Author's note: I saw Star Trek 2009 the movie last summer, and fell in love with Spock and Uhura. I've watched a few of the originals, but admit the 2009 movie I've watched more than a couple of times! I've created this story based on a few moments in the movie, but most are originals. Hope you all like it, and happy writing, reading, and reviewing :)! Many thanks to my amazing beta, syfymango!
Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters do not belong to me, but to the franchise. I am merely borrowing them for a short time!
"Gaila, I don't understand why on earth exactly we're going to a bar," Nyota moaned.
"Oh, hush." Gaila stuck her tongue out at her roommate. "Because you've been working like a beast all semester, and it's time you take an evening just to remember what it's like to have a life outside work, and to de-stress before your next exams."
Nyota shook her head, but had to silently agree with her roommate. She knew that she worked too hard sometimes, but it was because she had to. She couldn't live with just putting effort in. She had to put 100% of her effort into it, until she was satisfied that it was good enough. What passed for other people didn't pass for her. It needed to be perfect. But, it was also good that she had Gaila to drag her away at times, because she knew that she had to take a quick break before starting her finals.
They reached the bar and squealing, Gaila led her over to the bartender.
"Yes, ladies? What can I get you this fine evening?" He said with a lecherous grin, looking Nyota up and down.
She tried to suppress her disgust at his blatant attitude, and let Gaila order for her. She turned around and her gaze swept the room. The bar was a frequent haunt of the Academy, both Cadets and instructors. She saw Captain Pike – just named Captain of the Enterprise – sitting in a corner with a couple of colleagues.
She also noticed some of her friends from other classes here, including Sulu and Chekov, two of the men she'd had Logistics of Warp Traveling III in last semester. For some reason, they both went by their last names, preferring them to their given names. She presumed they were trying to get in the habit for their eventual service in Star Fleet. She also saw some of the boys she'd known in that class who'd dropped out due to the class pressure. She'd had to interact with them a total of two times, and thanked her lucky stars when they dropped out of the class. They were rude, ignorant, and to put it in Terran terms; jerks.
She pretended she hadn't noticed them and went over to greet Sulu and Chekov.
"Good evening, boys." She smiled at both of them before pulling each into a close hug. Even though it wasn't her main aim of schooling, she had formed some close friendships with some of her fellow Cadets.
"Nyota!" Sulu greeted happily. Chekov nodded enthusiastically at her. "Come to see our chances of winning the annual chess game?"
Nyota rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, for some reason they were both huge chess fanatics. It wasn't that she didn't understand the game, she did. But, she much preferred a game where talk and physical skill were also utilized, rather than just one's brain. She did enough of that in her academic career to want a brief escape during her extremely limited social life.
"Of course," she said teasingly. "I'm guessing that you're going to be going home empty-handed!" She raised her eyebrows teasingly and smirked at them before bursting out laughing at their mock-wounded expressions.
"So, Nyota, you do not think ve can vin?" Chekov challenged.
"Of course I do boys; it just depends on your competition." She winked at them both, letting them know she was only joking and saw Gaila waving at her from the bar. "Excuse me boys, I believe I'm needed somewhere for a minute."
"Is that Gaila?" Sulu asked, perking up.
Nyota laughed and headed towards her roommate. "What's up?" She prompted.
"Do you mind helping with the drinks? I've got them for us, and I got them for your friends as well." Gaila looked wistfully at Sulu. For her flirtatious nature and sexual freedom, she never initiated a relationship that she knew would be a serious one, and she knew from her first five minutes of meeting Sulu that their relationship would be serious. Instead, they had exchanged flirtatious glances occasionally, and she would get tongue-tied whenever she was around him, leaving Nyota to roll her eyes in exasperation at both of their antics.
"Sure." Nyota laughed at the love-sick expression on Gaila's face. "Just go over and ask him to dance, he won't say no!"
"Nyota!" Gaila exclaimed, looking scandalized. "You know I can't do that." She left the bartender eagerly anyway, heading over to where Chekov and Sulu were sitting.
She looked around at all the people laughing around her, noting their drinks in hands. For once, she decided to let her inhibitions drop, and figured that once in a blue moon, she'd become a bit risky. She ordered a shot from the bartender.
"Make that two, her shots on me." A voice came down from her right, and Nyota turned to acknowledge it. And the person she saw made her groan. That guy from the farm down the ride, again.
She raised her eyebrow at him. "Her shots on her." She said quickly to the bartender. "Thanks but no thanks." She told the guy.
"Don't you at least wanna know my name before you completely reject me?" The guy sounded wounded.
She shook her head. "I'm fine without it."
He ignored her comments. "You are fine without it. It's Jim, Jim Kirk." He said suggestively. He waited for her to respond with her name, but she just stared at the wall in front of her, refusing to respond. "If you don't tell me your name I'm gonna have to make one up." He said apologetically.
She sighed. "It's Uhura."
"Uhura?" He said excitedly. "No way! That's the name I was gonna make up for you! Uhura what?"
"Just Uhura." She said quickly.
"They don't have last names in your world?" He cocked an eyebrow at her.
She smirked at him. "Uhura is my last name."
He stared back in confusion. "Then they don't have... uh first names in your world?"
One of the Cadets that had been in her class before cut in gruffly. "This townie isn't bothering you right?"
She thought quickly, hoping to defuse the situation. "Oh, beyond belief. But it's nothing I can't handle."
"You could handle me if that's an invitation." He said with a smirk.
"Hey, you better mind your manners." He snapped at Kirk.
Kirk mock-sighed. "Oh relax, cupcake, it was a joke."
Then the other drop-out Cadet's came over and Nyota sighed. What was it about her that always attracted trouble?
"Hey farmboy. Maybe you can't count. But there are four of us and one of you." He said, crossing his arms menacingly.
Kirk groaned and rubbed his eyes. He stood up so he could look the Cadet straight in the eyes. "So get some more guys and then it'll be an even fight."
Nyota inwardly-groaned, definitely not the right thing to say. And the first punch flew. And the second, and she lost count.
She desperately tried to look around, hoping to see someone who could stop the fight. Just then, Kirk was flung back her way by a punch from one of the other Cadets and accidentally grabbed onto both her breasts. He smiled up at her suggestively and her face fell for a second in shock. She shoved her hands against his chest to push him away from her, just as a hand fell onto Kirk's neck and he fell down to the floor in a stone-heap.
She looked to see Commander Spock standing with his arms folded behind his back looking at her without emotion, but she could have sworn she saw a glimmer of anger in his eyes. "Cadet Uhura." he acknowledged her. "Are you in good health?"
She nodded her head. "Thank you for your assistance, Commander." She blushed furiously inwardly, knowing that he had just seen Kirk with his hands on her chest.
"No thanks necessary," he replied promptly. "I concluded that the boy's attentions were antagonistic to the other Cadets and that stopping the fight promptly was a priority, especially with the inappropriate moment that he resulted in."
Nyota groaned more inwardly here, praying for evil things to fall on Kirk's head. "Nevertheless, thank you, Commander." She said softly.
He nodded, "Thanks are unnecessary, but acknowledged." He nodded once more at her, and turned continuing back to the table where Captain Pike was looking at them curiously.
As he walked away, Nyota could have sworn that the tips of his ears had turned green. Was it in anger, she wondered? Or another emotion? Or simply nothing at all?
"Well."
Nyota laughed, trust Gaila to turn up at that moment. "Hi, Gaila."
"So, want to tell me what that was all about?" She indicated down at the floor.
