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A/N: Sorry for the delay! My computer was waylaid for a few week. Here is Chapter 7 and Wickham! Enjoy!





Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


 

Pride and Logic Chapter 7

After their return from Theta Sigma, Gaila and Nyota had but a short break before the start of the Winter Quarter. Both girls spent the brief week with Nyota’s family in Kenya enjoying home cooked meals and the warmth of the African sun before being thrown once again into their graduate studies. While Nyota was always excited to begin a new term, she viewed her new class schedule with some trepidation. Commander Spock’s Advanced Vulcan Language and Culture seminar was on Thursday nights. Nyota’s time on Theta Sigma had served to temper her dislike of Commander Spock, but she still had trouble sketching his character. He could be proud and aloof yet also be witty and even warm in his interactions with his friends and herself. Spock’s pale olive feet against the cool dark floors and his long fingers gracefully moving across the lyre as he was absorbed in his music still haunted her.

However, the rigors of the first week of classes soon alleviated Uhura of her nervousness. She was so absorbed in her classes, meetings and study sessions that she hardly noticed when Thursday rolled around and she found herself standing outside of the seminar room, her PADDs in one hand and a thermos of hot tea in the other. Nyota was unsurprised to find that she was the first student to arrive. While she did not make it a habit of being the first to arrive to class, she did like to be early on the first day in order to secure the best seat and to have time to review the first assignment. If anything, Nyota abhorred being unprepared.

“You are fifteen minutes and thirty seconds early, cadet,” Commander Spock stated by way of greeting as Nyota entered the seminar room.

“Good evening to you as well, Commander,” Nyota replied with a smile as she placed her PADDs and tea on the table.

The Vulcan merely stared at her in a disinterested fashion. Nyota was starting to think that his cordiality just a week prior had all been imagined.

“The man has all the warmth of a green ice cube,” McCoy had replied when she related the events of Theta Sigma to him the day before. She laughed lightly at the memory.

“I do not understand what is so humorous, Cadet.”

“Nothing, Commander. I was merely remembering something amusing.”

They fell into an uneasy silence as Nyota reviewed her notes from that day’s reading and Commander Spock prepared for the seminar busying himself at the lectern. Soon other students began to trickle into the room and seating themselves around the large oval table. Nyota was diverted to find that the seats in a three-seat radius from her seat remained vacant until moments before class was scheduled to begin. The cadets who were left with those seats did not appear too pleased with the arrangement. Nyota wondered at this until Commander Spock seated himself at the seat directly to the right of her at the head of the table. Apparently the commander did not plan to teach class from the lectern, as other professors were wont to do. Nyota began to understand her classmates’ reticence to sit near her as she had unwittingly seated herself next to the professor. Nyota merely smiled to herself. She found it difficult to be intimidated by the Commander when the image of his delicately pointed ears tinted green in the becoming Vulcan equivalent of a blush was so fresh in her memory.

However, as the class progressed, Nyota’s good mood only soured. She found herself engaged in a heated debate over the morality of excluding V'tosh ka'turfrom full participation in Vulcan society.

“I fail to see the logic of Surak’s edict that the V'tosh ka'turbe expelled. How is apartheid logical?”

“You are attempting to employ an imprecise analogy, Cadet. Surak’s edict concerning V'tosh ka'turis quite different from the systems of apartheid seen in 20th Century South Africa and the United States of America. The Terran notion of racial categorization is highly illogical and has no basis in scientific fact. Race was used as an excuse for subjugation and genocide. Surak’s edict shares none of those characteristics.”

“Perhaps. However, it would not be imprecise to compare it to phenomena such as the Red Scare or the so-called Monkey trials of the same century. In both these instances, a difference in a religious, philosophical or political belief system was used as an excuse by one party to drive or marginalize another.”

“I understand your thought process, Cadet. However, I still maintain that it is flawed. Vulcan society prior to the teachings of Surak was a violent and hedonistic society in which unguarded emotion led to a constant state of war and blood shed. Had Vulcan continued in such a vein, we would destroyed ourselves given the rapid advancements in technology. Logic or the absence thereof was not a philosophical rationale for conflict as in the examples you cite, but the actual cause of peace or constant strife.”

“I do not dispute the importance of the teachings of Surak in the establishment of a peaceful and advances Vulcan society,” Nyota argued in reply. “However, I do dispute the assumption that all Vulcans not ruled by logic would be violent as a rule. Why not instead separate those V'tosh ka'turwho prove to be incapable of controlling their violent or destructive tendencies as other societies do? Why punish the Vulcan given to writing romantic sonnets the same as the Vulcan given to warfare?”

“In this we are not in disagreement, Cadet Uhura. Vulcan society currently operates in this fashion. V'tosh ka'turare no longer expelled. However there are those that retain a high degree of…mistrust towards them due to the unpredictability of a Vulcan mind not governed by logic. It is rare for a Vulcan without logic to hold a position of importance. During the time of Surak, however, the discipline of logic was new to Vulcan society and the peace achieved by the mass adherence to the discipline was fragile. Surak logically concluded that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. In order for the peace to be secured and maintained, the edict was a necessity. You must also understand that at the time of Surak Vulcan society was significantly more advanced than any culture present on 20th century Earth. Therefore, any analogy to Terran society is imprecise.”

Commander Spock looked from Nyota to address the entire class. “In order to be successful in this seminar, it is recommended that you strive to look beyond your emotional Terran notions. Ideas such as fairness hold little importance in the Vulcan way of thought. As we continue to discuss Vulcan culture and society post-Surak, you all must strive to use logic as your primary analytical filter.”

The end of class prevented Nyota from voicing the rebuttal that was on the tip of her tongue. Nyota bristled at the implication that logic was a superior analytical filter when discussing matter related to culture and society. People, be they Vulcan or human, could not be so easily compartmentalized nor was their most basic nature given to such radical change over a mere few centuries. Besides, if they were to take Commander Spock’s advice to heart, this would prove to be a very boring seminar. As the other cadets hurriedly gathered their belongings and fled the room, Nyota realized with some embarrassment that her argument with the Commander had taken the majority of the hour.

Nyota stood and began gathering her PADDs and half-empty thermos of tea. She had been the first to arrive and she did not desire to be the last one to leave. However, Commander Spock seemed to have a different idea in mind.

“Cadet Uhura,” Spock called switching from Vulcan to Standard.

Nyota suppressed a sigh before turning to face him. “Yes, Commander?”

“You performed admirably during today’s seminar. I regret that the other cadets have not displayed a similar passion for the subject. I begin to wonder if their reticence is due to their tenuous grasp of the Vulcan language.”

Nyota could not prevent her brow rising in challenge. “I did not think that passion was the way to be successful in this seminar, Commander.”

“Passion is not an evil when it is tempered by an excellent mind, Cadet,” Spock replied in an even tone, his face robed in his usual mask of inscrutability.

Nyota looked down quickly, oddly unnerved by the compliment and the reference to their earlier conversation.

“I wanted to discuss with you our upcoming performance for the Vulcan delegation,” Spock continued. “If you are still amenable to performing with me, we should schedule practice sessions while our schedules for the term are remain relatively open. If you would send me your schedule, I can arrange for a series of sessions that would be convenient for us both.”

“Of course, Commander,” Nyota replied a she set down her tea and began scrolling through her PADD. “I will send my schedule right now.”

Spock checked his own PADD before nodding in confirmation of the receipt.

“I have taken the liberty of sending you some suggestions for further reading on the subject of the emergence of the teachings of Surak which you may find illuminating. They are not required for the seminar, of course,” Spock continued at Nyota’s look of mild surprise.

“Thank you, sir. I will be sure to review them.”

“If you do not have anything further which you would like to discuss, I bid you a good night.”

“No, I do not. Have a good evening, Commander.” With a nod, Nyota hurried from the seminar room and began to make her way to her quarters. She was no closer to understanding the Commander than she had been prior to class.

***********************

“So, tonight Shuran is taking me to the only Andorian restaurant in San Francisco,” Gaila chirped happily as she and Nyota made their way to the gymnasium for their Friday afternoon dance class. “I haven’t heard good things about Andorian cuisine, so I am not sure how much I’ll enjoy it.”

“I still have some of my mother’s curry in the freezer if you want to eat before you go,” Nyota offered, having experienced Andorian food herself.

“Thanks. Now if I don’t like the food I won’t have to lie when I say I am not that hungry,” Gaila laughed. “Hey, there is Jim and Len! Who is that piece of hotness with them?”

Nyota looked towards where Gaila had indelicately begun to point and waive to see Kirk and Len making their way across the quad with a tall broad shouldered Vulcan in civilian clothes. Nyota could not help but stare at the unidentified Vulcan, even after he noticed her perusal. He was unlike any Vulcan she had ever seen. His skin was tanned a deep olive and his ink black hair was worn shaggy and long as it curled around his ears and down his neck. His square jaw was lined with stubble and his full sensuous lips were curved into a broad smile. Vulcans did not smile, or so Nyota thought.

“If it is not the two loveliest ladies in all of Starfleet,” Kirk greeted them with his usual leer.

“Hey, Jim. Leonard,” Gaila drawled coyly, unable to turn off her charm whenever an attractive male was present, her current enthrallment with Lieutenant-Commander Shuran notwithstanding. “Who is your handsome new friend?”

“Easy, girl,” McCoy replied with his usual amused gruffness. “Let’s not go scaring off potential recruits before they’ve signed on the dotted line.”

“On the contrary,” the mysterious Vulcan purred as he took Gaila’s hand and brought it to his lips. “If every female cadet is as beautiful and charming as she then I shall sign up for Starfleet immediately.”

“I like this one,” Gaila stage whispered to Nyota as she removed her hand from his warm grasp.

“I’d watch out for the other one, Sybok. She’s beautiful, but she’s got claws,” Kirk teased as he gestured towards Nyota.

“Beautiful and deadly,” Sybok laughed. “An ideal combination for a female warrior, is it not?”

Nyota felt herself grow warm under Sybok’s dark amber gaze. She smiled almost shyly in reply, a response that nearly floored Kirk.

“You’ve got to teach me how to do that,” Kirk laughed as he slapped Sybok on the back.

“Ladies, allow me to introduce Sybok, formerly of Vulcan. He’s recently settled in San Francisco and is considering joining Starfleet,” McCoy began the introductions when it became clear that Kirk would not.

Sybok bowed slightly at the waist to both cadets causing Gaila to bounce slightly on her toes in delight.

“Sybok, please meet Cadets Gaila and Uhura. Gaila is in the computer sciences department and is one of the most advanced students in the department. She is also an incorrigible flirt with talents best not discussed in polite company.”

Gaila swatted McCoy on the arm with enough force to make him wince before accepting another kiss on her knuckles from Sybok. McCoy rolled his eyes before continuing.

“Cadet Uhura is in the communications department. She sings like a nightingale, dances like a gazelle and is one of the most brilliant students at Starfleet.”

Uhura smiled brightly at McCoy before bowing slightly towards Sybok. Despite witnessing his informality with Gaila, Nyota could not unlearn the habit of avoiding casual physical contact with Vulcans.

Mene sakkhet ur-seveh, Sybok,” Nyota greeted in Vulcan.

Sybok’s smile grew. “Live long and prosper, Uhura,” he returned while giving her the accompanying salute before taking her hand in both of his. “I greatly look forward to better making your acquaintance.”

Nyota gasped at the contact of his hot hands on her skin and the words spoken in her mind. She was sure that her shock transmitted over the tentative bond created by the contact.

“Cadet Gaila! Greetings,” the voice of Shuran broke Uhura from her thoughts. Nyota looked over Sybok’s shoulder to see the Lieutenant-Commander striding happily towards them with Commander Spock following at a more sedate pace. Spock caught her gaze and his expression softened slightly about his eyes and mouth.

Sybok thankfully dropped Nyota’s hand from his grasp as he turned to greet the newcomers. Nyota instinctively cradled her hand against her chest as she tried to order her emotions.

“Lieutenant-Commander Shuran,” Gaila greeted happily. “You have found us just as we were meeting a new friend…”

Nyota barely heard the rest of the exchange as her attention was caught by the exchange between Commander Spock and Sybok. Sybok’s formerly relaxed posture went rigid and his skin paled noticeably as he gazed at Commander Spock. To the untrained eye, Spock wore his usual emotionless facade. But Nyota noticed the slight widening and sudden narrowing of his eyes and how his lips thinned into a fierce line as the softness she had previously observed fled. His posture seemed to grow taller and his shoulders squared as he regarded his fellow Vulcan.

“Spock, come meet Sybok,” Shuran smiled brightly as he turned to look at his friend, happily oblivious to the exchange that had just taken place.

“We are acquainted,” Spock bit out.

Nyota gasped as Spock’s eyes flew from Sybok to rest on her person. She could not help but notice the quiet rage that burned in his dark eyes. Nyota resisted the urge to look away as if she had done something wrong and returned Spock’s angry gaze with a challenging stare of her own.

“Cadet,” Spock greeted her with a stiff incline of his head before turning sharply and making quick yet determined strides away from the party.

“How singular,” Shuran murmured as he watched his friend hurry away. “I better go after him. It was a delight making your acquaintance, Sybok. Cadets,” Shuran nodded to them all before running to catch up with his friend.

“Now wasn’t that right peculiar,” McCoy drawled as he watched the officers depart.

“Yeah. I wonder what crawled up his butt,” Kirk replied. “Anyway, after showing Sybok around campus we were going to meet up at Colbert’s Pub for some drinks with Scotty and Hiraku. Are you ladies game?”

“I can’t make it,” Gaila sighed dreamily. “I have…a prior engagement.”

“I bet you do,” McCoy replied under his breath.

Gaila sent him a look that could kill a Klingon and uttered a phrase that Uhura knew to be equally as nasty before giving Sybok a coy smile.

“However, I am sure that Nyota would be able to make it.”

Nyota glared at her friend who only waggled her eyebrows in response. They would have words later.

“Nyota,” Sybok repeated. “What an appropriate name. I would be most honored if you would join us tonight.”

Nyota’s irritation immediately fled at the sound of Sybok’s deep silky voice caressing each syllable of her name.

“Then I will be sure to come. What time, Jim?”

Kirk merely looked between Nyota and Sybok with an open mouth. “Dude, you seriously have got to teach me how to do that!”

After agreeing to meet the boys at Colbert’s at nine that evening, Nyota and Gaila said their farewells and continued towards the gym. Gaila smiled broadly the entire walk there.

“I don’t see why you are so pleased. Thanks for just volunteering my time back there!”

“Oh, you will thank me later. I could smell the pheromones bouncing off the two of you, Ny! Sybok has it for you bad and don’t you dare tell me that you are not at least curious! I thought I was going to have to jump Kirk from the contact high,” Gaila laughed.

“Please. You must have got your nose hairs crossed,” Nyota replied dismissively. “But I will admit that he is very good looking.”

“Good looking? He is gorgeous!”

Nyota laughed lightly before agreeing that he was indeed gorgeous.

“Commander Spock did not seem to like him, though,” Nyota went on, her amusement fading.

“Perhaps that is just because another man was stepping on his turf. Males of all species can be very territorial when it comes to prospective mates,” Gaila replied seriously.

“Gaila, for the last time, Commander Spock is not interested in me.”

“Sure, sure. ‘The lady dost protest too much’ or however that saying goes. Just promise me that you will try to have a good time tonight,” Gaila continued as they reached the locker room. “And if you and Mr. Tall Dark and Gorgeous do get to know each other, be sure to tell me everything!”

Nyota sighed before giving her friend her word that she’d try to enjoy herself. As for getting to know Sybok, Nyota was equal parts cautious and excited.

V'tosh ka'tur = Vulcan without logic
Mene sakkhet ur-seveh = Live long and prosper

 












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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.