The following day, after what was a restless night for most of the cadets, they all arrived in a field. The field was surrounded on all sides by a dense network of trees. Lara had dragged herself out of bed, while Charles and Seb seemed relatively happy, and Data was his usual blank self. Lara had attempted to strike up some sort of conversation with Jo'rek, but he had barely even looked at her. But any bickering quickly came to a close when the exercise sergeant turned up before the crowd of cadets. He had briefed them on their task: a survival exercise, and then the conglomeration had been split up into groups of five.

"Excuse me. You look preoccupied emotionally. Is there something wrong?"

There could have been no doubt as to who had asked her that question, and Lara was indeed pleased to find Data staring down at her, a look of what could have been concern written on his face. She gave him a half-hearted smile, not able to provide anything more. "I'm just being stupid, is all. Don't worry yourself."

Data cocked his head to the side, like a confused puppy, and then sought an adequate response. "Your apprehension for my well-being is admirable, but I cannot 'worry'. And I do not see what a lack of intelligence has to do with my query."

Lara could have laughed; in fact, she nearly did. "Oh. I'd much rather all humanoids were like you. I understand you."

"Would I be correct in assuming that you speak with reference to Romulans?" the android asked, regarding his friend closely, as if watching her face could give him any hints.

"You would be," she replied, and the words were an embittered whisper. "Well, one specific Romulan."

Data gestured for her to continue her story.

"I mean, what is his problem?" she launched into a whisper of a tirade. "Jo'rek," she clarified for Data. "We share a dorm, I get that. We're going to fall out some time or another. And what's worse is I'm not even Romulan! To be honest, I don't even think he is. If he is, then Romulans must have done a hell of a lot of evolving in the past hundred years or so." Then she sighed heavily, the breath escaping from her lungs in a long huff. She bit her lip, realising that she might have broken their cover, but then she calmed herself when she saw that none of the accompanying cadets were paying any attention.

Data shook his head and raised a white eyebrow. "I do not think that that is likely."

Lara gave him a nod of agreement. "Exactly."

"You give me the impression that there is more to your discomfort," Data prompted, apparently intrigued by this display of human emotions.

"I did try to understand Jo'rek. I tried talking with him, and don't get me wrong, I think he genuinely liked me." She faltered and then picked herself back up again. "I just didn't think in that way."

"Ah," Data said, appearing to catch on. "Do you mean romantically?"

Lara's eyes widened involuntarily on hearing that word. She held her head briefly in her hands and then pulled herself back up to her full height. "Uh huh."

Data nodded, but his inquisitive expression seemed to suggest that he was waiting for more of an answer.

She sighed. "He kissed me."

"I see," he said plainly. "Am I to understand that your present pessimistic expression is a response to your having to compete in this survival task withCadet Jo'rek?" Data inquired.

Seeing her nod, the android gave a small smile. "It's going to be a long couple of hours."

And she was right, to her dismay. Not only was her mood already darkened by the prospect of having to spend hours on end – it would seem like days on end – with someone who tried to kiss her, it was also pouring with rain.

The cadets had not been given any form of protection against the rain, but Lara gathered that it would be somewhat un-Romulan to have to be protected from something as pathetic as bad weather. But it wasn't just bad weather, it was horrendous. And that was not good news for humans.

But at the moment, Lara saw that Jo'rek was preoccupied with Charles and Seb. No doubt Jo'rek was trying to work out the true extent of the relationship between the two cadets. Besides, she had Data with her, and Data was ever the face of calm.

"Am I to assume that humans do not favour inclement weather conditions?" Datainquired of her, apparently having noticed her tired expression.

Lara could have laughed. "Spot on," she said with a sad smile. "You know, Devahk, can't you get… um… water-logged?"

Data seemed to be considering that for a short while. "Ah. I understand. But no, my systems cannot be compromised by excessive water-intake."

His very 'android' response took a bit of the weight off of her mind. She looked up at the sky and saw that the heavens were starting to clear – slowly but surely, that was. The rains were slowing from a hammering pace to more of a shower, and the clouds had shifted to brighten up the sky a bit.

"Latuka?" she heard someone call, and from the slightly-whiny tone, she attributed the voice to her brother. "Are you two going to just talk, or have you forgotten what we're doing here?" he added pointedly.

Data seemed to clock onto what he was saying – or not saying. "Of course. We have been put in a group together, and as such, we must work with one another. We will have to work at our highest potential, if we are to make a name for ourselves back on Romulus."

Jo'rek was undeniably put on guard by Data's words. They were harsh and blunt – apparently, the words of a true Romulan. "You are right."

Lara gave Data an agreeing nod, though her gaze skated over Jo'rek's face. He frowned at her slightly.

"So," Seb said, taking out his padd and showing it the company. "We have five hours to locate the enemy base."

"Enemy base?" Charles snorted, before sobering when he caught sight of Jo'rek's questioning face. "I mean… how are we meant to find it?"

"We could split up," Seb suggested, and Lara instantly gave him a withering look. "Or not," he added in a small voice.

But Charles grinned at him, oblivious to his sister's silent protest. "Yes. That's a good idea."

Data raised a finger. "Splitting up does seem like a beneficial way of increasing our chances of finding this enemy base. However, we must form the separate teams properly, or the exercise could be counter-productive."

"What do you suggest?" Jo'rek then asked.

Seb, who had been leaning against some sort of tree, came forward and gave Charles a pointed look. "Yes, Chebais and I will be a team, won't we?" Seb offered, though he and Charles were to only ones who looked particularly pleased.

Lara rolled her eyes. She wondered if Charles and Seb had any idea of what had happened between her and Jo'rek. But then she guessed that Data would respect her privacy, so he wouldn't tell anyone of that occurrence, unless she told him to.

"I suggest that I work alone," Data said simply.

Jo'rek narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

Had it not been for Charles and Seb's cautionary glances in his direction, Data would have probably let loose that his positronic net meant working in teams basically pointless. Data could just as easily do all of the work himself. But he had caught sight of his friends' worried expressions, and so he replied simply, "I.. feel that I worked better alone."

Jo'rek gave him a wry smile – the first true sign of emotion that he seemed willing to give.

"I suppose that means I'm with you," Lara murmured, looking over in Jo'rek's direction.

He only gave her a curt nod. It was cold and professional and she did not like it.

They all parted ways, with Charles and Seb prancing off together happily, Data heading off at his usually stoic pace, and Lara and Jo'rek lagging behind.

She soon found that while she was cursing Data for offering to work alone, and thus abandoning her with Jo'rek, the Romulan had actually wandered away from her. So she had to make her way through the forest alone, her padd her only help as to where she was going.

"Will you slow down?" she finally erupted, trudging over the mossy, slippery ground.

In the distance, she could see a tall figure come to a halt, and when she caught up, she saw that it was Jo'rek.

"I apologise, Latuka," he muttered. "I thought that you were behind me."

Of course you did. But then she smiled at him. "Have you found anything on your padd?" she asked.

He shook his head, annoyed. "Nothing of interest. You?"

"Nope. Nothing, either," she echoed, sighing sadly.

The walked on in uncomfortable silence for what could have been an hour, or two, and then Lara decided on saying something. Something that had been playing on her mind ever since she had met him. "Jo'rek?" she started, determined to fight back the nerves in her voice.

He turned to look at her. "Yes?"

They were still walking, but she said, "If I'm honest… you're the strangest Romulan I've ever met."

After a split-second of regarding her, his expression became unreadable. She thought that he would say the same thing about her, Charles, Seb and Data, or perhaps that he would erupt into a fit of rage, furious that she could ever imply such a thing. But he seemed calm, amused even. "I know."

Her brow furrowed a little. "What?" she stuttered, unsure.

"I know I'm not exactly Romulan in what I do and how I do it. And I know that my father is outraged with me." He paused, and Lara saw a bit of humanity in his blue eyes. "But why should I care?"

That was a remarkably un-Romulan way of looking at things, she gathered. Jo'rek did not seem to care about his people or his planet or his name. She wasn't sure if that unnerved her or reassured her.

"I don't understand," was just about all that she could manage to say.

But the window into his conscience had apparently since become closed. "It does not matter. Come, we have wasted enough time talking. We must get going, or the others will succeed before us."

She gave him a wry smile. "You don't really care about that, do you?"

He shook his head, and after a moment, he asked her, "Are you familiar with the works of Surak?"

The word set off alarm bells in her head. Surak. The father of everything Vulcan. In the years when Vulcans had been savages – thriving off of emotions and bloodsports and all of the things now considered uncouth – Surak had stood up to his people and had given them a word of advice. Logic was the way of things. It would calm people down and introduce them to new prospects. It would improve them and give them the upper-hand, but through peace and organisation. "Yes, I have," she subsequently told Jo'rek.

"My mother-" Then he suddenly broke off and his face once again became a stony façade. He may have been an unconventional Romulan, but he still was a Romulan, and family meant a lot to him, Lara mused.

"I won't tell anyone what you say to me," she said softly, catching his eye. There was something interesting, intriguing, in his expression. She wondered if he was trying to figure her out – after all, he was not an outspoken man, so why not?

He chewed his cheek. "My mother was a… dissident," he continued, and Lara watched with wide-eyes. "She was imprisoned for being a Vulcan sympathiser. See, she had Vulcan blood. When my father found out, he was outraged. But he loved her." He looked around wistfully, and Lara wondered if he was cursing orremembering his past. "Anyway, she introduced me to Surak's teachings."

"Where is she now?" Lara asked tentatively, though she feared that she already knew the answer.

"She is dead."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, watching him gently.

"There was nothing that could be done," he replied, but his tone of voice was not as cold as his words. He spoke hotly and ruefully, and Lara mused that he was much more Romulan than he realised.

"How far do you think the others are in this task?" she asked, wondering herself.

He shrugged. "I do not know. Further than us." He offered her a brief smile, a grin.

She found herself laughing. "Come on. There's still time. I'm sure we can get a pretty good time." She set off, but was recalled when she heard Jo'rek calling her name.

"Latuka?" he had said, and for a short moment – a short, scary moment – she felt that he had caught on to her disguise. She didn't sound or act Romulan any more than he did. "How much doyou know about Surak's teachings?"

Her breath escaped from her in one swift movement, and she considered for a minute. "Not that much. It's required learning back at-" She cursed herself mentally. Required learning back at Starfleet Academy. She couldn't say that. "Never mind."

He raised an eyebrow, no doubt trying to work her out. "Anyway..." he began, his gaze still very much on her.

"You could teach me," she said suddenly. "If you wanted to, of course."

He appeared to be considering her words; perhaps he thought that she was a spy, or an agent. For a split second, he even feared that she might be reporting on him. Of course, she was, but he didn't know that. Then he smiled briefly and gave her a curt nod. "I suppose I could."

And so they marched on for a few more hours, ticking a few more miles off of their trek. There were not many mountains or ravines to pass in the course, but it was tiring nonetheless. There were hazards aplenty, from warning sirens and trip systems and booby traps, to holographic vicious creatures. But the two of them had kept their cool, passing the time with small-talk.

But sometimes small-talk could get in the way of more important things. More important, life-saving things. They had been too merrily engrossed in conversation to notice the sheer drop that waswaiting for them down the side of a cliff that had previously seemed sofar away.

"Stop!" Lara found herself yelling at the top of her lungs. "Jo'rek!"

She had since stopped her pace for a brief moment, to investigate what seemed like a helpful sign – a holographic interface. She had thought that it might lead them to the enemy bunker. They still had enough time to complete the survival task.

The Romulan span around to face her but it was too late. The ground gave way from beneath him and for a short, terrifying moment, he was floating in mid-air. His eyes met hers, horrified as they were, but then he fell from view.

Lara came running up to the side of the cliff and gasped. The air came into her lungs so quickly that it caused her to choke. She could see him hanging haphazardly to the edge of the cliff-face, his fingers grasping desperately onto a piece of tree root that happened to be protruding from the rock. He wasn't dead. He hadn't fallen. That was something.

"Are you all right?" she asked, though the question was a somewhat stupid one.

He gave her a brave grin. "I… Yes."

"Should I get help?" But she shook her head. How could she leave him there, hanging on for dear life? "No. I'll stay here."

"You ought to leave. You can still win this for the two of us." His eyes had hardened; he looked as though he would be fine with her leaving him. But when Lara looked deeper into his face, she saw the opposite.

She was horrified. "I'm not going to leave you for some stupid military exercise."

He seemed puzzled but at least pleased. But then he groaned, as the strain of holding his entire body-weight soon struck his arm muscles and nerves.

"Look, I'll help you up." She wondered if she was taking on more than she could handle. She was a human female. How could she possibly lift up a Romulan male? She had no idea, but she would try.

"Give me your hand," she suggested, and Jo'rek daintily took one hand off of the cliff, and then instantly placed it in Lara's. She groaned under the strain, but wiped the sweat off of her brow, becoming suddenly alarmed when she felt the Romulan-esque forehead ridges. As Lara got some purchase on the ground by digging her heels into the floor, Jo'rek leant backwards to give himself a bit of momentum. Then he heaved himself upwards, out of danger and into safety.

For a small amount of time, she thought that she had the entirety of his weight on top of her, and her chest was slowly being compressed by the force. But that was overshadowed by the fact that he was well; he was not going to die. Still on top of her, he smiled at her.

As she caught his eye, she grinned, sighing out of relief when he picked himself up off of her and the ground. Sat on the muddy ground together, they could do little but laugh.

"Thank you," Jo'rek muttered, but he meant it whole-heartedly. He still appeared embarrassed, though, but she had no one really to tell about the humiliating incident, and that knowledge calmed his nerves.

"Don't mention it," she brushed off his gratitude, feeling bad because she was still ultimately lying to him.

He stood up and held out his hand, and she took it, hauling herself to her feet. "Are you hurt anywhere?" she inquired.

"Nothing major," he replied, having given himself a quick once-over. But then he lifted his head up and squinted into the distance. "I think… I think thatmight be what we're looking for." Then he started walking in that direction.

Slightly irritated that he had not waited for her, she picked up her feet and followed him. Waiting for them was a small cave-like place, just high enough to let a man walk through comfortably. Jo'rek went first, having put his hand out to stop Lara from walking ahead of him. She smiled when he couldn't see her face; he was trying to protect her. Perhaps to return the favour. Perhaps…

Their padds suddenly jerked and beeped, and when Lara turned her eye to the display, she breathed a sigh of relief. "We're here. The enemy base." And there were no other cadets there.

But Jo'rek had apparently already figured that out. At present, he was working at a computer terminal that was inside the disused cave. His fingers danced quickly over the controls, and Lara struggled to see quite what he was typing in. A computerised voice gave them a piece of information: "Intruder alert. You have one minute to evacuate before the vessel self-destructs."

Before Jo'rek had had his unfortunate fall, Lara would have been certain that the thing wouldn't really explode with the pair of them inside. But she was starting to think that a Romulan military academy would make their recreations as real as possible, even if that meant killing off a few cadets. It would be just as when the Vikings used to train for battle when using real swords, and if one of the warriors misjudged a sword thrust, he would be wounded or killed. After all, that would remove the hapless and weak cadets from the mix.

Lara watched Jo'rek with baited breath as he tried to override the command process. But he was getting nowhere. And then she remembered something that she had learnt at Starfleet Academy. She shoved Jo'rek to one side, leaving him vaguely stunned, and leant over the terminal. Her Starfleet-trained mind kicked in and she typed in command after command. With ten seconds left on the countdown, the machine seemed to power down, the red lights went off, and the computer voice announced that they had averted the danger and then it proclaimed them the winners.

Jo'rek held out his hand to congratulate her, but she ignored it and threw her arms around him. He was flabbergasted, to say the least, but he soon relaxed into the gesture and smiled.