Fandom: STAR TREK:REBOOT
Characters/Pairings: Nyota Uhura, Jim Kirk, Christopher Pike, Gaila
Length: ~14,000
Author on LJ: jane_potter 
Author Website: also at AO3

Why this must be read: Uhura's life is never about winning. It's always about not letting somebody else win. Not surrendering. Not letting them beat her, figuratively or literally. This is a good thing, because life's not a game. There are no time outs, no rule books, no umpires, and nobody wins. They just survive. Or not.

This story is part the The Riotverse- one of the best and well thought out alternate universes that I have read in Star Trek. In a universe where first contact with Earth in the throes of World War III repulsed Vulcan too much for them to consider an alliance, the Terran-Orion Union is the terror of the black, their Starfleet branch maintaining relations with a facade of neutrality while Syndicate ships raid and kidnap slaves. Smaller worlds hide in the so-called Free Space behind Vulcan's blockade, but 250 years isolated from any kind of emotional influence has left Vulcan law stagnant and cold to the plight of other peoples. It's a smidge Mirror in that parts are quite dark, and the characters may be changed because of what they've experienced, but they still remain true to the ones we know and love.

This story is the first (chronologically) in this verse, and it is my favorite. This is the story of Uhura, strong, smart and capable; someone who survives despite and because of what happens to her. This is one of the best representations of Uhura I have ever read, and it is clear that the author did her research (if you have the time, read the links in her note) and was very aware of her characterization.

(I do want to stress that there are warnings on this fic for good reason. This is an amazing fic and a compelling story, but even I - someone without a history of violence or sexual abuse - found some parts difficult.)


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