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„Cadet's log. (Uhura's log) Stardate 2912.4. The Enterprise is surveying the Persephone system, where the crew is studying the behavior of an ancient comet, C/2260-Quentin. I, however, am doing rotation in landing party readiness protocols, which doesn't really involve comets, ancient or otherwise, so duties are pretty slow at the moment. Except, of course, for a recent invitation to dinner at the captain's cabin, for which I have been encouraged by Lieutenant Ortegas to dust off my dress uniform."

[USS Enterprise]

When Uhura stepped out of her quarters, she was met by Ortegas and Lialeva, who were both wearing casual clothes.

„You said it was formal.", Uhura said with a sigh.

„Actually, what I said was you... might want to wear your dress uniform.", Ortegas corrected her.

„Are you kidding? This is your idea of a practical joke?", Uhura asked.

„Kind of.", Ortegas answered.

„I'm going back to change.", Uhura stated.

„You do not want to be late to the captain's table.", Lialeva objected and Uhura sighed.

„Relax, Cadet. It's tradition.", Ortegas said.

„Hazing the newbie?", Uhura asked as they started walking.

„All in good fun. We get bored. It's a small ship.", Lialeva said. 

„You know, it's really not.", Uhura replied.

„Come on. Consider it your first complete square in Enterprise bingo.", Ortegas said.

„You know about that?", Uhura asked confused.

„I was a cadet once too, Cadet.", Ortegas said laughing.

„So, what are these things like?", Uhura asked.

„Well, first off, they're not just the command crew. Captain wants, you know, regular people, to hear what's actually happening on the ship, so he'll probably ask you questions.", Lialeva explained.

„Great.", Uhura replied sarcastic.

„That a problem?", Ortegas wanted to know.

„How do I put this? My father liked to say that I was unburdened by conversational boundaries.", Uhura explained.

„So, this'll be fun for you, then.", Lialeva stated as they came to a stop in front of the captain's quarters.

The door opened and Pike greeted them.

„Lieutenant Ortegas, Counselor Treak, Cadet Uhura, wel...", he started but had to laugh. 

„Dress uniform, huh? Grab a drink. I got to deal with the ribs.", he said.

„Ortegas, come help refill drinks.", Una said and walked up to them.

„Cadet Uhura, good to see you.", she said.

„You, too.", Uhura replied.

Ortegas and Una walked away together and Lialeva joined Chapel and M'Benga at the table. Uhura walked towards Hemmer, who was cutting ingredients for something that Pike was cooking.

„Oh, uh, can I help?", she asked.

Hammer stuck the knife into the cutting board. (It sounds shitty but I swear it makes sense.)

„No.", he said.

„You have offended Hemmer, our new Chief Engineer.", Spock explained as Hemmer picked up the knife again

„No offense intended. I was raised to offer help to anyone with a sensory impairment. If I was-", Uhura started but Hemmer interrupted her.

„That word again.", Hemmer said.

„Sir?", Uhura asked.

„‚Impaired.' A human in my condition might consider themselves impaired.", Hemmer said.

„Hemmer may not be able to see, but his other senses compensate.", Lialeva explained, as she walked up to them. 

„Compensate? They are superior.", Hemmer stated.

„Uh, I've read that, among many things, the Aenar have a form of precognitive ability.", Uhura said.

„I knew you were going to ask that.", Hemmer stated.

„Because you sensed my question before I asked it?", Uhura asked, which made Lialeva chuckle.

„Because everyone always asks that.", she said.

„Right.", Uhura said.

Spock threw another ingredient to Hemmer from behind him. Hemmer caught it without moving much.

„You telegraphed your throw, telepathically.", Hemmer said. 

„As was my intention, to illustrate.", Spock replied.

Hemmer, aswell as Lialeva, chuckled.

„This is a hazing thing, isn't it? You guys are screwing around.", Uhura said. 

„(in andorian) You guys really need to get out more. (In Vulcan) Seriously .", Uhura said.

„I think I need a drink."

„I like her.", Hemmer stated.

„Indeed.", Spock agreed and Lialeva nodded.

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„So, I have my phaser out, and, sure enough, down the street, there's the Nausicaan we're after. Running away, no pants on.", Pike said. He was telling a story about his time as ensign.

„I move after him, only I trip, flat on my face. I shout, "Freeze!" But the Nausicaan keeps running"

The crew laughed.

„I try to stand up, but my feet are caught on something, and then I realize... I've tripped on his pants. So, anyway, after, my lieutenant pulls me aside and says, "Maybe Security isn't the best fit for you, Ensign.", Pike ended the story and laughed with the others.

„I've never understood the human inclination to laugh at others' misfortune. It feels... impolite.", Spock stated.

„That's why it's funny.", Chapel said. Lialeva caught herself staring at her and quickly looked away.

„Because it breaks a social expectation?", Spock asked.

„Sometimes, Mr. Spock, things go so badly you just have to laugh.", Pike explained.

Uhura was humming humming while pouring herself a drink.

„What's that you're humming, Cadet?", Pike wanted to know.

„Sorry. Bad habit. Uh, it's an old folk song from my village in Kenya.", Uhura said.

„I've visited Lake Simbi Nyaima several times. It is achingly beautiful there.", Pike said.

„I grew up just a few miles away.", Uhura told him.

„Really? You know, the Enterprise only gets a handful of cadets a year from Starfleet. You got to be pretty impressive to make the cut.", Pike said.

„Thank you, sir.", Uhura replied.

„I hear you speak 12 languages.", Pike said.

„Uh, 37.", Uhura admitted.

The room went silent.

„Okay, wow.", Pike said shocked.

„Uh, in Kenya we have 22 native languages. I found early that, if I wanted to be understood, it's best to communicate in someone's own tongue, so I learned them.", Uhura explained.

„Easy as that?", Pike asked.

„For me, sir, yes.", Uhura replied.

„I noticed you're on the next landing party rotation. I know it can be confusing jumping from department to department. Right, Number One?", Pike asked.

„That was one time.", Una defended herself laughing. (I wanna know what happened)

„I'm sure you've chosen a specialty you'd like. Where do you see yourself in ten y... Ten years, where do you see yourself?", Pike asked. Lialeva immediately noticed his change in behavior as he stumbled over his own words.

 „Are you asking me what I want to be when I grow up, Captain?", Uhura wanted to know.

 „Sure.", Pike said.

 „I... guess the truth is, I'm not sure I'm actually all that "Starfleet."", Uhura admitted.

„That's not something I've ever heard from a cadet. You worked pretty hard to get here. You beat out, how many, a thousand applicants?", Pike asked.

„Several thousand.", Spock stated.

„And now you're not sure if you want to be here?", Pike asked.

„I always wanted to study alien languages. I have an ear for them.", Uhura said.

„And a gift for understatement.", Lialeva stated.

„I was going to attend the University in Nairobi. Both my parents taught there. Mm-hmm. About a week before I was due to start, they were, uh... killed in a shuttle accident. My older brother, too.", Uhura explained.

„I'm so sorry.", Pike said.

„After, I just... couldn't go to campus. Their absence was... everywhere. I moved in with my grandmother, but I just... didn't feel like I fit anywhere. Anyway, she was in Starfleet when she was young, and she always used to talk about it, and, well, I didn't know what else to do.", Uhura admitted.

„So you ran away to Starfleet?", Pike asked.

 „Yes.", Uhura said.

„That is an impressive and heartbreaking story, Cadet.", Pike told Uhura.

„That's me.", she replied.

„Well, Cadet, I appreciate your honesty, and I sincerely hope you discover a place where you feel you do fit, wherever that may be.", Pike told her.