Bare These Bones
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
For the first time in a long time, Vahl'Sai slept in. The Cadets had been released on a two week vacation period in which their assessments would be completed and schedules sent out for the following semester. Vahl'Sai had already received her class list for her self-defence coarse, the classes greatly reduced in size and number, as well as her linguistics class in which she was going to be teaching Sahvarian. After receiving no sleep the night before, only running back to the Academy, Vahl'Sai was impossible to wake upon the first day of the two weeks leave.
"I knew that you slept like the dead, but this is frightening," Pike said from where he stood at her bedside, seeing the twitch of a lip when she wanted to snarl at him but was too tired and still in the mindset of sleep to do so. She was lying on her stomach, one leg hanging out of the covers of her bed, with her head lying directly on the mattress and her pillow over her head to try and block out the sounds that carried through the thin walls. "Come on, up."
Prodding her shoulder with two fingers, Pike yanked his hand back like he had been burned when a deep rumbling growl vibrated through her chest, reminding him of an enraged dog. It was in moments like this that he was quite suddenly reminded that she was most definitely not human.
"Vahl'Sai, get out of bed," he ordered, knowing that threatening was not going to work and poking a sleeping bear was one of the stupider options that he was choosing to ignore. So, choosing to relate to the more serious side of her, the one that had always known being ordered around by superiors, he stood with his arms crossed at her bedside while a tired green eye cracked open and rolled to look up at him from the corner of her lashes.
A faint, unhappy grumbling came from her, but she complied and reluctantly lifted herself from her bed and sat up straight as her back cracked so many times that Pike was certain every vertebrate had popped; this was made even more prominent as it was a well-kept secret that Sahvarians had almost twice as many vertebrae to allow them better flexibility. Her long white hair was a tangle around her shoulders and he could see marks on her arms from where the creases of the sheets and pillowcase had pressed to her skin, intertwining with the markings that were already covering her dark flesh. She was wearing only a pair of tight black shorts that looked more like female boxer briefs and a loosen fitting cropped white top that gave him the view of her taut stomach that still left him amazed. She was so small and compact but there were evident creases between a perfect set of abs on her stomach, subtle but still there.
"Meet me in my office when you're…yourself," Pike said as he turned to leave, hearing the faint huff that she seemed to attempt to hide before he left her to her devices and made his way to his office. At least knowing that she was awake gave him assurance that she was going to be getting ready for the day, instead of wasting it sleeping more than she actually needed.
The Sahvarian herself stared ahead at the far wall for a good couple of minutes, unsure of how to function after being poked at until she was woken up. Shaking her head as she tipped it back, she made sure that her hair fell back over her shoulders, resting between her should blades in tangled curls that she could already see herself fighting against with a hairbrush.
Forcing herself into the shower was her first step, but that didn't mean that it made it easier. Her feet were throbbing faintly from the run, but she knew that it wouldn't last for very long. Her muscles were already healing perfectly and there was barely more than a faint strain when she crouched down or flexed her thighs. Waking in the middle of the night the female warrior had drank nearly her own body weight in water, the amount of sweat that she had lost leaving her largely dehydrated. Her state of sleep and healing had reminded her body and left her feeling like a fish out of water, quite literally.
Tapping her nails on the counter of her small kitchenette, Vahl'Sai blinked sluggishly as she waited for the tea to strengthen while inhaling the scent that was wafting from the water. It had been quite a while since she had been able to sleep in so late; it was strange and had her craving the caffeine that came from the teas that she was provided with.
Just before she could take a drink of her tea her communicate called her attention, getting a hiss of annoyance from the animalistic woman before she flipped it open.
"Just making sure you didn't go back to sleep," Pike teased before hanging up on her. Sighing faintly, Vahl'Sai's eyes rolled up into her head in exasperation before she tossed the communicator back down onto the table and returned to the tea, taking in a deep gulp of the scalding liquid. Thankfully the stronger tissue on Sahvarian's prevented her from getting a burn that would have occurred had she been human.
Deciding that she had wasted enough time already, she was out the door in her uniform with her hair pulled back tight only minutes later, the warmth of the tea seeming to spread from her stomach to the rest of her body. She still felt slightly off, but one more night and that would be gone. Her body suddenly changing from an adrenaline high to crashing for ten hours had left her disoriented for the time being.
However, Pike simply laughed lightly when she entered his office, James Kirk also present and appearing to seem slightly disgruntled that he had been called in on the first day of his leave between terms. "Good afternoon, Commander, thank you for dragging yourself away from your busy schedule to see me," Pike teased with mirth in his eyes.
Kirk could tell that the woman was tired, or at least off in some way, because she was dreary in presence with her eyes not as aware and her body slower than it had been before when she had pulled him to her office. To most people, the Commander looked just as proper and awake as she usually would, but with her right now, in front of them, they could see better below the surface. She was worn and tired—she had seen better days than this one, clearly.
Muttering in a distinctively foul tone, the use of Sahvarian tongue left the two men unsure of what she had said but knowing that it more than likely would have made even Kirk blush. "Why exactly have I been called in, Admiral?"
"Because," Pike said as his face fell into a more serious role. "The council has been debating your continued role as a Commander now that we have gained enough new teachers for the term. Because you are the only one that is capable of teaching Sahvarian, they weren't able to remove you from that position."
"If I could interrupt, Admiral," Kirk said as he leaned forward in his chair. "Why are they trying to remove her?"
Looking to him, Pike realized that Kirk did not know the full details. "Commander Vahl'Sai doesn't have the training or education to actually be a Commander; she's only completed three years at the Academy. She was chosen solely because she knew the most on hand-to-hand combat and would fit in as a teacher fairly well on such short notice. Much as you became a Captain under stressful situations that weren't truly debated on when it came to proper credentials, she became a Commanding Officer just the same."
"And now they want me removed from position. Would I continue my education instead?"
"Actually, that's why Kirk's here. I've been vouching for you in the council meetings; I'm trying to get you on as a strategist on the Enterprise. Your survival instincts are like nothing that anyone has ever seen before and when we tested you before enrolling you in Starfleet it was for more than just your own; you react to saving anyone possible and that's what Starfleet needs, especially on a ship piloted by Mr. No-Win-Scenarios."
"Hey," Kirk protested, but didn't say more.
"A strategist?" Vahl'Sai repeated, cocking her head to the side that made her appear too much like a curious puppy. It wasn't exactly a foreign concept, but instead more that she wasn't accustomed to one person deciding on how best to survive. But like the animals they were so often compared to, they travelled in groups, packs, and would work together to keep themselves alive. For the weight of an entire star ship to be places on her shoulders, responsible for getting them out of tricky situations, it was both a thrilling suggestion and a terrifying leap should she accept.
"Personally, I would love to have you as a strategist if I had been the Captain still, but now it's mostly up to our Captain Kirk, here," Pike answered as he looked down at the man sitting across from him, the blue eyed younger looking quite startled at the responsibility.
Glancing between the two men, Vahl'Sai wasn't sure whether or not she should be relieved to have a place on a star-ship or concerned the Pike felt a reason to give her a permanent place. Was the council debating on her removal? She wouldn't be surprised, in truth, she wasn't meant to be a Commander and there were many out there that were much better suited for the position than she was. At least in education and teaching standards; she was, after all, a being that lived off of ways in which to survive.
"So long as I don't get my ass kicked again," Kirk jested, getting a withering look from Vahl'Sai that he simply shrugged, not caring that she wasn't so amused by his words. However, he could still see the faint trace of mirth dancing in those forest green eyes. She fondly remembered the times they had trained, when Kirk was actually able to get her to laugh when she was so soured by everything else at Starfleet.
Soon, they were walking side-by-side down the halls from the Admirals office, new forms needing to be drawn up before anything more could be done on the matter. Vahl'Sai was silent as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that she now might have a permanent place on the Bridge of the Enterprise. Kirk continually looked to her from the corner of his eye as he tried to distinguish what she was feeling, but her face was as shielded as Spock's often was. The sheltered appearance came from very different reasoning, he knew. Whereas Vulcan's were masking their emotions, Sahvarian's were preserving their emotions for a better time in which they could be included. He knew that when Vahl'Sai was anything but happy, she would mostly hide it away, showing her positive emotions but making sure that her negative ones didn't get in the way of her life and her work.
They emerged from the building together, Vahl'Sai's pupils narrowing dangerously against the light, trying to protect her senses, while Kirk jerked sharply to shield his eyes. "So," he started as he stopped at the top of the stairs. Vahl'Sai hesitated a couple more steps down, her head turning to look at him over her shoulder. "What are you planning on doing for vacation?"
"Marking, sleeping and exercising," she answered a moment later, as though she was reluctant to tell him much more, which he could understand since they didn't very much know the other on a personal level. He was shocked in that moment when he realized that he did want to get to know this woman on a personal level, as a friend, because she was someone so unique and….alone.
"Do you want to come out with me and Bones to get a drink tonight? Celebrate the end of term?" he asked hopefully, seeing the confusion beginning to crease her features. "Oh, by Bones I mean Doctor McCoy," he added on, realizing that she had never met 'Bones' before but she knew Leonard McCoy. She looked ready to protest, her lips parting with a sorry expression coming to her eyes, but she paused and glanced over to where there were a group of male science students huddled near the fountain, laughing quite boisterously as they looked in their direction.
Kirk found himself glaring at the men before he realized and a moment later she had turned back to him with a smile on her face, wiping the glare from his in surprise.
"I would love to," she answered, her voice thick with her accent even when using the Earth tongue and slang.
"Perfect," he cheered, moving down the steps and clapping her on the back. Whereas even Spock had once jerked slightly from the force of the hit, even meant in jest, Vahl'Sai didn't budge and Kirk's hand throbbed just a bit. "Meet us at the front gates at 1850, right?" he called back over his shoulder. Stopping at the last minute, he spun around and added "And wear something other than your uniform!" before darting off to head to his and Bones' dorm to get ready and warn his friend that they were going for a drink that evening with a Commander.
The Commander herself was staring after him for a moment before she frowned and glanced down at her crisp black uniform. She didn't have a vast wardrobe, mostly because there were very few articles of clothing that fit someone of her shape. So thin and long, most clothes were either too short but thin enough, or long enough but oversized and hanging from her awkwardly. The materials themselves were mostly all uncomfortable on her skin, since she was so accustomed to the leather like material of her planet that they extracted from the trees or when they used real hide to make leather armor guards, thick and heavy on the body. Aside from wearing armor, their outfits were not overly covering, and could even be described as immodest, but they were a proud race and felt no reason to hide their bodies. Much different to how Vahl'Sai felt around the humans and other species at Starfleet.
Letting out a faint huff, she moved first to the food court to get something to eat before she headed to her room, knowing that it was going to be a struggle to figure out how to present herself while in public. She had never really left the campus for many reasons, in the beginning because she was afraid that she was going to get lost, but now it was just because she didn't want to face the scrutiny of everything past the grand walls of the Academy. Most knew her at the school, and many showed her respect even if only because she was a Commander; outside, however, she would just be any other civilian and it was slightly terrifying.
Since she had showered that morning already, she didn't need to concern herself with that, but she stripped down from her black uniform and was staring at her marked up arms with a glare. Beginning to flip through her closet, she pushed aside red and black uniforms that she couldn't wear, and a few regular black outfits that she had taken to wearing. They weren't uniform, but they looked too much like it for her to wear it without knowing she was going to get a word from Kirk on the matter of her outfit. Anything with short arms was shifted out of view on the hangers, moving on to the next item without even considering.
Moving to the back, she paused when the found a soft green shirt that she remembered receiving from Pike when she aced her English lessons, her fingers caressing the soft material with a nostalgic smile. Pulling the shirt from its hanger, she laid it out on her made bed before she snatched a pair of black pants, ones that were tight against her skin instead of loose black that she preferred—coarse, but not as rough as denim, yet not as soft as cotton. The shirt and pants covered most of her skin, much like her uniform, so she wouldn't have to concern herself with the marks on her arms while she was out with the Captain and the Doctor.
Pulling her hair down from its bun, Vahl'Sai began to run her brush through it in careful strokes, drawing free the tangles until her hair fell in loose waves and curls, twisting down her back and between her shoulder blades. Standing in front of the mirror in her washroom, she knew that there was no point in getting excessively dressed up as she had seen other females do when going out and instead carefully plaited her hair back in one tight braid against her skull, tucking the remainder beneath it so her hair appeared much shorter than it really was.
Knowing she still had hours left before she needed to leave to meet Kirk and Bones, she snatched her PADD from her desk before sitting on the front in front of her bed, drawing the bottoms of her feet together in front of her to sit in a lotus like position, stretching her muscles at the same time. Her back curved perfectly as she sat straight, beginning to flick through the few messages that she had received since the night before. Most were replies to messages that she had sent out after finishing her grading, but there was one new one that came from Spock.
Tilting her head ever so slightly to the side, she opened the message with a tap of her finger and watched as the short paragraph appeared.
'Commander Vahl'Sai, I understand that your attentions must be on your planning for the upcoming term and the new Linguistics class that you will be teaching. Knowing this, it would be logical that we partake in our spar at a sooner date in order to keep the rest of the leave free for our academic responsibilities. Barring that you have no schedule conflicts, would you consider meeting at 1900 tomorrow evening in the same gymnasium as our first match? I look forward to a response from you as soon as you are able.
Commander Spock.'
Smiling despite herself, Vahl'Sai quickly replied with an affirmative to his offer, knowing that after tonight she was going to need to time to unwind her tense muscles. She knew, long before even leaving the campus, it was going to be a tense and possibly even awkward affair. There was some hope that Kirk didn't end up regretting inviting her along, but she was accustomed to be people deciding she was better left behind in regards to social events.
Spending the time she had, Vahl'Sai flew through the last of the marking she needed to complete—only once getting interrupted when Spock responded to her message of agreement—and when she had only a half-hour left she tucked her PADD away and moved to pull on her new outfit, having spent the better part of her day sitting in only her undergarments on her floor. The pants were strange to wear, the tightness something she was accustomed to but the fabric strange on her skin, while she sighed in comfort when the soft fabric of the deep green shirt caressed her torso. Pike had chosen his gift carefully, remembering her complaints of the uniforms and other clothing when she had first arrived and could actually form English sentences.
Checking one more time, quickly, that her hair was still tightly done up before slipping on a pair of boots, the Sahvarian didn't allow herself to hesitate at the door and was soon whisking down the halls in a graceful stride, only a pocket of money and her communicator on her person.
I finished my Winter Semester at school, thank god, and I am slowly picking through long awaited updates! I received a PM from dark-fate96 with a request to update this story, so I decided that for taking the time to message me, I would bump this one to the next on my list of 'must update ASAP' and here you all are! I hope you enjoyed it and the next one is already underway, so soon you'll get to read the bar chapter, in which Kirk tries to get our favourite Sahvarian drunk ;)