Liberation

Sitting in the passenger seat of Pike's car, Vahl'Sai felt quite out of place. She had to push her seat all the way back so as to sit comfortably but even then there was an extremely cramped and enclosed feeling about riding in the car. It was nearly silent, a newer model, but she could distinctly hear the purr of the engine as soon as Pike started it up. He kept the windows rolled down so as to give her some air, blowing at her hair and face.

"I guess there is going to have to be a lot of changes made if more Sahvarians come to Earth, to join Starfleet. You can hide it pretty well, but I can still see the built up aggression from lack of proper exercise. We don't have everything that you need here, not like it is at home. So, instead, we'll just have to improvise." Pike was saying as he drove, pulling off the main part of the road to where she could see they were driving into a forest reserve. A Protected Park. "I'm sure you can find your way back."

Against her will, Vahl'Sai laughed. She had once told him of her trainer, her teacher, who had dumped her in the woods over a decade before and told her that only the best could find their way home. Her uncle was furious at her teacher, but she had found her way back within a couple of days and was more peaceful and well-behaved than she had been in a while.

"This is the best that I can get for you in the city. You're going to have to find your way through the park and then through the lower part of the city to get back to Starfleet on time. I'll leave you with your communicator in case something happens at Starfleet, but you're not to use it to contact me. I'll contact you."

Nodding her head with a smile, Pike grinned back as he pulled the car to a stop at the end of the path, a small parking section that was abandoned because of the late hour. They both piled out of the vehicle and Vahl'Sai shook her head in amusement.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, moving forward to embrace the elder human. Pike chuckled and returned the embrace.

"I'll expect you back before dawn," he cautioned. It was already sunset, but he knew that she could easily complete the task. "Have a nice run," he finished, turning back to his car.

"Pike," she called, stopping him. When he turned back she had removed her over shirt so that she was standing in her tank-top. Looking down, she had already toed off her shoes and was leaning to collect them. "Please, take these back for me. Place then in my office if it's best convenient, you know how to get in." Placing her things in the back, Pike glanced back as he was sliding into the driver's seat to glimpse the markings along her arms, the winding black birthmarks darker than they had been when he first saw them.

She watched as he disappeared out of the park she turned her eyes toward the forest and took in a deep breath, finally having barely any hint of technology. Digging her toes into the rocky dirt, Vahl'Sai smirked to herself before she abruptly took off running. Her white hair soon came loose and was blowing behind her. There were faint welts of blue and purple along her skin from where they had been smacked by tree branches or the odd vine. She was ever aware of the dark as it closed in, the trees taking on a deep shadow that enveloped her. Adjusting her eyes to the dark, Vahl'Sai continued on without slowing her pace. Making sure that her breathing was regulated, she could feel the beginning of a burn in her lungs as the trees thinned out near the end of the park. Full dark had dropped before then, the temperature beginning to disappear along with it.

Stopping at the edge of the forest, Vahl'Sai could still hear some people moving about in their cars. In the far off distance, she could see the Academy and the waters that surrounded it. Smiling, she took in a deep breath and allowed herself to bask in the nature that she was so far from most of her life now. Running her fingers through her hair and her toes through the grass, Vahl'Sai laughed heartily and took off once more.

The streets were far harder to run on in her bare feet, the pavement making it rough but her feet had endured many decades of dirt, rock and stone. Rough and smooth. Keeping to back streets so as not to draw attention to herself, Vahl'Sai could tell that it had been at least two hours since the sun at set. That would mean that she was making perfect time and would be back at the Academy long before the sun was to break the horizon.

The edge of the city wasn't as populated, more homes than anything else and it was a peaceful jog for Vahl'sai. Though the smell of pollution was stronger now, she didn't allow herself to care as she continued to sprint her way past the lights of houses, or barking dogs that could scent the unfamiliar predator in the vicinity. Her white hair began to stick to her skin from the sweat collecting on her forehead and neck. Grinning out of the sheer pleasure of running once more, Vahl'Sai almost laughed as she took a sharp turn that scraped at the rough skin on the bottom of her feet, though left them without a scratch.

Turning to use the back alleys made it so that there was less interference from other living things, but there were more obstacles that she needed to avoid. An alleyway ending suddenly was one of them, but she simply hefted herself onto the roof of the building using a fire-escape and jumped off on the other side, no brick walls in her way this time.

She made sure to pay attention to her communicator at all times, knowing that if she wasn't focused on it then she may miss the quick chirp of an incoming transmission.

Leaping over a fence behind a residence building, Vahl'Sai's stomach tightened in anticipation of more to come. It had been too long since she had shared the full excitement of the burn that was caused by running and jumping over things that were meant to be passed.

She was sure that she started a couple of people when she had to dart across the street, putting her on the same side as the Academy. She was sure she had heard the blare of a car horn, but she knew that she was moving too quickly for them to recognize her in any way. It wouldn't do for people to go around saying that they saw a Sahvarian running through the streets with no foot-wear and only an undershirt to cover her upper body. Not very professional.

Of course, she couldn't just walk through the front doors of the academy, so she was going to have to do the next best thing and jump the back fences; which also meant that she needed to add some time onto the run so that she could circle around the property and make it to the back. Sunrise was approaching, but she knew that she would have at the very least an hour to spare after she got back. Counting it through in her head, she darted along the fence-line silently.

Ducking below some of the overhanging trees, Vahl'Sai leapt up to take hold of one of the branches and hoisted herself up with the momentum. Standing on the thick branch, she took a moment to catch her breath as her eyes roamed over the yard of the Academy. Of course there were no students out, as was the rules, but she knew that the rules hardly ever stopped some of the students from doing what they actually wanted. Some even strived to break as many rules as they could.

Leaping from the tree, Vahl'Sai allowed herself to free-fall for a moment before tucking and rolling along the ground. It was best that she wore black clothes for this night, considering she was sure she would have stains of many different kinds covering the expanse of her clothing.

Vaulting over the back fence of the Academy, the Commander made her way for the gym instead of her rooms. She needed to clean herself off before even thinking of travelling through the halls of the dorms. Her legs were burning by the time she stepped into the dark entrance of the gym, and she could feel the slight tremble that was caused from running so long. It had been much too long, and she knew that it was thanks to Pike she was able to bleed off her irritation and high strung emotions.

Instead of bothering with the lights, Vahl'Sai kept her eyes focused through the dark and walked calmly through to the change rooms for the women, stripping off her shirt as soon as she had stepped inside. Placing her communicator on the bench outside of the showers, she proceeded to strip until she was bare of sweat drenched clothes. Her arms shook with the movements, her adrenaline still racing but no longer having something motivating it.

Turning the water of the shower to cold, she fell to sit on the tiled floor beneath the spray. Rolling her shoulders and listening to the cracks that the joins issued, she allowed the cold water to calm her blood and relax her body once more.

Only when the trembling in her arms and legs stopped did she finally stand and begin to wash herself of the sweat and grime, turning the water to a more decent temperature. Mud ran off of her feet, revealing the sores that had appeared from the pavement in the city.

When she finally stepped from the shower, dawn had arrived.

Pulling a new uniform from her locker, Vahl'Sai used her long nails to comb through her wet hair until the tangles were long gone, leaving the damp tresses to curl freely over her right shoulder when she decided not to immediately place it in a bun. Only when she was sure that the cafeteria would be open for the morning meal did she leave the gym, her hair pulled away into a looser version of her usual bun, hoping to soon silence her stomach's insistent grumbling.

"So, have a nice night?" Pike asked as he intercepted her along the way, falling into step behind her. He could immediately see the tension had drained away from her shoulders and her eyes appeared more awake and alert.

"Perfect," she answered, smiling as she glanced over to him with forest green eyes. "Thank you, Admiral Pike," she added on with a slight bow of her head. Pike just shook it off as they two entered the cafeteria and headed over to get their meals for the morning. Vahl'Sai knew better than to eat an excessive amount so soon after using so much exertion and instead picked out a bottle of water and several pieces of fruit.

"Shouldn't you eat more than that?" Pike asked as she bit into an apple, showing a flash of fangs in the process.

"Not yet," she answered after swallowing, moving to lean against the wall as he typed in what he wanted from the machine, her eyes moving over the students that were already mingling throughout the room. She could hear Kirk among them, but before she had the chance to spot him another person drew her attention.

"Adirmal Pike, Commander Vahl'Sai," Spock greeted the two as he approached, his hands behind his back with perfect posture.

"Ah, Commander Spock," Pike said with a smile as he turned around briefly while waiting for his food. "A good morning, I hope?"

"Affirmative, Admiral."

"It is good to see you, Commander," Vahl'Sai greeted, unsure of how else to respond to him. She was unaccustomed to seeing people in the morning, other than Pike who often shared breakfast with her since she had become a Commander. Spock couldn't help but to stare for a moment because there was surely something different about her since he had seen her in her office two days before.

Vahl'Sai didn't notice the stares, however, because she had moved aside to allow Pike to collect his food and head toward the same table that they had occupied every morning. "Care to join us, Commander?" Pike called over his shoulder, getting a slight pause from the Vulcan before he followed after them casually.

Vahl'Sai took the seat across from Pike as she had done every morning, finishing her apple. One thing that pike would never understand was that she ate the entire apple, seeds and stem included. She never bothered with tossing something away that was perfectly edible, as it was not her custom. She did the same with oranges and pears as well, eating the skins and cores. When he asked how she could eat something like an orange peel, she answered with there were much worse things on her planet.

Spock noticed as well, and found it curious that she didn't even seem to care that the behaviour was odd. She knew that it was not something humans did, but her people knew better than to waste food that was perfectly edible. Even more so for her in concern to human produce because of her strengthened immune system. He wished there was more that he could discover about her species, but even for him the information on Sahvarians was mostly classified due to the delicate and fresh relationship between Sahvaria and Starfleet. So far, the only person who knew the most about her kind was Starfleet's leading medical officer, and that was only for emergencies in which she needed medical attention.

"Any plans for the two week away period? Knowing you two, you'll have your work done within the first few days," Pike mentioned, laughing into his coffee mug while Vahl'Sai cocked her head to the side.

"I have nothing planned in accordance to a vacation," Vahl'Sai answered, getting a look from Pike at the sentence. Sometimes it was hard to believe she was not Vulcan, but her white hair, dark skin and emotional green eyes were a vivid reminder. "However, Commander Spock and I have planned for a…rematch," Vahl'Sai added on, glancing over to the Vulcan as though to make sure that 'rematch' was the correct term.

Pike let out a faint laugh. "No offence, Commander Spock, but my money's on Vahl'Sai for the win," he laughed, leaning back in his seat as he looked between the two. Spock had taken the seat at the head of the table, to the left of Pike while he was on Vahl'Sai right.

"Money?" Vahl'Sai asked curiously, getting a shake of the head from her superior.

"Admiral Pike places a bet of money that you will win in our rematch," Spock answered, glancing over to her with deep brown eyes. Opening mouth as though to reply Vahl'Sai stopped before any sound could come free, hearing the sounds of an argument in the distance. Closing her mouth and turning her head just slightly, her eyes shifted to glance in the general direction but seemed unseeing as she focused her hearing on the loud voices.

"There's a fight breaking out in the courtyard," she finally said. "One of the participants is a Commander." Her tone almost seemed like she was musing over something unimportant. Pike frowned as he looked over her shoulder toward the doors, seeing that she was telling the truth and there was a Commander dressed in his black uniform while fighting with a female student. She looked ready to slap him. When she did, he could see Vahl'Sai flinch in her peripheral vision at the high pitched sound.

"You have remarkable hearing," Spock commented as he looked over to her, knowing that if Pike wanted them to interfere on the argument then he would have already stated so. Jade eyes turned up to him, focusing again while she seemed to tone the argument into the back of her mind. She could still hear it, but when she was no longer stressing her hearing on it she couldn't really bother to hear what was being said.

"I am sure you do as well," she retorted, looking to the curve of his ear that made him so distinctly Vulcan. Whereas others had looked to his ears in scrutiny, targeting his heritage because of the physical appearance, she was looking to them with interest. Not only had she learned of Humans so suddenly, but many other species as well which included the intelligent and emotionally reserved Vulcans.

Spock shifted under her visual surveillance. "Though Vulcans do have superior senses in regards to many other species, Sahvarians are biologically designed to have perfect senses for any scenario, am I correct?" Spock inquired, meeting her eyes again.

Vahl'Sai openly smiled, though not enough to show her canines, and Pike could see the enjoyment that she was having reflected in her eyes. "You are not incorrect," she answered smartly. "Now, it was enjoyable seeing you both, Admiral, Commander, but I must take my leave for my final classes of the day. I will be in contact with you again soon, Commander, so that we may schedule that rematch."

Without waiting another moment, Vahl'Sai snatched her peach from the table and left briskly, drawing the attention of both men as they watched her depart. She seemed to have a very specific route to take and Pike chuckled in amusement as he watched Vahl'Sai snag that back of Kirk's collar on her way past him, hauling the playboy away from the group of girls that he was fawning over and out of the room. His protests could be heard from the hall, but she had an iron grip on his collar and it was very apparent she did not wish to wait to speak with him.

"Commander! Come on, let go! This is totally manhandling!" Kirk was complaining, trying to get his Commanding officer to let go of his red uniform shirt. She finally released his collar when they had reached her office, pushing him inside none-too-gently.

"It seems that physical force is one of the only ways to gain your attention, Cadet Kirk. I apologize," Vahl'Sai said as her eyes danced with amusement.

Rubbing at his slightly sore throat, Kirk stared at her incredulously. "Somehow I doubt that. So what did you literally drag me here for?"

Motioning for Kirk to sit, Vahl'Sai balanced her peach on the corner of her desk and took her own seat as well. "I'm sure that you are aware the procedures for assessment in regards to a Captain are far more strict, but they also come through much quicker because of their importance. Not only has it been my duty to assess your ability to hold yourself in physical combat, but your reactions to such scenarios." Kirk's attention had immediately become limited to her words alone at the mention of captains.

"Has my status been put into question?"

"Not that I'm aware," she assured. "I wanted to warn you, Kirk, that your actions over the next twenty-four hours will be very closely monitored by all of your Commanding Officers. However, having taught you this whole term I believe that you have nothing to be concerned with."

Cheering as he jumped from his seat, Kirk threw his hands into the air in celebration.

"I never said you were Captain!" Vahl'Sai laughed, "Merely stated that you should not stress over the matter. And one of the women you were trying to romance between your sheets was the daughter of one of your Commanders, so it may be best to avoid such activities for the day."

Kirk froze as he tried to remember all of the women from the cafeteria, but there had been at least five of them and he wasn't sure which one she was speaking of. Chuckling again, Vahl'Sai rose from her seat and picked up a folder of paper.

"Do not strain yourself, Captain Kirk," she jested as she offered the folder to the younger. "Here, these are all of my reports and assessments pertaining to you. There is nothing against giving out the information to the person whose information it is, but I would suggest not flaunting it about to other Commanders because I doubt they would appreciate me doing so."

"Thank you," Kirk said in surprise, taking the folder from her. "But why?"

"Because you have worked hard, Kirk, even with your odd escapades and questionable attendance this term. You deserve to know the opinion of one of your Commanders."