "You would prefer that we are given misinformation?"

"Enough of your insolent cheek!" roared Jara Kobodi. "I will see to it that you are discharged from this learning establishment immediately."

"Okay," Maria said. "Feel perfectly free to do that, and I will feel perfectly free to report what a biased, vile, wretched instructor you really are."

Jara Kobodi reached out and slapped Maria across the face, just as the door opened. Jara Kobodi looked up and saw the head of the Training Academy walk in, accompanied by Plash Nevenia, Liz and Ava.

"Jara Kobodi!" shouted Derago Kavron, the head of the Training Academy, shouted. "We do not strike students. It is strictly forbidden."

"This student, if you can call her that," spat Jara Kobodi. "Was insolent, and rude. She is lazy, and disrespectful, and she doesn't belong in an educational facility such as this."

"We are talking about this young woman?" asked Derago Kavron, pointing at Maria. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am sure, Derago," Jara Kobodi said. "In fact, she just tried to correct me in front of the entire class."

"That's because you were wrong," Ava said, speaking up. She turned to Derago and Plash Nevenia to explain. "She asked for the medicinal properties of a particular plant, and chose a student to give the answer. The answer given was incorrect, but Jara Kobodi accepted it as correct. Mira simply stated that she was confused, listed the correct medicinal properties of the plant, and reminded Jara Kobodi that she herself had given us that very information in a lecture last week."

Is this correct?" Derago Kavron asked Jara Kobodi.

"Yes, but she was still disrespectful, and I demand that she be removed from the program!" she shouted. "Obviously that one," she pointed at Ava, "knew that her friend had overstepped her bounds, and ran to you to help her out of this mess. Well I won't stand for it. I want her, no the both of them, out of this school, immediately.

"Jara Kobodi, control yourself," Derago Kavron said, sharply. "You are not acting in a manner befitting an instructor of the Training Academy. You are embarrassing yourself in front of these people." He turned and pointed to Plash, Liz and Ava. "I have brought these people here to share some wonderful news, and I find you acting like a harridan. Now I suggest you control yourself, before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have."

"News, what news?" demanded Jara Kobodi. "Unless it is news of their removal from the school, I am not interested!"

"You will sit down, and you will listen," thundered Derago Kavron. "We shall meet to discuss your attitude at a later date, Jara Kobodi, but for now, I have some news to share. Plash Nevenia and I have just completed tests on the substance created by these three girls, and I am happy to announce that they have created a medicine that will aid in the destruction of infection. It's exactly what we were hoping for when Plash Nevenia came to me with the suggestion for the two groups working together."

Derago Kavron turned, his hands clasped and smiled at the three girls who by now, had moved to stand by one another. He beamed at them as he told them they would have the honor of naming the new medicine.

"Ah, um," stammered Maria, she turned and looked at Ava, her feelings of panic clearly visible in her eyes. Ava just stared back, unable to come up with a name other than penicillin.

"Fleming," said Liz, triumphantly. "We're calling it Fleming."

"What a grand idea," the head of the Training Academy practically gushed. "Taking its name from the ancient Vendrian word for destruction. I love it. Ladies, not only have you brought honor to yourselves, and the Training Academy with your discovery, you have provided a great service to all of Antar. We will talk more of this great discovery of yours at a later date, but for now, I have other business to attend to." He glared at Jara Kobodi. "Plash Nevenia, Jara Kobodi, I want to see the two of you in my office, NOW! I believe that there are quite few things that we need to discuss," he said, directing his comment to Jara Kobodi. "And I expect you to help shed some light on a few issues," he added, looking expectantly at Plash."

Jara Kobodi stormed out of Derago Kavron's office, ready to explode. There was something wrong with those two girls; she just knew it. They were going to be thrown out of the Training Academy if it was the last thing she did. Jara flung the door of the living quarters provided to her and her husband by the Training Academy. Because of her husband's position in Lord Kivar's Army, the quarters were larger than any of the other instructors' quarters.

She lowered her heavy body into a chair, and stared broodingly out the window. She ignored the opening of the door behind her that signaled the arrival of her husband, while she dwelled over her interview with Derago Kavron.

There has to be some way to get rid of those two vile students, she thought to herself. Something she could use to destroy them. Perhaps she'd find something in their student files, she mused to herself.

"Are you listening?" her husband asked.

"I'm sorry," Jara Kobodi said. "My mind was wandering. What did you say?"

"I said a most peculiar thing happened during today's training exercise. One of the new Aberjani threw himself in front of another to protect him from an energy bolt."

"You find that interesting?" Jara Kobodi asked. "Why? Perhaps they are friends."

"Perhaps," agreed General Kobodi. "And yet, still, I am amazed. For I haven't seen such a self sacrificing maneuver since General Rath threw himself in front of the energy blast I threw at King Zan."