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Special thanks to beta Notes from the Classroom, she reviewed this Chapter TWICE! Check out her latest "Crossing the Equator" in my faves for Pike/#1 and Spock/Uhura goodness.
Chapter 2
When she heard the seaman's whistle, T'Spock's heart was pounding madly in her side, her fists stung, and she felt bruises blossoming on her chin and upper arms. She straightened at the shrill shriek, but inside, her emotions were a roiling sea.
Sarek and Amanda resisted having her bonded to Desalvic. T'Spock's friend Velan's parents had not. Only a few years older than T'Spock, Valen had a lively and curious mind. Like T'Spock she dreamed of going to the Vulcan Science Academy one day.
After the bonding and Pon Farr with Desalvic, Velan was no longer T'Spock's friend, or even the same person. Her family gained status and wealth. Velan gained a child, and a bond-mate who was extremely xenophobic and racist. Velan wasn't a strong telepath; she couldn't resist her bond-mate's pull.
The lesson T'Spock took away from this was that if you did not permanently incapacitate an aggressor, you just made them someone else's problem.
This evening she wasn't just defending herself, she was defending the shy Xinga who she spotted cowering in the corner. She was defending the Tellurite she'd seen leaving when she walked in, and the Vulcan engineers she knew who were consulting on the
Enterprise's construction. She was defending every alien who came to this establishment, and Velan.
She was satisfied that she had done the right thing. She would go to the court martial with a clear conscience - and yet. The events of this evening were close to home. It was hard to step back from the encounter and cool down. She should be able to do this - but could not. She was only half Vulcan.
Beside her, above the sound of her own beating heart, Uhura said in Ferengi, "Green gobs of mildewy earwax."
"Cadet," said T'Spock automatically, "may I remind you of Starfleet's strict rules and regulations regarding profanity?"
She didn't want him compounding the trouble he was in with a frivolous indulgence in expletives. But as soon as the words were in the air, Uhura turned his head sharply to her. Brows pulled together, eyes narrowed, he had the same look in his eye she'd seen when he'd warded that first errant hand away from her.
She'd angered him. T'Spock was a poor reader of facial expressions but even she could see that. Uhura never got angry at her. Not once in her lab in ten months of assistantship - nor did he break down in tears - as had one of her other assistants.
She drew back a bit surprised.
Ironically Pike's first words to them were, "What the Hell?"
Taking a deep breath, she willed her heartbeat to subside.
Around her, locals were running out of the bar. Cadets straightened their shoulders and locked eyes straight ahead.
Pike's eyes were on T'Spock. "Lieutenant T'Spock, is One present?" Pike said, referring to his first officer.
"No, sir," said T'Spock, her voice surprisingly level, even to herself. "She requested I meet her here but was diverted by a problem with the air duct assembly on the Enterprise."
"That makes you the highest ranking officer in this room, Lieutenant. I expect a thorough explanation for what's happened here."
"Yes, sir," said T'Spock.
Turning to the cadets he said, "The rest of you clear out! Now!"
As the other cadets rushed to leave the scene, beside her Cadet Uhura hesitated. The room was nearly empty when he let out a sigh, kneeled, gathered the local still wearing the Starfleet uniform jacket in his arms, and headed to the door.
Pointing at the limp body, Pike said, "Stop. Who is that and what are you doing with him?"
Halting quickly, Uhura said. "This is Jim Kirk, a local, sir. He should be checked out by our medics."
T'Spock tilted her head. She should have requested medical help for the local man immediately. Her human assistant was ahead of her.
Pike scowled. "Jim Kirk?"
"Yes, sir. I heard one of the Xeno Nazis call him that."
Tilting his head, Pike said quietly, "Jim Kirk is a Xeno Nazi punk?"
"No, sir," said Uhura, "He was on our side."
"Our side?" said Pike looking a trifle...amused? Irritated? The way his eyebrows went up and the inflection in his tone - it was difficult for T'Spock to read.
Stepping forward, T'Spock said, "Yes, sir. A few of their number attempted to accost me. Along with Mr. Uhura here, Mr. Kirk tried to dissuade them verbally."
"Remind me never to let Mr. Uhura or Mr. Kirk try to negotiate on my behalf, Lieutenant." He scowled at Uhura. "What is your specialty, cadet?"
"Communications, sir," said Uhura, his gaze several inches above Pike's head.
"Uh-huh," said Pike. "An auspicious beginning to your career."
T'Spock raised an eyebrow. It was a fallacy of logic for Pike to take such a random incident and sum up her assistant's professional future. And it was insulting. She would never accept less than the best for her assistantship. Straightening, T'Spock said, "In every aspect of his field, Cadet Uhura is second to none. He was one of my top students, has demonstrated on multiple occasions exceptional aural sensitivity, and he has an unparalleled ability to identify anomalies in subspace transmission tests. He is in no way responsible for this situation, sir. I incapacitated the first of the Xeno Nazis."
She glanced at Uhura. She incapacitated one first, but only because she hadn't given Uhura the opportunity. Keeping that observation to herself she said, "From there the situation degenerated."
"I'll say." Pike gazed around the room. T'Spock followed his eyes as they roamed over broken chairs and tables, spilled drinks, and the bartender bent over and grumbling, retrieving large pieces of shattered glassware from the floor.
Pike's brows drew together. "A Vulcan...started a bar room brawl."
"Sir," said Uhura before T'Spock could respond. "She was defending herself."
T'Spock's eyes went to Uhura, still holding the limp form of Jim Kirk in his arms.
"Is this true, Lieutenant?" Pike said.
T'Spock nodded.
Pike sighed. "And Vulcans never lie."
T'Spock raised an eyebrow. Lying was very difficult for her. Sidestepping the truth was not. It hardly seemed relevant or prudent to point this out.
From Uhura's arms, Kirk moaned and said, "Put me down. You're emasculating me in front of the green-blooded hottie."
T'Spock's nostrils flared in indignation. Her fists clenched. When she stood before the Vulcan Science Academy's Admittance Council she noticed there was only one female on the board. Vulcans were a terribly logical species. It was logical that if one partially or completely took off seven to fourteen years for child bearing and rearing, that one would not be as accomplished as one's peers. And yet it rankled her. How much had it been by choice, and how much had been due to circumstances like Velan's?
When the head of the council said it was remarkable that she had achieved so much "despite her disadvantage," she said raised an eyebrow and replied, "Do you refer to the fact that I am half human or female and unbonded?"
The situation was better in Starfleet, but still prejudices and biology did not die. Women didn't take as demanding roles. And some men and women still did not take orders as gracefully from a female commanding officer.
T'Spock agonized over whether her decision to shy away from the command track in favor of research was prompted by genuine interest in science or a reflexive shying away from authority and challenge. She made up for it by not turning down any assignment, no matter how mentally taxing, and she kept herself in peak physical shape. She was at least as strong as any man...any human man, at any rate.
Now this human, Kirk, took all that hard work to define herself as more than her gender away with a single flippant comment.
Uhura immediately let Kirk drop with an unceremonious thud. T'Spock restrained a small smile.
"Ow! Not like that!" Kirk moaned.
Walking over, Pike said, "James T. Kirk, son of George and Winona Kirk?"
Pulling himself up into a sitting position with a wince, Kirk signaled the bartender.
Looking up at Pike he said. "I don't know why that's any of your business, old man."
"Lieutenant, Cadet," Pike said. "Clear out."
T'Spock tilted her head and headed towards the door. Uhura fell into step beside her. Just as they reached the door, Pike said, "Lieutenant, don't think you're getting off scot-free for this. There are several days' worth of paperwork that will need to be completed if I'm going to clear your names. You'll be filling it out."
Tension T'Spock hadn't realized existed evaporated from her shoulders. Beside her Cadet Uhura let out a breath. T'Spock nodded curtly at Pike. "Yes, sir." And then she stepped briskly through the door, Cadet Uhura behind her. He seemed to be hyperventilating when he should be pleased. How odd.
"Cadet, is something wrong?" she asked as they made their way to the barracks through the cold night air.
"Did I just hear right? Are we going to get out of this with unblemished records?" Uhura said.
"I believe that was the Captain's point, Cadet," T'Spock said.
Uhura's face split into an enormous smile and he laughed out loud.
The display of emotion was...off putting. Uhura was never expressive in her presence. She hoped he would not touch her in his excitement.
Whenever she saw him around campus in interactions with others, he was smiling too wide, laughing too loud...or touching people. Slaps on the back, handshakes, even kisses on cheeks. If she didn't know his academic record and diligence in her lab, she would peg him as an attractive human that fluttered through life on good looks and charm more than competency.
Smiling at T'Spock, Uhura said, "Sorry, sir. It's just that a few moments ago my entire Starfleet career was flashing before my eyes." Letting out a deep breath he laughed again. "But now it looks like I still have a chance to serve aboard the Enterprise."
T'Spock knew about Uhura's desire to serve aboard the flagship. He'd informed her of it the day she interviewed him to be her assistant, and on no fewer than 11 occasions since then.
She began walking towards the barracks. The cool night air was returning her calm. And her curiosity. Why had Uhura defended her? "Your 'unqualified desire' to serve aboard the Enterprise did not seem to concern you a few minutes ago," she said, quoting him from his interview with her. "The Starfleet handbook requires cadets to avoid skirmishes with civilians and -"
"To call military police in the event of an altercation," Uhura said, his smile gone. "I know what the rule books says, sir." Narrowing his eyes, Uhura said, "You could not have fought them all, Sir."
"Your assessment of the situation is accurate," T'Spock said. Had she offended him unintentionally?
"Abandoning you would have been wrong on principle," said Uhura.
"What principles are those, Cadet?" T'Spock said genuinely curious in the philosophical underpinnings of his actions. Logic dictated that Vulcans disobey orders when they were inappropriate. But Vulcans possessed such a herd mentality they rarely did so.
"The ones my father drilled into me," said Uhura, scowling and falling silent.
T'Spock decided not to seek further clarification. This was the first time she'd really spoken to him outside the context of work, and it was not going well. Just another reason not to become 'chummy' with co-workers.
She covertly hazarded a glance in his direction. He wasn't looking straight ahead towards the barracks but towards the lights of the ship yard where the Enterprise was being assembled.
As if sensing her gaze, he turned towards her. Jaw tightening, he nodded curtly and looked straight ahead.
He was still angry. She tended to be as off putting to humans as she was to Vulcans. Vulcans found her too emotional; humans found her just the opposite. She'd lost no fewer than four human assistants for being "too demanding," "too cold," and for "personal incompatibilities" - and then there was the young man she somehow managed to make cry. She hadn't missed them, actually. They'd all been computer programming majors - and somehow more hindrance than help.
Uhura's skills were complementary to her own; he'd put her months ahead in her research into subspace signal signatures in radio frequencies. Commander Sharpton, her commanding officer, had ordered her not to lose Uhura. Now he was visibly angry. Was she on the verge of losing the only assistant she actually needed?
She stole a glance over at Uhura, he was once again looking off into the distance where the Enterprise's lights shone in the immense scaffolding holding it aloft. T'Spock stopped.
"I have access to the Enterprise."
Halting beside her, Uhura said, "Sir?"
Oddly afraid to look him in the eye, T'Spock looked at the ground and said, "On suggestion of my mentor, Pike's Number One, I was brought here to survey the progress on the integration of the Enterprise's various computer systems."
She looked up at him. "Including the Universal Translator. I could use your help calibrating it." Not a lie. She could use his help, though she did not need it.
Eyes wide he said, "Right now?"
It was late, he had to be onboard a shuttle back to San Francisco in the morning, and humans did require a great deal of sleep.
"It is not an order," T'Spock clarified quickly. "Only...an offer."
Uhura smiled, "Let's go."
He seemed happy. T'Spock let out a breath in relief.
They changed their direction and headed towards the shipyards. T'Spock noted she had to quicken her pace to keep up with Uhura's quickening strides. "How many dialects of Ferengi does the UT accomodate?" he asked.
"Nine," said T'Spock.
"And have you confirmed it registers earwax as a profanity?" Uhura said, his symmetrical features splitting into a wide grin.
T'Spock blinked. It was a reference to his utterance earlier this evening. And a joke. Humans joked to cut tension. T'Spock could calculate the value of pi towards infinity, was a 3D chess champion, spoke only a few less languages than Uhura, multi dimensional mathematical formulas were as clear to her as the written word, and she and Sarek, did in fact, enjoy joking with her mother. There was a witty rejoinder to Uhura, but T'Spock was at a loss as to what it was. "In fact, I have not checked," she said lamely.
"Luckily you have me as your aide," Uhura said.
She decided not to comment on the illogic of the concept of "luck."
A/N:
Changes:T'Spock has some reflections on Vulcan gender relations, she remembers how only one of the judges for the VSA had been female (it was something I noticed in the movie). She remarks on the "logic" of this, and also how she feels that Kirk's flippant sexism takes away from all her hard work.
I actually think that more women aren't in leadership positions in our society is in great deal to choice. I have chosen to work from home, rather than work in an office 9 – 5 because working from home gives me more opportunity to be with my kids. A lot of my friends make similar decisions that are limiting and liberating at the same time. These decisions do cut us off from a lot of traditional jobs in authority though, and if we re-enter the regular workforce we may have less experience. (Incidentally, I do know women whose choice to stay out of the regular workforce leads to a more, not less, money).
At least in the U.S., I think that although there is still sexism, a lot of this is by choice. In other societies women are discriminated much more – and sometimes it's silent and insidious. Sometimes laws to remove that discrimination also make it worse!
Anyway, I think the Vulcan discrimination would be the quiet, "logical" sort.