Chapter 5 – On 'Enemy' Ground
The camera is on-site outside Starfleet Academy.
"Pulling up here, we see the shuttle from the Starship Enterprise, where our lucky student is about to step foot onto Academy ground. This is a first for the Federation, as no Klingon has ever visited Earth."
The shot switches back to the studio, where two immaculately-dressed newsreaders sit, bathed in artificial light.
"Now Nathan, what do we know about the lucky student?"
"Well, Miranda, her name is Sirella Varrin and she's the daughter of Darok Varrin, a diplomat for the Orion Embassy on Qo'nos."
"And she's only sixteen!"
"Must be some kind of genius, Miranda!"
Back on-site, the shuttle doors open, and Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Spock exit together, followed by Sirella Varrin. She shrinks back as cameras are shoved in her face and reporters scream questions at her. Captain Kirk pushes in front of her, holding his arms out.
"One at a time!" he yells. The reporters quieten, and he steps aside. Cadet Varrin wrings her hands together and looks at the camera.
"Cadet Varrin, what do you hope to achieve at Starfleet?"
Lieutenant Uhura, CCO, steps beside her and murmurs in her ear. Cadet Varrin whispers a response, then Lieutenant Uhura faces the crowd.
"Cadet Varrin is eager to improve relations between the Federation and Empire and experience what the universe has to offer."
"And do you think that this exchange program will succeed?"
There is a long pause as the women translate the question and response.
"Cadet Varrin believes that if both parties are dedicated to an alliance, it will succeed." Lieutenant Uhura looks back as Cadet Varrin says something in her native tongue. "No more questions. Thank you for your time."
The small group from the shuttle crosses the threshold onto Academy grounds, the seven Enterprise crewmembers forming a protective circle around Cadet Varrin. The shot then changes back to the studio.
"Well Nathan, thoughts?"
"She's absolutely charming. I look forward to seeing more of her."
"One thing's for sure, she'll be under serious scrutiny."
o.O.o
"I didn't think there'd be so many cameras," Sirella said to Lieutenant Uhura, who shrugged.
"They'll get over the excitement of it all soon. Just be patient."
"So, what's this white stuff?" She pointed at the ground. Uhura stopped the group and addressed everyone in Standard. The group then set about in the white stuff that coated the ground, gathering handfuls of it.
"It's called snow," Uhura said. "It's frozen rain that falls during our winter."
Sirella knelt and ran her fingers through the snow. "It's cold!" She looked up and watched the seven crewmembers – even Commander Spock – shaped the snow into a huge ball.
"We're making a snowman," Uhura said. "Here." She wrapped a gloved hand around Sirella's un-gloved one and guided her in scooping a pile of the snow. Sirella wondered about the tight feeling in her stomach, and her conversation with Sulu drifted through her mind.
She helped push snow towards the ball and, as more snow was added, it turned into a mound. Lieutenant Chekov rushed off and returned with five small rocks and two sticks. He placed two of the rocks near the top, and three in the middle, then the sticks on either side of the mound. Kirk drew a curved line under the top two rocks, and Sirella saw what it was meant to be.
"A snow person!"
"Yeah, snowman." Uhura smiled, then turned and slapped her palm against Sulu's. "This is called a high-five. It's a gesture used between friends as a greeting or a celebration of something good that happened."
"Okay."
"The Captain wants to take a photo of you with the snowman."
"Oh, okay." Sirella moved beside the lump of snow and stood stony-faced. Kirk held a device, but frowned and looked at Uhura.
"Smile!" Uhura urged.
"Why? It's a photo."
"On Earth we smile in photos."
"Oh." Sirella smiled. The device clicked, then the group reassembled and continued on their way.
They took Sirella on a tour of the campus, showing her the four blocks, the library, the dormitories and the Cafeteria. A large number of students were already on campus and stared at the group. When Sirella asked, Uhura told her that the Enterprise crew were celebrities within Starfleet.
Captain Kirk and the other men then bid farewell, heading for a meeting of some kind, while Uhura took Sirella to her room.
Her single bag of belongings had already been delivered. She took in her new home. A single bed, desk, wardrobe, and a door leading to what could only be the bathroom.
"Classes start tomorrow." Uhura crossed to the bed and pulled a folder from under the bag. "This has a map and your timetable for the term. Commander Spock selected your classes based on your evaluations. You'll need to collect your textbooks within the next hour. Do you remember where to get them?"
"Yes."
Uhura pulled two small devices from the folder. "This is a Universal Translator, and this is a tricorder." Sirella took both devices and examined them. The tricorder was similar to the mo-de that all Klingons carried with them – except for her because her father had taken hers.
"Thank you."
"Are you okay?" Uhura watched her earnestly, concern in her eyes. Warmth bubbled in Sirella's stomach. It had been a long time since anyone had asked that.
"I think so."
"We'll be teaching classes this year, so you'll see us around." Uhura fidgeted with the folder. "I'm… sorry we won't be able to help you out more. I know it'll be tough for you. Everything's totally foreign. But as professors, we can't show favouritism."
"I know. Don't worry. I just need to study hard and keep my head down." Her motto at the Flight Academy, where… it didn't work. Maybe she needed a new motto. Keep quiet and study harder? No, that was basically the same thing.
"It'll be hard for you to do that." There was no malice in Uhura's tone, only concern.
In truth, Sirella was terrified. Everything was so big and new, and she wasn't sure if she'd do her people justice. There was one thing she was sure about – it would be absolutely embarrassing to admit the truth to Uhura. She hated the idea of showing weakness in front of the remarkable woman.
"Thank you." She took the folder and held out her hand. Uhura laughed and high-fived.
"I'll see you around. Good luck."
"You too."
Then she was alone.
o.O.o
Her hand clutched her chest, the other tearing at her bottom lip, her body wracked by sobs.
Night had fallen hours ago, but she couldn't sleep. Not in this unfamiliar place. She missed the darkness of Qo'nos – outside it was frighteningly bright because of the white snow. She missed the nightlife chatter, the smell of deep-fried pipius and the musty odour of the storage room. Even the bed was strange. It was too soft. Her body sunk into it and she could barely move.
She wanted to be back on the Enterprise, with Uhura and the others she'd befriended. There, she was safe. Here, on Earth, there were billions of people without Starfleet training. Billions of people who didn't care that discrimination was a crime. On the Enterprise, things were different. The crew knew the facts of the mission and they'd been trained to behave professionally.
What would happen tomorrow? How would people react? They were trivial worries – she'd never had any friends at the Flight Academy – but they plagued her mind regardless. She'd only ever had one friend, and her parents had ended that friendship.
She abandoned sleep and ducked into the shower, hoping the running water would soothe her nerves. It did little to help, and when she wrapped her towel around her middle and caught her reflection in the mirror, steely determination filled her.
This was what she wanted. Now that she was here, it was stupid to wish herself away. Sure, it was okay to miss her home and familiar surroundings, but change was a natural part of life. As was fear. It was okay to be afraid. It was okay to not know things. What wasn't okay was being a weak little qoH. She was part of a proud race of beings. She wouldn't cow.
o.O.o
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Sulu asked.
"Who?" Kirk looked up from his cards. The eight Alpha-shift members sat around the coffee table in Kirk's Academy-assigned private quarters and Spock currently had the biggest pile of chips, as expected from a Vulcan playing poker.
"Sirella, obviously," Uhura snapped. She glanced at her cards. "Fold."
Spock cleared his throat. "I believe Cadet Varrin will experience great emotional distress in the ensuing weeks as she attempts to adjust to the Terran way of life. She is only young and lacks the experience necessary to make the transition a smooth one. I fold."
"I zink she is a lowely girl," Chekov piped up. "I raise." He threw a chip onto the pile.
"Lovely girl or not, my question was do you think she'll be okay?" Sulu repeated exasperatedly.
"I provided you with an answer," Spock said.
"It wasn't helpful." Sulu tapped his finger against his chin. "You know, she asked me about homosexual relationships."
"She wha'?" Scotty gaped.
"She didn't know if it was possible for men to be with men."
"Ye mean, she didnae know?"
"I guess not. You reckon Klingon's are exclusively straight?"
"I've never had the chance to look that close at their culture," Uhura said slowly, "but we can't rule it out. Gosh, now I'm worried for her even more."
"Why?" Kirk asked.
"I can't trust the other cadets to not be xenophobic, I mean, the Klingons are our sworn enemies. I know some of them will give her a hard time, and if she decides to date a girl, it might get worse."
"We're beyond homophobia, Uhura," Sulu said.
"I know." Uhura huffed.
"If Starfleet cadets can be xenophobic," Abbott said quietly, "they can be homophobic too. Trust me, I know."
"Bastards," McCoy muttered. "She's just a kid. Klingons age twice as fast as humans, so although she's sixteen by Klingon years, in Terran years she's only eight. She's undeveloped, unprepared and like hell she's gonna have an easy time here."
"I believe those who are best suited to assist Cadet Varrin in her adjustment are Lieutenants' Sulu and Uhura," Spock said, cutting McCoy off. All eyes turned to him.
"I'll bite," Kirk said, "why?"
"If, as Lieutenant Sulu says, Cadet Varrin has discussed with him such a personal topic, it has possibly created a form of trust between them and she may be more open to continuing dialogue. Lieutenant Uhura, I have observed her behaviour around you, and I hypothesise that she has developed a romantic attachment to you."
"A WHAT?" the entire table yelled.
"It is not a serious attachment, nor can it be pursued due to your engagement to Lieutenant Kestrel, and yet I have observed that Cadet Varrin is both flustered and attentive in your presence, which are two main indicators of romantic feelings."
"Wait, so you think Sirella is in the closet and she likes me?" Uhura gaped.
"Affirmative."
"Well, I'm kinda flattered."
Sulu leant close, "eight years old," he whispered.
"Okay. Less flattered."
Everyone fell silent for a long moment, each thinking about the gravity of the situation surrounding them. They had an obligation to the Academy, to stay for the entirety of Sirella's degree and coach her through Academy life. It was going to be a long four years of being planetside, but the end result would be worth it. Then there was the whole Spock theory of her liking Uhura, and that was just strange in itself. Regardless, like McCoy said, she was just a kid, and it was their job to help her. It was a serious mission and one they didn't take lightly.
"Whose turn is it?" Kirk asked.