Chapter 2: First Rollcall
Star-date 2255.243
Why did I sign up for this?
Layla internally groaned as she made her way one spot up in the queue. She had been waiting there for over an hour now as what seemed like an entire platoon of people stood in front of the Starfleet Academy Administration Desk, waiting to be handed out their Dormitory details and timetables.
Layla was the easiest by far to recognise of everyone currently in the line, and that was including some very distinctive non-terran sentient species. Why was she so recognisable? Because she was the only fifteen year old new cadet that only stood at a short 5'3".
"Whoa look at that!"
"Seriously a kid? What is Starfleet thinking?"
"Must be one of those little smartass brats"
Don't hear, don't see, don't smell, don't feel. Only breathe. Only breathe. Your bones are made of steel.
She clenched her fists around the handle of her large suitcase, wincing as the minute noises of material shifting, fingers tapping, distant voices and even breaths from people about ten meters away from her hit her ears like drums in a silent room.
Don't hear, don't see, don't smell, don't feel. Only breathe, only breathe, none of it is real
But by god it was so real it wasn't funny.
She gulped, doing her best to drown out all sound only to find that it amplified tenfold just like it always did whenever her nerves got the best of her.
As she took a deep shuddering breath someone spoke up in front of her.
"Excuse me"
Layla blinked and saw that she had reached the front of the queue and the desk at last. Behind it a female Starfleet officer was sitting smiling up at her consolingly as she timidly approached.
"Nervous hon?" she asked the younger girl sympathetically and Layla nodded her eyes nervously darting about her as she made to mumble softly.
"A little yeah. Um it's Pike, Layla S. Pike"
Please don't recognise it! please oh please don't-
"Ok, Pike. Wait! You mean Pike as in Captain Christopher Pike?"
Dammnit!
"…Yes…"
Layla barely held back the urge to face palm as every single pair of eyes swivelled at once to look at her. She was distinctly aware of the derisive glares from three particularly tall, smug looking young men just four places behind her. As she caught their gazes their leader at the head, a lean wiry guy with dark brown hair and stern light brown eyes made to call out loudly for all to hear.
"There what did I tell you guys? No way a midget like that could get in unless she's a Captain's privileged brat! I bet she didn't even take the test like us normal hardworking-"
"Excuse me but if you want to get your details you must wait your turn quietly" the woman at the administration desk frowned sternly and the men fell silent, though they still eyed Layla with small sneers.
Just ignore them! Ignore them! You're here to make a fresh start!
Layla quickly turned back to the clerk who quickly handed her a new PADD.
"All your entry pamphlets are programmed as well as your timetable and dormitory details. There are also a few maps in there as well just in case you get lost. The campus is pretty big after all"
"Yeah…so I've seen" Layla muttered as she took the device in her hand doing her best to ignore the sniggers from the guys behind.
The clerk spared the rude younger men a disgusted look of disdain before giving Layla a reassuring nod.
"You'll be fine honey. If you're anything like your father they'll all be eating their stupid words in no time"
"Thanks" Layla couldn't help but smile gratefully at that. People always seemed to like her dad even if they hadn't served with or under him in the call of duty, not that she could blame them. Christopher Pike was a good man after all and a good captain.
She could only hope she'd ever get to serve a captain like him when she graduated.
And so it was with such prideful thoughts in her head that she made to confidently stride out of the lobby but not before giving the rude men from before a glare.
They narrowed their eyes in return, their leader making to open his mouth to make another snide remark only to be interrupted as another voice called cheerfully
"Hey Layla!"
Layla turned and grinned as she saw a tall man with a full blonde head of hair walk up to her with a smug grin on his face.
"Jim" Layla sighed with relief as James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk came level with her "I'm glad to see you've passed the application test."
"Easy as cake" Jim grinned down at her "how about you? How did your test go?"
"Oh yeah totally fine. I got the marks I wanted for my courses so that's good" Layla shrugged though Jim could tell that she was tense about something. But even as he glanced about he saw the scathing leers from the three men she was standing in front of.
"Who are these guys?" he asked with slightly narrowed eyes.
"Oh just some idiots I just happened to pass by." And with that Layla turned on her three offenders "Next time you have something to say, say it to my face like real men cowards!"
There were several gasps as she then made to put up a very rude hand gesture with her middle finger.
Jim couldn't contain the loud snort as the three men before her blinked in stunned amazement. None of them seemed to have had expected the much smaller girl to give a fight back it seemed.
"You know" he grinned behind Layla's back "I don't have a clue what you guys said but you'd better not do it again unless you want to end up on the floor out cold"
"Nah! That's no fun. I'd much rather neuter them instead!" Layla muttered darkly and there were several sniggers from other people in the line as the men all turned as pale as parchment, one of them even shifting his hands in front of his privates.
"Whoa! Ok! Ok! I'm sure these guys won't mess with you again. Now come on Bones is waiting for us outside" Jim chuckled as he clapped a hand onto Layla's shoulder and made to steer her out of the lobby as quickly as possible.
"Wait Bones? Who's Bones?" Layla tilted her head with confusion as she allowed herself and her blue suitcase to be tugged out into the slightly nippy Autumn air of the large courtyard.
"You know Leonard McCoy, the doctor we met on the shuttle?"
"Oh right! The paranoid guy with the accent who was afraid of flying" Layla nodded.
"Paranoid-guy with the accent who's afraid of flying?" a gruff voice repeated "That's a new one"
Jim snorted as Layla wheeled about to see the aforementioned doctor himself standing behind the two of them with folded arms and a stern look.
Unlike the two younger people before him Leonard McCoy was already dressed in the maroon Starfleet cadet's uniform. Layla was surprised to notice that his face, which had once been grubby and shadowed by lots of stubble, was now clean shaven and his once shaggy brown hair was trimmed off into a clean cut suitable for duty.
Layla quickly dipped her head down with an embarrassed grimace.
"Sorry" she mumbled.
But to her surprise Leonard just smirked.
"S'ok kid how's it going? Heard some bozo's in the lobby gave you trouble"
"I'm a Captain's daughter. Idiots are an occupational hazard" Layla rolled her eyes and Leonard snorted with laughter.
Jim Kirk grinned wide. He could tell the three of them were going to get along great.
Well here it is…
Layla sighed as she came up to her dorm room door which was located on the second block, second floor room B1.
My new home sweet home…
She felt her gut sink slightly as she reached out towards the unfamiliar shiny security pad on the side of the door.
It seemed just yesterday, no scratch that, it WAS yesterday that she had bid her parents both goodnight before settling into her own bedroom for the night.
She couldn't recall never having slept far from the room her parents had occupied and she had never had to share her space, as she had never had a sibling.
And now here she was about to share a dorm with a total stranger.
It was with great trepidation that she sucked in a deep breath and made to step through the automatic sliding door and said aloud.
"Lights fifty percent"
The room was spacious, with two beds on either side of the room perpendicular to the doorway with and two desks on the wall opposite them. On the wall opposite the entrance was another door that was currently open, revealing the tiled floor of a combined toilet and bathroom.
Well…it's not too bad I guess…
Layla cautiously stepped around the room, setting her bag and suitcase on the second bed closest to the bathroom.
She was, thankfully, an early riser and very disciplined in her morning routine.
She could only hope her roommate wouldn't mind.
She checked the small alarm clock on the bedside table beside her and saw that it was set to twenty-four hour time.
It's eleven o clock in the morning still…and the Academy orientation assembly doesn't start till one o'clock…I have time…
She bit her lip as she set her suitcase onto the bed and unzipped it open.
In it were a variety of clothes, a mixture of her favourite casual and fancy wear plus some of her favourite books and sketching supplies.
After very delicately settling her pencil-case and sketchbook onto the bed sheets beside her, she made to pull out the red ensemble of the Starfleet cadet uniform. Due to her short size she had decided to stick with the skirt and top combo as she could readjust the hem if need be. Also she promised her parents she would stick close to the rules, even if that meant wearing the ridiculously short skirt.
She had just about gotten the above mentioned skirt as well as the red turtleneck top on when the door to her room opened and a familiar female voice called out to her.
"Layla?"
"oh hey Nyota!" Layla smiled as the dark head of Nyota Uhura poked around the corner of the open door.
"Hey. I saw you come in just now."
"Is your room nearby?" Layla asked and Uhura nodded.
"Just across the hall. So if you need anything you know where to find me? Where's your roommate?"
"To hell if I know" Layla shrugged as she made to slip on her new pair of fitted black boots over her feet. "What about you?"
At this Uhura rolled her eyes, half with disgust half with fond exasperation as she made to step into the room and lean by the doorway.
"Gaila's already making herself quite at home with some random guy already. He's a bit of a creep but I guess he serves his purpose for her urges"
"Urges?"
"She's Orion"
"Ah" Layla nodded "right that explains it. Though I would be pretty pissed too if my roommate kept bringing random idiots to the room."
"Yeah." Uhura sighed "I mean she's not a bad person don't get me wrong but…I don't know…maybe I'm just a prude, but I'd prefer giving myself to a guy that I'm in an established relationship with and not a stranger."
"Fair enough" Layla shrugged, only to smirk wickedly. "You already have someone special in mind for that spot don't you? and It's someone here at the Academy…"
Uhura flushed red so quickly that it was a wonder she didn't faint from all the blood that rushed upwards.
"I don't know what you're talking about…and even if I did…I wouldn't tell anyone now" she clipped but Layla just smirked.
"Not even me?"
"no" Uhura folded her arms.
"What if I were to guess the guy's name?" Layla's grin widened "Then would you tell me?"
"You're almost as bad as that Jim Kirk, you know that."
"You're never going to give him your first name are you?"
"Only when pigs fly!"
Uhura just rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but smile as the younger girl burst out laughing.
Star-date 2255.244
It was finally the first day of lessons. After a very long orientation day which included a full tour of the entire Academy and introduction seminars to all divisions of study, Layla Pike was fully prepared to just sit and glaze over in her seat as she ate her breakfast alone at her small table.
As she chewed on her porridge she fleetingly glanced over at another table where several female cadets were all sitting chatting and gossiping with big smiles.
Layla recognised one of the women as her roommate, a twenty one year old half Betazoid female by the name of Kenina Brand.
She was a nice person Layla supposed, though both of them were quiet and kept mostly to themselves. Kenina didn't seem to mind that Layla was younger and made no mention of the topic.
Other people however were not so understanding. Like the three rude young men that had insulted Layla the day before at the lobby, and were now passing her table by with sneers and whispers as they made to sit at the table next to her.
"Look it's the midget again" their leader, the guy with the brown hair and eyes sniggered as he and his friends, one a bald but squint eyed Asian and the other a short weedy guy with the face like a rat chortled beside him.
"Hey short-ass! Why aren't you sitting with all the other captains brats like a good little girl?"
Layla stayed silent, only sparing them one look of disdain before haughtily sniffing and turning back to her food.
But the guys did not leave, they only sneered wider.
"Oh I think I get it now" the rat faced guy leered down at her "The brat thinks she's better than us does she?"
Yes I do…
Layla thought though she kept her eyes fixed on her spoon in front of her.
"pff! yeah right! Like she could.-"
Layla's hand clenched about her utensil as the squint eyed Asian guy chortled
"-I mean we worked hard to get enlisted. And what did she do?"
"Probably batted her pretty little eyes at Daddy and got it handed up to her on a silver platter"
"At least she has pretty eyes" A voice said and Layla quickly turned her head just in time to see Jim and Leonard make to stand beside the seats next to her.
"Is this seat taken?" Jim asked and Layla shook her head and gestured to the
"No feel free"
"Indeed I shall" Jim smiled though Layla was faintly surprised to see that although he was smiling, his blue eyes were unmistakeably cold with disgust as they assessed her three insulters who all exchanged grimaces before their leader made to mutter.
"Come on. Let's go"
As they left Leonard glowered over the cup of coffee in his hand.
"Morons" he muttered as Jim made to ask Layla.
"Why did you let them say those things?"
"I wasn't letting them say anything" Layla replied coolly as she quietly blowed on a spoonful of porridge "I was ignoring them. Big difference. Besides… I promised my dad I wouldn't pick fights anymore so…"
"Pick fights?" Leonard muttered and Layla smirked only for her face to fall when he diverted his attention to take a large swig of coffee.
Jim saw this at once and quickly made eyed the red cadet's jacket on the doctor, who rolled his eyes with irritation.
"See you're all cleaned up Bones"
"Quit calling me that" Leonard snapped moodily.
"Why are you calling him Bones?" Layla looked up at Jim whose grin widened as he made to shrug in mock innocence.
"Because when we all first met he said all he had left was his bones. Plus he's a doctor so bones, skeletons y'know that sort of medical stuff"
Layla had to smirk as Leonard just shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on you love it and you know it" Jim grinned before turning to Layla with a smug smile like a child proud of his sandcastle he made on the beach "I'm going to be attending the Command school."
"well Congratulations" Leonard nodded seemingly torn between sarcasm and amusement at the younger man's antics "and good luck. From what I've heard not many people make it into command school let alone pass their first semester. Apparently the standards are much tougher"
But Jim's grin only widened.
"All the more reason to do It." he then turned to Layla with excitement "What are you majoring in? Command? Sciences?"
"Actually I…um…I'm applying for a double major."
"Double?" Jim spluttered almost choking on his own spit.
"Yeah double" Layla shrugged nonchalantly. "In Tactical and Security"
"Tactical AND Security?!" now it was Leonard's turn to have his eyes bulge out of his sockets as he looked down at the tiny girl before him.
"No offence sweetheart but aren't you a bit young and small to be…" the doctor trailed off gesturing to her person.
Layla raised her eyebrows.
"Too small be what doc?"
Leonard gulped as the girl's glacial blue eyes took on an expression that looked as icy and sharp as a raging blizzard.
Jim quickly stepped in-between the doctor and the girl putting his hands up in a placating manner.
"Easy there Tiger! and Bones," Jim turned to Leonard barely suppressing a smirk "Trust me, I've seen her in action. She saved my ass in a bar fight. Knocked two guys double her size down with just a hit each"
"Wait a moment… when was this?" Bones quickly frowned suddenly fixing Layla with a thoughtful look which quickly turned into one of recognition.
"The night before we met on the Shuttle?" Layla folded her arms over her small chest. "Why?"
Leonard's brow furrowed as he eyed the girl suspiciously.
"Did you by any chance chew at a cadet's ear?"
"…yes…" Layla frowned but Jim was quick to cotton on.
"Oh god, did you patch him up?"
"Yeah. I did." Leonard nodded with an irritable scowl. "he and three others. One of them had a completely smashed up nose and the other had a nasty bruise in the shape of a boot under his chin. I was wondering how he could get such a hit…and from such a small foot too"
"Well now you know" the corners of Layla's mouth twitched upwards smugly.
Leonard himself couldn't help the tiny smirk that spread over his face as he raised his coffee mug as if to toast the younger girl.
"Well if that's the case…then I wish you all the luck in whatever you chose to do kid"
"Thank's Doc" Layla smiled and Leonard grinned.
Jim frowned.
"Hey! Wait a moment when she gives you a nickname you smile but when I call you Bones you-"
"Jim godammit I'm a doctor not a Halloween skeleton!" the doctor steamrolled over him with a glower. Layla laughed loudly.
Many other cadets around them gazed curiously at the odd trio as they quietly conversed and joked with one another, or rather Jim whined at Leonard who made to grumble irritably whilst Layla chortled at both their antics.
Amongst the sea of curious people, one blank face stood out starkly. It was that of a man, pale and tinged slightly with green, with pointed-tipped ears and swept up dark eyebrows all framed within a bowl cut hairstyle.
He stared at the three new cadets with nothing more than a curious quirk of his left eyebrow and a small glint in his brown eyes to convey his intrigue, vast though it was.
He had never seen humans bond into a group of close friends so quickly, especially considering their ages. The gruff doctor was at least in his late thirties early forties, the blonde haired cocky young man was most certainly in his early twenties and the girl, most surprisingly of all, was barely even fifteen years of age.
He continued to watch them quietly from his spot as the girl made to wipe her hands on a paper napkin before making to check her timetable on her PADD.
Layla couldn't help the tiny grin that spread over her face as she looked over her classes for the day.
Student Name: Layla Serena Pike
Period 1 – (SURV101) Starship Emergency Procedures
Period 2 – (TAC104) Introduction to Military Strategy and Doctrines
Lunch
Period 3 – (TAC106) Introduction to Military History
Period 4 – (CS 101) Introduction to Computer sciences
Period 5 – (TAC101) Hand to Hand Combat Training
"Wow you've got a five period day?" Jim whistled low as he looked over her shoulder to peek at her PADD. "Oh cool we've got both periods two and three together. Wait Computer sciences?"
"I like to dabble in other things too" Layla grinned "besides that will be a good bludge subject before my combat training"
"I wouldn't be so sure about bludging here kid" Leonard gave Layla a stern frown "This ain't high school, you can't just cruise by on one lesson and expect your average to remain the same."
"I'll manage" Layla shrugged "Besides I like computers so when I say bludge I really mean that it won't feel like work even if it is because I'll enjoy it. Also…everything else I'm going to be learning is going to be rather active and dynamic so I thought studying something centred on logical methodical thinking would be nice to balance it out. I mean what's the point in studying methods of combat if you don't have a level head to enact it?"
Fascinating…
The humanoid blinked. Truth be told he had not expected such a collected response from one so young.
She's actively seeking a balance between emotion and logic when most of those her age would be trying to do the opposite…
Like that blonde cadet that sat next to her...for some reason the face looked familiar, though the humanoid knew he had never before seen it on campus. Perhaps he had seen an image. But however much he tried to remember he could not put a name to the face.
The swept up brows of the silent watcher could not help the small but gentle furrow nor the small shifting in his grey dress uniform as he made to lean in and watch a little closer as the young girl cadet made to say:
"Also from a tactical perspective wouldn't it be more beneficial on a ship if security knew not only how to just physically keep the crew safe but also keep it digitally safe as well? I have grown up seeing the computerised security protocols on these Starships and let me tell you they could use some better fail-safes than the… Oh…"
Layla gulped as she saw that both Jim and Leonard were both looking at her blankly.
"Sorry" She blushed with embarrassment as she made to tuck a stray black lock behind her ear. "I tend to tattle when I get…just…feel free to shut me up if you get bored."
"Why would we be bored?" Jim questioned curiously. "I know I'm not. Bones are you?"
Jim frowned glancing at Leonard.
"No…I'm not bored either" the doctor now was eyeing Layla with a small grimace of concern. "As long as you speak English and not in whatever technical mumbo jumbo you smart kids use nowadays"
"Fair enough" Layla had to give a small smile at that in spite of her nerves.
Maybe Dad was right…
She thought as she made to take a sip of her orange juice beside her.
Maybe this Academy will be different after all…
Meanwhile just a little way away at the small table the grey suited, senior officer sat up a little straighter as a familiar tall dark skinned young woman made to pass him and smile.
"Good Morning Commander Spock"
"Good morning Cadet. I trust you had a good summer break" the humanoid, Spock, made to nod up at Nyota Uhura, whose face brightened at once at the acknowledgement.
"Yes I did and you?"
"My summer was uneventful but fulfilling in its purpose to seek respite from work" Spock answered appropriately though he found himself distracted by a momentary small snort of laughter and a groan
"Miss Uhura" Spock tilted his head ever so slightly, his brown eyes betraying the only hint of his true intrigue. "who are those cadets?"
"Oh them" Uhura followed her senior officers gaze and her smile turned into a small amused smirk as the trio of Leonard, Layla and Jim made to fall quickly into laughter once more.
"That's um…That's Leonard McCoy, he's a doctor I think. And that" she pointed to Layla "That's Captain Pike's daughter Layla. She's a nice kid. A bit rough and tough sometimes but nice. And that" now Uhura's smirk turned into more of a grimace as she looked on Jim "that is Jim Kirk"
"Kirk?" Spock's eyebrows was now furrowed enough to show a distinct crease in the middle of his forehead "Is he by any chance related to the late Lieutenant George Samuel Kirk?"
"yes his son apparently" Uhura nodded though it was fairly unenthusiastic as she rolled of her eyes "he's a bit of a pig…but if Layla can like him then I suppose he can't be all that bad. Why what's wrong… sir?" she added quickly, only suddenly remembering who she was talking to.
"Nothing is wrong" Spock responded quietly. "I was merely wondering since I think I have Cadet Pike in my first year Introduction to Computer Sciences class."
"Oh…I see…" Uhura blinked with surprise just as a small beeping noise began to ring out about the cafeteria.
Layla, Jim and Leonard all looked about as the alert went off though no warning emergency lights were flashing.
"What in god's name-Already!" the doctor grumbled loudly.
"What's going on?" Layla frowned looking about but Jim was smirking.
"First bell for first period."
"First period" Layla's face paled.
"Yep" Jim popped the P loudly. "I do believe class is in session"
Layla felt like not butterflies, but dragons were swirling about in her gut.
Jim and Leonard had their first classes in the second and third block respectively and so it was with mounting trepidation that she made her way alone to the her first lecture hall located in the first block on the second floor.
The hallways she made to dash through were crowded to the brim that it was amazing anyone could move an inch let alone walk down them.
Many people kept bumping into one another and whilst Layla did her best to duck and avoid touching people she could not help the rather pathetic squeak of surprise that she collided heavily with someone headlong.
Head to head…someone just as short as me? What are the odds?
"Ow" Layla and her equally vertically challenged road block, both groaned much to the amusement of a lot of the taller cadets and seniors that swarmed around them.
"Sorry" she mumbled as she made to adjust her small messenger bag, patting it down to check that nothing had been broken inside. "I should've looked where I was going"
"Net, net, ya proshu proshcheniya! Eto byla moya vina" the voice of a young boy made to quickly cry out and Layla frowned.
"Pardon?"
"Ah! Sorry!" the boy groaned as he finally lifted his head from where he was scrambling on the ground.
He was around her own age, small, thin and gangly, with tight light brown curls that sat atop his head like a mop and large hazel eyes that would put a Labrador puppy's to shame. In the red cadet uniform he looked positively swamped out. Layla was faintly reminded of a small tin soldier without she had once seen in the window of a toy store at Christmas, only this boy didn't have the tall bearskin hat to go with the rest of his ensemble.
As he glanced up at Layla he quickly blushed brightly with embarrassment, his slightly oversized ears even going pink as roses.
"Sorry I forget, I must speak English!" he mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else "I'm sorry miss, I bumped into you when I should've"
"It's alright. I'm fine. No harm, no foul we didn't kill each other" Layla cut across him resisting the urge to giggle. She couldn't help it, the boy had a funny accent, his 'S's were more like Z's and his r's had a slight roll.
She wondered curiously where it came from. After years as a unified planet, Earth had slowly began to lose many of its once distinct but numerous accents with few exceptions to those countries that took great national pride in them, like the Scottish and the Russians-
Layla blinked…
Russian…that's a Russian Accent…
"What's your name?" she asked as she and the boy quickly made to hoist themselves up to their feet.
"Um… Pavel Andreievich Chekov" the boy tilted his head down shyly as he coughed and awkwardly stuck out his hand.
Layla took it graciously.
"Layla Pike nice to meet you Mr Chekov"
"Um like-Vwise Miss Pike" Chekov nodded doing his best to roll his tongue around the odd W, though it ended up coming out as more of a V sound. "no offence but I don't think I've seen you around before?"
"I only applied this semester" Layla explained.
"Ah…that would explain a lot…" Chekov nodded before suddenly blurting out in a panicked hurry "Once again I'm really sorry I bumped into you."
"That's alright, to be fair I wasn't exactly paying good attention to where I was going" Layla shrugged. "So which class are you headed to?"
"The Starship Emergency Procedures" Chekov recited off the top of his head.
"Oh cool so am I" Layla's face brightened. "but I'm not quite sure where to go…this place is so huge"
"Yeah it is…um…but I know my way around…maybe we can…walk together?"
Had Layla not had such good hearing she wouldn't have been able to hear a word the young boy had said.
"Yeah alright that sounds good. Let's go then shall we?" She smiled wide and Chekov at once turned a brilliant shade of red as he gave a small dumb nod.
As they walked along the now emptying corridor in companionable silence, the young boy cursed himself for his lack of communication skills. Here he was walking beside a really cute girl about his own age and he could think of nothing at all to say.
If only he could've been cool and tall like those other male cadets he was always surrounded by…
It didn't help his esteem much when he and Layla entered the lecture hall for their lesson, only for their classmates to smirk at the two of them.
"Oh look" a man snorted as they passed "Little Whiz kid has finally got a little date to class"
"Oh don't be mean" a young woman behind the man swatted him hard on the back of the head. "I think it's sweet. Look how cute they are all small and tiny together"
Poor Chekov was the shade of a beetroot by the time he and Layla had made to sit beside a taller young lean Asian man, with short black hair and dark eyes that made to assess the girl with amused curiosity.
"You're in luck Pasha! The teacher ain't here yet. Who's your cute new friend?" he smirked down at the younger boy quietly and Chekov scowled up at him.
"Not now Hikaru"
"Alright chill I'm not judging" Hikaru Sulu put his hands up in surrender before adding in a more serious note "But seriously who is she?"
"Layla Pike" Chekov mumbled and Sulu's eyebrows rose as he and Layla locked eyes for a moment.
"Pike eh? Like Captain Pike?"
"Yes is there a problem?" Layla asked quietly.
"Not really no" Sulu shrugged nonchalantly "just curious that's all…what's your major?"
"Security and Tactical…you?" Layla tilted her head a little.
"Operations…hoping to specialise in Helms and Communication."
"Nice" Layla tried to smile only for Sulu to shrug.
"Yes…yes I guess it is…"
"…"
"…"
Chekov bit his lip as a silence began to stretch on for longer than a minute between the two cadets.
Vell…dis is awkvard…
He opened his mouth to speak only for Layla's PADD to go off as she received a message on it.
James T. Kirk to Layla S. Pike –
Hey there Tiger. Thought you might find this funny.
And just below these words was an excerpt from the digital Academy news bulletin.
"Who Beamed the Dogs Out? By Martin O'Farrell. Barely a day into the new semester this Autumn and Montgomery Scott, Academy aide for Advanced Relativistic Mechanics has decided to bless us all with his maverick experiments once more in an attempt to prove his highly controversial theory of Transwarp beaming. This time however it is not the fate of a grapefruit he chooses to doom with his mad science…but instead Admiral Archer's very own prized Beagle. It is unknown what has happened to the poor canine since he was dematerialised on the Academy's training transporter decks, but it is safe to say that Mr Scott's fate isn't looking too bright at all. One can only hope for his sake that the Academy board's bark is worse than their bite."
Layla snorted loudly
Beaming dogs to oblivion? Oh god, who am I kidding, this place is way better than high-school!
"She is fitting in then?" the voice of a man made to ask quietly as someone else, a younger male made to mumble.
"Yes Sir…the girl…Miss Pike is handling herself pretty well at the academy"
"Good…good…" the first voice mumbled "Very good anything else you'd like to add?"
"Well sir…" the second voice gulped "Miss Pike seems to be quickly befriending a certain Jim Kirk sir. Y'know…the younger son of George Kirk…"
"Oh really?" the first voice seemed to slip into a deadly purr "That's…that's just… perfect"
"Perfect sir?"
"Oh yes very perfect indeed" the first voice smirked "now all we need to do is make sure they both keep hanging onto one another for the next three years. It shouldn't be too difficult. Control what people love and they melt like putty in your palms…"
The first voice now softened down to barely a hiss.
"And who better to be a young man's crux than a sweet innocent girl he just has to protect and look after?"
"Um…she won't be sweet or innocent for much longer" the second voice nervously pointed out only for the first voice to chuckle
"Pff! Sweet? Innocent? Old! Young! It doesn't matter. If there's one thing I know about the Kirk's it's that they just love to play the courageous heroes, especially when they grow fond of someone. You mark my words, when we finally can hook Miss Pike into our fold, Jim Kirk will be sure to follow…and won't that just make a formidable weapon for us indeed"
Dun-Dun-DUNN!
oho what's going on there? can you guess who it is.
BTW for those of you who are interested i'm using the Wikia page for UFOP: StarBase 118 (which is an online Star Trek RPG) as well as Memory Beta and Memory Alpha to help me get some facts for Starfleet Academy. So please bear in mind i am trying my best to research this stuff and if i have gotten any major info wrong PM or review and i will gladly fix it.
Also some of my readers of my other ST fanfic Dark Before Dawn are wondering about a certain OC of mine called Hawke. don't worry he WILL be appearing but it will have to be after the events of the first Star Trek movie plot so please be patient. if you want to know or read more about him check out that Fic instead from my Profile page, which i will be updating ASAP.
Keep R&Ring and i hope to see you all soon :)