A Relentless Pursuit (Star Trek: Jim Kirk/OC)

Chapter 3

Earth, 2254

Farrah Pike, now eighteen years old had light blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back just below her shoulder blades, although at the moment it was in a high ponytail. She was 5' 8", no longer the girl who only reached her fathers hips at 9 years old.

She walked down the halls between her two roommates at the Starfleet academy to the gym. She had joined two months ago, this being her first year, following in her mother and her father's footsteps.

She had wanted to be a nurse like her mother, but found that it was not her best subject, having gotten just a little freaked out knowing some of the medical complications one could get in space, she hadn't wanted to know about any others and decided to try something else.

After her mother's death, she had grieved for almost a year and suffered from depression, having to go and see a therapist it was so severe. Her father couldn't stay with her for the rest of her life. Starfleet gave him an extra three months leave, but he did have to go back and she now believed because of the resemblance she had with her mother, he needed some time away from her. He hired Magnolia full-time and she moved in to the house permanently.

Magnolia had come to look upon Farrah like a granddaughter. She loved her like her own flesh and blood. And Farrah loved Magnolia too like a grandmother, but no one could ever replace her mother. Christopher Pike never married another woman nor had a girlfriend, though she was sure that he had been on a couple of dates over the years.

He loved what he did and had been made Captain of the U.S.S Sagittarius when the previous Captain had retired. He had not been happy when she told him that she wanted to join Starfleet, but he didn't have much say in the matter as it was her decision, and he eventually caved.

What she didn't realize was the reputation Captain Pike had in the Starfleet academy. He was a great Captain that was calm in all situations and graduated at the top of his class. She was smart, but she was no genius. So she strived to live up to the expectation that she would graduate the top of her class too. Not very easy when there was hundreds of other cadets after the same thing.

Farrah and her two roommates walked inside the gym and joined the line of the other cadets in facing their instructor.

They had been learning combat training, the first week they had used guns, something she had excelled at, her father having taken her out to shoot empty bottles off a fence. Then the week after that they learned to defend themselves with weapons of opportunity. If you were attacked and had no phaser gun then you were expected to defend yourself with whatever you could use.

It was mandatory to have basic combat training in the field. So all first years at the academy had to take it. The second, third and fourth years had it optional.

This week they had learned hand to hand combat, one she was having trouble with but it was only her first year at the academy, she had four years to better herself, and she would try her hardest to do so.

"Everyone pick a partner!" Their instructor, a tall man with black hair cut short, shouted at them.

Farrah turned to her roommate on the right of her, the one she had become closer to in the two months the three of them had shared a room then the other girl was to her.

Once everyone had a partner and the pairs stood apart evenly from each other their instructor called out to them again. "Find a space on the mats. I will be coming around to evaluate your progress. You are to fight your partner in hand to hand combat!" He shouted in a loud booming voice.

Farrah and her friend walked away from the line and to their own space on the mat that covered the floors.

"Want me to go easy on you this time?" Her roommate teased her.