Chapter Text
Maya couldn’t sleep that night, but she wouldn’t have wanted to anyway. Her practice game with Joanna was enlightening, not that she learned much from one game, but rather that it highlighted how little she knew. That one game set off a new obsession, and Maya spent the night working frantically to fill in the gaps in her knowledge. She spent the night studying strategies and playing computer simulations, but the more she researched the more overwhelmed she became, every new piece of knowledge raised more questions that she felt compelled to chase down the answers to. No wonder people could devote their whole lives to this game.
She studied and worked until five hours before the scheduled….well not date, but…appointment when she made herself find a stopping point and lie down. Even thought she wasn’t tired when she lied down, soon she dozed off. Maya woke up with just an hour to spare, and she spent the time fussing over her appearance, but (just like before) couldn’t be fully satisfied.
Maya arrived at the lounge a few minutes earlier than the scheduled time, hoping to have some space to clear her head, but Saavik had arrived even earlier and already had the three dimensional chess set ready in a quiet corner. Saavik rose from her seat when she saw Maya approaching.
“I appreciate your punctually,” Saavik noted, plainly.
“It’s something I used to struggle with, and now I err on the side of caution.” That much was true, even if it wasn’t the reason why she chose to arrive early.
“A logical solution.”
Was that a compliment? Dammit, Vulcans were hard to read! Maya took her seat at the chess table on the side with the black pieces and Saavik sat back down in front of the white.
“I should admit that I’m very new to the game.” Maya studied the board, quickly refreshing her memory of what she learned about opening strategies.
“Then this should prove to be valuable practice,” Saavik answered as she studied her own pieces. She began by moving a pawn.
Maya contemplated her own starting move. For all of hours of research it felt very different to put abstract concepts into practice in a real game against a real person. She simply moved a pawn of her own. “So, which deeply personal questions did you wish to ask?” Maya asked as Saavik considered her next choice.
“My intention is not to pry into private matters unless absolutely necessary. What I hope to gain is further insight to help manage expectations.” Saavik moved another pawn.
“Now that I’ve had a chance to think about it, I’m not entirely sure what to expect.” Maya reached toward her knight, but hesitated, her fingers hovering over the piece for a moment before she pulled her hand away to reconsider her move, “I couldn’t begin to guess who their new leader is now, and not only because I don’t know who survived. He lost his heir when I killed my brother, and most of his inner circle died with him on the USS Portland. My father was practically worshiped, I’m sure he left behind a nasty power vacuum.” After reconsidering, Maya remained with her original choice and moved her knight.
“Is there a chance you might be accepted as Khan’s heir?” Saavik made no hesitation when she moved her own knight.
“Absolutely not. I was looked down on for being a half breed, and I’m a traitor as well.” Maya made another move with her knight.
“Are you so sure you’re a known traitor? The reports stated that no other Augments survived the destruction of the USS Portland. No one survived to tell what happened aboard that ship. Those living on the planet’s surface may not know the details of what happened aboard that ship.” Saavik moved her bishop.
“They know I killed my brother.” Maya took more time to contemplate her next move. She had been confident early in the game with her opening strategies, but as the game continued to unfold, she began to have doubts about her technique. “I never shared my motives, but I imagine that much would be easy to guess.” She furrowed her brows and gave the pieces another moment of consideration before she made her choice.
“And may I ask what your motives were?” Saavik made her own next move quickly, almost automatically.
“Oh, you could ask,” Maya teased, but her evasive response served only to cause Saavik to give her an expectant look. “I’m sure you’ve seen from spending so much time working with humans that choices driven by emotion sometimes make no sense at all. I’m not entirely surely my reasoning makes sense in my own head, and it would be a waste of time to find logic in it.” She paused, and Saavik’s expression remained unchanged. Maya took a deep breath. “It was an impulsive choice. I had a weapon, he didn’t, but my entire life lead me to that moment. He was cruel to me and threatened my life more than once, and I took the opportunity when I had it.”
“Lethal force to end abuse? There is a sense of logic in it, if the approach was extreme.”
“I’d be lying if I said that hatred and jealousy didn’t play a part.” A secret she had never shared before, as it didn’t align with her goal to prove that she wasn’t another violent, morally bankrupt Augment. “I imagine I’m seen as a failed usurper.”
Saavik glanced down at the chessboard then back up at Maya. Embarrassed to have forgotten her turn, Maya moved a pawn without thinking, and without hesitation, Saavik moved to capture it. Maya frowned. “And it seems that impulse control is still a weakness of mine.” This time Maya put more careful thought and planning into her next move. She could set herself up to capture a pawn in the next turn, but it leave herself vulnerable. After another moment of consideration, Maya made that choice regardless, but just as she feared, Saavik was able to move into a position that made Maya’s outcome seem bleak.
“I would say lack of experience is also to blame.” Saavik made a surprising move. She had been in a position to capture another of Maya’s pawns, but instead she made a choice that seemed to give her no direct advantage.
“You’re not trying to let me win, are you?” Maya teased.
“No, making a personal sacrifice to spare your ego would not be logical.”
As Maya considered her next move, the reasoning behind Saavik’s previous move became clear. Maya was pinned in with no no good choices available to her. With a heavy sigh, Maya moved her knight, which Saavik immediately moved to capture.
“Brace yourself for some of the worst human ego you can imagine.” Again. Maya found herself with no satisfying choices. She took more time to study the board, just in case a less obvious chose might become clear. “And hardship hasn’t humbled them, if anything it’s made them all the more arrogant, taking great pride in the fact that they were capable of thriving in a difficult environment. I don’t think anyone living in modern civilization can really grasp it. You can all imagine the bigger things, like lack of modern medicine or having to build everything by hand and travel on foot, but there was so much more than that. I was told that in the early days on a unknown planet with no frame of reference it could be a gamble determining which fruit would be good to eat and which would be your final meal. I’m still amazed that I can have hot water in an instant instead of after hours of work.” Even after the extra time to consider, Maya had discovered no new options, and she settled for the least-terrible move.
“I might be closer to understanding than most.” Saavik still looked down at the board as she spoke, and her voice was soft. Hard as it was to read Vulcans, Maya had the feeling the captain was sharing a vulnerable moment, so she leaned closer to listen. “I, too, had a difficult start to my life and lived on an unforgiving planet.”
“On Vulcan?”
“No. Not on Vulcan.” All sense of vulnerability was gone from Saavik’s voice, a sign that she was not interested in entertaining further questions. She made another move. “Check.”
Maya’s heart jolted and she sat upright. She hadn’t seen that coming, and she look a deep calming breath while she evaluated the situation. The only way to spare her king was to move it, but when she tried to think a few steps ahead it seemed as though the outcome of this game would not be in her favor. The pair continued in silence for a few more turns, with Maya feeling like they were creeping toward the inevitable until Saavik made the move that trapped her king and declared “Checkmate.”
“Good game…but I wish I might have lasted a little longer.”
“With practice, you will be able to.” Saavik began to reset the pieces. “I have enjoyed this game, and the conversation. If you would find it agreeable, I would like to schedule these games regularly.”
Maya’s eyes opened wide and bright and her heart fluttered. This was the best possible outcome. “Yes of course! I mean, I’ve enjoyed the practice very much. And…” Maya took a deep breath. She felt bold, especially for someone who had just been horribly defeated in a game of chess. “If you’re interested, I’d also like to share with you something important to me. I would love to teach you ballroom dancing.”
“Your offer is appreciated, however I must decline.” Saavik put back the remaining pieces and rose to her feet. “Such physical contact would be considered too intimate for a Vulcan. Especially a Vulcan with a bondmate.”
Maya stayed seated for a moment longer, trying to hide the shock and hurt she felt. Damned if it wasn’t her destiny to fall for unavailable women. “I’m sorry, I meant no offense.” She stood up as well. “Is this an appropriate time to say ‘live long and prosper?’”
“Traditionally, that is reserved for situations with an extended period between interactions, but the sentiment is still appreciated.”
Maya smiled, “in that case, have a good night.”