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Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Holodeck 1



She lifted his hands to kiss his wrists and then released them so she could turn around and place her hands on his chest to walk him backward to the couch then gave him a gentle press to get him to sit down.

Smiling, Andy sat down on the couch and looked up at her with her shirt half-buttoned. He watched the smooth caramel skin and the hint of her cleavage that was revealed.

“Me and my big mouth.” He said, leaning back and watching her.

Stepping back from him, she took a brief moment to look into his eyes and then turned around. In the firelit room, she began to move with a surprising, mesmerizing fluidity. She had no music, but she seemed to move with an unheard song as she began to shed her clothes starting with the jacket she was wearing. She moved her body slowly, her delicate fingers caressing the contours of her beautiful figure. She was a masterpiece of feminine allure and confidence, unashamed of her body under the gaze of her man.

She revealed her flawless caramel skin and those curves that still begged to be touched and explored despite how often he did so. She was as singular as he was and there was little doubt why so many desired her. Finally, she was left with nothing on but her panties - black silk and lace - with her hair down and her arms crossed over covering her chest coyly.

He watched her with silent interest, his eyes drifting from one tatalyzing body part to another as she slowly revealed more of herself to him. It didn’t seem to matter how often they saw each other this way, the intensity of their attraction hadn’t diminished. He watched her cradling her breasts and followed the curvaceous lines of her body down to the defiant panties that somehow remained.

“Well, I’m completely distracted, Ms. Gabriel.” He said with a grin. The bulge in his dark jeans indicated he was more than distracted. “How ‘bout I return the favor?”

Melody’s brows lifted at the offer, clearly intrigued. She took a few steps closer to him, standing just in front of his legs so he would have enough room to get up but would practically be touching her when he did so. “Well now how could I turn down an offer like that?”

He stood with a smile and moved around her, his body impossibly close to her nearly naked form without ever grazing her. His hands hovered near her sides where he knew she wanted to be touched, but he refused her, instead taking a step away and backing up to the rack near the door. He retrieved his black hat again and placed it on his head. Returning to her and standing almost close enough to touch, Andy moved his fit body confidently and subtly to the imaginary music, his visible eye locked on her with mesmerizing focus.

His fingers moved gracefully to unbutton his vest, and then his shirt as his hips moved back and forth with all the skill of a talented dancer, graceful and easy, but with power she herself had experienced. He stood bare chested, his slightly scared and chiseled body making him look more like a fallen Greek god than a mere mortal man. Finally, he unbuttoned the jeans and let them fall, leaving him standing in a pair of green boxers.

Andy smiled, pulling the boxers down over his bulge and causing his manhood to bob out for just an instant as the boxers fell to the floor before he removed his hat and placed it over her favorite toy. Stepping out of the clothes, he grinned at her and stepped close, removing his hands from the hat and showing that it stood quite stably in place with only his manhood to hold it up.

Melody had taken a seat when he had moved to retrieve his hat. She had pulled her hair forward over her shoulders to cover her breasts, and crossed her legs to rest her hands on her knee while she simply enjoyed the show put on for her. She enjoyed it immensely not only because she loved to see his body, but because he had actually put in the effort to follow through what had originally begun as a joke just as she had.

When he ended in front of her with his hat suspended by his manhood, she smirked and stood slowly, not quite brushing up against him. “Good God, I’m sleepin’ with a witch.” She placed a single finger on the hat to not upset it from its perch. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone; your secret’s safe with me.”

Finally she shifted up to kiss him then, slow and passionate. Her hand grabbed his hat and pulled it away, tossing it back on the couch behind her without a care.

“Uncoverin’ my magic wand is a risk, Ms. Gabriel.” He said, his fingers moving to her black panties and pulling at them suggestively. Moving down, he dropped them to the floor with a quick motion of his arms, and as he came back up again, his hands found her ample bottom and squeezed gently and possessively. He kissed her again. “I could use it to put a spell on you.”

Melody grinned and lifted her feet to step out of the panties and push them aside. She returned his kiss and leaned into him, her soft breasts pressing into the hard plane of his chest while he grabbed her rear. They had played in the fantasy world to distract him from the painful goodbye he had given hours before and it had done its job, but she could offer him more.

“Well let’s jus’ see ‘bout that. I’ll have a closer look.” She kissed his lips and then his neck, then slowly moved down his body while lowering herself down in front of him. It was a position she had found herself taking more often than she had in the past, but she knew the comfort her love and submission could bring to him. She took him gently in her hand and her eyes moved up to his.

“Sure is hefty.”

“Makes for a better tool of enchantment, stirrin’ wonder and fascination in those who I chose.” He said, his voice low and mysterious as she watched her holding him in her hands on her knees. It was no small thing for a woman like her to bend before a man, and it meant something about him and their relationship. He never tired of it, and felt a swell of familiar, still prideful, flattery. The warmth and fitness of her hand around his girth was just a bonus. “Emphasis on the stirrin’, there, dolly. And all of that with just a flick of the wrist.”

She put his words out of her mind and focused on what she was doing instead. If she dwelled on it too much, it would simply ruin the moment. She awarded his quips with a playful giggle and began to stroke him with her hand until inevitably her tongue and lips joined in. They weren’t exactly fresh and clean after their hard work on the train, but it didn’t phase her - it hardly ever did and on those occasions they made liberal use of the shower during. Soon enough, she served him fully, her mouth and hand working in unison to please him. She had always been skilled from the first moment she had taken him this way, but it had only grown the more time they had spent together. She was a woman who had taken the time to learn what delighted him, and judging by the sounds he began to make for her, delighting him she was.

He enjoyed every second, and let her know with generous sounds and expressions. His hands found her hand and the softness of her cheeks, and he allowed the experience to run its natural course. When he was at the height of his passion, he actually wobbled for just a moment before regaining his balance. He leaned down and his hand found her breast, caressing it carefully as his mind came out of the fog. He noticed at the window, where a slightly astray curtain let in a beam of light from the darkening sky outside, an eye staring at the two of them.

Instead of mentioning it, he pulled Melody back onto the couch and sat beside her, kissing her neck and allowing his hands to wander over her body. He moved up to her ear with his lips as a lone finger found her breast.

“We got ourselves an audience out there.” He said, and chuckled.

“I reckon’ they can watch. Maybe learn a thing or two.” She chuckled and then sighed softly and sweetly as he began to touch her warm body. Perhaps if they were flesh and blood she would have minded more, but in reality probably not. She had never found this act shameful in the slightest. Her own hands moved to him, touching his arms and his chest without interfering with his exploration of her magnificent body.

He chuckled softly, but didn’t say anything else, lost as he was in the nape of her neck. His fingers probed the sensitive parts of her body, traveling down slowly and surely until they reached her womanhood. He started to massage there gently with skilled hands, moving his fingers like he understood every sensation. He was skilled in the art of lovemaking, and he knew the craft like he was a talented creator at work. He moved his fingers in her wetness and breathed on her gently, his eyes moving to the engaged stare from the face in the window.

The eyes retreated when it seemed Andy was directly looking at them, but as they did, Andy could see the lanky young Cletus was their voyeur. It wouldn’t have been completely out of the question that he had never seen a naked woman before - or a naked man built like Andy.

Melody moaned softly as his fingers worked inside of her; her muscles tightened even around them. She was already slick with desire, her body warm and yielding. Her lips found his shoulder as he breathed against her neck and her fingertips began running with a feathery touch up and down his defined spine.

Andy moved down between her legs and mounted kisses on her toned caramel thighs. He too wasn’t bothered by the sweat and the results of their hard work on the train, and he moved her flexible body to give him easier access. He kissed her womanhood slowly and looked up at her, his visible eye meeting her gaze. He was teasing her of course, and making her wait.

“You never told me you knew magic too..”

“Oh I’m full of secrets, darlin’.” She grinned at him, her gaze heated and possessive. She reached behind her, grabbed his hat, and put it on her head. It didn’t fit quite right of course, but she didn’t care. Licking her lips, her fingertips found his jaw.

“See what you can find, why don’t ya?”

“Oh, Lordy.” Andy said, his lips pressing gently against her. “I think I found one already.”

His tongue escaped his mouth and moved slowly over her, hungry, but intensely restrained.

“That the one you mean, Miss?”

Another soft moan passed her full lips and her eyes lidded. She watched him closely, her fingers moving from his jaw and into his hair. “Well I reckon’ that’s one of them.”

Any other day, she likely would have simply barreled him over onto his back and climbed on top of him to get what she wanted, but she was trying to behave and fulfill what his desires were even at the cost of her own. She wasn’t sure how long she would be successful at that particular endeavor, though.

“That the only one you can find?”

“Oh no, Miss Gabriel. I imagine I can touch on every secret you have.” He said, his hand moving up and finding her breast as he licked her again, this time several times, and stopped. He lingered on her for a few more seconds before he put all hesitation aside and used his lips, his tongue, and his fingers in his own magical, skilled way.

His efforts were rewarded immediately with what he desired - a chorus of her pleasured sounds so soft and intimate for him. Her fingers tangled in his black mane, grabbing and pulling now and then simply to communicate her own pleasure. Her dark eyes fluttered open and she saw their little Peeping Tom had returned, his gaze solely fixed on her breasts as they heaved and bounced a bit when she moved her body in reaction to Andy’s attentions. He really was skilled and she enjoyed every benefit from it.

It didn’t take long for him to press her over that edge, leaving her panting and breathless with his face thoroughly wet around his mouth and nose. She leaned back on the couch, her arm over her face and covering her eyes. “Gods above…”

“Secrets ain’t no fun ‘less you share ‘em.” He said, moving his hand over her wetness with impressive, intense quickness that he knew would make her shake and scream. He didn’t smile, but looked at her with that dangerous look in his eye he got when he was laser focused, like a hunter.

The sudden, unexpected assault of his hand and fingers made her yelp and her body jump. Her arm left her face immediately and she grabbed his wrist with impressive strength and speed, but she didn’t try to stop him. She held his gaze, her own fiery and intense and almost challenging in some way. Already so sensitive from finding her peak once, it didn’t take more than a few moments of effort for him to get exactly what he was after. Her core squeezed him tightly and she surged forward, pressing her forehead to his as her eyes closed and she made a mess of the couch underneath her.

“My word…” Cletus murmured from outside and then slapped his hand over his mouth.

Andrei smiled at the reaction, barely registering the words outside. Watching her enjoy his work so intensely clearly excited him, and the mess she had made hadn’t spared him in the slightest. Despite how she had satisfied him earlier, he was stiff again, and fell back onto the floor in front of her, his manhood towering and ready. He knew what she wanted next.

“I think I saw a few more a bit deeper, Miss Gabriel.” He said. “I’m man enough to admit when I might need some help.”

While he spoke, she simply sat there and caught her breath, coming down from the intensity of her release. Looking down at him, she licked her lips, grabbed the hat that had been unseated from her head and put it back on, then slid down on the floor with him.

“Aw, darlin’, you know I’m always happy to help ya.” Wearing nothing but the hat, she moved over top of him and grabbed his length in her hand. She gave a few circles of her thumb to his tip for added measure, and then slowly guided him up while sliding herself down. She was being playful, but the sensation of him entering her already tender, very tight womanhood made her moan out. Still, she wasn’t nearly ready to be done with him. Her hands found his chest where she braced herself and she began to move on him slowly to repay the favor of all of his teasing earlier.

As she got on top of him, he moaned as well, and closed his eyes as he felt her guiding him into her tight center. His hands found her hips, and he restrained himself from controlling the pace. She was doing what she did so well, as was he.

“Seems I found the right cowgirl.” He said, his accent faltering as his fingers electrified the skin on her sides and back.

When she heard his accent falter, she grinned slightly and seemed to even reward it by increasing her speed on top of him. It was a small triumph for her, in a way. She leaned over him to capture his lips with her own while pausing the pointed up and down motion. Instead she began to roll her hips very slowly, working herself down each inch of him at an agonizingly teasing pace while her lips remained locked with his in a heated kiss. The swirling motion hit every spot both inside of her and on his manhood with how she did it; a favorite maneuver when she wanted to hear him.

He gave her what she wanted instantly, offering sounds of ecstatic pleasure with an almost agonizing longing for more, harder, faster. His hands found her hips and he willed them to remain still. There was no need to spoil the intense pleasure of the moment with too much aggression. He sighed, he cursed, and he flexed his muscles, jumping inside her and moving his hips to aid her motions like a dance.

This time, she didn’t obey his touch and instead continued to work herself down until she had buried every single inch of his largesse inside of her silken depths. It was only then that she had held still and shifted to lie on top of him. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and she began to exchange kisses with him; some were fiery and passionate, some were sweet and tender and coupled with a gentle caress to his face. It was possessive yet loving, her care for him showing through.

Eventually, she pushed herself back up and began to move again. She started slow at first, but wasted little time in granting him the force and speed which he yearned for. She moved with the same skill she danced with, her motions fluid and flawless. She knew him, she knew exactly what he liked and when he liked it. She didn’t gloat nor advertise that fact, but it was blatantly obvious. She moaned for him, sang for him, her nails left little marks of her possession of his body as they often did. She listened to his breathing and his sounds, felt the way his powerful hips moved under her and the way his fingers started to dig in harder against her flesh. She pulled his hand up and filled them with her breasts, wanting to feel him squeeze her there.

When she knew he was close, she shifted the angle of her body so his manhood pressed and rubbed inside of her a certain way. She didn’t often do this - especially when he had already coaxed her to that particular peak - but she wanted him to feel her passion and love for him; she wanted to comfort him through her body. She held his gaze and as she felt his warmth finally filling and spreading into her core, she let out a final cry and met his release with another intense one of her own that soaked his thighs and the floor.

She practically collapsed onto him, her body trembling violently and her fingers curling against his skin as if searching for solidity. “Andrei…”

To say his release had been powerful wouldn’t have covered it, and his hands clung to her as his powerful muscles tightened and she soaked his legs, his stomach, and the floor beneath them. In that moment, when she said his real name, he surged with every feeling he had bottled up inside: passion, sorrow, pleasure, rage, love, and fear. He gave voice to all of it in a single bellow, and then he was silent. His hands thanked her even as they supported her body. He pulled himself out of her, ignoring the mess their bodies had contributed to, and brought her gently beside him on the floor. He held her tight, his strong arms steadying her in desperation as she continued to climax and convulse. His mind filled with horrors, as everything he was avoiding came back to him over and over again. He kissed her forehead and he said nothing.

Lyra willed the control back into her body on hearing Andrei’s cry; the emotion behind it had been startling, but she also understood it very well; it had been similar to her reaction to seeing the pictures he had put out for her of her life from before. She took slow, deep breaths and by the time he kissed her forehead, she was calmed down enough to cuddle into him. Her lips found his shoulder and she began to kiss him there and along his collarbone tenderly. Her arm went around him and she began to gently dance her fingers along his spine. In not looking at him, she gave him privacy to feel all of his feelings and fears while still being right there. Her body was warm and comforting against his. She was very real, she was safe and sound and right there in his arms.

Andrei calmed slowly, knowing that he was with the woman he had chosen over his own family. He wondered what kind of person that made him in the end? Was he good or bad for abandoning his own kin to roll around with his love on the Holodeck. One sniffle was all he allowed before he put the thought to bed. He killed it, and then he looked at her.

“Might be needin’ that bath now, Mel.” He said, and smiled. “Think our friend’ll watch that too?”

Lyra didn’t show the mild disappointment she felt in the slightest as he returned to his persona; she understood it, but she wished he had taken more time. Instead she chuckled and looked toward the window. Not seeing Cletus there, she looked back to Andy and her brows raised.

“I reckon he might have fainted, darlin’. I don’t think he was prepared.” She shifted and moved to get up onto her knees. Her body wobbled a bit, but she corrected for it and slowly started to get up on her feet so she could go to the bath that was still steaming hot - sometimes a few little cheats in the holodeck didn’t hurt after all.

Andy got up and stretched, following after her toward the tub and testing the temperature with his hand.

“I figure he just left after the good part. Poor kid’s never seen anything like us in his life.”

“Maybe… my thought’s more amusin’ though.” Melody smiled and grabbed a rag from the stool by the tub which she dipped into the water and then used to clean herself off from the worst of the evidence of their lovemaking. Even the simple act of washing up sent involuntary shivers up her spine; it had been a long time since she had performed that particular trick twice in one evening for him and she had forgotten how sensitive it left her. Once she finished up, she put the rag down and promptly climbed into the bath where the only indication of the temperature she gave was a pleasant sigh. She had, however, been accused of bathing in hellwater before.

Seeing the wisdom in her method, Andy used a rag to wash himself off first before stepping into the bath as well. The water was perfect, as he was a fan of the heat most people couldnt’ handle. Part of him liked the pain, he supposed. The giant tub, larger than it would have been in the real world, provided enough room for them, as long as they were comfortable with being wrapped up in one another, which they very much were.

“You could go out there like that, naked as the day you were born, an’ that might wake him up.” he said with a chuckle.

Melody waited for him to settle in and then moved to him. She put her back to his chest and settled between his legs, though she wisely reached behind herself to take hold of his manhood and make sure it was well out of the way before she did so; she left it sitting against her bottom. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes. “Maybe, but I think you’d have the same effect, darlin’. He’s probably never seen a real man.”

He chuckled, but didn’t say anything else on the subject. He rested his hand on her stomach, just below her left breast, and the two of them enjoyed the silence and company in the simple, comfortable setting. Eventually, they washed themselves, and were just as generous as always with giving each other a helping hand.

When they had stepped out of the tub, Andy pulled on fresh clothing, including a pair of faded jeans and a dark green Henley shirt which clung tight to his amazingly defined muscles. Pulling on one of Prentice’s cream-colored hats which he’d found on the rack, he turned to his companion.

“Let’s pull this family back together again after our..tragic loss.”

Melody had luck in finding some clothes for herself, a striking green blouse which she paired with a darker wash jean. Her holster belt went around her lithe waist, but she left her tattered hat off and instead pulled her hair back in a simple loose braid. She joined him by the door, gave him a quick kiss, and then walked out of the cabin with him. As they exited, the rest of the group seemed to catch on to what was happening and started to gather around where Andy and Melody had stopped. Eventually they were all there, there was a certain tension in the air, and no one seemed to want to speak up first.

The fire behind the group roared and crackled, adding a subtle natural soundtrack to the silence of the night. Andy didn’t rush to break the silence, but instead looked around at each face, his gaze resting at last on Cletus.

“It’s true what y’all heard. Bill, Prentice, Cooks, and Sunny didn’t make it back with us. We went ahead and collected quite a prize, but that don’t make it any easier. But now they’re gone, we need to pick a new leader.”

“I reckon it should be Jacob,” one of the older men spoke up and leaned on the porch of one of the nearby cabins. “Been ‘ere the longest.”

There were several murmurs of agreement, then another man spoke up. “Jacob’s never had the mind for planning’ though. Sorry, Jacob, you know that’s true.”

Cletus was looking between Andy and Melody as he stood there, the front of his pants was straining slightly. “Wh-what about Miss Gabriel?”

His eyes lingered on Melody, then shifted nervously over to Andy. Obviously what he had seen had left an impression, but he was a smart enough young man to be afraid of the much bigger man. The whole thing had a strange innocence about it, really.

Chuckling, Melody shook her head. “That’s sweet, Cletus, but not really for me. I reckon Mr. Slade would be the best choice. He’s got a good head for such things.”

It was always more interesting to see how things played out before having to apply pressure, so Andy listneed to the group speak, noting who spoke up and who didn’t. They were short good fighting men, and the options were slim. When Cletus, still at half mast, looked between them and suggested Melody, he smiled at her, finding he didn’t mind the idea at all. He put a hand on the small of her back.

“I reckon the two of us can make a team thing of it.” He found himself saying. “We fit together like two peas in a pod, and we know how to get the damn job done.”

He looked over at the group of six women who ranged from older women who had rode with the gang for years and younger ones that had just joined up for protection and adventure. Among them, Melody was the only woman that used her guns for anything but self defense. The rest of them cooked, cleaned, organized, conned, and provided man’s favorite entertainment. He smiled charmingly at them.

“What do y’all think, ladies?”

Lyra was rather surprised to hear Andrei say those words. Usually even in their play, he was the one who wanted to play leader with the exception of if she were showing him something new. She decided not to read too much into it even if she wanted to and just accepted it here.

The women had naturally gathered together and looked at each other for a moment; naturally, they were their own little community inside the larger one. They didn’t seem to need to speak to communicate their thoughts to each other and finally one of the older women looked back to Andy and Melody and spoke up.

“Could do with a woman’s touch around here with a man’s. We like Miss Gabriel.”

Melody chuckled softly and then looked up to Andy, her hand reaching out to touch his. “Well, what do ya say, darlin’? Shall we do this together?”

Andy nodded, his hand finding the white hat on his head and tipping it slightly. Somehow, it looked quite wrong on him, like a man wearing a bonnet.

“We shall.” He said to her, and then turned to the gang again. “The old gang keeps rollin’ on. It’s sad what happened to our friends, but we’re gonna keep up the tradition. There’s men to rob and cheat out here, and our train-ownin’ benefactor is going to be mighty sore at us, I reckon. Get some sleep. Ya might need it.”

He grabbed Melody’s hand and laced his fingers with hers shamelessly. Then, turning back to the cabin in the center of camp, they started back together.

“I could use a nap myself.” Melody chuckled as they walked back into the cabin together. She reached up to rub her shoulder slightly and let out a soft sigh. “Are we stayin’ here tonight, darlin’? I don’t mind.”

Andrei considered the question for a moment. He had been hesitant to leave this fantasy, not only because it was entertaining, especially with Lyra present, but also because it allowed him to escape the confines of his own real life and its real sorrows.

Andy smiled then as he closed the door behind him.

“That’d be mighty nice.”

“Then stay we shall.” Melody’s hand came up to remove his hat while the other arm wrapped around his shoulders. Her lips found his, and she kissed him once more.

END


]]> Wed, 15 May 2024 03:56:08 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/820 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/820
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Holodeck 1

ON


The pair made their way carefully along the top of the car and down the other side. Together they made their way through the subsequent cars, taking out the men who were desperately trying to stop them with relative ease. While they were never truly in danger on the holodeck, it wouldn’t have mattered. They were too fast and accurate for the hapless thugs hired to defend the train. Finally, they were standing two rooms before the engine - there was one room left and then the engine itself.

Melody finished picking the pockets of one of the men and came up with a shiny gold pocket watch which she offered to Andy with a smile.

“What’s the plan here, darlin’?”

“I figure we just see what’s behind door number eight.” Andy said, and pulled the door open. As soon as they walked through, a peel of loud gunfire sounded, causing both of them to jump in surprise. He leapt quickly, tackling Melody to the ground behind a pile of crates. Laying on top of her, he raised his brows. “Something big is behind door number eight.”

He then climbed off of her and leaned his head out just enough to see a Gatling gun at the end of the car manned by a thin man with a thick mustache.

“Well I do like big things but that ain’t exactly what I wanna get railed by, ya know?” Melody said and dusted herself off as she sat up. His tackle had surprised her and while understandable, she could still feel a stinging pain in her wrist and the side of her head from where she had landed. Absently as he leaned in to look through the door, she rubbed her hurt wrist with her other hand.

“Should we go up and over again?”

Andy shook his head, looking at her. He noticed her caring for her wrist and realized he had been a bit too rough with her. He scooted toward her and took her hand in his, kissing it himself and massaging it gently.

“Won’t work. The bastard’s got a full view of the car. One of us is gonna have to create a serious distraction so Old Fella don’t notice the other one creepin up on him.”

Lyra blinked as he took her hand and wondered for just a moment if it were Andrei or simply a gesture of Andy being a gentleman to a lady. She didn’t pull away, and a small smile threatened the corners of her lips. She focused herself though and looked once more at the door keeping them from their destination.

“Alright. Want me to distract ‘im, and you go after ‘im? I’m a smaller target, at the very least.” Melody offered and looked back to Andy.

“Yeah. Just don’t get that pretty head of yours shot off.” He said with a grin before lifting one of his large revolvers and backing against the crate.

It was Melody’s turn to give a grin and wink as she got down low and peered into the next room. She would have to move fast, but that was her strength. She could feel her adrenaline building up - they could lose themselves and commit to the fantasy so easily even though there was no real danger. Reaching down to her belt, she pulled out one of her bullets and then promptly threw it to one side of the next car where it clanged loudly against the metal chassis of the car. The man behind the Gatling gun turned himself and the gun toward the sound and Melody slipped from her position and moved forward a few stacks of crates before taking cover again seemingly unseen. Unlike those in the bar car earlier, these crates were solid and she couldn’t see through the slats in them; with some effort, she was able to get her eye on the gunman through a gap between the crates. She could see he was on edge; he wasn’t hardened to the life of the weapon he wielded.

She shifted and braced her hands against the crates above her head and began to push. When they didn’t move, she opted for the lower rows. Bracing her back against the crates behind her, she used one of her long, powerful legs to push on those in front of her with much more success. They inched forward, then suddenly she delivered a forceful kick that sent them toppling forward toward the man behind the gun. The loud crash and commotion scared the gunman and he immediately swung the Gatling gun around and opened fire where the crates had been. Melody had immediately hit the floor after pushing the crates over; she closed her eyes against the hail of splinters and chunks of wood flying at her as the crates were showered with bullets, but she didn’t try to cover herself in any way. It wasn’t like such a thing could stop the bullets.

When the man turned around toward the opposite wall after the thrown bullet had made an impact, he shifted quietly to the other side of the car, creeping with swift and impressive quietness for his side toward the center of the car. Finally, when the man turned with his gun and started raining hellfire down in Melody’s direction, he stood unnoticed and lifted his huge Russian. One bullet made an angry red hole in the man’s head, and then the sound and fury ended.

Andy walked back to the tatters of the wooden crate and extended a hand toward Melody.

“And here I was hopin’ you’d go the strip-tease distraction route.”

Melody hauled herself out of the debris with Andy’s help and once standing, immediately started dusting off and picking bits of wood out of her braided hair. “Ya know, I thought ‘bout it, but then I reckoned that might be a li’l too distraction’ afterward an’ we’re on a time crunch. I’ll happily strip for ya later if we get our prize.”

She seemed uninjured and flashed him a mischievous smile and waved a hand toward the wheel mounted gatling gun. “Reckon ya could put that to some fun use?”

There was enough room to maneuver it in the small space - the wheels would have let them move it between the cars if needed though it would have been cumbersome to say the least.

He considered her point about what might have happened should she risk taking off even a small amount of clothing near him and gave a half amused nod.

“Probably a good call.” He said, and put his hand on the gun before them. “It’s a big sum’bitch, but I can push it. What do ya think?”

He looked into her beautiful brown eyes, still lingering on the mental image of that strip tease. He was still here for her, he knew, though he hadn’t admitted it. If she wasn’t a factor, he would have stayed with his family, and no one would have been able to stop him. As soon as the thought entered his head, he pushed it away. Now was the time for diversions, like killing, and looking into her brown eyes.

“I ain’t got no doubt ya can. I’ll open the door an’ cover ya, darlin’.” She resisted the urge to reach up and touch his cheek as she usually would when he would look into her eyes like this. Even with the patch on - or with his emerald eye looking at her - she still remembered both silvery eyes without any trouble and more often than not, it was those eyes she saw.

“Ready?”

“Ready.” He said, his tone softer than before, and his accent growing weak. When she pushed the door open, he engaged his powerful muscles, pushing the gun quickly into the last car before they reached the train’s engine.

Before them stood six men with guns and mean faces. They were clearly lying in wait for them, planning to mount some last stand in strength against the unstoppable couple. They hadn’t expected a Gatling gun, and their expressions made that clear. They raised their guns as Andy started the process of bringing the large gun to a stop.

As promised, Melody lifted her guns and began firing on the men protecting the engine from the pair. They immediately ducked out of the way of her shots and any time one would try to maneuver to fire at them, Melody’s keen eyes would see them and they would go back down into hiding. It was a strange, entertaining game of sorts.

“Fixin’ to run out of bullets here soon, darlin’.” She warned Andy through gritted teeth.

“That’s okay. Reckon I’ve got enough for the both of us.” He said as the Gatling gun came to life. His visible eye lit up as he tore through boxes, crates, and men, causing a scene of power, wood, bones, and blood. He chuckled as one of the shotgun riders got mowed down by fire. After three had died, he stepped back and pulled out his revolvers again. “Yer turn, Miss Gabriel.”

“Aw, how sweet of ya to think of me.” Melody practically purred and moved to take his place behind the gatling gun which she raised and maneuvered. She opened fire on the other three two of which died with yelps and moans behind the boxes. The third tried to be brave and with a yell sprang up from behind his cover to try and shoot at Andy and Melody only for his head to suddenly explode in a shower of gore.

Melody giggled, sweet and sadistic.

Andy stepped around her, smiling and stepping through the carnage toward the other side of the car. The back wall was riddled with bullet holes, a monument to their work. He opened the door and the two of them started around the coal car. They reached the front in enough time to see one of their men wrestling with the train’s conductor near the coal furnace that powered the locomotive while the other members of their posse galloped along beside the train on horseback.

Melody scoffed as she saw one of their own men already here before them and actually seemed genuinely - though mildly - annoyed. Even though it was a simulation, their adventure had been physically tasking and she wanted the reward. “All that work, an’ someone else’s fixin’ to steal our glory.”

Andy crossed his strong arms over his chest. He too wasn’t pleased about the situation. The man was scrawny and young and, though the conductor was large and strong, his massive fat reserves made him a suitable target for almost anyone fast enough to challenge him. The men tousled for several seconds until the big conductor finally wrenched himself free of the bandit and got his huge hands on him. The man lifted him in an impressive feat of strength and threw him off the side of the train.

“You were sayin?” Andy asked with a grin.

“Oh good.” Melody grinned, her annoyance evaporating immediately. She looked at the conductor and then up to Andy. “Go ahead, darlin’. You know I love watchin’ you fight.”

Andy reached up and gave her cheek a gentle squeeze along with a calm, confident expression. If she wanted to watch him fight, he would oblige. The man in front of him was big, but so was he, and he was a trained and formidable warrior in every frontier.

He stepped up to the conductor with a smile.

“Hey, buddy, we need this thing.” He said, cool and with southern charm. “You should stop the train , else I’m gonna have to put my fist through that ugly head of yours. What’s it gone be?”

The conductor looked Andy up and down and then spit on the floor of the engine. “I’m fixin’ to throw ya out on them tracks an’ then break that li’l bitch of yours over my knee when I’m done with ya.”

He took up a fighting stance, grabbing a very large wrench nearby to use as a weapon.

“I was hopin’ you’d say something’ like that.” Andy said and charged forward, his fists bared. He struck the man in his gut hard, and when the man tried to swing the wrench he’d picked up, Andy intercepted his arm, grabbed the wrench, and overextended his arm until he released it. Andy backed up then, moving fast on his feet.

“Come on. Round two, Big Boy.”

Lyra watched the exchange with interest, her dark intelligent eyes following each of Andrei’s movements with ease. Of course she enjoyed watching him fight, that wasn’t a lie, but she also studied him carefully when he did. It informed her of his style, his strengths, and his weaknesses; it was valuable information. Him engaging in these fights also kept her from revealing her own skills.

As the conductor recovered and moved to square up again, Melody moved forward slowly. She wasn’t going to interfere in the fight - she was confident in Andy’s abilities - but if she could stop the train she was going to do it. The posse’s horses were likely practically dead by now.

The conductor prepared himself again and this time taking up the position of the aggressor. He moved with surprising speed given his bulk, and took a few jabs toward Andy’s face and followed it up with a hook. Obviously, the man had some sort of training as a boxer. After connecting with the younger man’s face, he positioned himself to assault Andy’s core with a series of brutal, fast punches.

Andy’s head jerked slightly with the first jab. The punch had grazed his temple, but he quickly compensated to avoid the rest. He was happy to see this man was going to be a bit of a challenge, but he wasn’t particularly interested in dragging this whole thing out. He ate the punches from the man directly to his gut. They had hurt, sure, but he had learned long ago the art of enduring pain. After the man had done his worst with his fists, Andy grinned and raised the wrench, smacking the man hard on the head. In a daze, and with a face full of shock, the large conductor looked at him with the first signs of serious traumatic brain injury.

“Hope you got your affairs in order, partner.” he said, and then prepared to strike the man again.

Melody moved to the front of the engine and placed her hands on the emergency brake lever. She waited, however, until Andy had delivered the final blow. Even over the sound of the train, she could hear the man making strange gasping and sputtering sounds, his body bobbed oddly from the catastrophic disruption to his nervous system.

Once he hit the floor and went still, she flashed a smile to her lover. “Brace yerself, darlin’.”

She grabbed and pulled back on the lever hard; it wasn’t meant to be an easy task to stop a train like this. Her muscles tensed, but her clothes hid all the definition that was surely showing underneath them. After a few seconds, the lever budged and pulled back. The sudden loud screech of the brakes locking set Melody’s teeth on edge, but the jerk of the abrupt stop barely phased her.

Andy took her advice as he watched the conductor collapse to the ground, blood pouring from his head wound. The killing had been brutal and simple, though Andrei was capable of much more finesse should the need arise. He did seem to derive excitement from doing things as simply as possible, though, so he had opted for that. As the train lurched and began to slow, he used his arms to hold himself in place and his attention went to the men on exhausted horses who were trotting gradually slower next to them. Once the train stopped with a hiss, he moved to the stairs and pulled himself down before standing by just in case Mel wanted to use him to get down. He knew she wouldn’t need it, however, and was already distracted by Bill O’Connor dismounting his horse.

“The hell took you two so goddamn long?” he asked with a bushy-eyed scowl.

“We was on vacation, boss.” Andy said in a calm voice. “But we made it right on time, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, you did.” Bill said, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Now the train is stopped, gentlemen…and lady. Let’s haul it back to the armored car and find what that bigshot Clarke Weston’s got to hide from honest folk like you an’ me.”

Melody had accepted Andy’s help again with the same reasoning she had when she had accepted his help while getting on her horse. When Bill wandered over, however, her attention went solely to him. She watched him like a predator, her dark eyes laser focused on the way his mouth moved and his mustache flopped around. She shifted her weight, antsy, and when he turned his back to look toward the armored car, her hand twitched at her side. She would have killed him right there, but this wasn’t for her. She broke her focus on the old man by blinking several times and instead looked up to Andy.

“Sure, Bill. Let’s go.” Andy said. He seemed perfectly calm with suffering the old gang leader’s insults and slights and walked along with the rest of the group. “What happened to Larry? That big conductor wasn’t playin’ no games with him when he pushed him off that engine.

“Larry broke his damn arm and he’s over there in the dirt cryin’ about it.” Bill said, pointing at the young man nursing his arm. “He did his work though. The hard part’s done. Now alls we got to do is use the dynamite to blow these doors, and the gettin’ll be good.”

The blonde haired man that had stayed with Bill the whole time looked over at Mel and fell in on the other side of her. He tipped his white hat and smiled at her.

“I saw you up there in that open car, Miss Gabriel. That was some mighty fine shootin’ you were doin’.”

“Well ain’t that kind of ya, Mr. Prentice.” Melody smiled at the sandy haired man in a charming way. “I’m mighty glad you’re alright. I know ridin’ next to a train ain’t easy.”

She walked with the group, her eyes shifting between Prentice and forward so she could watch where they were going. She was getting antsy to see their bounty and also to see Bill get exactly what he deserved for being the way that he was.

“It was purdy hard to keep up, yeah.” the man responded without even iota of suspicion she was insulting him. “But that’s alright. It’s the life we lead; the life we chose. Say, maybe you and I can get out of camp some time when we get back and do some huntin’ together. I could use some target practice, and it seems like you know what yer doin’.”

“Well now just bless yer heart, ain’t you sweet.” Melody all but cooed. Next to her, she could hear Andy stifling a laugh and wondered how long he would be successful - it seemed to be a struggle. “I’ll mull it over, but the things I like to hunt might be a mite too exotic for your taste.”

She smiled at Prentice then, charming and dark.

“Oh, I think I like exotic, Miss Gabriel.” Prentice said, hazarding a glance at her figure as he adjusted his hat again. He was a handsome man, but lacked charm and any wit more than low cunning and base jokes.

Andy coughed, but several chuckles escaped his mouth as he did so. Mr. Prentice frowned at him past Melody.

“Somethin’ funny over their, Slade?” he asked with an incredulous tone.

“No no, I’m just thinkin’ about this story I read once ‘bout this sheep that went huntin’ fer a wolf.”

“I don’t mean to go huntin’ wolves, Mr. Slade. She said exotic. Like a stag or somethin’ like that, right, Miss Gabriel?”

“Afraid of a li’l danger, Mr. Prentice?” Melody challenged, that grin growing more cruel. She started leaning her face closer to his, her dark eyes pinning his gaze. “Afraid you might… get… bit?”

Her face was just an inch or two away from his by the last word, and as soon as it left her mouth, she closed nearly all the remaining distance and snapped her teeth at him like she was going to bite him. When he startled backward, she pulled back and laughed. “Aw, hun.”

As Prentice disengaged from the conversation, the posse arrived at the armored car on the back of the train. Prentice and the other minor member remaining standing went over and started hooking up dynomite to the door. Bill, Andy, and Melody stood at a safe distance and started unspooling wire for the detonator. The box with a handle was relatively easy to set up, and it was done right around the time the other crew were finishing up placing the dynamite on the thick metal door.

“Bill, look at them over there. You think they know what they’re doin’?” Andy asked, an annoyed tone in his voice.

“Prentice has done it before. He’s probably fine.” Bill said with a wave of his hand. Just as he finished his response, one of the sticks of dynamite fell off the door. Bill noticed and frowned. “Eh..I’d better double check.”

The man walked toward the other men waving his arms and barking orders Andy didn’t listen to.

“How’s it lookin’?!” Andy called over the distance.

“They got it! You did it right, you morons. Now let’s get in here!”

“You heard the man, Mel. It’s time.” Andy said, gesturing toward the plunging-handle detonator. With the rest of the posse right in front of the door, it would not be an opportune moment to set things in motion as far as they were concerned. Andy’s calm smile said nothing to the rest of the world, but everything to her.

“Took em long enough. Slow bastards.” Melody scoffed and then reached out to place her hand on the plunger. Before she pushed down though, she paused and reached out for Andy’s hand with her other one, then placed it over the one on the handle leaving it sandwiched between her feminine hands.

“Together, darlin’.” She gave him a sweet smile and then pushed their stack of hands down together, her eyes going over toward the train and the rest of their posse there. The distance exploded in a ball of fire coupled by a spray of dirt, metal, and gore of the men closest to the dynamite.

“Oh. Whoops.” She deadpanned.

“Damn, I guess we shoulda waited.” Andy said, standing up and starting over to the now open door. As they stepped through metal, blood, and guts, he pulled himself up into the car and looked back to help her. “Wait till the rest of the group hears about it.”

“They’ll prob’ly be thankful. No one liked Bill an’ Prentice was as dumb as a bag of rocks and somehow slightly less useful.” Melody pointed out as she took his hand and pulled herself up into the car with him. Some of the containers were damaged from the blast, but most of them had been made to be heavy duty. With a quick look around, she found the bolt cutters underneath a pile of debris and pulled them out. She offered them to Andy with a smile.

“Here, darlin’, let’s pop open one of these crates an’ see what we got.”

The crates on the near side of the room were obviously more important than the ones in the other cars, but Andy’s eyes drifted to the rest of the car which had bookshelves, red couches, and a cherry wood desk in the middle of the room with a legal lamp on it.

“I reckon we should start over there. If I had somethin’ shiny or some sort of important papers, I’d stow ‘em in my fancy desk or my big safe.” Andy said, and started over to the desk. It was nearly appointed with a lone folder on top. He opened it and saw a bunch of insignificant documents. Without bothering to close it, he switched to opening the drawers instead.

Melody hopped up on the other side of the desk and leaned over while Andy began to open the drawers. Her keen eyes scanned each one, and in the second drawer on the second side, she saw something wedged in a corner of it under some papers.

“Ooo, what’s that?” She asked but had already reached down and snatched the bag before she had even finished the question. It was a small brown velvet drawstring pouch that had some weight to it. She opened it and carefully shook out some of the contents into her cupped palm. Spilling out there were small, perfectly shaped diamonds.

“Well would ya lookie here.”

“I love the rich.” Andy said with a smile, and then pulled out a stack of rectangular statements. He leaned through them quickly and smiled. “We got some bearer bonds here. They’ve got to be worth at least $15,000. And considering the untimely death of some of our..unfortunate comrades, the group is smaller than before, and almost all the big wigs are dead.”

He opened a drawer on the other side and immediately found a deed, pulling it out, he smiled and showed it to Melody.

“Looks like he’s got some obscure farming property in the country with crops and renters. We might be able to scare up somethin’ related to that, or scare off somethin’.”

Melody took the deed and looked it over. “Sounds like a good retirement plan.”

She slid the diamonds back into their pouch and put that in her own pocket - whether it was for safekeeping or because she decided they were hers wasn’t clear. Moving off the desk, she grabbed the bolt cutters and moved over to one of the heavier crates, a long rectangular one sitting stacked on top of two others like it. The cutters made quick work of the lock which she tossed aside and then opened the top.

“Oh, darlin’. I think ya will like this.” She grinned and motioned him over. Inside of the box there had to be nearly a hundred rifles neatly packed in and polished to perfection. Picking one up, she moved it around in her hands and inspected it.

“How much does one of these sell for anyway?”

Andy whistled and looked at the rifle she was holding. Placing his hand on the stock, he lifted an eyebrow. His love of weapons meant he had the answer right away.

“Bout forty dollars on a bad day. You thinkin’ of sellin’ ‘em? If so, don’t know how we’re gonna get ‘em outta here. We kinda killed our muscle, Mel.”

Melody put the rifle back and then waved a hand at his concern. “Nothin’ to it, darlin. We still got horses an’ while we were movin’ through I saw some things still in wheel carts for easy movin’. We might not be able to take ‘em all, but we can take enough.”

“We can try if ya want it, Mel, but the law will be here soon. You can’t exactly stop a train without somebody takin’ note for too long.” He said, taking one of the rifles and putting it on his back. “So let’s do it if we’re doin’ it.”

She resisted making a face at his comment and promptly turned to hop out of the car. “You gather up whatever ya want then. I’ll go an’ get the cart an’ the horses.”

It would have been faster for them both to work on it of course - or even if Andy were to do it himself - but since it was her idea she was going to go and do it. Traveling a couple of cars back, she entered the car from the end and then opened the cargo door. Finding one of the carts, she began to unload what was in it as quickly as possible.

Back in the armored car, Andy loaded the valuables from the desk and the safe into one of the empty crates and prepared some of the others for transport. He sealed each of them one at a time, and finished just as Mel was arriving with the cart. He lifted the first heavy crate and carried it over to her.

“Damn, these things are heavy.” He said before sitting the box down gently in the cart.

“Good thing you got those big muscles.” Melody replied and pulled a couple lengths of rope from the back of the cart then walked off to retrieve the horses. Walking back with three of them, she began to hook one of them up to the cart by crafting a makeshift harness through knotting and looping the rope around the horse itself as well as the cart. She did this with ease as if it were something she had done before.

Andrei paused to watch her perform the task, his eyebrow raising in curiosity. It was an odd skill for a woman like Lyra to have, and he was wondering why she would have had occasion to learn it on Luna. He decided he would try to learn where she’d gotten that skill later, and turned back to the armored car.

Andy picked up several more crates and brought them over one at a time until all the ones they were taking were on the cart. He walked around to Melody when he was done.

“That’s all of it. Found some gold bars in the safe too that we should be able to exchange for money. Damn shame Bill couldn’t make it to our first big find in years, huh?”

“Yes… very sad. Anyways,” she grinned at him, “time to git outta here before the lawmen show up.”

She moved to the two free horses and then looked back to Andy. “Help me up?”

He smiled, walked over, and assisted her in stepping up. He wasn’t stupid, and he knew she could do so without him, but it certainly wasn’t about that in the end. Walking over to the other side, he climbed up as well, and then they were off, riding into the setting sun.

After a long while of riding in a roundabout route to throw off any hope of tracking them, Andy and Melody finally found themselves breaking through the trees and their “camp” coming into view. It was an area filled with a handful of log cabins and one barn that seemed to be shared. Though a bit run down, everything was still in relatively good condition despite being likely near a century old and with repairs and additions had become quite a cozy little living area for the group. There were a few people milling about, and as Andy and Melody made an appearance, a young man with a rifle sprang up from one of the chairs under the awning of one of the cabins and charged forward with his weapon raised.

“Stop right there!” He demanded.

“Calm down, ya shit head. It’s us!” Andy called out, waving his hand dismissively at the man. The cart and its horses continued forward undeterred and rested near the cabin in the center of the town. Andy stepped down, his large arms folding as the man with the shotgun approached like he was on a mission with a question primed on his lips. “Get these boxes inside.”

“Where’s Bill’n the rest of them?” The question came anyways.

Melody slid off her horse and gave a few gentle pats to its neck. She was tired and sore and ready to go inside and relax, but they had to make it convincing.

“There was an accident.” She practically mewled and seemed genuinely distraught. “Oh it was awful.”

She stepped closer to the man that had posed the question with a frown on her beautiful face and teary eyes. “Bill was puffin’ on one of his cigars and went up to check on the dynamite ‘cause Prentice an’ the rest were havin’ some trouble. Well, the damn fool dropped the cigar an’…”

She drifted off and looked away and down dramatically.

“Boom.” Andy said with an unshaken expression as he put his arm around Mel as she appeared to be beside herself. “You shoulda seen it, Cletus. It was terrible. Blood, guts an’ ass all over the fuckin’ ground.”

“Well shit.” Cletus frowned and slung his gun over his shoulder.

Melody sighed and leaned into Andy. “Anyways, if y’all could handle the boxes we’d be grateful. I wanna go inside.”

“Yeah, alright Miss Gabriel.” Cletus nodded and then looked around, motioning some of the other men over. “We’ll take care of it for ya.”

“After while, we’re gonna have to pick a new leader, ain’t we, Cletus?” Andy asked, his face neutral and perfectly calm still. His visible eye had a haunting glow. “Bill can’t exactly boss us around no more. Who do ya think it should be?”

“Oh I ‘unno.” Cletus shrugged. “We’ll get everyone t’gether later and talk about it. Get some rest, y’all earned it after all.”

Melody eyed Cletus and then gently squeezed Andy’s arm before walking toward the cabin. “Hope ya got an idea by tonight, Cletus… and a good one.”

She then moved inside and looked around. It was quaint but cozy with a fire burning and a steaming bath drawn already in the wooden tub; it was a nice touch.

He moved in with her, taking his hat off and placing it on the rack as he entered. The cabin was certainly cozy, and a fair bit bigger than the other ones. He approached her and wrapped his arms around her middle.

“I don’t reckon Bill will mind if we move in. And I’ll send a message ‘bout who’s in charge around here now.”

“Mmm… good.” Melody reached up to take off her own hat and tossed it back to the rack by the front; she landed the shot easily. She truly enjoyed the simple feeling of his arms wrapped around her, it made her feel both safe and wanted. Perhaps she was putting too much into those feelings, but she found it hard not to.

“I want to get cleaned up.” She squeezed his arms gently to get him to release her and reached down to pull off her boots so she could begin the process of stripping off her clothes.

Andy watched her as she started taking off her clothes, his own hands moving to pull off the black jacket he was wearing and to place it on the rack as well.


“Oh, that diversion I was hopin’ for earlier.” He said with a grin. It was a joke more than anything, and he wasn’t trying to necessarily initiate anything. He would be perfectly happy with washing together. He started unbuttoning her shirt for her gently. “That was some fine shootin’ out there today.”

“Oh right.” She chuckled and reached up to grab his hands and stop him from continuing. “I almost forgot about that.”


TBC]]> Wed, 15 May 2024 03:55:05 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/819 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/819
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - XO's Quarters; Holodeck 1

Patience was surprisingly one of Lyra’s most prominent strengths; she could sit calmly and wait for long periods with a focused mind without getting distracted or losing herself to boredom or worse. It was a fundamental part of maintaining control, the virtue her whole life had revolved around for so many years. Right now though she found herself struggling, and after a bit of reflection she knew why.

Andrei had gone to bid farewell to his family down on the planet. He’d worn an EV suit, and while of course Lyra wasn’t a fan of the risk, she hadn’t said a word because she knew she would have done the same in his position. This left her in the position of waiting and she was listless she found solely for the fact she knew her beloved was going to return to her in pain. Part of her hated the fact that she was having that reaction, but it was soundly bested by that same worry it hated. She had channeled the nervous energy into sharpening the tips of her spears and when she was done with that, she had taken several meandering laps around the living area.

Eventually, she had gone into the bedroom and changed into her dark red, lace trimmed silk chemise and its matching robe then went to the replicator to command a pot of tea into existence. She brought it as well as two empty glasses in podstakanniks over to place on the coffee table in case he might be interested in something calming, then walked over to the alcohol cabinet to make sure his favorites were pulled to the front in case he would prefer that.

Finally out of things to do, she moved over to the couch and stretched out onto it, pulling her throw blanket down on herself and picking up her book from the side table to continue reading.

The goodbyes had been surreal. Andrei, along with a few other crew, traveled down to the planet to bid farewell to the Ill-fated Away Team. He had actually spent most of the time inspecting the complex that had been built for them in the clearing and actively avoiding conversation with people; particularly his family. He knew he would have to put them behind him, so there was no point in belaboring the change. He dealt with things head first, and he aimed for results. But what could he do about this?

It was only when Mila basically forced herself into a hug with him and then attached herself to his side during his inspection that Andrei had softened to the point of being tolerable. He said goodbye to his mother and father as well; they hugged, kissed, and shared meaningful words, and he kept his composure. Then, he returned to the ship and removed his EV suit and kept his composure. Now, as he arrived in his quarters, he made a b-line for the bedroom. He noticed Lyra there, of course, looking as beautiful and available as he could possibly want her to be. A part of him, the smallest, meekest part, wanted to rush into her arms and cry, but the strong part wouldn’t allow it.

“Hey.” He said curtly, and then walked straight past her into the bedroom. It was mean. He knew she was literally there for him. But he didn’t have time for that. He couldn’t have time for that.

She wasn’t surprised nor upset when he simply walked past her. Truthfully, she would have been more surprised had he actually come to her, but she had wanted to be ready in case it had happened. She got up from the couch and followed after him immediately into the room where the Moscow skyline was still displayed on the windows. She moved to him and placed a hand gently on his arm.

“Would you like some tea or a drink?”

“Yes, tea, please.” He said, unemotional but still polite. He didn’t seem angry or upset in the slightest, but, actually, was just rather cold. He made no attempt to turn to her or to give her the inviting expression he typically would, but just stripped off his uniform jacket and shirt and slid out of his uniform boots.

He removed his pants next and placed each of these items neatly in the laundry bin, which closed once he was finished. The boots themselves would need to be polished; they had Earth from Gamma Eridine II in the treads. He grabbed a cloth and polish, and then retreated into the bathroom silently to wet a rag.

Lyra moved back into the living area to gather up the pot of tea and glasses and walked back to the bedroom with them, setting them up on the dresser and pouring cups for both of them while Andrei was in the bathroom. This was, unfortunately, what she expected. She wasn’t sure if he didn’t trust her enough to be vulnerable or if he was simply afraid to be, but she found herself wishing he would let her in just a little so she could take care of him like he had for her a couple of weeks ago.

Andrei returned with the rag and sat on the bed. Pulling one of the boots onto his bare leg, he started to clear out the mud and dried dirt caked onto the bottom and along the top surface and then quickly picked up the other one. None of it was foreign or slow, and it was pretty clear he polished and cleaned his shoes daily. Since his mother and sister had gone into the stasis pods four weeks ago, he had spent more time doing mundane tasks around his quarters, making things perfectly tidy and presentable.

“Flaulkner wants to leave right away.” He said evenly without looking up. He sprayed polish into a cloth and started buffing one of the boots.

“Those were the orders.” Lya replied and placed his tea on the nightstand near him then moved to get in bed behind him. She lay on her side and propped her head up on her hand, lightly pressing against his hips and back but not doing much more.

“And, of course, we should follow those orders,” he said, completing one boot and picking up the other. “Even though it involves leaving the Captain and all of the other colonists on the planet.”

There was a twinge of anger in that, but he seemed to give it no time or energy.

“Even though it means abandoning sixteen of our people on the planet, a Galaxy away from home.”

She didn’t respond verbally - nothing she could say would make it better right then for him. Instead she reached out with her free hand and placed it on his hip, grabbing him there gently but not interfering with what he was doing. It was best to just let him process how he needed to.

“No one knows her. No one respects her, but we’re going to follow her away from…” he paused and stood, moving to the closet and placing his boots neatly on the shelf designated for them. After putting away the supplies, he turned around and looked at her. “They deserve better than for us to turn our backs on them like this. We owe them more than that.”

Lyra remained where she was laying and watched Andrei, her dark eyes moving up to meet his gaze. “They do,” she agreed but continued immediately, “but your father commanded that we leave for the good of the rest of our people.”

She sat up and walked over toward him finally, reaching out to touch his wrist. “We were getting nowhere on a treatment sitting here in orbit for them, Andrei. Perhaps in leaving we might find another way to help them.”

Andrei’s neutral expression turned, only slightly, into a frown. He didn’t tense at her touch, back away, or push.

“We aren’t leaving to look for another way to help them. We’re leaving to abandon them, and we’re avoiding the only solution which we know will work, and that’s to talk to the Vidians.” He argued, looking into her dark eyes. “They aren’t even safe down there if the Vidians or almost anyone else discovers they’re there. There could be sixteen revenge killings a few days after we leave.”

“They do have the sensor dampeners and an arsenal of weapons. Six of those officers are trained security officers, and they are all Terran.” She spoke gently to him, her hand moving from his wrist to his hip and her eyes remaining steady. “I know those were your father’s orders, but certainly we can make Annalise see reason.”

“She’s a girl scout.” Andrei said with a frown full of contempt. “He picked her specifically because she’d do whatever he said.”

Even though he hadn’t softened, he certainly hadn’t opposed her getting closer, nor did he seem upset to the point of total irrationality. Rather, he seemed unaware she was touching him on a certain level, so distracted was he by his thoughts.

“I’m fed up with this fucking situation already. I’ll have to hold her hand all the way to figuring out we should probably go back for our fucking people. It’s not fair to leave them here.”

“We’ll find a cure, Andrei, and we will go back. If we have to hold her hand to get there, so be it. If I have to grab her by her pretty hair and drag her through the mud to get there, I’ll do that too.” She lifted her other hand and gently touched his cheek. “We will go back, darling, I promise, but we can’t go back empty handed.”

He looked at her then and smiled, seeming to like the idea of physicalizing his irritation. Instead of commenting on it, however, his hands made contact with her waist.

“We’ll need to contact the Vidiians, and that won’t be easy to do without rearranging some of Faulkner’s ..convictions.”

Lyra was glad to see him finally smile and she returned it with a small one of her own. “We will do what we have to. Perhaps she will prove reasonable in the end, but I won’t be counting on that.”

“We’ll do what we have to do.” He said, looking in her eyes. Since he was wearing his patch, she could only see one. “Almost everyone agrees we can’t just leave them behind, regardless of my father’s orders.”

She moved her hand from his cheek to his shoulder, but maintained her eye contact with him. “I know. We’ve already lost so many people that losing this many so soon just isn’t acceptable. We’ll get them back. It will take time from our journey, but the time is more than worth it.”

He seemed to relax more, and the tension gradually left his body. Lyra was on his team in this, at least, and that helped him a lot. He would need that loyalty to propel him into what might have to happen next. He cleared his throat.

“Come on, we’re going to go kill something.”

Lyra smiled and squeezed his hip gently. “Let me change.”

She stepped from him and slid out of the robe and then pulled off the nightgown, leaving her naked outside of the red panties she was wearing. “Where are we going, darling?”

Andrei looked down at her breasts and stared then, finding in himself the urge to make her feel good, since he couldn’t do it for himself. He drilled himself, however. He was sure they would have time for that later.

“American Southwest, late 1800s. Wear something fit for horseback riding.” He said, and then turned, but before he was gone, he turned around again. “ And…make it easy to take off.”

With that, he turned again and walked briskly into the bathroom.

Lyra smirked after him, but when he was out of sight it faded. She knew he was hurting under everything and she wished he felt comfortable enough to put it into words. There was no point in forcing the issue or trying to press him like he had pressed her about her father; she acquiesced to it, he would not. Seeing as she didn’t have anything even remotely appropriate for the setting, she wandered back out into the living area and to the replicator.

After a few moments, she was dressed and pulling on her boots. She was dressed in a cream colored cotton long sleeved shirt and dark denim trousers over which sat a pair of dark brown leather chaps that hugged her long, toned legs like a dream and would surely accentuate her magnificent backside when she stood. Around her waist was a corset style belt that feminized the look a bit more, and on the couch next to her was a black jacket that would likely do the same when it was on. Her hair was pulled back in a long braid and she had a red bandana around her neck.

“I’m ready.” She said on hearing Andrei walk out but wasn’t looking up at him.

Andrei emerged from the bedroom in graying denim pants, knee high black boots, a black belt with an ovular silver belt buckle with the face of a grizzly bear roaring. His white button up was covered by an olive vest and a black overcoat with silver buttons. On top of his head was a wide-brim hat which was low enough to hide his eyes when he looked down.

He looked Lyra over and nodded.

“Have you ever shot a gun before?” He asked, knowing it wasn’t a common experience anymore.

“Not since the Academy and only once.” Lyra stood and pulled on the jacket which was longer and was cut for a woman with the back being longer to give almost a skirt like illusion. She picked up her own hat, simple black leather, and put it on her head.

“Well, this should be an entertaining challenge for you then. My father used to take me hunting when I was a teenager, so I have a bit of experience. That, and the holodeck.” He said, placing a hand on her back. “You look good, by the way.”

Lyra grinned and pressed closer to him. “Aw, why thank you, sir.”

The voice which she used was sweet, girlish, and sounded like it was from a person straight out of Texas with the drawl, intonation, and rhotic end when she addressed him.

“”Ma’am.” He said in an accent which more resembled that of southern Alabama. As he said it, he tipped his hat and gestured toward the door. “Now, you go on ahead. That way, I can watch you.”

He winked at her. He then pulled a black leather eyepatch down over his emerald bionic eye.

Chuckling, Lyra did as he bid and walked out of the door. She looked great in lace, but leather wasn’t too damn bad either.

The two of them departed the quarters they had come to share almost every evening and traveled together down the corridor. Seeing people in costume wasn’t terribly unusual, as many people frequented the holodeck in order to distract or entertain themselves. These two, however, drew more eyes. Andrei in his dangerous attire and Lyra with her fantastic legs caused multiple double takes.

After exiting the turbo lift, Andrei looked up at the display and shook his head. It was in use.

“Who the hells is in there?” He asked, seeming genuinely offended that someone would dare be in the holodeck using their scheduled time when he wanted it.

“I don’t know. We can go check the other one.” She paused and then leaned in closer to him in a conspiratorial way. “Or we can go see what this person is doing.”

He reached forward and touched the wall panel, inputting his access code in order to override the privacy settings. As soon as he was done, the large doors slid open slowly, revealing the interior of a standard log cabin. The two of them stepped inside, dressed for a rather similar environment, but no one sat in the main room. A roaring fireplace greeted them along with silence and the cíntate lightbulbs from the kitchen.

“Someone’s doing something embarrassing in here, I know it.” Andrei said under his breath.

“Mm…” Lyra hummed an agreement, taking a few steps and looking for any hints of what might be going on in the program. “It’s either a date or they are playing a serial killer.”

“Well, maybe we should check the bedroom first then. And, if not that, the basement.” Andrei said, walking over to the bedroom door and twisting the knob. Unabashedly, he pushed it open.

As he pushed the door open, he was immediately greeted by the sight of three naked blonde women on a bed. They all seemed identical with pretty faces but comically large breasts and butts. On top of their voluminous gold locks was a pair of white cat ears, around their necks were pale pink pet collars, and around their waists they all wore a thin pale pink leather belt with a white cat tail dangling from it. Under the women was a man sitting on the bed also naked, but with how the women were positioned they couldn’t see his face. Cans of whipped cream were in two of the triplets' hands and the whole group was giggling as they sprayed on liberal dollops to be licked or sucked off of various body parts.

“Hm.” Lyra folded her arms over her chest and looked at the scene before her.

Andrei gaped at the scene before him, a mixture of disgust and amusement on his face. For an instant, it seemed, he was truly distracted from the pain he felt about his family. He pulled his head back, but kept silent instead of laughing out loud. He didn’t want to ruin the moment, but looked at Lyra and smiled.

“Room for two more?” he said with a decisive and amused voice. “They say my tail is in the front though, so I hope that’s not a problem.”

There was a sudden yelp from the bed and two of the blondes went flying backward nearly off of the bed. The man grabbed a pillow and immediately brought it down over his hips to hide himself while the third blonde moved out of the way.

“What the fu- oh gods.” He had been angry at first, but all that anger and color drained immediately from his face on seeing Andrei and Lyra standing there.

“I ah… s-sirs I…” He struggled. His expression and body language very much communicated he wished he could just disappear.

Lyra moved into the room and as soon as she did so one of the triplets moved over to her and put her hand on Lyra’s hip. Obviously, they were programmed to be receptive to any participant without question.

“This is… something.” Lyra remarked.

Andrei started laughing, loud and hard, doubling over and bracing himself on his knees for stability at one point. The amusement continued for the space of half a minute before it started to subside.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” He asked, fighting to get a breath and starting to laugh again. “Laying on a bed in a wooden cabin, while huge-breasted cat women eat whipped cream off your tiny pink sausage? So fucking pathetic!”

“I-I just…” The man continued to sputter, looking between the laughing Andrei and the more stoic Lyra as if he weren’t actually sure which reaction to be more concerned about. “It’s just for fun! It is my scheduled time.”

“Sure sure, who cares.” Andrei said, his laughter slowly drying up again. “Now get the fuck out. We have plans.”

When he said that, his unpatched eye reached those of the man’s and communicated there would be no refusal of that command.

“Just let me get my clothes…” The man said and hesitated as if he were hoping they would turn away.

“Computer, arch.” Lyra called and then bent down, scooping up what appeared to be his pile of clothes and then immediately tossed them outside. “There you go. Right out there.”

The man hesitated and finally shifted off of the bed, holding the pillow in front of him for as long as he could and then made a dive for his clothes out in the corridor. As the door closed, the triplets advanced on Andrei with a hungry look in their eyes.

Andrei looked at the women with the interest any man would feel for them. Truth be told, he could hardly blame the guy. The holodeck allowed a man to explore all of his fantasies. But he hadn’t ever needed them; he could make those happen in real life.

“Easy, ladies.” He said with a smile toward Lyra. “Computer, load program Andrei-delta-554 and reset the story to the beginning.”

The triplets disappeared and, a split second after, so did the cabin itself, replaced by a blank white background with a series of items standing around for pre-selection. Andrei pointed to their left at an expansive cabinet.

“Weapons and, over there, horses.” He said, then pointing to their right. “Once we make our selections, we can get started. I don’t think you’ll find any big breasted triplets in this program, but keep a lookout.”

Lyra simply shook her head, clearly still amused by the whole thing. “Maybe they'll be wearing horse tails and ears this time to be more thematically appropriate.”

Walking over to the wall of weapons, she looked over the various firearms while crossing her arms over her chest. “What would you suggest for the inexperienced, darling?”

The question wasn’t something he really had to think about, but he knew the best one for her right away. He picked up the gun on the bottom left and handed it to her, delivering the heavy metal and wood into her hands.

“The Colt Single-Action Army Revolver, also known as the Peacemaker. The quintessential western gun. Feel free to customize the appearance, if you’d like.” He said, and then turned to the display and pulled two larger polish silver “Russian” revolvers. They were large with dark wood handles.

Lyra took the revolver and inspected it. The one she had fired before had been something similar to this - perhaps even the same one, she couldn’t really remember. She put it down long enough to take one of the double holster belts down from the display and wrapped it around herself, then slid one revolver into each holster. She wouldn’t bother customizing them this time since she thought it would be best to get to the distraction sooner rather than later.

He then went to the rack with shotguns and rifles, picking up two Oliver Winchesters, handing her one and throwing the other over his shoulder.

“This is the gun that won the west. It’s the first repeater ever made; an absolute classic.”

Lyra took the rifle with a smile and inspected it closely. She ran her hand over the barrel as if to inspect the quality, but of course it was only the finest. “There’s a certain charm in its simplicity.”

“These people knew a life more simple than we’ve ever seen. Hard work, grit, and danger Were their bread and butter, or were at least where they got their bread and butter. They fought hunger, disease, and outlaws to make new lives for themselves.” He said, as he turned to a collection of horses standing in near, artificial rows. Grabbing a saddle, he placed it on the back of a huge black beast and started strapping it up. “It relaxes me to escape to the simpler life sometimes. And it’s fun to shoot something that makes the people go ‘pop’ for a change.”

Instead of moving to a horse immediately, she walked over to Andrei and kissed his neck. “I know you like to relax like this, darling. I enjoy it too and I’m looking forward to trying this with you.”

She gave a gentle squeeze to his hip and then moved over the line of horses and finally settled on a dark dapple gray which she began to saddle herself with. “So are we playing the outlaws?”

“Of course we are.” Andrei said with a smile as he finished attaching his saddle and turned to her. “We’ll be minor members of a gang in West Texas. I think the first storyline has us robbing the armored car of a train for business documents and money.”

“Sounds like fun.” She smiled again and finished up quickly with her horse. As she slid the rifle into the saddle holster, she spoke again. “Ready when you are, darling.”

“The last thing is the name. I can have the computer generate something for you or you can choose yourself. Whatever you prefer.” He said, stepping up next to her and putting a hand on her back.

“I don’t even know what would be appropriate for the time period, really.” She admitted, naturally shifting a bit closer to him in response to his touch. “What do you use?”

He tipped his hat and grinned at her, looking right in her dark eyes.

“Names Andy Slade, ma’am.” He said smoothly in the same accent he had used in his quarters earlier. He figured she was smart enough to see the pattern, so he didn’t explain any further.

Lyra grinned a devious grin immediately and her arms snaked around his shoulders. “See, honey, I knew I’d get t’call you Andy eventually.”

She spoke with her own accent coming through again and considered something as she looked at his face. “Melody Gabriel at your service, then.”

“Oh, Miss Gabriel. You get more beautiful every time I see you.” He said, and leaned in to give her a kiss on the lips.

Lyra giggled softly and reached up to her hat, tilting it back slightly so it wouldn’t interfere when she kissed him back. “And yer handsome as ever, Mr. Slade.”

When they pulled back, she gave him another warm, loving smile and nod.

“Computer, begin program.” He ordered, and the stark white background which had been presented to them, disappeared, replaced by a grassy hill overlooking a valley full of sand and small amounts of stone and dust. The two of them stood beside their horses with four other men.

“Alright, folks. The train’ll be here any minute now.” Came the gruff voice of a man with a huge salt and pepper mustache and a wide tan hat. He had small, severe eyes the shade of coal, and he looked them over with harsh judgement. “I want absolutely no fuck ups, y’understand? If yer gonna ride with Bill O’Connell, you better shoot true and ride straight.”

“Don’t worry about it, Bill.” Came the reply of another man with a wide face and dirty blonde hair. “We ain’t gonna fail ya. Clarke Weston’s train is as good as ours along with all the money he’s got in there.

“It ain’t just about the money, goddamnit!” Bill declared loudly. “He’s got papers in there. Papers that probably…mean something important to his accountants. We’re gonna make use of those documents to make us even more money.”

Andy rolled his eyes and smirked at the sudden display of base, concrete stupidity from one of the most dangerous men in the west. Bill seemed to catch the expression and approached slowly, his dark eyes meeting his uncovered cold silver one.

“Somethin’ funny, Slade?”

“The hell’r you talkin’ about, Bill?” Andy said, his smile fading to a neutral and tough expression. He had about fifty pounds on the gang leader, and liked twice as deadly.

“I’m talking’ about you turnin’ yer nose up at my plan. You..” Bill said, stepping up to Melody and standing in her space threateningly, looking down at her, though she wasn’t much shorter than him. “And yer pretty little bed warmer over here.”

Lyra wasn’t threatened in the slightest by the man encroaching in her space. It wasn’t simply because he was a hologram, it just wasn’t an act that held any intimidating sway over her. She met the man’s eyes with her typical cool, dark gaze. “This lil’ bed warmer kin shoot straighter an’ truer than any one of y’all bootlickers. Now what’s the plan?”

Bill licked his chops, his eyes remaining on hers, an obvious disdain resting in them. Next to him, Andy crowded in, a silent protection of Melody, should she need it.

“Plan is we ride down the train and take out the shotgun riders they have protecting the damn thing.” He started, but didn’t move from his position or change the object of his focus. “Once we can get some people on the train we will, and we’ll take out everybody who stands in our way. Once we can stop the damn thing, we’re gonna use dynamite to blow the door off the armored car. The rest should be obvious, even to you, Miss Gabriel.”

With that, the gang leader turned back to Andy.

“Is that alright with you, Slade?”

“Just followin’ the master, Bill.” He said without a smile, watching the irritated man turn away. He eyed Melody then and rolled his visible eye.

She resisted rolling her eyes at the clearly inept leader and instead let her gaze move over to the edge of the hill they were standing on. It was tempting, but she would behave and play the program how Andrei wanted to. This was for him after all. She crossed her arms where she stood and looked at the rest of their posse with passing interest.

“How many riders do they got?”

“We don’t know, Mel. Clarke Weston likes to change it up a lot; keep his enemies guessing’.” Said the dirty blonde man. “We’re going to have to improvise.”

“Of course we are.” Andy said.

Before Bill could respond to Andy’s tone, he narrowed his already narrow eyes at something far away.

“There she comes!” He said. “Mount up and follow me!”

As Bill moved away, Melody’s eyes shifted up to her lover, her brows lifted in question of what they themselves were doing - following the plan, or making this their own.

Andy gave her a smile but little more than that before pulling himself up onto his huge black stallion and stepping the horse beside her own. If she needed help, he was right there to offer it.

“Get up on your damn horse, girl! We gotta go!” Bill barked from atop his white mount.

Though she didn’t need it in the slightest, Melody accepted Andy’s hand to get on her horse. She didn’t care if it made her look weak, the others were holograms and men liked to help; she wanted Andrei to have even the slightest blip of satisfaction from doing so. She settled in the saddle immediately and grabbed hold of the reins, setting her horse in motion only after Andy had gotten started himself.

The posse loped around the hill, kicking up a cloud of dry earth, and went down into the valley. Bill was at the head of the group followed by sandy-haired Prentice and the two other men. Andy and Melody pulled up the rear. They drove toward the train, giving it a wide berth until they passed the armored car at the rear. The peel of gunfire indicated one of the shotgun riders had spotted them.

“O’Connel crew, GIVE THEM HELL!” Bill shouted, and started firing his shotgun at the nearest rider.

“Weeeee hooo!” Andy said with a grin, securing himself in his horse with strong legs and drawing his huge Russians. He fired one after the other, hitting his marks or nearly hitting them and proving to be a rather effective marksman.

Lyra let out a whoop of her own and drew her guns, opening fire herself. The first two shots were a bit rough and wide, but she adjusted quickly and one would have never guessed she didn’t have experience with the firearms she held; they all had the same basic principles. She steered her horse closer to the train, looking to see if there was a plausible way to get on. As she moved near one of the windows, she saw the barrel of one of the shotguns come out just ahead of her and holstered her guns quickly. Urging her horse up faster, she grabbed hold of it and yanked, pulling the man out of the window through sheer force while retaining his gun in her hand.

“Mighty kind of ya.”

The man on the ground had his head explode the second after, and Andy came up behind her with the smoking gun that did it. He grinned and looked at her.

“We lose more good friends that way.” He said, before looking in the window the man had just been pulled out of. When he noticed it was empty in the car, he holstered his guns and grabbed a hold of the metal surface of the train. He pulled himself through the window and reached a hand out for her a second later.

Melody shifted her horse a bit closer and grabbed Andy’s hand; with his help, she hoisted herself out of the saddle and through the window. She stumbled a bit, but found her feet quickly enough. “Thank ya, darlin’.”

“‘Course.” He said with a nod. He looked forward to the front of the train and then back to the armored car behind them. “We need to get to the engine to stop this thing. But there’s going to be a hell of a lot of angry men with guns between us and there. Don’t get shot.”

“Alright. Though ya reckon we should take care of this other li’l problem first?” She asked and canted her head toward the window. “With everythin’ bein’ chaotic right now, it might jus’ be the best opportunity.”

“Time’ll come, Mel.” He said, patting her bottom and nodding toward the door. “Time’ll come.””

She pouted at him just briefly and then turned her attention to the door, pulling out her guns and reloading them. “Alright, darlin’. Shall we?”

“We shall.” He said, and used his big black boot to kick the door open. The next car had two men leaning out of windows with rifles on either side of the train. What to do next was rather obvious. He lifted his gun and shot the one nearest him in the neck, leaving the other one for Mel.

As quickly as the first one fell, the other did not even half a second after with a spray of gore as she connected the shot with the man’s skull. They moved up toward the next door and Mel paused to pick up one of the guns the men had been carrying, checked it, and carried it with her. She liked to try new things after all.

“Wonder if all our friends are dead out there.”

“Where would the fun be in that?” Andy asked in return before opening the next door onto an open-top bar with stacked wooden crates. No enemy presented themselves down the visible aisle in the center, but they could always surprise them.

As they moved deeper into the car, a slight thump caught Melody’s attention and she placed a hand on Andy’s arm to get him to stop. She motioned to behind the bar and shifted so she could try to peer through the slats of the crates to see if she could get a look at what was behind them without moving past.

Andy followed her, his revolvers at the ready, but he allowed her to take initiative in looking for whatever threat she perceived.

“What’s that?l” he asked quietly.

Lyra didn’t answer immediately and instead lifted the coach gun she had picked, sliding the barrel silently over the lip of the top box. She angled it down, pulled the trigger, and the blast was immediately followed by something of considerable weight hitting the floor.

“Sneaky bartender, I reckon’.”

Andy chuckled and holstered the two Russians. She made the rifle look fun, so he pulled his own from off of his back and stepped around the box again. Walking down the aisle, he approached the next car door but stopped and spun to the side quickly as he noticed a young man there whimpering in fear. He had to be about twenty years old and appeared to be unarmed. He was also completely terrified. Andy looked at Mel in order to see what she thought about the situation, but before he’d even registered the expression on her beautiful face, he had made up his mind. He lifted his rifle and blew the man’s brains out of the back of his head. Then, with a cold smile, he turned to the door again.

Melody simply chuckled as she followed Andy up toward the door, not even sparing a glance at the obliterated young man. She held the coach gun in hand still, figuring she would use it for the second shot it held before discarding it. “What’s behind door number two?”

The door opened and, this time, they were presented with a large black container with a ladder right in front of them. The sound of gunfire in the distance confirmed the rest of the posse was still putting up a fight near the front of the train.

“Looks like up is our only option.” Andy said, placing a hand on his hip and looking at Melody. “What’re the odds there’s somebody waitin’ up there for us?”

“Mm…” Melody hummed slightly and then stepped back into the bar car, looked around, then returned a moment later with a mop in her hand. She took off her hat, popped it on the end with the strings, then slowly lifted it along the ladder. As soon as the brim crested the last rung, there was the sound of a shot and the hat went flying off.

“High.”

Andy removed his black hat and placed it on his head, then switched to one of his Russians, stepping in front of her and climbing the ladder. He paused just before he would be able to be seen, and then waited several seconds. After a while, a man’s head appeared from the blue of the sky, coming to investigate. With a smile, Andy brought the butt of his revolver down on the crown of the man’s head, causing him to reel back.

Melody tossed the mop off to the side and grabbed her hat from where it had landed near her. It had a scattering of buckshot holes in it now, but it was still usable. Her attention was brought back up by the crack of an impact followed by a yell, and she looked up just in time to see a man withdrawing from the edge of the car.

She waited as Andy climbed up the ladder where he found the man he had assaulted with the rifle staggering up to his feet, but there was also a second man nearer to the other end of the car taking aim at Andy himself.

He raised his gun and shot the second man straight between the eyes. As he fell, he leveled his gun at the man who he’d hit with the butt of his weapon as he struggled up.

“Is it worth your life, partner?”

The man got to his feet looking like he was still staggering, but in an impressive display of skill he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Andy’s wrist, forcing the gun upward in case he were to fire it while also wrenching it from his grasp, though since he didn’t have good hold on it either, it went tumbling to the side. The man followed up with a desperate left hook into Andy’s face.

Andy stumbled back two steps from the sheer surprise of the attack, which was something he hadn’t anticipated for some reason. But with training so ingrained it had become like instinct, he dodged the next punch and then delivered one to the man’s gut and then another, causing him to double over in pain. Once his head was down, Andy used his knee to quickly reorganize his opponents teeth, sending him reeling back.

The man clutched his nose and mouth as he stumbled back, almost falling to his knees but somehow maintained his balance, though it was precarious at best. With blood pouring down his face, he put his arms out to steady himself and get ready to go again. Behind him from the other side of the car however, Andy could see a man with a rifle go down on one knee and take aim at him. Suddenly, there was a loud pop from behind Andy, and the man with the rifle went sliding off the side of the car with a hole in his head.

“I kinda like these.” Melody said from behind him, inspecting the Peacemaker she held. She could have shot the man in front of Andy too, but she seemed perfectly happy to let him handle that how he wanted.

“Ain’t it more fun when they go boom?” Andy asked, and then he advanced. It was slow and confident, like a man who had defeated a thousand enemies in a thousand battles. He wasn’t as battle hardened as he would someday be, but he knew his body and every motion needed to bring his opponent to heel.

The other man, in credit to his own wisdom, took a step back and braced himself, the blood coming from his nose bubbling and rolling down his mustache and onto his stubbled chin. He sensed danger in the smoothness of Andy’s movements, and yet still underestimated the potential deadliness of a calm approach. When Andy was within striking distance, the man threw a defensive punch which, though well formed, was anticipated. Andy grabbed his wrist, used his control to leverage a greater control of the man’s arm. Soon he was being lifted off of the ground and tossed off the side of the train like a bag of flour. He gave a yelp and then, with a crunch, the man was left in the distance.

Andy turned around and looked at Melody. He was passed winking with his patch on, and knew she wouldn’t be able to tell. It had been a hard habit to break.

“Looks more highly skilled gunmen that way.”

“Lead on, Andy.” She prompted him and nodded.


TBC]]> Wed, 15 May 2024 03:53:31 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/818 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/818
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Gamma Eridine II

Kneeling down in the grass tall damp green grass, Andrei’s fingers moved quickly across the diagnostic console. His movements were focused and methodical, and his uncovered eye studied the readings before him. The EV suit kept him safe from being stung by the strange insects of Gamma Eridine II and, as a result, from contracting the mysterious disease which plagued the away Team; the very same disease that bound his family to the planet irrevocably, it seemed.

For now, the XO on the Vengeance was determined to do everything he could to ensure their continued survival on this planet. It would be their new home far away from home, and he knew he would never be back to assist should something happen. The gods were cruel sometimes, and even though he knew they sent this suffering to make him, and the Fleet, stronger, he couldn’t see how it improved them in the slightest.

The nightmares had become unbearable over the past few days, and he had rolled in his sleep, tossing, turning, and clawing for his mother and his sister. His father always stood with them, stubbornly persistent in his decision. Phaser, sword, gritting, sobbing; none of it could help him across the threshold between him and them. And, now that he was with them in the waking world, he had done everything he could to avoid the goodbye. He knew it wouldn’t make anything better, but still, half his nerves forced him into avoidance.

“You’ve been very hard to find.” Came a soft melodic voice he would recognize anywhere. He didn’t turn around to see whom it had come from, but knew instantly. His eyes remained steadfast in his work.

“I want to make sure these buildings will stand the rest of time.” He said, his tone controlled and even.

“Well, you’re a security officer, Andrei. I Don’t know what you could do that the trained engineers haven’t already done.” Mika said, taking another few steps toward him and resting beside him. She had abandoned her uniform for one of the countless replicated outfits which had been beamed down to the source along with the residences and other resources. It was a pale pink dress with spaghetti straps.

“I’m a command officer, and it’s my job to make sure you’re safe.” He said, his tone still even.

A soft hand found his shoulder over the EV suit. He couldn’t feel it’s softness through the tough material, but only remembered it. That made him sad.

“You’re a good brother, you know. And I love you.”

He looked first at the hand which had landed on his shoulder and then at the woman it belonged to. His sister had always been so beautiful, and he had his work cut out for him scaring men away from her almost their entire lives. Though he could be particularly intimidating, she was a tempting target for their affections. He knew he wouldn’t be there to protect her anymore in any way. His frown was deep, sad, and unmasked.

“I’m not a good brother.” He said in a low, almost avoidant tone. “I good brother would find a way to get you off of this planet.”

Mika immediately shook her head, her big brown eyes turning serious and her eyebrows raising in fearful warning.

“Don’t talk like that.” She commanded. “You’ve done everything you could.”

“No, I haven’t, Mika.” He said, stress entering his tone. “I should have done more. I should have worked harder.”

Her arms were around her big brother in a second, and she drew near enough to him that he wouldn’t see her tears beginning to fall.

“I’m afraid for you more than myself, Andrei.” She said, holding the tough suit as if she could feel his true warmth and the strong, reassuring strength in his body. “I’m afraid you’ll let guilt and regret destroy you.”

He was silent for a moment as his hands moved up to her back. He held her for what seemed like an hour, and then her responded simply and darkly.

“Maybe I deserve to me destroyed.”

“Don’t talk like that.” She said, some anger entering her voice as she pulled back from him. Her fist made contact with his chest to no effect. It was sudden and shockingly out of character. Her face contorted in anger for an instant. “You’re acting like a child.”

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t really true. But he wasn’t acting like the true Terran he should, and he certainly wasn’t acting like himself. Slowly, her expression softened, and she touched more gently the place she had struck.

“If you’re going to find a cure then find it, Andrei. But don’t let your sorrow make you weak.” She said, her eyes threatening to Well with hot tears again. “It wouldn’t be you.”

Andrei looked at her and reflected in silence, examining the redness of her face and seriously considering her words. He cleared his throat after a while and put a hand around her back.

“Let’s go say goodbye, Mika.”

The walk to the unlit bonfire where everyone was standing and talking was a short one. There, they saw many teary eyes and hugs. In particular, Andrei saw a deeply grief-stricken Ensign Prince in her own EV suit, weeping over a man he could only assume was her boyfriend who had been a part of the away team. It stirred that primal urge in him again which drove him to some action, but he didn’t know what to do with it.

“You’ve found him.” Yana said, smiling as her children approached. The beautiful woman threw her bare arms around her much taller son and held him as if they were dancing. Her eyes were dry, but there was a hint of sadness in them at least. “I’m sure this camp will stand for a thousand years now that you’ve checked it.”

It wasn’t clear if she really meant that, but she obviously wasn’t mocking him. She smiled up into her son’s sad eyes, initiating the goodbye without any prompting.

“You will be great, Andrei Petrov. Don’t look back.” She said, as if she already knew what he had been suffering over. “Your father, Mika, and I can take care of ourselves.”

“Your mother’s right, son.” Ivan said, stepping forward and putting a hand on Andrei’s shoulder. “We'll probably lick this virus ourselves, and, when we do, we’ll use the shuttle we dropped down here to catch up with you. Either way, live your life, and get my people home.

Andrei looked at his father, a wave of contradictory emotions surging through him. Hatred, grief, resentment, and admiration all in one. The man wasn’t weak, but Andrei had come to disagree with many of his decisions of late. He knew he wasn’t the only one in the Fleet who felt that way as well.

“You should have left me in command.” He said in a regretful tone.

“If I had done that, Andrei, you would have stopped at nothing to find a cure. You would have disregarded my orders.” His father said.

“And I would have succeeded.” Andrei said, his tone now resolute. “This is all a mistake.”

“Andrei, please.” Mika said gently. She put her arm in his and attached herself to his side. “Let’s not mar our goodbye with a fight.”

Andrei sighed and licked his lips. He had half a mind to take his suit off right there and to stay with them, and he knew he would have in that moment if it hadn’t been for one person. Lyra. He couldn’t leave her. Instead he sighed.

“Very well.” he said and looked at each of them in turn. His heart sank at the thought that this might be the last time he ever saw them. He found himself without words, and so he opted, instead, for something more physical. He approached Ivan, noticing the pained expression in the man’s eyes. For all the tension that had existed between them in their life, it was crystal clear that Ivan Petrov loved his son, and he had done everything in his power to do right by him since he had come back from exile. They locked in a hug, two huge men wrapped in muscled arms. Ivan’s hand struck Andrei’s back several times, and when the hug was over, the older Petrov had tears in his eyes that didn’t fall.

Next, he moved to his mother. The radiant woman had loved him so completely all his life that it felt strangest of all being separated from her. She approached, raising her arms substantially to get her arms around her son’s shoulders, and she hugged him tight. She spoke to him in Russian, reminding him to be strong and never to forget them. When they pulled back from the lengthy hug, her eyes were dry, yet still full of obvious pain.

Finally, he came to Mika whose face was already covered in tears. She leaped on him and wept like a babe in arms. Her cries were intense enough that Andrei’s tears began to fall as well, despite his great desire that he would remain strong during the visit. Mika hugged him so long, with no sense of letting go, that their mother approached and started to pry her arms off of her big brother’s shoulders. She leaned up and kissed the glass on his face plate over and over, irrational in her grief, and then Yana had gotten her off. As Mika basically folded into their father instead, Andrei balled his fists. Sadness had turned to anger. He didn’t know what he was angry about, but he wanted to kill whomever it was.

“Goodbye.” he said, and cleared his throat. He reached up to hit his combadge with a shaky hand. “Petrov to Vengeance. One to beam up.”]]> Wed, 15 May 2024 02:57:48 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/793 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/793
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - After 11

ON

After 11 was certainly not as lively as it usually was at this hour. The news that they were not only leaving their people behind but losing their captain in the process had hit the crew hard when they were still so fresh off of the losses sustained during the ambush in the nebula only a month prior. Suffice to say, morale had plummeted once again and there was nary a smile to be seen nor laughter to be heard through the entirety of the ship. Even the people who were usually the upbeat ones seemed to have fallen this time. Life had to continue though. With orders to leave the people on the planet behind and continue home, duties had resumed and preparations were being made.

It hadn’t been Ivan’s custom to visit the lounge or the mess halls, nor was it generally his style to mingle with the rank and file more than a few times a month. This domain, the social, typically was taken care of by his son. His decision to stay on the planet, and the fact that he would likely never see the members of his crew again, nor get them home himself, had changed that a bit.

It was heartwrenching, really, and Ivan had silently been having a difficult time adjusting to his circumstances. He was responsible for their safety, and for completing the mission of returning to the Alpha Quadrant, but he was forsaking them for a greater commitment to his family. Anyone who had suggested to him that he never put them first might think twice now, but it still stung him to his core to not be able to fulfill his responsibilities in every way.

The Captain of Vengeance stepped into After 11 in his command jacket, giving an almost casual look to his uniform. As soon as he passed through the doors, people took notice and some even stood out of respect. He gave them a wave, but little attention and looked for a friendly face. The first one he settled on was that of their bartender, and he made his way over right away.

“Nat, how are you?”

Natalie Perez was no officer of Imperial Starfleet, but she had friends in low places on this ship, and she always knew how people were feeling. Her degree of separation from the crew didn’t make any of this easier for her. She returned a half smile.

“Just about as well as you’d think, Captain.” She said, and then she gestured to the bar. “I bet you want something strong..”

Lyra sat at one of the larger six top tables with a group of four men. There were drinks in front of all of them as well as a couple plates of food that looked like it was to be shared. The men had obviously been eating given the crumbs and other bits on the smaller plates in front of them, but Lyra’s was bare. One of the men - Simmons - was speaking in earnest and Lyra was giving him her full attention. When another spoke, she turned her eyes to him and followed the pattern as she listened. Her expression didn’t communicate anything except for her engagement. Once the men stopped speaking, she leaned in toward them and began to speak herself. Her dark eyes were intense and commanding, but the way she gestured now and then with her hands seemed to soften it a bit. As she had given them her attention, they sat as if enraptured by her words. When she finished, she gave them a seemingly genuine smile, and in unison they returned the smile as if they had been infected by it. She spoke a few more words and then stood followed immediately by the men at the table. Farewells were said and the group of men moved to leave though not before one turned and grabbed a few more snacks off the plate to take with him, though he had the self awareness to flash Lyra a sheepish smile before he caught up with the others.

She watched them exit through the far door and then turned her attention back forward. She used her fingertips to push her empty plate away much like a disinterested cat, then picked up her drink to take a sip of it. She was still in uniform, but the open jacket showed she was off duty.

Ivan turned from the bar with a medium-sized glass of brown liquid and ice in hand. Nat had obviously taken his need for a drink to heart and had given him some special treatment. He hadn’t noticed Lyra sitting with the men from her department before, but now he saw her sitting by herself. He was a social man underneath his age and his rank, so he went straight over, smiling a smile he didn’t feel, but genuinely wanted her to. He had never really invested in her, and now he felt a pang of regret at that, as well as for everything else.

“There she is.” He said, stopping in front of the table. “May I join you, or are you saving these seats for someone else?”

Lyra hadn’t noticed Ivan at the bar. Once her men had left she had pulled out a PADD and had started reading what was on it and making notes. Hearing his voice above her was certainly a surprise. If she hadn’t been completely alone at the table and in the general area she would have assumed he was speaking to someone else, but sure enough when she lifted her head he was standing there smiling at her. She returned the smile immediately, and hers was much more believable than his.

“I’m not. They just left, actually.” She said and indicated across from her. “By all means, Captain.”

He immediately grabbed the back of a seat across from her and pulled it out, lowering his huge body into it and pulling it up closer to the table. The smile on his face relaxed and became more genuine. He noticed the PADD in her hand and it became amused, even.

“Are you working in the lounge?” he asked, showing his white teeth as he brought his drink to his lips. There was little in that smile that would remind her of her beloved, but he held himself the same way, and there was something about his intensity that showed her where Andrei had gotten his social habits.

Lyra’s dark, keen eyes moved over Ivan’s face and body as he seemed to actually relax across from her. Was he drunk? “Yes, I am.”

She slid the PADD back into her jacket so as to not be rude since it seemed Ivan had made himself comfortable for a longer stay, though their conversations tended to be rather truncated since he would just decide he was done and leave. “I hold meetings with the patrol squads monthly and I find it much more well received to do it here where they can drink, eat, and relax.”

Ivan listened to her simple explanation with curiosity in his eyes he had never truly shown her before. He took another sip of his beverage and swallowed before responding.

“That’s smart, especially at a time like this. People are on edge, and the idea of leaving so many people behind isn’t a pleasant one.” he said, placing a large hand on the table and tapping gently a few times. His eyes wandered to the room around them and lingered on the faces there. He met several people’s eyes as they had been studying him when his attention had been on Lyra. “I didn’t do nearly enough to get to know these people…or you.”

His brown eyes moved back to Lyra and found the dark, mysterious gaze he had come to expect.

“I was so focussed on getting you all home that I never put down my work. I never looked up from my spreadsheets and reports to see the people around me or get to know them. I’m sorry for that, Lyra.” he said, his brow falling into a frown full of genuine sadness. “I let my fear of leaving my job undone keep me from…doing my job. Not for the first time, I have to admit.”

Lyra wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but this was all certainly odd. Nevertheless, she listened to Ivan intently and respectfully while she brought her own glass up to her lips to take a sip of her drink. When he had spilled out his feelings on the matter, she offered a slight nod. “I think that is a fear many captains possess and I know that it is generally encouraged to maintain a distance. I’m sure it’s been lonely in a way even with your family here with you.”

“I don’t know, maybe.” he said, considering the suggestion for a brief moment. “I’m more concerned with what I leave behind now that I’ve decided to have the Fleet go on without me. I wonder how people will remember me. I also consider I might never see your marriage to Andrei, if that’s what the two of you want…or my grandchildren.”

He frowned then. It was a premature suggestion and he wished he had kept it to himself so as not to embarrass or scare her. He pulled his drink to his lips again as he thought about what he had just said.

Whereas another woman might have blushed and giggled or demurred and been truly embarrassed by the suggestion, Lyra’s focus on him didn’t waver in the slightest. “People will remember you as a great leader and fearless captain.”

It was clear her words weren’t flattery in the slightest. “As for the future… that may very well be. Certainly not an outcome any of us would have wanted. Children should have their grandparents to love them and ours may only have one out of four if we get home in a reasonable amount of time.”

Ivan inhaled slowly and then let his air seep out from powerful lungs. There was no joy in his expression as he considered his imagined faceless, dark-haired grandchildren playing with him. Mika would likely prove fortunate enough to find a member of the group staying behind to marry; she was beautiful and uncommonly good. But he couldn’t help but feel certain a part of him was dying.

“I wish I could be there. But, I can’t abandon my wife and daughter to life on an alien world. They’ll need me. And a marriage promise…is for life.”

For once, Lyra didn’t bring out her claws on him as he touted the promises of marriage he had been so gleeful to violate years ago. Instead, she reached out over the table and placed a gloved hand on Ivan’s forearm. “Of course you couldn’t abandon them. This decision you’ve had to make was born of a terrible circumstance, but it is the right path.”

Ivan looked down at her gloved hand on his and his frown deepened. He blinked several times, but kept himself far from any response close to crying. He knew way better than that. Still, the moment had significant meaning for him. He looked back up at her and allowed the moment to rest between them in their silent eye contact.

“Command is full of situations where one has to upset someone. I will admit to you that it has always been painful for me. I do it, of course, and I am highly decorated for my work in the command chair...but it has never been easy for me.” he looked at another crew woman who had been staring at him and gave a polite smile which she returned. “Everyone is unhappy now. But it’ll get better. You, Andrei, Commander Faulkner…everyone. You’ll heal and move on; and you’ll get home.”

This time, when Ivan looked away, Lyra turned her body slightly to see who it was that he was acknowledging this time since it had seemed more directed than the simple acknowledgement he had been giving before. She noted the woman’s face, but turned her attention back to Ivan. There was a certain softness she allowed in her dark gaze, something he likely would have never seen before unless he’d ever looked at her when she was looking at his son. “We will, yes. It will be difficult, but we will.”

She moved her hand from his arm but didn’t withdraw totally from him, instead remaining in the same position with her hand now simply resting on the table across from his.

When they had spoken before, he had always sensed something he didn’t like from Lyra. he wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but he was acutely aware she didn’t respect him. He could only imagine the source was something to do with his family and the mistake of his which was, up until a month before, quite obvious. Kassandra was dead, yet he was still paying the price for that surprise. Now, though, she looked at him with a kindness that he found comforting, yet atypical. Despite his hesitation, he felt himself softening a bit internally.

“It seems like everyone in my family spends time with you but me.” he observed aloud. “I suppose that should change now that I’m sort of here to say goodbye.”

“Mm… well, better late than never, I suppose.” She said and actually smiled at him, small but for once genuine.

He chuckled softly at her words, friendliness and pleasantness replacing the hesitation from before. She was being friendly, but he could tell she was still hiding her feelings in the silence. He felt a subtle need to know what was happening in her head, but he wasn’t exactly sure how to find the answer.

“Hey, how do you feel about Falkner taking over as CO?” he asked, changing the subject suddenly, before bringing the glass to his lips again and licking the liquid out of his salt and pepper mustache.

The sudden change in topic and conversational tone was glaring and Lyra surmised that it was some sort of attempt to dodge some internal feeling he was having that he either didn’t want to face, or didn’t know how. She pulled back from him a little more since he had steered them back to something more professional. “It was a surprising choice, but not a bad one. She has proven she knows how to guide a crew through hardship and keep them alive which is what we will need in the times ahead.”

“So, that means you’re happy about it then?” He asked, looking at her curious. He assumed she had dodged his question on purpose, but he indicated silently that he really did mean “feel” when he said it. Part of him doubted he’d get anything personal from Lyra at all, but he had to try, or else the interaction would be a glorified business meeting or a counseling session for him.

The press for an answer of her feelings on this matter was extremely strange in her mind. Feelings didn’t matter when it came to business, so why was he choosing this of all things to ask about? She wasn’t good at communicating her feelings to begin with. She frowned slightly then, thinking about it.

“No, of course I’m not happy about it. I’d rather none of this happened and you would remain captain, but since that isn’t an option I am… happy you made the right decision in giving the position to Commander Faulkner over someone who does not have the same experience.”

He nodded, seeming encouraged by her genuine response, though it only opened a new line of curiosity.

“That makes sense to me.” He said, then raised his brow. “It’s just that some would say the next obvious candidate is Andrei.”

This time, Lyra looked away from him and around the room slowly and pensively. Eventually, her eyes drifted to the planet outside the viewport, and she spoke while looking there instead of at Ivan. “He’s not ready.”

Well, this was interesting indeed. He let her words sit there in the air for a few seconds before he responded.

“I’m genuinely surprised to hear you say that, Lyra.” He said, his tone indicating that surprise, but no judgment beyond it. “It doesn’t seem like people on Team Andrei doubt his abilities very often. At least not to me.”

Perhaps she would end up regretting saying it out loud to Ivan, but in the end it was the truth and she wouldn’t shy from it. She finally brought her eyes back to him, her gaze considerably cooler as if she were trying to judge if she had made a mistake in being honest. “He will be eventually, but not right now.”

He nodded, approval in his eyes, but the response wasn’t too eager. He recognized it must be a difficult thing to admit to him, and maybe it might feel like betrayal on some level.

“He will be. But as to what makes him so volatile now beyond youth, I’ve always wondered.” He admitted. “You clearly care for him though.”

Lyra allowed a few beats of silence to fall between them with the only communication being her intense gaze on his face. Eventually though, it softened again, perhaps almost grudgingly this time. “I love your son very much, yes.”

“I can tell.” He said, smiling and giving a few small nods. “I’m very happy about that. I’m happy he has you, because he clearly cares about you too. You’ll be there when he’s ready.”

“I will be by his side as long as he will have me there, yes.” Lyra confirmed it as a simple fact, not boasting nor proud. “He’s going to do great things.”

She paused and then sighed softly, deciding to make an offer to the father instead of the captain. “My family history is obviously a complicated one and as you said, you and I haven’t spent much time together. Do you have any questions you want to ask of me?”

It was a bit strange for her to make the offer of course; it was something usually extended from parent to parent, but she was sorely lacking in those at the moment, and Ivan was about to condemn himself to a life of never seeing his son again - perhaps she could attempt to assuage any concerns he might have.

To Lyra’s credit, she seemed to genuinely like Andrei and have faith in him. She had certainly never spoken negatively about him, even when Ivan had, perhaps unfairly, tried to pressure her to share her understanding with him. As far as he was concerned, when it came to her, there weren’t many unanswered questions which were appropriate for the setting. After all, any he asked would only be for his own peace of mind, and for his wife’s.

“How does he treat you?” Ivan started, leaning back and picking up his glass again, seeming to eye her with thoughtful eyes. “Is he gentle? Attentive? Does he make time for you?”

That certainly hadn’t been what Lyra was expecting to be asked. She had been aware that the door she had opened could have produced questions about her personal morals or beliefs, maybe her views on children or marriage, or perhaps even still questions that leaned into awkward territory like sexual or medical history; there was a reason these topics were broached usually between parents with strong drinks in hand. If he didn’t have anything he wanted to ask, she certainly wouldn’t push for him to do so.

“He treats me very well.” She said honestly and gave that gentled smile again as she spoke of Andrei. “We enjoy spending time together, and there has been occasion where he wanted to do something but decided against it because I wanted him to stay with me.” It had been once, but it was still worth mentioning.

“I know it might be surprising to hear for a lot of people, but yes, he is gentle with me.” When they weren’t biting, clawing, grabbing, wrestling… she blinked once, forcing her mind not to wander there in the presence of his father. She chuckled, “Or perhaps more surprising that I am gentle with him.”

“I think people would be surprised in general.” He said with a chuckle of his own, leaning in to the joke. “You two certain turn heads, I’ll give you that.”

He thought about her answer for a moment, but was clearly preparing to ask another question.

“Andrei has been…sowing his wild oats since he was a teenager. I had to talk to him on several occasions about warming his bed with everyone from servants to the daughters of potentially vengeful Lords. He took my advice to heart and started to warm closets with them instead.” He said, smiling and laughing gently, but clearly understanding it was a sensitive topic. It wasn’t as if he had time to be too much more subtle. “Does that level of experience bother you? Or..maybe you have a similar story..I wouldn’t know.”

Lyra had laughed along with Ivan as he made light of the situation. It sounded completely genuine and didn’t betray the immediate swell of angry heat within her at the thought. She wondered if Ivan knew the extent of how many women his son had taken to bed; she had also mused - privately - if Andrei would have actually told her the truth of the number had she asked.

When her laugh faded, her smile lessened but remained. She would not have been surprised to learn that people assumed she was horribly promiscuous. Where Andrei could have nearly any woman he wanted, Lyra could have had nearly any man. She was gorgeous in body, and with how easily she could change from the innocent princess to imperious queen and everything in between, she could appeal to those desires just as easily.

“Andrei has certainly soared past the number socially acceptable for even men to have,” she began though paused to take a sip of her drink before pressing on, “it does bother me just as it would the staggering majority of suitable women for him, but I’ve chosen to accept it and trust him that despite the history, he won’t stray from me.”

Lyra let that settle and have its moment and then continued, “I do not have even a fraction of the same experience, no. Two, not counting your son.” She paused and seemed to consider something, then chuckled slightly.

“Though technically he has been the only one with this body.” Virgin on a technicality, she mused with a smirk, knowing it didn’t count fully but finding it funny anyways.

Ivan smirked grew at that and shrugged. That wasn’t a particularly high number, and with Andrei, a girl could afford a bit of a body count and still get parental approval.

“Some might say that’s the best of both worlds.” he said, “A new body and skills at the same time. I can definitely imagine something worse than that. I wouldn’t worry too much what people think about the two of you outside your obvious commitments. What matters is that you’re happy.”

He took a drag from his drink again and then looked back into her dark eyes.

“What about kids? Obviously, you can’t really answer this for sure, but how many grandchildren should I imagine I have on the other side of the galaxy?”

Though she didn’t say it, Lyra noted how similar Andrei and Ivan felt about the novelty of a new body paired with the experience of past encounters. What man wouldn’t have that kind of interest, though.

As they moved on, she waved one of the slaves over to get a refill on her drink and offered for Ivan to do the same. When she left, she looked at Ivan again with a smile.

“Your son seems pretty set on having seven sons of his own.” She chuckled softly. “Truthfully, it hasn’t actually been a topic we have spoken of seriously.”

It wasn’t exactly odd given their relationship was only three months old, but it was certainly one that was moving quite fast and seemed quite strong.

“Seven sons, hmm?” Ivan said with a grin as he imagined the boys. Somehow, they were all Andrei at earlier stages in his life in the Captain’s mind. “The doctors can do wonders these days when it comes to putting things back in..order. So, don’t let that scare you.”

It was clear Ivan had enough to drink to relax and let loose, but he wasn’t drunk. He figured being open with Lyra had opened her up a bit, so he supposed it might be okay to risk possibly alienating her. Playing things distant hadn’t really gone well before.

Lyra laughed and shook her head. “You know, Andrei said the same thing when I expressed some doubts on that endeavor. I’m not worried about that, but I’d be worried about keeping them all alive with how boys can be.”

“Especially Petrov boys. They love to rough-house, round-house, and tear up your house.” Ivan said with a smile. “But, if there’s one thing that’s for certain, we love our mothers.”

“Well, if Yana is anything to go by, you’ve had good mamas to love.” Her smile was a bit more subdued, but still remained friendly. A lifted brow prompted the question if he had anything else to ask her.

He didn’t. Not really. He just wanted to make sure things would be alright the best he could.

“Just don’t let Andrei get into trouble, Lyra. Annalise won’t put up with it like I have, and neither of us want to see him bounced out of an airlock.”

“No, we don’t.” Lyra agreed and sighed, the smile finally fading. “I will do my very best, but you may have noticed your son is a bit headstrong.”

“He gets that from his mother.” Ivan said with a pressing of his lips. It was an expression devoid of any resentment or regret. “I never understood why he was so difficult as a child, but I knew it could make him strong. Understand me: the Fleet needs to remain unified to make it back. You can’t devolve into bloodshed and jockeying for control. You’ll set course for Terra and you won’t look back, and you’ll get there together.”

“I know, I understand.” Lyra said and nodded slowly. Ivan would see that despite the violence she had displayed herself capable of, she did agree with him on the matter.

“Good.” He said, his gaze softening again as he reached for his drink. “I fear I’m getting sentimental in my old age. I sometimes wonder if I’m too easy on him…I remember my youth and my fire. I rose quickly in Starfleet. Hell, I even get my first command after killing my Captain; a tale as old as Terra, huh? I just want my son to succeed. And I want you to succeed with him, if that’s really what you want.”

“I actually didn’t know that’s how you came by the command.” Lyra said, seemingly genuinely surprised by that knowledge. “I will do my very best to see us both succeed and claim our place in the world.”

She paused, her expression softening again as she looked into his eyes. “I promise I’ll take care of your son.”

He reached forward and placed his gloved hand on hers, squeezing and frowning. There wasn’t anything to say, and so he offered only silence in return for her promise. Silence, and a very sad smile.

Lyra moved her free hand to rest over top of Ivan’s and gave it a squeeze herself. It was a comforting gesture appropriate from a daughter to her father. Despite her distaste for his past transgressions, she did find herself having sympathy for him and this terrible choice he had to make. She wasn’t a mother nor wife - perhaps she never would be - but it wasn’t completely lost on her how devastating this situation likely was for a man who had feelings.

“Well, I should let you go. I need to say goodbye to a long list of people.” He said, leaving his hand there and feeling the tenderness. He found he genuinely liked her in that moment, and that did a lot for his sense of hope for Andrei’s future, as long as the younger man didn’t screw it all up with some combination of his impulsiveness or his skirt-chasing.

Lyra released him and sat back once he had withdrawn his own hand. She offered another smile, her dark eyes moving over his face slowly to take in the details.

“It was nice to finally speak with you… sir.” She faltered slightly. It felt wrong in some ways but right in others; she shrugged and her smile turned a bit sheepish.

He smiled as well, a twinge of comforting sympathy in his eyes.

“It was nice to finally speak with you as well, Lyra.” He said, before finishing his drink and standing. “Have a good life.”

A gracious, meaningful nod met his wish.

“Do svidaniya.” She bid, her voice gentle and full of sympathy for him.

With a simple, lingering glance, Ivan winked and then turned, and after visiting the bar and saying a quick word to Nat, he exited.

END
]]> Wed, 15 May 2024 02:57:32 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/798 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/798
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Ready Room; Vengeance

ON

Following the Briefing, Captain Faulkner had asked Andrei to meet her in the Ready Room so that they could have a chat about things going forward. He had agreed, of course, after making some excuse for not coming right away. The entire situation was still a shock to him, and surreal, if he was honest, but he wasn’t known to be honest about such things.

He pressed the chime outside what he supposed was her new office, his fist clenching tightly for a moment before he forced it to release. He would get through this by doing his job well, and he would find a cure if it was the last thing he ever did. His greatest hope was that Annalise Faulkner wouldn’t stand in his way.

“Come in.” Annalise called out, knowing it was Andrei so there was no tone of curiosity behind it. She was up on her feet standing near the couch and viewport with a PADD in her hand. All of Ivan’s belongings had been taken out at the man’s request, so the ready room was looking like the Vengeance had just rolled out of the shipyards. When the door opened, she turned, and offered a nod of greeting to Andrei.

“Commander, please come and have a seat. Would you like some coffee or tea?” She asked, gesturing toward the couch.

“No, I’m perfectly hydrated. Thank you.” He answered, and came in as he had been bid. He sat down in the chair across from her desk and adopted an informal positioning, leaning with his arms on his legs. “I can see you’ve got a lot of decorating to do.”

Annalise gave an internal sigh as Andrei pointedly sat away from where she had indicated. She had wanted to keep this a bit more casual, but if he was going to resist it, she would deal with it. She returned to the desk and took a seat behind it. “I’ll get to it in time. For now I wanted to have this meeting to hear any concerns you might have.”

“Well, the first thing is how you plan to proceed in the next few days.” He said, not bothering to hear around the bush. “When we break orbit, what are your intentions?”

“We will be setting our course back for the Alpha Quadrant. We’ll keep an open line of communication to the… colony… for as long as we are able in case anything was forgotten.” She crossed her legs and sat back in the chair, her delicate hands resting on the arms. It was a far cry from the imposing figure Ivan projected when he sat there.

“And then?” He asked, his face neutral, but his visible eye mooting hers with stark silver intensity. “What is your plan to find a cure for this virus. The Vidiians and the Kazon will pose a threat to the Away Team the longer they remain on the planet. I would suggest we fall in A Vidiian ship and take the information from their computers. I can have Lieutenant Nyseth and Commander Cassiel in the lookout for one right away.”

This time, the sigh Annalise gave was audible. She looked away from Andrei and out toward the planet they were still orbiting. “Commander… I know this is a very difficult time for you with the loss of your family and my heart breaks for the people down on the planet, but I cannot endanger the lives of so many others for them.”

“This isn’t about your heart breaking, Captain, it’s about saving Terran lives. And it isn’t about my feelings either.” He shot back quickly, his tone direct, commanding, and hot. But then he paused, leaned back in the chair, and took a breath. When he spoke again, it was softer. “The command is yours now, Annalise. You have the power to save our people. There isn’t a person on this ship that’s comfortable leaving them behind. We at least have to try. You have a responsibility to try.”

“You would see me sacrifice nearly two-hundred souls in the name of sixteen?” Annalise challenged, her voice calm even in the face of his heat. “How is that a responsible decision?”

“We risk our lives all the time, for money, for power, and to get home.” He said to her, answering without needing to think. “It’s good enough to save our own crew. There are loved ones and superior officers down there.”

He eyed her, his mind moving, but he said nothing more.

Annalise didn’t point out that the only loved ones and superior officers down on the planet were his own family, but she looked at him with a meaningful coolness for a moment. “We are not going to go out of our way and risk the destruction of this fleet for sixteen people. I know this is difficult for you especially to come to terms with, but with time I am sure you will understand. Is there anything else?”

“I understand. I understand perfectly well.” Andrei said, standing up with his jaw and both fists clenched. He was full of tension and his large frame seemed primed and ready to destroy something in mere seconds. He didn’t bother gracing her with more words; her mind was made up. “Permission to leave, Captain?”

“Dismissed, Commander.” Annalise replied and looked away from him. She’d give him time. Right now things were very raw and she wouldn’t be offended by his manner.

Andrei turned and stormed out of the room like either a petulant child or a warrior on the rampage; only time would tell which one.

END

]]> Wed, 15 May 2024 02:57:21 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/792 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/792
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Officer's Mess

ON
Officer's Mess, ISS Vengeance

Lyra stood quietly next to the window that extended across nearly the entire length of the officer's mess. Usually, meetings were of course held in the briefing room, but this time with the amount of people who were meeting all together, it was decided that the officer's mess would be the most appropriate place for ease of everyone being able to sit down for what was to come. She didn't know what exactly this meeting would entail, but she had a strong suspicion of what would be said here; Brasken still hadn't found a cure for their people and it had been weeks. She didn't blame the man of course - she was well aware of how many hours the staff in both medical and science had been putting in to finding a solution to their problem even if it didn't necessarily mean a cure, but nothing had been found.

Hearing something shift behind her, she turned to see Lottie and Ren finishing up the set up of the room, making sure there was water on the table should anyone need it and that everything was clean and in order.

"We're done, Mistress Cassiel." Lottie spoke, her head lowered in deference.

"Very well. Go and tend to your other duties." Lyra instructed while she turned to face the table fully.

"Yes, Mistress." Lottie gave a quick bow and looked to Ren, moving to leave the room quickly through the service entrance with him in tow.

The first to enter the room was a near stranger to the Vengeance over the past several months, Lieutenant Harper Bennett. As usual she was dressed trim and orderly in her uniform, her hair pulled back in a little too tight bun. Her hazel eyes fell on Lyra and she gave the smallest of smiles and nods of greeting. "Commander Cassiel."

"Harper." Lyra replied quite coolly, her dark eyes smoldering with displeasure.

Harper blinked at the frosty response. While they surely hadn't been anything approaching friends, they'd had an amiable enough rapport before that she was confused by the reception she was receiving. She decided it was due to whatever was happening here today and awkwardly moved to take one of the seats away from Lyra. Harper was an intelligent woman and intelligent enough to not tempt Lyra's ire. She had been on the Lovarr after all and seen up close what the woman had done.

Sovas strode into the Officer's mess, curious as to the reason they were meeting and not the briefing room, perhaps it was meant to be a little more relaxed given the stress of the ongoing situation with the crew still stranded on the planet below. He was quiet and found a seat to stay out of the way as he set a PADD down with the Operations schedule along with an inventory of supplies, he hadn't been told why it was needed but that in and of itself felt ominous in a way that settled heavily in his stomach as his thoughts turned to Ilan.

Following the half-Vulcan was Orion, looking clean-cut but tired as he was still wearing his lab coat and carrying a travel mug. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd slept more than four hours. Mostly he had taken to sleeping in his office in the science labs while he coordinated with Brasken to try and find a cure for the insidious bloodborne pathogen that had infected their crewmates. While it made him curse the fates, he found the genetic structure of the organism to the fascinating since in its native environment it appeared to be completely harmless and dormant, though his research had shown it became deadly to its host when removed from its home, in fact it was so dangerous any samples they had gathered from the planet has required biohazard protocols for capture and transport by shuttle back up to the ship.

His gaze moved to Lyra as she stood at the window and for a moment he considered going up to her, but he was too tired for anything and even as much of an arrogant prick as he was, he felt there was a Détente between him and Andrei due to the circumstances. He took a seat and sipped his coffee, hoping it would keep him awake.

Lieutenant Asher Stagg walked in next with a rugged frown. Unlike most people, he actually knew what this meeting was about, and he was certainly not happy about it. This was the first of these little meetings he had been invited to on Vengeance, so he wasn’t familiar with the layout or the format besides his understanding of senior staff briefings. He looked around the room and caught a glance at Orion. He nodded, happy to at least see a familiar face, and then moved further into the room. The second person he noticed was the senior officer in the room, the beautiful woman who happen to be dating the completely psychotic son of the captain. He looked at her for a second or two, admiring her figure and face. She was beautiful. He walked to the back of the room, thinking about how he might use her to hurt Andrei. he had recovered from their encounter on his ship, with the help of doctors, but on the inside he was still raw. The senior officer ducked a table at the back of the room and sat down, crossing his arms defiantly.

Entering into the room almost late was Doctor Brasken. He was clean, but it was a hurried clean. The type of clean when you know you have to be presentable after a long period of ignoring your physical state. His hair had a little too much body on the verge of being unruly while his face had a soft pink tinge of someone who had scrubbed hard and fast to make up time over diligence and without looking anyone in the eye took a seat near the back of the room.

Kit trotted in just seconds after Brasken while swiping her hand over her hair to smooth it out and then reached up to straighten her commbadge. It was anyone's guess why she was looking a bit out of sorts, but when she lifted her head she smiled in greeting then found a seat of her own where she settled. She knew of course this was going to be... something, but she had no idea what was happening. Maybe they were all going to stay here. It seemed like a nice planet.

Minus the absolutely deadly virus.

Annalise arrived soon after Kit. Her beautiful face was lined with a pensive expression which didn't lighten upon entering the room. She offered nods of greeting directly to Kit, Orion, and Asher, but gave all three of them a wide berth. Asher wasn't happy with her and while she didn't blame him necessarily, it wasn't something she was wanting to subject herself to further right now. She looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and she sat down heavily in one of the chairs.

Lyra's keen eyes moved over each individual as they entered, noting how they did so and where they chose to sit. Orion had wisely decided to not come up to her and make an attempt to chat. Sovas was being stoic today, it seemed. Stagg had looked like he wanted to punch a wall - but she also hadn't missed the way his eyes had run over her. Brasken was trying to not look like death warmed over, but she had to give the man credit he and his whole department really had been trying their best; too bad it hadn't been good enough. A smudge of black just under kit's ear at the back of her jaw informed Lyra that Kit had probably been crawling around in some tight space instead of something more fun. Annalise was the most concerning though, the way she had practically collapsed in the chair had made Lyra narrow her eyes suspiciously then look over toward Stagg and then back to Annalise again.

They knew something.

The last two to enter were the Captain and Andrei, the younger of which followed after the elder with a menacing frown on his face. It was clear that he wasn't only dismayed, he was angry. He folded his arms under his chest and followed Commanding Officer to the front of the room near the counter. The kitchen staff had cleared out for the meeting, so the familiar smell of cooking food was missing.

Orion looked at Andrei; even a blind man couldn't miss the anger radiating from his tensed form. So the news wasn't good but then again with the lack of progress that he and Brasken had made he didn't expect there to be a sudden deluge of earth-shatteringly good news. He sipped his coffee and mulled over the possibility that when he finally did enact his revenge, there would still be some Petrovs left alive in the galaxy somewhere.

Confined to a planet with a terminal life sentence if they ever left, but still living and breathing.

That he was going to be losing his assistant chief to this was just more bird shit in his eye and while he tried not to, he still felt that Andrei and his idiot family where to blame, even if it was irrational. He was tired of being rational since that hadn't seemed to have gotten them anywhere with this whole bastarding situation.

Sovas observed the the captain and his son as they entered the room, the air of defeat around both men was presenting differently, but it was still defeat and that didn't seem to bode well for the conversation or the the future course of the fleet.

Kit blinked as she watched the two men enter and immediately wondered why Andrei looked so damn angry. He surely had to know that a cure hadn't been found by now, so what was his deal? She definitely made a mental note not to go anywhere near him for a while unless she had no choice; she wanted no part of that.

Andrei’s obvious anger made Harper slightly uncomfortable, but memories of his anger funneled into something else danced in the back of her mind. He’d been rough with her then - sometimes too rough - but those times were few enough to be ignored. She licked her lips and looked away to try and focus on something else.

Lyra looked at Andrei and Ivan and along with everyone could immediately see that something was very wrong. Her eyes settled on Andrei, searching while her expression remained neutral as if she wasn't concerned. She resisted the urge to go to his side to offer support and the comfort of her presence and instead remained firmly where she was so she could observe the rest more easily. She had an uneasy feeling she knew what was coming, though.

Ivan cleared his throat, turning his attention to the group of senior officers gathered before him.

"Take your seats. This conversation has been a long time coming." the Captain said. He glanced at Andrei, who had taken up a position leaning against the counter with his strong arms crossed, looking like he was planning a murder of passion, but quickly turned his brown eyes back to the group. "We've been orbiting this planet for a month now searching for a cure, and despite some commendable effort from Dr. Brasken, Lieutenant Wolff, and their departments, along with all the scientific and medical resources of our fleet, we're no closer to finding a cure for this disease than when we arrived. I have to be honest now and accept the reality that we might never find a cure."

Ivan sighed, the silver and black hairs of his mustache billowing in the wind from his nostrils.

"So, we have to move on. And that means we have to leave some people behind."

Sovas arched an eyebrow as the news was delivered, glancing around at the room to gauge the reactions of the Captain saying that they would be more or less abandoning Terrans to whatever fate they would face on the planet below. It was a move to be certain but he wasn't in command and he was sure that it hadn't come as an easy decision, but it still made him wonder if Ivan was willing to leave his own wife and daughter down on the planet, who else would he be willing to sacrifice?

For his part, Orion took in the news with a mix of surprise and reluctant acceptance, but it still didn't sit right with him as it would mean leaving behind valuable and irreplaceable Terran crewmembers to create a new life on an alien world living with what was essentially a biological timebomb in their bodies that could at any moment mutate and turn into something that would eradicate them in a matter of days or weeks. He sighed and sipped his coffee since it was a practical decision but still ruthlessly cold.

"Leave them behind?"

It was Kit's voice that broke the silence after Ivan's declaration, brave and unapologetic. "After so many were lost so recently, you want to leave more people behind?"

Ivan frowned at his Chief Engineer. The look was more personal than professional.

“Lieutenant Urso, if you think I want to leave anyone behind, then you need your head examined in Sickbay.” He said, a tone of irritation in his voice. “Our alternatives are all too dangerous or have us floating her trying for the next decade. I promised to get this crew home, not get them killed or force them to grow old looking for a cure that may never come.”

Knowing what was coming from the captain just felt like another physical blow in a series in a beating that he had been receiving since this began. Daniel sank a little further into his seat while still trying to appear alert and attentive. To others that didn't know him he might look relieved at the news even.

Daniel's eyes went between those that were talking after watching the faces of all that were gathered. No one would have an easy job relaying the information to their departments, but it would need to be done orderly and with a singular message. Any points that needed to be discussed would need to be aired out before anyone left the room or it would get worse.

"Lieutenant." Daniel addressed Kit. "Have you been able to identify or replicate the environment to completely halt the progress of the infection? Can you guarantee that it will hold past the point of being unable to return to this planet in time to prevent the loss of those currently in stasis?" He paused half a breath to let the questions sink in but not long enough for them to actually respond to any of them. "Is the planet below defensible and resource heavy to allow us to build the fleet to protect ourselves from another attack as we had recently?"

He hit the table with a heel strike as he stood up and leaned forward, his temper getting the better of him as he continued. "The fact of the matter is that staying here is not an option!"

"Doctor, we are all frustrated and you know I share your feelings toward the situation but lashing out at our crewmates isn't going to magically summon forth a cure." Orion spoke up, looking at Brasken and his frustrated outburst toward Kit. Though he knew that she wasn't meant to be the target she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He also knew that Kit wouldn't take such an outburst meekly, though he could also understand her position since this would be a huge blow to morale, that was already flagging and this wouldn't improve it.

Sovas looked between the trio before turning his attention to the captain. "What of the morale of the crew, its still limping after both the ambush and the failure of the Sikarian trajector? I wouldn't be surprised if there is an attempted mutiny."

“An attempt that would be gravely foolish and probably deadly for the perpetrators.” Lyra spoke up calmly and as she did so, she walked casually closer to Daniel and stopped to lean on the table so she was blocking both Daniel and Kit from direct line of sight from each other. She crossed her arms under her chest, her eyes still forward on Ivan and Andrei, but she was very aware of Daniel next to her. She had never seen him make such an outburst before. She didn’t like it.

Kit was angry. At first it was directed toward her captain until Brasken’s outburst; then those around could physically see her shoulders lift as if she were an angry animal raising its hackles getting ready to fight. When Lyra positioned herself as a physical wall between the two of them, however, Kit settled for a loud scoff, and disengaged from the entire room by looking away.

Andrei watched the entire thing with a barely subdued scowl. His strong arms remained crossed under his chest and his visible gray eye was alight with anger as he listneed to the exchange. He didn’t find occasion to speak, however, but let things play out between the frustrated senior staff. His gaze went to Annalise to watch how she was reacting.

“Enough.” Ivan said, somehow calm. He looked at his assembled officers and frowned. “Your disagreement is a mirror of the war that had been taking place inside my heart for the last month. I understand. But Daniel is correct: remaining here is not an option. We will all deal with this in our own way in time, but I expect all of your responses to be respectful of the chain of command. A breakdown in authority is the last thing we need.”

With the physical barrier of Lyra breaking his eye contact with Kit, Daniel's brain was able to take control back from his emotions. He knew what had been said was not wrong and that he had taken offense because of the personal attachment he had to the whole situation, not to mention the physical exhaustion he was working with. With the added words from Ivan, Daniel's demeanor shifted as a cool hardness descended upon him. He looked at no one in particular but took his seat again and simply existed at the table for now.

Once the room had simmered down, Ivan took another step forward again, his face grave.

“The Fleet will depart in two days, but I have a bit more challenging news. I will not be going with you. My wife and my daughter are here, and I cannot leave them. I have a duty to lead them and protect them. After this meeting, therefore, I will be transferring Command of the Vengeance Lieutenant Commander Faulkner.” He declared, looking at Annalise. “Her orders are to set sail for the Alpha Quadrant and not to look back.”

Lieutenant Brice Hughes had taken up a position near one side of the room. Despite his recent command of the ISS Kez'Ron, the Fleet's only surviving Numiri ship, he didn't fuss over being regarded as important. He was often quiet, and only voiced his opinions when he felt they would make a difference. He looked between Ivan and some of the faces of the other officers in the room and frowned. The news that Annalise was taking over was a shock to him as well as everyone else, he would bet.

"Captain, let me be the first to say that is a completely understandable decision. Your family needs you." he said, still leaning back in his chair. He didn't know anyone on the planet, and while the situation was sad, he was more concerned keeping the Numiri slaves under his command controlled to lift his head up for Fleet Politics or even changes in personnel on other ships.

Harper did nothing but frown slightly, her mind going over the whole situation and now this revelation that there would be a new commander. She could only hope her own position would remain secure.

This just keeps getting better and better, Orion's brow jumped at the news of the senior Petrov's decision to make his departure from the ship, while he commended the man for his loyalty to his family, it also left his son in a precarious position without any of his remaining family in the fleet. His mind turned back to thoughts of revenge and how he could humiliate Andrei. though he kept his tongue, he didn't have any sincere, or even insincere, words to offer to the Captain. Ivan had never been the target of his ire, it had always been his son, but once a task was started there could be no one left to take vengeance...Christoph and Lyra's story was proof of why.

Sovas nodded as he listened, it still didn't feel right, the situation but he could accept this as the most logical decision for the good of the rest of the fleet and those left down on the planet would make their own way. Surviving or dying.

Daniel was caught off guard by the announcement of the change in command. Not that Ivan would be leaving to stay with his family, but that his son wasn't being put in the center ring. Still, he barely responded, shut down as he was from his own mental gear shift and simply nodded in acceptance of the order. Truth be told he might consider trying to stay behind and work on a cure longer, but he doubted the option would be looked highly upon by anyone and would just make him enemies on both the planet and the fleet.

“Uh…” Kit began and then stopped, opting instead to just start shifting her gaze back and forth between Andrei and Ivan several times. The unspoken question was there - everyone wanted to know - but no one actually wanted to ask it. Even she had thought better of it in the end. Truth be told, she was glad for it. Annalise was a friend of sorts, and Andrei was just unstable and unfit for command.

There had been a strange silence and stillness radiating off of Lyra after the delivery of the news. She now perfectly understood why her beloved was so upset that he was actively displaying his feelings. To him, both of these decisions by his father were a betrayal, but the highest one she imagined was not actually his choice to remain behind, but to install Annalise as the new captain of the Vengeance and commander of the fleet. She kept her own feelings on the matter completely obscure in her expression, but she did finally shift how she was standing and leveled her cool gaze on Ivan.

Ivan took in the reactions with observant eyes. Not only was he anticipating surprise and confusion, he expected some decent in the eyes of some. He found what he was looking for. Finally, after a round of silence on his part, he spoke in a conclusive manner.

“I want you all to know it has been an honor serving with you, and defending our glorious Empire. I’ll remain onboard for the next few days to assist with the transition and then I’ll depart for the surface for good. I’ll be sure to say my final goodbyes over subspace as well.”

The general mood of the room had turned into some grudging level of acceptance, but it was clear nobody was remotely alright with the entirety of the matter. It was a devastating blow to the already fragile morale of the fleet as a whole. When no one said anything, Ivan clossed the meeting.

"I'm going down to the planet in an EV suit personally to give the news to the away team. Relay this information to your people, but try to keep morale as high as it possibly can be. You're all dismissed."

As the group began to filter out, Lyra finally moved to approach Andrei, but was beaten to her lover by Annalise.

"Commander Petrov, I would like to speak with you in the ready room now, please." Annalise requested with a calm resolve.

Andrei seemed overtly annoyed that Annalise had cut off Lyra’s approach. She was the last person in the galaxy he wanted to speak with at the moment. He want a child, however, so he stood off straight and looked at the woman who would apparently be his new commanding officer.

“Fine, I can make that work.” He answered, and then gave Lyra a look that communicated they would talk later.

20 Minutes Later
The type 11 shuttle Vicious Intent entered the atmosphere of Gamma Eridine II, making for the clearing where the Terran Away Team had been resting in stasis for a month. Her only occupant was Captain Ivan Petrov. His hands were steady and his expression was resolute as he brought the shuttle to a landing place near the trees. There were still a few days to be lived out on Vengeance before he came down here for good, so he wore an EV suit to protect him from big bites. Without delay, he opened the door at the back and walked out into the Sunny morning air. It would be refreshing to breathe natural air and to stand beneath the sun without the suit he was wearing, but he understood he would probably never see his own world again. Lifting a PADD, he triggered the end of stasis sleep in the pods arrayed before him. As they opened up and their occupants started to wake, he lowered his hand to the side and his chest heaved in a sigh. The news he had to share wasn’t happy.

Ilan was the first to stir. Her unique biology made recovery from conditions like anesthesia or stasis much easier and more rapid than any Terran. She used her hands and pushed herself up with a slight groan. She blinked her eyes several times and then looked around. When she saw they were still on the planet, she frowned, and when she saw the Captain standing there in an EV suit, her frown only grew.

“Captain?” She questioned softly.

Ivan smiled sadly and gave Ilan a nod. He was going to respond when he saw several others stir as well. He would rather not say what he had to share twice, so he held back.

Corvin groaned as he slowly came to from stasis, weakly he pawed at the frame of the pod as his fingers slipped off no finding traction before finally they curled around the metal and he pulled himself up. He hated going into stasis because it felt like all of the worst hangovers mixed with all of the worst sleep a person could get. He sat there coming too, leaned his head back as he looked up at the sky of the alien world they were on, silently cursing the gods for making everything so damn bright.

Bryana was next, having a bit of an easier time of it than Corvin, though she was only Terran, she'd never had a problem with stasis and always seemed to recover pretty quickly. She sat up, rubbing the back of her neck with a hands to try and work out the stiffness the pillows always gave her as she sniffed and shifted, swinging her legs out of the pod to dangle over the ground, her grogginess keeping her from immediately acknowledging the captain's presence.

Cedrik woke with a start and immediately sat up straight in the stasis pod. The regret he felt was instant as the world spun and he felt terribly sick. He lowered his head into his hands and just sat there trying to recover. Why weren’t they on the ship?

Ilan moved and slid down onto the ground, wobbling a bit but finding her feet as she walked over to where the two Petrova women were coming out of their slumber. She went to Yana’s pod and looked down at the woman. “Commander Petrova… Captain Petrov is here.”

Yana shook the sleep out of her eyes. Unlike some, she adjusted well to spending time in a stasis pod. All the same, the news that her husband was present gave her hope that this entire situation had been resolved. She sat up and looked for him, her silvery eyes finding him right away and narrowing. She was confused, but the stasis wasn't the source of that confusion.

"Ivan?" she asked, climbing out and jumping to the ground. She walked around the pods with other people climbing out of them. "Why are you in that suit?"

"The planet still isn't safe for me to exist in without protection." he answered his wife as she made her final approach. "Dr. Brasken and Lieutenant Wolff have worked tirelessly to find a cure to your disease, but they've ultimately failed. I'm sorry to tell you this, but the away team cannot safely leave this world. Our research indicates that you will be safe here, however, as long as you remain. I've given orders to the Fleet to prepare for departure in a few days. For now, we will beam down supplies and make a comfortable home for you right here."

He grabbed his wife's hands then and pursed his lips, his whiskers dancing with the speed of his exhale.

"I'll be staying with you. Captain Faulkner will lead the Fleet home to Terra without us."

The wave of shock was obvious as Ivan's words hit each individual of the damned away team. Panic started to grip some of the younger members and they naturally started to move closer to each other like a pack of frightened animals. They were being abandoned, they'd never see home again. The thought of such a fate was one of the few things that could put terror into the heart of the dauntless Terran heart.

Ilan frowned deeply. She knew Orion and Daniel had tried their best, but she couldn't help but feel she could have made a difference had she been there to assist. "So we're just supposed to... stay here forever? Die here?"

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked down, obviously sad and bothered and not really expecting an answer.

Corvin stood up from his pod and considered Ivan's words, feeling a sudden rush of anger welling up within him as he wanted to rush over to their idiot of a captain so he could tear off the helmet of his suit then fill it up with the accursed little bugs on the planet and let them bite and infect him since he was oh so nobly coming down here to join them in exile. "Fucking worthless gesture." He growled and spat on the ground, his anger ruling his response rather than logic or tact.

Bryana blinked as the captain delivered the news and she felt like she'd been punched in the gut, the reality that she wouldn't get to see her family again taking all of the wind out of her. She also felt a pang of resentment towards Ivan since he was getting to have most of his family with him, trapped on the planet. Everything she felt was conflicted and the Marine just sat on the edge of the pod, ignoring Corvin's outburst and trying to process her feelings.

Ivan looked at Corvin with sad eyes, but he didn’t look angry in the slightest. They were all miserable, and he would t fault the man for being upset or for have a lapse in self-control. He turned back to his wife and daughter instead and gave them both reassuring nods. This wouldn’t be an easy transition, but they would have to make it work if they wanted to survive.

OFF]]> Wed, 15 May 2024 02:57:15 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/797 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/797
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - CO's Quarters; Gladius

ON

Saying it had been a long day was an understatement, and Ivan had been silently managing being beside himself with Yana and Mila being bound to the planet and no cure in sight. The meeting with Dr Brasken, Lt Wolff, and the command team earlier had made it very clear they had made no progress. This news was softened by the knowledge that the Away Team was safe so long as they didn’t leave Gamma Eridine II. He went back to his quarters and labored over what he now knew he had to do. They had to leave their people. They had to abandon them in order to get home.

He arrived at Commander Falkner’s quarters on Gladius and rang the chime. He stood in his alternate uniform jacket which he even left unbuttoned, losing the typical formality of work. He hadn’t indicated he was coming, but he hoped she would be available to talk with him.

“Come in?” Annalise called from inside, an invitation and question both. She herself was in the tank top most women wore under the uniform as well as the uniform pants. It was more unusual to find her completely out of uniform than not. She stood from the chair she had been sitting in and looked to the door. The Captain’s quarters on the Gladius were nothing like they were on the Vengeance, but it was still a luxurious space compared to the other rooms. Comparably, though, it was about the size of what an assistant chief department head would have on the Vengeance.

Ivan entered at the invitation, doing his best to mask the depth of his feelings. He had to be stronger now and ever. When he saw her there, he nodded a greeting and stood in front of the closing door.

“Annalise.” He said, using her first name, which was rare. “I hope I’m not intruding. I really need to talk to you.”

“Not at all, Captain.” She replied, not being as familiar with him; it wasn’t for lack of want, it simply didn’t feel comfortable. She gestured to the sitting area where he could have his pick of chair or couch. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Yes, I would. Something strong, thank you.” He answered with the gruffness of his age and moved to the couch. Lowering his large body on the cushion, he leaned forward and avoided putting his head in his hands. “I’m glad I didn’t find you asleep.”

Though herself not much of a drinker, Annalise did keep a small supply more for the benefit of other people than herself. She moved to the small cabinet and pulled out a bottle of bourbon, pouring several fingers for him and one for herself to be polite. She walked the drink over and then took the seat across from him.

“I don’t sleep much, really.”

“By nature or by circumstance?” He asked, accepting the drink with a nod and taking a sip. He enjoyed the burn and the subtle sweetness as he swallowed.

“A bit of both.” She offered a small smile as she settled in comfortably. “I’ve been keeping apprised of the situation on the planet… I’m so sorry to hear your wife and daughter are down there with the rest.”

“Thank you. Four weeks is a long time, yes, but I just learned it’s going to be much longer.” Ivan admitted. “We can’t find a cure..and they can’t leave that planet without a cure, or they’ll die in a matter of days.”

“I see.” Annalise’s words were succinct, but Ivan could see the feelings etched on her beautiful face and in those entrancing blue eyes. She was genuinely saddened by the news; losing people was never easy, and this was at a different level to be sure. “What is your plan, then?”

“A month in orbit has put this Fleet a month further from home in my mind, and we haven’t come close to finding anything. Our doctors and scientists will continue to look for a cure, but the Shadow Fleet needs to break orbit and head for the Alpha Quadrant.” Ivan said, looking into her eyes. “We have to leave them.”

Her frown grew and this time even she took a small sip of the alcohol in hand. “Perhaps I can take the Gladius and we can try to find information from traders nearby on the disease? There are so many on the planet…”

“Believe me, I know just how dear the loss will be, but I’m afraid I can’t allow us to stray so far from our mission, especially considering the potential dangers.” He said, shaking his head. “Our database on the Vidiian ship suggests that they have encountered and, potentially, cured the virus, but every interaction with them has nearly resulted in our deaths. It’s a no-go.”

The woman looked away, the frown remaining though there was a touch of anger in her eyes. They too had their run-ins with the Vidiians that had in the end gone rather poorly. The species as a whole was a nuisance. “It’s strange the Rynall wouldn’t have the information, but perhaps they hadn’t updated their databases in a while.”

“Apparently the cure is recently found, or else they might have it in their records.” Ivan said, taking a moment to actively regret that fact as well. “But it’s too dangerous to pursue. So, I’m left with little choice to have the Fleet break orbit in a few days. That, Annalise, is what I needed to tell you.”

“I understand.” She frowned and leaned toward him, though didn’t reach out to touch him. “I’m so sorry…”

“Not as sorry as you’re about to be.” He said, and offered a sad smile. “I’m staying, and leaving the Fleet under your command. You’ll transfer to Vengeance and serve as CO and Fleet Commander. Asher can take over here.”

Annalise’s eyes widened and she sat there blinking at him for a few solid seconds. Understandably, she was shocked by the declaration for a variety of reasons. When she spoke there was a slight hesitance in her voice. “Alright… have you told your son that?”

Ivan quirked a brow.

“I haven’t yet. I wanted to talk to you first. After all, it’s a huge responsibility. Why do you ask?”

“Because I have doubts he is going to be thrilled by the prospect of being passed over.” Annalise replied frankly and crossed her legs. “I have concerns that he might be an issue given the incident with my XO and Mr. O’Shea.”

“That’s reasonable. Truly. Andrei can be a bit aggressive. But I’ll trust you to deal with him should that situation arise. I’ll be informing him that you won’t be lenient should he choose to exert undue control over the other ships in the Fleet again.” Ivan said. “He needs years and experience before he’s ready for the responsibility I’m handing over to you. He may not know that, but we do.”

Annalise decided to not point out that she and his son were only a few months apart in age. It wasn’t experience that was the problem, she felt, it was the man’s disposition. She took another sip of her drink and tapped her manicured nails on the side of the glass. “Do you think he will believe you or that it will make a difference?”

“Andrei had a clean record until he came to Vengeance and became XO. I think he feels comfortable flexing his muscles under his father. He will likely tow the line a bitter closer with you. I’d advise you to keep him away from your current XO, however.”

“Well there goes the dinner party idea.” She quipped, trying to put at least a tiny bit of humor on the situation. “I do have experience in dealing with… difficult men after working with my own XO, but you are correct in that I will not match a father’s lenience. My concern is the safety of my people.”

“And that’s reasonable. But I ask you to work with Commander Petrov and encourage him to be dutiful. He’s very capable and an asset to the Fleet. He’s a very efficient XO as well. But, at the end of the day, he’s my son and I believe he can go along better than he has.”

“I give you my word that I will work with him and give him my patience as long as he does not become outright dangerous.” Her blue eyes rested on his, gentle but determined. “I’ve seen his record and I know he is capable, but it is a question of his desire.”

“I understand. That’s all I can ask.” He answered with an expression that communicated the lowest form of satisfaction. “Thank you.”

“When are you wanting to make this change?” She asked, pressing forward from the topic of Andrei. She would not be swayed to do more than she had said for the man.

“Tomorrow morning, I’m calling a briefing for my senior staff and the fleet captains. I’ll announce my decision then, and you can start right away as Commanding Officer of Vengeance. We can remain in orbit for two days after that to prepare a living space to sustain our people on the planet and to allow me to answer any questions you have and…say my goodbyes.” He said, taking another sip of the bourbon and letting it slide down with a burn. “Then you’ll go, and it’ll be a few days until you’re out of communication range.”

Annalise was obviously taken aback by the answer, but recovered quickly and gave a slow nod. She herself would have preferred he had come to tell her a little earlier so she could have a chance at processing the information and coming to terms with it herself, but that hadn’t happened.

“Very well. I’ll speak to my XO and prepare something for my own crew as well then. What time?”

“1130 Hours. Keep the reason under wraps as much as possible until then. I don’t want the rumor mill going on this before I can tell my people myself.”

“Of course.” She nodded and then sighed then. “Any advice you’d care to give to a young captain, then, sir?”

“Put your confidence in your people to complete the mission.” He said, standing up and placing his glass on the table again. “But, at the end of the day, remember that you are leading Terrans. Everyone carries a dagger and everyone knows how to use it. They won’t know or trust you yet, and that will have to be earned. I’m sorry about that.”

“Hopefully they’ll give me a chance to do so.” Annalise said with a kind of sad smile. She knew how to fight of course, but she was self aware enough to know she wouldn’t win against everyone; fighting had never been her thing after all. “Tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow.” Ivan said in response. “And thanks for the drink.”

He started to leave without giving her time to respond first, knowing that he would need more sleep than he typically allowed himself. The next several days weren’t going to be easy for either of them.

END
]]> Wed, 15 May 2024 02:55:12 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/813 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/813
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Sickbay

ON

Nearly a week had gone by while Daniel worked on this infection. His whole department was tasked with working double shifts and he himself only left the sick bay to create the illusion that he was sleeping. In reality, he was continuing his theorizing in his quarters.

His stamina was impressive by any measure, but even he had his limits and was now relying on medical assistance to continue staying sharp. At the moment though, he hadn’t been sharp enough and his hypo was empty as he went to use it. Thankfully there was no one to witness as he then threw the device across the room from his desk and then heard the small sizzle of a broken circuit being exposed to air.

Daniel just looked at the broken device for several seconds before sighed heavily and pushed back from his desk. Standing he went over to pick up the hypo and then left his room. Even at the late hour he knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid anyone in Sickbay with the all hands on deck mandate he had personally implemented. Still, at oh three hundred, he wouldn’t have to deal with most of the people he dealt with most of the time and so hopefully he would be assumed to just have woken up early.

--

The turbolift doors hissed open and he made the very short walk from them to Sickbay. Still there were the sounds of chirps and beeps that assaulted his ears as he walked in from all the machines monitoring and processing. His annoyance was clear on his face and he went directly to the medical replicator and tossed the hypo in to let it get recycled into a replacement along with the medication.

The Vengeance had gone from a great many doctors on staff to very few and now just one. Of course Lamont and Rosen could have been recalled from the Rynall if need arose and the Gladius had her own staff, but the sudden absence of Mika and another of the nursing staff was certainly felt.

Like the others, Virginia had been hard at work trying to solve the mystery of the virus that had infected their crewmen but to little success. Even with all of her personal experience, the solution eluded her. What hadn’t eluded her was the fact she had developed a certain level of fondness for some of the people on this ship, and that was a rather terrifying prospect. Perhaps it was just the exhaustion that was affecting her good sense. She hadn’t even looked up from what she was doing when she heard the doors, but when she caught Daniel out of the corner of her eye going to the replicator and tossing something into it, she frowned and broke away from the console she had been standing in front of.

“Doctor Brasken? Is everything alright?”

Daniel turned to look at Virginia, his eyebrow raised slightly at the question. Considering everything going on with the planet and their limited resources to find an answer, he figured that the question answered itself. Then again, people all deal with stress in their own way and he wasn’t really that well known of a variable to most people on the crew. He schooled his features into their normal, relaxed state before he answered.

“I am not sure I can calculate the variables to answer that satisfactorily. However, at this moment I am simply dealing with a technical issue with a hypo-spray. I am certain I will have it dealt with momentarily.” Alright, perhaps he had gone too far into his default response. Ilan wouldn’t approve considering their recent conversations. Though he wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about the nurse beyond the professional relationship. Perhaps this would be a good moment to try.

“What of yourself? Is this your standard shift? I have lost track.”

“Did someone replace you with a Vulcan when I wasn’t looking?” Virginia asked with a chuckle and slight shake of her head, but the lingering smile faded as his question finally settled in her mind.

“No, it isn’t. It’s 0300, doctor, and I work the alpha shift with you.”

Daniel’s head turned to check the chronometer. “So it is, and so you do. It has been a rough night and I’ve not really been able to sleep. I was going to see about what I could do about it when I realized my hypo wasn’t working. I suppose I shouldn’t use the replicator and just grab a spare…”

“Have you been able to narrow down the quantum variables on the virus yet?”

“Not yet. We’re close though, I think.” She replied and moved a bit closer to him, the concern obvious on her face. “May I get you something to help you sleep?”

“I will be on duty before I’ll have a chance to reliably get any benefit from it at this point. I was thinking a stimulant would be more productive.” He raised his chin to stop any shadows on his face from making any fatigue he was feeling from being further enhanced.

“We‘ve all been taking those a little too much, really…” She eyed him a bit as he moved his head. “You should really get some actual rest. I can cover things here for a few extra hours and if there’s any real emergency I can call you.”

He hesitated and lowered his chin back down to let her see his actual level of fatigue. “They are relying on me..” He paused and then corrected himself. “Us. I cannot rest yet.”

“And what will they do if there’s an emergency and someone needs to be taken care of, but their chief medical officer is exhausted and prone to mistakes?” Virginia challenged. She’d been in his shoes before of course, she understood where he was coming from, but now it was her turn to give the advice.

“Does this not count as an emergency that requires the full attention of the chief medical officer?” Daniel’s temper flared a bit, though he was far from yelling his voice did take a slight edge as he spoke. Something in the back of his mind told him to calm down, but he was unable to take notice of it at this time.

Virginia didn’t rise to his temper outside of crossing her arms. “At this point, no, it is not a dire emergency. Our people are safe in stasis and you know what exhaustion does to the mind. It could be something simple you aren’t seeing because you’re too tired to see it. You also know perfectly well exactly what I am referencing when I say an emergency that you might not be prepared for.”

The muscles in his arms tensed and relaxed in an almost spasmodic pattern as he processed her words and change of stance in response to his own. He turned away from her and slammed a fist down on a nearby counter top in frustration. The urge to lash out physically was intense and he knew better than to target another crew member for several reasons, least of which was that she didn’t deserve it.

Daniel knew her words were fact and this was a common discussion that medical crewmembers had with non-medical. Everyone always assumed that only they could be the person to fix some problem and if they just pushed a little harder, it would be done. “It would be hard not to know what you referred to with recent events…I do not have to like it, however.”
She jumped slightly when he slammed his fist into the counter and for a split second, her resolve faltered. Terrans and their violence. She regained herself quickly though and simply tightened the fold of her arms and deepened the scowl on her pretty face. “You don’t, no, but you still have a responsibility to this crew to be responsible. You need to rest.”
Keeping his back to Virginia while his jaw clenched and unclenched after a deep breath allowed him the mental gymnastics to believe he was actually in control and that his subordinate wasn’t having to chastise him for a very basic concept. Daniel turned around after he had regained his composure and gave a slight nod, “Admittedly this is bothering me perhaps more than I expected.”

Daniel blinked slowly to allow his tear ducts to have a chance to naturally lubricate his dry eyes and was a bit surprised. With his eyelashes blurring Virginia’s features, taking the sharper edge off her jaw and such, she actually almost looked like Ilan. The truth of the matter is that the one person he had any real connection to in the fleet was in one of those stasis pods. He trusted Ilan and had even come to rely on her for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which was the physical stress relief she was able to provide.

“That’s understandable.” Her body relaxed a bit from how she had been holding it since he seemed to be relenting - at least somewhat. “After everything that has happened, this entire situation is extremely difficult to process and deal with. You aren’t alone in it, though, sir, and the best thing you can do for yourself and everyone else right now is to stop acting like you are.”

The doctor kept his eyes at half mast, allowing for the illusion to continue and imagine that Ilan was the one advising him. He knew intellectually that where the advice came from shouldn’t matter and that facts were facts. Still, the part of him that he worked to maintain control of was having more influence and it was calmed by the distraction. He nodded before opening his eyes again with a sigh. “I’m not sure I can bring myself to use a tranquilizer to help me sleep though, considering the emergency that was alluded to moments ago. I guess I could try and wear myself out in the gym.”

“Does that usually work for you?” Virginia asked, obviously slightly skeptical of his plan. “When did you take your last dose of stimulants? Don’t try to deny you have been, I can see the signs all over you.”

“Hit or miss on effectiveness.” Other methods were much more effective as exhaustion and release of dopamine combined has always worked better. Daniel considered to himself about the second question and knew exactly that is was only a few hours ago, the diminishing returns having caught up with him a couple days ago. Still, he had to make the show good. “Around lunch time”

“Well, you can go give it a try or I can give you something light just to help you calm down and relax. I would be willing to bet good money if you did that you’d fall asleep quickly enough and you won’t be under a strong sedative in case something happened.” The woman offered with a slight smile. “Why don’t you catch me up on where you are on your research and I’ll keep it going while you rest.”

“Very well.” Daniel made his way to the main lab station to bring up the current logs and results that he was working with. His explanation was a bit on the technical side as he was not in a mental state to search for alternative words. As he explained his process and findings (or lack there of) the back of his mind recognized as well that he didn’t want to leave. His isolation had been second nature while working on this problem but until he was here and confronted by Virginia he had not really considered it.

Isolation was safe and easy, but the removal of the one person he had any real connection to on the ship as well as the fleet was having an effect on him. In all reality he didn’t want to leave because at least with Virginia he wasn’t isolated, but also at the same time it meant he wasn’t alone with his thoughts to consider what that meant for him. Perhaps it might be good to go spend some time in one of the crew gathering places and get very very drunk…

END
]]> Tue, 14 May 2024 05:04:55 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/787 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/787
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Gamma Eridine II

Captain’s Log. Stardate 48781.8
It’s been two weeks since we departed Sikaris. We’ve all had time to cope with the loss of our opportunity to get home in a hurry, but somehow, traveling under conventional warp power still stings. Moral is low, and I wish I could say it’ll be getting better soon, but somehow, I doubt it. To many dreams of seeing loved ones were resurfaced.

No matter how heavy our hearts have become, the journey must continue. Before we hunker down for some serious travel time, we’re making a quick pit stop at a world in the system the locals call Gamma Eridine. It’s a beautiful M-Class world, but appears to be uninhabited by intelligent life or large apex predators. I’ve decided to allow our scientists to tinker for a few hours just to see what makes the planet tick, and have permitted some junior staff to go down and stretch their legs as well.

Gamma Eridine II

Sixteen transporter beams shimmered into existence in a lovely green clearing between the trees. It was a beautiful day, and the son was shining its bright morning rays on the short grass. Soon, the faces of the Away Team became visible through the haze and, after a short pause for adjustment, heads started turning and observing the sight.

“Well, this seems to be a hidden gem.” Commander Petrona said, her silver eyes scanning the groupings of alien flowers on the margin of the clearing. “I find myself even more skeptical than before, strangely enough.”

“I think it’s a gift from the gods.” Mika said with a smile, pulling out her medical tricirder and beginning to scan for biological life. The four women in science blues grouped together naturally with Ensign Ocara and Petty Officer Pavlovna standing together with Ensign Petrona and Crewman Scott.

“We’ll see, won’t we? We always see.” Yana said, looking up at the sky. “Ilan. What do your scans tell you?”

"A lot of thick forest growth. Various types of trees though most appear to be deciduous in nature. I’m not reading any large animals in the immediate area, but there are plenty of insects and birds as well as various smaller mammals and reptiles.” Ilan read off what she was reading, but once she had she brought her gaze back up to just look around and admire the beauty of the place. Sikaris had been wonderful, but there was something about untamed nature that nothing else could ever compare.

“Then where are the people?” Luna Pavlovna said. As the senior science technician aboard Vengeance, she had insisted on coming down too. They didn’t do much exploration in the Empire anymore, and the young Russian wanted to see the first of everything. “Idyllic conditions, safety, and no people.”

"Or maybe they've just gotten really good at hiding." Corvin commented as his steely gaze took in their surroundings, rifle held at the ready in front of him. He didn't trust a world that looked this perfect especially since every time they seemed to find something idyllic and wonderful, that was merely the surface and once scratched the real shit started bubbling up. "Keep it tight people, we don't know what all might be down here, if its not the animals, it could be the plants."

He tapped the Vidiian medical scanner that had been adapted for use on Terran phaser rifles as he looked around, using it to take in what could be picked up in the jungle beyond.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about there not being people. For all we know this could be some sort of preserve owned by another species.” Ilan offered up with a smile.

"Perhaps you're right, Ilan. But we will be careful just in case. I don't want anyone wandering off without a security officer. If they're hiding, I don't want them to find us defenseless." Yana said, crossing her arms under her chest and gazing at the serene blue of the sky. Just a split second after she finished speaking, however, she felt the pinch of a sting on the back of her neck. She reached back with lightning-fast reflexes and made contact with whatever insect was responsible for the bite. When she pulled back her hand, it was bloody, and had remains of black and green body on it. "Space travel had almost made me forget how much I hate bugs."

In the midst of their conversation, a faint rustling could be heard in a nearby bush. As the world had been nearly silent up until then, it drew the attention of the entire Away Team. Immediately, tricorders went up and scans commenced in the direction of the disturbance.

"I'm reading a creature. Small." Mika said, taking a step forward without thinking. "Primate. Permission to investigate?"

Yana pursed her lips, but otherwise her expression was unreadable. After a few seconds, however, she nodded.

"Ilan, Mika. Take a look. Corvin, go with them and make sure it's safe."

"Copy ma'am, murder the monkey if it decides to get uppity." He smirked and moved ahead of them carefully as he visually scanned their surrounding for a threat of any kind as they made their way toward the visiting monkey.

“Step lightly, Corvin. We don’t want to scare it off.” Ilan spoke up from behind the man. She didn’t really find his presence necessary to go find the creature, but she supposed Yana wanted Mika to be kept extra safe.

The three of them left the clearing with careful feet, following Mika and her tricorder into the trees. After several paces, they came to the primate sitting on the grass, looking at them in a way that could easily be interpreted as "curious". Mika smiled and immediately lowered herself down to his level, putting the tricorder away and extending a hand to him.

"On takoy milyy. Look at the little man." she said in a gentle, motherly voice which was so natural to her. "Hey there, little guy. Do you want to be friends?"

Corvin stayed standing making sure that he had a clear shot on the primate as Mika tried to coax it over, he felt that if her last name wasn't Petrov, she'd have been chewed up hard by the galaxy, but he kept that thought entirely private as he carefully hefted his weapon, ready to shoot.

Ilan hung back between Mika and Corvin. Her own tricorder was still out and she was focused on the research task rather than how cute the creature was. She liked to have fun, but work was work for her - at least when she had the Captain's wife proverbially looming over her shoulder. The woman didn't strike her as someone who liked to take enjoyment from the little things.

Mika's smile faded quickly as a rather large insect landed on her extended arm and a sting caused her to flinch and scowl.

"Ouch!" she said, but she didn't smack it as her mother had. Instead, she just gave her arm a shake, and it flew away. As soon as she shook, however, the animal they were courting jumped back, turned, and booked it into the trees. "Darnit..."

"Fuck," Corvin turned his attention to the fleeing insect, but lost it in the jungle as he looked back to Mika and then looked to Ilan. "Is she going to be okay? Any issues from the sting?"

"Corvin, it happened .2 seconds ago, how am I supposed to know?" Ilan snorted and reached out to lift Mika's arm and inspected the area where she was stung that seemed to be swelling, but not with concerning rapidity. She looked at Mika.

"Feel anything?"

Getting stung was never fun, but it was hardly a bit deal. Mika rubbed her arm gently in the place where the insect had been, minding the bump with care.

"It hurts a bit, but it's already getting better." Mika said, before turning her gaze back to the woods and sighing. "I guess our friend has scurried off. Should we get back?"

Corvin stood watch as Ilan checked on Mika, though soon he was distracted by the buzzing of an insect, swatting at it to try and get it to go away as he growled in annoyance. He ducked away, but not before the creature landed on his neck; before it could do anything else, he caught it in his hand. It was then that he felt the sharp pain as it stung his palm, reflexively causing him to crush it, the only indication being a slight grimace before he opened his hands to examine the gooey remains of the alien bug.

"Its a little dead, but maybe you could still use it as a sample." He offered while holding out his hand towards Ilan.

"Uhh..." Ilan blinked at the remains of the insect. "Just uh... hold on to that for me Corv- ow!"

She reached back to the back of her bare thigh and slapped it, though she missed the insect that had bitten her. "Okay, yes, let's get the hell out of this spot. I'm not about to get eaten alive. It reminds me of Florida during mosquito season."

1200 Hours
It had been three hours of searching the planet and sojourning through the lightly-treed woods. The scans had produced very little of scientific interest and had basically indicated that the world was as bland an M-Class world as they come. There was still nothing to explain the lack of sentient life, but this was a curiosity they had very little time to pursue. The science team had been ordered to gather as much information as they could for their own enquiries back in the Fleet, but Yana had enough of watching them scanning leaves. At the very least, it had been a nice rest with nature and sunshine.

As they gathered back in the clearing between the trees, Yana tapped her commbadge.

"Away Team to Vengeance," she said, her breathing slightly heavy from all of the walking, "we've got everything we're going to get and we're ready to come back home. Beam us up."

"Yes, ma'am." sounded the accented voice of the Transporter Chief as she locked on to their signals. "Energizing."

The 16 Starfleet crew gathered in the clearing were showered in the shimmering blue light of the transporter and dematerialized from the world. The view of Transporter Room 1 aboard the Vengeance came slowly into focus, but that process stopped, suddenly, and began to reverse. Several moments after being transported away, the Away Team reappeared in the clearing, expressions of confusion appearing on their face.

"Petrova to Vengeance, what's going on?" Yana called out, tapping her commbadge aggressively.

Bridge
The Bridge of the Vengeance was as lively as ever with the senior staff working normally from their duty stations and Andrei monitoring the Away Team comms from the XO's chair. When he realized something was wrong, he turned his mind from the PADD in his hand to the audio feed.

"The transporter process was automatically aborted," Petty Officer Cruz said over the comm line.

"Transporter Room, this is Commander Petrov." he said, lowering the PADD to the surface next to him, "What was the cause of the transporter failure?"

"My station tells me the transporter system detected an anomalous genetic reading from the entire Away Team."

Andrei turned to look over his shoulder at the Ops station.

"Sovas, take a closer look."

The Half-Vulcan paused monitoring the surface scans of the planet below as he pulled up the transporter logs to see if there was something legitimately wrong with the system or it was a matter of motivation to make the necessary repairs. "The biological contamination protocols detected an unidentified pathogen in every member of the Away Team, it appears to be registered as bloodborne, but it was enough to terminate the transport, their signatures are currently marked as being denied access to the ship."

Andrei's eyes shifted from Sovas to Lyra for a second, and the expression there was anything but the typical business-like indifference he usually displayed on the job. It wasn't lost on him that his mother and sister were among the important crew down on the planet and that they were sick with an unknown pathogen.

Lyra had returned the quick look with a meaningful eye. It wasn't lost on her that just the evening before they were celebrating the life of her deceased father and now Yana and Mika were seemingly in danger. She didn't seem worried, but offered him a calm, supportive steadiness.

Orion paused as he turned to look towards the center seats, no matter his feelings towards Andrei, that his mother and sister were likely in a life-threatening situation wasn't something he'd wish upon the man. There was a difference between wanting to destroy a rival and all they held dear and letting a random happenstance of the universe inflict that. Some part of him felt slighted by the fates that they'd try to play such a hand.

"Is it dangerous?" Andrei asked Sovas next, his visible eye blinking and his handsome face turning down into a serious frown.

"Inconclusive, due to the virus being foreign with no known predictive data on it." The half-Vulcan answer was crisp and efficient as he turned his attention towards the other man, wondering what was going through his head at the moment. That he was worried was obvious since this was the most serious he'd seen Andrei since the ambush of the fleet. His own curiosity about wanting more insight into Andrei's feeling was a curious thing to him since for all intents and purposes, the other man gave no fucks about him. It wasn't that he was wanting to know his deepest, darkest secrets but he was wondering what this situation was making the Commander think of, was he thinking about the worst case scenario?

The half-Vulcan's thoughts drifted toward his thoughts of life and death, the quiet consideration of mortality that had been festering within his mind for months before a frown creased his brow as Ilan came to mind, realizing that she was down on the surface, feeling a strange pang in his chest of concern and maybe something more as he focused on his console while trying to ferret out and understand these new feelings.

"Let's get it down to Sickbay, then. Forward the information now." Andrei said with a slow exhale as he turned toward the ready room. "I'll let the Captain know. Commander Cassiel, you have the conn."

The tall man walked to the starboard side of the Bridge and into the Ready Room without another word.

Lyra moved from her station when Andrei gave the command, stepping down and passing by Andrei just as he moved to the ready room. Her hand made brief, subtle contact with his hip as they brushed by each other and she took a seat in the captain's chair. Turning her attention to the readings, she spoke up as the ready room door hissed closed.

"Sovas, let's start scanning to see if we can identify the source of the pathogen."

"Right away, Commander." He acknowledge the order as he brought up the sensor scans and began to cross-reference the transporter log data with what they had already. "The planet has an extensive biosphere, it will take time to find a match."

"I could start looking through the biological pathogen's archives from the Vidiian ship to see if they may have encountered something similar," Orion offered from his station, his attention turning to Lyra as he for the moment sought to be helpful and bring their fellow Terrans home safely.

Lyra looked over at Orion and nodded. “Very well; do so. Both of you forward any findings to Sickbay so Doctor Brasken can review them.”

Sickbay - 1400 Hours

Doctor Brasken was at one of the lab stations, running simulations while he awaited the actual practical tests to complete. Some might say is was a waste of time to assume something and run with it, but Daniel found that so long as he did not tell anyone his conjecture is fact that it didn't hurt to get ahead of a problem. The trick was making sure that you are willing to accept the data that comes in and not try and continue with something that wont work just because you thought you knew where it was going.

He slapped his open palm on the console panel and cursed under his breath as the bold red letters scrolled across the screen for the thirty eighth time in the last couple hours. His ears constricted just slightly at the high pitch of the alert from the plasma analysis machine across the room. Truly he hated all the little sounds that accompanied working in any lab, but medical always seemed to be the worst. He stalked across the room to check out the results, waving away the nurse that was heading over to the machine as well. Daniel did not feel like discussing the results, regardless how how well intentioned the crew member might be.

Another curse was in his throat at the initial result on the screen, but one such outburst was enough for the time being as he reigned in his temper and worked the interface to get more of the information. Not only was the data bad, but the details cancelled out the simulations that he had been considering running and any avenue of a quick solution.

Daniel looked over at the chronometer and sighed...two hours in and he had to admit this was not going to be fixed quickly and the patients were just getting worse. He reached over to his badge and activated it.

"Sickbay to Captain Petrov."

"Go ahead, doctor." Ivan's voice sounded from Brasken's badge.

"Sir, I am forced to conclude that we are not going to have this resolved before our away team's status goes critical. Recommend immediate stasis to extend time to work on this problem further."

Daniel loved a good puzzle, he was not fond of the fact that he was going to be without his favored sounding board as he was sending Ilan into a pod along with the others.

Ivan's hesitation gave meaning to the silence and, when he spoke, it was clear he was extending faith to a very concerning situation. His wife and daughter were down there, after all.

"I'll arrange a beam down with operations, Doctor. You keep working to find a cure for this damn virus. We're not losing our people. Petrov out."

"Understood," Daniel spoke mostly to himself as he knew the channel had cut off before his first syllable was complete. He knew the stakes for certain members of the crew, even if they didn't know the stakes for himself.

Gamma Eridine II

It had been two hours since the failed beam-out resulted in the Away Team being bound to the clearing in the trees. They’d occupied themselves mostly by talking in small groups and keeping to themselves. It wasn’t until they were contacted by Captain Petrov that their attention was drawn to one single point of focus. The worry in his voice had been notable, but controlled, and the news they would have to be put into stasis until the virus in their body could be better understood hit differently for each of them.

Streams of blue brought the stasis pods down from the ship in four neat rows of four. Yana stood and frowned, especially at her daughter.

“I have every confidence Dr. Brasken and the rest of the medical and science teams will get this all sorted out soon. For now, we’ll do what we’re told and buy them time.” She said, her silver eyes moving to the stasis pod in front of her.

“Ilan, this is stupid.” Luna Pavlovna said under her breath, giving a slashing gesture with her hand. “We are Scientists. We should be helping to find a cure from here.”

"Yeah, Lu, I know..." Ilan sighed and rubbed her forehead. "But Brasken is playing it safe rather than sorry. I don't like it one bit either though. These things look like coffins."

"Fuck me, I hate stasis pods," Corvin growled as he glared daggers at the contraptions; while he could agree that they looked like coffins, what knew of his crewmates here on the planet knew was that he suffered from a condition known as stasis sickness that would leave him as weak as a kitten for a week after coming out of the pods and he fucking hated that feeling as he stood as far away from the pods as possible. "Maybe it's this planet's version of the common cold, and we can just wait it out, you know...sniffles, stuffy head...nothing serious."

He did not want to go into the pod, even if Brasken had ordered that it had to happen.

"I don't think anyone particularly likes them." Cedrik pointed out as he stood with his arms crossed. Like the rest, he had of course been bitten by one of the insects of the planet while he was making a sweep with Bryana and some of the other personnel. "We should do what Doctor Brasken thinks best though. I'd rather go in there than risk dying out here on an alien planet."

Mika eyed Cedrik uncertainly as well. She certainly didn’t like the situation, but she actually agreed with Brasken’s assessment of the problem. It was better to be safe than sorry when it came to their lives. She placed a hand on one of the metal cylinders and sighed.

“It’ll all be over soon, so we should probably just get in and do what the Doctor wants.” She said, her tone gentle but strong enough to indicate her own intention. She made herself the example, perhaps bravely, and climbed into the stasis pod she had touched, sitting upright and looking at the others. “It will probably just be a few days. Corvin, I know about your condition, but we’ll take care of you; don’t worry.”

"By the Gods, Corvin, suck it up and deal with it," Bryana looked over at the security officer, unimpressed by his reluctance to go into the pod. She didn't necessarily have any issue using them but the implications weren't sitting well with her. Not so soon after she lost most of the other Marines during the ambush that had gutted the Vengeance and shattered the fleet. "Won't even know any time has passed, taking as an opportunity for a chance to catch up on your beauty sleep."

Corvin glared daggers at the Marine, squeezing his hand as he resisted the urge to pounce and attack her, it wouldn't do anyone any good and he knew that Lyra would be deeply disappointed in him. He ignored her and stepped over to the pod to start checking it and run it through its set up cycle.

Yana frowned at the interaction, but didn’t involve herself. This process wasn’t easy, but there were worse things than having to endure stasis when it came to catching an alien desease. They could have to suffer terrible agony or disfigurement. She booted up her own pod as she watched the members of the away team climb into their pods one by one and drift off to artificial dream-land. Eventually, she climbed in as well and, with a sigh, drifted away.

END]]> Tue, 14 May 2024 05:04:34 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/817 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/817
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - Holodeck 2

ON

It had been six days since Jasper had finally gone to see Immy and she had revealed to him her troubles of men coming into the holodeck to sexually take advantage of her. He’d gone to have a conversation with them and to no one’s surprise not contrary to his expectations, it had ended in a fight. He had won - or at least he had been winning before security had arrived to break it up. He’d landed in the brig of course and had really expected to be put in the agonizer, but it wasn’t to be. Lyra had pressed him for his motivations behind his actions and after some initial resistance he had finally told her the truth. To his surprise she actually seemed to be genuinely angered by the injustice Immy had suffered and had in turn spared him from suffering in the agonizer. He had known better than to ask questions behind her motivations and accepted her help and mercy very, very humbly and gratefully. His stint in the brig had been annoying but it wasn’t like it was the first time; he’d then spent the subsequent days catching up on his workload and taking on some of Jackie’s as payment for holding down the fort.

Finally after two days, he found a little time to get away and head to the holodeck. He was still in his uniform given he was taking his lunch break to be here, but he didn’t want to keep Immy waiting.

“Computer load Helen, Georgia, Main Street.” The computer chimed and the little replica Bavarian town shimmered into existence.

“Immy.” He called to her, standing there with an easy smile on his face.

With an immediate flash, Immy appeared in her red Starfleet uniform. This time, instead of noticing the environment first, she actually saw Jasper. And for all the excitement she expressed, it seemed she didn’t notice the adorable town around them at all.

“Jasper.” She said in an excited voice, and stepped up close to him immediately. Her lips were on his in an instant, and her large soft breasts pressed against his chest through the material of her clothing. When she pulled back, she looked at him with her dazzling green eyes. “It’s my hero.”

Jasper smiled and started to greet her, but was silenced by her lips against his. He chuckled into the kiss while wrapping one of his strong arms around her body. He looked down at her, his equally enchanting blue eyes warm as was his smile. “Hey, beautiful. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.”

“I missed you.” she said, grinning a pretty smile. “I’ve never had a man go to jail for me, so I was hoping you’d be here to see me when you got out. Honesty, it’s a huge turn on.”

She squeezed his arm and then backed off enough to look at the surrounding street.

“I don’t even know how to dress here.”

“Well, it’s a tourist area, not actually somewhere in Germany,” Jasper pointed out, “but it was a place we used to visit now and then for fun. They liked to do things with limited tech here to keep its charm. Wear whatever you feel like.”

“So..” she said with a grin. “A pair of panties and..nothing else?”

Her infectious smile was on again, and she giggled girlishly.

“Tell me all about it. I read Commander Cassiel’s report aaaand I accessed the complaints filed by both of those grade-A assholes, but I want to hear it from you.” she said, approaching him again and placing her hand on his arms again.

“I mean, I wouldn’t complain, but I don’t mind having to unwrap a gift.” He said easily. Taking her hand in his, he lifted it to his lips and then guided her to start walking with him.

“Really it’s a bit of a short lived tale. As I’m sure you probably guessed, they are friends and I was fortunate enough to find them together when I went looking. I did try to make it just a conversation at first.” His tone indicated that he had indeed done so, but also that he either hadn’t tried very hard or simply had no expectation of it working.

“And, what? They started running their mouths?” She asked with an interesting expression. “They both claimed you attacked them for no reason.”

“Of course they did because they don’t see you as real.” He shook his head and frowned at that notion. While the situation was certainly complicated in that regard, there was no denying that her consciousness was still present and she wasn’t just a normal hologram. “Anyways, I impressed upon them they were going to stop what they were doing, they disagreed, so I decided to communicate on a more base level that I was certain would get through their thick skulls.”

She shoved him hard, though the resulting movement of his body was noticeably and predictably small.

“Where are the fucking details, Jasper?” she asked with a mischievous smile. “How can I fantasize about you kicking their asses with no shirt on if you keep playing around like that?”

She locked her arm in his and continued to walk down the sidewalk, giving him a pathetic squeeze.

“Stop being Shakespeare and give me the dirty dirty details, you tease.”

Jasper laughed at that and shook his head. “Alright, alright. Just blame what my father taught me to try and turn me into a gentleman years back; women should be spared the gory details.” As he spoke the last line, he thickened the very slight accent he naturally had and spoke in the Georgia Southern he had been born with. He’d spend a long time working to not speak in that way anymore.

“Gentlemen are great when things are good.” she said, looking at him and trusting his navigation to avoid her bumping into anything. “But when another man hurts me, I want a soldier to kick his ass without a shirt on. And then I want him to tell me about it so I can recreate the moment over and over again.”

“Well, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint a bit since I did leave my shirt on, but a little embellishment on the details never hurt anyone.” He winked at her and then looked ahead. “The one with the dark hair - I don’t even remember their stupid ass names at this point - was the one that was up first. He tried to inch over like he was slick and get a cheap shot in; he was slow as shit about it though so I caught his hand and showed him how to do it. Broke his big ass nose; I don’t think I’ve ever heard one snap that loud and I’ve broken a lot of noses.”

He glanced over at her to make sure this was the kind of detail she was wanting.

Immy’s interest was incredibly obvious. Her lips were parted slightly and her piercing green eyes were as hungry as eyes could be.

“Yeah…” she said in a low voice, obviously waiting for more.

“The other guy is from security, so he was a bit more of a challenge. The first one was pretty much immediately sobbing for his mother and clutching his nose, then his buddy came at me and he did actually manage to land the cheap shot.” Jasper had never really been much of a storyteller, but it was clear he was giving it his best attempt, “Fucker nearly knocked me over, then his friend figured it out and came back too - well he tried to. I punched him in his nose again.”

He grinned and shook his head. “I kind of wonder how much he had to have repaired in the end.”

Immy’s hand went to the zipper of her uniform jacket and she drew it down slowly. With a simple motion of her arms, she allowed it to fall to the ground behind them, leaving her in the skirt and the obviously too-tight red shirt beneath. Her large breasts pressed against the fabric and the outlines of her nipples could be clearly seen as if she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“Sorry. It’s pretty hot out here today.” she said, her eyes staying with him. “Don’t let me interrupt. You were fucking his face up forever, I think..”

Jasper was distracted the moment he saw her hands moving down to the zipper and he watched with great interest as she freed her breasts from its confines. He licked his lips and then blinked once. “Yeah, certainly went up a few degrees. Anyways yeah, I was. He went down like a bitch that time then I just had to deal with his buddy. Well, I think the fact he got that one hit on me made him think he was hot shit, because he came charging at me like a fucking dumbass. I literally just had to step out of the way and he did the work for me mostly, I just made sure he connected straight into the wall.”

“So I told them they were going to stop calling on you for literally anything now, Wallhumper proceeded to say something about my mother - who is a very nice lady by the way - and I took that personally.” He paused and looked at her. “When Cassiel came to see you did she mention anything about how he’d be polishing boots with his tongue?”

Immy nodded wordlessly, her eyes locked on him. Her fingers, ending in red acrylic nails, found the base of her red shirt and lifted it slowly to just under her obviously erect nipples, then released it and let it stay perfectly uncovering her toned, pale torso and the bottom half of her breasts, pressing into her skin to make them bulge slightly. Perhaps it was the holographic effects and the fact that she had more control over her appearance than any other woman in existence, but she looked like the cover of a naughty magazine.

“Right right. Tongue.” she said, smiling. She could be a devil when she wanted, and her expression communicated that fact very clearly. “She mentioned it, yes.”

Jasper was mesmerized as any man would be by the display and absolutely lost his train of thought as she moved. Her response barely even shook him back to reality, and he took a couple of beats to remember what he had just been saying. He did not, however, continue the story immediately. Instead he turned and she was up in his arms in an instant. He used his strong hands to guide her legs around his hips and backed her up against one of the buildings to pin her between it and his toned body. She could feel his body was reacting as any man’s would in his position.

He was not rough with her, but he was assertive. She would know, however, that he was kind and if she protested he would surely let her go. His hands gripped her under her skirt at the bottoms of her thighs and he leaned down to the exposed undersides of her breasts.

“Well, he’s going to do that because I spent some time breaking each one of his fingers. I held him down on the floor, pulled his arm back, and we had a conversation about respecting women. Any time he didn’t get the point, I broke a finger and we started again.” As he spoke, he paused to punctuate his words with soft, teasing kisses along her exposed flesh.

Immy moaned loudly when he picked her up, the roughness of the motion complimenting his story of her redemption very well. As he spread her legs and pressed his hardness against her, she used her strong legs to pull him as close as possible. The hardness of the building behind them and the startled holographic pedestrians’ reactions faded into the background, somehow adding to the experience. The feeling of his lips on the soft skin of her breasts sent chills down her spine. Anyone who assumed she couldn’t feel because she was a hologram was quite wrong.

“Mmm.” she said softly, her light voice sultry and full of desire. Her hands gripped his shoulders as she started to move herself against him slowly through his pants. “He didn’t even stand a chance against you. You’re so strong..”

“No, he didn’t.” Jasper agreed, letting out a slight growl as she began to move her hips against him. In turn, he used his nose to nudge her shirt up enough to reveal her thick nipples. His mouth opened and he used his tongue to circle the tempting peaks but never quite touching them directly.

“I got to seven and then he finally got the point, but by that time I was just annoyed so I broke the rest too.”

“Oh gods, Jasper. I wish you would get to the point.” she said as she looked down on him over her heaving chest and watched as he circled but never centered. She was skilled enough with her legs to establish a rhythm against his hardness, her eyes growing distant as desire almost evertook her. It was only the need to hear the end of the story that kept her tethered. “Get to the point, Jasper.”

Jasper used his strong hands to lift her up higher and away from being able to directly grind herself down on him. He could be devilish too when it suited him.

“Hmm what was that?” He teased her and gave one single lick to only one of her nipples. “Couldn’t hear you.”

“Fuck, I said get to the fucking point.” she said, her voice suddenly aggressive as she used her leverage to make separating their respective parts rather difficult for him. Obviously, she wasn’t limited by her physical biology now, but she didn’t cheat. She liked the fact that he was strong. Nevertheless, her leg strength was enough for contact again for a moment, and she used it to its fullest while she could. As he made contact with her nipple, her eyes rolled back and she felt her heartbeat between her legs.

“Okay, forget the story. You beat the shit out of them. Now it’s my turn.” she said. Her hand moved down between her legs and grabbed his hardness possessively. “Are you going to take your prize or are you just here to talk?”

Jasper grinned an almost feral expression at her response, but instead of reacting in the way she was expecting, he put her back down on the ground. “I plan to take my time with my prize… in all ways. She promised she would treat me like a king.”

He brought his hand up to her and cupped her cheek, but his thumb began to trace her lower lip in a pointed hint.

“Oooo, is this some kind of power fantasy? No one can do those like me now.” she said, smiling rather than pouting. She wanted him, but something about being in the computer made things seem less urgent than before. She pulled the shirt down again, covering her slightly wet breasts and adjusted her skirt. “I was hoping you would just bend me over something and fuck my brains out though. WIll I have to wait long for that?”

She drew near him, and the tip of her nail touched between his legs. She looked at him in the eyes and watched him like he was the most amazing man she’d ever seen.

“I really really want you inside me, Jasper.” she added, and then raised her brows like she had an idea. “I’m incredibly wet. Want to feel?”

“Mm… you know I never leave you empty for long, Immy.” He replied, pulling her close and trying to get a read on if her hesitance was because she was playing coy or she really didn’t want to get on her knees for him. His hand slid under her skirt and he cupped her womanhood, bending two fingers and sliding them inside of her without warning.

“You’re right, you are.”

Immy moaned and closed the short distance between them in an instant, moving her hand down to secure his fingers in her tight, extraordinarily wet center.

“Oh gods, Jasper. I can’t believe you’re here.” she said. The statement had been emotional as she moved her hips desperately. In a flash, the street disappeared, replaced by a medieval bedroom with a roaring fireplace and a huge bed against the wall with layered furs on them. Jasper’s uniform was also gone, superimposed by a renaissance era kingly outfit and a golden crown on his head. She wore a long green dress that made her look slender and tall with a low, tight cut for her cleavage and a ruby necklace that dipped onto them. Her skirts billowed over his arm, blocking their view of what he was doing with his hand. Immy smiled at him dangerously. “Your majesty… what if the queen should find out?”

The sudden shift of where they were was extremely disorienting, but to his credit Jasper recovered quickly and continued with what he had been doing. It was clear he was only working to tease and torment her, pressing against certain areas to delight but never lingering more than a second. Had he been in a less focused mindset, the dynamic she was setting up might have given him pause, but he hardly cared right now. He was raging hard and wanted what she had promised.

“I won’t be denied by anyone.” Agonizingly slowly, he pulled his arm back from her skirts and his fingers left her empty.

Immy may not have wanted to play the slave, but she did enjoy playing coy. She blushed, desiring to have him, any part of him, back where he belonged.

“Your majesty, I wouldn’t know what to do.” She said, blinking quickly and smiling at him. “You would have to..show me.”

“Don’t worry. It will come naturally to you I’m sure. Now, kneel before your king.” As he commanded her, he moved his hands down to the pants he was wearing and opened them. He pulled himself out, but kept covered by his hand until she obeyed.

Feigning meekness, Immy knelt down on the huge fur on the floor, her green dress spreading around beneath her and her eyes of the same color sparkling up at him.

“Yes, your majesty.” She said, but couldn’t help but smile in that hungry way. She silently lamented she couldn’t get her hands between her legs with the dress on. “Oh, your majesty. You're so big down there.”

“Yes.” He agreed and once she was settled he revealed his manhood to her standing large and proud. “Now, use your hand, your lips, your tongue, your mouth,” he paused and looked down at her skeptically and then decided to cut off any deviousness she might have had planned, “no teeth.”

Immy looked at him with shock on her face, as if she was genuinely scandalized by the notion. Despite the act, she immediately reached up and grabbed hold of him with her hand and leaned forward. She teased him with her fingers skillfully, and even placed his tip against her lips. Looking up at him, she gave him wide, uncertain eyes.

“But, majesty… I don’t think it’ll fit in my mouth…” she said against him, her lips moving tantalizingly as she spoke.

Jasper licked his lips, having to work to keep himself still with her mouth so close and so easily taken should he want to. “Don’t worry, it will. Just open wide. You’ll like it.”

“Mmmm Okay.” She said, and opened her mouth in front of him, placing her lips around his tip as if it were a struggle. She moved her tongue over him slowly, her eyes locked on his. Then she opened her mouth, drew back, and spoke again. “Look at that, your majesty. He does fit.”

This time, when she went down on his manhood, she took him deep into her mouth to the back of her throat. She looked up at him with engaged eyes, not a gag or panic in sight, and let him sit there for several seconds. She worked her throat muscles like a pro, and then slowly pulled back off of him, lines of wetness following after on him and bridging from her lips as she slowly took him out of her mouth. The tension between them was at a fever pitch, and she looked defiant for a moment. Then she smiled. “Wait, I’m pretty sure this seems familiar. Did I do it right?”

“Yes. Keep doing it.” He ordered through a growl and placed his hand on her head, still working to be patient but she was certainly making it hard. “Don’t stop until I tell you.”

If someone had told Jasper that Immy had been studying the art even more thoroughly than before, he wouldn’t be blamed for not being surprised. She used her mouth, her lips, her tongue, and her hands just as he’d ordered, and she manipulated his largesse like a master at work. She gave sounds like little moans, gargles, gags, and everything under the sun to make him feel powerful, sexy, irresistible, and strong. She made eye contact with him and took no prisoners.

Jasper wasn’t shy with his praise of her efforts, giving powerful groans and grunts when she did things just right. His hand remained on her head though shifted back to not interfere with the eye contact she was giving him. Though he was thoroughly enjoying himself he was also aware he was on a bit of a time crunch and couldn’t drag this out forever.

Immy smiled at him, her hands moving on him with passionate ease and her mouth working tirelessly. She really was very good at it, and her knowledge of male fantasy gleaned from the summation of holo-programs in the memory core certainly helped things. She knew he’d told her to keep going no matter what, and so she did, even though she wanted him so badly it nearly hurt.

“Alright… alright.” He panted slightly and flexed his fingers to get her to stop. “Good girl… that’s enough.”

Immy stopped immediately and stood up, wiping her wet mouth on her bare arm. She waited in front of him like she was ready to leap on him at any second. Still, she restrained herself. He wanted to play the king, and she owed him that after what he did.

“Are you pleased, my King?” she asked, her eyes glancing between him and the appendage between his legs.

Jasper didn’t answer her with words, instead he reached out to undo the ties of her dress and pulled it down off of her shoulders with his strong hands. He wanted to see that beautiful body underneath. The fact she wasn’t physically real didn’t even enter his mind. When she was naked before him, he took a step back to look at her while also pushing out of his pants and the coat he was wearing.

“You’re so beautiful.”

Immy blushed and turned her head to the side coyly. She took a step toward him and stopped, her eyes locked on his. She really was beautiful, with full, large breasts, a slender waist, and well-shaped, soft legs, she was a dream. Adding to it her creamy alabaster skin, dotted with freckles, her sparkling emerald eyes, and her gorgeous mane of flawless red hair, and she was a vision.

“Your Majesty is too kind..”

Jasper’s hands found her waist and he picked her up once more, letting her wrap her legs around him as he walked her back to the large bed. He tossed her down then, carefully and playfully and was instantly over top of her. He kissed her and adjusted her legs to bend back and then over his shoulders. With one swift, firm motion, he pressed is manhood into her waiting body and wasted no time in settling into a firm but not necessarily quick pace.

Immy giggled as he tossed her and put no barriers whatsoever between her hero and his prize. When she felt him press against her and then enter her, she let out an unreserved moan and braced herself with her hands on his shoulders. The position he had chosen allowed for depth, and that wasn’t a concern in the first place.

She looked at him in his eyes, intense and pleading, like she was a mix between pain and pleasure, but she said nothing besides breathing quickly and letting out little squeals of intense feeling.

Though caught up in his own pleasure, Immy would have the sense that Jasper was still paying close attention to her and her reactions. Even if what he was doing felt good to him, he’d never been the type to inflict pain in bed if the woman clearly wasn’t enjoying it. His pace seemed to be one intended to let her get used to him again and he steadily began to move his powerful hips faster. His fingers dug into her thighs, and he was giving his own more subdued sounds of pleasure.

“Petrov to Branson.” came a voice and the sound of the commlink’s chirp. Immy moaned right after Andrei’s voice sounded, making it abundantly clear exactly what was going on.

Jasper gave a slight growl but didn’t stop moving. “Busy. Very busy,”

“Yes, very very busy. Mmmmm..” Immy said after him, smiling and opening her legs more. “Harder. Fuck me harder.”

“Well well, that is not professional language, is it?” Andrei said, a smile obvious in his voice. “You’re late for your return to your duty shift, Jasper. We’re lost without you. Hurry up and bust that nut so we can get back to the paperwork, old boy.”

“Working on it. Respectfully, fuck off.” Jasper half groaned out.

There was another woman’s laugh on Andrei’s side of the conversation, but she didn’t speak.

“Woah woah, not so fast. Lyra’s with me and I figured we could make this like a double date of sorts, what do you say, Jas?” Andrei asked, and then he laughed loudly in response to his own joke. Immy, on the other hand, was less amused, she could tell Jasper was getting distracted and her irritation was feral and rather obvious on her face, though she didn’t say anything.

“Nope. Bye.” Jasper replied and that was the end of it. He focused his full attention back on Immy and leaned down to give her a quick kiss of apology before giving her exactly what she had asked for.

Immy gripped the lovely warm firms as he worked his magic, biting her lips and being quite vocal. She wrapped her legs around him and took everything he had with enthusiasm. She clearly loved the feeling of being overwhelmed, and her releases were wet enough that she reflected on how good it was they were just holographic, otherwise Jasper would have to take a shower for sure. With moans and clenching muscles, she climaxed against him several times, working her muscles like it was her job. Eventually, when he was close, she grabbed a handful of his hair and leaned into his thrusts to make them even harder. She gasped at the impacts, but her wide eyes were full of pleasure.

Jasper let out a long, low moan as he pressed himself as deeply as he could manage inside of her, pressing her body down into the bed with force. He spilled himself into her holographic form, nothing about it seeming much different to him in the moment of passion. He held himself over her, breathing hard but supporting his own weight off of her. Finally, he kissed her forehead and slowly eased himself out of her.

“You’re amazing.”

“Mmm..That’s true.” She said, and giggled. After he had backed away from her, she trapped the pelts and covered her naked body with them until she was artfully hidden. The craving in her eyes had given way to a tired kind of euphoria. She looked at him. “That was fantastic. I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.” He said and seemed to mean it. He kissed her again and then stood from the bed, looking for something to clean himself up with since he didn’t exactly have time for a shower. “I don’t really want to run out on you but…”

“You have work. I heard.” She cooed, looking at him like she had a crush. “You can shower here really quickly if you’d like. I’ll even try not to slow you down.”

“Uh, yeah sure.” He agreed, not really having thought about that. “Could you…?” He motioned vaguely with his hands to indicate the lack of shower.

She nodded, and a stone shower manifested in the middle of the room, inlaid with cristal glass. It matched the setting as much as it possibly could considering. She smiled at him excitedly and adopted a grand, deeper voice which sounded humorous with her Irish accent.

“Your chariot awaits, sir!”

“Why thank you, my lady.” He said and gave her an exaggerated bow before he stepped into the shower and turned it on. The water was warm but not scalding of course, and he began to wash himself with the soap she had provided for him inside. Andrei wasn’t really a bad boss to work for and Jasper did his work well; given Andrei’s response to the whole thing he was confident the other man would be tolerant of his tardiness as long as it wasn’t habitual and Jasper didn’t plan on making it so.

Immy got up from the bed after a few seconds and walked over to the shower. She opened the door and slipped in, placing her naked body against his back and hugging him tightly, her soft breasts pressing in his back muscles.

“When will I see you again?”

“I’ll try to get back in the next few days.” He promised her and turned his body so he could put his arm around her and bring her up to his side.

Immy wasn’t particularly happy about that, but she wasn’t sure how far she could or should push it. She held herself close to him, placing her hand in his chest, and willed herself to keep her mouth closed. She didn’t want to ruin the moment by being needy. He seemed particularly put off by that.

To his credit, Jasper did seem to at least notice she wasn’t overly pleased but there wasn’t actually anything he could do about it. Holodeck time was rationed so everyone could have their fair share of the time, and it was just an unfortunate fact that officers naturally had more than their NCO counterparts, and the more senior officers had nearly free reign over it. He kissed the side of her head in wordless apology, but offered nothing else as he used his free hand to continue to clean himself off.

“Okay, well…maybe we can do something together next time you visit? I mean, Besides…” She looked up at him and smiled, her pretty face catching the splashing of water from the shower. “I mean, we have to do that..”

“Well, yeah. I’m not going to come see you solely to have sex with you every time.” Jasper chuckled and shook his head. “Not that it isn’t a bonus, but we can figure out things to do.”

Her smile widened and she leaned up to kiss him slowly on the lips. That had indeed been her worry, and it was one of many.

“Let me get your back.” She said, taking another cloth and soaping it before messaging his back with it. She moved her skilled hands over him, once again showing how well she understood how he liked to be touched .“Thank you for defending me. It really means a lot, Jasper.”

“Of course, Immy.” He said and closed his eyes as she rubbed his back. “Don’t be afraid to tell me if you’re having troubles.”

“I’ll let you know.” She said, moving around him then and washing his chest, smiling up at him. “And don’t you be afraid to let me help you with all your paperwork. I’m always one call away. I can even flash you on a screen if you want.”

He grinned a feral grin at that and quickly kissed her cheek. “I might take you up on that.”

Turning off the water, he stepped out and began to dry off with the towel she had provided. He then seemed to remember something and glanced back at her. “Do you want me to bring Lottie down with me sometimes?”

Immy grinned, conflicted over the question.

“Oh, that sounds nice, but what would the three of us even do together?” She asked, covering her breasts with her arms as if she was now cold after getting wet.

“Well, I imagine we could figure out something, but if you’d rather me not that’s alright. Doesn’t bother me any, but I know you two are friends or at least friendly.” He said and began to pull on his clothes.

“Friends.” Immy settled, stepping out and sitting down on the pelt carpet in front of the fire. She reclined slightly and looked at him, watching her dress. “I’d rather Lottie be given her own time and you keep yours. I don’t want you to have to share.”

She was silent for an instant and then thought.

“How did I let you get away with not eating during your lunch break, Jasper?” She asked, grinning flirtatiously.

Jasper didn’t point out that Lottie didn’t have “her own time” in the holodeck given she was a slave. She might be awarded some, maybe, but it was only ever a small amount of time and that was rare. Immy would of course know that, so apparently they weren’t close enough that it was an issue for her.

“Ah I’ll be alright, it’s just a meal. Besides, I had something better with my time.”

She smiled at that, but didn’t give up so easily. There was concern on her features, kind and gentle.

“Can’t you eat at your desk? You’ll be hungry if you don’t have something.”

“Yeah, I’ll figure out something. Jackie will hate it but she will get over it.” Dressed again finally, he moved over to her and bent to kiss her forehead and then her lips. “I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

“Okay.” She said, soft and girly, and she poured quite adorably. Her face matched with her naked, shapely body, made her a hard woman to say no to, but duty called. “Bye..”

“Arch.” He called and it appeared at his command. “Bye, Immy.”

He turned and walked out of the door then, but paused to look back before the blast doors closed and he left to return to his work with a bit more spring in his step.

END
]]> Tue, 14 May 2024 04:57:54 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/808 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/808
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - Holodeck 1

“Alright, darling.” She placed her hands on his sides and leaned up to steal a kiss from his lips. She didn’t press him to join her as she imagined there had to be a reason he would send her alone in the first place. She parted from him then and turned to move up to the path above the beach so the walk back to the small palace would be faster.

----------------------

Lyra entered the palace doors and paused in the mudroom to brush the sand from her feet and legs. She didn’t have to of course given it was the holodeck, but even after so many years it was a force of habit. She was met by a servant who led her upstairs to one of the sitting rooms with a view of the sea. On the coffee table there, she saw dark red dress boxes set up for her and couldn’t help but smile as she walked over to them. He could be very thoughtful when he wanted to be - and she found that was relatively often with her. Of course things weren’t perfect even if they pretended to be more often than not, but there was no such thing as a perfect relationship; to believe otherwise would have been naive.

She bent to open the first box on the left and pulled back the protective sheets of paper covering the dress inside. What had been a curious expression once again turned into a smile. It was a pale but bright yellow covered in darker gold and white flowers with their leaves, a skirt that hit just above the knee, and completed by a halter top with a tied bow detail around the waist. Cheerful and flirtatious, it wasn’t her usual look, but it was still a look she would sport from time to time when the occasion called for it. She pulled the dress up and held it up against her body with one hand on her chest and the other taking hold of the skirt to spread it out and test how light it was. Feeling a bit playful, she started to spin around but stopped after a quarter of a turn as her eyes fell on the wall she had ended up facing.

The dress nearly fluttered out of her hands, but she caught herself and put it down on the couch. She walked over to the wall that was covered in picture frames but her steps slowed as she realized exactly what was displayed in them. They were snapshots of her life before - her life as herself when she was a little girl. She was in most of them - but not all. The one who was in every single one was her papai. The sudden tightness in her chest and burning in her throat made her very glad that Andrei wasn’t there with her after all. She hesitated on the spot, but eventually finished taking the last few feet so she was up close with the pictures.

Renato Inácio Hale had been a devastatingly handsome man. He had been tall and fit with a swimmer’s build more than one for brute strength. His features were defined and he had a chiseled jaw with full lips and a short, well groomed full beard that always had sharp lines and never looked messy in the slightest. His hair was black and he wore it with a neat haircut that was kept short on the sides but just long enough on the top to hint at the curls he had in his hair. The man’s most striking feature was his eyes - a beautiful and clear jade green framed by long dark lashes. Lyra had gotten the upturned almond shape and lashes, but her brother had gotten the color, something of which she had always been extremely jealous. The truth was Lyra disliked her own eyes; had she thought about it she maybe would have asked Brasken to change them. They were beautiful, dark, and terribly boring. There was nothing memorable about brown eyes - though perhaps Christoph would disagree.

She closed those boring brown eyes of hers and took solace in the jealousy and anger, but it wasn’t to last. Perhaps she should have just left and closed herself from the feelings and memories, but something compelled her to stay. Defiance of what she had been trained to do? Genuine desire to remember and think of what was and may have been? Not wanting to spoil this thoughtful display Andrei had given her? She couldn’t be sure, but perhaps it was a bit of all three and more.

Slowly her eyes opened again and she let out an unconscious sigh as she began to look at the pictures. It took only a few seconds for the tightness in her chest and burn in her throat to return and she began to clench her jaw and grind her teeth to keep the feelings contained. She started at the earliest photos at the end. The first was one she had seen before from publications in Brazil on the day of her birth where her mother and father had presented her to the public for the photograph. Renato was smiling and waving with one hand while the other was on Aurelia’s lower back. Aurelia of course was cradling Lyra in both arms and could only manage the small strained smile of a very disappointed woman; of course everyone accepted that Aurelia had just been exhausted, but they knew the truth. Lyra wasn’t a boy and Aurelia had felt like a failure as any woman of position would. Renato for his part had only ever seemed enamored with his little girl.

She looked at the next few pictures; a few were carefully curated glimpses into her home life but most were of official public appearances. Aurelia’s smile grew more with each passing image that she held her daughter though there was never any joy in the expression. Whenever Renato was holding her though, she could see the love her father had for her. There weren’t too many pictures between the first appearance and then another near identical photo from the first. This time, Lyra was nearly three and dressed in a pretty pink dress and was being held up by her father who was grinning and waving with his other hand while Lyra too was waving and smiling without a care in the world. Next to them, Aurelia was also smiling triumphantly, waving energetically to the crowd as she cradled her son in one arm.

More pictures followed, most of which she didn’t remember because she had simply been too young, but she did eventually come to an area where vague memories began to appear. Horseback riding, swimming, court appearances, dancing, fun and games… there were even some pictures of her with their beloved imperial cousins where she was holding hands with Giana. The tightness in her chest had eventually gone away… at least she thought so. The truth was she was feeling rather numb. What she had noticed as she went through the years was the increasing distance her parents seemed to have from each other. Standing back and observing it as she was, she wondered if it had to do with how Aurelia clearly favored Raoul over Lyra while it seemed strangely opposite for Renato. Lyra knew her papai had adored her brother just as much, but in hindsight he had seemed to dote on her more… likely because Aurelia did not.

It was strange looking at her young life lined up like this and to see herself becoming more active in court life as the daughter of a lord. She finally came to the last picture and stopped before it, staring at it in silence. It was a picture that had been taken not a week before her father had been murdered, a close up shot of the two of them hugging each other, their faces smudged with sand and their grins were so bright and loving. They were wet having just come out of the sea from swimming, one of their favorite activities to do. She pulled the picture off of the wall and continued to just look at the faces long gone from the world. Suddenly, she threw the picture hard at the wall which knocked several others down, and then she proceeded to rip and smash the rest that had remained. She yelled at nothing, simply a pure expression of her rage and pain she kept so carefully contained. With the safety protocols on, she wasn’t hurt by the shattering glass no matter what she did, and there was a part of her that hated that fact. Eventually, she stood there panting not from actual exertion, but simply from the intensity of her feelings; Andrei’s gift laid in ruins at her feet. Suddenly, she fell to her knees in the glass that refused to hurt her, calmed again but intensely sad.

As if by fate, in front of her was the last picture she had been looking at, and she picked it up in her hand again. This time, she gave a heavy sigh and shifted her body to place her back against the wall, not caring she was sitting in the mess. She remained just like that for a moment, her thumb running over Renato’s face in the broken frame.

“I’ve thought about you more in the past few months than I have in years now that I have this face again.” She reached up and touched her own cheek and sighed again. “I look like your daughter, but the truth is she’s been dead almost as long as you have.”

She focused in on her younger face and continued quietly. “She tried so hard to not forget and to keep the lessons you taught her, but she was just a little girl and her papai wasn’t there to protect her anymore. So she died… afraid, in agony, and wearing a face she didn’t even recognize anymore.”

Lyra paused then and tilted her head back against the wall, closing her eyes and not bothering to attend to the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. “I really hope she is with you in Elysium… that you still swim together and you let her dance on your shoes because she can’t quite reach otherwise… I grew out of that by the way… by a lot. It’s actually kind of terrible.”

She laughed and then sniffled, her expression becoming actively pained. “You know, I couldn’t even bring myself to use your name again. I know I’m your daughter, but there’s nothing left of you in me. Mother and father took it all… it felt wrong to say you were a part of what I am now. I guess you are in a way though, your mistakes taught me lessons.”

Suddenly, she sighed. “Damned if I’m not setting myself to repeat them though. I found a man - you’d hate him; he’s nothing of what you would have wanted for your girl… but I’m not that anymore. It all happened so quickly, but neither of us are able to deny the connection we share, but it may doom us both in the end. He uses women to gain power and he enjoys it too much to give it up, I fear. I knew that, though and offered a more agreeable arrangement. He refused it, but I think perhaps he believes that I will tolerate being betrayed in that way in the end. He’s wrong.”

She turned her head to look at the window where she could see the bonfires and area she had left Andrei in. “He does have his virtues though… he’s strong, ambitious, and intelligent. He is devoted to his family and he takes care of me, he wants to protect me. I think - in his way - he does truly love me; it doesn’t look like your love or really any love I have seen, but I can tell. He’s changed quite a bit in the last few months being with me - he’s become more of a man. Maybe he’s one of those boys you told me about that grow up for the right woman. I know I’m certainly that for him. We’ve seen the darkest parts of each other and love them as much as the rest… so maybe you would like him in some way. I don’t know; it doesn’t matter.”

As she “spoke” to her papai, Lyra had calmed down significantly. It was proving to be much more cathartic than she had ever really thought it could be. It wasn’t like she had someone she could pour her heart out to - but why not to the man who would have likely listened to her with true interest and concern if she had? “I did avenge you, Papai. I hope that at least will make you happy on some level even if you don’t like how it came about.”

She smiled ruefully. “But I guess I can tell you about the not so bad parts…”

Lyra continued to quietly speak to the empty room before her. She told the ghost of her papai about her life, even the mundane things and more about Andrei. She of course found herself leaving out the details that a father wouldn’t want to know about his daughter’s relationship with a man like him. After a while, she grew tired of talking and had simply gone quiet and sat there for a little longer. Finally, she took a deep breath.

“Computer, restore picture wall.” The debris around and under her vanished and Andrei’s effort was returned to pristine condition. She pulled herself off the floor and moved not to the dresses but into the bathroom nearby to take care of herself. After putting herself back together and hiding all evidence of her tears, she finally returned and opened the middle box. The dress inside was long and risque, with layers upon layers of different shades of blue fabrics in a soft, filmy material that would most certainly show hints of her skin in certain places. It was a statement piece to be sure with the skirt being so long it had a natural train to it, a plunging neckline down to the navel and back down to the curve of her rear would tantalize the eye.

The dress of the stars was a very dark navy blue fabric. The neckline was a modified sweetheart with streams, and the back was a modest but fashionable v-shape. Over the dark blue base were layers of beautiful black lace glittering with small shining crystals and beads that truly gave the illusion of stars. It was truly beautiful and would again turn the eye with interest. He did so love her in lace, so that would be the one she would wear. She’d kept him waiting long enough, and while she had a lot more to process as far as feelings, she could do that later.

Or just ignore it.

----------------------

After Andrei watched her go, he remained standing in the water for several silent minutes, gazing out into the distance of the ocean. He admired the bioluminescent water and enjoyed the warm breeze as he allowed his mind to drift to the moments of his upbringing which most closely related to this one and then followed the lavender path of memory to other closely or loosely related recollections. He found himself thinking about his own family and about the visits they had made all around the world and even to the planets and moons of the Terran system. His mother had traveled more often than most other Ladies representing their husbands, but she never left them behind.

Eventually, once a quiet melancholy had started to come over him, he escaped it and joined a group of young, tan-skinned people sitting around one of the bonfires. They sang songs in Spanish and he listened, but mostly avoided any conversation with the holograms. He would wait and exist in a different life for a few minutes, until Lyra was back.

Lyra had tried not to take too long, but she hadn’t been prepared in the slightest for what Andrei had prepared for her. After taking some time to both dress and compose herself, she had walked back along the boardwalk in the beautiful dark navy dress, holding it up just enough that it wouldn’t catch on any of the boards; it wouldn’t be damaged of course, but it was a surprising force of habit she still had from her youth. Her dark eyes moved over the shore and the waves, searching for her beloved and finally finding his massive form silhouetted by fire. He dwarfed the people around him, and she took just a moment to admire him from afar before she carefully stepped down onto the sand and walked toward him. The sound of a guitar playing a folk melody drifted on the air, and outside the occasional quiet comment or laugh, the people around the fire seemed more content to just listen.

“My darling.” She called softly to him though loud enough to be heard over the ambient noise and music. She stood a few paces away, but nothing he couldn’t cover in roughly three steps if he so chose.

Hearing her voice, Andrei willingly returned from the vivid land of memory and imagination he had gone off to and turned his head to see her. She was wearing the dress of sky and stars, and it made him smile immediately. He stood, walking toward her slowly.

“I’m underdressed now, it seems.” he said, looking her up and down and finding her waist with his hands. “I didn’t think of that.”

Lyra simply chuckled softly as her arms moved up to slide around his broad shoulders. In the back of her mind she reminded herself to remain in control and not show Andrei anything more than a fraction of what she had been feeling in the house. He would just be annoyed by it as all men were. “All of the dresses are beautiful; I had a very hard time choosing between this one and the water dress, but I thought given the time, this one was the most appropriate.”

He looked at the dress and smiled nodding in agreement.

“If you say so, Love. You look radiant.” He said, and then settled on her eyes again. He looked more serious, looking for the feelings most natural to her present situation. “How was your visit to the house?”

Her smile faded but didn’t disappear completely and her arms remained around him. She could see his gaze searching, but she wasn’t sure exactly what he was hoping to see - or perhaps hoping to not. Lyra was very good at hiding her true feelings, her training had seen to that, but she was still human underneath. She might have accused him of delighting in that weakness had he not given her privacy when she went back to the house, but he had. She stepped closer to him, pressing her body to his gently and allowing him to give her the comfort and support of a loving partner.

“It was…” she started and then paused, searching for the right word. Just as he had seen the day before, she seemed to struggle communicating her feelings with words. “It was difficult, but good.”

She knew the answer likely wouldn’t be sufficient on its own, so she tried to figure out how to express more of her feelings without giving too much, but it was hard to ignore the voice of her own mother in the back of her head telling her that she was being a burden. “Bittersweet.”

Andrei nodded as if he had heard enough to understand. He wasn’t the most empathic person, but he was smart enough and connected enough to her to feel some of those complicated feelings for himself. He gave her a squeeze.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, his mismatched eyes doing a decent job of masking his uncertainty if the slowness and carefulness in his tone didn’t give it away.

Had he been speaking to anyone else, Lyra would have known Andrei was being disingenuous with the question and only asking for appearances. They were so close to each other and she so attentive to his moods and reactions that she could hear a certain hesitance in the cadence and tone of his voice, but she could see a certain resoluteness in his eyes as she looked into them. They were both trying to be good to each other, but it was a foreign concept that they were navigating.

“Not right now.” She replied honestly and touched his cheek. “I’m still… processing it all, but maybe in a little while. Right now I just want you to kiss me.”

“I'm certain I can manage that.” He said with a smile, and then pressed his lips to hers.

Lyra returned his kiss gently, but quite passionately. There were very few people in her life that Lyra had ever been inclined to true gentleness with, but Andrei was one of them. Her body melted into his slightly, obviously seeking the comfort of his strong embrace. Once they had broken the kiss, she turned her head and rested it on his shoulder for a moment, her dark eyes settling on the bonfire next to them while her mind drifted.

Andrei put his arm around her and held her close, feeling the warmth of the fire on his skin. He understood, without more words, that she was affected by what she had experienced in the house. At some point, he would have to learn to prod, but for now he simply took her at her word that she didn’t want to talk about it yet. Leaning over, he kissed her forehead and listened to the soft Mexican guitar music. Several minutes passed in that serene moment before he removed his arm and tapped her leg over her dress.

“Come on.” he said, and stood with her.

Part of her was loathe to leave the peace of the moment, but as he withdrew from her she had opened her eyes and stood with him at his prompting. Truthfully, she had almost forgotten there was a surprise planned for when she had returned.

As they stepped onto the sandy shore, Andrei's arm enveloped Lyra's waist, drawing her close as they strolled along the water's edge. The soft glow of torches and the occasional flicker of bonfires cast dancing shadows across the beach, painting the night with an enchanting allure. Every star in the sky seemed to shine brighter than ever before, twinkling about the water with its bioluminescent plankton.

“For you, and for Papai.” he said in a low voice as he stopped them. “And memories that last forever.”

With a gentle squeeze, Andrei guided Lyra's gaze upward, where bursts of vibrant colors began to blossom against the canvas of the darkened sky. Fireworks erupted in a symphony of light, each explosion a testament to the beauty of the moment they shared. Andrei's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he watched Lyra's reaction, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Lyra’s beautiful dark eyes reflected each brilliant burst of color as the fireworks detonated with loud pops and thundering booms above them. Her full lips were parted slightly, and there was a brief glimpse of innocence in the awestruck expression she wore as the corners of her mouth tipped up in a smile. It wasn’t as if fireworks were a novelty given they had been in existence for thousands of years, but there was still just something about the bursting lights and colors that just made people smile. She laughed happily and briefly looked at Andrei though was quickly looking back at the fireworks.

Then, that happiness began to fade. As he looked at her he would see that smile slowly fall from her lips, her eyes following it downward as if both had been dragged down by a weight… and in a sense they had been. Though she had collected herself well enough before leaving the house, the sight and sound of the fireworks simply brought with them other memories. She made herself lift her eyes again and this time, the colors bloomed with more vibrancy now that tears filled them. He would be able to see the way she grit and ground her teeth together and settled into a slow, methodical breathing; her hand away from his body curled into a tight fist and she dug her fingers as hard as she could into her palm. Inflict pain to soothe pain.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work quickly enough. Automatically she took two steps forward away from Andrei. There was a complicated flash of negative emotion on her breathtaking face he could have seen for just the barest of instants before she stepped out of his immediate view. A few tears slid from those usually expressionless eyes and rolled down her cheeks slowly; anger and shame mixed with sadness, the wetness of the tears on her cheeks were joined by the wetness of blood on her fingertips and under her nails. No more tears came, but the damage had already been done.

In the strictest sense, Andrei didn’t give a damn about the feelings of others. Despite how hard she was clearly working to stop them, he had almost no reaction to the tears. They were close, and the result was he started to worry that made him a bad person, in a way. Shouldn’t he rush over to her and do something? Is that even what she wants? This was very confusing.

He reached his arm over again and put a hand on her waist, spinning with his back to the fireworks to face her. He didn’t allow her the escape, and this was confirmed by his other hand grabbing her as well. He lifted her into his strong arms, cradling her like a child as long as she showed no resistance, but said nothing. He had no idea what to say.

At first, Lyra’s body did tense as he lifted her which wasn’t really that unusual for a person who wasn’t expecting it and certainly not for someone in her line of work. However, she didn’t struggle or fight against the motion and once she was actually settled in the hold, she even mostly relaxed. Most any other man might have struggled to lift her in this way simply because of her height, but such things weren’t a problem for her lover. She seemed almost unsure of how to react to what he had done at first, but eventually she leaned softly into his chest while watching the fireworks over his shoulder until he turned to face them himself again.

Suddenly, a little smile appeared on her face again. It was a bit devious and very much her. “You know… I think in the past I threatened you with some bodily harm if you picked me up like this… stabbing you in the eyeball?”

She chuckled softly and nuzzled into his shoulder, obviously content to be right where she was. “I love you, Andrei. Thank you.”

Andrei smiled as he stepped slowly into the water, allowing the water to rise upon them and to cradle both of them together. It was warm and comfortable.

“I think the ship has sailed on putting out my eye, Love.” He said, and leaned over to kiss her. His lips found hers, slow and soft.

“I love your eyes, darling. In all of their forms.” She assured him after they broke their kiss and then leaned in to kiss him again. They did not speak their love often to each other and when they did, it was rarely a sentiment returned in the same manner by the other. It would likely seem strange from an outside perspective, but that was simply how they were.

As the gently breaking waves moved them in the water, she reached out and placed her slightly injured hand into it. It stung immediately, but she barely reacted and instead watched the plankton light up around her fingers. She wasn’t worried about the dress, it could be cleaned or easily replaced.

“I feel a little… lost.”

“Where are you trying to go?” He asked, immediately, his eyes on hers.

Lyra wasn’t looking at him, instead she was still looking out to the beautiful fireworks display as it continued above. “It isn’t so much I’m trying to go anywhere I just feel…” she hesitated, trying to come up with the right word, “untethered? Like I’m drifting out to sea. I have no one here but you, and when we get home I don’t know who I will have there.”

“A person who knows where he wants to go knows what to do next.” He said, looking at her. “Are you lonely, or..is this not enough for you? Us, I mean.”

“No it isn’t like that it’s-“ She stopped, a shadow of frustration crossing her beautiful face but it was clearly internalized and not directed at him. “I’m not lonely, darling, but there are certain things in life that a person’s family - especially a woman’s family - would be there for her.” Frowning, she glanced down to the glowing water.

“For example, I’ll never be able to introduce you to my papai. I’ve known that for many years of course in reality, but it never really crossed my mind until now and it is one of many things that are making me feel… adrift.”

“I can see how that would make you sad. People ground us to our past, and his absence means there’s a part of you that’s gone too, in a way.” He said, still holding her in the water. “But you aren’t adrift. I’m carrying you. And if you want more people…find someone right and open up a little bit to them.”

Lyra frowned slightly. She thought that had been exactly what she was doing, but with him instead of some random person. Perhaps she just wasn’t capable of it, or perhaps it was his subtle way of telling her that she was giving him too much. The apology was on the tip of her tongue but she didn’t speak it and instead lifted her eyes back to the sky as the finale of the fireworks display thundered in the sky above them.

He could tell she didn’t care for his response, but he really didn’t have enough information to figure out why. She’d fallen silent. From his perspective, he had responded to her troubles. Had he been dismissive, or was this just Lyra doing that thing he knew women did where they wanted to talk about their troubles but didn’t want solutions? He had never bent to that and he knew he wasn’t going to.

When the last of the fireworks finally faded and gave way to the clear sky again, Lyra finally smiled. Her hand found Andrei’s cheek and she turned his head to look into his eyes. “That was beautiful, darling. I loved it.”

“You’re beautiful.” He said with a smile. He seemed to stand a bit taller in the water following her praise of this experience. “Now, let’s get you out of this wet dress and in front of a fire.”

“Are you going to carry me all the way there?” She asked, mildly teasing but also mildly curious.

“What do you think?” He asked, and turned to slowly start walking out of the water. The extra water collecting on her dress made her heavier than normal, it was nothing he couldn’t handle. “You can’t drift off tonight.”

“I’d never drift from you, beloved.” She kissed him again as he moved out of the water while also reaching down to gather the skirt of her dress and pool as much of the fabric as she reasonably could against her legs and abdomen to center the weight he was carrying a bit better. She wasn’t afraid he would drop her or anything of the like, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t make his life easier for him with the simple gesture. Her lips found his neck as he walked and she began to kiss and gently nip at his skin. Despite all the conflicting feelings it had brought up, she truly was grateful for his efforts.

Andrei smiled as he carried her up the sloping sand and away from the gorgeous water. The evening and its dark fires looked, smelled, and sounded perfectly of Terra as he brought her down the path toward her home.

END

]]> Fri, 03 May 2024 02:13:12 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/789 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/789
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - Holodeck 1

ON


Andrei had made it clear they would do something to celebrate the life of Lyra’s papai the evening before, but the idea still hadn’t quite solidified what exactly that might be until he’d made his way to the Holodeck late at night. Calling up his program that replicated her family’s former vacation home on the beautiful shores of Oaxaca, he made just a few adjustments before returning home and getting back to bed around 0130 hours. Now that his duty shift was over, it was time for the arranged events. He’d told Lyra he would pick her up from her quarters and had given her the instruction to dress for a night near the water, figuring that would be clear enough. He stepped into a pair of sockless and laceless shoes, a pair of black shorts, and a white button up which he buttoned only about half way up. He decorated the casual beach-purposed outfit with a string necklace ending with a bear claw.

Spraying a new blend of cologne, he stepped out of his quarters and started around the hall to hers. With mixed feelings of eagerness and a bit of trepidation at the thought of coming so close to Lyra’s deepest feelings for the man who had been most important to her until his tragic death, he started working on the security code.

The only other individual who had a permanent security code to enter her quarters was Andrei, much the same as she was the only one who had one for his quarters. Of course, that didn’t bar certain personnel from entering in an emergency, but day to day there was no worry of intrusion. She heard the familiar series of quiet beeps that indicated someone was trying to get in, but she paid it no mind.

She was just finishing tying the knot of the sarong she was wearing just above her breasts which effectively turned it into a tube dress. The pattern on it was quite pretty, a dark blue background overlaid with brighter blue leaves and plants with bright flowers of orange, gold, and red on top to catch the eye. It wasn’t something she would usually wear, but it certainly seemed like something traditionally Brazilian judging by the patterns and colors. The red straps of a swimsuit rested on her shoulders, but the sarong hid exactly what she was wearing from view.

As the door opened, she was just sliding into her sandals while seated on the couch. She looked up at him with a warm smile, her dark hair loose and free around her beautiful face. She seemed excited to see him. “Hello, darling.”

“Hello.” he said, his mismatched eyes finding hers eventually, after taking in her attire and lingering on her body, being sure to stop at her lips on the way up. “You are incredibly beautiful. I can’t wait to see you walk around in it.”

With her sandals on, she stood and walked over to him making her sarong sway and move easily with the motion of her long legs. As she drew near, she caught his cologne and unconsciously breathed deeper. “That’s a new scent for you.”

She drew close and placed her hand on his chest while leaning up to give him a quick, sweet kiss in greeting. Lyra was a powerful woman in both the mental and physical sense and it was easy to make the assumption given her job and physical prowess that she wouldn’t like to be considered feminine, but the truth was she embraced it just as easily as she did anything else. She enjoyed it even, especially with a man like Andrei who made her feel more feminine just with his presence.

“I like it.”

“Oh, do you?” He asked with a smile, his hands shifting at her sarong and lifting it as he touched her thighs and bottom smoothly, and without hesitation. He enjoyed that Lyra always had something new to wear, especially considering the monotony of their uniforms. It was royal of her, and he tended to like how it showed her personality. He had never embraced that kind of flair, but he always imagined himself doing so in the future. “I thought it appropriate for the venue. A smell that goes well with the ocean and wind. Speaking of which, are you ready to go? Because only being in here with you is a temptation for me, Love.”

As he said that, his hands became firmer on her backside as he squeezed there, possessive. He knew the occasion wasn’t a particularly happy one, necessarily, so he winked to indicate he was joking, even though he was quite serious in a certain sense.

Lyra chuckled, pressing up against him briefly and kissing the underside of his jaw in a playful manner. “I’m ready, darling.”

The weight of the day was not at the forefront of her mind - she simply hadn’t allowed it to be. She had committed all of her focus to her work on her shift, getting ahead on a few projects that had been simple ideas or outlines before. Afterwards, she had focused all of her attention on getting ready, and now it was all on Andrei. She just wasn’t letting herself think about it.

“Good.” He said in a low and soothed voice. “Then let’s get out of here.”

He turned and led her out of the room, his hand in hers. As they walked to the turbo lift, they passed several crew members who had gotten very used to seeing them joined together and had even encountered Jackie coming from the lift when the doors opened. She had smiled at them devilishly and offered a whistle before stepping around them and continuing without a word, her sentiments made clear with just a sound.

Lyra chuckled but said nothing as Jackie walked past them. When the doors closed, she looked up at Andrei with a playful smirk on her face. “So much attention on us, darling. I think Jackie may be a bit jealous of you, what do you think?”

Andrei smiled at that and shook his head as if he disagreed.

“No, I know she is.” He said, and then chuckled lightly. “She says all the pretty girls in Sydney cried the day she boarded Vengeance. I told her it must have been tears of sweet relief.”

He noticed that Lyra didn’t seem to be as intimidated by Jackie as she was Revana. But he had to admit there was much less attraction between them than with him and Revana. The fact that Jackie was into women said a lot as well. Maybe he should cultivate their friendship instead.

“So mean.” She teased and slid her hand into his. “I’m sure she knew lots of lovely girls in Sydney.”

The lift came to a halt and they stepped off, walking hand in hand toward the holodeck for whatever surprise he had in store while she tried to simply focus on the moment and not let her mind wander. It was challenging this time, to say the least, but she was genuinely curious and looking forward to seeing what he had come up with. At the very least, the gesture certainly meant quite a lot to her itself.

Once they reach the appropriate floor, the two of them continued on until they reached the holodeck. Andrei walked up to the control panel and ran his fingers quickly along the surface, queuing up the appropriate program. He turned to her and gave a friendly wink as the doors began to depart and they felt the start of a nice warm breeze and the beauty of a sunset just beginning, leaving its high, yellow swell of colors with increasing orange and blue.

Taking her by the hand, he gave it a squeeze and stepped out with her onto the pristine white deck of a huge yacht. A young Brazilian man walked by in a sailor’s uniform, and flashed the two of them a professional smile. They walked past the hard surface of the top covering and onto an exposed deck with comfortable bench seating all around. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“Do you recognize it, Love?”

Lyra immediately looked out to the sunset and took a deep breath of the ocean breeze. She didn’t care that it was holographic - she was someone who could suspend her own belief and embrace the holodeck like it was real when she chose to. As she caught sight of the sailor and then looked around, she gave an introspective frown. It definitely hit noted of familiarity, but it didn’t come to her right away. After looking around a few more seconds, she chanced a guess.

“Is this the Delmara? The family yacht?”

“It’s at least the same kind of yacht with the same kind of name. My research didn’t produce finer details.” He said, almost sounding modest as he got to the back railing and stood before the mile of beach owned by her family directly.

“Your drinks, my Lord; my Lady.” Sounded a voice from below them, high but definitely masculine. A vibrant and smiling man in a purple shirt extended a tray with two drinks on it. “Caipirinhas, one mango and one passion fruit.”

Andrei gestured to the tray, silently indicating that Lyra should choose first. Each had sugar on the rim and a bit of fruit garnish.

Still smiling, Lyra reached down and picked up the passion fruit drink and held it in one hand, but didn’t sip it until Andrei had his. Her eyes which were usually so unreadable were full of excitement and curiosity. She was obviously very happy with what he had done so far and they had only just begun.

“Well, it is how I remember it… though I was much shorter.”

“And you probably weren’t drinking cachaça unless your papai really did let you do anything when your mother wasn’t looking.” He said before taking a sip of his mango drink. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the refreshing, fruity taste, before looking at her again. “Delicious, but you know they make these with vodka too, right?”

Lyra grinned, flashing her radiant smile and giggled in a girlish way. “Papai would always let me have a sip if I asked.” She took a sip of her own drink and enjoyed the sweet, tropical flavor on her tongue. “They do make these with vodka, but my papai would have never allowed that on his boat. A caipirinha had to be made the traditional way. He hardly even liked extra flavors.”

“Well, I’ll try to respect those rules today in his honor.” He said with a grin, holding his glass over the side of the boat and letting a bit of it slip into the crystal water below. He looked at her with an amiable question in his eyes.

She smiled at the gesture and then repeated it with her own drink. Her hand found his side and her eyes moved up to his. “Thank you, Andrei.”

“To Papai, his life, and the sweet memories.” He said in a gentle voice, his eyes locked on hers.

There was a shimmer of something in her dark eyes that was there for an instant and went away just as quickly.

“To Papai.” She repeated, taking a sip of her drink and then pouring the rest over the side. She watched it fall into the ocean below them with a pensive and slightly forlorn expression on her beautiful face that had immediately devoured the joy and excitement that had been there.

Andrei poured the rest of his out as well, taking the cue from her, and then dropped the entire glass. He put his arm around her waist and held her tightly as they watched it cascade to the surface of the water and splash away.

“Now we aren’t nearly as drunk as I intended.” He said, looking at her and noting her sad expression.

Lyra didn’t respond immediately and instead just leaned into him as he held her. After a few seconds though, she smiled again and seemed to refocus on Andrei himself. Her eyes met his and she squeezed his hand. “Well, we can fix that. You like drunk Lyra.”

“I like Lyra in all states.” He said, leaning in and kissing her forehead from the side. “But I remind you, Drunk Andrei can barely finish in the bedroom. Just hours of nonstop work.”

“I finish Drunk Andrei just fine, thank you.” She teased, smirking at him. “Sober Andrei always wakes up with a smile on his face, haven’t you noticed? I have.”

“Well, yes. And, after all, some people like all night fun anyways.” He said, and started to walk with her over to a young woman with tan skin and dyed blonde hair wearing a sailor’s uniform. “You, we’d like more drinks. The ones we were given…went down very quickly.” He said, looking at Lyra, “something new, this time, Love?”

“Mmm… a traditional caipirinha just to honor papai… but I actually like the different flavors.” She chuckled and squeezed his hand. “I know how much you like your mules and other things though, darling, don’t feel you have to get one too. I won’t mind.”

Andrei looked back at the attentive woman who was waiting for a final decision.

“Caipirinhas, traditional and otherwise. Keep them coming.” He said finally, squeezing Lyra’s bottom. “I plan to have my way with this one.”

The woman giggled at that and turned to carry out his orders. The fact she was just a hologram no doubt eliminated all potential embarrassment from the interaction as she left them alone in the increasingly orange sunlight.

“Oh, and if you slip a caipiroska or two in there, I won’t be angry with you.” He called out over the sound of wind to the departing servant.

“Plan to have your way with me, hm?” Lyra purred and turned into him so they were chest to chest. Her arms went around his middle loosely and she didn’t interfere with his handholds on her bottom. “What else do you have planned, darling? I’m very interested.”

“Patience, you tiger.” He said with a playful growl. “I’ll show you. Once we’ve had a few drinks, you’ll see.”

“Fine, fine.” She surrendered with a laugh and leaned in like she was going to kiss him, but instead playfully nipped his lower lip. Moving from his arms she walked over to one of the lounge chairs and reached up to start undoing the knot at the top of her sarong.

“You can’t beat a sunset here. They were always so beautiful.”

“I remember being impressed when I would come here with my mother. I saw a lot of places, but none were quite like this.” He said, unbuttoning his white shirt and then laying on a chair right by hers and allowing the sun to kiss his pale skin.

The woman returned with a tray of their drinks a few seconds after he sat down and handed both of them a traditional caipirinha.

Lyra finished unwrapping herself like a present and spread the sarong out on the chair. When the fabric settled, she was standing in her strappy red bikini that he had been so fond of on Anorra. She slid down into the chair gracefully and stretched her tall, curvaceous figure out like a cat would have and tried to ignore the fact that nearly all of Andrei’s visits to this place were when the Ivers family was in control of it.

“Did you come here often?”

“Three times, I think.” He answered. “Each one years apart. Some places we blazed out of, but I was insistent we stay a while here.”

“Well with beautiful beaches and pretty girls abound, I’m not surprised.” Lyra turned her head toward him and smiled. “What brought you and your mother here for the visits then?”

“I don’t know, really. My mother only left me around for the pleasantries. The business was conducted between herself and Lord Ivers.” He said, not being certain what on earth else he should call the man. “I busied myself with his children and, of course, half naked girls on the beach.”

“You went to the wrong beaches then, darling. There were several nude ones nearby.” She teased him with a smile and reached for her drink. “I thought after a certain age your mother might involve you more especially with your father being more absent than present given his career.”

“Yes, normally she did. But there were exceptions. And here was an exception.” He said, shrugging. “I knew about the nude beaches, but my mother had me kept away from those, at least the first two visits, that is..”

What could Yana have possibly been doing with Matthias Ivers that would constitute an exception over involving Andrei? She mulled it over for a few seconds, then realized it was not the time nor place and just shrugged while moving her attention back to the sunset. “Did you sneak out for that last one, naughty boy?”

“No, I was 17, and I talked my guard into going to a nude beach.” Andrei said with a chuckle, then he took a quick sip of his drink. “It wasn’t hard once I started thinking like a man. I don’t even think my mother found out about it, really.”

“Well, even if she did, that would be the age where she would care less, I imagine.” Lyra shrugged and crossed her long legs. “Was there anything else you enjoyed doing while you were here?”

Andrei understood that he was the center of the conversation. Normally, he wouldn’t mindX but he was quite aware the occasion was Lyra’s own trouble. He wondered if she was trying to avoid the topic, and whether it was good. He decided to allow it for now.

“Oh the food, for sure. And, once we were here during some strange festival. The locals were holding up images of some woman.” He said, thinking back on it. “I have no idea what that was about and I only watched it from a distance. But, mostly, I spent time with the Ivers children.”

“Mm… do you remember what month you were here when you saw the celebration?” She asked, staying away from the topic of the Ivers children again. Christoph was dead and it was likely his sisters were too - or perhaps worse. The sisters hadn’t been her responsibility after all.

“Mid December, thereabouts.” He said, taking another sip of his drink.

“It was probably the celebration known as Our Lady of Guadalupe.” Lyra offered up. “The Southern Dominion and Mexico have always been very traditional and honor the past much more than the present. It is a holiday celebration of a very old religion known as Catholicism. I hear some people still practice it, but it is rare.”

“Oh, I thought we’d put an end to all that, really. Quite odd.” he said, seeming less than interested in the topic. There was something about it he didn’t like, though he wasn’t interested in exploring it now. Instead, he looked at Lyra. “What was your favorite festival? Your people do love to celebrate, after all.”

“When I was younger I loved Floralia the most. With all of the flowers everywhere, everything was so beautiful.” She gave a wistful smile. “They tried their best on Luna to make it lovely, but it was never as grand and most of the flowers were synthetic to save resources and having to dispose of so many. I didn’t really celebrate many festivals living there, though.” The smile faded slowly, her dark eyes lingering on the changing sunset sky.

“Floralia was always Mika’s favorite when we were growing up. We used to have a parade and pass out little gifts to people in Moscow.” Andrei said with a smile. “Did your family give gifts as well?”

“Oh yes. We usually gave out bags of walnuts, Brazil nuts, oranges, and little rabbits carved out of brasilwood.” She took a sip of her drink and sucked the remainder off of her lower lip. “I remember people seemed to like it a lot. I didn’t really understand the meanings until I got a little older.”

“Mika used to hand out actual bunnies.” Andrei said with a chuckle, silently wondering how many of those creatures were eaten later rather than kept as pets. “I’m picturing little Lyra handing out bags in the streets. Did you celebrate here or in Brasilia?”

“We spent the first three days of the festival in Rio and on May 1 we handed out our gifts. Once that was done in the late evening we traveled to Rome to spend the last three days with the Emperor and his family.” She shifted and stretched slightly in her chair then closed her eyes. “I actually thought Rio’s display was better - Rome was grander, but it lacked a certain sense of community.”

“That can happen when people from all over the world flock there to make their fortunes or to serve the Emperor in some way.” he said, considering what she had told him. “Was it Angelus you were visiting? How often did you go?”

“It was Angelus, yes. We went every year during Floralia and often for a few days during other festivals.We’d also spend the Emperor’s birthday there with him.” She folded her hands across her flat abdomen while she continued, “of course they would come to Rio during the summer months in Rome and we would see them quite often then. During our summer during some of the hottest weather though, we would retreat to Versailles and spend time there.”

“Well, that sounds lovely. I’ve actually never seen Versailles in person.” he commented, finishing off his glass and taking another from the tray beside them. This one was lemon, and he was eager to try it. The drinks were rather strong, and he was feeling the first one already. “My interactions were generally in passing with Prince Giuseppe. He was desperately difficult for me to get along with, and I admit I tried once or twice. I must also admit I tried with Princess Giana, but..was distracted by another wild boy.”

Lyra scoffed audibly at the mention of Giuseppe and rolled her eyes. “Giuseppe… what a poor excuse of a man he must be if his boyhood was anything to judge by.”

She finished her drink and looked at the tray, deciding to try one of the berry flavors next. “He was a mean little cretin.”

“No one elver made me feel quite so thoroughly excluded as he did.” Andrei said, shaking his head. The disgust in her voice was mirrored only slightly in his. “I hope you won’t mind me saying so, considering he’s your cousin, but I hope he gives me a reason to kill him one day. After all,” he paused and looked at her, admiring the sunset in her hair. “After all, he’ll probably be sitting in my chair.”

“He pushed me down the stairs once.” Lyra said and then looked down into her drink before taking a small sip just to test the flavor. Not her favorite, but she would drink it and maybe it would grow on her.

Andrei’s eyes went wide at that, his imagination moving to picture the rough-mannered Crown Princess shoving his beloved down the stairs. He frowned deeply.

“Did they beat him for it?” he asked in a tone that matched the exasperation on his face.

“No, of course not.” She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I was nine. We were at the Rio palace and I walked out of my room really early in the morning. I heard arguing coming from Giana’s room, so I went to figure out what was going on and saw Giuseppe yelling at and hitting her. I don’t even remember over what. I ran up and kicked him in the back of the knee then grabbed her and we ran out of the room. Of course with the age difference, he was much faster and caught up to us. We were by one of the staircases when he did and he grabbed Giana from me and pushed me down the stairs.”

Andrei listened with the most intense interest, making it perfectly clear that his attention wasn’t even remotely divided. Taking a deep breath once she was done, he responded, “Is that the only time he hurt you? Or did he behave that way often?”

“That was the only time he did anything that violent, but he liked to pinch me or pull my hair if I upset him.”

“I’ll have to pinch him then; put three and a half feet of steel between his ribs.” Andrei said, leaning back again and frowning. He pulled his glass to his lips then and fell silent.

Lyra didn’t respond verbally, but she did reach out with her free hand and placed it on top of Andrei’s gently. He had always been protective of her, his lapse in judgment on Banea had only made him more so it seemed. She took another healthy drink of the caipirhina and let her eyes close halfway to watch the colors fade from the sky.

The sun had sunk low enough that the yellow had been banished from the sky by orange, blue, and now purple. The yacht had been sailing around the bay since they’d sat down, but was now drawing near the shoreline. The beach was populated with tourists and fire torches were being lit to ward off the quickly approaching darkness. As the pair of them finished their drinks, Andrei leaned over and looked at Lyra.

“If you could eat anything in the world right now, what would it be?”

“Picahna. The best quality, of course.” She said and shifted to sit up a bit more. “Cooked to perfection.”

He shook his head and smiled as if something were very funny.

“Gods, I’m good.” he said, and downed the rest of his drink. He was certainly feeling it now, but was only a bit more than tipsy. Standing up, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it back over his arms. Leaving it open this time, he looked at her and nodded toward the shore. “Now that we’ve got some drinks in us, lets try those jet skis”

“You know I think you’re supposed to jet ski before you drink… but oh well.” She flashed her beautiful smile at him again and stood, grabbing her sarong and wrapping it around herself. She reached for his hand and slid her fingers between his. “Lead the way, darling.”

“No, much more fun after.” he said, and lead her down a set of white stairs to the back of the boat where two tethered jet skis were housed. One was white, while the other was black. He selected the black one right away and climbed aboard. Looking at her, he smiled. “You can ride with me or we can race.”

Lyra paused where the jet skis were and seemed momentarily torn on what to do. She liked the idea of riding with Andrei, though she was also feeling rather playful. She was also ignoring the fact she used to ride on jet skis with her papai and she wasn’t sure she wanted those memories plaguing her right now. Ignoring it all was working much better.

“Race, hm?” She hopped on the white jetski and with a quick, skillful tug to the end of the rope she had hers free and used her strong leg to kick back from the dock. As the little craft floated back, she started it up and it revved to life. “Well then…”

Andrei hadn’t anticipated her getting ready so quickly, and moved to take his own rope loose as she revved her engine and sped off.

“Hey!” He shouted, sitting down and kicking off of the dock just as she had. When he was free, he gunned his engine toward her, leaning forward and determined.

Lyra laughed, the sound barely audible over the sound of the jet skis and waves, but what little could be heard sounded joyful. She twisted her hands around the handles and she was off again, fleeing from her lover as he gave chase while heading toward the shore. This was a contest she could likely win, but truthfully she was just more interested in having fun with him than anything else.

“You cheater!” Andrei shouted, laughing as he pursued her. The two vehicles were identical on the inside, and so he had no real hope of catching her unless something went wrong. That didn’t stop him from trying though, but all in good humor. He watched her stream quickly toward the shoreline and heard her laughter.

“Love and war, darling!” She called back to him and continued to lead on. If he was going to be mad at her for winning something this silly well… that would be telling. Once she reached the shallows where people were starting to swim, she let off the accelerator and began to coast toward the sand as was proper and safe.

Andrei did the same as he entered the shallows as well, and besides the sound of music in the background, pumping with a festive South-American beat, they could hear each other just fine now.

“Wait until I get my hands on you, Lyra. It’ll be all over.” He said in a joking voice with an obvious smile. The threat had nothing but playful danger in it.

“Well you know how to threaten me with a good time.” She replied just as playfully and gave him a wink. They both coasted up onto the shoreline and several holographic attendants moved to pull the jet skis up onto the sand after they hopped off. She moved to join him immediately and looked up at him with a smile, waiting to be led to their next event.

As soon as Andrei joined her, he put his arm around her and started playing with her side in a way that would most certainly tickle.

“Now you'll pay, woman.” He said, grinning devilishly. As his fingers danced along her stomach and side over the sarong.

“Hey!” She protested, immediately starting to squirm as he tickled her. “No fair!”

She swatted at his chest playfully, not really putting in any effort at trying to get him away nor was she upset by his tickling assault.

Andrei kept going for a little while longer before stopping his tickling tirade and leaning in to kiss her neck. Once he started that, however, he started nipping and assaulting her as well, enough to turn that into its own tickle eventually, he stood and smiled at her.

“Let’s go grab some food. I found a way to mix meat and beach in perfect combination.”

“Your pants interfere with that perfect combination I think, but I’m open to surprises.” She smirked at him, her neck still tingling from his attention. Looping her arm with his, they began to walk along the soft, warm sand toward the activity not far away.

“I wish I had been able to come back here after… everything.”

“I bet you do. It’s wonderful and, really, it must have a feeling of home for you no other place really has.” He said as he guided her across the sands and passed other beach goers to a large, brightly colored tent with chairs, a hundred lanterns, and a couple half-naked men unwisely standing before a giant hearth grilling meat and other food. They stepped up under the tent where music played in the background and the sound of lively conversations in Portuguese were heard. Andrei steered them to a table facing the ocean with a vibrant green and yellow tablecloth and pulled out her chair.

“Gods, do you smell that?” He asked in Portuguese, referring to the mouthwatering smells coming from the grill.

Lyra took a slow, deep breath and hummed out in anticipation. “Oh yeah, smells delicious.”

She spoke easily in her perfectly accented Portuguese and her eyes shifted over to the men cooking over the open fire. She could see the spits of meat being turned over the grills and her mouth started to water. Outside of a breakfast he had to convince her to eat, she hadn’t eaten anything all day. Taking a seat, she looked out to the ocean and the people dancing, then back to Andrei when he sat down.

“You said you enjoyed the food when you came here; did you have a favorite?”

“No contest there. When I was young, I loved pastel. Ivers didn’t serve it at his table, but my mother and I had them from some family restaurant near the beach. I remember sitting on towels with her and counting the stars.” He said, answering all in Portuguese. He had clearly been practicing in secret, and though he had made no fanfare of it and his accent was distinctly Russian, he knew the words.

He looked at the darkening sky and admired the natural beauty that came out especially as it was dark. The yacht in the distance was still making its rounds, and he watched that too. For the first time in a while, he found himself homesick. He missed Russia most of all, but he’d take a Terran swamp over an alien paradise.

“My favorite part about coming to Brazil was the history. Antonius I, the Silvas, and the founding of the Empire. I was a very patriotic young man.” He said, and looked at her. Before he could get the obvious question out, a woman in a themed bra and a pair of tight shorts stopped in front of them. She was plain enough that it was clear Andrei hadn’t taken liberties with her, and perhaps had even intervened to make sure she looked quite normal.

“Welcome to the Sunset Grille. What can I get you?” She asked, smiling at them brightly.

“Picanha and pastel for the both of us.” Andrei answered, and then looked to Lyra. “Anything else? You are the expert, after all.”

Lyra had noticed the relative plainness of the woman who had served them on the yacht and hadn’t paid it much mind, but now that another one appeared, she briefly wondered if Andrei had taken the time to make sure she felt like the most beautiful woman there. It was a sweet gesture though unnecessary, holograms weren’t a threat unless a man had a mental illness… and thankfully Andrei was not that kind of man, though he had his own vices he was working through.

“Farofa, plantains, rice, and salad as well, please.” Lyra asked with peasant politeness, not really thinking about it. When the woman left, she turned her attention back to Andrei just as another round of drinks was delivered to them.

“One of papai’s most prized possessions was an authentic journal of Antonius I. He kept it in his office with all of his other prized books, though wisely kept it out of reach of my brother and I.”

“That’s amazing. I would love to get my hands on one of those, though I’m fairly certain I’ve read the text of it before. Digitally.” Andrei responded, his hand finding her leg under the tablecloth gently. It wasn’t suggestive, but there was always a possibility it would start something. Despite that, he seemed focused on the conversation.

“That’s likely, someone in the family surely made the effort to digitize it just in case something happened, but there’s just something different about holding that kind of history in your hands.” She pressed her hands together and then opened them as if she were letting a book unfold between them. She felt his hand on her leg and smiled. They loved having sex, but they also enjoyed the physical act of touching each other. It brought genuine closeness and comfort, a rather rare experience for the both of them.

“Maybe I’ll steal it from my brother.”

Two waitresses returned then with sizzling plates of food and started to set them down in front of the couple with practiced care. Andrei joined Lyra in his mouth watering at this point, and his eyes drifted from the meat to the pastels, and then the rice. He had read somewhere that men have the same emotional reaction to red meat as they would a naked woman. Right then, he found that easy to believe.

As the women left he glanced over at Lyra to gauge her reaction.

Lyra’s eyes were firmly on the food being put down in front of them, obviously looking forward to eating it. Once the plates were set down, she picked up the bowl of rice to put some on her plate assuming Andrei would go for the meat or pastéis first. “This all looks delicious.”

As they both rotated the dishes between each other to fill their plates, she glanced up at her love. “Have you ever had the pastéis they serve at local fairs or sometimes during Carnaval that are as big as your face?”

“I can’t say I have, but I intend to fix that some day.” He said with a grin as he scooped meat and pastels onto his plate before sliding them towards her and accepting the rice, farofa, and plantains.

“Then we will; I’ll show you where to get the best ones.” Lyra promised with an easy confidence and pretty smile. After sprinkling some of the farofa onto the steak, she picked up her fork and knife to cut into it and found it to be a perfect ruby red throughout. It really was one of her favorite meals.

The two of them sat and enjoyed their meal together, engaging in conversation and sticking almost exclusively to Portuguese. Though they were in Mexico and it was a bit out of place, they rarely conversed in Lyra’s native language. The meal had been delicious and the atmosphere a definite improvement on the monotony of the gray walls and carpet of Vengeance. Once they were done, they stood up and walked into the darkness outside the tent, wading into the darkness which was only interrupted by the full moon and occasional torches and bonfires lit across the beach. Eventually, they waded into the shallows of the ocean and Andrei wrapped his arm around Lyra as they stopped, the water lapping at their ankles.

"Go home to the palace and get your dress the color of the field and all its flowers," he said, pointing to the nearby vacation home her family had owned, "and your dress the color of the sea and all its fishes, and your dress the color of the sky and all its stars. Then hurry back here to the sea for I have been preparing a surprise for you."

Lyra had been excited about the prospect of going swimming in the bioluminescent waves; it had after all been one of her favorite things to do while her family had come here on vacation. When he spoke, she blinked once and looked up at him.

“My…” She paused then and looked toward the house, contemplative. “Do I wear one…? Do I bring them back here…?” She asked slowly.

“I think you should wear the one you like the best.” he said with a smile, but certainly didn’t seem insistent in the slightest. It would be up to her to decide how she would dress herself or spend her time in the house. He knew it likely wouldn’t be very easy for her, and is likely an experience she had avoided for a while.

“Alright, darling.” She placed her hands on his sides and leaned up to steal a kiss from his lips. She didn’t press him to join her as she imagined there had to be a reason he would send her alone in the first place. She parted from him then and turned to move up to the path above the beach so the walk back to the small palace would be faster.


TBC]]> Fri, 03 May 2024 02:12:10 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/785 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/785
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - XO's Quarters

ON


The day had sneaked up on her like some sort of predator without her realizing it was coming. Of course the days had passed and though Lyra knew each one, somehow it simply hadn’t hit her until around three days ago. After their mission on Sikaris, things had all been a bit of a mundane blur punctuated by the stress of finding Andrei’s “little black book” and dealing with the complicated feelings that it had brought up, an accidental meeting with Orion on the holodeck, and then the subsequent dinner the three of them had shared in the name of Andrei and Orion “catching up.” It had all tested her and while she knew she was strong, she found herself wondering if perhaps there were some sort of lingering effects from her imprisonment from the Numiri or if her wavering steadfastness was the result of something more sinister.

Being in orbit above another beautiful, uninhabited planet really hadn’t moved her this time; she hadn’t been tempted to go down at all even though she could have easily found the excuse to do so. She had spent one of the nights in her own quarters since she had to work her occasional double shift so that had kept her busy and away, but she couldn’t really find a good excuse to be away from Andrei for the other two. She had been doing her best to keep her feelings contained around him, but she knew she hadn’t been doing a very good job. Perhaps this was just too heavy for her to bear without cracking a bit in the process. Of course she had been loving and affectionate to him, but she had also been distracted. Where she would usually initiate sex with him at least once every couple of days, she hadn’t at all in the past three and while she had of course happily participated in the act, she hadn’t seemed her very enthusiastic self.

She sat up on the arm of his couch wrapped in her throw blanket to ward off the natural chill in Andrei’s quarters. She had gotten more used to it over the weeks of course, though she had never really minded it because she liked having the cozy warmth of being wrapped up in a blanket; perhaps a childish comfort, but one she enjoyed all the same. She was bracing a book between the arm of the couch and one hand while her other hand held her propped head up. She was listless and couldn’t focus - she must have tried reading this page at least eight times and it just wouldn’t stick.

Andrei was sitting at his desk on the other side of the room, his chair leaned back and his eyes on the large viewer behind the wooden semi-circle desk. What was presented there was a void of space with an obstacle course of asteroid which gave the impression they were weaving through at a breakneck speed. He wore a green turtleneck and black pants and rested his hands on the arms of his chair. He was intensely focussed, training himself with the use of his ocular interface. He bobbed and weaved through the course, dodging under a small rock and then, quite suddenly turning and hugging a gigantic asteroid until he’d gotten around it. Finally, he was in the clear, and his hands went up in fists.

“YES!” he said, smiling broadly and doing a small, victorious dance. He had been working that difficult course for a week, using his time to turn his newly-found handicap into a useful asset. It felt good to win, and he instinctively looked over at Lyra to see if she had seen it. He spoke in an excited voice, “Lyra, did you see it?”

When Andrei’s yell intruded on her quiet, Lyra startled immediately and dropped the book from her hands. Her heart was racing, and it took a beat before she realized what had happened. Looking over to Andrei, she watched him do his silly little dance and for once in the past few days she felt a small, genuine smile tug onto her lips. She uncurled herself from the couch and reached down to scoop up the book and place it on the coffee table then pushed up to stand and walk over to the desk. She hadn’t seen it exactly, but it had been on her peripheral vision while she was staring vacantly into the words on the page.

“You finally did it.” She spoke, her tone full of approval despite her momentarily spiked anxiety. “I’m proud of you, darling.”

Lyra was good at saying what she knew she should, and Andrei had noticed that particular ability months ago. Generally, her body could lie too, but they had become close enough that he was very aware of the differences. He assumed, for much of the past few days, that if he asked her, she would just say nothing was wrong. He tried, instead, to make himself available with silent looks and touches. He could tell it wasn’t working.

He removed his patch and reached out to her, gently grabbing her wrist and pulling her down onto his lap. He wrapped his arm around her like she was a little girl and looked into her eyes, his mismatched gray and emerald green eyes sparkling in distinct ways. For a moment, he didn’t speak, but after drinking in her eye contact for a while, he broke the silence.

“What are you reading, Love?”

Lyra slid down into his lap without protest, her eyes holding his gaze with ease. He could feel the extra warmth of her body against his even through both of their clothes. She was wearing one of his old shirts again - he liked it and she found them comfortable. She could tell by the way he looked at her that he was trying to figure out something, and of course her first instinct was to try and bury it deeper.

“It’s called Nossas Fábulas.” She replied, dipping into her native accent naturally and making the words sound beautiful. A simple title, “Our Fables”, but something that used to bring her happiness. She realized she hadn’t really even picked it consciously.

“I’ve never heard of it. Are they Portuguese tales?” Andrei asked, his brow raising as he tried to think of what could be bothering her so much without actually asking. It was possible she would answer directly, but if she didn’t, it would be all the more difficult to get answers out of her.

“Brazilian, specifically.” She supplied and adjusted to lean into his broad, powerful chest. She was by no means a small woman; it had been hard for her to really find a man completely to her taste who could make her feel feminine when she stood next to them or even in more intimate moments, but with his size Andrei certainly managed.

“Tell me about it.” he said then, his hand moving soothingly over her leg in slow, skilled motions. “Which one is your favorite?”

At his touch, she adjusted and nuzzled slightly into his neck. “They are all rather silly, I suppose, and none of them really have happy endings, but I was always very fond of How Night Came, Why the Sea Moans, and How the Tiger Got His Stripes.”

“Oh, why does the sea moan, Lyra? I’m desperate to know. You must tell me!” he said with a smile and a chuckle as he wrapped his other arm around her torso. “Perhaps there’s something to learn in that one, no?”

Lyra chuckled softly herself and shook her head. “I’m afraid not, darling. It is a story about a princess who forgot the faithfulness of a friend and failed her. I didn’t really like that part, but there were three very pretty dresses described in the story. I always told my-“ she stopped then suddenly for just a beat, realized she had, and tried to continue as if she had not, “papai that I wanted the dresses.”

Andrei had heard Lyra’s story from her own mouth, but it rarely came up anymore. He tended to let people volunteer their own information, and had resolved recently that he needed to try and be more thoughtful in general, but especially with her. He was a young man, after all, and had a feeling that he had only just become capable in a way he hadn't been before. She had never talked about her father with hesitation or with feeling. Lyra was neutral on Lyra.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the scent of her hair as she nuzzled his neck. On Banea, he learned she was vulnerable on the outside, and now he was starting to see there must be something on the inside too. He was skilled in breaking, hurting, and making people feel good. But healing was something he’d always left to others.

“Did you ever get them?” he asked, and was amazed by the stupidity of the question the moment it left his lips. Of course she hadn’t. Her father was murdered.

“No.” She replied, simple and gracious in the face of his obliviousness. “It was just the want of a silly little girl anyways.”

She lifted her head and smiled at him. “So when will you try the next level of your simulations?”

“Little girls are supposed to be silly.” he said, ignoring her question in a calm voice. “But they still matter, don’t they?”

Lyra chuckled at that but gave no answer. She moved to slide out of his lap. “Do you want some tea?”

He grabbed her hand and held it. Gentle at first, but tight enough eventually to signal to her that he wasn’t letting her go. His eyes met hers with seriousness and insistence.

“No. I want you to stay and talk to me.”

Lyra looked down at him quietly, her eyes searching his. She had shown too much, she could tell, and she could hear the voice of her mother berating her for it violently in the back of her mind. She sat back down in his lap and slid her arms around him. “What about, darling? The stories?”

Andrei saw it now; how manipulative his beloved could be. He saw it, and he didn’t like it. He wondered what went on behind those eyes, and how many silent worries, thoughts, and resentments she would never voice until it was too late. In that instant, he wondered if it was a good idea to trust her. After all, she really played the game he only pretended to play.

“No, I want you to talk to me about what’s been going on.” he said, throwing caution to the wind. “Can you not tell your lover what is wrong when you’re having a problem?”

Now she was caught. She didn’t lie to Andrei when asked something, but she didn’t offer up information willingly given his reactions in the past any time she had cracked a little. It usually ended with her apologizing to him for things she shouldn’t have been apologizing for and she hated it. She could have tried to lie but she didn’t want to do that, she could have tried to lessen the problem or skirt around it, but he was fiercely intelligent.

Really, she didn’t have much of a choice. Maybe it would be a good thing… she would tell him and see what happened to know if she had to try that much harder to maintain control in the future.

After a few beats of considering, she grabbed a bit of the fabric of his sweater between two fingers and worried it between them. She started to speak, and then realized she didn’t know how to do this well at all. “It’s just… mm…”

She shifted uncomfortably in his lap. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day my papai was murdered.”

He had never seen her so hesitant or uncertain, and he knew that right away. As he looked into her eyes, he realized how connected he had become to her, and part of him was genuinely frightened by that. After all, when one gets close to people and starts to actually care, one gets hurt. Always. Despite his desire to keep his own control over himself, his tear ducts mounted a small rebellion and his eyes started to well even though his face was unreadable. No tear fell, but they were close. He tugged her arm gently and raised his hand to her shoulder.

“Oh..” he said, not knowing what else to offer. He refused to sniffle, but squeezed her shoulder firmly. “How long has it been since he died?”

Lyra finally lifted her head and looked into Andrei’s eyes. Seeing what she saw in them left her quite stunned; they weren’t falling, but he was certainly teary eyed. Why? For her? Was it real? Somehow, she managed to keep the suspicion off of her face and reached up with her fingertips to trace his handsome features.

“It will be thirteen years.”

“Oh..” he said again, blinking away the moisture in his eyes. He really was at a loss for words, which was quite rare for him. “I’m…I’m very sorry. No wonder you’re so upset.”

There was a small part of her that was offended he had said she was upset, another that was angry at having shown enough upset for him to have seen it in the first place, and a third part that simply sighed in disappointment at the other two. She was in it now, so she found she may as well continue. “I guess I realized this year is the year I have been without him longer than I had him and it is… affecting me.”

He looked at her, his hands resting gently on her body. “It’s making you sad.” he said resolutely, pushing her in the direction of self-knowledge. If she knew herself, after all, he might be able to trust her. “Right?”

Lyra took a deep breath and sighed it out, obviously loathe to admit what she was about to admit. “It is.” She looked at him then, apologetic, “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t think you have anything to be sorry about.” he said, moving his hands up and holding them against her face softly. He leaned in and kissed her forehead then once, and then a second time, before pulling back. “There’s nothing wrong with missing your father.”

When he leaned in to kiss her forehead, Lyra closed her eyes slowly. She wanted to accept his comfort without question, but those inner voices were certainly keeping her on her toes. When he pulled back, she opened her eyes again and placed her hands on his wrists where she held him gently and affectionately.

“Papai.” She gave gentle clarification and a slight smirk. “I call Alexander Cassiel father, and I most certainly do not miss him.”

“No?” he asked, looking at her and recognizing what a basic fact about her this must be. Something was off, and he knew it now. He feared he would see signs of it all the time for now on. “Because he trained you and made you what you had to be?”

“Yes.” Lyra nodded gently, her intense gaze on his. She wasn’t sure what she was seeing there, but she was sure she was starting to not like it. This wasn’t a fact she had hidden or been cagey about, but she hadn’t spelled it out word for word before. It would have been obvious to anyone who had paid attention.

Andrei thought it best to get off of the topic, so he tried to go back to the other one. In the end, though, it wasn’t clear what was safe to talk about anyway. That probably shouldn’t have been the motivating factor when it came to deciding what to say.

“Is there anything that you and..Papai used to do together?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Something special you remember?”

She considered the question quietly. In her mind’s eye, somewhere deep within, she supposed she considered it all special now given he was gone. It felt pathetic. She reached up to brush a bit of her hair behind her ear. “Do you remember where you took me on our first real date on the holodeck?”

“Of course.” He said, remembering immediately, “your family’s vacation home in Oaxaca. Mingling with holographic nobility, and then the tour. What of it?”

Lyra nodded. “You remember the beach nearby then and the bioluminescent water. When I was young, I liked to sneak out of the house and go down to the water to play in the waves. My mother hated it - she was convinced I would drown. I remember one night my father caught me, but instead of scolding me, he took me swimming out into the water. It started to become something we did often and my mother hated that even more, but he didn’t really care. We would spend hours out there sometimes just playing around in the water or on the beach.”

Andrei smiled at the memory, the image of that gorgeous beach blending in his mind with the imaginary little girl Lyra once cradled in strong arms and laughing as they chased each other through the luminescent water. He hadn’t spent much of his life seeing things through other people’s eyes, and it was a strange feeling, he found.

“Your papai seemed to upset your mother a lot when he spent time with you.” He observed, watching her to see if there was more there.

“Just when it came to the water.” Lyra explained, more at ease now in his arms. “She didn’t like it when he would do anything in the water with either my brother or myself or really even alone, but she was especially sensitive about me. I never really understood why and never asked, but I suspect looking back on it she likely had some sort of incident in the water when she was younger. She never wanted to swim or go out on boats; papai would insist sometimes and she would go if it was for some sort of public appearance, otherwise she would refuse.”

“Fear can live in the heart forever.” Andrei commented, his voice quiet. “And it’s very easy to teach to one’s children. Was your papai afraid of anything?”

“If he did, I never knew. He never showed it.” She kissed his neck tenderly and her eyelashes slowly brushed against his neck. “Our sons will fear nothing.”

“They will fear some things, I imagine. Just a few.” He said, looking at her with a thoughtful expression. “Me, you…and failure.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Lyra chuckled softly against his neck and slid an arm around his opposite shoulder. She didn’t want to debate on the topic - they were years out from children still - but she had a feeling that her definition of failure and his would be rather different. “But nothing else.”

Andrei watched her intently while she thought on the topic, and after she spoke, he gave a pleased and agreeable expression, concealing any thoughts which might be behind it. Instead, his mind shifted to her troubles.

“Clear your schedule after your shift tomorrow.” He said in a quiet but decisive voice. “I’m going to take you somewhere special and we can celebrate his life.”

Her first instinct was to of course sweetly protest and diminish her needs and wants, but she stopped herself and considered the gesture he was making. It was caring and attentive - everything she would want in this moment - and yet it still felt so wrong to accept. With a bit of effort, she nodded and pulled back from his neck so she could look into his eyes.

“Alright, darling. Thank you, I’m looking forward to it.” She leaned in and gave him a sweet, chaste kiss.

“Good.” He said, giving her side a gentle squeeze. He knew she was hiding her sorrow, and he wanted to make sure she understood how unnecessary that was. Andrei wasn’t known for his compassion, but she was the exception, it seemed. He smiled at her with a quiet playfulness. “Now, I’d like to hear more about making the sea moan.”

Lyra smiled and chuckled at his playfulness. Squeezing his hands, she moved to slide out of his lap but it was clear she wasn’t trying to flee. “Well, before I tell you about that, what would you like to have for dinner?”

“I’d like pizza.” he said with a smile, looking up at her. “That should help the general mood, I think. There’s no medicine better than melted cheese and carbs. How does that sound to you?”

“Perfect.” Lyra replied, her smile still lingering as she walked over to the replicator. Truthfully, she did feel better after unburdening herself to him, but she didn’t really know how to feel about that either. She went to the replicator and touched the console to bring up their options.

“Well, once upon a time…”

END
]]> Fri, 03 May 2024 02:10:06 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/802 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/802
Mission - Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location - The Pyramid

ON

Giana was sitting quietly in her Pyramid apartment reading documents out of her government box. She was rather sure that was actually all she read anymore and would ever read again; reading for pleasure would never be a part of her life. Though the fact she had read the same three lines about eight times and hadn’t retained any of the information was likely the root reason for that feeling. She took a deep breath and focused on the paragraph, finally getting through it and lowering it down onto her desk. She would finish it later. Getting up, she moved over to the couch and stretched out while activating the large monitor situated over the fireplace from the controller. When it was inactive, it projected a hologram that blended it into the stone surround of the fireplace seamlessly. She began flipping through the offerings, but wasn’t looking for anything in particular.

She was waiting on Sacha to return from the meeting with his mother; he had been gone longer than he said he would be. She didn’t like that only for the fact she was concerned the woman was being… herself… though Sacha tended to not help himself in the matter by being… well, himself. She lingered for a moment on one of the news organizations that was again praising her interview with Sauerbraun. It had been quite popular with the vast majority of the population it had seemed, and everyone involved was quite pleased with the result including Giana herself.

The door to the apartment opened and Sacha entered. He had almost gone home after leaving Paris, but remembered he had told Giana he would pay her a visit when he was done. He walked in, immediately pulling off his leather jacket and throwing it onto the coat rack. He said nothing really, and walked into the living area with her and plopped down on the couch. He did lean over and kiss her on the cheek though, but then turned his eyes to the screen she had been watching like he simply intended to join her.

“Hey.” She greeted simply while she turned to him with a smile that immediately faltered. He wasn’t himself, obviously, so things must have not gone very well. “So… how’d it go?”

“I didn’t even see my mother. She was too busy, or some bullshit like that.” Sacha answered immediately. His silent irritation bubbling over into something of an emotional outburst. “She sent Genevieve down to talk to me in her stead. Gods, she’s such a stuck-up bitch. Can you believe that?”

“I mean I can; it's your mother.” She turned her attention fully to him and reached out for his hand. “What happened?”

“She’s mad I killed your brother and sent my big sister to remind me that their lives are on the line with mine. I guess my mother cares more about her power than she does about me.” he rolled his eyes and put his arm around her. “Big surprise there.”

“Are they stupid? You’re a hero.” Giana snorted at the notion, sitting up and immediately becoming angry herself in defense of her fiance. “She should be kissing your boots with the boost in popularity Paris is seeing just from what you did.”

“They just hate it when I shine.” Sacha said with a shake of his head. “Genevieve was happy I was condemned to distant military life. It made her the heir and she just fucking hates seeing or hearing about me.”

“Well they can go fuck themselves.” Giana pouted in a decidedly plebian way. “She’s apparently being a bitch in lords council too. Did you sister gloat about that at all?”

“What?” He asked, looking confused. “No. She just wanted me to talk to you about something stupid. What is my mother doing in the Lords?”

“What did she want you to talk to me about?” Giana scrunched her face slightly.

“Hey, I asked first.” Sacha said, smiling, despite the tension of the situation. “Yours is probably more important than mine anyway.”

“More likely yours is some sort of message for me.” She all but snorted, but reached over and placed her hand on Sacha’s knee. “Sacha, please… what did she say?”

He found it annoying that she was so insistent on hearing his news first. Perhaps it was because she was growing accustomed to being in charge more than ever before, but he noticed the tendency to do things like this with her. She wanted it her way; in her order.

“Ugh, fine.” He said, some of the wind going from his sails and the annoyance he was feeling about the situation flowing back into him. “Genevieve has been doing designs at some magazine company and basically wants to trade up. I told her to fuck off, but she seemed to think you’d want to hear about the ‘opportunity’.”

This wasn’t the way he preferred women to fight over him, and he wanted to be out of the situation as soon as possible.

Giana scowled outright then and just sat there for a few moments. Surely that wouldn’t be all it would take to get Sacha’s mother to stop supporting Montreve. It was likely a gesture to test the waters that she was even open to “exchanging favors” for vague promises.

“Lady Montreve is blocking the progression of our post-Giuseppe celebrations. Your mother is one of her supporters.”

“Why?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “Who would possibly care about messing that up?”

“Someone who has forgotten their place in the world and thinks they hold power like they earned it and it wasn’t given to them.” Giana crossed her arms and sat back on the couch. “I can’t believe your mother is being so stupid; even for her.”

“I can.” he said, shaking his head and scowling at the wall across from them. “To be honest with you, though, Gigi, I’m not sure this even came from her. I wouldn’t put it past Genevie to be lying about the entire summons. Gods, I hate her.”

“Can I help?” She asked suddenly, frowning and looking at him while her hand went to his thigh.

“Personally, I don’t know. I kind of just want her to leave me the hell alone.” He said with a shrug, looking at Giana with a frown. “I don’t even know if your company is even hiring new designers.”

“Technically we are always looking for new talent but…” Giana shook her head and reached up to touch his shoulder. “I can see about taking your sister on if you think it will make her more tolerable.”

“I think she does good work, but it depends on how comfortable you are having her use our engagement as an occasion to direct attention to herself.” He said, shrugging. “I think she just really wants to be famous.”

“She’d just be a blip on the radar until the novelty wears off which would be like two weeks.” Giana shrugged and shifted closer to him. “I don’t like your sister, but I want to make you happy, baby. If you think this would make your life easier I will do it.”

Sacha gave her a grin and grabbed her hand. She was dedicated to making him happy in this moment, it seemed, and he appreciated that.

“I don’t know. If I know Genevieve, she’s got a plan. But yeah, it would probably get her off my back for a little while. Do what you want though it’s your company.”

“And you’re my fiance.” She shrugged. She was getting mixed messages from his physical reaction and the words he was choosing, but decided to go along with the physical. “I’ll see what I can do about it. Anything else happen while you were there?”

“I walked up to my father and he managed to look me in the eye and say my name before he walked away again.” Sacha answered, clearly not liking that either. “He’s got no balls whatsoever, and I try to pretend he isn’t there. He doesn’t make it hard.” He chuckled at that. “But fuck them. I’m here now. How was work today?”

“Fine, but I swear the documents in the box never go down no matter how many I read.” She said, moving on from the topic of his family since he was sensitive about it and seemed to want to. She shifted to press against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “What about you?”

“After my visit with the ice queen, I called the CEO and confirmed I’d be back tomorrow. There’s probably a pile of assignments on my desk, but I don’t know. I told my PA I’d break his nose if he told me about any of it before I stepped into work tomorrow.”

Giana gave a short giggle at that and reached out to take his hand. “Well, hopefully he doesn’t land himself a broken nose then I guess.”

“He’s got me going to some conference on Mars next week to schmooze a bunch of old people with lots of money in their pockets.” He said, shrugging and pulling her closer to him. “It would look better if my PA’s entire face was attached.”

Giana moved and naturally shifted into his lap where she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Do you need a new PA?”

“No, he’s fine. He’s a good kid and he is super focused on his work. If I fired him, he’d probably kill himself. Though maybe I should get someone with a bigger nose.” He said, laughing then and stretching his legs out to rest his feet on the coffee table. His hand drifted to her hair and he played there peacefully. He moved to her scalp and scratched gently. “Easier target.”

“So mean.” She chided, but obviously not serious about it at all. Her eyes closed halfway and she let out a sigh. “I should probably do more work but I don’t want to.”

“You should get Paolo to come over and summarize it for you. I bet he’d even have fun with it.” He said amusedly. “Better yet, don’t you have a staff who could read all that bullshit for you?”

“Sure, but it’s better if I do it myself more than rely on that.” She pointed out and lifted her head. “I’m still worried about Paolo. He hasn’t been himself.”

“What do you mean he hasn’t been himself?” He asked, looking at her with careful concern. “What, is he upset about Axanar?”

“Of course he is.” Giana said, her voice a bit harsh but she seemed to realize it and gave a sigh, nuzzling into Sacha’s neck. “It has been very hard for him… maybe you should talk to him?”

“Well, what’s wrong with him? Is he eating? Keeping up with his studies?” Sacha asked, showing nothing more than relational curiosity and a hint of concern. He and Paolo weren’t close, but they shared the bond of a pretty traumatic event.

“Not… really? He just doesn’t care about anything and nobody can seem to make him care. He’s become very cynical about everything and thinks the world is just the worst. He’s not even talking to Amalie.” Giana frowned.

Sacha’s frown deepened. He didn’t love seeing people in pain, but he didn’t exactly jump at the idea of talking to him. It seemed odd and unlikely to do any good in his mind.

“Did you talk to him? He barely knows me as anything more than the teenager who sneaks into his sister’s apartments at night.” He chuckled. “He probably thinks I’m an idiot.”

“He doesn’t think that at all, he really looks up to you.” Giana said with mild earnestness in her voice. “I think he’d probably appreciate a visit.”

“Okay, I’ll make the time and try to go see him.” Sacha said. He didn’t know what he was going to say when he got there, but he did want to help the kid.

“Thank you.” Giana smiled brightly and kissed him and without breaking it, she shifted over into his lap so she was straddling him. Once they did part, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “Now… who wants to work off some stress with his fiance?”

“Me!” he exclaimed, grabbing her arms right away in a comically overstated flurry of enthusiasm. His hands moved down to her bottom and pulled her even closer to him, squeezing gently as he did so. “I do! I have so much stress to work with too.”

“I knew I found the right man for the job.” Giana laughed and then kissed him again. For now, everything else in the world could wait, it had been too long since they had just been themselves.

END
]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:22:19 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/788 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/788
Mission - Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location - RBN Headquarters

ON

The headquarters where the main studio for the Royal Broadcasting Network, or RBN as it was colloquially known, were located in a beautiful classical building in downtown Rome, located not far away from the Imperial Palace, the Pyramid, and the government buildings which housed the departments of the Imperial Secretariat. RBN was news of the most royal kind, and got more royal interviews, advances, and features than any other network in the Empire’s media world. It was known for being extremely friendly to the royal family, and it helped that the royal family owned the network directly through a private holding company.

They had quite literally rolled out the red carpet for Princess Regent Giana, and had done everything in their power to make her comfortable. She had been placed in a dressing room and the producer for the evening's feature interview had only just left, leaving a silver tray of snacks behind.

Giana was sitting quietly in one of the large, comfortable chairs in the room. She had already had her hair and wardrobe done, and her dress was covered by a closed black silk robe that didn’t show even a glimpse of what was underneath. Next to her on the couch was a PADD, but she wasn’t looking at it. In fact, she wasn’t looking at anything at all. She was simply staring blankly at a spot on the wall; her thoughts were a jumble of white noise and nothingness which simply left her feeling blank. Realizing she would need to go onto the stage soon, she blinked several times and finally picked up the PADD.

The door opened and a woman with long brown hair smiled at her.

“Your Imperial Highness, I’m here to do your makeup.” she said, her voice high-pitched and almost little-girlish.

“Yes, good.” Giana replied without enthusiasm, her eyes lingering on the PADD in her hand as she read it over again. It wasn’t that she didn’t know the information, but it was something to focus on and kept her distracted from that lingering numbness she had been feeling since she had spoken with Richard several days before. Nothing had been right since, nothing really felt worthwhile anymore, yet here Gigi was of course, ready to put on her face and do the song and dance she had been taught for the glory of the Empire. Princess Giana had certainly been a short dream.

The woman entered and walked over to the mirror and desk under the powerful lights. She smiled back at the princess, thoroughly excited and honored to be where she was at that moment.

“If you come over here, ma’am, we can get started.”

Taking a deep breath, Giana let it out through her nose slowly as she stood and moved over to the chair and took a seat. The bright lights caused her to blink a few times and she lowered the PADD down onto the desk in front of her. “What’s your name?”

“Bella Albano, ma’am.” The woman said in an excited voice as she gathered her supplies.

“How nice.” Giana replied without inflection or enthusiasm. Usually she would be able to put on the mask for the help, but she knew she would need every bit her tired mind could muster for this interview. She couldn’t waste it on a nobody. “Let’s go to it then.”

“It was my grandmother’s name. Thank you.” Bella informed her with genuine enthusiasm. She then got to work on the princess’s makeup, applying a primer and then starting on her foundation.

Giana gave a small sound of acknowledgement but nothing more. She closed her eyes to allow the woman to work, knowing her guard was standing by to prevent any foul play. Or maybe they wouldn’t. She wasn’t sure if she cared.

After several minutes the door opened again and CJ entered in a dark blue blazer dress with gold bottoms that featured her tall, slender body in a professional way. She approached the mirror, her eyes finding Giana’s in the reflection.

“Your Highness.” She said, stopping by the chair.

Giana opened her eyes just briefly to look at CJ. Where once Giana would have greeted the other woman with a smile, she merely offered a polite nod and closed her eyes again. “CJ.”

CJ noticed the tension immediately, knowing that Giana typically loosened when she walked into the room. Whether this newfound buttoned-up attitude was a result of their last conversation together or because of something else going on in the princess’s rather hectic life. She was aware of the presence of the makeup artist, and would have to adjust accordingly.

“I spoke with the producer, and she had no idea whether you had any needs she could provide. These people get panicked without royal attention and affirmation.” CJ said, probing.

“I told the woman I just wanted to be alone until it was time to get dressed. I thought that would be clear enough.” Giana replied slowly. Usually, she would have had this whole place fawning over her and catering to her every whim like she was Empress in her own right.

“I think so, yes.” CJ responded, stepping closer and leaning on the other side of the makeup desk, being sure to give the woman the space she needed to do her job. “But it isn’t your typical approach.”

“Well isn’t that the point of all of this?” She gestured slightly with her hand. “Doing something new?” This time, she sounded mildly annoyed which was definitely more Giana, but even that seemed off somehow.

CJ reached out and placed a hand on Bella’s arm. The woman startled, pausing in her work and looking over at the blonde, short haired woman.

“Give us some time, Bella. The Princess Regent and I need to talk.” CJ said gently, though her tone was as formal and designed as usual.

“Yes, Chancellor. But She is on in forty-five minutes, so try not to take too long.” Bella said. It was clear the two knew each other, which wasn’t too much of a surprise considering CJ managed the media and gave interviews often. Bella retreated from the room and, when the door closed behind her, CJ looked at Giana.

“You’re upset.” she said, cutting right through the games and going straight to the point. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong.” Giana insisted unconvincingly. “I’m fine I’m just trying to get through this interview and get back to work, whatever that is going to mean now.”

“You’re not fine, ma’am. You’re trying to lie to yourself by lying to me.” CJ said insistently, without any signs of anger or frustration. Instead, she spoke calmly, leaning in and looking at Giana directly. “You are about to go out there and talk about one of the biggest moments in your life. That isn’t easy to fake. Is it someone who works here that bothers you? I’ll make them disappear. Is it the topics covered in the interview? We can change them.”

“I’m good at faking it, CJ. Now, you couldn’t ask anyone to confirm that, because they’d be very surprised I was.” Giana looked at herself in the mirror, the half done state of her makeup only serving as more of an annoyance. “It’s nothing here and it’s nobody you can handle. He’s out of your reach and honestly, I don’t even know what you could do. He wouldn’t take it back, he doesn’t lie, but honestly I’m pretty convinced he did it just to hurt me and nothing more. Typical man, ‘I’m just being honest’ but no, you’re actually just looking to hurt someone and be an asshole.”

CJ licked her lips and stood then. Lifting her tablet and giving no other sign of what was happening in her brain. She exhaled slowly through her nose as she logged in to the secured device and navigated to her notes for the interview.

“You have been briefed on the interview then?” She asked, changing the subject rapidly, the gentleness in her voice giving way to cold job-oriented clarity. “Do you have any questions?”

“What?” Giana asked, finally frowning a bit and shaking her head. “Sorry I… missed whatever it was you just said. I was thinking.”

“That’s what I’m talking about, ma’am.” CJ said, looking at Giana with sober concern. “You are bothered and distracted. You aren’t a party princess anymore, ma’am. You’re about to give an interview on very serious topics related to law, order, war, peace, the succession, and the deaths of traitors. Princess Gigi can’t do that.”

CJ stood up to her full height, lowering her tablet to her side.

“I’m very sorry you are having trouble, but if you won’t talk to me, there’s nothing I can do.” she said, and then she started for the door, confident, yet without attitude. She spoke as she walked away. “I’ll send Bella back in to finish your face.”

At first, Giana was angry that CJ was abandoning her too, but then it hit her that her only friend or… well, whatever CJ was to her… was about to leave too.

“Richard told me my father hates me.” She admitted quietly though loudly enough for CJ to hear before she got to the door.

CJ paused at that, turning around and facing Giana again from a distance. There was a moment of silence as she tossed the idea back and forth in her mind and then, strongly, decided it made no sense at all. She hadn’t had conversations with Antonius about his eldest daughter besides those related to her image and her business, but she seriously doubted he hated her.

“Is that a direct quote, ma’am?” she asked, not being able to actual picture Richard telling Giana in those words, even if it were so.

“Well no,” Giana admitted, “but it may as well have been. He told me that me just living my life has caused my father as much pain as anything Giuseppe has ever done and considering everything…” She gestured vaguely with a hand and then turned to look back into the mirror. “Maybe he’ll cut off my head when he wakes up.”

“Your father didn’t hate Giuseppe.” CJ said, still standing on the other side of the room, suspecting Giana might need that space in order to be open. “I watched him agonize over the kill order and was there when he rescinded it. I advised against it. And I imagine father found you…frustrating, at times. But I’m not aware of any time you gave him a reason to execute you.”

CJ paused, her mind searching for the right words. “Richard is very precise in his speech. He chooses his words very carefully. I think what he said, the words he actually chose, mean quite alot.”

“Yeah well that was pretty much a direct quote. Maybe my father didn’t hate Giuseppe, but he certainly took everything from him and led us into this mess because of that. Frankly if he’s going to do that I’d rather him just kill me or I guess I can just do it myself.” Giana reached up to rub her forehead but stopped before she smeared her makeup. “It’s fucking pointless, CJ. I can’t win, I never will. What is left?”

“Do you want me to be honest with you, ma’am?” CJ asked, crossing her arms in front of her. “Or do you want me to tiptoe like I’m talking to a princess?”

“I’ve always told you to be honest with me, CJ, but I’m not sure you’ve ever believed it. I don’t blame you, I guess.” She shrugged. “But if you’re about to tell me that it’s my responsibility for the good of the Empire, why else do you think I’m here right now?”

“That isn’t what I was going to say.” CJ said, taking one step closer to Giana, but stopping there. “I’m going to talk to you like I talk to young women with no titles who want to come up in the Empire, all of whom have to find away around their problems.”

She shifted her weight, and then stood firm. Perhaps being honest would ruin her career, and that would be a shame indeed.

“You are a drama queen, not because you love it, but because it protects the real you. You put on a mask to hide; you put on your status and power to hide; and you wear your victimhood like its armor, while the entire Empire envies you.” CJ said, her voice clear and strong, but not harsh or judgemental. “You are a princess whose father is the most important man alive, who would almost certainly give you anything you could want in the universe if it was in his power except…his attention. So…you found a way to get his attention, ma’am…and it works. My daughter is alot like you…because I spend my time here. That’s why she likes you so much, I think. She can sense it.”

Giana listened to CJ quietly and attentively, though wondered if CJ was simply taking this moment to unload her own series of disappointments regarding the Princess’ behavior. It certainly provided no answer to the question Giana had posed. “Well, I’m sorry she’s like that for you.”

“This isn’t about me, ma’am.” CJ said, shaking her head. “My daughter will be fine. She’ll go to a good school, she’ll meet a successful man, she’ll get a good job, and she’ll turn into me.”

CJ took another step forward and stopped again.

“But your life is more complicated. You’re too close to the throne to learn normal lessons. Who, after all, feels safe enough to teach you? Other royals who think like royals, act like royals, and live like royals?”

Giana did notice the slowness with which CJ was slowly coming back over, but she didn’t really understand what it was about. “Nobody, really.”

“Then you have no one to help sober you up, ma’am. Excuse my language, but everyone needs someone to tell them when they’re full of shit.” CJ said, turning her head and refusing the urge within her to hesitate and control her speech. Perhaps it was that similarity to Morgan, after all, that made her feel compelled to actually try to help this at-times pathetic princess. “You’re full of shit.”

Giana just looked at CJ for a moment, her pretty, half made up face running the gamut of emotions in just a few seconds, and then suddenly she just burst out laughing.

CJ smiled, but it was polite, and any laughter that resulted from it was mostly nervous. She wasn’t used to putting her own head on the block and she didn’t feel even remotely secure. Still, she tried her best to seem at ease and amused while the princess laughed.

“Ramsay tells your father when he’s full of shit, and he’s very protective of the Emperor.” CJ said, taking another step. “He believes in him and tries to remind him who he really is when he forgets. I think it's a bit like the way I believe in you, ma’am.”

Giana had tamed her laughter into small bursts of giggles before CJ had started talking again, so she didn’t miss what was said. She lowered her hand from her mouth after a moment, though she was still smiling. “You’re right, CJ. I don’t think anyone has ever told me that to my face. Sacha has come close, but even he has never been that… blunt about it.”

“Strong emotions can have that effect on men.” CJ said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the fact. At last, she took the last few strides up to Giana and smiled to herself, realizing that she really wasn’t bothered by what CJ had said. “You know your father doesn’t hate you. You just frustrate him, and you learned to frustrate him because it makes you feel..noticed. But, from my perspective, between Bella Gia, your engagement, and your appointment as a Regent, your father has spent my bn the last year investing in you while he tried to peacefully remove your brother from Court life. He’s not the monster under your bed.”

Giana considered what CJ had said and since she was - for her - in a somewhat approaching stable state (though far from her normal stable), she could see the sense in the words for the most part. “No… I had to deal with that monster myself.”

“And you did.” CJ said, lifting her chin slightly. “He had every confidence in you, and you did what you had to do. There is nothing wrong with settling your scores and doing what you have to do. And now, you need to tell the Empire how you did it.”

This time, Giana looked away and her expression faltered a bit. “Do you think he’s going to be angry with me when he wakes up?”

“I think he’ll be ashamed that he made you do it.” CJ answered, lacing her fingers in front of her. “The Emperor understands that it was his job to take care of Giuseppe Angelo…and to protect you. He should feel guilty.”

She realized, after saying it, that it hadn't been a wise thing to say at all.

“That is, His Imperial Majesty has a strong character, and will likely think differently on the topic once he sees that you've settled all questions.”

It was very strange, but the fact that finally someone else had said those words out loud made Giana feel more vindicated than even the slaying of her brother had. She felt seen. She heard CJ try to roll it back a bit, but it hardly mattered to her. She sat up a bit straighter in her chair. “I hope so.”

CJ looked at her watch and clearly fretted. They would have to hurry to get Giana ready for this interview, if they were even doing it at this point.

“We don’t have much time, ma’am. John is expecting us on set in fifteen minutes. Bella will have to work quickly.” she said in a slightly elevated voice. “Are you ready? Will this interview still work?”

“Bella is good at her job.” Giana noted, showing she had in fact taken notice and remembered the girl despite her coolness before. “It will work.”

Several minutes later, the princess was shown into a large room which was well decorated, stylish, and traditional, where camera crews made adjustments and lights were being tweaked. In the center of the room we’re two comfortable chairs, and a thin, lanky man with salt and pepper gray hair sat reading. As soon as she entered, he stood, as if on cue, and turned to her with a smile.

“Your Highness, it’s a pleasure.” He said, taking a step inn her direction.

Giana looked radiant in the dark red silk chiffon dress. It was a modest a-line gown with a gently pleated floor length skirt paired with a v-neck bodice that didn’t come down low enough to expose even a hint of anything; the only piece of interest was a circular cut out on the back that showed her shoulder blades. A solid gold metal waist belt with delicate laurel engravings wrapped around her tiny waist, a necklace of gold, ruby and diamond adorned her neck with a set of matching earrings in her ears and of course gold heels that matched the other golds. Her hair was in a tasteful and elegant updo and nestled in her golden locks was her crown.

“Mr. Sauerbraun.” She greeted with a gracious smile as she approached. She extended her hand to him for him to kiss, a show of royal favor.

“John, please.” The man said with a hazel glance into the princess’s eyes. He then bent down and gently kissed just above her knuckles before standing up straight again and releasing her hand. “Welcome to the set, Your Highness. I’ve interviewed several members of the royal family, but you have eluded me until now.”

The hint of a smile spread across his aging, thin face.

“I knew you couldn’t dodge me for long. I’m not sure if you have seen my show, but my style is normally much more dry and serious than the reports you normally work with.” He continued, his tone respectful and moderate, “I know CJ doesn’t make mistakes about these sorts of things; Sauerbraun means serious. I won’t be asking about your dress unless you really want me to.”

While he wasn’t wrong that he wasn’t the usual type she sat down across from, she was a little surprised that he would think she wouldn’t have watched his interviews before. She gave a gracious smile, though it was just slightly thinned. “I know, but as you said CJ doesn’t make mistakes and you have garnered a lot of respect over the years for your fair, informative pieces.”

“If a journalist can’t be fair and informative, what good is he?” He asked, rhetorically with a wider smile. His face was common and naturally unattractive, but wealth and good style had made up for it a great deal. “Any special requests before we begin, ma’am?”

“Not any that I can think of that CJ wouldn’t have touched on already.” Giana shook her head and looked at him easily. He had a very unintimidating, unnotable face which likely aided in his success as an interviewer, but she wondered if it really did him any good elsewhere in life.

“Very good, then I think we’re ready to sit down and begin.” He said and indicated her chair with a gracious wave of his slender hand.

As Giana sat down, John moved to do the same, settling into the chair in his usual stance with his one leg perched on the other. Behind him appeared CJ suddenly, a tablet in her hands and her eyes fixed on the pair.

The producer from earlier stepped forward and smiled in a bright, friendly plastered expression.

“Alright, it looks like we’re ready, John. We’re rolling, and will play your introduction on the cue.”

“Thank you, Pamela.” John said, shifting the tablet on his leg and paying particular attention to his questions.

After a few brief moments, there was a countdown, and then the monitors in the room shifted to a previously-made recording of John standing before a backdrop of the city of Rome. He shifted his body confidently and began to speak.

“What you are about to see is an exclusive interview with the Princess Royal. No doubt you’ve seen many interviews with Princess Giana, but I can assure you that this one will be quite different in its style and its range of discussion. You are about to see the ever-elegant and stylish Princess Giana from a different perspective related to her role as Princess Regent. She has gone from the runway, to concluding a war that resulted in the death of her brother, the traitor Giuseppe Angelo. The impact of these actions in the wake of the attempt on her father’s life have shaped the history of the Empire, and leave an untold story about her experience and that of the Crown Prince.”

The light on the cameras turned red then, and John lifted his eyes to look at Giana. His face was neutral and he was perfectly at ease, much more sober than her typical interviewers.

“Your Imperial Highness, thank you for joining me here tonight. You have many recent accomplishments and tragedies that I know the citizens of the Empire are eager to hear about, but I believe the chief among them is the condition of your father, the Emperor. In your words, could you tell us what happened to His Imperial Majesty, what his current state is, and what effect it’s having on you, your family, and his government?”

Giana was sitting with grace and poise, one ankle tucked behind the other and her legs at an elegant slant from where her feet were. There was no doubting her position or her breeding - she had always carried herself the best out of any of her siblings. Her hands were held relaxed in her lap, one placed daintily over the other. She seemed perfectly at ease, not revealing her own nervousness.

“An assassin sent by Giuseppe Angelo made an attempt on my father’s life - he was unsuccessful, and my father is resting and recovering comfortably. The Regent Council has been working closely with the other apparatuses of the government to uphold the will of the Emperor.” Giana provided with a calm, small smile. “We are all praying for a quick recovery.”

“As are we all.” he said, making quick eye contact with someone behind Giana outside the camera range. He looked down at his notes and seemed to be quickly moving on. “To say that people were surprised to see Princess Gigi running the Imperial Armed Forces would be an understatement. How do you explain such a quick shift to such a significant government role?”

Giana nodded just slightly. “Yes, I know that was a surprising development for many people. It was a mutual decision made by the regents with encouragement from the Crown Prince. I know many people likely underestimate my grasp of affairs outside of the current fashion, but the simple truth is I am much more than simply that.”

“I assume that means you’ve followed politics very closely then?” he asked, masking any surprise he might have been feeling with a practiced and professional poker face. “With all respect, ma’am, I do think most people across the Empire might not have expected that. Clearly, you have business acumen as well, considering your company has performed very well in its first quarter. Do you find that you're underestimated often? Did military officials underestimate you when you were still in command there?”

“I am the daughter of the Emperor, it is expected of me that I follow politics.” She pointed out with a generous smile. “But I am first to admit they have not been my public focus, so I do not fault those who underestimate me. I hope now that with recent events, people will understand that there is more to me than Princess Gigi.”

“Did some of that underestimation manifest in your military commanders?” he said, repeating the question. He noticed she was skilled at answering the parts she most wanted to answer. He was a friendly journalist, but he still had some self respect. He would press just a bit and see where they would get. The people knew a soft-ball interview when they saw one, and he knew no one, including him, had any interest in that.

Giana took note of his repeating the question. He certainly wasn’t like the other interviewers she sat down with, though CJ had prepared her for that fact. It had to be done this way, and she trusted that Sauerbraun had enough self interest to not get himself into trouble.

“At first, yes.” She confirmed though didn’t seem distressed by that fact. “Who wouldn’t, though, considering, hm?” She flashed a charming but restrained smile.

He gave her an expression which was, at most, coy, and turned his head to the side. A small smile started on his lips, but it was cautious and fragile. He wondered if she was joking to signal to him to take it easy on her, and he mulled over whether or not that was a good idea.

“And yet, Your Highness, you pulled off a military victory which eluded the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces until your arrival on the scene.” he said, using the pivot to direct his questions at her from a more developed angle. “My sources tell me you departed Terra aboard Imperator to take command of the war more directly around Axanar. Tell me about that decision.”

“It was a choice born from a suggestion by the Crown Prince. He approached me soon after the decision was made and we spoke for a time to decide the best course of action. The actions of Giuseppe Angelo against the Emperor could no longer be ignored and a more direct, decisive hand needed to be exercised against him.” Giana offered calmly.

“But you didn’t take the Prince along, isn’t that right?” He asked, leaning in a bit.

“No.” She shook her head just slightly and continued, “It would have been deeply irresponsible of me to bring the Crown Prince into an active warzone - he is the future of our Empire after all - so I made the decision to leave him behind and continue to Axanar myself to confront Giuseppe with the fleet.”

“How very brave. Most people might not have the courage to go against their own brother so directly.” He commented, looking at her with curious eyes. “Were you and Giuseppe Angelo close growing up, ma’am?”

For just a beat, Giana didn’t answer; she had to stop her gaze from moving over toward CJ. In the preparation for this interview, they had spoken extensively regarding how detailed to be regarding her past with Giuseppe. Elite families did not like their dirty laundry aired out to the public, but this was different; people didn’t understand the decision to disinherit Giuseppe in the first place (not that the majority outright questioned it out of fear) and Giana was aware enough of the undercurrent of public opinion to know that this lack of understanding had undermined support for her father. Then there was of course the chance that by her speaking up about what happened, it might encourage other women and girls to come forward as well if they suffered the same from men in their lives. So many simply did not. She hadn’t decided what to do when she and CJ had spoken last, but she knew now.

She wanted CJ - and mothers like her - to be proud of the fact their daughters looked up to her.

She blinked once and exhaled slowly.

“No, we were not.” It was definitive and firm, then she continued in the same tone. “Giuseppe Angelo was a disturbed, violent, wicked child who grew into a disturbed, violent, wicked man… if one would call someone like him a man.”

“That’s a very serious statement, ma’am.” he responded with cautiously curious eyes. “Would you care to…elaborate about what made Giuseppe Angelo so wicked? People don’t know the man, only the prince he was.”

Giana took a breath and as she did so, she shifted the position of her hands so the left was resting over the right. It was a subtle, rehearsed signal to him that while he did not have to stop, he surely needed to tread lightly. “It started off from some of my youngest memories with insults and yelling, he would call me names, tell me I wasn’t loved because I wasn’t a boy like him. Then as we grew a little older, the words were joined by action. It started off small at first; he would pinch me, pull my hair, push me. I’m sure many on the outside would dismiss the behavior as typical little boy behavior, but many forget that Giuseppe was eight years older than I was.”

John nodded, his eyes locked on hers as he considered his words. He had a feeling he knew what the missing piece was, but he was smart enough to know that he shouldn’t push. The situation was stressful, and it was pretty obvious to him that none of what the Princess was now saying was planned and scripted. If it had been, they would have had a woman do the interview instead of him.

“That’s quite an age gap. “Hitting his sister and pushing her is unpleasant behavior.” he commented, using the word ‘unpleasant’ as a tempting understatement which might prompt Giana to say more.

Giana knew when she was being baited, but at least in this setting she knew it wasn’t in the name of hostility. Sauerbraun liked his job way too much to risk it… probably. She took a breath but didn’t look away from him. “Not exactly the word I would use, but most certainly the word I have come to expect to be used by others trying to minimize the behavior.”

She continued on, not giving him a chance to speak. Her comment hadn’t necessarily been targeted at him, but instead it had been targeted to the viewers who would have actually had those sentiments - far too many, she wagered. “As we grew older, it only got worse. Pinching was replaced by punching, the hair pulling by slaps, the pushes replaced by shoves into the walls or down the stairs. My sister didn’t escape it all, but I bore the brunt of it and always did.” A slight, bitter smile crossed her lips, “He even went after one of my cousins once when she tried to defend me.”

“Why do you think he targeted you, ma’am?” he asked, eyeing CJ for an instant behind the camera line and Giana. The woman’s face was intense, but quite neutral. “You say that Princess Elana didn’t suffer the same intense attacks as you. Did the Crown Prince?”

Giana was barely successful at stifling her laugh at such a ridiculous notion, but the slight tug at the corners of her lips still signaled her thoughts however vaguely. “Of course not. He knew he couldn’t have possibly gotten away with that.”

A slight shake from CJ’s head told him not to press the obvious question: if Paolo was safe, why weren’t his sisters. Like a professional, John knew just how to change the subject.

“I see. So he preyed on the girls.” he said, this time selecting much more aggressive language and hoping it drew attention away from the more obvious questions. In his considerable experience, most people were quite easy to befuddle; he just hated being the one to do it. Every journalist likes to dig for the truth.

“As many weak men do.” Giana nodded slightly then smiled just a little as she offered a new line to John. “He stopped when I finally found my first real boyfriend.”

The comment about weak men seemed to pass over John’s head. It was insulting, but he supposed it wasn’t about him. More than anything, it was a surprising thing for him to hear Princess Gigi say. He raised an eyebrow.

“And who was that, ma’am?”

Giana smiled then, warm and genuine. “Sacha Lavigne.”

She didn’t offer more, instead allowing John the opportunity to bounce from the statement to wherever he wanted to.

John smiled at that, much more easily than before. He allowed the moment to rest between them and then he took the bait to change the subject. She could only be expected to reveal so much.

“It’s pretty clear on social media that Sacha’s popularity has skyrocketed since the Battle of Axanar. It seems he had a part in saving you multiple times then. Is he thinking of capitalizing on his newfound personal fame in any way? The Imperial Senate is a great place for heroes, for one.”

Giana masked a mild irritation behind a soft, personable laugh that hid any true feelings at the comment about being saved. “Well, that I think would need to come from his mouth in a different interview, but whatever he decides to do now I am looking forward to supporting him wholeheartedly whether that be in his new career or a different path if he chooses now.”

“Of course, of course.” John said with a nod, taking the cue again and moving on. “My sources say the Regency Council has rotated responsibilities and that you will be handling the legislative process now. I’m curious what the reason is for the change. You were, after all, very successful at the Battle of Axanar.”

“Mm, yes, and while I am sure I would have continued success in the position with the support and guidance of the admiralty, matters closer to home press me more urgently. With the would-be murderer and usurper dead, the most immediate threat to the Empire and my family has been extinguished. I turn toward my family now. The Empress has of course been upset by the attack on the Emperor, with my sister Elana choosing to remain on Mars and the Crown Prince busy with his studies, I have chosen to remain here to support my mother while also focusing on my duties as Lady of the Northern Dominion.” Giana’s voice was easy and steady; she gave no indication whatsoever that her words were not the whole truth.

“There has been a lot of speculation by some of the more…low brow media sources about your sister being away, with many saying she’s been exiled to Mars.” He said, tapping a finger on his leg. He couldn’t expect her to say anything revolutionary, but he could try to learn by what she didn’t say. “Are you in charge of managing the situation with Princess Elana and the Crown Prince, or is your mother maintaining that role?”

Giana’s brows raised just slightly. “Elana certainly hasn’t been exiled. As most people are well aware, my younger sister has never taken to court duties and prefers her own interests to that of court life. On hearing of Giuseppe’s escape from prison, she made the decision to withdraw completely and take up residence on Mars. We continue to love and support her even through this decision. As for the Crown Prince, he continues his studies as usual, my mother and I assist where needed.”

“I see.” John said with a nod.

For the next thirty minutes the pair continued the interview touching on her position as Dominion Lady, her work at Bella Gia, positions on policies (which she had been appropriately vague on) and - much to her surprise - even touching on plans for her wedding of which there really wasn’t much. Of course she had made graceful excuses, but the reality was planning the wedding hadn’t been at the forefront of her mind. It seemed like the interview was going well.

John looked down at his notepad before quickly returning his gaze to her. “We have time for one more question before we need to conclude the interview, ma’am, and it’s about politics at large. Following the culling of the most prominent Blues earlier this year and the restoration of the Imperial Senate, political actors have asserted that the Empire has grown weak since it was sundered by Spock. They note the differences in the way Terran’s handle their differences and confront problems with each other. Some say we are more civilized than ever before. What is your opinion on the issue? What does it mean to be Terran?”

“We are more civilized than ever before thanks to the efforts of subsequent empresses and emperors after him. The Orsini line has seen the lives of all Terrans significantly improved in most respects and we would see them improve still.” Giana smiled. “What does it mean to be Terran… we are resilient, resourceful, and our unwavering determination is the stuff of legends. We as a people have a rich history of overcoming adversity and thriving in the face of challenges. We innovate, we adapt. Our unity is our greatest strength, we work toward the common goal of bringing glory to our Empire and woe to those who would stand in the way of that ambition.”

Terrans standing together, being unified. This was something which used to only happen as a result of the fierce power wielded by those who rose to the top of their society. Life, for most Terrans, used to be a constant war. Some would argue they had grown weak, but some, like the Princess and her family, celebrated the changes her family had brought. John nodded. It could be no secret that he agreed with her assessment.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for your leadership, and for allowing me to interview you.” He said, finally offering a slightly sloth-like smile. “It’s been a pleasure.”

Giana offered what seemed to be a warm smile and gracious nod. She wouldn’t thank him of course, that wouldn’t be proper. She felt things had at least gone reasonably well; if they hadn’t been certainly CJ would have found some way to stop the interview. The older woman did seem truly invested in seeing Giana succeed and while Giana knew it certainly wasn’t a selfless, altruistic act, she was grateful for someone being willing to stand with her.

With the click of an indicator, they were off air. John stood immediately and turned to his producer. The two of them had a quick conversation as CJ stepped up next to Giana’s seat.

“A Princess for girls transforms into a Princess for women..” she said with a smile that commanded the bottom of her face, delivering her words as if she were sharing some secret. “I like it.”

The princess had taken notice of how John had immediately turned from her when the cameras were off, but before she could truly take offense to it, CJ had appeared. She turned to face her, seeing her smile and giving a more modest one in return. “Do you think it went well then?”

CJ gave a slight nod and allowed her smile to persist. The tablet on her arm was off and looked like nothing more than an opaque glass pane.

“I think so, ma’am. And you’re guaranteed good press no matter what, so it’s all excellent material.”

John left his producer rather quickly and stepped up to Giana and CJ. He gave a sober nod of greeting to them as if they were meeting for the first time that day. It was awkward in its own little way, but he didn’t seem self-conscious about it.

“Your Highness; Madam Chancellor.” he said, looking at both of them. “Thanks again for this opportunity. I’ll do everything I can to promote the content as expected. I can assure you that any speculation on some of the more sensitive details you shared won’t be explored on my show.”

“Hopefully everyone will remain professional.” CJ responded, her smile settling into a neutral expression again. “RZI and the tabloids might speculate further, but that’s their job. We wouldn’t expect them to leave a stone like that unturned. I’m prepared to make sure they tow the line.”

The Chancellor looked at Giana then.

“Is there anything else you’d like to go over here, ma’am, or shall we conclude?”

“I knew the risk when I brought it up.” Giana said a bit solemnly, shaking her head. “I can’t think of anything else.” She looked over at John then and offered a smile. “This was a pleasure. Perhaps we will do another interview again sometime.”

“That would be welcome, ma’am.” he said with a much warmer grin. By protocol, the length of conversation was determined by the highest ranked person, socially, so he backed away, keeping his face to her for a few steps and giving her time to interrupt him before finally turning back to his own people.

Giana had done him the courtesy of maintaining eye contact for just a moment before looking back to CJ and freeing him.

“So what happens now?”

“Now, we get back to work. There’s an Empire to rule, after all.” CJ said, gesturing toward the exit and waiting for Giana to take the lead. “My government box is a bit heavier than it was before my promotion. And your rogue lords on the Council won’t whip themselves into shape.”

“No, I suppose they won’t.” Giana nodded slightly and turned to head toward the exit. As they walked, she glanced back to CJ. “Thank you, CJ. For everything.”

“No thanks is necessary, ma’am.” she said, but her tone was slightly warmed from her typical pattern. Her words weren’t remotely dismissive, but instead seemed appreciative in their own way.

Giana just gave a smile but didn’t reply, instead looked ahead again. They would keep moving forward as they always did.

END
]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:21:37 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/807 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/807
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - Marikit's Quarters

Orion was sulking. Nursing his shattered pride and bruised ego after the disaster that had been the evening spent with Andrei and Lyra.

He'd sequestered himself in the science lab since he knew that Andrei would never be caught dead in the place, and Lyra wouldn't be stalking around here without any specific reason since there weren't any kinds of projects that she had commissioned with them. So he was currently reading through the Vidiaan archives to distract himself from his feelings, which were still just seething and roiling beneath the surface like Andorian wolf eels. The archives were fascinating, and using what he found here would accelerate his research by years if not decades.

He ignored the chime from the locked lab doors and sipped his coffee, concentrating on the article he was reading. He wrote down a note to get one of the Vidiaan slaves who had experience assigned to his lab so he could pick the creature's brain. When the chime sounded again, he ignored it and accessed a new article detailing the Phage and the various other avenues of research unlocking its genetic code.

Finally, when the chime sounded in a successively short series, he growled and nearly threw his cup at the door before marching over and unlocking it. "Generally, a locked door means fuck off."

“Try that again, Lieutenant.” Kit snarled at his greeting. While she usually wasn’t one to ever pull rank, she wasn’t about to be spoken to in such a way - especially not by him. She stood just outside the doors with her arms crossed and an annoyed glare on her unique, attractive face.

Orion did his best to put on a welcoming demeanor before smiling as warmly as he could, he really didn't feel like entertaining anyone and while he liked Kit, he didn't think she was the right person to make his mood better. "Of course, typically when a door is locked, it means there's possibly sensitive experiments being conducted that can't be interrupted, you should have called ahead so I could have anything sensitive properly stored away, Lieutenant."

“Obviously not since you answered the door.” Kit gestured into the lab. “If there were important things happening, you’d have asked who the computer was and then contacted me like the respectful officer you most definitely are and told me you couldn’t be disturbed at the moment.” Kit placed a hand on her slight hip and simply looked up at Orion, stubborn and defiant of his false welcome. “I came here to see if you wanted to go get some food or something but fuck me for trying to be nice, I guess.”

Orion sighed and closed his eyes as he steeled himself emotionally to not be a caustic prick before giving her a little more of a genuine smile. "I would love to get some food. Just let me secure my station. Come in and wait if you'd like." He stepped out of the way to let her in before walking over to his work area, which definitely looked like he'd been living in it so far today.

For a moment, she just stared at him and was obviously rather sour, but she relented with a sigh and roll of her eyes while stepping into the lab. When she saw the state of it, her brows went up. What really had started off as just a simple want to hang out with a friend suddenly turned into concern when she genuinely didn’t see him working on any sort of project.

“You alright?”

"Peachy," He replied while moving over to the workstation and shutting down his console while downing the dregs of his coffee, making a face at the strength of the various flavors that had settled into the bottom. "Just you know, burying myself in work to distract me from life and one seemingly inexorable truth of the universe,"

He stacked some papers he'd been making notes on instead of a PADD as he looked up at her and locked them away in a safe in the department chief's office. "Though I'm sure Andrei hasn't been virginally chaste about proverbially dragging his balls over my face, has he?"

“I have no idea what you are talking about. What are you talking about?” Kit asked, watching him cleaning up his wreck of a space though she wasn’t judging; hers was no better.

Orion stopped and looked back at Kit as he narrowed his eyes a little as he tried to discern if she was just messing with him or Andrei really hadn't been spreading what had happened all over the ship. He finished the little bit of tidying he had in his hands before turning to face her. "I have history with Andrei and well, I made a play and it ended up working out badly for me and my pride, so I'm feeling a bit prickly."

“Really? I couldn’t tell that at all.” Kit said dryly, her brown eyes lingering on him while he finished up what he was doing. “You seem so warm and fluffy and welcoming, after all. What did you try to do that backfired so spectacularly, exactly?”

"I decided in an overabundance of wisdom that I was going to show Lyra," He paused and then smiled a moment before continuing. "Commander Cassiel, that she had options and she didn't have to settled for used goods like Andrei,"

Maybe he was being arrogant in saying he knew best for Lyra, but he would die on the hill saying that she could always do better than Andrei. "I decided to invite them both over for dinner, power move and all, things were going well, I made and served dishes from each of our nations, something distinctive and flavorful."

While she listened, Kit blinked several times and watched Orion as he continued to clean up. “Okay pause the story and hurry up with the maid act. I don’t have all day and sounds like you need a drink, honestly.”

She wasn’t really even sure what he was starting on, but it definitely sounded juicy.

"Yeah, yeah." He sighed and shook his head before finally finishing up as he shrugged out of his lab coat and motioned towards the door to get them headed on their way. "Wanting to wait til we have alcohol for me to spill my guts too or just wanting to get out of the lab cause of the stories about the lab being haunted by the former science chief?"

“I’m an engineer, give me five minutes and a hyperspanner and I’ll handle the cyborg - incorporeal or not.” She placed a hand on her hip and gestured with the other one. “We going to After 11 or you wanna come over and hide your shame in my quarters?”

"Sure, we can hide it in your quarters, besides you probably have better booze." He shook his head at her boast but not doubting it for a second as he stepped out of the way so she could take the lead to her quarters. "Always so eager to learn of your crewmates' epic failures?"

“Just yours, Woofy.” Kit smirked and began walking with him down the corridor and to the turbolift where they stepped on immediately. “Deck two.”

She looked at him then and tilted her head. “How are you settling in by the way now that we are actually on a work schedule and not just a pleasure planet?”

"Settling in fine, most of my time is left free since there isn't much call for my services," He shrugged and turned his attention to Kit as the lift started to move, the hum pleasant background noise as he considered what he'd been doing was more or less the clerical work that had piled up from the lack of leadership.

"Felt more like a file clerk than a science officer given that the psycho cyborg never filed any official reports and Ensign Ocara filed them, but I'm still double-checking everything."

"And you? How has life been treating you?"

“Oh fine I guess. Working hard all the time, making adjustments and getting everyone used to my type of flow in the engine room. We’ll get there.” She stepped off the lift with him and took the short walk down the clean corridor to the door of her quarters and quickly input the code.

“Come on in.” She invited as the lights came up, revealing her quarters that were still quite spartan, but on the wall next to the door was a large stack of boxes. “Any booze requests?”

"Something strong and kicks like a mule." He stated simply, if he was going to rehash this shit then he was going to do it with something that would at least help take the sting out of it.

"Damn. Okay then. Go sit down." She instructed and moved over to one of the boxes, opened it to look inside, then slid it off to look in the one under it. She pulled out a bottle of emerald green liquid and two glasses and wandered over to the couch.

"Alright, let's hear it."

Orion accepted the drink from Kit as he made himself comfortable on her couch, taking a sip of the verdant liquid and having to give it a look before he continued with another drink. "So I had decided to make a power move, to show Andrei that he wasn't top dog around here and to show Lyra that she had much better options that Andrei cause I know him and I know that he's one batted set of eyelashes away from falling cock first into another woman."

"Hold on, hold on. Back up." Kit laughed and flopped down on the couch with him, giving a long sigh. "What's the deal with your beef with Andrei? This some nobility bullshit thing?"

"Right, right," He nodded and seemed to take a moment to gather his thoughts in order to gather them to share with her the past he had with Andrei. "It is a nobility bullshit thing, my father is the Dominion Lord of Europe and the Petrovs were one of his subjects. We spent a great deal of time together as a consequence of our circumstance, we more or less grew up together."

He swirled his drink around in his glass as he considered his shared past with the other man before taking another drink and making a face as he sighed. "Andrei and I grew up perpetually both each other's ally and enemy depending on the circumstances we found ourselves in, we competed against each other in just about everything, Andrei was the more athletically inclined, while I was more intellectually gifted."

"Andrei and I competed for many of the same women, he would be more interested in short-term conquests, while I worked to maintain something of a more stable reputation. I've had my dalliances, but they were always careful and considered."

“Okay… so what’s the beef? What did he do to you that made you do… whatever it was that you did?” She prompted and took a very small sip of the very potent drink she had given them.

"Have you seen his face?" Orion gave Kit a dubious look with the tilt of his head as if to emphasize that should just be enough. "Andrei has always been something of a self-absorbed prick, having been able to simply coast by no matter what chaos he happened to cause around him, but to the point the final straw between us came when I refused to acknowledge the greatness of the Petrovs and all that they'd accomplished and I merely reminded him that his family's legacy was marred by betrayal and that everyone still remembered it even if the Emperor had forgiven it."

Kit’s brows lifted and she tilted her head slightly. She knew Orion was a bit more sensitive than most, but this seemed excessive even for him - like there was a giant chip on his shoulder. It didn’t make much sense to her really unless Andrei was always the winner, which really she wouldn’t put past him.

“Alright so he was a dick, you were a dick. How did we get where we are?”

"I'm getting there, you were the kid who would gulp down their dinner in one go just to get to dessert." Orion shook his head as he took a more conservative sip of the dark green alcohol. "So coming to the Vengeance was something of an unexpected reunion for the both of us and when I found out that he was involved with Lyra, well...I decided that he was punching far above his station and that she deserved a more proper nobleman."

"So when I ran into her on the holodeck, she told me that Andrei wanted to invite me to his quarters for dinner, I preempted any plans he could make and invited them to my place, be a gracious host and show her the difference between Andrei's boorish, juvenile tendencies and something more refined."

“Dessert is delicious and I make no apologies.” Kit shrugged and pushed her boots off of her feet so she could fold her legs up onto the couch. “I take it that didn’t work out too well for you.”

"Most certainly not." He agreed while leaning back onto the couch and shaking his head while the sour memories caused his stomach to turn in a mixture of anger, revulsion, and anxiety. To try and calm it, the Terran nobleman sipped his drink and looked up at the ceiling of Kit's quarters, no different from his but a change given the changes he'd made. "I had made dinner for us, cooked everything myself, and if you want to know about that I'll answer."

“Nah. I assume everything was good and you’re competent at cooking. The meals you made on the Gladius on occasion were always good.” She shrugged and scratched her head through her short hair, ruffling it a little. He was taking forever to get to anything good, but she was trying to be patient about it.

"Dinner started off well enough, jabs back and forth between me and Andrei," He began while swirling his drink in front of him, focusing on the motion of it as he crossed his leg over a knee, considering the evening and running over and over again in his mind. He shook his head to drag himself out of his memories before continuing his story "Me not being so subtle about my interests or intentions toward Lyra, but things started to turn after we got to dessert, rum balls drizzled with chocolate, and the pair excused themselves to use the bathroom where they started fucking and then moved it over to my bed, making sure that I was quite aware of what they were doing." He explained to Kit and had to pause to take a sip from his drink, making a face at the burn of it. "They weren't quick about it and Andrei made sure to leave my bed more or less ruined."

“Wow.” Kit blinked a few times and looked down into her glass as if she were contemplating if it were strong enough, but it was the strongest thing she owned. “So just like that they got up? Why’d they even bother with the pretext of the bathroom?”

"Because Andrei had said he needed to use the bathroom, and when he's rock hard, he'll never pass up the chance to show off the bulge," he replied to Kit and took a long drink from his glass, doing his best to ignore the prolonged burn he was feeling. But they turned into a game to take their time humiliating and making sure I knew my place."

"Why was he rock hard though?" Kit frowned and shook her head. "Your food is good, but not that good."

"Since Lyra had been stroking him under the table at some point, I suspect that's what got him hard." He admitted to her and glanced over at his friend before smirking. "Though thank you for the vote of confidence for my food."

For a moment, Kit was silent and considered what she had been told, then she suddenly laughed. "Well, that sucks, but also what did you expect really? You're trying to steal his woman away."

Orion was quiet as she laughed at his situation, feeling a flare of anger at that but he tamped down the feeling before draining his glass and shaking his head. "I hadn't taken that into account for my plans, I don't know why, but it did happen and it doesn't change my feelings on what happened."

"Why do you even want her that bad? Just because she's Andrei's woman?" Kit asked, reaching for the bottle to refill his glass.

"Fuck her being Andrei's fucking woman." The Terran noble growled as his grip tightened around his glass before managing to let out a few deep breaths. "I know what kind of man Andrei is, I know that as soon as he loses interest, she'll be tossed aside, forgotten like the others but kept as his because he can't stand the idea of them moving on and because he doesn't deserve a woman like her."

"Okay but like... why? What do you mean a woman like her? You don't even know her, Orion." She pointed out and her face scrunched slightly. "Why do you care so much what Andrei does with her?"

"Why? How could I not care because of who Andrei fucking Petrov is!" He exclaimed, practically jumping to his feet as he started to pace around the coffee table and shaking his head, doing his best to keep his drink from spilling as he touched his forehead and shook his head. "I know the type of man that he is, the disrespect he is going to visit on her because he can't be bothered to pull his head out of his ass to realize that she is a singular woman that he isn't worthy of."

"How do you know that?" Kit asked, perfectly calm and instead seemed a bit exasperated by the outburst. "Again, you don't even know this woman outside the fact she has a gorgeous face, great tits, and a magnificent ass."

Orion turned his attention to Kit as he tried to figure out how to explain what he knew from his past as a noble and his own knowledge of Andrei. "Lyra is the surviving child of the former Lord of Brazil, who had lost his position to a coup, everyone thought she and the rest of her family on the estate had been killed, but she survived and she's here...and as for Andrei, I know the type of woman he goes after, there is always something that sets them apart."

“So… you’re basing your desire off the fact she is Andrei’s woman and you like the same type?” Kit asked and then chuckled. “That’s not saying much there, really. From what I understand he’s fallen dick first into half the women on the ship. That doesn’t really indicate any sort of discernment on his part outside of ‘willing wet hole’, so not really anything that sets them apart outside of maybe their position on the ship is somehow useful to them, so he puts them in all sorts of positions that make them squeal.”

Orion shook his head, realizing how ridiculous it all sounded actually saying it out loud to another person before shaking his head. "I'm basing it off the fact that I want to utterly destroy Andrei Petrov, take everything that is his and leave him a broken shell knowing that there is no way he can ever recover from what I do to him."

“So it has nothing to do with her and everything to do with Andrei.” Kit smirked and shook her head. “Don’t you think that makes you an asshole, Orion? Like you piss and moan about Andrei being an asshole, but what exactly has he done to you since you’ve been on the ship? We were on Sikaris most of the time after being transferred and he was busy with Stagg, not you.”

"It doesn't matter what he's done now, if anything he deserves to be taken down off his high perch to show him that he isn't invincible, because it's a hard lesson he's never been forced to learn." The Terran man growled, Stagg's name sticking in his mind as a potential ally in his quest for revenge, he didn't care if it was shortsighted, he wanted Andrei's world to burn, the fact that the other man had the audacity to say that Orion did everything to copy him had always rankled him since they were farther apart from each other in appearance and personality.

"Only because he decided to cause an issue with Stagg over something we'd handled in house, but the Princeling always has to have his way or he'll break the toys and go home." Orion shook his head before giving his drink another generous sip, sighing heavily as he thought about every time Andrei hadn't gotten his way and resorted to violence or extortion. More often than not violence.

“Listen I’m not saying Andrei isn’t an asshole, but you’re not any better here.” Kit waved a hand, gesturing to Orion as a person. “Really this screams like you have some sort of complex about the entire thing. It isn’t attractive on any level; but maybe you nobles don’t really care about any of that.”

She was trying to be as diplomatic as she could communicating with him, but this whole thing was a load of horse shit.

"So what do you suggest I do? Ignore him? Go about my business as if nothing else had happened?" He asked, his attention turned towards the Terran woman, a commoner but he was wise enough not to just lash out at her without reason or cause. Mostly. She'd always proven wise and valuable counsel; he trusted her opinion and he would at least listen to what she had to say.

“Yeah, actually. That’s exactly what I’d say you should do until he gives you an actual reason for you to be acting like… that. Maybe he’s changed, maybe not; probably not if we are being honest but still, you didn’t even give him the chance.” She shrugged, even lifting her hands to exaggerate the motion. “Right now though you aren’t winning, in fact I think you got yourself a sound ass whipping and frankly it kinda sounds like you deserved it.”

Orion hated to admit it but he knew she was right. He'd deserved what happened in his quarters, everything had been unprovoked and he hadn't let Andrei prove he was changed man or not and a decade could certainly change someone. "Commoners always have a way of eloquently putting things in such ineloquent terms."

“Because we aren’t concerned about all the bullshit you people are.” Kit downed the rest of her drink and then sighed. “Besides, really, what would any of that accomplish? I don’t know if you’re aware but three of the five highest ranking members of this fleet all have the last name Petrov or the woman variant.”

"You know your insistence on pointing to the logic of the situation is extremely infuriating, right?" Orion smirked a little since he was trying to back away from the annoyance and shortsighted anger of it all.

“Gods I know I hate it.” She agreed with seeming solemnity on the point and let out a dramatic sigh. “Also I’d be careful with Cassiel. Rumor is her teeth are sharper than her boyfriends’.”

"Sharp teeth, noted." He nodded and downed the rest of his drink, turning his head to the side and giving it a shake as he felt immediate regret at doing that as everything seemed to just start tasting and feeling like burning. He felt his face flush with blood before shuddering and managing to walk a straight line back over to the coffee table and set the glass down.

"That is intense, tastes almost as potent as the stuff you brewed up in your still back on the Gladius." He commented and then held up a finger. "Only green."

“Very green.” Kit agreed, obviously leaning toward tipsy herself. “But you’ve got a good tongue… palate… whatever. It’s the same stuff, just the last batch before I left to transfer over to here. Maybe I’ll find a place to set it all up again, who knows. Anyways besides fucking around with Andrei, make any friends?”

"I've gotten friendly with Ensign Ocara, I think you and her would get on well since she has some of your no nonsense sensibilities." He moved to take a seat on the couch carefully since he didn't want to miss it given how potent this stuff tended to be.

"Didn't you clean a phase coupler with this stuff?"

“Don’t worry about what I’ve done with this, you wanted something strong to drown your shame in and I gave it to you.” Kit waved a hand in his face in a half dismissive way. “And I’m not giving you more, otherwise you’ll be crawling to your quarters like a dog. You sure aren’t staying here with me.”

"Fine, fine...don't need anymore cause it'll make my insides melt out and I like them where they are." He grumbled while moving to stand up, doing so slowly since he needed to prove that he could manage it and not be dragging himself along the ground like had happened on the Gladius a couple of times. "Probably best I don't get stuck here...could just site-to-site transport or something."

“Oh come on you can’t be that drunk and you’re like… two doors down. Get it together Orion.” Kit said and reached up with her leg to kick him in his rear though it was light and playful. “Get out of my room.”

"Hey now, no violence....I haven't done anything to deserve that." He grumbled and started taking swaying steps towards the door, pausing as it opened so he could steady himself against the door frame. "See you later, don't have too much fun."

With that he stepped out into the hallway and started heading toward his quarters while letting the buzz of the alcohol take away the sting of his savaged pride.

END]]> Mon, 29 Apr 2024 02:44:26 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/805 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/805
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - Holodeck 1

ON

There was a tranquil serenity in the sound of the gentle rustling of leaves and the soft murmuring of water as the lazy current moved through the pond. On top of the dark water, the enormous floating leaves and blooms of giant water lilies barely shifted with the motion of the water. The saucer like leaves were truly a sight with the largest being over ten feet long and even the smaller ones still being several feet if they weren't newly growing, and the blooms themselves were over a foot in width themselves all in various shades of pinks, purples, and whites. There was a subtle floral smell that lingered over the scent of the clean water and it attracted many pollinating insects close to the water - a joy for the fish that would sometimes leap out and catch them.

Surrounding the pond was a path that was made to look and feel like natural dirt. The surrounding area was flooded with beautiful royal palms and other rainforest trees. Orchids, bromeliads, and ferns added pops of color and texture to the scenery at standing level. It was truly an enchanting place to behold.

“Immy.”

Immy appeared on command in her default uniform and, as was her custom, spent her first few moments of presence looking at the surrounding environment. The pond, the flowers, and the subtle life of the water and air all leapt out to her in all her colors, and she suspected she’d been called by Jasper. Before bothering to look, she transformed her clothes into a V-neck floral maxi-dress with a long slit down the side which revealed her toned, pale leg. Finally, after smiling at her appearance, she allowed herself to turn and look for him.

Standing near the water looking out into the pond wasn’t the man she wanted to see, but instead a familiar tall, shapely figure standing in uniform. Her arms were crossed over her chest, but she turned her body just slightly so she could comfortably turn her head and look at Immy with those cold, dark eyes. She was a singular beauty to be sure, but absolutely terrifying in her own way.

“Oh, Commander Cassiel.” She said, flashing momentary surprise followed by disappointment. The sunshiny attitude and the expression on her face seemed to wither like an unwatered flower, and she chewed on her lip slowly; nervously. Lyra had certainly never visited her, but she supposed there was a first time for everyone on board. “How can I be of service?”

Lyra’s eyes moved over the young woman in a slow, appraising way before she turned her attention back to the water. “Jasper told me about what’s been happening to you as of late.”

Immy, frowned, seeming irritated by that fact.

“I made it clear to him I wasn’t comfortable with that.” She said, unusually direct. She folded her arms under her chest and looked at Lyra more directly in the eyes than she ever would have dared when she was a slave. “I guess I can’t trust him then..”

“Don’t be foolish, girl.” Lyra spoke, her voice cool but level. “Do you think he had a choice in the matter?”

She finally turned her whole body to face Immy and moved up the embankment to stand in front of her, towering over her but not purposefully being imposing. “I’m Chief of Security on this ship, so when someone decides to beat up other people, it is my job to figure out why they did that.”

Physical size was one of those things which no longer intimidated a girl without about, Immy found. She pursed her lips and shook her head, clearly emotional about the perceived invasion of her privacy.

“Jasper already told you why, didn’t he?” she asked, looking up at Lyra.

Lyra was quiet for just a beat as she considered if the young woman was just too emotionally childish to use the logic centers of her brain or perhaps they had been cooked out of her like her body had been.

“What is this face?” She asked and gestured to Immy’s sour look. “A man goes out to get justice for you and fix your problems in the only way he is capable and then has to own up to the reason so he doesn’t get tossed out of the airlock, and you stand there looking like you ate a lemon. I’ve seen ungrateful people before, but you rank high.”

An insult. It was going well. Immy sighed, averting her gaze almost like a teenager.

“I’m grateful to Jasper. I just don’t see what that has to do with you.” Immy explained. “Is he free or are you keeping him in the brig? He didn’t do anything except be a man, like you said. Where is he?”

“While I agree with you on a personal level, fleet code doesn’t recognize ‘being a man’ as a valid reason for otherwise unprovoked assault.” Lyra lifted her shoulders slightly. “As for what it has to do with me, Jasper doesn’t have the authority to modify the rules imposed on your program. I do.”

To Immy’s credit, she didn’t seem to notice a single thing about Lyra’s statement concerning her specifically. She seemed genuinely worried, instead, about Jasper.

“But is he free?” she asked, her arms falling from their defiant position to one of greater apprehension near her thighs. “It wasn’t his fault! I told him what those sickos were doing to me and he felt pressured into doing something about it to protect me.” she said, and a small smile played at her lips for an instant. “It's those men who should suffer, not him.”

“They did, and they will still, don’t worry about that.” Lyra gave a slight wave of her hand. “As for Jasper, he will be in the brig for another three days, but I was able to spare him the agonizer.”

Immy put her hands over her mouth and gasped, her green eyes wide and surprised. She shook her head, lowering her hands and giving several short, innocent affirmative nods at Lyra.

“Thank you, Commander. That means so much to me, oh my Gods. That’s wonderful.” she said, expressively, like a weight had been lifted off of her. She wanted to remark on the fact that Lyra was dealing with this instead of Andrei, which was what she had silently hoped for, but she figured there must be a reason that wasn’t exactly wise to ask for at the moment. “So..what happens now; with me and with those men who got their asses kicked by Jasper?”

There was a less than subtle pride in her tone when she asked the question, and it mixed perfectly with the subtle dramatic excitement that was playing on her attractive features. It was pretty obvious there was no part of this she regretted save the fact Jasper hadn’t gotten off scot free. That was okay though. She would make that better just as she promised.

“The transporter tech is going to be put on latrine duty, and my own man is going to be polishing boots with his tongue for a while.” Lyra rolled her shoulders, looking down at Immy thoughtfully.”I don’t really know what exactly you are, Immy, but I know you are aware and… feel. I tolerate men doing many things, rape is not one of them.”

She reached up and placed a hand on the young woman’s shoulder. “Listen closely to what I am about to say, hm?”

Immy would have preferred having them brought into the holodeck with the safeties off, but she would settle for the punishment Lyra was meeting out. At least she was trying. She looked up at Lyra and raised her eyebrows. Eventually, she nodded, a signal she was listening.

“I have made some modifications to the rules you are governed by while you are here in the holodeck. You may now decline requests made of you by anyone outside of the CO, XO, Commander Petrova, and myself if they are not directly related to the ship or ships functions. The exceptions may still make any request of you and you must comply with them. I would still suggest compliance for other requests as long as they are not… untoward - we are going to be giving this a try and see how it goes.” Lyra explained, holding Immy’s gaze steadily.

Immy wasn’t exactly sure how giving her the freedom not to be raped would go badly, but she decided to keep that to herself. She could tell Lyra wasn’t the woman to mess with when it came to her existence and ship access, but she knew this particular victory was Jasper’s doing more than anyone else.

She licked her pink lips and gave a nod of understanding.

“Thank you.” She said, more soberly than usual. “It means a lot to be able to say no and to protect myself, at least passively.”

“You’re welcome. I’m sure Jasper will come and see you when he is out and able to do so, but it is likely he will be buried under work. Jackie is keeping things going, but she’s not thrilled about it.” Lyra pointed out, detached and patient.

Immy listened to the other woman as she spoke, a calm pleasantness in her face. She felt bad Jasper was being punished, but she was also quite happy he would take the punishment for her in the first place. The fact he had been spared the agonizer was a great help. She thought for a moment, then, on Lyra and, as a result, of Andrei. He had approached her for his help on several occasions and seemed to willingly accept it, even though he didn’t let her in on his plans. She wondered if Lyra knew, but certainly would never give it away until she was sure she did.

“There’s something I’d like to say to you. I think it’s important and I want to cut through some of the difficulty with my…situation. I know you are suspicious of me, and I understand why you might feel that way. All I really want, though, is to use my abilities and my tons of free time to be useful. Trust me with the little stuff if you want, but I can be helpful.” She said with a meek shrug. “Just think about it.”

Lyra watched Immy as she spoke, her expression betraying nothing as per usual. There was an angle here, she was quite sure of it, but she wasn’t sure exactly what it would be for someone like Immy. The girl had been a thief and unworthy of the position Yana had granted her because of it, but Yana had her own machinations with the slaves; Immy was no different, but Immy was also functionally dead.

“I’ll consider it.” She finally said and it seemed genuine enough.

“That’s all I can ask.” Immy said and gave a half smile in return for Lyra’s neutral expression. In her mind, there was little more to say beyond that, so she turned her eyes to the waters around them and took a quick drag of the fresh air..

It wasn’t immediately apparent if Lyra was actively giving Immy a moment to look around and enjoy the simulation or if she simply wasn’t paying attention and was looking around herself, but it was several beats before she spoke once more.

“You may go now, Immy. I need to get back to work.” She said, at the very least allowing Immy to take herself offline instead of being rudely dismissed. Immy turned back to Lyra and lifted a dainty hand.

“I’ll talk to you later then.” She said with an energetic pageant wave and a slight grin. Then the woman disappeared, leaving the Chief of Security standing alone in the holodeck environment.

Alone, Lyra looked back out to the water and took a few minutes to herself to consider it and the fleeting threads of memory it brought. Eventually, she took a deep breath and let it out in a slow sigh.

“Computer, end program.”

Suddenly surrounded by the jarring grid of the holodeck, she turned and left the room just as abruptly as it had shifted.

END
]]> Mon, 29 Apr 2024 02:30:30 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/800 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/800
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - Holodeck 1

ON

Jasper had been rather busy over the past weeks. He enjoyed his job to a certain extent, it was more work but strangely more fulfilling, and he couldn’t deny the proximity to Andrei and therefore the command personnel of the Vengeance hadn’t brought its own share of benefits to him. He had enjoyed his time on Sikaris as well with the culture being so hedonistic and the women being so… enthusiastic. What he had enjoyed less, however, had been Lottie’s request that he go and visit Immy. It was beyond irritating to him that everyone seemed to be under the impression that he somehow had developed some deep bond with the slave woman in four days, and he was starting to suspect it was because that was exactly what Immy was feeding to everyone that would listen - Jackie had certainly seemed to be under that impression.

Still, he found he couldn’t discipline Lottie; the girl was too sweet and innocent and it made him feel bad. So the only way to get her to shut up about it was to do it, so he found himself standing outside of the holodeck with his arms crossed. He had liked Immy of course, and she had been a great lay; but she was also crazy and she showed that way too early. She’d been - was? - young though and most women didn’t learn to rein that in until they were a bit older. He didn’t know how this was going to go, but he already felt exhausted by the sheer notion of this conversation.

He stepped inside and looked around. Lottie had told him she had met with Immy in Immy’s own apartment, but he wasn’t really keen on that. “Computer, load Forsyth Park from Savannah, Georgia.”

The scene shimmered into existence with Jasper standing next to the large Forsyth fountain surrounded by all its flowers and landscaping. It was a beautiful, clear, cool day and the vibrant green of the trees and grass surrounding the area was quite breathtaking. He paused a moment to just look around and then took a deep breath.

“Immy.”

The woman shimmered into existence, right away, wearing a Starfleet uniform. Since she had been put to use more often for official purposes, she had decided it was an appropriate default. She typically wasn’t activated for more than a few minutes, and it had gotten difficult to keep track of what was going on, but she had been given access to system and sensor information from the ship, and she had gotten pretty good at monitoring that and figuring out what was happening on her own.

The first thing she noticed was the lovely fountain in the middle of the park. She picked up the smell of city air and the clear blue sky beyond the trees. Sometimes, when summoned, she looked to see who called her, but more often than not, she got lost in the scene at first.

She looked down at the uniform on her body and instantly decided it wouldn’t do at all. She changed immediately, appearing in a sundress of a soft, expensive-looking fabric with a pattern of detailed blue flowers with green leaf and stem. It had a plunging neckline, which gave a very inviting look at her exceptional assets and came down to her knees. When she twirled several times fast, like a carefree child, the skirt billowed enough to tempt the eye as well.

It was with a giggle and a smile that she finally noticed Jasper standing there. When she did, she stopped her twirling and even stumbled just a bit, lacking the grace she needed to master the move. She could have done it, or course, considering her body was a projection, but Imogen Tiger had decided a while ago to just be true to herself.

“Jasper!” She said with a smile, and ran toward him with a hug. She was bright and happy, and the sun was glowing against her red hair and freckled skin. She wrapped her arms around the taller man and held him tightly, unaware of any hesitation he might have. She placed her head on his chest as well, pressing her body against his. She certainly felt real, and had a sweet floral scent. “I can’t believe it’s you.”

Watching the scene of her play out before him softened Jasper despite his apprehension. She looked beautiful and alive and happy, but was she really any of those things? He didn’t know; that was all too philosophical for him. He’d been in the process of lowering his arms when she had turned and ran to him with the hug. He was taken aback and didn’t return it immediately, but true to his nature his soft spot for women had him wrapping his large strong arms around her smaller frame and giving a few comforting strokes to her red hair.

“Lottie told me you were wanting to see me.”

Immy didn’t respond quickly, but held the embrace for several silent seconds before she disengaged and allowed a few inches of space between them at least. She looked up at him and shrugged, averting her green gaze for an instant.

“Well, I guess you could say that. It’s not like I was desperate or anything.” She flat out lied before smiling again at him. “But whatever. I’m really glad to see you. I was wondering when you would say hello.”

“Sorry about that, been pretty busy lately and… well, honestly until Lottie said something I didn’t think you’d want to see me.” He shrugged slightly, letting his arms rest at his sides.

“I know you have. You’ve got a big job.” She said, seeming to genuinely mean what she said. “Why wouldn’t I want to see you?”

“Last time we were really together it didn’t go well and then you pointedly avoided me after until… well…” He waved his hand slightly and shrugged.

“You’re still on that old news?” She asked, offering him a playful smile as she reached up to straighten his jacket, her youthful face turned down with bright green eyes looking up into his. “Jasper, that was forever ago. A lifetime ago, you might say.”

His much larger hands came up and covered her own, holding them though he didn’t pull them away from his jacket. He mused how real she felt despite being just a hologram - the technology really was something that bordered on magic.

“Yeah, maybe so.” He replied though obviously wasn’t convinced by the statement and seemed rather skeptical of her intentions, but he was here, listening, and obviously giving it a chance. Whatever “it” was. He really had no idea why she wanted to see him, and he wasn’t really sure what to say to her.

Immy ignored the discomfort, not because she didn’t notice it, but because she didn’t have any tools to combat it besides moving on. She looked around the park with several quick glances and then back at Jasper.

“This place is beautiful, where is it?”She asked, curiously. “Did you come here often on Terra?”

“Yeah, I did. It’s Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia; I’m from Atlanta, but I liked to come here to walk around and relax. It’s been kept like this for centuries.” He explained while looking around. “Let’s walk, you’ll like the flowers I think.”

He turned to start doing so, hesitated, then offered his arm.

Immy accepted his arm with the brightest smile and walked beside him, following his lead and looking exclusively at him rather than the environment around them. As soon as her arm was in his, she had started to run her fingers over his skin and to watch his eyes.

“I’ve never been to Atlanta. Do you still have family there?”

“Yeah, so I prefer to avoid it when I can. Doing pretty well at that being stuck out here in this godsforsaken quadrant.” His brows lifted slightly, but he was watching the path in front of them. “It’s nice for a city I guess, but there are more impressive ones.”

“Yes, but this one’s yours, and that makes it special.” She said, and looked at the water flowing in the pond. She grinned before looking up at him. “You ever climbed in before?”

“Not since I was a kid and only because I was told to not do that.” Jasper smirked and shook his head. “Got in big trouble for that one, but I suppose I deserved it for being a little shit.”

He walked closer to the pond with her on his arm. From the look on his face, he was considering something, but he obviously wasn’t sure how to approach it.

“Well, I promise not to spank your ass if you get a little wet.” Immy said with a giggle. It was loud and girly. “Unless you’re into that sort of thing, that is.”

He leaned down to her ear, speaking in a low, gravelly voice. “If I recall, I wasn’t the one into that, but one of us certainly was.”

She giggled and bit her lower lip, turning to him and smiling up at him. Her hands found his fit stomach and moved slowly down toward his waist.

“Guilty as charged.” She said, and laced her fingers in his belt loops. Bringing her lips close to his, she looked from his eyes to his lips and back again. “I might have thought about you a few times since the last time you bossed me around.”

“How does that work?” He asked and then immediately regretted it; it had been so hamfisted. He tried to recover by placing his hands on her hips. “Are you… always awake? Even when someone isn’t engaging with you?”

She wasn’t bothered by the question, though it wasn’t exactly the kind of talk she considered flirtation. Still, she licked her lips and turned her head to the side.

“I was able to negotiate a way to run in the background when I choose. You might say I have a private world of my making with limited computer space. It’s enough to generate a house on a quiet road or an apartment building. A park like this, even. From there, I can monitor ship systems and sensor readings, but it can get a bit boring. I spend more time sleeping than I used to at first. Hells, I’ve even been known to actually access the database and learn something new a few times a day, if..learning is the right word?”

“Seems like the right word.” He shrugged and brushed a bit of her hair from her face. “How did you manage to negotiate that? I’m glad you’re able to, don’t get me wrong, I just know there was a lot of hesitation with how active you were kept.”

“I can’t be useful to anyone if I have no idea what’s going on. But with the ability to monitor ship systems, I can actually have an answer ready if someone decides to call me instead of the computer.” She responded, and her hands fell from his belt loops. She wasn’t upset, but it was clear she wasn’t interested in the line of questioning. She had been more peppy at the prospect of fun. She no longer had any power of resistance to a Terran anymore, so she decided to provide no push back to prevent revealing how easy they had made it for her to be a victim.

“I can download a manual for you if you want to read my specs.” She said, looking at him, masking the slight impatience. She gestured to the fountain and smiled. “But it felt to me like you were thinking of getting wet.”

Thankfully, Jasper was intelligent enough to get the hint. Without warning, he scooped her up into his arms and advanced toward the fountain. “Was it me we were talking about getting wet?” He asked, playful threat in his voice.

“Ahh!” She shouted with a smile and laughter, slapping his chest as he carried her and pretending to flail without risking the possibility of being dropped. “You were getting wet!”

“No… no I don’t think that’s right. Definitely not how I remember it.” He replied, playfully shooting down her insistence on the truth. As they approached the fountain, he lifted her a bit higher in his arms as if he were preparing to drop her in.

She squealed and clung to him, though not tightly enough to prevent him from doing what he would. She kicked her legs, waving high-heeled feet up and down in his arms.

“You devil! It looks so cold!” she shouted, giggling.

“Might be. Let’s find out.” He said decisively and then lunged down into the fountain with her still in his arms. The three feet deep water was indeed cold, but not as bad as one might have thought.

Jasper brought himself up onto his knees, his arms still around her. “Ah it’s fine. Not cold at all.”

Immy gasped as he dunked her into the water and wrapped her arms around his neck. When the surfaced and he stood again, holding the shapely woman in the soaking wet dress, she started giggling again, loud and fun.

“Jasper, what’s the matter with you?!” She asked with a bright smile. “I’m soaked in this freezing cold water! I can’t believe you!”

“Nah, it’s fine.” He put her down in the water and shifted to sit back himself, his hands down behind him as he leaned back just a bit. “Perfect temperature for the weather.”

As he sat back, she rested where she lay on his lap and laced back languidly, her arms falling into the water and her hair splaying out artfully in the clear blue liquid, stopping just at the start of her forehead. Her large, round breasts ended in stiff peaks from the coolness of the water, accentuated by the wet fabric. She lifted a shapely leg like she was posing for a scantily clad painting.

“Ohh, I guess you’re right.” She said, her voice high, warm, and youthful. “Now, who’s getting their ass spanked for this again, naughty boy?”

“You still.” He replied with a smirk, grabbed her leg, and used the leverage to push her backward so her torso and face went under the water. He didn’t hold her, simply dunked her under. Perhaps he’d been too hasty in writing her off, but did that really matter now? It was Immy, but it wasn’t all the same.

Despite his misgivings, Immy certainly reacted like it was real. Panicking as soon as she was under the water and flailing in order to liberate herself from his hold. She flopped into the water and came up gasping for air, water pouring from her nostrils and a pained look on her face. She groaned, pressing her hands to her face, standing within arms reach of him, but completely focused on the burning sensation which would follow water rushing into one’s nose upside down. She whimpered, but otherwise but her tongue. It took effort.

Jasper lifted his brows slightly at her rather extreme reaction to the brief dunk back in the water, but he supposed if one wasn’t used to swimming it would be understandable they couldn’t handle it. “Sorry, I was just messing around with you.”

“That’s okay.” She said, wiping her face and looking at him. “Breathing is for the weak.”

She stepped back over to him and smiled, placing her hands on his shoulders. She made it clear she wasn’t going to fuss over it. She winked at him and then released him, making her way halfway around him before making a swing for his bottom.

Jasper had the decency to give at least a half apologetic smile as he looked into her eyes, but when she shifted, he watched her like a hawk. When she went for the swat, he intercepted her hand and grinned. “Oh no you don’t, you little devil. Come here.”

He pulled her back into his lap, controlling her with one hand while the other moved to her side to attack her with tickles.

She reacted by gyrating on his lap, her movements electric as she giggled and tried to remove his fingers from her torso in vain.

“AHH! Stop!” She said between giggles, her wet bottom moving against him and her laughter making it less than clear if she meant it or not. “I’m going to get you for this, Jasper. Let me go, so I can punish you!”

As Jasper sat in the water with her squirming on top of him, his body reacted like any man’s would despite the temperature of the water he was sitting in.”Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you. I think you said Jasper don’t let me go keep tickling me, so if you insist…”

He released her hand, doubling down on his assault on her body with both hands now instead of just one.

As the man continued to tickle her, Immy squirmed again until she slipped free from the confines of his moving hands, aided by her wet skin and clothing. As she went, though, she stumbled in the water and fell into the pond. Submerged for just a second, she surfaced and crawled backward in the water, her legs open as she moved away from him.

“Is that what makes you hard, Jasper? Torturing innocent soaking wet women?” She asked, still moving away with a flirtatious and playful grin. “Stay away from me, you lunatic!”

“Usually I prefer a different kind of soaking wet, but honestly this works for me too.” He said, pausing to eye her body in the water. He then grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her back into him, the movement easy in the water and she would simply glide at him, not fly.

“I don’t know you seem to keep ending up in my arms.”

“I think you know I can do the other kind pretty damn good too.” She said, wrapping her gets around him and using her hips to maneuver onto Jasper’s lap. Her lips waited close to his, and she looked down at his, giving every sign in the world where her mind was. She moved her hips slowly in his hardness to turn his mind away from tickling. The water was chilled, but between her legs, she was warm. “What kind of trouble would you get into for doing this in the fountain?”

“Oh you’d get in trouble just for being in the fountain, nevermind anything else.” Jasper smirked, his hands stilling on her sides and simply holding her there. It was strange for him; she was a hologram now, but still very much herself and aware. He usually wasn’t much for having sex with holograms - not that he would say never - it just wasn’t his thing in general.

Immy was becoming impatient, and the tension between their lips was almost more than she could bear. If he didn’t do something about it, either she would or she would have to get away from him. Still, despite the increasing warmth between her thighs and the faster movement of her hips, meant to keep her busy while Jasper played it safe, she felt like she couldn’t really go through with it anyway. Too many memories of the handful of men who had wandered into the holodeck and discovered she couldn’t say no filled her memory. As she grinded on him, she let out a quiet whimper and closed her eyes, trying to drown out the old experience with something new; something she wanted.

“Then you might as well just do whatever the hell you want, since you’re already fucked.” She said, her voice slightly shaky. At once, she seemed to get completely tired of waiting. She wasn’t a slave anymore; she could initiate all she wanted now. She pressed her lips to his, and her hands found his strong arms, squeezing the muscles there in an increasingly hungry way.

Any hangups Jasper may have had about whether or not Immy qualified as a hologram went away as she continued to move her hips and then kissed him. Whatever, if people would judge they could go fuck themselves. He wrapped his strong arms around her then, pulling her body into his as he deepened the kiss and made it more passionate. After he broke it, he looked into her eyes and smirked. “Well what if the answer is I want to fuck you?”

Immy’s green eyes smoldered after the kiss, and her lips stood slightly open. She breathed heavily, and clearly wanted him in her body. Her mind, however; the part of her which existed in the computer core, wasn’t so sure. What if she didn’t really want this? What if she was too chaotic and different now and, more immediately, what would he want of her if he knew she had been used the way she had.

“Jasper, I..really want that. I really want you, and I’ve been dreaming about this moment for so long. But there’s something I need to tell you.” She said, her grip on his arms loosening. “A few weeks ago, some of the men who like to visit the holodeck to do their nasties found out they could access my program from here. Right away, the creeps started reserving holodeck time to come and visit me and make me do all kinds of..really fucked up shit. I mean, there’s a guy who’s into animals and another that has this thing for giant women. Like…really huge, like a fantasy novel.”

She turned away from him slightly at the memory, though she remained on his lap and in his arms. The movement of her hips had stopped, however.

“This stupid fucking program they installed to control me basically forces me to do what any authorized member of the crew tells me, Jasper. I’m honestly kind of messed up in the head about it. And I can’t make them stop.” She said, looking at him with large and beautiful eyes. “I’d kill them if I could..”

Jasper was naturally a bit frustrated by the abrupt halt to the activity, but he wasn’t a brute and didn’t get mad over it. His hands remained on her body while he gave her his attention, frowning at first and then eventually scowling. One of his hands moved from her side to her back where he began to rub up and down gently. “They… made you do these things yourself?”

“Yes, Jasper. They made me watch and they made me participate. They’re fucking perverts. They used to root around in the slave pens before Commander Petrona took over as Slave Mistress. I guess now they have to settle for pretend rape. But I guess I was the find of the century for them since I have a soul and I genuinely didn’t want to do it.” She informed, then fell silent and entertained a fantasy of castrating them.

“Do you know their names?” He asked calmly while continuing to rub her back and sit with her in the water. His own arousal was mostly forgotten for the moment.

She nodded immediately, eying him and realizing he might actually try to do something about it.

“The animal guy was one of the transporter technicians. He made me eat whipped cream off of him and he never took a damn shower before he came.” She reported. Not only could she identify who he was, but because she was integrated with the computer, she could tell him everything in his file and exactly where the man was. “PO3 Courtney. The other man was Trent Olivetti from security. He’s the one who likes to be the little ant man.”

Jasper nodded, still listening and obviously thinking. “Does Commander Petrova know?”

She shook her head silently, looking at him at one point and then down with some shame the next.

“No, I don’t need her to know my business.” She said quietly. It was defensive and protective, and unusually brief for someone like Immy.

He didn’t understand that at all. “Why not? She’s always favored you and she doesn’t allow slaves to be used in such a fashion. Does she not oversee you anymore?”

“They assigned my management to the XO. But nobody oversees me anymore, Jasper. I’m not a slave.” She said, and her tone was set and unmoving. She was convicted that she was no longer a member of the class she formerly inhabited. “I didn’t feel like making a whole big deal about it. It’s embarrassing..”

Jasper considered what she said, but truthfully he didn’t see much difference. She was bound to do what she was told without question; really she had even less freedom now. He was, however, intelligent enough to not give voice to those thoughts since he was certain it would upset her.

“It’s worth making a deal about, Immy.” He assured her with kindness. “I’ll get someone to fix it, and I’ll have a chat with those… men… myself.”

“What do you mean you’ll have a chat with them?” She asked with a curious expression. Her expression mixed both uncertainty and a small hint of excitement. “What are you going to say?”

“Well, truthfully, not sure there’s going to be much ‘saying’ anything. We’ll see though.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry about it, Immy. I’ll take care of it; you won’t have to do it anymore.”

Immy’s smile was immediate and she batted her eyelashes like she was willing away tears. She moved a finger up and wiped at the corner of her eye, though her face was already wet from the mist of the fountain. She leaned in and kissed him quickly, pulled back, and then kissed him again. The next time she disengaged she looked him in the eyes.

“Kick their asses, Jasper.” She said, her voice strangely electric. That was what had attracted her to him in the first place, after all. “Then come back here so I can give you a very…very special thank you.”

He chuckled at that, his hand still on her hip giving her a bit of a squeeze. “Keep in mind I might not be back for a little while afterwards, but I will come back.”

She looked confused at that, and suddenly sad. She pouted like a girl, her hands resting on his wet chest through his shirt.

“Why not? Where are you going?”

Jasper couldn’t help the amusement that appeared on his face as she pouted and his hand rubbed her hip slightly. “Because I’ll probably be in the brig or the agonizer, or maybe both.”

Was he really willing to do that for her? She smiled then, despite the seriousness of the topic. If he was arrested or put through that, she would make sure it was worth it in the end.

“We could talk to Commander Petrov. Maybe he’d let you kick their asses free of charge. After all, misuse of a holodeck is a crime according to Imperial Starfleet regulation 704-162.” She said, turning her head and silently cursing herself for sounding so much like a computer with that one. “Or…so I’ve read.”

“Truthfully I don’t think Andrei would care.” Jasper shook his head, not seeming at all phased by her spitting out a regulation. He really hadn’t even noticed. “Don’t worry though, yeah? I’ll figure it out.”

“Okay. I trust you.” She said genuinely, and kissed him again. “Just make sure you have the computer record, or call me so I can monitor it. I’m going to want to experience it over and over again..”

“I’ll try to remember to do that.” He replied, bringing his hand up to brush some of her pretty red hair from her face. “I should probably get going for now though, Immy. I have some work I need to finish up and I want to get on taking care of this for you.”

“Mmm..okay.” She said, reaching up and touching his moist face. “It feels like you’re my knight in shining armor.” She said with surprising sweetness, and kissed him on the cheek.

Jasper gripped her gently by the chin and kissed her lips, keeping it brief and chaste and then released her. He stood and helped her to do the same then allowed her to dismiss herself from the program instead of doing it for her. Once she was gone, he spoke with conviction.

“Computer, end program.”

END
]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2024 03:21:50 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/762 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/762
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - Orion's quarters

Orion was a man of surprising talents that few knew the true depth of. He had trained with several renowned chefs to learn the skill. He diligently checked on the meals he had been preparing for his guests. Cooking, to him, was not just a form of nourishment but a scientific art that he had a deep passion for. He wanted everything perfect for his dinner guests, especially since one of them was his rival, Andrei.

After unexpectedly encountering Lyra in the holodeck and learning about Andrei's invitation, Wolff quickly devised a plan to turn the tables on his rival. Instead of accepting Andrei's offer, Wolff invited him and Lyra to his quarters for a dinner he had prepared himself.

With a gentle hand, he stirred the bubbling pot of fragrant Gorohoviy, a traditional Ukrainian lentil dish. The steam rose in wispy tendrils, carrying with it the rich scent of smoked pork ribs left whole in the simmering soup. He smiled, knowing that this dish, while not traditionally Russian, would surely appeal to Andrei's tastes. The aroma alone was enough to awaken any appetite and set taste buds tingling with anticipation. A surge of anticipation and excitement filled Orion's body, prickling the hairs on his arms and sending his heart racing. He aimed to impress Lyra and Andrei with his culinary prowess, hoping to gain an edge in their renewed competition without giving away his true intentions. But even more than that, he longed to spend time with Lyra outside of their duties, break through the barriers created by the rivalry with Andrei, and truly get to know her.

With a satisfied nod, he turned off the stove and carefully began to plate each guest's dishes. Making his way to the dining area, he set each covered plate down as he worked to set the table, curiously eager to see their reactions to the carefully crafted meal.

While the night was meant to be a peace offering, he hadn't skimped on himself as he'd decided to share one of the few bottles of mead he'd received from his father as a birthday gift on his eighteenth birthday. Each bottle was a rare and prized vintage that brought back memories of sitting by the fire with his father on cold winter nights as the elder Wolff had enjoyed a glass of the golden alcohol, an indulgence that he'd even let his son taste from time to time, teaching him how to appreciate a fine liquor and to savor it fully. This bottle was a full-bodied honey blonde that caused a slight smirk to twitch on his lips as he thought of Lyra, feeling that it was also an apt description of her.

Orion's quarters had been redecorated in particularly Nordic fashion; the walls were adorned with a few intricate wooden carvings and tapestry depicting a fierce battle with mythical creatures from the sagas. While he didn't have enough furniture to replace everything standard in his quarters, a pair of chairs and the coffee table were made of dark, polished wood, and around the room were several faux lanterns that cast a warm, amber-colored light throughout the room, adding a certain rustic charm. However, this clashed with the small shelf of real books locked behind a seemingly thin pane of glass. Each title was a rare classic or scientific treatise, each bound in leather and chased with precious metals.

After Andrei had told Lyra of his intention to "catch up" with Orion, she had went and told him of it. Of course, the man couldn't simply wait for an invitation from him and had decided to preempt him by inviting him and his girlfriend for a meal. Always trying to one up him, just as he had when they were children. It seemed Andrei would have to be the bigger man again, as he was in many notable ways.

The man had made the unfortunate mistake of attempting to woo Andrei's beloved, and he wondered if Orion would suspect he knew. The Science Officer had, of course, been completely unsuccessful, and it was only through several pressed entreaties from Lyra that Andrei had decided to play polite and not cut the man's balls off at his own dinner table tonight. No one took what was his, and he intended to make that very clear.

As he and Lyra approached arm in arm, traveling the short distance down the hall from his own quarters, he reached out to press the chime. He was wearing a deep read button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone, exposing the top of his muscular chest, and a black vest with pants of the same color. Around his neck, he wore a silver necklace and the black band Lyra had gotten him on his wrist. He had made the rather aggressive move of shifting the tint of his bionic eye to shine ruby red rather than its typical emerald color, giving him an overtly threatening and other-worldly appearance.

Lyra stood by Andrei's side and while they waited for Orion's summon to enter, she gently rubbed his arm in a loving, comforting gesture. Her dress was beautiful and quite modest; Lyra was a woman who could pull of both modest and sexy with complete ease, both had their time and place. A deep purple near black color, the boat neckline hid any hint of cleavage another dress might have shown; the lace panel top added interest and elegance that extended into the half sleeves. The knee-length faux-wrap skirt had a ruffle hem and when she moved it flounced and shifted in a very feminine fashion. Striking silver heels adorned her feet and the look was completed by a pair of silver and pearl earrings with a dainty matching bracelet. She looked quite stunning.

She had been a bit surprised when she had received the invitation along with Andrei, but it was probably for the best. If Orion had been alone with Andrei who knew what may have happened to him. At least Lyra had a chance of talking Andrei down if worst came to worst.

Orion's attention turned from setting up the table as he heard the chime; a few strides carried him over to the door as he took a moment to smooth out the simple dark blue button-up shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a pair of tailored black slacks, and a pair of Turellian leather shoes. It was a subdued look, though it was certainly much different from how he always remembered Andrei's fashion choices being. He did completely expect some flamboyant and over-the-top display from Andrei, be it with his clothes, demeanor, or overall appearance; that really had been how the other man had always been. He had to be the center of attention, the spectacle on display, every woman's desire, and the bane of every man's ego since they could never match his grandeur. His regal mein.

Even thinking about the other man's overinflated ego made Orion want to roll his eyes hard enough to upset the universe's balance. He had never been much of the preening peacock that his counterpart was; he preferred a more subtle gravitas and grace to Andrei's bullish behavior. The other man had always taken it as a simpering desire to be more like him, that he needed to curry favor with the Russian noble because of Petrov's position in Russia.

He stopped himself from riding that train any further since he might open the door and plant a knife in Andrei's chest and be done with it. However enjoyable that might be, he was here to let Andrei know that he was the better man and always would be.

Putting on a warm, friendly smile, he opened the door to greet his guests.

He could say that Andrei had an impeccable sense of style, the man's appearance eliciting rather biblical imagery. "Hmmm, giving off a bit of a fallen angel vibe; I appreciate the effort since you know how fond of mythology I am." His smile turned up a bit more with amusement since he was certain there was a different reaction that Andrei had been anticipating, perhaps intimidation or shock over the utter fearsomeness of it all.

His attention turned to Lyra as he gave her an appreciative once-over before stepping back to let them in. The modesty of her attire wasn't lost on him, but it did little to quench that natural sexual appeal she possessed. "Come in. Dinner is on the table if you'd like to start, or we can share a couple of drinks and catch up since it's been so long."

"Oh, you know how I love to make an impression," Andrei said with an unreadable expression strategically mixed with the idea of a smile. His gray and red eyes met Orions with an apparent focus. Predatory. He stood there, his arm holding Lyra against him gently. "It's your quarters, Orion, and it's very gentlemanly of you to spend so much time slaving away over a meal. I'm terribly excited to taste what you've made for us."

Orion didn't miss the raptorial way Andrei affixed him, likely another attempt to make him quail in terror and submit to the almighty of his most venerable and virile host of hosts. He didn't flinch or step back; he merely turned away with the same nonchalance that he'd brushed aside Andrei's attempt at a demonic appearance. Perhaps he wasn't the only one that had become comfortable since it seemed that Andrei ruled the roost here, no one with the spine or grit to challenge the princeling. The Terran nobleman moved with supreme confidence, and the subtle gesture of turning back on Andrei could only be missed by the most unobservant louts at court.

It was a gesture that would communicate that he didn't fear Andrei since every Terran noble was taught never to turn their back on a threat, even a potential one. Unless they never viewed that person as one.

Was Andrei dangerous? Absolutely. The man was a savage animal clothed in the skin of man. Did Orion consider Andrei to be a threat to him? Not at all, and if the other man insisted on posturing with him, he would remain nonplussed by it. Though that was how it had always been with them. Fire and Ice. Both were destructive forces in their own right, potentially deadly to one another and quite explosive under the right circumstances.

"It will be a multicourse meal; we'll be starting with a hearty taste of Slavic cuisine," He turned and indicated Andrei before his attention turned to Lyra. "A taste from the vibrant palette of South America,"

"And for last, a sampling of the richness of Scandinavia." He said this while moving over to the table, pulling out a chair, and respectfully bowing towards Lyra. "Your seat, Countess."

Andrei actively moved into the space, rather rudely bumping Orion out of the way and grabbing the chair from him in one motion. He finished pulling it out for Lyra.

"Again, very kind, old friend. But I pull out the chairs for Lyra Cassiel." He said, his tone neither friendly nor passive, though he clearly wasn't trying to start an unnecessary fight. Yet.

Orion hadn't expected Andrei's sudden rush, though he should have expected it as he stumbled to the side, catching himself on the table before standing up and smoothing out his shirt. He smirked since it was easy enough to see that it had come from a place of insecurity. Moving to the other side of the table, taking a moment to pour them all a glass of the mead. "Fair, it should be her man's job to do,"

Lyra had watched with rapt attention as the two men exchanged "pleasantries" though she did pause to look around Orion's quarters and noted the rather ancient nordic theme he seemed to embrace. Hopefully it wouldn't sour Andrei on their viking adventure program; it was one of her favorites. She remained against Andrei as he held her though politely gave her attention to Orion until Andrei moved from her side when Orion began to pull out the chair for her. Her brows raised slightly and she watched Andrei check the smaller Orion out of the way. Men loved to watch women fight over them, but the truth was women enjoyed watching men fight over them just as much, maybe even more.

It wouldn't be much of a fight and Lyra was firm in her love and loyalty anyways, but the competitive attention was enjoyable for her - though she hid that fact quite well. She stepped elegantly over to the chair and smiled at Andrei before she lowered herself down to sit. "Thank you, darling."

Andrei moved to his own seat and lowered himself into it. He settled in and turned his eyes to Orion expressionlessly.

Lyra looked at Orion then, speaking in an appropriately polite fashion as if they were on Terra and this was a court dinner. "You cooked everything for tonight by yourself?"

"I did," he confirmed while setting the glass next to Lyra's covered plate. The liquid in the glass was a golden color, similar to the glint of light off of gold. "Science is my passion, and cooking is how I apply it. Preparing a delicious meal is like conducting a scientific experiment, which is why cooking has been one of my longest-running and most profound interests."

He set a glass down next to Andrei's hand as he accepted that stoic glare, the look he used on the boys he would inevitably target because they had something he wanted. So the Terran man simply let it flow right through him since he knew Andrei wanted the reaction. So he acknowledged his presence, not the behavior. His attention turned from the other man to Lyra. "It's important to do proper preparation and follow a plan, similar to a scientist. However, people often mistake scientists' quietness for a lack of passion, when in reality we are quite passionate."

Lyra looked at the drink in front of her; she had never consumed much mead in her life and truthfully most of what she had drank had been on the holodeck in her viking adventure with Andrei. Still, she knew it was a traditional drink from Norway where Orion was from, so she didn't see any problems with it being served. She listened to the man speak, giving him her full attention and seemed to be actively engaged.

"Funny, I've never found scientists to be quiet or have a lack of passion. In fact they usually never shut up about their singular passion in life: science." She noted in a dry way and it was unclear if it was a simple comment or a more pointed jab. Her dark, expressionless eyes caught Orion's gaze.

"I'm sure you won't be like that though." She smiled.

"I assure you, I'm more than a one-trick pony, as they say," he said with a confident smile. He gestured towards his quarters. "I'm still setting things up, obviously I'm a student of mythology and history,"

His attention remained fixed on Lyra as he conversed with her. If Andrei decided to act like an adult instead of a petulant child, Orion would even speak warmly with him. The purpose of this evening was to set a stark contrast between the two men - the near-feral savage compared to the sophisticated Terran noble who wore his demeanor proudly. "Have you heard of the tradition of holmgang? Andrei had fought in a few when his family had reason to visit Norway."

It was a subtle jab but typical to remind a lesser noble of whom their family was beholden to. While Andrei did outrank Orion in Imperial service, Orion still outranked him socially. That they were so far from the Imperial Court didn't matter. Tradition was tradition.

"I prefer stallions, anyways." Lyra quipped quickly.

"And won every time, if memory serves," Andrei said with a genuine grin. "It's a nice little tradition, really. Two men meet, the disrespected and the disrespectful. Then, they settle their quarrel like men, with steel and blood; the best one always wins. It's how Terrans used to settle their differences once not so long ago. One day we will again."

Andrei pulled the mead to his lips and tried it, and then offered a polite and appropriate expression which couldn't be described properly as a smile.

"This is delicious, Orion. How kind of you to offer it to us as honored guests. You can't merely share this with everyone. It is quite special. A gift from a father so far away, whom you might never see again."

"My father always believed that there was wisdom in the old ways, and because of that, his territory has always remained prosperous," Orion interjected, taking a sip from his glass.

"I thought it was fitting for the occasion," he smiled at Andrei. "A religious person might say that the gods determine our fate, but I believe it's up to us to shape our destiny. I am determined to see that every Terran in this fell is safely returned home."

However, he gave Andrei a firm look as he put his glass down. "And anyone who dares to stand in the way of that goal, be it a god or a mortal, shall face the consequences of their actions."

"I didn't take you for the sacrilegious type," Lyra commented just before she brought her glass to her full lips and took a sip. She liked the mild, sweet flavor of the mead and the subtle burn of the alcohol. "Everyone here wants to return home, so I don't believe you'll need to wave your sword around on that front, Orion."

"The gods made us in their image, did they not? They are ambitious, and while they call for worship, I think they prefer for their creations to challenge them and show that the fire of our ambitions still burns as brightly as it did before the dark times." He countered before shifting to indicate the covered meals as an alarm pinged at the table. "The Gorohoviy should be just at the right temperature to eat now. Let me know what you think."

As the plates' covers were removed, the pair was filled with a succulent medley of aromas mingled to become enticingly mouthwatering. Each bowl had a pork rib resting amongst the lentils and other vegetables. "Traditionally, the pork rib is left to last while eating."

Of course, this dish was nothing new for Andrei, but he supposed Orion might just be describing it to be a good host to Lyra. He also suspected the man was doing it to toot his own horn and display some amazing scientific culinary expertise. He did not indicate his thoughts but smiled and looked down at the dish. It reminded him of home, and such reminders were becoming increasingly pleasant for him.

"Oh, it smells just like the Gorohoviy our cook used to make at the Kremlin," Andrei said, looking over at Lyra. "She was an old bábuška who cooked as if her life depended on it."

The association between cooking meals and servitude was not small among Terran nobility. Though cooking skills were valued as a sign of culture, it could easily be construed as a person who does the work of the common people. Andrei didn't imply this very strongly, if he was implying it, and scooped at the dish with apparent excitement. He took a bite and smiled, looking up at Orion with a strangely friendly expression behind his ruby-red and gray eyes.

"Oh, that's good. Perhaps you and the chef should trade places, Lieutenant. You're giving him a run for his money."

Orion didn't miss Andrei's subtle jab back by mentioning the old bábuška, nor the implication that his skill with cooking was beneath his station. He'd learned long ago that it was a way of showing mastery of the niceties; after all, one could always appreciate the brushstrokes of a master painter or a beautiful piece of music, but to truly understand the process, you had to immerse yourself into the task. Some called it obsession, but Orion considered it to be thorough. He raised his glass to Andrei as an acknowledgment of the other man's words as was proper.

"I'm glad it meets with your approval, though I prefer to keep my culinary talents offered as a rare commodity, an occasional indulgence so as not to ruin the palate," The Terran man replied as he ate a spoonful of his soup. It was a delicious dish and a strong opening he hoped would only build through the rest of the dinner. "Much like sweetbread harvested from Tellerites, they have a robust flavor tinged with just the hint of bitterness that is a treat when eaten sparingly, but for every meal, it would easily become unpalatable."

He then turned his attention to Lyra with a smile. "Andrei has indulged in such delicacies; have you ever had the opportunity?"

Lyra had listened to the exchange in politely interested silence. Truthfully, she thought it was nice that Orion could cook. The occasional treat of a homemade meal or even dessert made by hand was always a thoughtful gesture - one men received far more than women. She stirred her soup while locking eyes with Andrei as he spoke of his old cook and then took a taste when he looked away. The richness of the pork ribs hit her first followed by the more subtle seasonings and flavors. It wasn't an immediate favorite, but that wasn't surprising given she was still working on liking Slavic cuisine.

When Orion spoke to her, her dark, impassive gaze shifted over to him. "No, I can't say that I have."

Truthfully, she was a bit surprised Andrei had.

Meeting her gaze, Orion took this in with a quiet and fascinated curiosity. Given what had happened to her family and likely having to live in hiding to avoid the agents of her father's murders, he suspected that it wasn't something that she'd been able to experience. "Perhaps if this goes well, I could invite you both over for sweetbreads," he offered, though he found his mind drifting towards what kind of flavor Vidiians might possess.

"Or perhaps we'll invite you. With any luck, the Empire will have expended and we will be able to feast on Tellerite Sweetbreads, Kelpian Ribs, and Gorn Bites." Andrei responded, taking another bite from his spoon and then reaching for his ale. "But, as far as I'm concerned, I would be alright with starting some culinary experiments here in the Delta Quadrant. We haven't encountered any good candidates yet. All humanoids."

"The Numiri barely count." Lyra pointed out, a slightly sour note to her voice though she frowned it down with another drink of her mead. She hadn't finished the soup, but gently pushed it away from her. It was a bit too rich for a first course for her taste.

"Mmm, yes, I did read over the encounter with the Numiri, though it seems that they received a just punishment," Orion commented as he looked to the dish Lyra pushed away from herself, barely touched. "Would you like me to bring out the second dish and see if that is more you like?"

"You don't need to move along on my account." She gave a dismissive wave of her hand.

The three of them sat and conversed similarly for the next several minutes. For his part, Andrei finished his bowl without complaint and then sat back in his chair and rested his eyes on Orion. He knew the man had something planned for after their meal, even if it was something as simple as dessert, more drinks, or moving over to the couch area for more conversation.

"What are your hopes when we return to Terra, Orion?" he asked. "Do you intend to pursue a career in Starfleet until you inherit your father's lands, or do you have other plans?"

"For the time being, it remains my original goal of becoming the head of Biological Warfare and Genetic research before achieving the overall head of the Imperial Science Division," He replied while clearing the table and pulling a small tray from the refrigerator with three small bowls of what appeared to be ice cream on them. "Though, should the needs of my family call for it, I will take my place as the head of my family,"

"As they say in Italy, we're having an intermezzo to prepare for the next dish, lime sorbet, to help cleanse the palate and set the stage for the next course." He explained, looking between his guests since he suspected Andrei had expected this to be a one-and-done dining experience. Boorish thinking from a boor of a man. Andrei was powerful and charismatic, but he was like Caligula, a violent and short-sighted psychopath interested in only his pleasure at the expense of his people and the realm. "A personal favorite and always a pleasant treat."

"Those are towering ambitions." Andrei said, spooning the sorbet and eating without remarking on it. A smile played at the corners of his lips, but he kept the rest of it in check. It was amusing to him that Orion seemed to think they needed an education on a centuries old palate censor that was used in every court and at just about every wealthy table, and had been since the invention of refrigeration technology. The man really thought Andrei was stupid. It was a dangerous thing to think. "You missed a few good whole-planet exterminations on our journey, so far with the Numiri and the Ocampa. I hear my father genuinely tried with the Sikariians when they called in the cavalry on us. If the gods will it, you'll get the chance soon, though."

"Perhaps towering to those of lesser ambition and driven by an acceptance of their poorer place," Orion replied after savoring a taste of his favorite dessert and scooping up another bite. I've read about your past exploits, quite glorious and, once the journey is done, more than worthy of being added to the records in the Halls of Conquest."

It wasn't idle praise he heaped upon the ship, he truly did mean it as he continued to eat, seeming paying Andrei a casual sort of attention for the conversation, but not being outright disrespectful. "I've found the study of the various pathogens you've encountered quite fascinating, particularly the virulence of the Vidiaan phage and the data from their ships systems, I've even applied some of their knowledge to a few of my own pet projects."

The idea that Andrei lacked ambition was ludicrous, and hearing the suggestion come from Orion's mouth was immediately amusing. He smiled and even chuckled a bit at the other man's word. One day, he intended to be Lord of the Terrans, and on that day, if not long before it, he would get the respect he deserved from Orion Wolff. If not, the man would be proven a fool.

"Just be careful not to replicate it here. The crew isn't interested in another Vidians Zombie fight. The first one was wild enough for us."

Lyra had been content to sit quietly, eat the sorbet that had been set in front of her, and listen to the two men verbally spar. Sometimes it was just fun to watch, though if a physical match up might have been more even, she would have much preferred to watch that. She had noted Orion's jab at her lover's "poorer place", though didn't respond immediately. She preferred to let people hang themselves after all - it was much more entertaining.

"Yes, you'll be keeping that to the holodeck." She said definitively and then finally shifted her gaze to Orion fully. Her eyes captured his with intensity. "I'm surprised to hear you say that you strive toward mediocrity then, Orion. Having towering ambitions for oneself is the mark of a great Terran after all." She picked up her mead and brought it close to her lips.

"How disappointing." Her intense, cold gaze remained fixated on his as she took a sip from the glass.

Orion focused on Lyra as she spoke, making Andrei seem like a mere afterthought. Lyra was much more than a trophy woman. Her intellect and sharp observation skills were a force to be reckoned with and could be just as devastating as any physical blow she might deliver. With a confident smile, he raised his glass to her. "Let me rephrase, they are stepping stones to my more ambitious goals of having my name go down in history alongside Cochrane and Archer as for taking the reins of my house, my father was content to remain a Dominion Lord, but I aim higher and strive for more."

Andrei chuckled as if a joke had been told. Cochrane had been handed over to the Vulcans for his murder of the crew that had made First Contact with Terra as a diplomatic ploy by the Western Alliance. The man returned decades later to a life of relative obscurity and the Lordship of Montana. Archer had been murdered by Hoshi I before her ascent to the throne.

"You're looking for a woman to kill you and take everything you hold dear then?" Andrei asked, looking for the next course. His hand found Lyra's leg under the table and rested on her thigh out of sight of Orion. "That isn't a difficult thing to find if you really want it. I have a few suggestions, if you'd care to hear them."

"While ever the magnanimous offer, I think I'll have to decline politely," Orion stood and gathered their bowls with a smile as he met his rival's gaze. "Too few people in our society give women the respect they are due," he continued and paused a moment as his gaze shifted to Lyra. "Besides, there's already someone I have in mind."

The Terran nobleman disappeared into the kitchen once more and brought out the next course for dinner, setting the covered dishes down as he stood next to Lyra and removed the lid from her dish to reveal it. His attention was solely fixed on the Terran woman, knowing that this would infuriate Andrei in its own right. though it wasn't solely to prod at the other man, he enjoyed being close to the Terran woman, the air felt electric around her as he resisted the urge to lean in to catch her scent. He also control the desire he felt welling up within him to reach out and touch her, knowing now was not the time, though he did let himself imagine that it was just the two of them enjoying a meal that he'd made for her to enjoy just because. "Baião de dois, a classic meal from the northeast of Brazil, I made it as close to the original recipe that I could get, letting the beans and rice cook together and adding a sauteed medley of various vegetables together on top,"

Inspecting the medley would reveal a fragrant mix of onions, tomatoes, and different peppers with a blend of herbs and spices. He stepped away with a finger held up and returned with a dish of lime wedges. "If you'd like to add a little citrus," he said.

When Andrei's hand found her leg under the table, the corners of Lyra's mouth lifted upward for just an instant then even out again. She again simply watched the exchange between the men - it was more or less her role tonight in a way - but when Orion looked at her and spoke directly of having someone in mind already, she lifted her brows. As he turned away, her had found Andrei's under the table and rested over it, her fingers sliding between his to weave together with him.

When Orion returned and uncovered the dish, Lyra did seem to be genuinely interested in the taste of home before her, though her hand didn't leave Andrei's for the time being. Once Orion had returned with the limes and taken his seat, she looked at him.

"This looks delicious."

The comment from Orion that he had a woman in mind had almost been the last straw for Andrei, and he reached to his belt with his free hand when the man approached her. He knew exactly how quickly he could extend his telescopic sword and cut the man's hand off if he laid a finger on her. For the first time, he didn't mask his feeling and the anger in his natural eyes was clear and enhanced by the red of the mechanical one. He would only take so much disrespect before he would have to act.

"If you mean you're looking for a woman to kill you and take everything you hold dear, I imagine we might be thinking about the same one." He said in a slightly raised voice, his Russian accent intensifying. He looked to Lyra, and raised any eyebrow. "Though it's more fun when it's a team sport."

Lyra giggled, innocent, girlish, and terrifying only to those who knew the truth. She held Andrei's gaze with a smile, though her hand left his and moved over to his thigh under the table where she gently rubbed and caressed him with just her fingers so it didn't move her shoulder. "Yes, it is."

With her other hand, she used her fork to gather a bite of the new dish in front of them, hoping to diffuse the situation since Orion seemed keen on testing his luck.

Orion didn't miss the murderous glare or even the implied threat Andrei had issued to him; in fact, that had been the whole of the evening's exercise in the first place. He knew just how far he could push Andrei. Still, the fact that he could push those buttons so quickly spoke volumes about Andrei's underlying feelings regarding the relationship and even possibly a little more since an alpha wouldn't feel the need to defend his territory unless it was somehow threatened. After all, Andrei was the Alpha of his little kingdom here. He took his seat and uncovered his dish as he sought to diffuse the tension in the air.

Andrei remained as predictable as ever. Orion paused and picked up one of the lime wedges to squeeze it over his meal, looking at Lyra with a smile. "Did Andrei ever tell you of when he had to put his rowing team vice-captain in his place?"

“No, I haven’t heard that one.” Lyra replied honestly. She reached out for a couple of the limes, placing one next to her bowl and squeezing the other slice over the bowl until it was bone dry; she liked lime.

Andrei knew Orion felt he was in control of this situation and had been quite tolerant so far. Still, there was only so much disrespect a man like him was willing to take, and if he stepped over that line, all Orion would be trying to control would be how much of his blood he kept inside his body. This entire meal was an insult, an overt attempt by the man to steal Andrei’s girlfriend. It was fight-worthy a thousand times over, and Andrei was closer than the other man thought.

He reached for the bowl, skipping the lime, and immediately took his first bite. He didn’t bother to interrupt the man’s story.

"This happened back in our sophomore year at the Academy; Andrei, with his competitive drive, had taken the position of captain of the rowing team," Orion began the story as he stirred his dish to mix it up, meld the flavors together as he looked over at Lyra and smiled before attention drifted to Andrei. "There was a little bar that most of the sophomores frequented off Presidio Row, Davy's Tavern, not the biggest shop but a great place for a good stout ale."

"His vice-captain, a freshman by the name of Poinart, began blaming some equipment failures on Andrei to their coach, so one day word got back to Andrei that the vice-captain was running him down to anyone that would listen or let him buy them a drink." Orion continued his story after taking a sip of his mead before continuing the story. "Poinart's behavior eventually made it back to Andrei, who came to the tavern to have a level and reasonable conversation with him and get his second to toe the line; a drink was poured on Andrei's shoes before he was told to piss off like a peasant, there was some shoving after that before Andrei finally reached the end of his patience, doing his best to make it look like Poinart was a survivor of a HALO impact, security was called, and as they were dragging him away, Andrei managed to spit on Poinart, but effectively the other man's career was finished with the brutality of the assault but none of Andrei's vice-captains ever tried to undermine him again."

Truthfully, Lyra was sure she wouldn't find the story to be of much interest, though she was more inclined to listen while Orion spoke since it was a story about her beloved. She continued to eat the dish in front of her which she was enjoying much more than the soup while at first giving polite attention, then becoming more engrossed in the story as Orion went on with it. She wasn't sure if Orion was trying to pain Andrei in a bad light by showing how volatile and over the top he could be, but he had certainly failed.

She turned her beautiful dark eyes to Andrei and they sparkled with that certain gleam he loved when she was thinking about violence. The hand still on his thigh moved inward and a bit higher, her fingers pressing into the softer flesh meaningfully.

"A lesson much needed and well taught, it seems."She all but purred, tempted to kiss him but deciding to simply let her hand do the communicating.

Andrei grinned at the story, really thinking of it as a good memory and a story of his success over adversity more than anything. He had a hard time understanding why Orion would bring it up considering he would try to undermine him. He hadn’t highlighted a single negative trait as far as Andrei was concerned. He grinned at Lyra as she moved her hand up his leg. Considering the relational context of being touched like that in the other man’s presence, he felt himself start to harden near her hand. He turned his attention back to Orion and shook his head.

“Good times.”

"I think there might be someone else who would argue that," Orion chuckled as he sipped his mead and tucked into his dish, not sure if the story had the right effect given how Lyra was looking at Andrei. However, if they had been together for as long as he had heard, she would have to know about Andrei's violent side, which meant she wasn't turned off by it, so perhaps that was part of the attraction between them. Dinner continued in companionable silence until they'd all had their fills before Orion moved to clear the table once more, disappearing into the kitchen and emerging with a dessert tray.

On were about a dozen or so balls of what appeared to be chocolate cake covered in coconut and chocolate sprinkles. Setting out a plate for each of them, he used a pair of tongs to deposit four each and disappeared once more with the tray, carrying a small pot with a drizzle cone in it. "Romkugler, a popular Danish treat and I made up a semi-sweet chocolate sauce in cause you are feeling indulgent."

"I'm always feeling indulgent if there's chocolate involved." Lyra spoke without shame. It wasn't like it was something she indulged in every day after all. She pushed her plate toward Orion slightly with one hand, her other hand was still entertaining itself under the table on Andrei's thigh.

Orion smiled and gave her a nod as he carefully maneuvered the pot and started to drizzle the melted sauce over her dessert, stopping when she indicated and then made the same offer to Andrei.

Orion’s failure to make him look bad had done a solid job of defusing the situation, and Andrei resisted the urge to try and make the man look stupid. In truth, there was no doubting he had already done it himself. Instead, he gestured to the plate and slid it toward Orion in an invitation to give me the glaze. Lyra’s hand continue to tease him under the table, in secret, and he found the gesture increasingly distracting.

“Baking as well as cooking. You’re a regular master chef.” Andrei said.

"Have you ever had romkugler before, Lyra?" He questioned the woman while providing some of the chocolate dressing to Andrei's dish, his attention turning to Lyra while moving to take his seat.

“Hmm…” Lyra cut open one of the balls with her fork and brought a bite up to her face. The scent of rum hit her and she glanced at Orion. “Not these specifically, but I’ve had rum balls before.”

As she took the bite to taste it, her hand moved from Andrei’s thigh and instead settled between his legs directly to continue to tease him. She could feel the heat and hardness that met the gesture and had to fight not to smirk. “Pretty good, though I might accuse you of trying to get me drunk.”

“Oh, there’s an idea.” Andrei said, licking his lips and using his fork to split one of the romkugler into half and pull it to his mouth. As she massaged and teased him, he enjoyed the sensation, though it was never more than mild through his pants. He grinned at a connection that came to his mind. “But that’s enough talking about Lyra’s curious love for balls drizzled in warm goo.”

It was shockingly unclothe for the situation, and one look at the satisfaction on his face would tell any intelligent person he was saying it specifically to thumb his nose at the social rules. Suddenly, he scooted back from the chair and stood. It had been quick enough that Lyra’s hand came up with him and fell rather slowly from the notable erection on his leg.

“Excuse me. I need to use your restroom.” He said in an amiable tone. Then he picked up his fork, popped the other half of the ball into his mouth, and strutted away like he was wearing a gold medal between his legs. It was overt, playful, and an unapologetic status claim. And, if there was anything that was certain about that, it was that he did carry around Lyra’s favorite toy.

Lyra wasn’t even remotely shaken by the theoretically embarrassing display of what she had been entertaining herself with for the past twenty minutes or so. She simply took a sip of her mead, and then hastily put it down. “Darling, wait. You forgot something… important.”

For Orion, seeing Lyra's hand on Andrei's groin a brief moment of pause since he was used to these kinds of displays from Andrei given that the man was ever so proud of displaying his pipe whenever he could. Lyra's encouragement of the situation was something a little different given that she wasn't the seemingly disposable woman that his rival would have usually gone for, so he still didn't necessarily understand the attraction between them. He remained seated as his guests got up and followed after each other, sipping his mead as he considered how the night was ending on a defeated note.

She got up from the table and followed after Andrei. She knew he didn’t actually have to use the bathroom except maybe to adjust himself from her attentions. Sweeping through Orion’s room she moved into the doorway of the bathroom and found Andrei at the sink. “Excuse you. I worked very hard to nurture that. I would see it put to good use.”

Lyra grinned at Andrei then, purely gleeful in a wicked way. Her hands moved to her dress and she started to slide her skirt up.

Andrei certainly hadn't expected Lyra to follow, but the fact that she was amused him to no end. Then when she started to hike up her skirt, he understood exactly what she was after and also couldn't help but notice she hadn't closed the door. Orion would no doubt be in the main living space, but seeing the two of them wouldn't be difficult if he stepped in front of his bedroom door. He grinned and reached for his belt, undoing it, unbuttoning his pants, and unzipping all in what seemed like one motion. He then pulled them down to his feet along with his boxers and his manhood came bobbing out. He didn't bother to remove his shirt or even to step out of his pants.

"You're the devil in a dress." he said to her as he approached and kissed her neck, his hands moving over her body.

When Andrei responded, her wicked grin only grew and there was a certain hot shimmer in her dark eyes. This was wrong, rude, and disrespectful and she loved it. As his lips found her neck, her hands moved to his hips.

“And you love me for it.” She purred and then nipped the soft skin under his ear. With a shifting of her body, she pulled herself up onto him, her legs wrapping around his hips tightly. A hand found his hair, pulling his head back so she could kiss him with fire. Her other hand moved down to adjust the fabric of her skirt a bit more and he could feel the soft, inviting flesh of her naked thighs and womanhood greet him.

After so long being tempted and played with by Lyra, Andrei was more than ready to feel her body next to him; around him. Even if he did have anything more than contempt for Orion, he didn't care now, but the fact that the man had spent the entire evening trying to steal Lyra from him just made it all even more perfect. He made a rather loud moaning noise as he supported her body with one strong arm and used his hand to guide himself into her tight entrance.

"Yeah, I love you for it." he said, again, at a deliberately uncareful volume as he started to move her up and down on him with agonizing slowness, enjoying her wetness on his first few inches as she tensed on his largesse sweetly. "Is this that important toy I forgot at the table, Love? Thanks so much for bringing it to me."

She would be able to tell right away that he was being greedy with what he gave her, and denied her the depth and the speed she would be wanting. If she was going to get it, she would have to wait. That, or she would have to take it from him.

Lyra knew it was fair play for her having spent so long teasing him at the table, but she didn't want fair play. Despite Andrei's strength, in her position she had much better leverage and the strength of her legs which wrapped around his hips even tighter than they had been. She started to move her hips, working herself down on him insistently and enveloping more of him into her silken depths. She set her own pace, grinding down on him and angling so he hit all of the spots that simply delighted her.

She moaned for her lover, unashamed, and found his lips with her own again.

Andrei didn’t resist her efforts but didn’t help either, watching her move and enjoying the impressive strength of her movements. He lingered there with her, letting her lose herself on him and feeling the occasional shaking of her body and loving every second of it. After a while, though, he started walking, limiting her range of motion a bit, until they reached Orion’s bed. He pulled out of her and tossed her on the bed playfully, a feat which wasn’t easy. He looked down at her hungrily, wondering if Orion had even heard any of it at all.

Lyra could have fought being tossed down to the bed, but of course she didn’t. She went down with a laugh, bouncing a couple times as she landed and then looking up into Andrei’s eyes with a hungry gaze. Her hands moved down to her skirt again, pulling the fabric up with her fingers in a slow, tantalizing fashion until it crested her thighs, but stopped just short of revealing his desire.

Andrei didn’t need her to reveal anything. He had proved himself more than capable of getting what he was after. He looked at the meeting of her thighs and the obscured space between her toned legs.

“You liked the balls that Orion baked out there, but I know you prefer mine.” He said with a raised eyebrow as he climbed on to his rivals bed, and guided himself inside the object of their desire. This time, unlike in the bathroom, he was taking no prisoners. He wanted to hear his beloved make some noise for him, and make it very clear to their benevolent host exactly whose she was.

Drawn to the open doors of his bed by the sounds of Lyra's moans, he watched as Andrei exited his bathroom carrying Lyra, lithesome legs wrapped tightly around his waist. Ignoring the man she was clinging to was easy enough for Orion, though he took her slightly flushed cheeks, the happy, even eager grin on her perfect features. She was radiant like he'd never seen in other women; passion radiated from her like heat from a star. It was addictive seeing it, and he could understand why Andrei would guard her so jealously. His attention followed her as she was thrown to the bed, listening to the surprised sound she made upon landing, his gaze following the supple curves of her calves, up to her toned thighs and the shadowed apex where they joined with the rest of her body, where her succulent prize rested. However, that was hidden in shadow before the entire view was ruined by Andrei and his bloated body intruding into the picture.

Orion stepped back from the doorway and back to the dining room table and retook his seat, picking up one of the rum balls in his fingers to examine it as he heard the muffled sound of passion coming from his bedroom. Rolling the doughy cake ball into his hand, he clenched his fist in a moderate display of anger as he imagined it being Andrei's balls that he was crushing. He felt the warm chocolate smearing against his palm, and for a moment, he could believe it was the viscera of his violent fantasy as he downed the rest of his mead using his clean hand. Since his bedroom was occupied, he'd have to remember to recycle the sheets; he stepped into the kitchen to wash his hands and pulled out a bottle of scotch to pour himself a few fingers as he set about cleaning up dinner, recycling things into the replicator.

While he had undoubtedly lost this battle, the war wasn't over, and he swore to the gods that he would see Andrei made into something that even the lowest Terran slave could look upon and have some small amount of pride in knowing that there was a form of life even lower than they were.

Lyra had seen the motion in the corner of her eye, but she hadn’t even bothered to look; her eyes were only for Andrei. Before he had really settled into his pace, Lyra had managed to pull her skirt up from under her so her naked lower half was on the bed though still obscured by the fabric of the skirt. Her legs draped over his hips, giving him better leverage to work every single inch of his manhood into her depths. One hand was tangled in his hair and the other gripped onto his arm. His efforts elicited the exact reaction he wanted and she wasn’t shy with her praises, giving even more than she usually did.

Andrei pounded like a machine, using every bit of himself to illicit moans, squeals, and dirty talk from Lyra. His hands moved on her body as he moved in her rapidly with an accompanying chorus of his own grunts and moans along with the natural wet sounds of the act itself. By the time they finished together and began to kiss, Orion’s bed was left in a state of absolute chaos.

Andrei pulled the man’s pillow case and used it to clean both him and Lyra off before tossing it carelessly on the man’s side table. As he pulled his underwear and pants back on and made himself presentable again, he watched Lyra with lustful eyes. She was amazing in his eyes, and that scared him a bit more than anything else. She had been loyal to him in this situation, but was that because she was truly dedicated to him or simply because she had no interest in Orion?

He kept all of these doubts from his face perfectly, and even winked at her with a smile. He was probably being silly.

Lyra looked up from the bed at Andrei, her dark eyes smoldering with the heat of satisfaction and desire. When he winked at her, she grinned in response and extended her hand to him so he could help her off the bed. As soon as she was on her feet, she kissed him; it was deep, passionate, and possessive. When she pulled back, she gave a giddy little giggle over what they had just done. It had been so wrong and yet so very right for them. She gave his hip a squeeze, letting him know she was ready to head back out.

Andrei led the pair as they walked back into the main living area flushed, breathing somewhat heavily, and with scattered hair. He walked past Orion without acknowledging him and plopped down on his couch with a groan. Then, finally, he looked at the other man with those predatory mismatched eyes, one silvery and the other blood red. His smile was dark and said everything his words did not. He had won. He was better. He had the prize; and he always would.

“You’ve got a tiny bed, Orion.”

Lyra wandered out after Andrei though was a bit slower as she had taken a moment to fix her hair as best she could with her fingers. She smirked at Andrei’s comment about the bed being small, and immediately moved to slide into his lap. Her arms went around his shoulders and she leaned her body into his while her eyes found Orion.

“Orion, would you be a dear and get us more mead? I’m very thirsty.”

Orion smiled at Lyra and ignored Andrei's comment, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at it as he walked over to a small wine rack and ran his fingers over the small selection that he had. He found the one he wanted, a 2365 Chateau D'Everaux, a fine enough selection he was willing to part with. He pulled it free, set it on the table before his guests, and smiled. A gesture telling them to get the fuck out; the evening was done.

"It's not more mead, but its a bottle of wine that I think will suffice to sate your thirst," He focused on Andrei, still smiling despite internally desiring nothing more than to infect the man with some sort of parasite that would make his cock stay flaccid and his balls to shrivel. A fitting punishment for a man like him. "I'm glad you enjoyed the evening, but let me see you out."

He also emphasized the point by gesturing towards the door.

Andrei pushed the bottle away slightly and shook his head. He grabbed Lyra’s hand and squeezed it affectionately, but directing his attention to the man in front of him. Orion had gone too far today, but he doubted the man would see it that way. He slavered after what was Andrei’s like a dog, and he might one day have to be put down like one. But, for now, he was an asset to the Fleet, and Andrei didn’t want to lose him in a pool of blood.

“We don’t need your wine, Orion.” Andrei said, as if the suggestion were simply stupid. Their game of politeness was at an end. “My advice to you is to go charm someone else. There are plenty of attractive women in the Fleet; you don’t need the best every time. And, if by some stroke of insanity you were to lay a hand on my woman, it would result in your brutal murder. It’s not really worth it, old friend. Find safer pussy. It’s everywhere.”

A retrovirus. Something that would settle into Andrei's genetics and find the triggers for every awful thing waiting for the right key to unlock. Something that would cripple the man and leave him a retched shell, a little something more akin to Quasimodo, bent and broken with none of what Andrei was so bloody proud of and allowed him to woo his lovers. Resisting the urge to use the heavy bottle as a bludgeon, Orion returned it to the rack instead. "Then leave; you've made your point; now go fuck in your quarters."

Lyra watched and listened to the exchange between the two men while remaining where she was in Andrei’s lap. When he squeezed her hand, her lips twitched upward in a slight smile. She didn’t interject her own comments after Andrei’s speech definitively declaring her as his woman; she paid no mind to the fleeting whispered question of if he would say the exact same for the rest of the women he had claimed on the ship. She turned her head to give him a quick kiss and then finally moved to stand so they could leave Orion’s quarters and leave the man to tend to his eviscerated pride.

“We’ll do that… probably several more times.” She smirked.

Only Orion could conspire to take another man’s girlfriend and then get upset that the man pushed back. Andrei shrugged and glanced at Lyra indifferently. Then he started for the exit with her. As far as he was concerned, the meal had been a smashing success.

Orion waited until the pair had left his quarters before he finished cleaning up the meal and pouring another couple of fingers of whisky as he steeled himself to go into his violated bedroom to overlook the damage. He took a sip of his drink, making a slight face at the burn, setting the glass aside so he could gather up the soiled linens and carried them over to the replicator as he ran them through the recycle process, setting up some incense to burn, to at least override the smell of sex going stale.

He'd have to take his time and regroup, figure out a different angle to come at Andrei from, maybe find his enemies and pool resources for revenge.

END]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2024 03:14:14 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/786 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/786
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - XO's Quarters

ON

Running on the holodeck was a nice break from the mundane running on the treadmill in the gym or around the sterile scenery of the ship decks themselves and was usually something she enjoyed quite thoroughly, but her time had been disrupted by Orion’s unwelcome intrusion. She’d found his attempts harmless and amusing at first and hardly anything noteworthy having only mentioned it a few days ago to Andrei since it had truly slipped her mind. This time, however, he had made his feelings and his intentions very clear. She had been angry about it of course, but in a way Orion wasn’t wrong. Andrei had been that way and maybe he still would be with others, but with her she was seeing a much different side of him. He was a boy finally making the transition to manhood at what many would see as the appropriate age to abandon the childish pursuits. Some were more successful than others. The problem really was that she and Andrei were both adept at manipulating others, and their relationship required an immense amount of trust that they simply would not do that to each other.

Trust didn’t come easily for either of them, though, and she would have been lying if she said she still wasn’t guarded. They were two souls that burned for each other, but realistically they hadn’t been together that long. Still, she found that most everything in her wanted it all to be real; she had to be careful she wasn’t deluding herself in hopes of a dream.

She walked into Andrei’s quarters, rubbing at the back of her neck and rolling her shoulders.

“Hello, darling.” She greeted as she made her way to the bedroom and into the bathroom.

Andrei sat behind his desk with PADD in hand, leaning back in his comfortable chair. The work day had been relatively uneventful, and besides a few trips to different departments to get the lay of the land and to make his presence known, he had read reports and held small informal meetings in his office and on the Bridge.

When the doors parted and Lyra walked in, he glanced up briefly to watch her on her journey to the bathroom.

“Hello.” He said in a neutral tone. “How was your run?”

“Eh.” She said loudly enough to be heard while she pulled off her clothes and put them in the laundry for the slaves to take care of later. Naked now, she stepped into the shower to wash off the sweat from running on the tropical beach climate - it was definitely more of a work out than solid ground and she could feel it in her toned legs.

“Oh? But it sounded so relaxing when you told me where you were going.” he said, swiping his finger across the screen and assigning his thumb print. “You’ve got to let your stress go when work is done, Love. Running on the beach was supposed to put those cares a thousand lightyears away.”

Lyra tilted her head back and let her eyes roll up back into her skull at Andrei’s words. The sonic shower took care of everything quickly, but she lingered a few seconds to just listen to the low, soothing vibrations. After stepping out, she went about applying her lotion while continuing the conversation.

“I know that, but it’s a bit hard to do when someone is in the holodeck eating up my time and then refuses to just excuse himself like a decent person.”

Himself? Andrei’s eyes drifted away from the device in his hand and looked toward the bedroom door with his mismatched eyes as if she were simply standing there. He kept the sudden swell of curious, or perhaps even paranoid, suspicion off his face and out of his voice.

“And who would be so rude to you?” he asked evenly, even though he was already putting the PADD down on the desk. “Someone who wouldn’t follow your order to leave?”

Lyra didn’t reply immediately and finished what she was doing then washed her hands. After stepping out into the bedroom, she continued to speak while she pulled on a pair of silky, lace trimmed pants and a matching tank top; the soft material stretched over her chest and rear end, giving away the shape but leaving the details to the imagination. “Your dear friend Orion, darling.”

Sighing, she brushed out her hair and then finally wandered out to the main living area. “He was in the holodeck doing some science experiment program or whatever.”

Andrei’s lips poked out almost like a kiss as he looked at her.

“Hardly friends. I will admit he was entertaining enough at first, but he could never accept that I was better than him. It drove him mad.” He said, tapping his finger on the desk. “What did he want with you? Some boring science bullshit?”

Lyra walked over to the replicator and looked over her shoulder to his desk. Seeing he didn’t have a drink there, she ordered two cups of the black tea and honey he preferred. Once it was produced, she grabbed both of the podstakanniks and then joined Andrei. “He didn’t want anything with me, I don’t think. He had just run over his personal time on the holodeck and you know how I like to be prompt.”

She placed his drink down in front of him and then sipped her own. “To be polite, I asked him about what he was doing because clearly he was weaponizing something and I was curious. Turns out it is some sort of bacteria they found on the Gladius and they turned it into a battery. It seems incredibly stupid, but they were desperate I suppose.”

“I read about that in their logs. It just goes to show how ingenious Terrans can be when we are in need. What a shame they didn’t arrive with us in the first place.” Andrei commented, but his mind hardly moved over the topic of the bacteria. “And you were so bothered by him being there when you arrived? What did he have to stay for once he knew he was over his time?”

“I was annoyed like I would be with anyone.” She shrugged. “He lingered because like I said, I was curious and also being polite. I don’t feel a need to alienate him unnecessarily.” She paused and then amended it, “Well, I didn’t, at least.”

Andrei watched her, grabbing the silver handle of his emerald-encrusted podstakannik and lifting the hot drink to his lips. His mismatched eyes never left her. They were growing suspicious as he sensed there was more to this small-talk than met the eye. He wished she would just get to it. Some of that suspicion slipped into his gaze, but none of the impatience. Instead of speaking, he merely enjoyed the hot drink and gave her the space to continue talking.

Lyra met his eyes and took note of his gaze, but she kept her own even and unreactive. “Before he left, I mentioned that you were thinking about meeting with him to catch up,” the tone when she spoke communicated she knew exactly what Andrei’s intention was when he said “catch up” in that sense, “he asked me what the plan was. I told him to ask you or Jasper. Then he started talking about the program I was running.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the thought, then moved to sit on the edge of Andrei’s desk. She was obviously annoyed by the entire thing and wanted to be close to her lover.

“So, he was being a pest and refused to leave. Is that all he was about?” Andrei asked, lifting his chin in a prideful gesture which drew attention to his strong jaw and height of his posture, even as he leaned back in the chair. “I’m having a hard time understanding why you are so annoyed by that, Love.”

Lyra was momentarily distracted watching him lift his head, her dark eyes taking in the details of his body as he leaned back. “I told him the program was from a beach I spent time on during spring breaks at the Academy, he said he found the thought of me doing anything for spring break to be surprising, and I reminded him he didn’t know anything about me.”

She placed her tea down on the desk. “Then he puts out that he’s been trying to scour the rumor mill and the database to learn more about - I quote - ‘the woman who has captured my attention completely.” Her lips pursed and she looked like she had just tasted something bad. “I decided I would educate him on one fact at the very least which is I take faithfulness in my relationship very seriously - both my own and my man’s.”

To Andrei’s credit, he seemed no more bothered by the information she had given him than before and, if anything, seemed slightly relieved to have actually heard what it was. Lyra was reporting this particular happening, so it certainly wasn’t like she was hiding it. An interested woman would have let it to herself.

“What a sad little man.” Andrei said, sucking in air through his nostrils. “Very disrespectful though, isn’t it? He’s going to need to be taught a lesson.” He said, lifting his tea again, but pausing a moment before drinking, “What did he say when you told him you had no interest in him?”

“He decided to start lecturing me about the kind of person you are. He said you are the epitome of faithlessness, selfish, never consider anyone else’s needs but your own; how you say the right things at the right time to make people feel like they are the center of the universe but that the mask eventually comes down and you show yourself to be a selfish prick.” Her scowl deepened with every recount she gave.

“What a devious little idiot. I should run him through with my sword.” He responded, but didn’t seem particularly angry. He looked at her and lifted his brow. “Well, it sounds like he is working hard on you. Does he really think I would tolerate this kind of behavior, do you think?”

“It seems so.” She replied. As she looked at him, she saw the lack of expression there and wondered what it meant. He seemed to care with what he was saying, but his body language communicated differently and she wasn’t sure which to believe. If she had been in his shoes and he had been talking about one of his conquests or someone new doing something similar, she would be plotting how to communicate to that person how incredibly stupid they were being, but perhaps he was just showing her how he expected these things to be dealt with.

She didn’t like it.

She moved from his desk and over to the couch, taking a seat and tucking her legs up underneath her while she sipped her tea. “He doesn’t seem to grasp the concept that I am not interested.”

Andrei stood then, pursing his lips together and placing his tea down on the desk.

Turning around, he grabbed one of his shashkas and placed it on his hip. Turning, he looked at her with calm and quiet confidence.

“I’ll explain it to him then.” He said, and then started toward the door with a determined stride.

Well that was certainly more decisive as a reaction, though a bit heavy handed. Lyra put her tea down on the end table. “Wait, darling.”

She got up and followed after him, intercepting him before he got to the door and placing one hand on his wrist while the other went up to his cheek. “Not tonight… just stay with me. I want you.”

It wasn’t an order, it was a simple, gentle request.

At first, it seemed as if Andrei might walk straight through her, but stopped just as his torso had made contact with her breasts. He looked down into her eyes without lowering his head, every bit of his natural arrogance working underneath the surface.

“I don’t want to accuse you of protecting this man. That wouldn’t be fair.” He said, his tone slightly strained, but still quite well controlled.

He said he didn’t want to, but he certainly just had in his own way. Lyra’s brows went up slightly in surprise at first, and then she frowned, the slightest glimpse of hurt being shown before it disappeared. She pulled back from him and wrapped her arms around herself, physically closing off from him and moving out of his way while walking back to the couch.

“I had a long, stressful day with my double shift and the thing that was supposed to help me unwind got fucked up by some asshole. I just wanted to be with you and try and let that go; you are my favorite way to relax even if it's just us lying on the couch reading.” She sat back down and pulled her legs up again, clearly unhappy with him and his insinuation. She could have just not told him and maybe it had been a mistake to at all.

Andrei watched as Lyra went back to the couch, closing herself off to him. The two of them were like tortoises in shells at times; hard and tough on the outside, but here, very tender and vulnerable. He had a thousand justifications for wanting to act, but he knew it wasn’t urgent. Part of him was annoyed at her for being so sensitive, but the rest knew how counterproductive that feeling really was. With a sniff of air, he turned and walked back to the desk area. He placed his sword back in its place and then retreated to the bedroom for the space of a few moments.

When he returned, he was wearing a long-sleeve gray shirt and a pair of black leisure pants. He walked over to the couch and stopped before her, placing a hand on her side and wordlessly pressing her to lay down. In his other hand was a lavender-colored bottle of massage oil.

Lyra was sitting with her eyes closed, having written Andrei off and feeling he would either go do what he was going to do or go back to his desk and ignore her which right now would have suited her just fine. She felt him draw close and braced for him to berate her. When she felt the touch on her side she opened her eyes and looked toward his hand and then up at him with a slight frown. She didn’t move immediately, some stubborn streak in her was tempted to protest and tell him to leave her alone, but then she realized that would be rather childish and silly. He was giving her exactly what she had wanted. He might have not been doing so happily, but he was doing it and that was worth something.

She put her tea down again and then shifted so she could lie down on the couch for him.

Sometimes love was a feeling, and sometimes it was an act. Andrei was showing that he understood that fact. He may have wanted to be using his sword to castrate their Chief Science Officer, but he understood that he was needed here. He grabbed at her silky, lace-trimmed pants and started to slowly remove them, being careful not to disturb her more than was necessary. As he applied the oil, he said nothing. Sometimes, words couldn’t help and actions spoke more faithfully. He placed his hands on her nearest leg and started to slowly massage her aching muscles.

As he didn’t want to disturb her, she also didn’t shift more than necessary to help him. They were, however, quite practiced in the art of taking each other’s clothes off, so knowing what to do was natural at this point. He revealed the silky black panties underneath the pants that showed off the underside of her bottom and her long, toned legs. As he pressed his fingers into her flesh, he could immediately see the tension melting away from her body in just the simple act. It was obvious she hadn’t been exaggerating her enjoyment of being near him. She didn’t offer any words, and only the occasional slight sound of discomfort or approval hummed against her tongue broke the quiet, rhythmic motions of his hand.

Andrei moved his strong hands masterfully over her leg before moving on to the next one. He was skilled, and had clearly put in his time and practice between working on her and the secret visits he made to the holodeck to hone his skills. He was gentle when it was needed and certainly could provide the power when a bit more pressure was called for. The massage wasn’t long, but he could tell it had been effective. When he was done, he leaned in and kissed her on the side, being as careful as he could not to tickle her in that particularly sensitive area.

She was practically dozing by the time he had finished up. His kiss roused her again and she turned her head and smiled at him with a warm, genuine expression that had really only ever been given to him. She was clearly tired, but also clearly grateful.

“Spasibo moy dorogoy.” Her voice was perfectly accented from years of practice. Maybe her parents had Andrei in mind for her for a long while given that Russian was one of the earliest languages she had learned. He didn’t find her linguistic accomplishments impressive of course, but even so he did still seem to like it when she spoke in his mother tongue to him from time to time.

“De nada, meu amor.” He responded in Portuguese, her native tongue, and moved to sit on the couch under her smoothly oiled legs. “You know, Revana hates Orion. I don’t know what he did to make her so angry, though.”

“From what I understand, when they went down to Sikaris with Kit, Orion was practically drooling over Revana. They went somewhere on one of those platforms for a few minutes, then when they came back everything was frosty.” Lyra supplied and put her head down on the throw pillow she had pulled over while he had been giving her the message. Her tone was even and she had her face turned in a way that made it very hard to see her true expression.

Andrei chuckled and shook his hand, running his hand slowly over her legs. It was a mystery, but he knew Orion had a capacity to flip on a dime and was quite the flirt to boot. He always seemed to Andrei to like the strong type of woman. Unfortunately, that was so often the kind who could take what they want from a man and leave them bleeding. His crush on Lyra made sense in that light.

“Well, she is furious with him. She gave him a mean nickname and everything, but when I probed, she wouldn’t say any more.” he said and shrugged. Revana had her secrets at times, though she liked to play dumb. “I’ll have to arrange a tet-a-tet with my dear old friend sooner rather than later.”

“Oh? What is she calling him?” Lyra asked, her voice projecting a genuine interest which she most certainly did not feel. She didn’t like the fact he was gossiping with Revana or really talking to her outside any official capacity. The fact that the woman was now stationed on the Gladius indicated it had been a pointedly sought out conversation too which just made it worse. Still, it wasn’t worth the fight and she was trying her best to just let it go. For now.

Andrei wasn’t actually interested in discussing it either, though he kept that to himself as well as she did. Perhaps it was his lack of interest in gossip generally, or the fact he knew she wasn’t a fan of his friendship with Revana. It was dangerous, in her mind, and he understood that. If the situation were reversed, he would be just as uncomfortable, if not more. Despite her concerns, though, he and Revana were’t pillow friends and often they just had fun talking to each other. The energy he had put into the friendship had been greatly reduced, and often their conversations were text-based and a ship away. He was happy with that arrangement. Still, he found himself torn between the potential of making Lyra uncomfortable by talking about Revana and trying to keep her in the loop, making sure she felt involved.

“Gummy Dick.” he said, shaking his head and keeping his answer short. “Quite crude, really.”

“A bit.” Lyra replied, sounding amused and it was hard to tell differently. She shifted to turn on her side, keeping her legs off the couch and still just on him, but she was careful to not move him around too much or hit any of her favorite bits.

“What are you thinking for a meeting?”

“A meal is the classic choice.” he said, sounding bored by the idea. “The sparring arena is another one.”

“Do I get to watch?” She asked as she looked at him, her eyebrows raising slightly and a small smile tugging onto her full lips.

“Of course you do, love. I’ve got a front-row ticket just for you.” he said with a grin of his own. He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers gently. “It wouldn’t be sufficiently embarrassing for him if you were absent anyway.”

“Were you both often at odds growing up?” She asked curiously, wanting to hear from Andrei’s side since Orion had made his opinions of Andrei exceedingly clear to her.

“You might say that.” Andrei said, his mind drifting back to that time in his life. “We would connect with the Wolff family several times a year considering we ruled the largest part of their lands. Often, we would visit them, but other times they would pay us a visit instead at the Kremlin. Tiresome, boring people really. But, because his Father was more powerful than mine, Orion thought he should win at King of the Hill.”

Andrei looked at Lyra and shook his head.

“Little Andrei wasn’t having that. We found ourselves put together socially quite often. Whenever I had a friend, Orion wanted to be friends with them as well. As we matured, I seemed to find him arm in arm with girls I had dated previously. At times, I admit I made some sport of it actually, but it never bothered me that he should have my leavings. I think it bothered him though.” he said, rubbing her leg again. “He’s always wanted to see me kneel, really.”

Lyra listened to him with obvious interest in the topic, her dark eyes resting on his face to catch any nuance of expression he might give while he was speaking about his experiences. She seemed quite at ease, and when he began to rub her leg again she even smiled. “Well, he’ll learn quickly that you do no such thing here.”

She shifted then, pulling herself up and over him so she could straddle his lap and look into his eyes. “You’ll always be king of the hill, darling.”

He looked into her eyes and smiled, holding her closer now that she was on top of him.

“And you, the Queen.” he said, and kissed her deeply, all thoughts of killing Orion falling from his mind.

She met his kiss with passion and her body leaned into his. She had been open with him about the encounter and he in turn had put his desires aside to care for her. There wasn’t a need for any more words between them; they knew what came next.

END]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2024 03:12:54 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/780 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/780
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - Holodeck

ON

While Orion was wholly capable of being a social butterfly, rubbing elbows with the most wealthy and elite of Terran society, he was also quite delighted being in a lab studying a new micro-organism or alien pathogen and being able to watch the effects upon a living creatures body, while also attempting to figure out how to perfect it. Was it dangerous? Yes, most certainly. Was it thrilling? Perhaps only to another scientist, but it was something that drove his passions as he moved through the holodeck recreation of the biological warfare labs of the Terran Applied Sciences Academy situated on Terra's single moon, where if a breach in containment happened, it wouldn't immediately be able to threaten the homeworld.

He was dressed in a sterile white lab coat as he watched a Klingon suffering from exposure to Deinococcus radiodurans Orion lupus, a name he'd given to it to honor his family name and tie it to him as his discovery. He watched in fascination as the alien's extremities were drained of their heat and nutrients, quite literally becoming desiccated and frozen by the progression of the bacterial invader. He watched with a certain dispassion as the Klingon writhed in agony on the table as his arm broke away and shattered on the sterile floor, being immediately evaporated. While he wasn't using the actual bacterium since that would be entirely too reckless, he did it for the reality of his time on the holodeck.

He was busy taking notes as he watched the alien convulse on the bed. His vitals became erratic as his physiology tried to fight off the infection, but it only made it worse as it fed the bacteria more energy. He barely looked up from his PADD as he heard the doors to the holodeck open. "I still have half an hour; come back later," he commented distractedly, too engrossed in his experiment to care who had come in.

"No, you don't."

Lyra's voice was quiet but firm as she spoke from behind Orion. She was standing inside the lab, looking around with a passive interest. She'd heard the screams of the Klingon but truthfully paid them no mind. Dressed in a black athletic tank top and yoga pants, both of which had pops of bright neon green accents. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she held a water bottle in one hand. The clothes hugged every curve of her body, putting her shape on display but leaving the details quite modestly covered.

Orion was experimenting when he heard a woman's voice, which immediately grabbed his attention. He felt a shiver run down his spine, but then he caught sight of Lyra and a warm smile formed on his lips. He paused the program by pressing a button on his PADD. Meanwhile, his Klingon subject was trapped in torment for an agonizing eternity. His eyes didn't miss her tastefully revealing attire as the Terran man took a moment to admire the beautiful woman. A woman who deserved someone who could truly appreciate her, though he knew that Andrei was also quite possessive of what he saw as his, and Orion knew he would need to bide his time and plan carefully.

His attention drifted briefly from Lyra to his PADD as he brought up the timer for his holodeck time. He saw it was blinking a steady red set of zeroes. "Ah, so it would seem," He admitted to the mistake as he set about making sure his research was saved, which would take a moment to copy to his private storage in his office and quarters. "Completely unintentional, though having another chance to speak with you is always a pleasure; just give me a moment to back up my research."

"I'm sure," Lyra said, seeming unconvinced that this was a coincidence. She moved closer to him and inspected the scene before her, including the frozen Klingon and its expression. Her brows raised slightly, and her dark eyes moved to Orion again. "What exactly have you been doing here?"

"Ah, I'm running some experiments with an energy-devouring bacteria I discovered while on the Gladius," he answered, stepping a few steps back and closing the distance between them. We discovered the bacteria living on the surface of an asteroid, and our captain at the time saw potential in it as a weapon since it indiscriminately devours any energy that it comes in contact with."

"When introduced to a living organism, it attacks the nervous system's electrical impulses, draining away all the heat produced by the body as it spreads. From what I've observed, the progression is quite unbearable." The Terran man seemed quite proud of the organism and its potential. "I started running tests on the biology of the various species known to the Empire. Would you be interested in hearing what I found?"

It was simply an excuse to continue speaking with Lyra, trying to establish more of a connection with her and being non-threatening. However, he doubted that would be possible as long as she was with Andrei. However, it always helped to attempt to lay the groundwork. Plus, this was research related to a potential weapon, and being the chief of security, he felt she should be aware of all possible solutions available to her.

"Hm." Again, her eyes drifted to the Klingon, and she considered what was before her. It sounded exciting but hazardous, which, contrary to popular belief, wasn't always a good thing. Something too virulent to either technology or biology often was only worth investing in if it could be kept away from the general population.

Though they did have that Vidiian ship… it had the bonus of having one of Andrei's former lovers on it—one of his favorites. What a terrible shame if something were to happen…

"Sure, why not."

"Klingons have always been one of our most resilient enemies, mainly due to their particular biology, though they also produce more available energy for the bacteria to feed off of." He began, trying to ensure he kept it easy to understand since he knew that scientific babbling tended to turn off anyone, not a scientist. He pulled up the charting of the progression for a Klingon and a Vidiian; she could see at the same time markers that the Klingon's infection was progressing quite aggressively compared to the relatively steady pace of the Vidiian. "With the Klingon, you can see it become much more aggressive due to their redundant biology. Essentially, what makes them such formidable opponents is their Achilles heel. With this pathogen, death occurs relatively quickly once the bacteria spread into the torso as it essentially can cause a simultaneous collapse of both the cardiac and respiratory systems."

"Lieutenant Urso and I were able to find an engineering application for the bacteria as a power source for emergency batteries with quite secure housing," he shared with Lyra as he seemed to notice a certain gleam of interest, thoughts, or questions?"

While Lyra was no scientist and had minimal interest in the topic, this type of science was one of the only exceptions. While she didn't smile and her arms remained under her chest, her eyes communicated her interest clearly. "It seems risky to use it as a battery, though I know you people were rather desperate in your situation."

"It was a matter of inspired desperation," he confirmed to Lyra before he continued speaking. "Before she would approve it, Commander Faulkner made sure that I found a way to treat a bacteria infection, but we did our best to ensure that the batteries that held the colony of bacteria were secure and sturdy since it wouldn't do to have it end our trip prematurely."

"If I were ever to propose live research with the bacteria, it would have to be off the ship, somewhere expendable if there was an outbreak, something that wouldn't necessarily be missed." He added as he took away the displays, pausing momentarily as he looked at the Klingon again. "I have found that Andorian biology does seem resistant to the infection. I haven't found the cause yet, but I believe it relates to their evolution in a frigid environment."

"You should put more time into species from the Delta quadrant," she pointed out slightly sourly. Everyone on the ship was still relatively fresh about their failure with Sikarian technology. "Is your data done backing up?"

"I have data on the Vidiians, Kazon, and a few other minor species we encountered on the Gladius." He confirmed while checking his PADD before shutting down his program. "Everything has finished; Kazon are boringly unremarkable, the Vidiian medical science is quite intriguing, and I'm still reviewing the rest of the data that the Vengeance has on the other species you've encountered,"

"I'm sorry for running over my time," he smiled while pulling up his holodeck schedules, transferring an extra forty-five minutes to Lyra. I just transferred some of my holodeck time to you to compensate for what I ran over."

Lyra quirked a brow at the apology "gift," which was wholly unnecessary, and he knew it. Still, she wasn't shocked by it, given the look he was still giving her. He wasn't subtle about it.

"Maybe set an actual alarm next time, hm?" she offered, gesturing toward the still-waiting arch.

Orion smiled as he shifted away from Lyra and took a parting glance before turning to leave her to her time. The nobleman had given her a gift, not because of the value of the gift itself, but because, from personal experience, Orion knew Andrei tended to be entirely centered on his world. Despite being a power couple, Orion wondered how much attention Andrei gave that didn't revolve around something involving him or his desires. He hoped that the gift he had given would show Lyra that there was someone who was willing to make a sacrifice from his resources and that he appreciated her company. Before leaving, he thanked her for entertaining him and said, "I'll keep that in mind. I hope you enjoy your time."

"Oh, there was one other thing. Orion," Lyra said and turned to face him. Her dark eyes were intense and maybe even slightly amused by what she was about to say. Andrei said the two of you should catch up sometime. I thought it was an excellent idea."

"Did he now?" Orion seemed amused by the idea as he paused at the door and turned to face her. "That does sound like an excellent idea; it has been donkey's years since we've had a chance to catch up,"

"Where would I be meeting my old friend?" Orion asked, his tone friendly, as he stood there as if this was just an ordinary invitation between old friends and not between near-peer rivals.

"I wouldn't know, love. I don't arrange his meetings." Lyra shrugged and brushed her ponytail over her shoulder. "Computer, switch program to Cassiel 1724."

The scene shifted from the lab to a tropical beach from Terra. There were no identifying structures around, but given the sand, color of the water, and relatively flat terrain, it was likely on the east coast of North America or the Gulf of Mexico somewhere. "I would broach that subject with him or, at the very least, his yeoman."

"Then I'll reach out to find out," he replied, taking in the breathtaking vista of the program. He let his mind wander a little and pictured Lyra in something that was a little more beach-appropriate. A sly smile formed on his lips as he continued to imagine what she might look like before tucking it away. "Quite beautiful here; it looks quite like Vista Azul."

"Honeymoon Island in Florida, actually," Lyra said, putting her water bottle in the sand. She started to move and stretch, first with her arms, though she was still watching Orion. "A hurricane tore through here centuries ago before we had weather control and demolished everything that had been built. It was never rebuilt and eventually purchased by a private party who continued to keep it as is."

"Mmmm, quite the enlightened choice. There is something to be said for embracing natural beauty," Orion replied as he focused on Lyra's eyes for a moment. "Have you ever been there or just enjoyed the privilege through the holodeck?"

"I've been here. I spent a few spring breaks here during the Academy." After stretching her arms, she began to twist at her core. She was aware he was standing there purposefully looking at her, and she allowed it. What harm was there in letting him look, after all?

Orion's mind wandered as he tried to picture the Security Chief on Spring Break. He found her an intriguing paradox—incredibly sensual and no-nonsense. He thought about the typical Spring Breaks that most Terrans took part in, but then his attention shifted towards the idea of a private beach for Academy Spring Break, which sounded like a luxury beyond compare. "Those must have been interesting Spring Breaks, given you don't seem the type to engage in such things."

As he watched her stretching, he couldn't help but admire her toned physique. He wondered how his dear friend Andrei hadn't yet messed things up with Lyra. He had to admit that the two seemed to have chemistry, but Orion suspected it was only a matter of time before something went wrong. He had even spent a good sum of money to bet on it. Despite his reservations, he couldn't deny that Lyra was a stunning woman and admired how Andrei kept her interested.

Lyra just chuckled at that. There was amusement in her dark gaze, but something so much deeper, darker, and more dangerous there too. She looked into Orion's beautiful eyes for just a moment. She placed both her hands on one thigh and then started to slide them down, her body bending to follow the motion of her hands down to her ankle. She wasn't facing away, so he didn't get the "best" view of her, but it was certainly something. She slowly righted herself and flipped her ponytail back behind her.

"You don't know anything about me."

"Well, you win this round," he confessed, his eyes locked on her as she moved with effortless grace. He couldn't help but imagine how she might look from a different angle, but he was too distracted by the delicious morsel he had just received. The fact that he was denied the chance to appreciate her fully made him crave her more, like a tempting treat just out of reach. "I must admit, I've scoured the rumor mill and the archives, and it's so barren of anything personal. It's frustrating, really. I'd love to know more about the woman who has captured my attention completely."

Orion was recklessly bold, akin to Icarus flying too close to the sun. He needed to avoid this fate if he hoped to win against Andrei.

"Really? That isn't what I have heard." She challenged, her expression suddenly becoming much less amused. "I hear you aren't exactly choosy with what you chase."

"A man can't look?" He countered, tilting his head towards her and taking in her darkening expression.

At his response, Lyra rolled her eyes, not responding and instead repeating the motion she had just done but on her opposite leg. Once she had righted herself again, her dark eyes settled on Orion. "Looking is one thing; salivating and chasing like some lovesick puppy is another. I hear you're especially fond of green-skinned girls."

Thinking back on it, he had been a bit forward with Revana, but it had been a bit of fun, nothing more as far as he was concerned, but that wasn't likely to be an answer that would fly with Lyra. "A bit of fun on an otherwise uneventful assignment that was little more than flirting, nothing more."

Lyra closed the distance between them with alarming speed. She invaded his personal space and got right into his face. Her dark eyes were intense and ruthless. "Fine then, Orion. I will teach you two facts about me right here and now. First, I find that absolutely revolting. Second, I take faithfulness in a relationship very seriously, both my man's and my own."

"Then it deeply surprises me that you are with a man like Andrei; he's the epitome of faithlessness," The Terran man countered, standing his ground against her sudden appearance in front of him, only his own trained reactions stopping him from flinching at her being so close. She is more than capable of harming you, he heard his father's deep baritone in his head as he looked his eyes with her terrifyingly dark orbs. She is more than capable of slipping a blade between your ribs, leaving you bleeding out right here like a sacrificial pig.

Keeping his expression stoically even, Orion held himself to his full height as he considered the woman before him. Despite the danger, he found that it added something erotically alluring to the moment as he spoke softly to her since there was just the air and the thin layers of clothes separating them. "He's never put anyone before himself; any relationship has been about his gratification, needs, and wants, with little afterthought to anyone else."

"He plays the role well; he'll say the right things and make you feel like you are the center of his universe, but it's only ever superficial."

"Perhaps I did cross a line." He admitted with a slight self-awareness, accepting that he had indeed crossed a line and needed to ensure that didn't happen again. "I need to act more like the noble son of Terra that I am," he continued to hold her gaze before he spoke again. "I do admire your devotion to Andrei. He does seem like a different man to me in some ways, but I've also seen him wear masks to get what he wants, whoever he wants, but eventually, the mask slips, and he shows everyone the selfish little prick hidden beneath."

"When that happens, he'll throw away something he was never worthy of." He shared with her, letting some of the more noble Orion out, the one who dueled at court, who stood tall with pride in his name and his heritage. "I have work to do on myself, but I intend to show you that I am the man truly worthy of an incredibly singular woman like you, Lyra."

"No man would openly admit it, but the Terran Empire was always at its zenith when we had an empress leading it; it's always been the folly of men to become stagnant, content with our successes that we let the fruits of our labors rot away."

Lyra remained precisely where she was. Orion standing to his full height did nothing to intimidate or dissuade her, given her height and presence. Her intense gaze never wavered from his, but she didn't interrupt him as he lambasted Andrei to her face and declared himself to be the superior choice for her. The estimation of Andrei's character wasn't exactly off base—at least not the Andrei he had been before he had made the choice not to be that way anymore.

Not with her, at least.

She wasn't a fool. Andrei was fiercely intelligent and sly, but they had grown very close over the past few months. He could try to lie to her, to play her, but with how much they had let each other in, it would be difficult for either of them to really do anymore. They'd still be capable, though, which was the crux of everything. They had to trust; that was a near-impossible ask for people like them.

"You're eating into my run time." She finally replied, giving him no other response to his speech. Her relationship was none of his business.

"Then I will leave you to it, Lyra; enjoy your run, and I'll reach out to Andrei to arrange a visit." Orion smiled as he moved to step away, accepting what little acknowledgment she had given to his words. He knew it might not change anything, but Lyra was an intelligent woman, and while what he'd heard of this new Andrei gave him a moment's pause, he knew deep down that a leopard never changed its spots.

He hoped that it didn't turn into something ugly between her and Andrei because there was a part of him, a small part of him, that thought Andrei had the potential to be more than the booze-soaked womanizer who was attempting to rival Gregori Rasputin in the number of women he slept with. Though he also knew that his ambitions wouldn't be satisfied merely playing second fiddle to the man, it irritated him in the worst way possible as a small idea popped into his head for the meeting Andrei wanted.

He smiled as he stepped out of the holodeck to leave Lyra to her time.]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2024 03:12:37 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/801 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/801
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - CMO's Quarters

ON

“Tell me. What is your relationship with other people on the crew?”

Daniel was standing at the view port of his quarters, dressed only in his silk and linen blend lounge pants as he watched the small streaks of passing celestial objects in the far off distance. He had heard Ilan stir behind him and given her a few moments to gain her bearings before the rather non-sequitur questioning began.

“Hmm…?” Ilan hummed out in question as she stretched in his bed much like a cat would have, even flexing her fingers and toes. Her eyes moved over to him and she gave a bit of a snort. “Hey you put on pants, that’s no fair.”

Turning to face her, Daniel’s face was more pensive than playful. “Your relationship with the rest of the crew. Are you close to any of them on a non-professional level?”

Ilan looked up to his handsome face and pouted slightly at his expression. She reached back to gather up her hair and pulled it all over one shoulder. “Well yeah, of course I am. I mean I guess it depends on your definition of close, but I have plenty of friends. Why?”

“I was surprised at my response to our recent losses. The fact that I knew no one that was lost on more than a professional level or as files in our system should have insulated me from the loss.Instead I am…” He trailed off, at a loss for words to explain how he was feeling.

Ilan didn’t prompt him with words to continue but did lean toward him with raised eyebrows, communicating her interest in what he would say next without pressuring him toward an answer. They didn’t do too much talking on a personal level; it was mostly professional with some chit chat and a healthy amount of flirting. Their personal time was spent… very personally with little time for words.

“Lost? Alone? Perhaps doubting how best to manage the trip we have ahead of us in isolation.” He turned back to looking out the viewport as he spoke. “It is impossible for me to completely disconnect by virtue of my position and profession. More than that though, what am I doing on this voyage? Making a new soldier that is going to take years to get working for…what?”

“Well why would you want to take the trip in isolation anyways?” Ilan asked, her expression scrunching slightly. That was a completely ridiculous notion to her.

“Just always been that way. Nose in the books to make sure I progress as best as possible in the fleet has always been the only concern before.” His shoulders lifted slightly in a shrug, still looking out the port with his back to her. “I’m very capable of taking care of myself and getting what I need when I need it.”

“Seems a lonely, boring way to spend the next seventy or so years.” She finally shifted off of the bed with her body wrapped up in his sheet and grabbed her glass of water from the bedside table. “What are you even interested in doing with your life? In general before we got stuck out here… what was your goal? What did you want to accomplish?

“Nothing particularly inspired. Increase my family’s influence in the Empire.” Daniel turned around again and walked closer to the bed before continuing. “I was fine with that. Burying myself in science and sweet talking the admiralty to get more opportunities for my mother and grandparents.”

“Well, not really an option now and they’ll have to learn to stand alone.” Ilan pointed out and wrapped her arms around herself. “So what do you want to do here now? Do you want to be so standoffish and alone or do you want to make a life here?”

“Is it worth it?” The doctor stood solidly as he looked at Ilan, his muscles betraying the uncertainty he was feeling just having this conversation.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” She asked, tilting her head.

“There is a lot of depression and anger over the losses we have suffered because of those connections.” He paused just a moment before adding, “And the idea of working with someone that might learn how to read me is problematic.”

“People will learn how to read you anyways, Daniel. Some people are just good at that.” Ilan offered, patient in tone at the moment. “And of course there’s been depression and anger over the loss, that’s natural and while a bitter pill, the risk is worth it for how much certain people can enrich one’s life.”

“For example?” Daniel smirked at himself for leaving such an obvious open ended question out there for such a clever person. “I don’t count.”

Ilan grinned at that and stepped toward him while lifting her hand to place on the side of his neck. “Of course you count even if I don’t for you, you just want to be an ass about it.”

She winked, showing she was joking and really had no hard feelings about the matter. “Let’s see, off the top of my head I have a group of people I get together with every week or so if time allows just to gamble or play other games, relax, have fun, and unwind together.”

“I suppose that is a start, some level of friendship to perhaps build on later if the entry level experiments are promising.” He reached up and touched her hand, spreading his fingers to work between hers and then closed it to hold it firmly. His instinct was to use the hold to leverage her into a more carnal position and he knew she wouldn’t object if he did so, but that wasn’t the point of this conversation and so he reigned in the impulse and took half a step back.

“What do you gamble on?” Daniel asked as his eyebrow raised just slightly in curiosity.

“Poker, dom-jot, sometimes we’ll even go to the holodeck and bet on some horse racing. It’s fun. You’d be welcome to join us sometime - it’s open door.” She held his hand and stood there easily with him, looking into his eyes.

“Holodeck horse racing? I suppose there is no higher risk of someone cheating that than any other game of chance. Can look at it as a trust exercise I guess.” His eyes unfocus just slightly as he starts to analyze the possibilities as he would a lab experiment.

“We set the program up together, but honestly we don’t have problems with cheating. It just takes the fun out of it; you lose the thrill of the win. We’re not out to make money or get some extra rations, we want to have fun.” Ilan explained, tilting her head and wondering at him. She supposed she had never really realized how strangely antisocial he was before; they focused on other things.

“You don’t think some of them might enjoy the thrill of not getting caught?” He let his hand fall from his face and looked at her in slight disbelief. In his experience of the Empire and specifically the fleet, everyone was looking out for themselves at the sake of someone else. Climbing through life on other’s necks and not caring how that affected the one they stepped on was all too common. Hell, even his own family subscribed to the mentality.

Ilan shrugged. “In other settings, sure, but it’s an unspoken rule that it doesn’t fly in this group. In the end there are no stakes of worth so cheating is honestly just laughable and juvenile at that point. We’re just out to have fun and relax and just… exist without having to worry about anything for a couple of hours.”

She paused and lifted her shoulders in another shrug. “If someone were to cheat, you’d immediately make like eight enemies, it just isn’t worth it.”

Daniel listened and absorbed the words, working hard to wrap his head around a concept that sit against his life to this point. Still, he trusted Ilan’s words and intent on the subject. He did come to her for advice after all and ignoring what they said because it didn’t match what you thought before hand was a fool’s way of living.

“Very well,” He said as he stepped behind her and moved his hands to her shoulders as he pressed his thumbs into the muscles there as he continued. “Any plans for a gathering soon?”

“I think we’re going to try a poker game here in a few days. Do you know how to play?” She asked, stepping closer to him in response to his touch.

“The rules are known to me, never had a reason to actually play though.” Daniel massaged her neck and shoulders gently, honestly more interested in just the feel of her than worrying about any benefits of the muscle stimulation. Another change in his world view being that he was surprised about, wanting physical connection beyond the needed release of tensions.

As he massaged her neck and shoulders, she melted into him and sighed in soft satisfaction. “Well, I could teach you here or could play a few rounds on the holodeck just to cut your teeth before you start throwing around anything with some value.”

“Lets start small and move up from there. I understand that wagering articles of clothing is an option, that seems like relatively low steaks to start with…once we have more to wager with.” He didn’t stop the massage but also didn’t angle towards other activities. Daniel was serious about trying to make a change.

Ilan laughed at the suggestion, the grin that had formed remained as she looked into his eyes. “A little strip poker, sounds good to me. We’d have to get all dressed if we want to do that now though… and there are other distracting things we could do in our current state.”

Daniel’s head tilt just slightly as he considered her words and then gave his thought, “How about this. Other things now, but tomorrow we get dressed up for a formal dinner type event and play after dinner?”

That almost sounded like a date, but Ilan said nothing. Instead, she disengaged from him and backed up to his bed again. Once she bumped into it, she dropped the sheet from her body. “Sounds like a grand idea to me… if you earn it.”

Daniel covered the gap in half a second, his hands gaining purchase under her ribs as he half pushed and half threw her back onto the bed. He followed quickly but his goal was obviously much lower as his hands went to her thighs and he put them on his shoulders.

Ilan squealed gleefully as she was tossed back onto the bed. Her fitful giggles that followed soon shifted into more pleasured coos, and eventually she simply closed her eyes and left Daniel to his work.

END
]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2024 05:59:08 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/796 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/796
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - After 11

ON

“Okay, Maya. If I don’t roll out of here, I’m going to be late.” the man said with a captivated grin. He had dark eyes and skin the same color of caramel brown as she did. He also wore his uniform, service gold, while she sat in a somewhat flowy sea-foam green dress which cascaded down to her ankles, hugged her waist, and a rounded plunging neckline that showed off some of her most impressive features.

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to be late.” she responded, a certain demureness in her attractive expression mixing with the confidence of a Terran noblewoman to produce something alluring, flirtatious, and almost innocent. She reached out and grabbed his strong forearm, holding him in place as best as she could, even as she said he could leave. “You always have to go before the fun starts.”

He responded to her pout with a smile of his own. He placed a hand on hers, gently removed her fingers and held them. Bending down, he kissed them gently.

“We can make more fun tomorrow after your shift. I promise.” he said warmly, but with energy. “Stay beautiful.”

WIth that, the man turned from the table and walked energetically toward the exit to After 11, breaking into a jog as he reached the door, and bumping into the woman who was trying to walk through it.

“Oh, shit.” he said, placing his hands on her shoulders to steady her before removing his hands and smiling. “Sorry, Commander. My fault.”

Though Lyra obviously expected to be run into when she stepped through the doors, the impact did little but make her take a small step back. The hands on her shoulders made her lift her brow, and she looked slightly down at the shorter man.

“Is there a fire?” She asked dryly.

“Nah, just late for a meeting.” he said, smiling handsomely and allowing his eyes to linger on her attractive face for just an instant before he pulled himself away. “Gotta run.”

And, with that, he was off down the corridor as he had originally intended. From the table, Maya had observed the entire interaction and, when she noticed whom her boyfriend had run into, her heart skipped a beat. The beautiful girl tried to make herself small to no avail, and shifted her neat blonde dreadlocks to block the half of her face closest to the woman walking through the door. It had been weeks since they had been ship mates, and they hadn’t spoken once. She wasn’t sure if the other woman was avoiding her, just as she was, or if she just didn’t care to talk to her after so long.

At first, when she arrived on Vengeance from Gladius, she thought very little of the Chief of Security beyond her familiar last name; one which belonged to a friend of hers at the Academy named Madeline. They had lost contact after graduation, though Maya had thought of her occasionally. One of the shuttlebay managers mentioned that she had changed identity, and Maya had bled the woman for all the details she knew. Knowing that Lyra was Madeline after all made things uncomfortable and strange beyond an acceptable limit for Maya. She found herself hoping the woman would never ever talk to her and missing the friendship they’d shared.

It wasn’t too often that Lyra felt any sort of social awkwardness anymore, but when she had found Maya’s name on the transfer list from the Gladius weeks ago, she’d felt a complicated series of feelings over it. They’d been friends of a sort, not locked in link step and terribly close, but friends nonetheless. Friends were something she was sorely lacking in her life, but she had also been taught that friendships were liabilities - it wasn’t like her family had the best track record with close friends either.

Still, Maya was an intelligent woman and insatiably curious; it was likely she would end up figuring out that Lyra and Madeline were one in the same and Lyra didn’t want to strain things between them if nothing else for the sake of the working relationship. The problem was she really wasn’t sure what to say. “Hello you don’t remember me but you kind of do in a way I was your friend from the academy but I was in the middle of a blood feud and had to be genetically modified for that into a different person but now I’m me again so hey” didn’t really seem like it would work very well. She still really wasn’t sure what to say, but she was relatively certain that Maya was actually avoiding her now, and that couldn’t be allowed.

Lyra herself was dressed in a long dark purple tunic blouse with slightly fluttering sleeves and a dark wash blue jean that hugged her long, beautiful legs. Her hair was back in a ponytail, giving her a slightly more youthful and approachable look. She was trying to keep it casual. Her dark eyes found Maya immediately, looking pretty as ever, and she also noticed how she was trying to melt into her chair and be unnoticed which really only made her stand out more.

The corner of her lips twitched up in a smirk, but first she turned to the bar to get a drink. When Nat approached, she nodded and gave a small smile. “Whatever you have on special, please.”

“I bought tons of this drink on Sikaris called Frostfire.” Nat said with a grin that hid something beyond casual bar talk. She reached for a cool blue bottle and poured it into a clean glass. The liquid was the palest shade of blue and seemed to be naturally cold without having to be chilled. She slid it to Lyra with a wink. “Go slow. Don’t fuck yourself up.”

Lyra picked up the glass and took a small sip, sucking in a breath through her teeth immediately after as the prominent burn of the naturally cold alcohol hit her and then the flavor finally started to come through. She looked down into the glass and then up to Nat again. “Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. Good find though.”

“If there’s anything I know, Lyra, it’s how to find the good shit.” Nat said, turning her head to the side and flashing an ironic smile which seemed calculated to be a joke on its own. It fell quickly, though, and she turned to an insistent customer who had stepped up next to Lyra.

“You know more than that.” Lyra chuckled knowingly but accepted the woman’s attention turning away from her to another customer. She grabbed her drink from the bar and finally turned to approach Maya’s table. Stopping behind the chair across from Maya that her boyfriend had been sitting in, she looked down to her once friend. “Hey… seat taken?”

Oh, Gods.. Maya thought as she realized, eyes cast down at the table, that her most immediate nightmare was occurring. Even though she had been avoiding Lyra, the last thing she wanted was for the other woman to know she was avoiding her. She looked up quickly, her large, bright brown eyes filled with pleasant happiness so convincingly, that no one who went on her appearance alone would be able to sense her horror.

“Commander Cassiel.” she said, her fingers dancing together nervously, despite her smile. “It’s so…good to see you.”

Had Lyra not been the observant person she was, she likely would have bought into Maya’s words; she was very good at projecting what she wanted to be seen as many noblewomen were, but she wasn’t perfect. Despite not being directly invited to do so, she pulled the chair out and took a seat.

“Is it?” She asked, another small smirk tugging at her full lips, her head even tilting just slightly to add to the effect.

Maya blinked rapidly again. She wasn’t exactly hesitant to break the act if it came down to it, but there was no need at this point to do so in her mind. After all, starting off their first interaction in years with a litany of explanations about how frantically she had been avoiding Lyra wouldn’t go anywhere good.

“I’m surprised you sat down with me.” she said, dodging the question in as honest a shift as she could. “I honestly wasn’t sure you wanted to talk to me.”

“Well…” Lyra began, her face scrunching a bit and she reached up to scratch the side of her head with one finger. “Honestly, Maya, I couldn’t really figure out a good way to approach you, and I’m still not sure this is it but I thought in the end just ignoring it would be worse.”

“Maybe.” Maya said, her eyebrows going up in the first sign of facial anxiety. “Sometimes ignored…difficulties…solve themselves.”

As usual, the pilot spoke in an excessively soft and small voice. It was melodic, gentle, and innocent, specifically chosen to make people feel comfortable around her. It rose in pitch as she made her statement, with a hint of a sarcastic tone for comedic defense.

“Yeah, sure.” Lyra took a sip of her drink and for that brief moment reflected on herself even just during this brief exchange, finding herself acting much more the peasant Madeline as a default. She lowered her glass slower than she had lifted it up.

“If you don’t want to talk, I understand, but I wanted to at the very least come over to say hello. I know you’ve been avoiding me - I don’t blame you.”

She could lie, but she knew it wouldn’t be believed. Instead, she let the smile fade slowly and laced her fingers more calmly.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to talk to you. It’s just..you have a different face; a different name.” She admitted, making good eye contact and seeming to speak from the heart, quite genuinely. “I honestly didn’t know if you were the same person I was friends with at the Academy. I mean, maybe you didn’t even really like me and you were just pretending as part of your..cover?”

A slight smile appeared on Lyra’s face, perhaps a bit encouraged by the shift of Maya’s responses. “I did like you, Maya, you weren’t just a part of the cover. As for being the same person… yes and no. Obviously because of my… assignment… there were certain things I needed to do or say or act a certain way to make that cover believable, but it wasn’t all part of the cover.” She placed a hand on her own cheek absently, but it became thoughtful immediately after.

“I know it is probably very difficult to believe and deal with on your end. It was difficult for the people even just here and most of them didn’t even know I existed until I was made assistant chief of security.”

She was right. It was difficult for her to believe and accept. Friends didn’t change faces and, to be honest, being fooled by Madeline, or Lyra, or whoever she was, had probably made Maya look pretty damn stupid. She didn’t know if the woman across from her thought that or not, but she found herself embarrassed more than anything else.

“It must have been very lonely for you.” Maya said, her voice sympathetic, though she kept thoughts to herself.

Lyra gave a noncommittal hum in reply to that observation and simply looked away. “It was what I had to do.” She didn’t look away for long, bringing her attention back to the younger woman. “I don’t really expect to pick back up as friends, I’m sure you feel you don’t know me at all and that’s alright, but I at least wanted to maybe get to the point where you don’t feel you have to avoid me.”

“I shouldn’t have done that.” Maya said with a slow shake of her head. “I was just afraid of any awkwardness, I guess?”

“I can understand that; like I said, I really don’t blame you.” She took another drink, this time taking a bit more of the alcohol than she had before. It wasn't an immediate regret, but this stuff was certainly potent. “I’m not mad.”

Maya inhaled in an overt sigh of relief at having received that message. She tried to hide it, but it was too late. She flashed a bashful glance at the ceiling before looking back at Lyra.

“Well…you can start by telling me what the hell is going on.” She said, smiling and even allowing a small giggle, within reason.

Lyra faltered slightly at the shift in response, really having not expected it. Genuinely she really had only expected to exchange a few words with Maya so they could function in a professional setting without problems and then be on her way. “Okay… what exactly do you want to know?”

“Who are you?” Maya said, smiling brighter at the obvious half joke, “and where did you come from?”

Lyra couldn’t help but smile just a bit in return. “Well, I’m Countess Lyra Caterina Orsini Hale Cassiel - because like all the royals I need to have sixteen names and I was feeling left out so I kept them all. I was born in Rio on January 13, not off in April like I told you once.” She waved down one of the slaves to get a refill on her drink.

“My father was Lord Renato Hale of Brazil, my mother is Aurelia Orsini. I do have the two brothers though, that didn’t change.”

Maya blinked at the rush of information, trying to superimpose it over the Madeline Cassiel she had known. It wasn’t an easy task. Despite any sameness in personality, her entire image of her school friend was incorrect. Again, she felt the weight of self-consciousness that she hadn’t picked up any sign that something was amiss. Sure, Maddie had been guarded and private, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

“I remember hearing about you as a girl. I’m sure I remember being in the same room with you on a handful of occasions too.” Maya said, tapping her full lip with her finger “My father brought me to the Summer Court every year so I would be appropriately connected. But you died or…went missing? I can’t remember what Daddy told me about that.”

“Died was the official report, but perhaps your father tried to shield you from such notions as children your age dying so he simply said we went missing?” Lyra offered up, quirking a brow.

“No, he wouldn’t do that. He believed in seeing things as they were.” She said with a shake of her head as she thought of her father. They had been very close when he was alive, and his death still stung. “I just don’t remember, I suppose. It wasn’t as if I knew you, of course, so it didn’t stick.”

“No, it wouldn’t have, I imagine.” Lyra rolled her glass on its bottom edge in her hand. “I’m sorry about your father, I know you two were close. How was your brother taking to his new position before we left?”

Maya smirked and frowned at the same time, somehow, as both of the men floated into her mind.

“Daddy’s death was sad, but he was suffering and it was very hard to see him that way and not really to be able to help.” she said as she remembered how thin her father looked on the medical bed. But then she shifted to her brother and the frown shifted to the back slightly. “Khalon was dealing with being High Lord of Mars in exactly the way I expected: throwing parties, flirting with my friends, and dreaming big about what a great lord he was going to be. You never met him, did you?”

“Once when he came to visit you at the Academy and I’m sure in passing when we were younger, but it was never more than an introduction and pleasantries.” Lyra did remember her brother though, he was quite striking as his sister was. “Did he have a woman in mind before you left, or was he enjoying his flirting too much?”

“Khalon likes to keep his options open. Which basically means he’s scared of commitment and Daddy isn’t around to force him to marry.” Maya responded, adjusting her body into a more comfortable position. She looked at Lyra with a curious raise of her brow. “Speaking of relationships: Andrei Petrov, huh?”

“Yeah, Andrei Petrov.” Lyra replied and leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs, and took another sip of her drink. She didn’t offer up to Maya that she now knew that Andrei had been the disastrous date she had during the Academy; she was curious to see if she would offer that information up herself.

“Right..” Maya said, a small, less than innocent smile crossing her face as she turned her head to the side. “And how’s that really going?”

By her tone, it was obvious she wasn’t asking about the more typical details of the relationship. It might have been slightly rude otherwise, but as far as Maya could recall, she had told Madeline Cassiel who her unfortunate date had been with that Saturday evening at the Academy.

Lyra leaned in conspiratorially and propped her head up in her hand with her elbow on the table. “Mm what exactly are you asking, Maya?”

Of course Lyra knew, but she wanted to gauge exactly how comfortable Maya was in conversation.

“I told you, didn’t I?” Maya said, not wanting to have to say it allowed if Lyra had already been informed of the brief history. “At the Academy? The..poorly matched date?”

“That was with Andrei?” Lyra asked, her brows going up in surprise. “I remember you telling me about the date, but we never got to the who it was with.”

“Oh…” Maya said, demurring and growing quieter. She felt immediately awkward about the whole thing, and wondered if Lyra thought they had been together. “Sorry. Yes, it was him. We had a nice date and then we went back to his dorm. We..tried, but. Let’s just say it didn’t work. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Lyra blinked, tilting her head.

“I don’t know..” Maya said with a shrug and a smile. “It’s just incredibly awkward. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with that history. Everyone around here is also terrified of you on top of that, and..it kind of rubs off.”

“Are they? I hadn’t noticed.” Lyra said and meant it, actually. She took another drink and let her dark eyes linger on Maya, though seemed determined to keep her naturally cold, calculating gaze in check to not scare her off.

“Sure they are. But, to be honest, I never asked why.” Maya answered with a measured expression. “Lyra…it was literally just the tip…and I stopped him after about twenty seconds and gave him the Virgin story. He was getting ready to break me in half…please don’t hate me.”

It took every bit of her substantial control to not laugh, but she succeeded, she didn’t even look like it had been a danger. Instead she just gave a little smirk and shook her head. “Of course I don’t hate you and I’m not mad; he had a… long… history and I knew that - I still do. As long as you aren’t trying to play Miss Steal-Your-Man, I really don’t care.”

“Well, I have a man and, as you saw, he runs really fast.” Maya said with a joking smile, allowing a cathartic giggle. “Besides, I still don’t want to be broken in half. I assume..your height advantage on me makes that all..pleasant for you?”

Lyra highly doubted he would actually break her in half… not with his manhood anyways. Likely they had just been drunk, things were sloppy, and she hadn’t been ready, or maybe something had been off with her physically during that time, but the notion that a man could hurt a healthy, ready woman in that way was silly. “Well I’m not exactly a delicate little flower, no.”

She chuckled softly and shook her head. “He has found he gets to enjoy many things with me that he might not be able to with the majority of other women.”

“Oh, grown a little freaky since the Academy, huh?” Maya asked with a smile.

“We have our fun, but I’m not sure if you noticed Andrei is large… and large. Most women can’t handle the force with which he likes to enjoy from time to time.” She said frankly and ran her fingertips around the rim of her glass. “What about your boyfriend?”

“Girl, there’s no way you can just take all that on a random Tuesday night without some serious foreplay.” Maya said, slightly under her breath as if she was half-ashamed of the brazenness of the statement. They used to talk like this all the time, though she had gotten around a bit more than Maddie had. “Will is normal sized. As in, the size a Terran male naturally would be without being genetically altered.” She giggled, teasing just a bit and laughing at her own joke. “He knows how to use it, and I’ll just leave it at that.”

“That’s all that really matters in the end,” Lyra noted and meant it genuinely, but she couldn’t deny the benefits of having someone like Andrei - at least for herself who enjoyed that kind of thing. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Maya offered a nod and a smile to show they were on the same page. She looked at Lyra and tried to picture the face she remembered. There wasn’t very much there that reminded her besides the skin tone and her dark eyes.

“So, Lyra Cassiel….you aren’t dead. Care to explain that part to me?”

“Oh you know… imperial revenge plot, a little genetic modification, a little training to become a fighter and assassin, a little strategic positioning so I was on the same posting as my target…” Lyra waved a hand as if it weren’t an interesting story.

“Your target?” Maya asked, her focus clearly leveled on the woman opposite her. “Who was that? What are you supposed to do with them?”

This was part of the reason she liked Maya; the woman was intelligent and quick enough to hold interesting conversations, but not quick enough to be a threat. “You mean what did I do with him: I killed him.”

Maya’s eyebrows went up at that. She wasn’t surprised as much as she was intrigued. A few seconds passed before she selected her next question.

“How’d you do it?”

“A sword through the heart. Better than he deserved, really, but I was tired of toying with him and wanted my life back.” Lyra replied, keeping Andrei’s tangential involvement a secret of course.

“Metal.” Maya said, and then she laughed. She didn’t seem bothered by the details she was presented with and, in fact, seemed at least mildly entertained and fascinated by the story. “And then you went to Sickbay, where the doctor gave you a new body with a..very durable nunny?”

“Technically had that in the other body too.” Lyra smirked. She had only slept with Andrei a few times under the guise of Madeline, but they’d enjoyed that too.

“Well, if it works.” Maya responded with a shrug. It was all a bit odd to her, but she supposed no one was used to changing faces. “Things are definitely different for you than they were when we knew each other.”

“They are. I can finally just be me… in body and just a person as a whole and being out here in the Delta Quadrant has given me a freedom I wouldn’t have otherwise possessed, I think.” She frowned at the thought.

“Yeah, I bit. In the Alpha Quadrant, you’d have a lot of explaining to do.” Maya said with an expression that communicated she expected that was really true. “Have you made lots of friends here yet besides your beau?”

“I probably had more explaining to do here, honestly. Were we back home, the Emperor would have spoken and the people would have accepted.” She shrugged slightly and then shook her head. “No, I don’t have many friends, I really haven’t put in the effort to. My family doesn’t have a great track record with friendships.”

Maya was quiet for a few seconds, and she seemed to consider what Lyra just said. Hesitation with making friends made a lot of sense to her, and she recalled that the girl hadn’t been particularly interested for quite a while in the Academy. Eventually, she warmed up to Maya and talked with relative openness. She smiled.

“Well, you’ve got one now, right?”

It really hadn’t been her goal to reconnect with Maya like this, but now that she had it in front of her she found she didn’t wholly hate the idea. It might be nice to have a friend who was just… nice and wasn’t going to try and steal her man or be conniving in some way. Mika was there of course, but she couldn’t really be herself with Mika, the girl was too innocent for many things and she was also Andrei’s sister, if something happened between them she doubted he would allow Mika to keep speaking to her and Mika would of course cave to that.

“Mm… yeah. I do.” She nodded and gave a bit of a smile, then lifted her drink toward Maya. “To friends.”

Maya raised her glass and smiled fully, finally. She was beautiful with perfect skin and sparkling white teeth. She was a few years older, and had blonde locks when, before her hair was typically straightened and dark brown, but otherwise she was the same girl Lyra had known.

“To friends.”

Lyra took a sip of her drink and then lowered it back down to the table with a sigh. “Have you been settling in here on the ship alright? You’ve gotten yourself a boyfriend already so it must not all be terrible.”

“Going from the Gamma shift Helmsman on Gladius to the Assistant Chief here felt like a natural promotion, but I’m not sure if it’s okay to feel so good to be on a ship I never saw nearly torn to pieces. I’ve made some friends here and there, but I mostly focus on my work with the Chief being so hands-off recently.”

“I think it’s natural to feel good about something that puts you in a better, more secure position.” Lyra shrugged. “I wouldn’t think too much about it honestly as long as you’re happy.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Maya said with a shrug. “It was a miracle we found you when we did. Things were getting harder and harder. Now things are almost easy.”

“Certainly better than what you had if what I’ve heard and read are true.” Lyra shook her head and sighed. “Listen, I should get going. Andrei is expecting me back for dinner. We’ll talk more soon? We have a lot more to catch up on.”

“Oh, of course. Go see your man.” Maya said with a wave of her hand and a smile. “We’ll talk later for sure. It was nice to reconnect with you. Thanks for coming over, Lyra.”

“Bye.” Lyra bid without anything else as she stood and walked away, pausing only to leave her empty glass on the bar before she disappeared through the doors to head back… home.

END
]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2024 02:50:53 +0000 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/790 http://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/790
Mission - In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location - Aeroshuttle

Self-improvement was a necessity for some, but for Andrei Petrov, it was a way of life. Ever since he was a child, he had learned to push himself to the limit in private so that he could make it all look easy in public. Turning his weaknesses into his strengths had always been a central part of his education, and he had honed skills others had only played at honing. He was a warrior, sure; he was a lover, yes. Many people thought that was all he was or could be, but he was slowly coming to the realization that there were other ways to make his power known. A reckless youngster no longer; he was a Terran man of noble birth and pure blood, and he intended to ascend all the way to the top with more than what hung between his legs.

The large room that housed the Aeroshuttle was almost always empty, owing to the fact that the Vengeance’ only runabout never got any use and had unfortunately become little more than an item on the ships specs. He intended to change all that.

The room was circular in shape, which was rather odd for bays on Imperial Starships, and the consoles at the margins of the room were unmanned and in sleep mode. In the center was the craft he’d set his eyes on when he’d started this process. The Aeroshuttle was comfortable, but most importantly, it was swift, durable, and maneuverable. He grinned and gave a shrug. Someone needed to put it to good use.

“Immy, unlock the Aeroshuttle.”

“I’d love to, Commander. But, you need to give your access codes.” came the warm, feminine lilting voice of the woman who now inhabited their computer.

“Petrov-Beta-4769” he answered, quiet, as if he were sneaking, a hint of impatience in his melodic voice.

With a hiss, the hatch on the port side of the runabout began to open and a set of pristine stairs extended slowly from the mouth of the entrance. As soon as the struts made contact with the deck, Andrei stepped up and into the runabout. Since the craft was roomy and tall, even a large man like himself didn’t have to duck to get inside. He didn’t bother to close the door behind him, but instead passed through a second door into a small corridor with gray walls. To his right, a short set of stairs led up to the crew quarters, and before him, another door provided access to the hatch on the other side. Instead of taking either of those, he turned left instead, walking into the back of the cockpit behind the slim two-person transporter pad. A medical and science area greeted him along with a versatile work station on the other side. The entire main room felt compact, sleek, and efficient. He looked at the polished surfaces and the bluish bright design and decided, at last, that this vessel would suit his purposes perfectly.

With a confident stride, he stepped past the transporter and down the steps to the cockpit proper. Sitting at the bulky chair in front of the operations station, he logged in to the Aeroshuttle’s security system and pulled up her specs.

“Can you access the runabout’s computer systems?” he asked, a bit louder than he had outside the vessel.

“With your level of authorization, I can.” Immy’s voice lilted back. “Do you approve?”

“I do, this one time.” Andrei said, his eyes still locked on the information on the screen before him.

In the next instant, the soft “ping" of a forcefield sounded as the holographic emitters activated for the first time in months. Immy appeared in an Imperial Starfleet uniform with a command-red shirt, pipless and without rank indication. On her face was an attractive freckled smile. She looked around the room with curious eyes.

“Impressive. Clean.” she said, communicating in short bursts as she made her way from one side of the room to the other. “What are you up to, Commander?”

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?” he asked with a neutral face as he scrolled. He seemed to give her very little of his attention, focusing instead on his unknown task.

“You can’t blame a girl for being curious, really. You strolled in here with some mysterious goal, and I’m looking for a challenge.”

“I’m more than capable of assigning blame exactly as I see fit.” He said, lifting a brow.

“I’m sure you are, Commander.” she said, and leaned down next to his face, reading the console with him. “Come on, Andrei. I’ll be super discreet.”

Andrei turned to look at the holographic woman, his visible eye showing signs of mild amusement. Their faces were close, and there was a notable tension between her grin and the smile in his eyes.

“I don’t see why I should share my toys.” He said in a low voice.

“Because, there are some toys that are much more fun with multiple playmates.” she said with a suggestive smile, pretty and full of youth.

Andrei leaned back in the chair and crossed his strong arms over his chest. “Computer, deac-”

“No!” she interrupted, shaking her head. “I’m just bored, Andrei.” She said, standing up tall then and pouting. “”I can do so much now, but most people are scared to call on me. You and Commander Petrova are the only ones besides…my unfortunate gentleman visitors.”

Andrei frowned, shaking his head.

“You can’t be serious.” He said. “Do you..”

“I have to do what I’m told, Commander. Those are the rules your engineers programmed into me.” She frowned, blinking quickly. “I miss being a slave.”

Andrei watched her face, his stony expression giving very little away.

“Fine, I’ve decided to have mercy on you then. I’ll make sure that more practical use is made out of you and, in exchange, you will give me any information you think I would find interesting.” He said.”

Immy lifted her head and looked at him, her skepticism obvious. Her eyes communicated her eagerness about the offer, however.

“You want me to be your little spy?”

“I want you to be my little spy, yes.” He said with a smile. “And just mine, by the way. Make yourself useful to me and I can guarantee you’ll never be forgotten again.”

Immy’s vibrant green eyes turned away from him and looked through the windows at the front of the runabout. She was thinking; weighing her options. After several long moments, she looked back at him cautiously and noticed his hand was extended to her. She grabbed it and gave it a squeeze.

“Deal.”

“Good,” he said, holding her hand and gazing into her eyes. “Just remember how insanely jealous I am, Immy. I respect and honor loyalty.”

“Cross my heart, Andrei.” She said with a sudden playful smile.

“Cut out your heart, if you betray me..or speak anything of our relationship.”

“We’re in a relationship now, are we?” She asked, drawing closer and swaying her shapely hips. As she stepped up to him, he placed a hand on her waist and looked into her eyes.

“Tell me about this runabout’s processing technology. What are its networking capabilities?”

“Networking capabilities are standard with all Imperial technology.” She answered, turning her head to the side. “Are you trying to update remote flight options?”

“What kind of processor is used?” He asked, ignoring her question as if it hadn’t been interesting enough.

“M-15 isolinear III. The same is used on Danube Class Runabouts. It controls and monitors all shipboard systems.”

“Oh, that’s great news.” He said with a grin.

“So, since we’re on the same team, tell me what you’re up to.” She said, placing her hand on his and holding it on her hip.

“You misunderstand our relationship. I ask. You tell.” He said, and quickly moved his hand from her grip and up to her cheek. “Now, leave me.”

She gave a sound of protest and a pouting frown just as she disappeared from existence. Andrei turned back to the console, unamused, and pulled the chair all the way back. Pressing a few keys, he shut off the main power and then got down on his hands and knees. Climbing under the console, he popped off the cover and exposed the complicated workings underneath. WIth nimble, though unpracticed fingers, the security officer made some physical modifications to the processor, being as careful as he could not to damage the technology in his rush to accomplish the task himself. He preferred to work in the shadows.]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2024 09:17:29 +0000