Sæll Burðardagr I

Posted on Wed Sep 27th, 2023 @ 4:37am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov

Mission: In-Between (S1:E5-S1:E6)
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: Date 2371-08-30 at 1700
3555 words - 7.1 OF Standard Post Measure

The day Lyra had planned out for Andrei’s birthday had been going quite well so far. Breakfast with his family had been probably one of the most relaxing gatherings with them that she had been to thanks to her engineering the absence of a certain pair. It hadn’t been hard to prey on Kassandra in her current state; voluntarily overworking and pushing herself past her limits, not sleeping, not caring for herself… dangling the reports on the people Kassandra had asked her to look over at just the right time had done the trick. Lyra wasn’t sure if the other woman had even realized it was Andrei’s birthday or if perhaps she simply didn’t care. Or maybe she had some decency to know she shouldn’t be present for such an event and Lyra had offered her the convenient excuse needed. The point had been in the end that it worked. Conversation flowed easily, warmly. Yana was happy and Ivan didn’t seem too put out that the couple was missing once the talking began; Mika was Mika, sweet as always, and Andrei had been pleased with the little family event given in his honor.

He had gone for his shift while she had remained behind. Being off duty hadn’t been bothering her much as she had been keeping herself busy with her own brand of recovery process and today especially she had enough to keep her completely occupied. Her morning consisted of her making sure everything was set for the rest of their day which had included a visit to Jasper to make sure he would be able to hold up his agreement for later. He’d assured her he would follow through, so she simply had to trust him.

Lunch had been held at the lounge where Lyra had rounded up the least irritating of Andrei’s sycophants in her department - who were starting to become more her sycophants given he was now hands off and interacting considerably less frequently with personnel - and brought them along so Andrei could have thirty minutes of being fawned over by his adoring public. She of course had different plans for it and had spent the time sporadically teasing him under the table. He’d returned in kind… and she had graciously worn a skirt to allow it to be easier and discreet. She wanted him hot for the next part of the day and knew she had accomplished her goal.

Jasper had been superbly diligent today and had organized Andrei’s paperwork so he only had to spend thirty minutes in his office after his shift to tend to what needed to be done that day and his meetings had been shuffled around so he had none that had fallen on his birthday. Lyra had left a message for Andrei to meet her on the holodeck and to wear something basic - they’d be dressing up in the program itself.

Andrei didn’t keep conscious tabs on Lyra’s preparations as he, unlike some people, actually appreciated a good safe surprise. Instead, he noted the changes to his day, the concessions of typically adamant wills around him, and the ease of his work when his office time actually started. All of it had been arranged by her, he knew, and he took it as a gift as it was intended to be. The lunch had presented a chance for him to reconnect with the men in security he used to run directly as Assistant Chief of Security. He’d found his rapport with them quite solid still and their interest in his every move intensified by his increased authority and menacing reputation. On the other hand, he knew they respected their new boss and understood that their most immediate benefits would come from her; he would have it no other way.

She played with him under the table and he played with her, knowing even their level of intrigue wouldn’t have prevented someone from noticing. He hardly cared, of course. They were the exception to the rules, and the galaxy would one day know that. That less-than-subtle animal aggression had remained with him all day afterward as his fire had been stoked. He arrived at the holodeck in a black undershirt that featured the contour of his muscular physique and compression shorts that had drawn the eye of every crewman between his quarters and the holodeck.

When Andrei entered he was met with the familiar sight of the forest outside of Drengavik, but he would immediately notice the lack of snow on the ground and bite of cold in the air. In fact, the temperature was beautiful; cool with a light breeze of the Norwegian summer. The sky was painted in the colors of early sunset and dark clouds lazily crept in from the East. The leaves of the tall trees rustled, a bird cried out from above. It felt so real if only for a moment.

“There you are, darling.” Lyra greeted, sliding off the large rock she had been sitting on and walking over to him. She too was dressed simply - a tank top and shorts - though her hair was braided back in a style befitting the setting.

“Ready for your next gifts?”

“I hope that gift involved you and me naked in these woods, making love loudly against that tall tree.” He said, pointing behind her as his eyes caught the movement of an animal for a brief moment before it disappeared in the forest growth.

She held up a finger. “First, we change.”

Placing her hand on his elbow, she walked him over to the rock she had been sitting on and there neatly laid out was the berserker costume he had chosen when Lyra had first introduced him to this program, but there was a distinct lack of weapons. She released him and began to walk away to a cluster of nearby trees.

“I’m going over here to change, darling. Go ahead.” She called back to him then promptly disappeared from view.

“Might I not watch you?” He asked, grinning as he began the work of putting on his costume one part at a time, from the fur of a black bear to fearsome paint. In the end, though unarmed, he looked as if he could tear a man apart with his bare hands. He rounded the tree where she was quickly and quietly, hoping to find her not quite dressed.

When he rounded the trees, he was met with nothing. Instead, from behind two other nearby trees, Lyra stepped out while chuckling.

“Naughty birthday boy.”

She stood before him not wearing her usual armor but instead dressed to fulfill one of his fleeting desires that he had voiced when she had been Madeline. She stood completely naked before him save the primitive belted deerskin loincloth wrapped around her curvy hips, a pair of leather bracers, and the pelt of a fierce black wolf set atop her head and torso. Both of its eyes had been replaced with rubies, its body and hind legs covered her back and that rear end that so delighted him while its front legs were draped over her shoulders and covered her breasts. The rest of her gorgeous, fit body was on complete display for him. In her hands she was holding a relatively small wooden box that was intricately carved with more geometric designs. It was stained a dark color with a deep red undertone that couldn’t be missed as if someone had tried to hide bloodstains.

“What’s this?” He asked, his eyes moving back and forth between the box and the nearly nude woman holding it. Once again he was prevented from seeing through it with his ocular implant by whatever materials she had decided to use.

“For you, darling.” She extended the box out toward him for him to come and open it while she held onto it.

Andrei approached her, his bear towering over her wolf, and he looked at her rather than the box. The look in his silver and green eyes said it all: he was tolerating her distractions and actively willing himself not to toss her pelt away and press toward his true goal. She was glorious to see, and he felt pressure against the front of his black pants. He placed his hands on the box, however, and told his mind what to focus on.

When Andrei opened the box, he found inside of it two sword hilts of shakshas as well as the hilt of what looked like an Imperial Fleet dagger; they were nestled like precious children in a bed of emerald colored silk. Each of the hilts were a polished jet black color with a thin line of silver that framed the plaited black leather grip. As he looked closer and the light hit it, he could see designs had been put into the hilt that would have been typical of an ancient imperial Russian officer’s sword. They were beautiful and subtle and when the eyes hit just right they glinted silver as well as if micro strands of silver had been put into the markings just so that they wouldn’t show up unless looked at in a very specific way.

The most interesting part however were the pommels of the swords. Along the outside curve from the grip there were small emeralds inset into small off white circles. They were flush against the blackness so they wouldn’t scrape or be any sort of a nuisance when the swords were being wielded. They didn’t take up the whole space, and there appeared to be plans to add more of them given the similarly sized blank circles that followed along the rest of the outside curve and around to the inside where they also stopped right before the grip. When he inspected them closer, he would see that the off white circles around the emeralds were likely bone. The dagger also had these bone accents on the top and bottom though they were solid circles that were weaved into the patterns on the dagger and lacked any emeralds on it.

“New hilts for my swords and dagger. How lovely.” He said, looking at the fine detail of Lyra’s creations. The presence of symbolism was obvious, though he wasn't exactly sure what everything meant just yet.

“Pick one up, point it away, and grip it like you’re going to use it.” She instructed with a strange warmth in her voice.

As soon as he did what Lyra had asked, a beautiful dark silver blade sprang from the hilt with a deadly metallic schwing of a sound. It had come out in sections, but it had happened so fast it had barely been perceivable. What was more, Andrei found the grip, balance, and weight absolutely perfectly suited to him. She had spent a considerable amount of time scanning the swords he had favored the most and taking the time to review the specifications of the ones he generated in the holodeck to make all three pieces perfectly suited to his hands and the way he liked to fight.

Lyra said nothing, merely stood there smiling and watching him.

Andrei smiled, clearly impressed and excited by the sight before him. He stepped back from her at a safe distance, trying the sword out like a boy, slashing and stabbing with it with skilled and precise movements and then practicing activating and deactivating it several times.

He was a better swordsman than last they were here, having taken much of his free time to train and hone a craft that had become very dear to him. He was confident, if he had the fight with the chief to do again, it would be over much quicker. He thought of what he might do with this now that he could keep it on him at all times and he grinned, returning to her. He picked up the dagger and did the same with it.

“They’re perfectly balanced.” He said with a song in his voice.

“The only two people they will open for are you and me. I had to make sure they worked, and I know how much you love it when I handle your swords.” Lyra watched him while standing there easily. She was pleased to see it was so well received. She picked up the other shaksha hilt but did so in a way that it didn’t immediately deploy - she wasn’t holding it like she meant to use it after all. Closing the box, she shifted it under her arm so she could use her other hand. “Look here, darling.”

She held it up higher and indicated the bone and emerald decorations. Starting at the top, she spoke and worked down each one. “Ocampa. Kazon. Vidiian, Banean, Numiri.”

Everything they had conquered in one way or another.

“And many more to come.” He said with a smile, leaning forward, his own sword at his side, and kissing her. Then he backed up enough that his lips could move freely. “I could tell the people who are so afraid of you how nice you can be.”

“Mmm you could.” She replied, moving back toward him just enough her lips lightly danced against his as she spoke. “But you like keeping all my niceness for yourself.”

A quick kiss was stolen and then she stepped back fully from him. “Now… are you ready to test them?”

The grin that appeared on her face was so familiar and beloved by him now. There was sure to be violence.

“Of course I am.” He said simply, standing up straight and holding his new sword steady. After all, he didn’t know what she had in store. “A sword needs blood, after all.”

“You’ll have to name them, darling.” She said and handed him the hilt she was holding so he could wield both swords. With that, she gave a quick whistle and a young male slave came running up to her clutching a bag in one hand and a short spear tipped rod in the other. She took the rod and left the bag and when she squeezed it firmly, it extended into a full length spear. Without any other prelude, she turned and began to walk deeper into the woods that surrounded them. After a moment of walking, she subtly reached into her bracer and did something unseen. They walked a moment more and then entered a clearing where four more armed warriors were waiting. Lined up in front of those warriors were eight naked humanoids that were immediately identifiable as Baneans and Numiri - and a mixture of men and women. Their lower halves were all smooth, but it seemed to be natural and not inflicted on them; they were so unnattractively alien. They were on their knees and the smell of their fear was nearly discernable.

Lyra turned to Andrei and smiled. “We’re going hunting, darling, and I have three very special gifts for you… though I’ll admit one might be slightly self serving to me… I still think you’ll enjoy it.”

She motioned the warriors to bring up three of the captives - two Banean women and one Numiri man. “It was rather difficult for me to find these Baneans for you… but I managed.”

As they were lined up, Lyra started with the hood of the Numiri man. “This one’s name is Azan… he was the one who orchestrated my kidnapping on Banea.”

She then reached out to remove the coverings from the face of the Banean women. “You of course remember Kiva Dol… and perhaps you remember Naiva.”

Andrei was watching closely, having put his swords in the speacially-made scabbards meant to hold only hilts and entered with Lyra. As soon as his eyes fell on the present aliens, he understood what was happening and her brief explain action served as only a confirmation. His eyes fell on the Numiri man, who he was very eager to see dead. Then he looked at Naiva, the young Banean woman who had been so innocently fascinated with him when they first arrived. She had done nothing wrong, of course, but she had stoked Lyra’s jealousy for him and that could be a death sentence in itself. His eyes moved over her small but perky breasts after glimpsing the fearful begging in her eyes, and then he looked down between her legs and, seeing not even labial lips or any signs of mammalian anatomy, he frowned in disgust.

“Please, let me go, Commander!” She said, her voice hoarse and desperate. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Andrei smiled at that and looked to Lyra.

Lyra for her part seemed pleased by Naiva’s begging, though truthfully she was more pleased by Andrei’s reaction to their alien bodies. Perhaps someday he would understand that these creatures were nothing but animals no matter how close to human they looked and lusting after them was actually quite revolting. She didn’t dwell on that though, she was ready to hunt and kill and watch them bleed, but she was giving Andrei his time to play with their mice.

Lastly, Andrei looked to the other woman. Kiva Dol, the police officer who had him arrested and prevented him from seeing Lyra at the beginning. She was older, more fit, and more shapely than the other Banean, yet still as useless for a Terran’s purposes. He had pledged vengeance on her, regardless.

“That feeling of regret you’re experiencing, Kiva. I can see it in your eyes, I can detect it in your bio signs…I can smell it on you.” He said, spitting in her face and scowling. “It smells sweet.”

“I was only doing my job.” Kiva insisted but it was quiet. “I never meant to disrespect you and I was deceived as were the rest by the Numiri.”

Andrei yawned loudly as Kiva finished her short litany of excuses, seeming completely unphased and disinterested in what she was saying. He looked away from her dismissively, as if she wasn’t even talking and allowed his eyes to drift over the other hooded aliens present.

Lyra rolled her eyes, signaling to the warriors to unshroud the remaining victims. They were nameless to them, of no significance other than they were fit of body and looked like they could run. Animals didn’t get to wield weapons; animals were hunted - in this case - for sport.

“Are you ready, darling?”

“Couldn’t be more ready.” He responded and stood up straight. He would disappear in the jungle, amidst the trees and the brush, and the fog. And he would only show himself to kill.

“The safeties are on for us - higher than our usual level. Superficial injuries only, but since we have real weapons well… the holodeck can’t really regulate those.” She chuckled though it was without humor. She was ready too. Turning her attention to the aliens, she spoke to them with a firm authority in her voice.

“You are here to die today, you all knew that the moment you were brought here. You will be hunted, you will be killed, but you have the benefit of suffering a relatively quick death that the rest of your existing people do not have as long as you make it sporting. Refuse, and I will make you suffer more than your puerile brains can even hope to understand. Perhaps, if you impress us enough, you might be allowed to live after this day in service as a slave.”

They wouldn’t, of course, but when people had something to strive for it made them fight and try harder. “Now go.”

There was just a brief moment of hesitation from the aliens, and then suddenly they all scattered out into the thick woods. Lyra’s hand moved to Andrei’s back under the bear hide he was wearing and traced along his spine. She thought about suggesting he wear his patch to make it more sporting, but it was his birthday and he could do what he wanted in that regard. They waited a couple of minutes for those unfortunate souls to scatter, and then Lyra looked up to him.

“After you.”

Andrei stood in silence, his silver and green eyes fixed on the retreating sounds of the aliens, all running for their lives. He took a deep breath and then he charged full sprint into the forest after them. He was only visible to Lyra for a brief few seconds before he jumped to an impressive height, grabbed a branch high above his head, and pulled himself quickly up into the leaves in one motion.

Lyra watched Andrei hoist himself up into the trees, her brows lifting slightly. She could climb well herself, but what he had just done was an impressive physical feat. She wasn’t surprised of course given his physical prowess, but she had never seen him do something like that before. She didn’t wait long and then she too was off, taking a long trotting stride after their prey.

TBC