Chapter 2

I wasn't joking about bombardments x

*Ten years later*

"I'll buy you a drink!" Uhura shouted above the pounding music as she pushed through the crowd of people. Kez laughed, pushing some of her short dark hair from her face and trying to keep up with her friend without tripping over anyone's feet.

Both women were dressed in the Starfleet Cadet, red uniform: a dress that came to just above their knees and then shiny black boots that closely hugged their calves.

Kez didn't usually follow her friend to bars, especially ones located near shipping yards that attracted many other cadets also. The places usually featured loud music which made Kez's eardrums bleed, lots of sweaty bodies and people holding drinks haphazardly just waiting to pour them down your front in one drunken sway. It wasn't Kez's kind of fun at all but tonight she had appeased Uhura and come along for a drink or two.

However, following Uhura; who was walking with an arrow straight back, her long dark hair done up in a high ponytail, and looking stunning in her uniform; always attracted looks from not only fellow cadets but others in the car, not all of them humanoids. The attention she attracted always made Kez feel like a bolt-on. Kez was the 'less stunning' wingman of the relationship.

Kez stumbled to keep up,  nodding and smiling at those she knew who were sat in groups around the tables that were dotted around the bar until she could finally catch Uhura up.

She was already scanning a menu and pondering the drink choices.

"What do you want?" She asked, positioning the menu so Kez could get a good look.

Kez looked blankly at all the words and pictures of funky coloured cocktails, spirits and beers not really knowing what she fancied. Uhura knew this wasn't Kez's choice of activity however she had vowed that she was going to get her friend to go out more. It wasn't as if they had anything better to do before they returned to the academy. 

"Come on! Or I'll pick for you!" Uhura warned and Kez laughed. Last time Uhura had chosen the drink Kez was to consume it had resulted in her vomiting bright blue liquid that smelt of cherry and leftover lasagne.

"What does the bartender recommend?" Kez asked finally, giving up on trying to read the extensive menu. Uhura flagged down the bartender.

"Habari and hi. Any recommendations?" Uhura asked, confidently as ever.

The bartender smiled as anyone would if someone addressed you in your own language; "How about a Slusho Mix?" He asked pointing at a small board behind him, "It's a bit strong though." He added quickly.

Uhura straightened up slightly as if accepting the challenge whereas Kez was dreading every second.

"Sound great!" Uhura said happily if not a bit buzzed. She looked at her friend who was raising an eyebrow, "I'll take two."

The bartender shuffled off and Kez sighed, "You're going to kill me one day, you know that?"

Uhura chuckled, "Isn't it you that lives multiple lives? Can't you spend this one having a little fun?"

"We have very different interpretations of the word 'fun'." Kez pointed out, turning around so that her back was against the bar and she could look out at the hustle and bustle of people living their lives. 

Their conversation was interrupted.

"That's one helluva drinks order for a woman wearing those boots. Or is that where it all ends up?"

Uhura frowned and looked down the bar at where the face of a young man leaned towards her.

Kez was glad that she was out of view but still peered curiously around her friend to get a look at the man. He wasn't a cadet, she saw that much immediately. Maybe he was a builder or a welder. He could even be a driver who worked in the shipyard.

Kez knew one thing for certain, he was a ladies man. Maybe not all brains but definitely all talk.

Kez smiled at his dopey look whereas Uhura remained unfazed by his presence. She was used to guys inane chatter, so, as usual; banished him from her reality, "And two shots of Jack, straight up!" She instructed the bartender. Kez looked startled but Uhura just gave her a confident gaze, "You'll be fine." She assured as Kez rolled her eyes. Despite everything, she trusted Uhura and Uhura trusted Kez.

Kirk didn't give up easily, "Make it three shots – hers are on me." He said with a smile at Uhura.

Uhura tensed up and glared, "Her shot's on her. Thanks but no thanks."

Kez smiled again into the shiny surface of the bar, she liked these little confrontations Uhura had with guys, they made great entertainment.

"I don't hear 'no' very often," Kirk admitted, his blue eyes sparkling in amusement.

Uhura sighed and smiled bittersweetly, "Then it is evident that the galaxy is out of balance and I have just single handily set it right. When I say 'no' – I mean it." She warned.

Kez giggled down into her palm, waiting for Kirk to back down. Uhura leant into Kez and whispered, "I can't be doing with stupid farm boys."

Kez raised her eyebrow at her friend then regarded Kirk again, "I don't think he will give in, you know."

"He will," Uhura assured her sternly.

Kirk, on the other hand, was impressed that this woman could respond with a constructed and sharp sentence without even a nervous giggle or a slap. He liked her already. And her friend was pretty cute as well. He winked at her and she smiled shyly.

"My name's Jim. Jim Kirk."

Uhura didn't respond and when Kez opened her mouth she was met with a warning stare so just rolled her eyes and went back fiddling with the bar mat in front of her.

Finally, Kirk prompted: "If you don't tell me your name I'm gonna have to make one up for you. Believe me, I can be pretty inventive, but I doubt it'll be as appealing as the real one." He smirked, eyes still twinkling.

Kez laughed then walked around her friend, mustering up confidence, and sat down next to Jim, "I'll talk to you." She chirped and Jim leant back slightly, regarding her with a new-found admiration.

"I'm listening," He said, sipping his drink.

"I'm Stibbons and this is Uhura." She chirped.

Uhura shot her a look of betrayal just as Kirk gasped, "No way! That's the name I was going to make up for you!"

When Uhura failed to respond to this Kirk realised he had a better chance talking to her chirpy friend. Stibbons looked much less threatening with soft brown eyes flecked with silver and soft, short brown hair. But Kirk knew that all cadets were hard and sharp no matter what their appearance showed.

"Uhura' what?" He asked Stibbons who bit back an amused smile and turned her attention to watching the bartender who was preparing her drink.

"It's just Uhura." Stibbons said surely.

Kirk frowned, "They don't have last names on her planet?"

"Uhura is her last name." Stibbons giggled.

Kirk didn't miss a beat, "They don't have first names? Wait, let me guess. Is it 'Jim'?"

At this Uhura's friend fell about laughing whereas Uhura remained sharp and composed.

Jim frowned, "What about you?"

"Kez," The friend broke of laughing, "Kez Stibbons."

Kirk nodded then smiled, "Nice. At least you're a talkative one."

"Not usually," Kez said awkwardly turning to her friend, "Usually I stay quiet and she does the speaking. Tonight I've rebelled though." She winked at Uhura.

Kirk laughed.

Where are my drinks? Uhura wondered, tapping her fingers against the surface of the counter. She didn't blame Kez for talking, the guy was good-looking and had an element of playfulness to him, rather than being overbearing. The main problem for Uhura was that the conversation was growing tiresome and predictable.

Finally, she relented and gave in, "I could tell you my first name but you'd forget it. Drowning it in your mind with your next shot." She said stoutly.

Kez laughed and leaned over to whisper to Kirk, "Then she'd be offended!"

Kirk laughed and leaned in to whisper back, "Tell her, 'Baby, I will never forget anything you tell me'." Kez pulled away laughing, knowing full well that Uhura had heard every word of what he'd said.

Uhura couldn't help but smile slightly, against her will. He was intrusive, goofy . . . but charming . . .

Where was her bloody order?

"So, you two are cadets?" He began again, talking more to Uhura then to Kez, but she didn't mind. She was used to being pushed aside by Uhura's pursuers.

"Studying, and preparing to go . . ." He pointed upwards as if gesturing to the sky, "Out there. What's your focus?"

Uhura smirked, "Xenolinguistics."

She had been hoping to outsmart this chatty country boy and smiled when he didn't react, "Lemme guess: you have no idea what that means."

Kez saw what her friend was doing, so was equally surprised when Kirk smiled and said, "No wait, let me guess. The Study of alien languages: phonology, morphology, syntax, variability in different mediums of aural conveyance symbology," He paused then added with a wink, "It means you've got a talented tongue."

Both women were stunned into silence until Kez snorted, "Not just a farm boy after all!"

Uhura raised an eyebrow at her friend, but she couldn't deny that Kez had a point: Uhura had assumed that Kirk was just a dumb farm boy . . . obviously not all correct but it didn't stop her from saying so.

"Damn, and here was me thinking you were just some dumb hick who had sex with farm animals."

At this Kez snorted back a laugh and couldn't wait to hear Kirks response.

Kirk was mildly amused at the comment and looked away acting shyly, "Well, not 'just'."

A shadow suddenly fell over Kez and Kirk and as she turned she was facing a large, tall cadet that was nearly as big as all three of them put together. He regarded Kirk with a threatening glare then, in a rumbling voice, he asked, "This guy bothering you?"

Kez, suddenly worried about Kirk's fate depending on Uhura's answer, shot her friend a look of desperation.

Uhura shrugged casually and smiled, "Beyond belief but it's nothing I can't handle." She smiled at Kez who was encouraged to stand up slightly taller and nod affirmatively.

The problem would have been resolved there and then had Kirk not proceeded to speak, "But you could handle me. And that's an invitation."

Kez's insides went funny: That's done it; she thought dismally, He's so dead.

Uhura turned when her drinks were put on the bar. She handed one of the shots of Jack to Kez before downing her own. Kez followed suit and tried not to splutter and cough at the horrid liquid. Kirk smirked at her but that didn't calm the air of tension suddenly rising between them and the bigger cadet. Uhura decided they needed to move away, just in case Kirk bated the cadet into a fight. She thrust one of the cocktail things at Kez and tried to usher her away.

The massive cadet turned on Kirk again, "Hey! Mind your manners!" He warned threateningly.

Kez stopped walking. Uhura knocked into her, spilling her drink on Kez's uniform and arm.

"Sorry!" Uhura said in alarm as some more cadets quickly began to collect napkins to hand Kez who batted them away, listening to the confrontation between Kirk and the cadet, her skin prickling all over with the apprehension of a potential fight.