Mother Knows Best

Posted on Mon Sep 26th, 2022 @ 4:19am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Lieutenant Commander Yana Petrova
Edited on on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 @ 4:55am

Mission: In-Between (S1:E3-S1:E4)
Location: Anorra
Timeline: Mission Day 20 at 1500
4150 words - 8.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

With their visit to the Lovarr over and done and a rest taken together back in what was now their shared room, Andrei and Lyra had separated for the afternoon to get a bit of work done with a side of adventuring on her part. Considering they seemed to still have trouble separating their hips long enough to get work done if they were alone in their room, it seemed to be the best decision in the long run. Lyra had bid him farewell at one of the outdoor bars and gone on her way. She made her way back to the markets to explore more thoroughly than she had on her visits with Andrei. There was a freedom in not having to worry about how he might react to those around them; obviously it was understandable and she didn’t mind playing the grounding force when need be… not for Andrei, at least.

She eventually made her way down into the subterranean “dark rooms” within the hotel that were set up for a taste of night life that obviously couldn’t really take place given the 24/7 sunshine the planet was currently experiencing. Even though she perhaps wasn’t dressed overly appropriately given she was in beach wear with a cover up dress, sandals, and a bikini underneath, but she also wasn’t the only one. She spent an hour down in one of the clubs indulging in the atmosphere, having a drink, and even dancing a bit in this new body of hers. The crowd was relatively dense and she allowed men to dance with her as long as they didn’t try to touch. They were very bad at that though so she ended up switching to a group of women just to enjoy herself.

After she had tired of that, Lyra had done a bit of sleuthing and finally figured out where the black market was located. Heading there, she was looking to gather information more than make purchases. The fare was about what she expected: weapons, drugs, exotic animals and pelts, likely stolen valuables, and of course slaves. Lyra lingered browsing the flesh on offer, with their command and domestic slaves being freed or killed left and right, perhaps a few broken and trained slaves could be a benefit to the fleet. The Talaxians weren’t much to look at and the Vidiians were fresh, though they were off on the right foot after a trip to the Lovarr. After exploring for a while longer, she decided she had enough and went back outside to the oasis to soak in the sun while she had the chance.

Lyra was quite aware of the eyes that lingered on her, the quiet conversations had about the exotic alien most had never seen a likeness of in their lifetimes. She ignored them all - they could look, but not touch. She took off the simple blue and purple cover up and revealed the modest black bikini underneath. For a while she lounged in one of the chairs and then eventually made her way into the water to swim and float on the water for a while. It had been a very, very long time since she had gotten the opportunity. Even that had to come to an end though and she walked her soaking body back up to the chair, moving her wrap out of the way and laying herself out to dry off. She'd head back up to the room relatively soon, but not quite yet.

Beside her, the sound of flesh and the creaking of a chair would have prompted her to look over. There, in a silver bikini which featured a fit body which was both toned and shapely in similar proportions to Lyra, sat Yana Petrova. She looked over at the Chief of Security with a neutral face under dark sunglasses and a floppy black hat that blocked the sun from her face. Her skin was oiled and healthy-looking and even her lips shined.

“Lyra Cassiel.” She said, more a cryptic statement than a greeting. “It’s time you and I had the talk.”

Lyra had been wondering when Yana would show up. She had known it was only a matter of time given their last encounter and also the fact that she had been living with Andrei for the past few days would not have escaped the other woman’s notice. “Good afternoon, Commander.” Lyra greeted, her voice holding a touch of warmth but mostly acceptance. She wasn’t going to call the other woman Mrs. Petrova because that was just weird and obviously she hadn’t been given the go ahead to use the familiar. The devious part almost wanted to call her “mamma” but she tamed that down quickly.

Yana smiled with the parts of her face that weren’t covered and shadowed. She was perfectly comfortable, perfectly at ease as she folded one leg over the other.

“I respect you too much to waste your time with flowery language and suggestion. I want to know what your intentions are with my son.” Yana said, still smiling. Still calm. The mask she put on as the delighted and warm housewife with the rest of the crew had given way to a more mysterious, more controlled, cooler, sexier persona. “I built him from the ground up, dear. For greatness; for something beyond what any of us have imagined. I’ve known it from the moment I saw his little face. I watch my children very closely, Lyra, and I’ve never seen him spending so much time with anyone. Especially not someone capable and dangerous. What are you doing?”

For her part, Lyra appreciated and recognized the respect Yana was showing her by being direct as she was. She considered her words a moment, wanting to make sure they were measured but honest. “I want to see your son be great. He is quite capable… if he can separate himself from his boyish pursuit of power and pleasure. It is too unreliable, a house of cards waiting to come crashing down all around him, but I don’t think he sees that.” Lyra looked over to Yana then, giving an easy but respectful smile. “I know what he wants. I would see him have it if he can demonstrate his ability to change. If he can’t… well, you and I both know that it will end up getting him nowhere. It can be charming and exciting for a time, but we are a small crew stuck on - for all purposes right now - a single ship. His way can’t be maintained in such an isolated setting. It will eventually backfire on him and I’m afraid when it does it will do so quite spectacularly. He would lose everything. I don’t want that.”

"Why not? Of course, you're right..but what are you after, dear?" Yana asked, her smile going neutral again. She was watching closely, though her eyes were obscured by the glasses. Underneath she studied Lyra; she'd been studying her since the moment she'd met her. Now she wanted to see if she would be lied to. "What do you hope to gain from my son's success?"

Lyra shifted to lie on her side and face Yana instead of looking out at the oasis as she had been. It wasn't a challenging gesture, but one showing openness. She looked at Yana through the woman's glasses, her gaze steady. "I would see it be our success, not just his," she began resolutely. "To secure true and absolute power is nearly impossible to do alone and dangerous with an unequal partnership; it can leave one very vulnerable. If one can make peace with sharing power with another, to become the two sides of the same coin, the potential is really quite endless. From his success, my own, from my success, his."

She paused a beat and continued. "Truthfully, I cannot explain to you the connection I have with your son and I wager he would tell you the same. All I can tell you is that it feels right and powerful. I want to be around him, with him. I want to see him be powerful, wield that power, and be at his back when he does." She paused a moment, her expression going far away, a frown appearing on her face then disappearing once more. "I would make the stars scream his name if that is what he wanted."

"That's good. I have no doubt he will one day want that." Yana said, her smile returning, quite like a grin this time. She thought about Andrei as a young man. "He was such a difficult boy to raise. Defiant, rebellious, arrogant and vainglorious beyond measure. If there was any competition, big or small, schoolyard or backyard, he was in it. If there was anything to be won, he wanted to win it."

Yana threw her head back and laughed hard enough that it bordered on a cackle. After a few seconds, once her laughing had calmed, she turned back to Yana. "He'd be angry with me for telling you this, but it's too good to keep to myself. Would you like an embarrassing childhood story?"

Lyra's lips tugged into a smile in response to Yana's laugh but only grew with her offer. "Of course I would." She was relaxed as she lay in the chair, still watching Yana with ease.

"Do you remember when I paid a visit to you and your men in security last month? They played a rousing game of King of the Hill?" Yana asked, and then went on, not waiting for an answer. "That was Andrei's favorite game when he was nine years old. He used to gather all the boys in the neighborhood and make them play; he was sort of their leader. He always won in the end; always standing in the middle when the timer went off. One day, late in the summer, they had invited a boy who was new to the area to play with them out in the field in front of the Moscow Estate. Cute little kid named Fyodor...quiet. At the end of the round, little Fyodor shoved Andrei off the hill and stood there, the apparent victor."

Yana angled her body toward Lyra as she continued the story, her glistening shoulder moving as she adjusted herself. She was still smiling. "Those other boys were silent as the grave and little Andrei was on his back in the mud. Andrei got up and, before Fyodor knew what was going on, he was taking a rock to the side of the head. Andrei stood over the boy and kicked him over and over in the stomach; in the side; in the face. And when he stopped moving, Andrei stood on top of him and started screaming at the top of his lungs 'who is the king of the hill?'"

She pantomimed yelling, her tone strangely amused. "I thought about stopping him but...I just watched. Fyodor...wasn't quite right after that. I told his parents he'd fallen and hit his head. They didn't believe me but money talked and power spoke louder. Andrei had the other boys in control. No one breathed a word."

Lyra laughed, genuinely amused by the recounting of the tale. She grinned at Yana with a strange thread of pride in her smile at the thought of a young Andrei doing such a thing. "Well, served little Fyodor right for not learning his proper place faster." Anyone else probably would have and should have been horrified by the story, but Lyra was just left smirking.

Yana watched Lyra for a while, not responding to what she had said right away. They shared something rather rare, but the fact they were in such a position made it even more unique. The fact, also, that they were both two very clever women working for the advancement of one man made things interesting.

"I would threaten you with what will happen if you hurt my boy, but you already know I'm more powerful than I seem and I know the same about you." Yana said, her tone even and friendly. "I'm delighted to have you as his partner. Don't make a fool out of me for not standing in your way and...keep in touch. There are things Andrei doesn't know about himself that we will know. You understand?"

"I do." Lyra replied and then seemed to consider something for a moment. She sat up then, leaning closer to Yana in earnest. "I have no intention of hurting your son. You understand I am more powerful than I seem, but I am afraid he does not. I will not give myself to someone who would not give me the same loyalty in return. I cannot love and protect someone who would stray from me and not give me the same love and protection in return. I am worth more than that."

"The difference between a lover and a mother, dear..." Yana said, looking back at Lyra. "A tale as old as time. I understand, Lyra. You have your own pride and your own self-respect to consider. But Andrei doesn't respond well to threats, or even protestations and warnings that sound like threats. He was raised on positive reinforcement and ambition as much as you were on self-preservation. The nature of the beast is that a kiss on the forehead...a statement that he makes you happy...and signs of...gratefulness...will always be safer with him than reminding him you will leave him if he cheats on you."

Yana rolled her eyes, though it was hidden. "Such things stress men terribly. And stress makes them do stupid things. Trust me. I know. Best to keep it positive dear. Anger, fear, and threats tend to create situations we are most trying to avoid."

"My concern is that he doesn't believe there will be consequences to his actions in the first place." Lyra said, frowning and contemplating. She was obviously listening to Yana's advice and taking it to heart. It wasn't anything she hadn't done before - in fact it was exactly what she had done with Christoph. She wanted more from Andrei, but perhaps he just was not capable of it. "And I don't know what to do about that. I don't know how to make him understand what will happen even once. I don't intend on reminding him constantly, but I need to know that he at least grasps the basic concept."

"And you're attracted to my son because you think he's stupid?" Yana asked. It was a sharp question asked in a slightly sharp way. "How do you expect a man to achieve all the things he will achieve and think he's too stupid to know you and to understand what you mean?" Yana angled her head away slightly. "Don't underestimate Andrei. He has puppy dog eyes for you, so you think he's a puppy. I can guarantee he knows exactly how far he can push you. I can guarantee he knows exactly how to play dumb. Both of my children do. They learned from the best."

Yana turned to Lyra then, pulling off her sunglasses and revealing her gorgeous grey eyes.

"You're used to being the most clever person in the room. You are used to having the biggest secret." Yana said, her eyes challenging but not hostile. "That is your greatest weakness."

Lyra's head tilted slightly at Yana's assessment of her weakness. Perhaps it had some merit, but Lyra had never really thought herself clever and her secret well... sure. No, she was used to being a weapon, a vessel of rage and revenge. Cleverness came with that, but she was fully aware she was not the smartest person in the proverbial room.

"I do not think your son is a puppy." Lyra replied firmly but her voice still remained without challenge. "I don't underestimate him either, but I am still getting to know him. I am trying to trust him, but he makes it difficult for me to gauge when he decides to be cagey on things that are obviously important."

"Yes." Yana said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "He won't stop doing that, dear. But you will learn what he means. You will learn. But for now, it's your audacity that he likes. You take what you want; he loves that. He'd kill any man that touched you without a moment's hesitation. Perhaps you should consider the same."

Yana winked. The message, however, wasn't clear.

Lyra just looked at Yana then, a very familiar look in her eyes to the older woman. Lyra had considered this. Thoroughly. In detail.

"There is one more question I would ask of you, if you would indulge me?"

Yana nodded and then waited eagerly.

"This may be more of a down the line thing to be implemented, I am aware, but," she paused for a moment and thought about how to phrase it. "Do you think there is an effective way to get him to talk about what he is feeling? The incident with the Kazon... he doesn't want to show how much it affected him but I can see it in his eyes. I would share the burden with him, but I'd think he would genuinely rather die. I don't know if that's because he is too proud or if he is... concerned with what might happen if he were to share such a thing; or a combination of both."

“You confuse me, Lyra.” The older woman said, “Do you want a strong man or a man blubbering on your lap about his sorrows? With Andrei, you cannot have both. He’s not built like that.” Yana commented, and then she seemed to be chewing on something. “You know how he’s feeling already, don’t you?”

“I don’t want him blubbering, but I’ve seen what holding in emotions can do to a man. If you think that it is best to not try and coax that out of Andrei then I will accept and respect that and trust your judgment. You’re his mother, you know him better. That is why I am asking.” Lyra pointed out lightly. “I seem to be able to figure out his feelings with relative accuracy, yes.” She looked at Yana, paying close attention to the woman and seemingly genuinely interested to learn how to better deal with Andrei.

“If you know how he’s feeling, then why do you keep asking?” Yana said with a questioning glance. Their way of doing things must be quite strange to Lyra. “Why is it so important to you that he say it out loud?”

“Do give me some small credit, I do know better than to directly ask him what he is feeling. I know that method would get me nowhere. I suppose I just wanted to know if there was a way to show him that he doesn’t have to hold it in if he feels the need to let it out, but if as you said I cannot have both, then that is fine and I will try and tend to him from what I see.”

“I haven’t seen Andrei cry since he was 7 years old.” Yana said, shaking her head. “The most he does is tell you when he’s angry. I’m honestly not sure what would happen if he did let someone in.” She paused, turning her head and smiling. “You can be his partner without him baring his soul to you or anyone.”

Yana seemed to consider for a while, as if there were something in her head she was not yet sure should leave it. Eventually, however, she looked up at Lyra with an earnest expression.

“I always warned my son about women who claim to want to see him succeed; especially the capable and clever kind.” She said, looking at her meaningfully. “Some women will ride a man with joy all the way to the top. And then, when they get there, they will resent him for his power…and push him off. It’s a sick little game. Andrei…I think Andrei suspects that you’re the one who’s going to kill him one day, Lyra.”

Lyra’s brows went up at that and she found herself wondering just how much Andrei had spoken about her to his mother or where this was coming from. Her expression calmed then and she shook her head slightly. “I don’t want to push him off, merely stand with him, but understanding that would take time.”

She paused a moment and sighed, looking into Yana’s eyes. “It is far more likely your son will hurt me than I will him.” She knew Yana knew that if she was being honest with herself. “But I have accepted that as a possibility and I’m choosing to trust that he won’t.”

“Good.” Yana said, folding her arms, her face turning to one of girlish excitement. “When shall we have the wedding?”

Lyra grinned then, the expression mildly devious. "See, I told him we should just announce the wedding immediately. See how many heads would spin." Obviously, she was quite joking just as she had been with Andrei.

“Heads would truly spin.” Yana agreed with a soft giggle. “People might need time to adjust to the idea of you. At least several months.”

"I'm in no rush." Lyra shook her head slightly. "While Andrei and I share a very... unique connection... we still have quite a bit of getting to know each other before we would make such a move." She looked at Yana and tilted her head. "I offered him the option to not commit to monogamy. He declined. Do you think he is capable?" She asked, seemingly genuinely interested in Yana's assessment.

"Can he? Without question." Yana asked quickly. She clearly believed in Andrei and didn't share Lyra's concerns about his self-control. "But I believe he can do anything he sets his mind to."

"Will he?" Lyra then asked with a smirk, not really expecting an answer but taking some comfort in the fact that Yana did at least see her son as capable of the task. If she wanted success, Lyra reasoned that Yana would hopefully be honest about it so Lyra could adjust expectations.

“At first, yes. With the women on Vengeance. Yes.” Yana said. “But then, eventually, some woman will come along who will try and replace you. She is who you should worry about and not the random women who he can dismiss off hand.” Yana said, looking at Lyra intensely. “But the one who is brilliant and dangerous…and you should kill her before she gets the chance to change his mind. That’s how it works.”

"I will." Lyra replied as if this were a simple fact of life. She obviously had no moral qualms with the notion, after all, any who would try to interfere with her life was an enemy - or anyone who would try to interfere with Andrei. She looked then like she wanted to ask another question, but she thought about it and seemed to decide on whatever it was on her own. She looked at Yana for a long moment, searching, and then simply smiled.

“I know you will.” Yana said, reaching and grabbing Lyra’s hand and squeezing it. “And he’ll love you for it.”

Lyra returned the squeeze and ran her thumb lightly over the back of Yana's fingers. It was gentle, nonthreatening. They both wanted the same thing. For now at least, it would seem. She didn't linger and released Yana's hand. "Thank you for coming to speak with me. It has been very helpful."

“Good. Not that I’m encouraging you to keep secrets from my son, but…if he feels we’re talking behind his back, he will feel manipulated.” Yana said, standing up. “And he really doesn’t like feeling manipulated. Clear, dear?”

Everyone had their own secrets, it was a fact of life. "Quite clear." Lyra replied with a nod, looking up to Yana as she stood.

“Take care of yourself, Lieutenant.” Yana said, and then walked away with a wave.

Lyra watched Yana go and then shifted to lie back in her chair again. She was feeling more centered now and confident in her decision. Sometimes a different perspective could work wonders, and it helped that it came from the woman who knew Andrei best and had most definitely groomed him into what he was. She relaxed and closed her eyes.

A little longer outside.

END