What’s your own interpretation of Saavik/Joanna’s relationship?
AAAH Loving that ask!!
To me they are the endgame, my favourite Saavik ship. I like to think they met while Saavik was a teenager and started studying at the Academy (so a bit after the event of the Pandora Principle) and while nothing romantic started then and there, she immediately got that giant crush on this beautiful, older medical student.
(I have a fic of their first meeting that also is a part of the @startrek-eridani fan project but can totally be read stand-alone Here! Shameless self-promo I know-)
I had this fun idea recently that at certain Enterprise Crew party they end up encountering one another many time, since they are both the kids of crew members who are, after all, close friends (Spock and Kirk having parental roles for Saavik, and Bones being Joanna's dad)
Of course, since I also take part in the Star Trek: Eridani project, a lot of how I headcanon their relationship to continue is based on that premise, i.e., Captain Saavik and her CMO Joanna McCoy on the USS Eridani during its five years mission. I think its a Saavik feel first, and while it took longer, when Joanna starts falling in love too, she falls HARD.
They are a beautiful pair, very complimentary, and of course, with Captain Saavik having a knack for putting herself into danger, she drives Joanna's blood pressure through the roof, but hey, that's part of the beauty of it.
