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Mission - Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location - The Pyramid

ON

Giana took one more look at herself in the mirror before dismissing it and taking her seat at the small dining table set up for them in one of the Emperor’s more private dining rooms used for hosting smaller gatherings. She was at one of the smaller round tables that had been set up for them, and a few serving staff were standing by waiting for both parties to be present. Khalon intrigued her and his willingness to help her had not gone unnoticed even if she was still waiting to know exactly what he was wanting in return. The fact he seemed to have some level of genuine interest and concern beyond his own interests was attractive to her in more ways than one. She tried not to dwell on her personal problems though and set her mind to the dinner at hand.

She had opted for a light blue cocktail dress; the color brought out her eyes and the beauty of her shining golden hair. It was a relatively modest cut outside of the slightly lower v-neck that just showed a hint of cleavage. The irregular hem skirt fluttered above and below her knee, and it was belted with a gold metallic band around her thin waist. She wore light touches of simple gold jewelry and understated makeup; she wasn’t trying to make this feel like a date.

Following their meeting, Khalon had left the Pyramid and went to his office in a nearby building. He attended several meetings over subspace communications to his advisors on Mars. Managing the affairs of an entire planet was no small matter, but he almost never discussed Business outside of his meetings.

The entire day, he had tried to keep the dinner off of his mind, knowing that dwelling on it for too long, we just throw him off his game. A few hours before the dinner, he sent one of his assistants to purchase a new outfit for the occasion, a suit with a black bow-tie with crimson Andorran velvet. After bathing, scenting himself until he smelled amazing, and stepping into his suit, he traveled to the Pyramid.

Khalon walked into the dining room behind one of Giana’s attendants, his eyes going to her and taking in her lovely appearance right away. He lingered on her quite shamelessly, and though he wasn’t exactly undressing her with his eyes, he may have been looking at her as if she were already naked.

When the doors opened, Giana moved to stand elegantly. She didn’t have to of course, but she preferred greeting people on her feet when she wasn’t actively trying to remind them of their place. Her own eyes moved over him; there was little more attractive on a man than a well-tailored suit like he was sporting. She could see he was looking at her too.

Smiling an expression that projected warmth and welcome, she gestured open with her hands at her sides. “Lord Price, hello again. Please come and join me.”

He made the final approach and grabbed her offered hand gently. Leaning down, he kissed her fingers together and then paused. After a second of holding the hand, he kissed it again, slower this time, before standing up and looking at her.

“Your Highness.” He said with a handsome smile. “Thank you for your gracious welcome and for your invitation to dine. It’s an honor.”

For all his boldness when he was speaking his mind, Lord Price knew courtly courtesy as well as anyone. He moved behind her chair in order to allow her to sit. Once he’d pushed her chair in, he found his own seat and joined her.

“You’re breathtaking in that dress, ma’am.” He said, looking at her as if she were the only other person in the room. “I may have to try hard to focus on your important words when you’re dressed so beautifully.”

“I’d say flattery and charm won’t get you anywhere, the trouble is I know it has gotten you plenty of places.” Giana smiled and shook her head, her beautiful eyes sparkling. She crossed her legs elegantly under the table as one of the servants came to pour glasses of red wine. Once he had withdrawn, Giana spoke again.

“Were you able to attend to some of the business you needed to earlier?”

“I was, actually. I sat through some completely boring meetings, sent over some signed documents and delegated the simple task.” He said, grabbing the glass of wine and sniffing it with a nod of approval. “I did have to cancel a charity event with your dear royal sister. You’ll never guess what it was for.”

“Teaching fish to swim?” Giana replied with an expressive roll of her eyes. “Maybe she just really wants to have some babies.”

Without wasting any time, two waiters brought out the first course of hors d’oeuvres. The one placing the covered tray in front of Giana spoke as he opened it.

“Goat cheese crostini with fig-olive tapenade, Highness.”

They withdrew quickly and they were then alone in the room with their food.

“I’m sure Elana will get over it.”

“She’s resilient, and she cares enough for both of us.” He said with a roll of his own eyes for an instant. It was the only indicator of how he might really feel he’d given. He picked up one of the crostini and took a bite. He savored the flavor of the small snack packed. “That’s really good. Does the Pyramid have its own chef?”

“Several, actually. The one cooking the food for tonight is a personal one of the imperial family though. You don’t get to taste his food without special invitation.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Not everyone enjoys replicated food, my father is especially picky as he has every right to be.”

“Well, we can afford to be picky, can’t we? Why shouldn’t we?” He asked rhetorically as he chewed. “How was your day after we met this morning? Did you have a long list of meetings with more handsome, dashing men offering to kill for your attention?”

“Oh a few. I had to have my secretary make a list. You are the only one who got the dinner though.” She smirked just slightly and picked up her wine to take a sip of it. “Truthfully the rest of my day was mostly spent in very boring meetings listening to people drone on about nothing while I worked on other more pressing matters.”

“The work is a little tedious, but it has its rewards. I mean, most people don’t get fabulous wealth and power, so sitting through a few meetings might be a small price to pay.” He said, sipping his wine again and looking at her. “But you need to make sure you have fun as well from time to time. You’re wasted in back to back meetings. Between this and Bella Gia, you must have a thousand a week.”

“Don’t forget I’m Lady of the Northern Dominion too.” Giana pointed, the smirk remaining right where it was. She put her glass back down and her expression evened out again. “I’m getting through the work, but no, I don’t really have time for fun even with the assistance my staff provides. I admit I was never expecting to add ‘Regent’ to my list of responsibilities. Though I’m hopeful it will not be for long.”

He watched her smile with interest, allowing the one on his face to relax as he listened to her. He’d actually forgotten she was a Lady in her own right. As it was, she had never been to a Council of Lords meeting before, so they hadn't really interacted before.

“How’s your father holding up?” he asked with a curious expression.

“Resting comfortably and recovering.” Giana offered the standard response and didn’t seem inclined to expand on it more than that. One of the servants returned to take their empty plates away, but did so quickly to intrude as little as possible.

Khalon looked at her with a somewhat pained expression. Biting his tongue took genuine effort, and he was sure it would ruin the moment if he told her he thought that was bullshit. Instead, he nodded in a completely unconvincing way and took another bite of the first course.

“That’s really good to hear..” he said, sounding like he had a stomach ache.

She noticed his tone immediately and lifted a brow, but she decided to not question it in the end. “So tell me how you’ve been settling into your role as High Lord of Mars. I know you were acting in your fathers stead for a while before it became… official. Do you find it any different?”

Khalon happily took the out she had offered. He typically didn’t choke in social situations, but he almost had.

“Well, like most Lords, I inherited when my father died. It was sad, but Dad had been sick for a long time, so it wasn’t like it was some surprise. I’d been running his council and attending most of his events, especially after my sister went missing.” He averted his gaze for a moment, wondering what had become of Maya and her little ship. He pushed the thought out of his mind and looked back at Giana. “But Mars is one of our oldest worlds, and my family has a long history there. The only difference is what people call me and, I guess, how much time I have to do what I want.”

Giana’s pretty blue eyes softened slightly. “I was very sorry to hear about Maya’s disappearance. She is a nice young woman.”

Too nice for higher court, Giana thought, but perhaps with time Maya could have surprised her. The younger woman was one who Giana really didn’t have problems with - a rarity for her. “Perhaps some day we will find out what befell our ships that were lost. Maybe they even found each other in the end; wouldn’t that be nice?”

“It would be.” Khalon said with a sad smile. It was a sore subject, and he clearly cared for his sister quite alot. They had always been a strong, affectionate, loving family, and hugs in the Price household were given as often as glances were in some others. Losing his father and his sister had been difficult for him. “If they’re even alive, that is. The current theory is that there was a teleportation event rather than a destructive one. I’ve prayed that Starfleet is right about that one.”

“I’ve heard the same theory.” Giana nodded slightly, studying his face and how sad he looked. It hadn’t escaped the talk of the court how close the Price family was to each other, it was a topic of envy by many. Giana found herself wondering what it might have been like to have such a family; the truth was she likely wouldn’t have been very sad if any of her siblings died.

“Keep praying, Khalon. Perhaps the gods will bring her home to you.” It wasn’t a patronizing statement but instead seemed genuinely encouraging.

He smiled at her and allowed a small silence to rest between them. It was more comfortable than he would have assumed it would be. His grin was unabashedly engaged, and the fact he liked being around her could be seen by a blind man.

“So, you’re fresh back from killing a traitor and winning a war and you’re juggling running the Empire with holding your family together, ruling your lands, and designing for your company,” he started, eyeing her, “I’m sitting here wondering how you have time to have a fiance right now. Who’s planning the wedding, his mother?”

It had been a clever comment given the situation happening with Lady Lavigne and any other day, Giana might have quipped back, but she found she didn’t have it in her to do so right then. She lifted her glass of wine and looked at it. “The wedding plans are on hold given everything that has been happening and with my father’s condition. As for my time, my fiance has found himself quite occupied with his new job and deciding that he actually does enjoy being famous.”

“So you’re both too busy to get married, is that right?” He asked, challenging finally, but with a smile. He shook his head. “I could never do that. I’d have to be married to you right away; no delay.”

Giana frowned, “My father would want to be there, and I would want him there.”

Even if he didn’t really approve of her relationship to Sacha, she had never really considered the possibility he wouldn’t be in attendance of her wedding and she certainly wasn’t going to consider it now.

The servants returned with two more covered plates which were once more put down in front of the seated pair simultaneously with the one serving Giana speaking up. “Candied carrots with honey, cumin, and paprika.”

The servants withdrew once more and left Giana looking down at the pretty, colorful carrot dish before them.

“Well, he’s resting and recovering, right? You could set a date a few months from now and have him there.” Khalon said without any hint of doubt that what he was saying was true. Of course, every instinct in his body told him differently, but it seemed he couldn’t stay off the topic this evening. “Six months, a year. Whatever.”

Giana smiled, strained and verging on annoyed. “You’re very kind to be concerned about my wedding, but trust that I will handle it when the time is right and don’t worry, you’ll be invited.”

She picked up her fork and knife to cut into the carrots, obviously very done with that topic of conversation.

Khalon understood that she didn’t trust him, and he couldn’t really blame her. He picked up his knife and fork and wondered what in the world it was safe to talk to her about. She had a thousand secrets he was sure, all locked in that little royal head of hers.

“Oh, I couldn’t stand to go. I’m far too jealous. I might mistake you for a picture of yourself.” He said, taking a bite from his fork.

“I’m sure you’ll find it in yourself to attend.” To not would have been extremely disrespectful not only to Giana but the Emperor himself after all.

“You know, apparently I have a cousin on one of those missing ships.”

“You do?” He asked, following her change of conversation without actually giving it much thought. There was clearly trouble in paradise. Either Antonius was nowhere near stable enough to attend a wedding, she had some serious hesitation about actually going through with it, or both. Either way, it had serious implications for her. “What cousin?”

“Lyra Hale. I’m sure you’re at least vaguely familiar with that whole story?” She asked and glanced up at him between her bites.

“Right right.” he said with a nod, recognizing the name immediately. “The dead girl who’s actually alive. Elana told me all about her, at least as far as her childhood went. She said you two were close.”

“Truthfully she was more like a sister to me than Elana is.” Giana shrugged slightly. “They got along too when Elana decided she wanted to be around, but Lyra and I were closer. Her brother is Lord of Brazil now.”

“Right. I met him aboard Imperator during the Feast of Heroes. He’s got a crazy story. They all do.” he said with a tone that indicated he was intrigued and impressed. “It sounds like Imperial Intelligence played a big part in saving their lives. I guess I don’t understand why they didn’t just knock Ivers off the hill and give Brazil back to them.”

“I really don’t know and I never asked. I don’t think it’s something I would get a straight answer about. If I were to take a guess it probably had something to do with the shipyards or bringing some other unruly people in line. I don’t get it and it sounds awful.” She shook her head. “After all of that, then my cousin goes missing to who knows where.”

It seemed Giana too was more inclined to believe that somewhere, the crews of their lost ships were alive.

“After a life like hers, I bet she’s a survivor. If she’s out there somewhere, I bet she’s a fighter.” he remarked with some warmth. “And, if that’s the case, I hope my sister is with her. She’s a good pilot, but she’s pathetic in a fight.”

“Did the two of you ever serve together? I know you were both in Starfleet.” She pointed out, finding herself actually genuinely curious to learn more about the man across from her. Of course there was business to talk about, but they could talk of other things beforehand.

He shook his head, offering a simple answer to her question.

“No, when she graduated, she went straight to the ISS Gladius. I never served with her and only interacted with her as fellow soldiers when I went to her graduation ceremony. We’ve been a Starfleet family for generations, so It was a big deal, as it always is. I wish I was there with her, though.”

“I’m sure you do.” Her voice was sympathetic and so were her eyes. “Do you regret having to leave the fleet to take up the mantle of High Lord?”

“I liked my life the way it was, and I entered thinking I’d be able to be in for decades before I needed to come home. At first, I was excited to have things my way at home, but I miss it some days. Still, the life of a civilian has its freedoms and benefits. I can’t complain about those.” He answered earnestly. He met her eyes and, seeing compassion in them, smiled. “Non replicated food for example.”

“A better selection of women too, I imagine.” Giana noted with a more playful smirk this time. The gender ratio in the military was still quite skewed in favor of men which was natural, but certainly cut down on options for the men if they were inclined to seek out more than a casual fling.

“Well, yeah. Military life doesn’t suit every beautiful woman. You never got your lips for example.” He responded, bringing the wine glass to his lips again. “But I don’t make important decisions based on the general hotness of the women I’m around, most of the time.”

“Well at least you’re honest in that it’s most of the time.” She chuckled, pausing as the plates were cleared away and allowing her eyes to linger on him. “How is your mother faring? Is she helping you with your duties as lord?”

“She’s stronger than I am.” He said with a chuckle. “And she’s been attending fundraisers and hosting all the events a High Lord generally attends in my place. I spend a lot of time here on Terra these days.”

“Any particular reason for that? Or are the council meetings eating all of your time?” The servants returned to clear the plates and refill their wine glasses.

“I’ve been increasing my influence as much as I can so that I can be more useful.” He answered. “I wasn’t an insider when I was appointed to the Council, so I’ve had a lot of catching up to do as far as making allies in the Senate.”

“You’ve done quite well for yourself on that front it seems.” Giana noted, her tone approving. “Being able to offer me seven senators in the amount of time you’ve been moving in the circles is no small feat.”

“Well, I can be convincing when I really want to. Talking up a potential future familial connection with the Imperial Family got my foot in the door on some of them. I’ve built groundwork on dozens more, but I can’t call them mine yet.” He said, admitting a shade of how he had managed to do it. “I know time and familiarity help, so I’ve stuck around.”

Giana laughed softly. “See, I knew it wasn’t purely altruistic.” She shook her head, but obviously didn’t care much that Elana was being used as a pawn even in some small way.

“You’d secure more support if you went through with it though. It isn’t like you’d have to see each other all the time. She can play with her orphans, you can do whatever powerful men do.”

“Elana is not so bad, right. I find her almost completely tolerable.” He said, looking at her and enjoying her amusement. “But she’s not exactly my type.”

Giana went quiet for a beat and just looked at Khalon. He was humoring her about Elana she was sure; a lot of men found the bleeding heart type attractive and Elana was that if nothing else. “Something to think about though, it isn’t like it’s an uncommon thing for powerful families. Love may come in time… or you find yourself a girlfriend.”

Khalon raised his brows in surprise at her statement. His smile had remained on his face, but the amusement had gone out.

“That’s disgusting.” He said, and to his credit, the disgust was reflected in his face. “I have a very affectionate family. Loveless marriages just wouldn’t work any more than betrayal would. We tie the knot for life on Mars. So I’d really better find the right woman, right?”

Despite what she had put out as a solution herself, the approval at his answer was very clearly shown in Giana’s eyes. “Yes, you probably should.”

The servants appeared again and once again repeated their routine.

“Roasted duck with an orange-ginger glaze and rosemary potatoes.”

Once the servants were gone again, Giana picked up her fork and knife and cut into the medallions of duck meat. “I did spend a good part of my day considering the discussion we had earlier.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He said, cutting the duck on his plate as well. The food was fragrant and tender, another example of the fine cooking served at Court. “Do you have any thoughts you’d like to share?”

“I think I may invite them to dinner and tell them how things are going to go.” She took a sip of her wine, closing her beautiful blue eyes for a moment. “If they refuse, they may perhaps not all return home.”

“They will refuse, Your Highness.” He said with certainty in his voice. “Unless what you tell them makes them believe you are a killer. Unfortunately, I think Sacha Lavigne robbed you of that credential as far as your brother goes. The nobility whisper that he’s the one who did the dirty work while you sat on your ship and hoped for the best.”

He didn’t mean to insult or disappoint her. He only meant to be honest about what he’d heard.

“You can do this, Your Highness, but you’re going to need to have somebody carved up at the table rather than just the meat. They need to see how tough you are underneath your dazzling eyes and good fashion, the way I do.”

“Yes, I was assuming that I would have to do something to drive home the point given they are drunk on foolishness and delusions of having power. I was hoping though that I might not have to end one of them, but I will if I need to. I thought taking their hands might be enough, but do you have a different suggestion?” She wasn’t exactly completely comfortable with what she was saying, but she found herself more comfortable than she thought she would have been.

“See that’s what I’m talking about.” He said, pointing at her for a moment before putting his hand down. “That hesitation; that instinct to punish lightly…to be just. That’s what they expect from you.”

He leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath, his eyes locking in on hers.

“They expect you to intervene, they expect you to meet with them, to talk, and maybe to slap a hand or two. But they also expect you to be reasonable, and measured, patient. They expect you to give them a warning. They don’t think you’re a killer.”

Giana frowned but didn’t necessarily seem angry over his assessment. He was right, she did want to be reasonable and just to begin with; she didn’t want to jump outright to killing. As she pushed the food around on her plate a bit, she continued to mull it over. They’d had time to deal with her mother and they had rejected her soft, reasonable hand. They sewed dissent and doubt in the power of the imperial monarchy - they were Blues who should have been dealt with when the others had been. She hated the thought of killing, but the slide of the Empire toward certain ruin was a much more pressing matter.

“You’re right.” She admitted with a sigh.

“We should have a meal though, it’ll remind them of the last time Lords were invited to dine with an Orsini.” He said, his hands folding conspiratorially. “The Council of Lords, meeting over a nice sunny lunch. You can speak courteously, telling them to get on side. And, if they don’t bite or they decide to insult you..”

He grabbed the knife next, lifting it like a dagger. He looked at her, seriously. It wasn’t clear if the idea was an exciting one for him, but he certainly seemed willing and dedicated.

“I can take care of the rest.”

“What will it cost me, Khalon?” Giana asked, now mildly challenging.

He shook his head as if the question offended him, but a smile played at his lips as he prepared to respond.

“Weren’t you listening, Giana? I already told you.” He leaned back and licked his full lips. “A hug. That’s it, I swear to all the gods. A hug, from you, is worth a dead traitor. A kiss, well..” he paused, and looked at her, unashamedly staring at her lips. “That would be worth a thousand.”

“You can’t really be serious.” Giana frowned, her eyes moving over his face slowly as if she were trying to figure out what was his real motivation and what he would get out of the deal. The chance of being elevated in the Empire didn’t seem quite enough.

“How can I convince you how serious I am?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not the first man who would do anything for you, surely. Is it really so hard to believe? What better reason would I have?”

“Power.” She replied simply and shrugged. Obviously, she simply didn’t believe in the concept of a man doing “anything” for a woman. “Popularity, recognition.”

“I have those things already.” He said, shrugging. “At least I have enough of them for my taste. I never understood the point of men who try to climb to the top or work their lives away to gain great riches. I have everything I need.” He eyed her then, confident and calm. “Except you.”

Giana frowned at him, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms. “If you wanted that opportunity, why didn’t you have your parents talk to mine?”

“That’s a fair question.” He admitted, looking at her with patience and a gentle nod. “The truth is my father didn’t like your father very much. Your entire family, really. He thought you were weak. He changed his tone after the Night of the Crimson Knives, but that was after you were already dating Sacha.”

“And you didn’t want to go against your father.” It was a statement more than a question. “What about Elana? Men and women can’t really be friends like that. Not so far as she runs off to Mars to be with you and thinks things are going well; what was your play with my sister? Were you going to try and make things work with her?”

“Why would I? There’s nothing there from me to her, and I’ve already told you how important genuine connection is to me.” He said, raising his hands. “I know this seems suspicious, but I’m making good of a fortuitous situation more than anything else. I don’t want more power, influence, or wealth for its own sake. And, though it might surprise you, I can be very entertaining company with my clothes on just as well as off. Add a bit of delusion on Elana’s part, and you have our current situation.”

It was clear Giana was still very suspicious, but there was obviously some part of her that wanted to believe him. The only true ally she could think of that she had in this world was CJ, and she knew that CJ’s help certainly wasn’t without a price of its own. She didn’t reply, instead hid her thoughts and feelings behind another sip of wine and bites of food.

“You don’t have to believe me, really. I’m here, I’ll do the job, and then maybe I’ll just return to Mars and leave you to put things back together here and stay out of your way. Or, I might just stay here and pester you. I suppose it’ll depend on my mood.” He said, allowing a small smile. He couldn’t control how she felt about him, and he didn’t intend to try.

“You need to stop making appearances with my sister.” Giana finally said. “I’m not going to say encourage her to leave Mars because frankly I prefer her to have her melodrama about not wanting to be royal while enjoying all of its perk as far away from me as possible, but I also cannot afford to have the tabloids spew nonsense right now if you do decide you want to ‘pester me’ when you’re supposed to be with my sister.”

He lifted his wine glass and took a healthy sip, leaving just a bit at the bottom. He looked at her and gave a nod, seeming unbothered by the terms.

“Done.” He said, and then finished the rest of his wine. “I’ll let her down easy.”

“That’s up to you, it doesn’t matter.” She gave a dismissive wave of her hand at the notion she would care how he would do it. Putting her glass down again, she let her beautiful blue eyes rest on him.

“Do you think they will all need to die?”

“No. Just one should send the message loud and clear.” He said. Her lack of concern for her sister didn’t surprise him considering the conversations he’d had with Elana, but it did make him question her value for family. Either way, it was none of his business. “The big question is: which one? Lavigne, Sharma, or Montreve? Or, maybe you want to play it by ear..see who’s acting the stupidest on the day.”

“Montreve would be my first choice. She isn’t family and if it can be avoided I would like to not kill another member of my family even if it is through marriage. Jolene is near family and I haven’t exactly had a chance to let Sacha know I might kill his mother if she doesn’t bend and while he really dislikes the woman, she’s still his mother.” Giana sighed softly and closed her eyes.

“That makes sense. I’d be surprised if she doesn’t have a backup plan of some kind. She knows she’s the only one who you can lay your hands on.” He responded. “But she’ll fall easy, especially if she has none of her men with her.”

“She absolutely is not, and if she had paid any attention to anything, she would know that.” Giana practically snorted but paused as the servants returned to clear the plates. “I’ll make sure everything is in order that she won’t be able to escape.”

“And I assume you won’t be plunging the dagger yourself?” He asked, though his expression was open and curious.

“No, I am not planning on it,” she smiled just slightly and looked out of the large window they were sitting next to, “but perhaps they’ll make me mad enough to do just that. How shall we arrange the deed if it needs to be done?”

“They’ll be wary of any extra guards, of course, and after your father had the Blues stabbed by the wait staff, that option will arouse suspicion as well.” He said, biting his lower lip as he considered the situation. “Still, once we have them there, it won’t really matter. I expected I would do it, but it doesn’t really matter in the end, does it?”

“Do you want to?” She asked, both her voice and eyes full of curiosity at his confession.

“I do. It sounds fun. And, for the record, I’m good at it.” He answered with a chuckle. “I hate the Blues just as much as my father did, and I’d like to settle the score with some of the prominent members who spent their days hiding and lying about it.”

The servants returned and placed small plates with elegant small dark brown cakes on them.

“Flourless chocolate cake paired with sweet port wine, Highness.” The servant offered as he poured the small glass of port for her first and then Khalon. Steady as the tide, they left again and Giana continued the conversation as if they hadn’t had the interruption at all.

“Very well, Khalon, if that’s the way you feel about it. Do you have any other suggestions?”

Khalon had always been a fan of port, so he showed some interest in the servant’s words. Meals like this were normal for both of them, and the only real difference was the caliber of his company. Still, Khalon was an unpretentious man, putting more importance in the character of a person than any titles they might have been able to accrue for themselves. If he liked being with Giana in this moment, it had nothing to do with the fact that she was a princess. He lifted the port to his lips and shook his head.

“Is that dress one of your designs?” He asked, curiously, seeming to swerve the last question for interest in another. “It looks like one of the dresses from your August catalog.”

“Yes, it is.” She confirmed while looking across at him. At any other time she would have been flattered that he had noticed and remembered her designs, especially as a man, but the fact he had so obviously dodged her last question had annoyed her.

“Perhaps you’d like something for your mother.”

“She beat both of us to it, Your Highness. You can believe that.” he said with a smile. “Mom is probably your first order when you come out with something she likes even remotely. If I want to get a gift for her, I normally go for jewelry over fabrics because she tends to be too distracted to look at those. You’re generous for the offer, though.”

Her annoyance at his changing the subject was obvious, and while he took no pleasure in bothering her, he wasn’t going to let himself be controlled by her subtle and shifting feelings. He intended to serve her as a man and not a dog, after all.

“Where do you get your inspiration for new designs? Do you browse other catalogs? Are you more of a cooperative designer, taking your team’s concepts into consideration?”

“Where did you get that suit? It isn’t one of mine.” Giana noted and indicated to the outfit he was wearing with a slight gesture of her hand that was also holding the glass of port.

Khalon furrowed his brows in confusion as she didn’t answer his question. Was she offended by being asked about herself at all? He licked his lips, pressing off any natural irritation with a shift in his expectations and masking it well.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” he said, shaking his head. “I had a servant run out and grab it for the occasion and she didn't tell me where she bought it.”

He grabbed the lapel of the jacket and slipped one arm out followed by another. Turning the jacket around carefully, he looked at the tag on the inside and nodded.

“Oliver & Tenley. One of my favorite brands.” he said, looking back up at her and offering a small smile. “My people know what I like.”

“Not a fan of my Armand brand, then?” She asked and took a small bite of the dense, rich cake on her plate.

“Are you kidding me? You corner the market when it comes to elite clothing. I have every suit you designed. But, you’re new, and I like variety.” He said, using his fork to cut into one of the desserts and pop it into his mouth. His closest had two floors, if that was any indication of how dedicated he was to looking good. Everyone agreed that it worked, and aside from being handsome and notably fit, Lord Khalon Price had a varied and interesting wardrobe. He wasn’t afraid to peacock and wear bright, colorful combinations that other men wouldn’t dare try. He always made it work.

“I’ll be debuting a new collection at the beginning of December in time for Saturnalia; it will cover all of my brands. I think you’ll be excited, knowing what I know of you.” His admission that he owned everything she had put out seemed to please her, and any lingering annoyance melted away.

“Most of the designs for my Pia Pietra brand are my own and I do a large majority for Caterina as well. Armand and Chique Royal are more collaborative endeavors as I don’t have a full grasp of what the commoner enjoys wearing.”

“I always assumed they liked to look as close to us as they could with the little money they have. That, and good things like belly shirts, and yoga pants in public.” He grinned then and took a sip of the port. “You could always sell them sweatshirts with sports teams on them.”

“I think you’re trying to make me sick.” Giana replied with a smirk of her own. “Would you have any interest in making a contribution of your own to the brand? Perhaps something for Seraphina, a cologne?”

She surprised herself with the offer and that it was genuine. It wasn’t something she had randomly done before even with Sacha, but that was because she knew Sacha would just laugh it off and dismiss it as silly - though he might have been more open to it now that he was enjoying the limelight of heroism.

“Me?” He asked, surprised at first, and then allowing his mind to settle on the idea. Of course he’d entertained the idea of getting involved in the industry at some point, but he’d never taken the idea seriously. “That would be amazing, actually. Would you be willing to let me do something like that?”

“You’re one of the most fashionable men in the Empire; of course I would be willing if it is something you’re interested in.” She smiled, warm. “Do you have any idea of what you might like to make? You’d be invited to the lab to figure it out of course, but I’ve found some people already have an idea or two bouncing around in their heads.”

Khalon gave her a smile full of excitement as he chewed, his mind moving to any idea which might be floating around in his head. He knew what he liked in great detail, so it wasn’t exactly difficult for him to generate an idea on the spot.

“If I were to create my own cologne, it would probably have a fresh top note and a rich amber wood base with a healthy dose of spice and peppers throughout the life of the scent.” He said, making the scent combinations in his mind and imagining what they would be like together. “And if I were to design suits, I would lean toward creative styles with vibrant colors. They might not attract everyone’s eye, but they would be iconic.”

Giana giggled, light and feminine; she was clearly taken with his excitement at the prospects of creating and the fact he had such a solid idea already. “I see you’ve given this some thought already. That’s good. It shouldn’t be difficult to arrange around your schedule. As for the suits, we can discuss that more; I’d like to see what you have in mind.”

“I promise to dazzle you.” He said, smiling at her feminine giggle; it was endearing. “I haven’t thought about it too much, but I have a few ideas swimming around in my head about the whole thing. Just have your people get with mine, and we can make that happen.”

He sipped his port again, feeling some of the effects from both that and the wine they had been served previously. He looked at her again, allowing his gaze to move from her eyes, to her hair, to her upper body, and then back again. If he could see her legs, he would have lingered there longer.

“Your designs are excellent, but I think you missed your true calling as a model.” He said, his voice somewhat musical as he sang the subtle compliment.

“My father wouldn’t allow it. I wanted to, once upon a time, but he wouldn’t hear of it unless I was covered head to toe in fifteen layers of fabric, long sleeves, turtle necks, and skirts preferably with trains they were so long, so I gave up on that dream.” She waved a hand to dismiss the notion, though obviously it bothered her - at least this time it wasn’t directed at Khalon.

“My father said the same thing when I was asked to star in an underwear commercial. He said it was below the dignity of a noble and an embarrassment to the family, so I didn’t do it.” He shook his head then. “What a shame. I guess that means you have to do all of your modeling at parties..” He winked at her; a seamless and smooth gesture, communicating no hesitation or fear. “Or privately.”

“That’s a shame. You would have looked quite good in nothing but underwear on a billboard.” Giana smirked in a flirtatious way, distracted by the way he was looking at her and the warmth of the wine. “The world missed out.”

“Well, who needs billboards anyway when you have private viewings? In my opinion, those are far more fun.” he replied with a mischievous grin, his eyes sparkling with playful intent. “Some things are best appreciated up close and personal. A billboard can’t really get the whole point across.”

“Give a lot of those private viewings, do you?” Giana challenged, pushing her plate back so she could lean closer to him as if they were conspiring over something. “I’m sure you’re very popular if what I saw earlier was any indication.”

“Not nearly as many as you might think. I’m careful with that sort of thing. I have a responsibility to give myself to my wife one day and not everyone I see along the way. I had my wild days, I’ll admit, but I cut that out years ago. I’m a good boy, I promise.” he said, offering a challenging expression which shed some reasonable doubt on the claim. He leaned in as well, and inhaled her perfume as he looked in her crystal blue eyes. “So you liked what you saw earlier, then? Just wait until I tell teenage Khalon that Princess Giana saw le pièce de résistance and didn’t laugh.”

Giana laughed and shook her head, but sat back as she did so. “Well, you’ll have to let me know what he says to that.”

She finished her port and her expression evened out a bit more. “When shall we hold this lunch, Khalon? I’d like to within a week, I don’t want this to fester too long.”

“Two days should be enough notice.” he said, finishing his own glass and picking up his last cake to finish after he was done talking. “If not, people will change their schedules rather than miss a gathering of the powerful, no matter how inconvenient it is. At this point, there’s no reason to doubt the loyalty of the other Council members, but they’ll be there too. Technically the invitation should come from the Speaker. Normally, I’d recommend ignoring all that bullshit, Lady Mendez is a supporter of your family and there’s no point offending her as far as I can see.”

“No, there isn’t any reason to do that. I’ll see her contacted and have her send out the invitation.” She watched as he finished his cake, her own remaining only half gone. “I hope you enjoyed dinner.”

“It was delicious, really. There wasn’t a single dish I didn’t enjoy.” He said, looking at her with somehow both courteous and mischievous eyes. “And it was great to talk to you more today and get to know you a little better. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Perhaps this will be the first of future invitations.” She offered up with a smile. “I certainly can’t complain about the company.”

Khalon stood up, the fine fabric of his jacket falling into place, and stepped around the table toward her. He stood very close; inappropriately close, and dropped down to one knee. He grabbed her hand in his and looked down, admiring the contrast in their skin tones and her well-manicured hands which told the story of a life without physical labor or work of any kind. He lifted the hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles slowly, worshipfully, looking up at her as he did so.

“Neither can I, Your Highness.” He said in a low voice, smooth and full of the attraction which burned brightly in his dark eyes. “I’ll be thinking about tonight constantly until I can see you again.”

Giana watched him as he moved and her eyes continued to follow every motion he made. She allowed him to take her hand and wasn’t oblivious to the quickening of her heartbeat or the little thrill that ran down her spine being so close to him. She licked her lips and stood slowly and carefully, being sure not to bump into him but he could watch her body slowly shift and move only inches from his handsome face.

“I believe I owe you a hug.”

Khalon watched her intensely as she stood up, his eyes following the line of her body up to her face. Being this close to her was a thrill for him as well, and his heart, too, was picking up speed. He stood then, and paused in front of her, his face close to hers; his lips close to hers. The tension was thick now, and the rest of the large room disappeared around them as he stared into her eyes.

“I believe you do.”

The temptation to kiss him was real. The chemistry they shared was electric and Giana was sure she could actually feel sparks between them. Her blue eyes settled on his and she drew closer, but as she lifted her hands slightly she felt the brush of the metal of her engagement ring against her hip. It broke her from the thought she had been entertaining, and instead she wrapped her arms around the man to give him his hug.

Khalon fought the powerful urge to kiss her as well. He had no engagement ring on his finger, but she did. Flirting was one thing, but actually tempting her into violating her relationship was quite another, and he wouldn’t allow himself to do that. He accepted the hug when it was given, the feeling of her body finally touching his causing his heart to speed up even more. He wrapped his strong arms around her and held her tightly, not shy about allowing the embrace to become intimate. Between his legs, he felt the stirring which one might expect from a man as attracted to her as he was.

Giana lingered but a moment before she pulled back and gave him a smile. “Well, I won’t keep you.” She gestured toward the door gracefully. “I will have my people contact you with the details of the lunch as well as getting you set up to visit Bella Gia.”

“I look forward to it.” He said, taking the invitation to straighten his jacket subtly with his hands, give her a wink and one last look, and then to turn for the door. He walked out with the same energetic motion he always moved, as if he both had incredibly important things in his schedule and absolute confidence he had all the time he needed. Without another glance over his shoulder, the High Lord of Mars was gone.

END

]]> Sat, 16 Nov 2024 23:53:41 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/810 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/810
Mission - Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location - The Pyramid

ON

The waiting room outside of the office where Princess Giana had been placed was standard, and decorated in a similar fashion to the rest of the Pyramid. Considering the numerous duties that were expected of the Regent in the midst of a looming political crisis, the attention of her staff had been placed on the tasks that would keep the government in control. It had been difficult, and they had faced resistance in most places they had turned where, previously, they would have received obsequious compliance. The winds of political change were blowing, and that couldn’t be good.

Several aides from the Senate and the Council of Lords had been relocated to assist the Princess Regent directly, lending expertise. In this instance, they had little to say beyond how challenging the situation was. There was gridlock in the Senate, and the military parade and honors the regents needed to secure their image after the Battle of Axanar were in legislative purgatory. More importantly, however, was the legitimacy of the current Emperor and his government.

As soon as Lord Khalon Price stepped through the double doors that led into the lobby, his alluring sweet and spicy scent wafted in as well. He wore perfectly pressed black pants and a collarless matching shirt with a royal blue silk jacket over it. His nails, his trimmed goatee, his jewelry, and his very presence told a story of wealth, charm, and fashionable taste. Walking straight up to the desk, he looked down at the man sitting there.

“I’m here to see the Princess Regent.” He said, his voice confident, but sociable and calm.

“One moment, Lord Price.” The man replied, looked at his monitor, then back to the glamorous lord before him. “The Princess Regent is just finishing up a meeting, sir. It shouldn’t be more than five minutes.”

He seemed to be genuinely apologetic to inform Khalon of the delay and it wasn’t some power tactic. “Feel free to have a seat if you would like.”

“I’ll stand.” Khalon returned, seeming genuinely unbothered at being set aside and made to wait for her previous appointment to finish. He took a step back from the counter and stood there in relative stillness, except his head, which occasionally turned to study another painting on the wall. It was fair to say he was unaccustomed to waiting, and it didn’t suit him, but he wasn’t about to make a fuss about it.

The man behind the desk seemed to be content to ignore Khalon and focus on his work instead of attempting to engage in small talk or other pleasantries. The Princess Regent was a very busy woman and thus her staff was always very busy. It was about five minutes later when a smartly dressed middle aged woman stepped out from the wall behind the desk. She carried a large tablet style PADD and glanced from it up to Khalon.

“Lord Price. The Princess Regent will see you now; please follow me.” She turned and began to walk down the hallway that led to more offices that had their glass frosted over for privacy, but figures could be seen moving inside of them. The hall didn’t have much of a personal touch in it, but it had the usual elegance and refinement of the rest of the Pyramid’s aesthetic. They approached one of the last doors which the woman opened and stepped in before Khalon.

“Princess Regent, Lord Price.”

Unlike the hallway and receiving portion of the small wing Giana was in, Giana’s office had been updated to her own tastes. There were still classical elements to it, but the rich dark woods had been replaced with crisp whites. To the left side of the room from the entrance were floor to ceiling bookcases filled with a beautiful dark rainbow of assorted books all standing neat and tidy. In front of that was Giana’s traditional double pedestal desk in a non-traditional white wood; on top of it was her console, her box, a stack of PADDs, a stack of papers, and a vase full of blue and white flowers. In front of the desk were two simple white chairs that didn’t look particularly comfortable nor inviting. Across the room was a seating area with two chairs and a chaise lounge. The chairs and chase were white with blue trim, and sitting in the middle of all three was a blue ottoman. The wall they were in front of was painted a very dark grey with silver patterning on it. It was more modern and definitely had a feminine touch.

Khalon was very observant of the world around him, so his eyes caught every detail of the hallway, but when he stepped into the office, his eyes went directly to Giana. He approached smartly, moving with the elegance and authority of a lord as well as the confidence and strength of a soldier. Stopping before her, he bowed his head slowly.

“Your Highness. You’re good to see me on such short notice.” He said smoothly, his brown eyes meeting hers confidently.

Giana sat behind her desk and looked up as Khalon bowed his head. She was wearing a simple light purple sheath dress with a dark blue bolero jacket over it. Her blonde hair was pulled back in an elegant bun, and touches of silver jewelry brought out more of her natural beauty. She watched her sister’s boyfriend swagger up to the desk with a neutral expression. She didn’t really have a desire to talk to him, but she also knew she wasn’t in a position to deny him right now.

“Of course, Lord Price. What can I do for you?”

“That’s the wrong question, Giana. The right one is: what can I do for you.” He said, the formality of his entrance giving way to his naturally forward personality. “Lady Montreve and her friends are sticking two middle fingers up at you right now, and no one as beautiful as you should have so much trouble.”

He sat down in the chair and looked at her, licking his full lips and settling his chin in his hand. He played with his crisply styled goatee as his mind worked behind bright, curious, and lively eyes.

“Say the word, and I’ll plunge my dagger in her back for you.”

“Careful, Khalon, or I’ll tell my sister you were here trying to charm my skirt off with flattery and promises to crush my enemies.” Her voice lent itself to seriousness, but the smile at the end communicated the joke.

She sat back in her chair, obviously tired but still engaged. “What do you have to offer?”

“Your sister would be upset, Your Highness, but… let’s say tales of our romantic connection are exaggerated.” He said, seeming candid. “In other words, yours would be the first royal skirt I rolled off. If I was so lucky, that is.”

He wasn’t shy about the interaction, and he offered a white grin, though it was laced with a certain seriousness. It was a joke that may not have really been a joke.

“I have to offer total dedication, a killer instinct, a trained body, and a very very talented tongue.” He said, his eyes locked on hers relentlessly. The flirtation in the statement had been blatant, but it was unclear if the handsome High Lord of Mars was foolish enough to actually try with the very popular, very powerful, very engaged Princess Regent. “Oh, and seven votes in the Senate. I might be new, but I’m good at making friends.”

The man was charming, Giana couldn’t even attempt to deny that particular fact. Her blue eyes moved over him slowly, taking in his handsome face and the way he held himself; it wasn’t completely chaste, but it wasn’t over the top either. Elana had seemed quite adamant about things going well between her and Khalon, but her sister always had a pension for being rather delusional in Giana’s view.

But, maybe Khalon was just a womanizing asshole - he definitely played the part.

“Yes, you are good at making friends. What exactly are you wanting in return?”

Khalon pursed his full lips at the question. It wasn’t unexpected, and he didn’t pretend like it was. He let his eyes drift from her for a moment to the vibrant sunlight streaming in through the large triangular window and Rome, the eternal city, beneath. Then his eyes settled on a picture of Giana standing with her family in a palace garden. It was at least ten years old, and his eyes rested on her image with a smile.

“I have an embarrassing confession to make, but you have to promise you won’t laugh at me.” He said, then looked at her with that smile, every bit as light and playful as Sacha’s had ever been. “Pinky swear?”

“I can’t promise that. What if it’s funny?” She challenged mildly though with clear amusement as she leaned forward to engage him more than she had been.

“Then you’ll owe me a favor, Your Highness.” He said, conspiratorially before turning his head in a move that was almost coy. “Okay, so when we were about twelve or thirteen, I thought you were the prettiest girl in the Empire. I used to watch the news just to see you walk beside your mother going to a charity, or anything like that, really. My stupid friends used to make fun of me for it, but I was basically obsessed.”

He smiled, the hint of embarrassment mounting slightly.

“I had this picture of you from some post card and…I literally used to sleep with it on the pillow next to mine. That’s the weirdest shit you ever heard, right?”

He bit his lip and looked up at her, his expression both amused and goofy. The use of profanity was inappropriate, of course, but he didn’t seem to notice, or he didn’t care.

“I’m not obsessed with you or anything like that anymore, but the Giana bug big bit me a long time ago and I still have a crush on you. I’m not going to lie.” He said, the embarrassment melting away and his eyes resting on hers again. “I guess I get to talk to you at least this one time, and if whatever we do stabilizes the Empire, that’s all the better.”

Giana listened intently; it always felt good to hear someone was really interested in her. It felt better when they were quite easy on the eyes themselves. She didn’t interrupt him, and her expression didn’t change outside a mild lifting of her manicured brows. Only when he was completely done did she finally shift and speak. “I see… how long did this obsession last?”

“Until yesterday, but I swear it’s gone.” He said, clearly joking, his slender, muscled body starting to move with silent, amiable laughter. “I’m basically indifferent to you today.”

“Oh well that’s good, it would be very difficult for you otherwise I’m sure.” Giana laughed a soft, feminine laugh but it was clear in her eyes that she had become slightly less engaged now that it was clear he was messing with her.

“But none of that really answered my question, did it? What do you want?”

His grin faded to a more serious expression as his fingers found and straightened the lapel of his blue silk jacket.

“I already told you, Giana. I get to serve you by stabilizing the Empire. I’ll admit I could have done something this entire time Montreve and your uncle, Sharma, were plotting, but my feelings weren’t that strong. Now that it’s your problem, I’m going to do something about it. I like when things work the way they should, and I feel a sudden swell of motivation. I’m serious.”

“Motivation you didn’t feel when it was my mother struggling.” Giana pointed out and lifted her arm so she choice rest her chin in her palm. While she and Cosima had many, many differences and rarely saw eye to eye, the woman was still her mother and there was a natural attachment and love there however strained it was between them.

“Right.” He said, unshaken by the accusation along with the implication he didn’t care enough. He spoke as honestly as ever. “Your mother is a grieving woman who has basically lost her husband. She’s smart, beautiful, and experienced, but she’s never cut a throat or ordered one cut. She didn’t have what it takes to solve this problem. I make no apologies for not putting my own position at risk trying to get her to do something she just doesn’t have the guts to do.”

He looked at her with a razor sharp expression, showing something in his eyes that set him apart from his frivolous and playful side.

“You have what it takes. You always have, and I admire that about you.”

Though she was skeptical, she obviously still hadn’t outright dismissed Khalon and he still had her attention. He wasn’t wrong in his assessment of her mother and she couldn’t fault him for wanting to protect himself; it did however indicate that his loyalty wasn’t free and he questioned if the rewards would outweigh the risks.

“What exactly do you think is necessary here?”

“It’s not about what I think. The solution is right there in Lady Montreve’s behavior. All of the dissenters were Blues in all but name before the Night of the Crimson Knives. The moderates on the Council of Lords voted with the Blues, defended their right to exist, and stayed silent when the Blues were strengthening themselves. They did it while claiming to be above the fray of politics. They’re hypocrites, which is why they mostly rode the fence. They’re cowards.”

He leaned back, relaxed, even as he risked being offensive. He had always been good at speaking his mind and quite bad at doing so gently.

“I don’t know where His Majesty is going to be in the next few weeks, but I can tell you that Lady Montreve, Lady Lavigne, and Prince Sharma think he’s going to be dead. And they think he’s going to be replaced by a weak, hesitant child Emperor led by a weak, hesitant Council of Regents.” he said, tapping his pristine brown finger on his jaw bone. “They can taste the blood in the water, and they know it's yours. And if you don’t show strength and draw their blood, you are fucked. One hundred percent fucked. And that’s not my opinion, that’s a fact. If they succeed in stopping this bill, all the other cowards will come out. And when weak men gather, it’s harder to stop them.”

“Come join me, Khalon.” Giana said as she stood and walked over toward the more comfortable seating area instead of her desk. She sat down in one of the chairs and gestured for him to do the same.

Without hesitation, Khalon stood and followed her over to the comfortable seating area. Looking down, he ran a hand on the fine fabric of the chair directly next to hers, taking time to appreciate it, before sitting down and crossing one leg over the other, leaving his foot close to her leg.

A servant came from seemingly nowhere carrying a pitcher and two glasses which she put down on the table between the two chairs and filled. She looked at Giana who gave a light wave. “Leave us.”

Without any hesitation, the woman did as she was commanded and the two were left - seemingly - alone. Giana didn’t speak right away and instead lifted the glass of cool water and took a thoughtful sip. Just as the silence was about to turn tense, she broke it. “I would be lying if I said we weren’t of the same mind here, though I will admit I don’t particularly understand the lingering mindset considering I just took our entire fleet and ended my own brother with it.”

She made an elegant gesture of the hand. “It was not, however, a popular decision with the other regents, so I am attempting to play nicely. I won’t forever.”

“I know that. That’s why I bothered coming here.” he answered as he watched the movement of her hand as she drank from the glass. He didn’t reach for his, but there was no indication whether this was because of some paranoia or the fact that he might simply not be thirsty. “But a man killed your brother, not you personally. It’s got to be the same way with this. And I doubt the same man is available.”

It was boldly said, but with a moderate tone. There was no physical sign he felt any contempt for her actions on Axanar.

There was a flash of annoyance on Giana’s face and she let out a quiet scoff. Looking away from him, she looked out of the massive window instead. She was quiet, then spoke quietly. “I wanted to do it myself.”

Khalon watched the flash of annoyance and looked toward the window. Displeasing people with his frankness was nothing new for him, but only a fool would suggest he didn’t care. In his mind, this was how he helped; it was how he made the world better, along with the people in it.

“Then I would be at your funeral right about now instead of looking at your pretty, very much alive face. Giuseppe was a Starfleet Officer and a trained killer. He was also a creature of Hell who could remorselessly murder his own sister. A killer took care of it for you, and I’m glad he did.” his tone gentled then a bit, though he maintained his resolve. “You don’t need to wield a knife yourself, but if you want to, I can teach you exactly where Lady Lavigne’s heart is.”

She rolled her beautiful blue eyes and shook her head slightly. “Give me some credit, Khalon, I’m not actually as stupid as people seem to think. I wasn’t about to armor up and go storming onto his ship to take him on one on one. I wanted him captured and brought to me. His life was mine to take and that chance was taken from me.”

She looked away, quiet again. She hadn’t voiced it to anyone until now; she had played the happy fiance gushing about her hero of the empire husband to be… but part of her resented Sacha - yet part of her loved the way he wanted to rescue her.

Khalon listened with curious eyes and a relaxed face, taking in every detail of her and doing very little to mask his obvious attraction.

“Ah, I see.” he said, and he did. He understood why she would want to do it herself, and knew that the choice had been taken from her. A certain instinct in his mind tempted him to play on the resentment he saw, but he shook it off. He wanted her, but he wasn’t here to make her life any harder by irritating a wound in her relationship. “Whatever you want in this situation, I’ll get it for you. I don’t need to prove myself, but if you want me to do so, I will. If you want to handle it yourself, I can understand that.”

“I’m more concerned about Montreve. I believe my uncle can be made to heel with the right pressure applied, but I wouldn’t be surprised if my other uncle isn’t some quiet agitator under all of this. He’s terribly jealous of my father and very upset he wasn’t put on the regency council.” Giana reached out and ran her fingertips over the rim of the crystal glass.

“Montreve is the biggest concern, yes, but she also makes a bigger splash if she falls. It’s bigger than you need, but maybe that’s what you want to go for.” He responded, then finally reached for the glass. Pulling it to his lips, he took a slow sip before looking back at her. “Didn’t your uncle just have a heart attack?”

“He did, but I never underestimate the determination of a fool to do foolish things.” Giana shrugged slightly. “Montreve isn’t family, considering our recent loss I would ideally like to spare the other two, though I could do without Sacha’s mother. So could he.”

“She’ll assume she’s safe because of your family connection, but she doesn’t have nearly the support Montreve does.” He responded. “Kill any of them, the others scatter like roaches. I get it, though, your golden-haired marine probably wouldn’t like you ordering his mother’s death.”

“He might surprise you.” Giana’s brows raised momentarily then relaxed again. “I’m concerned about my soft-hearted mother and Ramsay though.”

“Neither of them said a word when your father murdered half the Council a few months ago.” Khalon said, waving his hand. “But fine, let them go on being soft. Incorrigible Lord Price decided to solve this problem all on his own, if you have a pardon for him. But, even if you don’t, the monarchy is at stake. I’d rather be executed by your government than watch the Empire fall to..people with ballots in their hands.”

He ignored the comment about Sacha. Unlike her fiancé, he adored his mother and would kill any person who hurt her. Silently, he wondered what effect that maternal hatred had on him. He also caught her admission that her uncle’s heart attack was anything but a tragic natural event. Someone had tried to teach that old man a lesson, and it seemed Giana didn’t think he was a quick study.

“I still find it hard to believe you’re doing this out of pure altruism. I also don’t know how effective it will be if the others are not aware that it was me.” Giana pointed out and sighed, tired but considering her options. She looked over to Khalon more directly then, her eyes moving over his face and body slowly. He was definitely her type and he wasn’t shy about the way he presented himself.

“Be confident, Your Highness. You can have everything you want if you just go about it the right way.” He said, his polished shoe moving closer to her leg. “Never let anyone tell you no who doesn’t have the power to tell you yes, and these opportunists don’t have the power to tell you yes.”

He sipped the water again before leaning and putting it down on the table half finished. He looked at her, his eyes moving from her eyes to her legs, and then to her eyes again. He was sitting with her and talking one on one like he imagined when he was a preteen. Life could be funny sometimes.

“Fine. Maybe cutting a lady’s throat is a bit much for your situation right now. Just say the word and I’ll get my hands on one of the senators. You can send a strong message to the free voters and even some of the ones in your enemies pockets, and your fellow Regents probably won’t even care very much.”

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. I will give it some thought.” She placed her hands down on the arms of her chair and looked forward, letting out a slow breath. “You ask me what I wanted, I want for people to stop thinking I am some stupid, vapid girl and realize I am the daughter of Emperor fucking Antonius Angelo Giuseppe Orsini Augustus Italicus.”

“Then act like it.” he said, his eyes remaining on her. “Show them who you are, and act like the daughter of the Emperor. That means being a butcher. The thing that used to make an Emperor powerful among the Terrans was for him, or her, to fucking kill anyone who stands in her way.” His tone was pointed, and his challenge was certainly not erudite as it would have been from Paulo or Ramsay, professional as it would have been from CJ, or casual like it would have been from Sacha. “Who gives a fuck how your mother and Ramsay feel really? You’re the one in charge of the legislature now, right? So be Antonius' daughter. Tell Cyrus Sharp to have Montreve arrested, or let me handle it.”

“You aren’t wrong, but in the same breath I am sharing power with them due to my father’s… arrangement of things. They could come together to depose me and they nearly did after Giuseppe, I think. I am not sure that I would survive stepping out of their sandbox again.” She flexed her fingers into the fabric of the chair. “They could depose me, and then nothing would get done and we really would have a weak government.”

“I’m not understanding why you’re so sure they would disagree with what we’re proposing.” he said, calm, but insistent. He didn’t think of politics this way, as he had always been raised to idealize the Empire at its height under Hoshi I and Hoshi II. Questions about reaching a consensus annoyed him, and he didn’t pretend they didn’t. But he knew Giana had always done what was expected of her, and as honest as he liked to be, he didn’t think it would help to push her. “Can’t you, like…talk to them or something?”

“My mother is too soft and Richard may very well simply want to be contrary to me though we have perhaps… mended that tendency a bit. He is more cautious though and would likely want to try appeasement before anything so drastic.” The more she considered it, the more she wondered if her father knew this was how things were going to go and why he would have wanted it that way.

“Okay, damnit.” he said, pursing his lips and smiling a bit. “Well we could bribe the Senators. It’s not the bang I was hoping for, and it’ll cost you millions of crowns, but that’s an option to get the Senate past the 50 percent mark.”

He yawned then, his eyes trailing away from her. He hated politics on some level, no matter how much he cared. He wanted to talk about anything else with her, to be honest, but they were stuck in on this.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Giana. But I’m ready to act whenever you say. But I do want to say that this Regency Council thing is turning out to be pretty fucking stupid.”

“Funny, you read my mind. Actually things likely would have been much simpler if they had remained as they were… but then you seduced my little sister and spirited her off to Mars so she can knit and kiss orphans or whatever she does.” Giana shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“She does love orphans, I’ll admit that.” he said with a chuckle, licking his lips again. “But I didn’t mean to seduce her, really. She and I disagree about everything, really. But she has a little crush and she needed a friend. Add the lavish Martian Compound your family owns to the mix and the distance from you and the rest of your family, and it's the perfect getaway home for a reclusive princess. I was a convenient excuse, as the Empire knows of my charm.”

He winked at her suggestively and playfully, reaching over and nudging her bare leg with his hand for an instant, feeling the give of her soft skin and toned muscle.

“And I couldn’t believe it when the stupid RZI tabloid-fueled rumors about us dating got me a seat on the Council of Lords. After that, I just let them talk. If I wanted to control the Empire, by the way, I could have just told her to stay here and keep the job. Though, if you think Elana Orsini would be okay with you and me working together at all, you’re crazy. But, especially, us working together to kill unruly lords.. I’ll bet she’s ten times more against that than Ramsay might be. I’ve legitimately seen your sister cry over roadkill.”

“You’d assume she would be around at all. I would just have to fight my mother and Elana would just be informed and agree.” Giana waved a hand dismissively. “As for the rumors, well, I can’t say I blame them. You come onto the scene a known playboy and charmer, and within a week you have a pet princess and a seat on the council. You can’t say that doesn’t look suspicious, and you certainly can’t expect me to believe you did it out of the goodness of your heart because she needed a friend; I know how obnoxious she is.”

Khalon laughed, his white teeth showing, and his handsome face indicating his unreserved amusement.

“I’d say you’re flattering me, but I know you won’t believe it.” he said through the laughter. “And I reject the title of playboy. That’s disgusting. I don’t use women in any way they don’t want me to. And, regardless of how hard it is to believe that a princess just fell into my lap, you did say I’m a charmer after all. And I have a little bit more patience for an obnoxious princess than I might for someone else. I’m a little ashamed to admit that, but there it is, I guess.”

He looked at her and smiled.

“How about I charm another one on purpose and see if it's skill or luck?”

“See, Khalon, I have a hard time believing that you wanted me half as bad as you say you did. I was single and available for over a decade and you never once darkened my door or presented yourself, yet now that I’m engaged… you want me.” She put her elbow on the arm of the chair and her chin in her hand, looking up at him through her long dark lashes.

“And you say you aren’t a playboy. My sister thinks things are going so well with you two, according to my mother.”

“Did she say that?” he asked, the curiosity at the suggestion obvious. He didn’t seem completely oblivious of the fact she liked him, but he was surprised she had mentioned it to her family that way. “I was in Starfleet that entire time. I came back the second your boyfriend did, though. It’s not fair and you should definitely feel bad for me.”

He leaned over on his hand as well, leaving them closer than anyone with half a mind would advise them to be.

“You laughed at my embarrassing story earlier. According to our agreement, that means you have to grant me one wish.”

“Hmm did I? I don’t believe I did at all, though I did laugh at the notion that you’re over me.” She smirked but didn’t move. If she were being honest, she was enjoying the playful, flirting banter with him. There was a certain sparkle in her beautiful blue eyes as she held his gaze. “But I’ll humor you your wish.”

“Okay, you caught me.” he said, grinning charmingly. “I’m not over you one hundred percent, I’ll admit it. But, as for the request..”

He looked down at her lips and allowed his gaze to linger there for a moment before finding her dazzling blue eyes again.

“Every night I used to kiss that picture of you goodnight.” he said, and let that fact linger in the air for several silent seconds, “But plastic, two-dimensional Giana wasn’t engaged. So I’m going to downgrade my wish to a hug. Is that cool with you?”

“Mmm….” She seemed to consider a moment and then leaned a little closer, the feeling of her breath on his lips as she spoke again. “Is that all you did with my picture, Khalon?”

Khalon didn’t hesitate or back away from the incredible intimacy and closeness of their interaction. And despite some very obvious and impressive tenting in his expensive pants and his almost painful glances at her lips, he seemed to be holding himself back from crossing the final inch. He smiled instead, the speed of his breath increasing. He was very attracted to her, and he wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.

“That’s it, yeah.” he said, “but I’m not going to lie. You used to make my mind wander a bit.”

“Uh huh.” Giana remained right where she was for a few more beats which potentially could have been seen as deliberately tempting him, but she pulled back before anything foolish could happen. “How long are you staying here?”

When she retreated, he seemed genuinely disappointed for a moment, but then wiped the expression from his face. He knew it wasn’t right for it to go any further. He leaned back himself and pulled the tent of his pants to conceal his manhood, but it wasn’t the kind of appendage he could hid at the moment. He grinned at her, completely confident and calm about the whole thing, and just relaxed and let it stay where it was.

“After this meeting, I was planning on winging my stay and scheduling it around what you wanted to do with..you know, the political situation.” He bit his lip and looked at her, but pressed on with what he was saying. “But I have meetings and events on Mars waiting for me and I’ve spent a lot of time away from it all. Why do you ask?”

“Mars can wait. Why don’t you come and join me for dinner? I want to think about what we discussed today and I’ll make a decision by this evening.” She offered easily. Sacha wasn’t going to be around and it was perfectly acceptable in her position to entertain someone she was trying to curry favor with - or the other way around.

Khalon looked surprised, his eyebrows shooting up and his mouth hanging open slightly. Then it turned into an obviously pleased smile.

“Hells yes, I’ll join you for dinner.” He said, clapping his hands once and actually doing a dance in his seat. “Name the time and place.”

Giana’s brows lifted at his reaction, but she was clearly both pleased and mildly amused by it. Maybe it was all lies, but he certainly was convincing about it and she was enjoying it. “Here at the Pyramid tonight. One of my assistants will meet you when you return.”

“I’ll be here.” He said, winking at her and standing up, the problem in his pants gone for the most part, though the outline was still there. “Now, the big question is do I get my hug now or not?”

“Do you want to trade your dinner for a hug now?” Giana challenged mildly as she stood and smoothed out the middle of her dress.

He seemed to think for a few seconds, before looking back up at her. His expression was guilty and comical.

“Just a little bit.” He said smoothly. “But I’m going to trust that dinner would be better. You seem more excited about that option anyways.”

“We’ll go with I’m the excited one despite what your pants say, sure.” Giana shook her head but was still smiling as she indicated toward the door. “It was good meeting with you, Lord Price. I will see you later tonight but for now you must excuse me. I have more meetings.”

“Hey, I should get bonus points for enthusiasm.” He said before adjusting his pants and jacket and making sure he was neat and crisp. “Your Highness.”

He turned, and with a final glance at her, head to toe, he stepped out of the room.

END
]]> Sat, 16 Nov 2024 23:51:34 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/842 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/842
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Gamma Eridine II

More and more often in weeks, Mika had been the first one in the science lab in the mornings and the last one at night. Of course she would take several breaks during the day, but it was noticeable that she was pretty much running herself ragged in order to find a cure for the disease.

She looked up from the screen and sighed, using her delicate fingers to run her tired eyes. Her brain was mush and she felt like she couldn’t try a single additional idea without going mad. Deactivating her computer, she stood, through her brown jacket on, and turned out the light.

While her initial plan was to go back to the women’s building and see what socialization their was to be had, her eyes caught the darkening tree line in the distance. The evening was calm and still, and something about the air felt electric, like some event was on the cusp of happening. She decided all at once that what she really needed was a nice walk in the woods to clear her mind, and then maybe she’d get a few more hours of work in. Without another thought, she stepped down the familiar path to the river and disappeared amidst the trees.

—

Almost an hour later, Ivan cleaned the dishes in the kitchen. Dinner that evening had been delicious, and he was looking forward to getting to bed. Like many, it had been a long day full of building and moving. He was determined to make the planet home, and while he hadn’t given up on making an escape in theory, in practice, his resolve was dead.

As he scoured a pot, he looked over at Cedrik. The man had volunteered to help him clean, and Ivan wasn’t sure if he had done so to be dutiful or to kiss his ass. Sometimes it was hard to tell, especially with the smart ones.

“It’s been nice eating food we grew with our own hands, hasn’t it, Cedrik?”

“It has been.” Cedrik agreed as he focused on his own pan he was working to get the residue from the bottom. “I’d gotten so used to replicated food that I almost forgot how much you can really taste the difference.”

It wasn’t that Cedrik had abandoned the dream or desire of home, but he was from a practical family in both thought and practice. Dreams could be worked toward, but not at the expense of reality. The reality was that even after months of concerted efforts, they had not seemed to come any closer to a cure, so based on that reality, Cedrik had been all in on the effort to make this place a home. Things had become more routine around their little “colony” which was leaving more time to develop more personal relationships.

At least it would have been if he could coax Mika from the lab more often, but she was fully dedicated to her current cause. While at times he found it frustrating, he was raised to be patient, so patient he would be. He was not unaware of the way the other women around the camp looked at him though. While there were more available options for women in the amount of men on the colony, Cedrik was young, strong, and quite handsome. He was also not unaware of the eyes Mika drew from the other men; she was a beautiful young woman after all. Thankfully, the presence of her parents combined with Cedrik’s surprisingly imposing presence had kept most at bay.

“I never liked the replicated stuff. You’re the son of a Lord, so you understand. When I came to the table growing up, it was always the best of the best.” Ivan said as he placed a bowl on a stack of others. “But all this hands-on work has been good for us. Things are real here, despite all the tech we brought down.”

“Well, while we could live without it, it certainly makes life easier.” Cedrik put what he was working on down and picked up another pan. “Are we still planning on expanding the cultivated plots over the next few days?”

“Yes. We’re going to want to start storing it for winter.” Ivan said. He understood how defeatist that sounded, but he had been the one who decided to stay behind voluntarily after all. He knew they were likely stuck. In the background, the distinctive sound of thunder made it’s peel loud and clear. “Uh oh. Sounds like a storm is brewing. I hope it’s less destructive than the last one.”

Cedrik frowned and looked to one of the windows more on instinct than expecting to see anything since it was facing the dense surrounding forest. “Mm… well, I’d like to hope after the reinforcements we did to the buildings and windows, everything will hold up better. We were lucky it was just a storage area with the last storm.”

“You’d think a planet like this, with such a mild climate-“ Ivan started, but was interrupted by the shaking of the building. He put the pot he had in hand down and turned to Cedrik. “You go and make sure everyone is actually here in camp. I’ll make sure all the windows and tables are secured.”

“Yes, sir.” Cedrilk agreed like a soldier. While he still called Ivan sir, it was on a personal level of respect rather than military obligation. He’d had a much easier time than most returning to addressing the Petrovs as Lord and Lady when it was appropriate, but that wasn’t exactly surprising given his upbringing. He quickly finished what he was working on, dried his hands, and left the area to hustle over to the women’s lodgings.

The door led into the common area, so he entered without any hesitation. “Checking to see if everyone is inside.”

Riley Scott sat in the common room with her legs up and a paperback book resting on her knees. There was a long-haired shirtless man on the cover. She paid no attention to the other women milling around in the room. When she heard Cedrik’s voice, she hid the book’s cover and glanced up at Cedrik.

“Hey, Cedrik.” She said, smiling femininely. “Almost everybody. I bet Mika is still working, as always.”

She rolled her big blue eyes, but her smile was exaggerated and inviting.

Cedrik noticed the look and it caused him just a second of pause, but then he frowned slightly on hearing Mika still wasn’t back in the woman’s quarters even this late. Perhaps he would need to try and have a talk with her about all of this. That, however, could wait.

“Alright well, I’m sure you’re not deaf but there’s a nasty storm coming. Stay inside.”

“Yes, sir.” Riley said in a sarcastic tone, reflecting playfulness if not particularly strong intellect. She accompanied it with a crisp solute and a jocularly resolute expression.

Cedrik eyed her a moment and was tempted to engage in a bit of banter, but with the storm coming he had to go and make sure Mika was out of the lab. They may have reinforced it, but her being there alone during the storm wasn’t safe at all.

“Be safe.” He bid and then immediately left. It wasn’t a long walk to the lab area and he opened the door to be met with an empty lab. Immediately, he frowned and tapped his commbadge. “Cedrik to Mika.”

The static that met him wasn’t a surprise exactly, but it was frustrating nonetheless. He left the lab immediately and began to look around for Mika.

“Mika?!” He yelled.

No reply game from the beautiful young woman, and the only response the universe gave him was a rather large drop of rain on his forehead followed by several more in quick succession. Lighting flashed nearby, close enough that the thunder followed in under a second. The ground quaked with the impact, and the wind was starting to pick up.

“Godsdammit.” Cedrik cursed under his breath. He quickly moved to check on the men’s barracks and then to make sure Yana was in the private little home she shared with Ivan to make sure Mika wasn’t just somewhere else. He fought through the rain and though the lightning being so close was extremely dangerous, he wasn’t going to give up. He took a moment under the shelter outside of the Petrov’s door and then looked to the forest. Surely she hadn’t gone on a walk alone so late in the evening, but even as the thought moved through his head, he knew how likely it was. He knew some of her favorite places to go and decided despite the danger, he needed to try to press on.

He jogged toward the lab again in time to see Ivan coming from the mess area.

“I can’t find Mika!” He called to the older man through the rain and thunder.

Ivan was soaking wet already as the rain started to act more like a howling, sideways shower than a natural event. He closed the distance to Cedrik, his eyes squinched against the wind and rain.

“What?! You checked her room, the kitchen?! The men’s building?”

“Everywhere, sir. No one has seen her!” Cedrik replied, his voice raised only to be heard over the noise. “I’m going to go look for her.”

“We’ll go together!” Ivan declared , clapping the young man on his wet back and starting with him into the woods. “Why in Tartarus would she not come back when it started storming and raining cats and dogs?!”

“I don’t know! Maybe she found somewhere to hide out?” Cedrik offered as they moved toward the trees. The other alternative was of course that Mika was hurt, but he didn’t even dare speak those words.

He didn’t need to. Ivan was nothing if not protective of his girl. He’d been worried about how much time she was putting in working on a cure. He knew it wasn’t healthy, but he figured she needed to take her time and get past their terrible loss in her own time. As the two of them started down the muddy path, he cupped his hands and called her name.

“Mika! Mika Krasivyy!” He called, the worry in his powerful voice fairly obvious. “Mika Zaika, gde ty?!”

“Mika!” Cedrik called out himself. His voice wasn’t as deep as Ivan’s, but it was no less loud or distressed. “Mika, where are you?!”

He frowned as another peal of thunder roared above them. “She has a few places she likes to walk to…”

“Where? Are any nearby?” Ivan asked, looking at Cedrik with what almost looked like panic in his eyes. It was controlled and quiet, that of a captain and former admiral who understood that fear was like fire; it spread to everything it touched.

“There’s a bank down by the river that’s very sandy and comfortable.” Cedrik said and pointed the way toward it. “There’s also a hill up the way that has a view of the mountain range.” Pausing, he thought and then added, “there’s also the area where the scientists have most of their sample traps set up.”

“If there’s anything I know about Mika right now, it’s that she can’t think of anything accept finding that damn cure. Maybe she went there to preserve to samples, the silly girl.” Ivan said.

“She might have, but who knows when she left the lab, maybe she really was just going for a walk.” Cedrik frowned. “Either way she probably was either on her way back to camp or over to the samples wherever she had gone.”

He looked at Ivan then, his brows lifting slightly in ask of what the older man wanted to do - split up or stay together to cover more potential ground.

“You go look for her by the samples and I’ll check the river.” Ivan said, his eyes blinking away the rain.

“Right.” Cedrik agreed and pointed Ivan’s way one more time for him and then left the older man to his own search while he himself now started to hustle through the trees toward where he knew the sample containers had been set up given he had been one of the people to go and help with that.

“Mika!” He called out to her as he drew closer, wiping his face to little avail against the rain. “Mika!”

For several minutes there was no response as he moved toward the samples. When he arrived, however, he found the containers toppled over and clearly destroyed. In the distance the subtle sound of feminine shouting could be heard.

Cedrik frowned as he looked around, wiping his eyes and breathing hard. He saw the ruined containers and downed branches and looked for Mika; when he didn’t find her, he turned to leave to head to the hill, but the faint sound caught his attention just before he took off. It had to be her. It was hard to tell exactly where the shouting was coming from, but he took off in that approximate direction - he didn’t run hard for fear he might not be able to hear her over the sound of his feet, his heart, and the beating storm.

“Mika?!”

“Help!” Came the frightened voice of Mika several meters down the road. As he drew nearer, he saw a mess of felled branches and, beneath them, Mika squirming. “I’d someone there? Help me! I’m stuck!”

As soon as he saw her, Cedrik sprinted the rest of the distance on his steady feet. “Mika! Hold still, baby, hold still.” He commanded above her, looking at the branches quickly and then started to pull them off of her with relative ease given his strength and size.

“You’re okay. I’ve got you!”

“Cedrik, what are you doing out here?” She asked as she layed in the muddy puddle that was the ground. Her clothes were filthy, but it was hard to tell in the dark. “You shouldn’t be out here. The storm isn’t safe!”

“Well I wasn’t going to fucking leave you out here!” He yelled, the marine coming out more than the gentleman as he moved the branches until he could reach down and pull her out of the rest.

“What were you thinking, Mika?!”

“Ugh.” She replied nervously, her voice timid as she looked up at him. She paused in trying help him move the branches. “I don’t know! I'm sorry!”

Cedrik moved the last brand and then knelt down by her. He slid his hands under her arms and pulled her out from under the rest of the debris and into his lap. He held her there, looking over her body with his eyes and running his hand over her legs. “Are you hurt?”

“I don’t think so..” she said, leaning against him and pulling as close as she could. “A little sore, but I’m okay.”

He let out a loud sigh but hugged her to him gently and kissed the top of her head to comfort her, rocking her just slightly in his arms. He only remained like that for a moment however and moved to stand. “Alright, let’s try to get you up then. Take it easy though in case anything is broken or sprained.”

“Okay.” Mika said, cooperating with him as he lifted her to her feet. “Did you happen to get a look at the samples? I was on my way there when these branches hit me.”

“I didn’t get a good look at them, but things are in pretty bad shape.” He admitted, being mostly truthful. He held her steady so she could get her feet underneath her. “Try to walk?”

Mika obediently put weight on her left foot to take a step and immediately felt a sharp pain shooting up from around her foot. Considering the tenderness, she pulled back right away and leaned on him again.

“Ow…I think I rolled my ankle. It hurts to step on.”

Cedrik had kept his arms mostly around her and as soon as she had wavered, he pulled her back to him. Glancing down at her ankle, he frowned and then scooped her up in his arms without a word. Holding her body close and tight, he set out in the direction of the river. “We need to go find your father.”

“Papa’s out here too?” She asked as a flash of lightning in the far distance ignited a tree with an orange fire. She gasped, clinging to Cedrik as he carried her through the rain. If conditions hadn’t been so bad, she would certainly have been actively impressed with his strength as well as his heroics.

Cedrik looked at the tree, frowning, but pressed on in the direction he was heading when he decided it wasn’t a threat. “Yeah, we both came out here looking for you when I didn’t find you at the camp.”

“”Oh.” She said, worried but also glad they had left to look for her. “It’s good you came. I think I would have drowned in the mud if I had to stay out for people to come searching in the morning, and I couldn’t get those branches to budge an inch.”

As they walked by the containers which held the samples, her heart sank. “No..” she whimpered. “Most of our research depended on those samples!”

“We’ll see what we can salvage when the storm passes.” It was weak assurance of course, but it was all he could offer at the moment as the bulk of his focus was on moving forward and keeping his feet steady to not slip with her in his arms.

“Captain Petrov!” He called out as loudly as he could manage for the man, opting to use his military title as the sharper consonants would carry better through the storm.

“Papa! Where are you?!” Mika shouted, joining Cedrik in the search despite her weakened and dependent position.

As they approached the banks of the river, the frame of the large Russian man could be seen wading into the shallows of the river, leaning over and running his arms ferociously through the rushing tide like he was looking for her body.

Cedrik blinked once when he saw Ivan down in the water, but walked the last few yards to the upper bank of the river. “Captain!” He called out again.

Hearing the voice this time, Ivan looked up and saw the pair of them. His aging face slackened and his mouth opened. Immediately, he waded out of the water and started toward them.

“You found her!” He cried out. “Mika!”

Cedrik didn’t move from where he was simply for the fact he didn’t want to risk sliding down the bank and slipping while he was holding Mika; Ivan also had to come up to where they were anyways. What he did do was gently lower Mika down and then slide his arm around her waist so she could keep her weight off of her injured ankle.

Mika used Cedrik’s strong body to brace herself, but when her father was within touching range, she leaned over and wrapped herself in his familiar bulk. Her face went to his shoulder and neck, and though the wind and rain had gotten powerful enough to silence them, the shaking over her shoulders told Cedrik she was crying.

“That’s okay, Mika!” Ivan said, his eyes going back to Cedrik. “We need to get back. Now.”

Cedrik nodded and then seemed to hesitate before gently placing a hand on Mika’s shoulder. “Mika, we need to go now.”

His voice was gentle but firm as was his hand as he coaxed her back toward him. He wasn’t going to argue with Ivan if the man wanted to carry her himself, but the fact was Ivan wasn’t exactly a young buck anymore and it wasn’t a short walk back even if one didn’t factor in the weather and slick terrain.

“Are you hurt,” Ivan asked Mika.”

“My ankle. Cedrik can carry me, Papa. Please, let him.” She said, her expression worried as she transferred between the men again. She was petite, which helped.

“Fine.” Ivan nodded, seeming unbothered.

Since Ivan gave no protest, Cedrik coaxed Mika’s arms back around his neck and shoulders then lifted her into his arms without any effort at all. He held her close, and then nodded to Ivan so he could lead the way back.

Ivan watched the two of them with squinted eyes, then took the lead in heading back up the muddy trail toward the camp. It wasn’t far, but the storm had gotten bad, and he was increasingly concerned more people would come out soon to find them.

“Not too far from here.” Cedrik spoke to Mika and glanced down at her in his arms. “You need to get yourself dried off and warm as soon as we get back, alright? I’ll take a look at your ankle.”

“I was just going to say the same about you, Hero.” She said in his ear. She kissed his cheek near his ear and then whispered to him words that indicated the panic and chaos of the world around him didn’t register for her with him around. “You’re so strong, Cedrik.”

He looked down at her again and smiled, easy and confident, and basked in the way she was looking at him and the way she spoke to him. If he hadn’t been soaked to the bone and really rather cold, his body would have likely reacted in a certain way too. “I’ll always be strong for you.”

She kissed his cheek again and clung to him tighter.

“When we get home, you take a shower too. I don’t want you to get sick.”

“I will once I get you settled.” He looked forward again, focusing on Ivan’s back. “Do you want to go stay with your parents or go back to the women’s’ barracks?”

“I’ll take one of the spare rooms in my parent’s barracks.” She declared, her hands moving tenderly on his wet back. The small group arrived back at the main building and stepped into the large common room within the next few minutes.

“You want to stay with your parents then?” Cedrik asked again once they were inside so Ivan could actually hear her say it and gave her an easy, encouraging smile.

Mika nodded, but before she could respond, her mother’s voice sounded as the woman closed the distance between them.

“Mika!” She exclaimed, her voice indicating her concern. Her hand was on her wet daughter in a moment. “Thank the gods you’re alright.”

Yana looked at Cedrik and smiled.

“Thank you. I can take over from here.” Yana said, and took over some support for Mika, walking her toward the rooms.

“Come back after your shower.” Mika called to Cedrik over her shoulder, but went with her parents as she’d been told.

“Her ankle is hurt and needs to be looked at.” Cedrik called after them calmly, feeling a bit cheated he hadn’t been able to carry her home himself but obviously not going to make an issue.

“Well, you’re a medic.” Yana said knowingly, her sharp gray eyes moving to Cedrik over Mika’s shoulder. “You’re dirtying my floor. Come back when you’re clean and dry.”

There was just a slight frown that crossed his features at her comment, but he nodded and left without another word. It wasn’t exactly going to be something that happened soon given the weather - an umbrella wouldn’t cut it in this storm, but he didn’t want to stress Mika more by even hinting toward an argument with her parents.

The Petrovs walked away, leaving Cedrik alone in the room. They would no doubt help her to clean and dress herself again. It was something Cedrik couldn’t exactly do considering their circumstances

It was a little over half an hour later when Cedrik was finally able to head back to the Petrov’s’ separate abode. The storm hadn’t really let up at all, but a long rain poncho and his quick stride had gotten him there mostly dry. Before entering, he took the poncho off and also slid out of his muddy boots, politely leaving them by the door and outside.

When he returned, Mika was sitting alone on a couch, her legs laid straight beside her. She wore a white shirt with a light gray jacket over it and a pair of black shorts. The wind howled outside, but she seemed content to sit and listen to it in the silence. She looked up when the door opened and smiled.

“My hero.” she said, her voice gentle.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Cedrik asked immediately as he walked over to her with a relaxed, confident stride. His dark eyes moved over her slowly; he kept it to a look of medical assessment, more or less, but the back of his mind certainly was registering her beautiful curves and the softness of her exposed skin.

“Better now that I’m not laying in the storm. My ankle doesn’t hurt as much when it’s still.” She said, looking down at the ankle. She had already wrapped it, figuring that the pretense about needing a doctor might seem a bit ridiculous coming from her. She lifted a finger and made a motion toward herself. “Come here.”

He closed the rest of the distance and then knelt down next to her on the couch. He placed a hand on her ankle while glancing at it, and then looked back at her. “Want me to take a look?”

He knew doctors made the absolute worst patients, but he also didn’t want her trying to power through something because she was embarrassed.

Instead of answering his question, she leaned forward and her lips pressed against his softly. She kissed him sweetly, like an exploration. Her hands found his face a first, breaching a significant barrier between them.

He was surprised when she leaned forward and for a half a second he started to move away on instinct of being approached by something he wasn’t expecting, but then it clicked in and he met her lips with his own. One of his large, strong hands lifted and he lightly grasped her chin while she touched his cheek. He kept the kiss gentle and chaste, but let it linger as he enjoyed the feeling of her soft, sweet lips against his. Eventually, he pulled back just enough so he could look into her eyes and gave an easy smile. “Still gonna look at that ankle, though.”

“You’re sweet.” She said, rather than trying to tell him how unnecessary it was. After all, it wasn’t about the ankle as much as it was about him showing that he cared. She leaned back and presented her leg, smiling up at him with shimmering brown eyes.

Cedrik remained kneeling and placed one hand under her calf to support her leg while the other went to her wrapped ankle. Mika could feel the strength in his hands, but he was very gentle with her as he always had been. “You’re sure it’s just a sprain? No fracture?”

“I’m sure.” She said with a giggle, her eyes remaining on him patiently as he looked at her ankle. “But feel free to give me a second opinion.”

It wasn’t so much that Cedrik didn’t trust her capability to diagnose, but he didn’t completely trust she had actually taken a scanner to herself to make sure the problem was minor. He shifted to rest his foot on her knee and pulled out a tricorder with the other hand to scan her ankle. “If the storm clears up by tomorrow, I promise I’ll take you back out to where your samples were and we can see what we can do.”

“You know, if there’s no storm, there’s no reason I can’t just go myself.” She said, her tone a bit cheeky, but her face a smile. He was being protective, and she did that in him. Her smile faded slightly after a second, however. “I just hope there’s something left. We can’t afford to lose all that research.”

Cedrik lifted his dark, steady eyes to her and just looked at her in a way that clearly communicated she would be doing no such thing, but there was an easiness to the gaze that seemed to indicate he understood she was mostly joking. “Best not to borrow trouble before we know what is what.”

“Are you afraid there will suddenly be another?” She asked, enjoying the feeling of his hands in her leg.

“It wouldn’t be the first time it happened.” He reminded her gently. This had certainly been the most severe storm they had been through. “For all we know, we could be entering some sort of monsoon season and they become a regular occurrence.”

Satisfied that the injury was just a sprain, he closed his tricorder and put it down then moved his hands to very gently start to massage her ankle and calf to help promote the blood flow and healing. He knew there was likely nothing left of the samples after this kind of storm, but he didn’t have it in him to break her heart like that and maybe there would be something salvageable in the end.

“That’s true. I suppose that means I will need the accompaniment of a chaperone every time I leave camp.” She lifted an eyebrow, her sweetness still quite alive but joined with a bit of challenge too.

“Yes.” Cedrik said simply while he continued to massage her leg gently. His dark eyes settled on hers, kind but firm in resolution. “No one should be leaving camp alone at this point until we are sure this wasn’t just a random bad storm.”

“Okay.” She said, showing more meekness on the subject than she had in weeks. All of her efforts to leave this place had been confounded, and she had a bad feeling about those samples. Perhaps it was near time to give up.

“I’m not saying you only have to go with me, but if you need someone to go with you’re always welcome to come find me or call. If I’m not in the middle of something I’d be happy to escort you on your walks.” He finished on her leg and then shifted to get up on the couch with her. He picked up on the shift in her tone, but he didn’t point it out. Maybe once the tragedy of losing so much research was over, she might open herself up to actually trying to live a little while still continuing her research.

“That’s where I go for some alone time.” she said with a sigh, her eyes moving down to her hands. “Every other place is shared. Don’t you think you’re being a bit paranoid about it, Cedrik? It could just avoid stormy weather, after all.”

Cedrik took a deep breath. “No, I don’t think I’m being paranoid about it considering these are some of the worst storms any of us have ever experienced - your parents included - and we have no idea if these would be considered severe or mild for this planet.”

Cedrik reached out and picked up her hands in his own, rubbing the backs of them with his rough thumbs. “You could have died today, Mika.”

“Not the first time, though.” she looked up into his eyes. “Probably not the last. But I am a Starfleet Officer. I can’t justify going around like a delicate china doll. I’ve got a job to do.”

“As a Starfleet Officer you should very much be aware that it is irresponsible to wander off alone without anyone at least being aware you are going.” Cedrik replied, keeping his patience for now. “I am asking you to be responsible and safe. Choosing to not be reckless isn’t being a ‘china doll’.”

“You’re asking me to take an escort any time I want some freedom.” she responded, her tone a bit more pointed, but far from angry or resentful. Her accent got slightly stronger, but her expression was still calm, as was her body language. “Letting people know where I’m going is reasonable, but that isn’t what we’re talking about.”

“I am asking anyone to take a partner when they go out of the camp. It isn’t about an escort Mika, and frankly I don’t really understand why you’re being so resistant to being responsible and safe.” He released her hands and stood from the floor.

“Well…what use have I been anyway?” She asked, her brows furrowing. “It’s not like it really matters if I wander off and don’t come back. Not like you..or my father.”

Cedrik blinked and looked down at her with a frown on his handsome face, then finally moved to sit down next to her as he intended. “Mika of course it matters. How could you say such a thing?”

“Everyone else around here seems to be able to do their job, that’s all.” She said, looking at him with the eyes of a sad puppy. There were no tears in them, but she seemed to be actively preventing that from happening. “You saw those containers out there in the woods, Cedrik. It’s over… I failed…”

“Hey…” he began, his voice gentle and warm. He moved one of his arms and wrapped it around her shoulders to draw her close. “You do your job around here Mika. You’ve tended to your fair share of injuries and sickness while we have been here. You were not the only one working on finding the cure.” Gently, he rubbed her upper arm. “Just because those things are broken doesn’t mean it has to be over.”

“It’s taken months to get this far, Cedrik.” Mika said, her frown deepening and her voice taking on a sudden edge. “Meanwhile you and everyone else has been working to make this place a permanent home. Everyone’s working like me and the other girls are going to fail anyway.”

“So would you prefer us to live a life without comforts while we wait?” Cedrik asked, his brows raising but he didn’t meet her sharpness with his own. “Most of the people here have no expertise to help you, have you considered that we need something to do to feel useful as well?”

“Well congratulations.” She said, a rare tone of resentment creeping into her voice next. “You are the useful ones. And you were right.”

He had to fight hard to not roll his eyes and removed his arm from around her shoulders, though didn’t pull away. “Mika, I understand you are upset from the loss of your equipment, but there is no need for you to be acting like this.”

Mika looked at him silently and noticed he was upset. She couldn’t, for the life of her, figure out how he wanted her to feel, and regretted saying anything at all. For months she’d kept all of her anxieties to herself, and now that she was letting them out, she got the impression from him that she was being selfish. She licked her lips and looked down at her hands again.

“Sorry.” She said quietly.

Cedrik placed one hand over hers and used the other to get her to lift her head. “You are perfectly useful and important to this place, you always have been and you always will be. We didn’t work to expand this place and make it comfortable because we all thought you would fail - that isn’t fair of you to think or to say.”

“Okay. Sorry.” Mika said, wishing to the gods she hadn’t opened her mouth in the first place. Otherwise, she seemed to have absolutely nothing else to say. She lifted her head at his gesture, but her eyes avoided his. “I shouldn’t have said it.”

Cedrik felt the strong sense he was being placated, and with her repeated non-reactions to his attempts to physically comfort her, he abandoned the endeavor and moved his hands from her and back to himself. “Well, anyways, I can’t order you to take someone with you on your walks, so you’ll have to do what you think is right for you on that front. I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Okay.” She said quietly, and the sun seemed to force herself to look at him and smile. There was nothing genuine about it, but she had almost managed to make it look like it was. “I’ll listen. I won’t go out alone.”

Cedrik was a kind and gentle young man, but his youth betrayed him in moments such as these. At only twenty-one, he couldn’t understand why she was reacting to these perfectly reasonable points and statements as she was and while he wasn’t necessarily getting angry over it, he was left feeling very confused. He could see she was upset, he could see the lack of warmth in her smile and eyes and that her acquiescence hadn’t been from actually agreeing with his assessments, but he didn’t know how to fix it. With a frown, he reached up and rubbed the back of his head.

“Alright.”

“Okay.” She said, adding yet another layer of awkwardness to the exchange between them. When he’d come in, all she’d wanted to do was to kiss him. His chastisements, no matter how pure their motives, had totally changed the dynamic. “I..I shouldn’t hold you. You worked hard to find me and you’re probably tired.”

Cedrik felt the presence of his frustration, but his father had always made it a point to teach patience, especially when it came to women. “I’ve obviously upset you with what I said, but I really don’t understand how or why.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Mika said after a pause of a few seconds. Her hand moved to his leg and rested there. Her face was still hidden from him slightly, though she did occasionally glance in his direction. “Obviously it isn’t always safe to go out alone.”

He wasn’t stupid, he knew she wasn’t fine, but he finally felt that dam he had built around his frustration break and while he didn’t show it on his face or in his tone, the simple act of accepting her word that she was “fine” and not pursuing the matter with her more was good enough. If she insisted on lying to him even when he was obviously concerned enough to try to fix the problem, that was a her issue.

“No, it isn’t.” He said and placed his hand over hers, giving it a light squeeze. “You should get some rest.”

“Thanks for saving me.” Mika said, meek but still appreciative. She could tell he was frustrated, but as far as she knew, his approach was the solution to that problem, not the cause. “I’ll be fine here. Don’t get too wet on your way home, okay?”

“I’ll try.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek while giving another squeeze to her hand then finally stood from the couch. “If you need anything just call.”

He knew she wouldn’t given she was staying with her parents again, but he made the offer anyways.

Mika nodded, having received his kiss with a slight smile. She really did like him, but it was possible he underestimated the impact her upbringing had on her. She gave him a gentle, feminine wave and watched as he left. She wished she could have given him more than the awkward compliance she had.

END]]> Wed, 02 Oct 2024 03:57:21 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/838 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/838
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - XO's Quarters

The raid on the Outpost had been exhilarating, bloody, and effective. They had taken Dr. Pel, the database, and many many Vidian lives. After reporting to Annalise and receiving their congratulations and warnings, Andrei and Lyra had taken the time to make sure Dr. Pel was working very closely with their Medical and Science departments to create doses of the cure. It was only after they were certain everything was appropriately set in motion and the Fleet was on its way back to Gamma Eridine that Andrei and Lyra breached the doors of his quarters.

“I feel like a god. We did it.” Andrei said with both relief and joy in his voice as he kicked off his shoes and started on his jacket, trying to get comfortable.

“We are gods, Darling.” Lyra said, the statement a simple matter of fact rather than boasting. The door closed behind her and she easily slid out of her shoes. Her hands intercepted his on his jacket and took over while she leaned up and kissed his lips gently.

He was covered in a moderate amount of blood, but he wasn’t surprised she didn’t really seem to mind. His swords were drenched as well, but the use of replicator technology which caused the blades to be produced from the hilt at need meant they never needed to be cleaned or polished. He returned her kiss slowly, though there was a certain electric quality to his movements. It was probably his bloodlust more than anything else.

“The Vidiians die beautifully after all they’ve done to stand in our way.” he said, his hands falling to her sides.

“Yes, they do.” She agreed. She was bloodied as well, though less so than her beloved. His jacket was followed by his shirt and her lips found his bloody shoulder. She didn’t care, she kissed him anyway despite the blood and sweat on his skin. “But I want more of them to die.”

“How many?” he asked, as he felt her lips on his skin. He closed his eyes, the shivering of his body accompanying his hands moving down to her bottom and gripping there. “Annalise will want to go back to playing things safe.”

Lyra didn’t even acknowledge his statement about Annalise. And instead her hands moved up to his cheeks. She cradled his face and brought her lips up against his. She kissed him once, so very tender, and then spoke quietly and intimately to him. “All of them.”

Her tone was soft, seductive, and full of promise in a strange way.

“All of them?” he asked, his tone suggesting a bit of surprise, but certainly not dismay. “I like that idea as well.”

He kissed her back, his hands now moving not to her jacket, but to the buckle of her belt.

“We could blow up their pathetic little homeworld, but I would much prefer to go down…and feel their blood between my fingers first.”

“And why wouldn’t we?” She asked, not interfering with his efforts while still speaking softly into his ear. “We can go… tear them apart… take them as slaves and raze their world for whatever we need or desire. Then when we are done, we can erase their worlds from existence as penance for their continued defiance.”

“To do that, we might need that mutiny we discussed.” he said, unbuttoning her pants and pushing them down until they fell to the ground. “I grow weary of following her orders anyway.”

“Maybe.” She said simply and kicked the pants away. Her lips found his neck again. “Or we could wait until we have our family back together. We will have to pass by again once we retrieve our lost lambs from the planet.”

“I’d bet father dearest could be convinced. And, if not..we can find another way.” he said, pulling her panties down next and then scooping her up into his arms by her strong legs. He walked over to the couch and placed her down rather gently. His lips found hers again, his motions quickening.

“If not, we can go ourselves.” She said between kisses and kissed him again. Her hands found his belt and she removed it with impressive speed. She pushed his pants and underwear down from his hips as far as they could reach, and then brought her feet up to push them down the rest of the way. Bloodlust for them inevitably turned into lust for each other once the violence was over. In the back of her head, the fleeting memory of an old wives tale regarding sons conceived after a battle being strong warriors stirred, but instead of allowing a reaction to settle on her face, she kissed him again. The thought of sons had been coming up more often in her mind as of late; it bothered her somewhat, but she also knew it was natural.

As Andrei swung free, he smiled and kissed her. Then, wasting no time at all, he lowered a hand to help himself and was inside her. They were prone to slow starts, but at times like this, it was a wild frenzy for this, their most natural position. He moved his hips with the same aggressiveness, skill, and speed with which he had moved his sword, and the dried blood that dotted their skin drew a connection between their previous actions and the current one.

“I love you.” he grunted in her ear, his tone a mix of aggression and moaning. They were gods, they belonged together, and no one could stand in their way; now, or ever.

Lyra was mildly surprised by the declaration for the simple fact it wasn’t something either of them said out loud often and he did even less than she. Her lips found his and then his neck, and her legs wrapped around his hips. It was a possessive gesture, but at the same time submissive as it allowed him full access to the deepest parts of her which only he could reach.

“My Darling…” She cooed into his ear softly.

They made love on the couch, they made love against the wall, they made love on the floor. That was where they finished in a wave of passion. When they were finished, Lyra relaxed against Andrei’s body and he cradled her head with his strong hands. There was nothing foreign about this act for them. They did it as naturally as another couple might enjoy a meal. Yet it was always impressive and passionate.

Her lips found his skin again and she traced kisses along the strong line of his jaw. It was a softness and gentleness Andrei knew was only reserved for him, never shown to others in such a genuine way. Her fingers found his hair, and she let out a sigh as he slid from her heated depths and left an emptiness behind.

He rolled her gently onto the floor next to him and wrapped his arm around her. They both were still wearing their tops, but none of that really mattered.

“I can’t wait to see Mika’s face when we get back.” he said, smiling broadly, seeming almost innocent if he wasn’t bottomless and dotted with the blood of innocent people. “Thank you for going with me; for being there.”

Lyra shifted close to him, pressing her body against his simply to be close to him and not pressing for anything more sexual than that. She looked at him with lifted brows. “I’ll always be by your side, Andrei.”

Andrei’s smile evened out a bit, not because his happiness had diminished but because the guarantee from Lyra made him pensive. He believed her, and he recognized how sick it made him that it might ever be any other way.

“I know.” he said, licking his slightly dry lips and holding her closer.

Lyra’s hand found his chest and her head moved to his shoulder. She didn’t expect the same assurance from him, and wasn’t disappointed on not receiving it. Naturally, if she was by him, he would be by her. They lay there like that for a few long moments just quiet with each other, and then finally Lyra propped herself up.

“We should have something good for dinner to celebrate.”

“Ooo.” Andrei said with interest, grinning at her. “Any good ideas?”

“I always have good ideas.” She snorted at him and then grinned to show her offense was only in jest. She leaned back to him to kiss him quickly and then moved to get up off of the floor.

“I’m thinking a nice thick ribeye. Maybe wagyu.” She could feel the wetness on her thighs in the cool air, and reached up to strip out of the rest of her clothes and then walked toward their bedroom. “Not sure of the sides though.”

“Lyra has to have her thick cut of meat, of course.” He said, watching her go with interest. “Something potato on the side, I think.”

“Roasted?” She asked as she walked away. Her hips moved with a natural, sultry sway and when she glanced over her shoulder at him, those dark eyes beckoned him through her thick black lashes.

Andrei knew that look well, and made no attempt to hide his willingness. Instead, he stood from the floor right away and followed after her.

“Roast it, bake it, mash it, fry it. I’m focused on other things.”

“Yeah you are.” Lyra laughed, seeing the look in his eyes as he followed her. “You’re still overdressed though.”

She entered the bathroom and turned on the shower, then turned and prepared herself for Andrei’s entrance whether it would be aggressive and assertive or if it would be more coy this time. “Smashed and roasted.”

“Your favorite combination.” Andrei said as he entered the bathroom, having abandoned the rest of his uniform before he entered. “But this is more like boiled, isn’t it?”

“Sous vide meat is delicious, really. Brings it to perfect temperature and then you finish it with a nice deep sear.” Lyra smirked and stepped into the shower and under the water.

Andrei followed after her, initiating their pattern by grabbing her cloth and soap, but actually starting to wash her exclusively, starting with her neck, and working down to her breasts. The water was boiling hot, but he loved the pain.

Lyra didn’t even seem pained by the scalding water, she just enjoyed it. She had reached out for his soap and washcloth, but a simple nudge from him signaled her to not, so instead she enjoyed his tender attentions. When he touched her breasts, she licked her lips, but she seemed content for the moment to leave their shower as an intimate, but not necessarily explicitly sexual encounter. After a few moments when he was about done, she grabbed her shampoo and then hesitated.

“Will you wash my hair?”

“I will.” He said decisively, taking the bottle from her and squeezing it into his hand. He started to work it into her hair, twisting his nimble fingers to make sure it was thoroughly done. When it was all soapy, he grabbed it hard and then kissed her passionately.

Lyra returned his kiss without hesitation, though her eyes were closed given her hair was all soapy and she didn’t want it in her eyes, which she suspected he had done on purpose. Her hands found his body with a sure touch; she knew exactly where he was and where her hands needed to land. Andrei had been with many women over the years and had slept with them many, many more times, but there was something different about the way Lyra touched him than the others.

Andrei hummed at her touch, directing her head under the water and helping the hot liquid to do its job. He kissed her again, closing his eyes to the water as well.

She made a soft sound as his fingers worked through her hair. She enjoyed it when he did this - it wasn’t overly often despite them usually sharing a shower at least once a day or every other day. Her lips lingered on his and one hand moved to his spine where she slowly ran the tips of her nails up and down the very defined line there in a way she knew would make him shiver.

Andrei reacted with a bit more than a shiver, and his back jolted slightly. He released her hair, now that it was clean, but stayed within her reach.

Lyra opened her eyes slowly, her dark gaze meeting his with a smoldering, possessive intensity. She looked like she wanted to kiss him but refrained and instead switched places with him. Instead of starting to wash him immediately, she let the water beat down on his rather filthy body to remove some of the grime while she worked her conditioner into her hair. Lyra was always one to keep her appearance pristine and took pride in her soft, thick, healthy hair. Once she was through, she finally grabbed his soap and the washcloth and began to wash his body down just as he had with her, though her task was peppered with kisses to his body and enticing attention of her tongue over certain areas, eventually focusing on his nipples while she carefully cleaned his manhood with her hands.

He hardened quickly, moaning gently to let her know he appreciated her touch. His hand found her hip, but he let her have her turn. His eyes met hers as she massaged and cleaned him. It wasn’t unusual for them to make love several times in a row, let alone several times a day, so he had suspected there would be more.

Though her attention was intimate, she seemed happy enough to keep it to teasing. She washed him thoroughly, and then knelt down so she could tend directly to his legs as he had with hers. Instead of focusing on his legs though, she looked up at him with her face level with his manhood. Her eyes seemingly searched his while she scrubbed his calves.

Andrei looked down at her, fully interested in what may happen next, but not seeming interested in forcing anything. She would do what she wanted down there, and he was okay with that. The possibility did spark an interest in his eyes as he met hers, however.

His passive interest wasn’t enough for her to engage, so she finished on his legs and stood back up to kiss him a few times instead. She grabbed his shampoo, and then switched places with him under the water so her conditioner could start rinsing out while she washed his hair. She lathered him up quickly, and then her nails worked down to his scalp to massage it while working the soap down. “Maybe a Caesar salad.”

There was something mischievous in her tone as she worked and once she had gotten him soaped up, they switched places again. “I’ll take care of it, Darling.”

That made him wonder as he stepped under the shower and the water rolled the soap away again. His hands found her this time, pulling her to him as he kissed her neck.

“Do you have some devilish plan?”

“Don’t I always have some devilish plan?” She replied and grinned, using her fingers to fluff his hair and help the soap rinse out faster while he kissed her neck.

“I’ll give you that.” He said with a chuckle as he moved up her jawline with his kisses. He gave no resistance to her taking care of him.

It seemed to please Lyra that he was more at ease with her caring for him and even more so that he had begun to reciprocate the gesture. They had never really discussed it simply because Andrei never asked and she rarely freely offered insight into her motivations, but it was something important to her for reasons she kept to herself. Once they were done rinsing off and taking a few more minutes to kiss and tease each other, they finally exited the shower and headed out to their bedroom. As soon as Andrei opened his closet door, Lyra’s hand extended past him and she snatched one of his shirts from the hangar to put on her body. She didn’t do it all the time, but she knew he enjoyed it when she did so. She wrapped her wet hair up in a towel, pulled on a pair of panties, and then walked out into the main living area like that and left him to his own devices in the bedroom.

Andrei lingered as she dressed and left, being slightly more selective than usual about what he should wear for an evening in. He pulled a dark gray shirt with the Imperial Starfleet logo on the center and a simple pair of boxers. As he pulled them on, his mind raced around the upcoming events and the fruits of his victory. Not only would they see the away team again, but they had found the cure that would free them from their Delta Quadrant prison. He was overjoyed, and smiled to himself. After a few more moments to himself, he turned and walked out into the living room.

Lyra had left the bedroom and moved out to the replicator in what was effectively now “their” quarters to get their dinner settled as she had promised. She wore no smile as she tapped the inputs to start things in motion, and allowed the few moments Andrei was absent to let her mind wander. Of course, from a very basic viewpoint, Lyra was thrilled to see their Terran family united once more and more personally, she was happy that Andrei would be soothed by the presence of his family once more; she knew he was in pain and she held true that she would never enjoy his pain. Not only that, but it was an obsession that would have made him act foolishly enough to potentially get them all killed and it was simply too early to die.

The simple fact was, however, that this victory was a loss for her personally. Without his family present, she had been the one Andrei had turned to and relied on. It had strengthened their relationship immensely and their closeness to each other was undeniable. Now, with their return, she was certain her light in his life would be dimmed. It was frustrating, but she knew it was something she would have to accept. As the plates materialized, she grabbed them and walked them to the table where their red wine decanter had been placed already. She saw Andrei walking out of the room and smiled as she turned to grab a large bowl full of salad.

“Pour the wine for us, Darling?”

“With gladness.” He said, though his smile had evaporated naturally. He grabbed the crystal glasses and filled them each one at a time. As he put the cap back on the decanter, he eyed his woman. “It’s important to me that everyone in the fleet knows where the determination for getting the Away Team back came from. I’ll not have our Captain taking credit.”

“She doesn’t seem like the type, Darling.” Lyra said simply and pulled the last plate full of slices of ruby red ribeye from the replicator. She placed them down on the table, and then wandered back toward their bedroom while unwrapping her hair and rubbing it vigorously. “We will make a point of letting them know.”

“She doesn’t have to do anything at this point. Our enemies may give her the credit just to weaken us.” He said, sounding a bit paranoid, but knowing for a fact they had enemies. Orion had been a sign that, at least, he did.

Lyra wandered back out after having hung up the towel and given a quick brush to her still mildly damp hair. She knew Andrei was being cautious - perhaps so much so that it strayed into paranoia - and while it really wasn’t something she wanted to linger on in the moment that should have been for celebration, she remained with him. “We both have enough people under our power that we will most certainly hear if anyone does such a thing and then we will handle it accordingly.”

“Of course, I know that.” He said, eying her as she came back out. “I only wanted to make sure you knew where I stood. Very often, I put no importance on what people think, so I don’t expect my strong conviction to be known in this case.”

Lyra moved to him, sliding her arms around his hips and lifting her dark eyes to him. “I know, Darling, and I only wanted to assure you that I hear you and I’m with you. I wasn’t trying to imply you had forgotten we had resources.”

“Alright, Love.” He said, looking at her. He knew she didn’t mean to imply anything, and though it hadn’t stopped him from becoming a bit annoyed, he found it easily forgotten. “Let’s eat. I’m starved.”

Lyra kissed his jaw and then let him go so she could sit down at the table. His volatility annoyed her deeply, but it was never something she let show. Scooting her chair in, she brushed her hair behind her ears and picked up the salad which was closest to her to put a portion on her empty plate. The salad and steak had been joined by the smashed, roasted potatoes, and there was a small vessel of bearnaise sauce for the succulent looking steak as well.

“Enjoy.”

“Oh, I will.” He said with a smile as he sat down opposite her and started to cut into the meat. He got the sense they just passed over yet another almost imperceptible bump in their communication. More and more, it seemed to happen that he was offended by her strategizing. Perhaps it was because of her intelligence, but he doubted it. In the back of his mind, there was a gnawing insecurity that she really didn’t think him as capable alone as she made out. He felt almost like her project, and the way his life had changed could be a sign of that.

They fell into silence as they ate, and while it was mostly companionable, there was just the slightest thread of tension there that wasn’t usually present. About halfway through the meal, Lyra had paused to take a sip of her wine again. “I wonder how your father is going to react when we show up.”

“Relief or anger are the options I see.” He said, swallowing a forkful of salad. “On one hand we disobeyed his direct and explicit orders and put ourselves in ‘danger’. On the other hand, we saved their lives and restored them to the Fleet’s journey.”

“Mmm…” She agreed through a hum. “Perhaps a bit of both, then. I can’t see him remaining angry, though, even if his orders were defied.”

“And, obviously, it was Annalise who defied his orders. So no skin off our bones anyway, hmm?” He winked at her, his foot finding hers under the table.

There were a few cracks in the logic there, but at this point Lyra didn’t care. In the end, it was between Annalise, Andrei, and Ivan. When she felt his foot on her under the table, she smiled a genuine, small smile. “No, not at all. What do you think they’ve been doing down there anyways?”

“If I were them, I’d be doing everything I could to find an escape.” Andrei said, scratching his chin. “But they aren’t me, so I imagine they’ve largely just given up by now and are trying to make some life for themselves, as dismal as that would be.”

“Have you ever thought about what you might do if you were normal?” Lyra mused, lifting her wine again.

“Normal? How do you mean?” He asked, placing his knife and fork down on the plate and looking up at her curiously. “Like a..commoner?”

“Yes. Or at least… not like we are.” She replied and motioned vaguely to the wall display of blades that was a testament to their delight of violence. “Musician?”

“Oh, Love, I can hardly imagine It.” He said with a furrowed brow. He thought about it silently for a few seconds before answering. “I’d probably settle for a career in finance or something like that. Though there’s something about being a handsome, traveling conductor that has its..appeal.”

Her dark eyes moved over him knowingly the moment he said handsome. Her foot slid up his leg slowly and she smiled. “You have the talent for music just as much as you do for killing, Darling.”

“There’s no time for rehearsal when taking over the galaxy.” He said in a somewhat sad voice. “What about you? What might you do if you were..different?”

“I’m not sure.” She said and then paused, not dodging the question, but simply not ready to stray from his reply yet. She reached across the table and placed a hand on his arm. “We could make time for it if you wanted to, Andrei. I do so love to hear you play.”

“I know you do. It’s one of those things that gets us..distracted.” He said with a smile, reaching and taking the hand she touched him with in his own. “I like to hear you sing.”

Lyra wondered if he actually did enjoy that, or if he really only meant it in the sexual way. She smiled at him, lacing their fingers together. “Maybe I would have been a model. I’m tall enough for it.”

“And beautiful.” He said, looking at her features admiringly. “I could see that. Perhaps we could give it all up and try to be normal when we return home, hmm?”

“We could… or we could bring the Empire to its knees and rebuild it however we want and see our legacy thrive through our sons and generations after them.” She offered up as if it were a simple matter of saying ‘yes, we’ll do that’.

“Not a very hard decision.” He said with a grin. “After all, what is a song to that?”

It was a real question, but one he would never let himself answer. The current Emperor might disagree with him entirely.

Lyra laughed, and it seemed the tension that had briefly settled between them had dissolved during the exchange. Soon they finished their dinner, and had ended up on the couch with each other and the rest of their wine.

“The Legion performed quite well.” She said thoughtfully and cuddled up to his side.

“I was very happy with them. They followed orders to the letter with a religious and exacting forcefulness. They killed without mercy, and they lived to serve.” Andrei said with a smile, his hand moving over her shoulder. “Do you think we can count on the secrecy of the others?”

“No, I certainly wouldn’t.” She said simply and shrugged. “Jules wouldn’t say anything, but Daniel doesn’t like you very much and Sipov is new, so who knows with him.”

“Does Daniel like being alive?” Andrei asked, his voice calm and cool like he’d asked about the man’s favorite color. “Because that should be the only like which concerns him.”

Lyra’s brows lifted just slightly, and she wondered if she heard the slightest hint of jealousy in Andrei’s voice underneath everything. She had been protective of Daniel before and still was. “I imagine he does, yes, though it will be hard to keep our secret for too much longer anyways, Darling.”

“Did Daniel express his distaste for me during the away mission?” Andrei asked, looking at her. He wasn’t jealous, per se, but he was aware of that protection. He knew there were gaps in his knowledge, and he was done with letting people disrespect either of them.

“Not really. He mentioned you being boorish using the Legion, but otherwise he was well behaved.” She said, speaking as if she were talking about training a dog. “But we’ve known for a while he isn’t your biggest fan.”

“I could have his tongue out. He can do his job without the powers of speech.” Andrei said, musing calmly again. “What people feel comfortable saying to my face matters, but what they say about me when I leave matters even more. Sipov and Julius are learning from his example.”

“Julius is definitely not learning from his example. Julius knows better.” She said, confident in her Shadow Squad commander even if the squad was currently on the back burner given all of the recent events. “Sipov well… perhaps you should go introduce yourself to him, Darling? I know you haven’t had much of a chance with everything going on.”

“That…is a good idea.” Andrei responded, and then seemed to drop the subject. He was tempted to ask why Daniel felt comfortable mentioning his negative thoughts about him to Lyra, but he knew her game. She played a bit more available than she was, just like he did.

Lyra finished her wine and then shifted her body to lie down with her head resting on his strong thighs. “Well what shall we do now that we’ve had a good meal?”

“We could catch up on sleep.” He answered flatly, and then smiled, “or we can watch something interesting on the screen. Maybe a scary movie?”

Horror movies tended to be more like comedies for Andrei and Lyra but that didn’t make them any less enjoyable. What would have scared many people just came off as something hilarious to them more often than not, and when it didn’t, it usually became something they wanted to try on some unfortunate soul. Lyra shifted over so she was looking up at him and took a moment to admire his handsome face.

“I do enjoy watching scary things with you.”

“Did you ever see that movie by Zander Kim that came out last year? It was another slasher film where teenagers get killed in the woods. I heard it’s actually pretty frightening.” He smiled at her. “I doubt it is, but it might be worth a look.”

“I didn’t see it, so it sounds good to me.” She smiled and reached up to gently touch his chest; she always liked to touch. “Maybe I’ll make some popcorn later if we want it.”

Andrei requested that the computer play the movie on the large screen across the room. Fortunately, it had been added to their rather large entertainment database before they departed from Terra. They settled in together to enjoy the film, and enjoy they did. What started as the standard described film of a bunch of barely-legals partying in the woods turns on its head as they are hunted down in pretty inventive ways.

Finally, once the movie was over, Lyra stretched and then moved to stand, bringing her long legs and sumptuous behind to eye level for the seated Andrei. “Well that was entertaining. I wouldn’t call it scary by any means, but I thought a few of those deaths were rather novel.”

“Well, what could scare us?” He asked, standing up and stretching at the same time. “I did enjoy the part with the bucket of rats though. The screaming was exquisite.”

“We should try that sometime.” Lyra picked up the bowl she had replicated their popcorn in about halfway through the movie and returned it to the replicator. “I’m sure we could find a rat somewhere on this ship… and if not we could probably find some creature that would accomplish the same thing.”

“I’m imagining Orion wailing with a searing hot bucket of rats over his little twig and berries. Hilarious.” Andrei said, walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her back, he kissed her neck.

Lyra giggled at the thought and slid her arms around his sides loosely. “Well, that would certainly teach him his lesson if he hasn’t learned it already.”

Her hands slid up under his shirt and to his back, touching his bare skin there tenderly. “Now what would you like to do, Darling?”

“I think I’d like to do..” he started, his eyes finding hers. He kissed her slowly, his strong hands grasping her waist again and holding her tightly. “You.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” She grinned.

He picked her up then, supporting her by her bottom and kissing her again, and the two of them moved as one into the bedroom.

END
]]> Wed, 02 Oct 2024 03:56:33 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/843 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/843
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Vidiian Research Station

ON

The Vidiian medical science lab selected for the Away Team’s beam in was dark and unused, and the only light provided was from a single small panel on the wall by the door. Five separate lights pierced the darkness in a stream of blue, and the bodies of five Terran officers appeared in the midst of the lab. Their phaser of choice was drawn and ready for whatever the darkness might hide.

When nothing happened, Andrei stepped over to the wall panel and pressed one of the few available buttons. Gradually, the light in the room increased to reveal a large medical lab which had been shut down for the evening, reckoning by Vidiian time. As soon as the five of them could see each other, Andrei pressed his commbadge.

“Petrov to Lovarr. Energize.”

The orange beams of over twenty simultaneous transports populated the room dramatically with a portion of the Kazon Century which was, itself, a part of Andrei and Lyra’s best kept secret. The dark gray body suits they wore were made of the toughest metal, and the helmets obscured their identity as individuals. The only differentiating markings were the name bars on their chests and Natalie rank indicators on their shoulders. They looked incredibly fearsome, and Andrei smiled at their arrival. He turned to Daniel, Sipov, and Julius, all of whom stood together in confusion and smiled.

“I’m sure we can count on your discretion. But, if word gets out in the Fleet about these formidable warriors, Commander Cassiel and I will know where the leak came from.”

Lyra had been surprised when Andrei had revealed to her they would be revealing their favorite pet project now, but she understood the decision. Their legion was loyal and deadly, something necessary for her beloved’s singular purpose of retrieving the cure to save his family. Again she wondered if he would have bothered had none of the Petrovs had been on the planet. She doubted it, but she was surprisingly certain that if she had been the one trapped there, he would have fought just as fiercely for her. It warmed her to him. She stepped up to their soldiers and her dark, intelligent eyes settled on them with clear appraisal. She looked beautiful and fierce as she inspected the fruits of their labors and then looked back to the group of men standing near Andrei.

Daniel's quizzical expression was mostly trying to figure out if the metal encased humanoids were actually alive or if they had attempted to create an army of automatons. Admittedly not the worst concept, but also something that had been messed around with and the lack of reliability was still something that was frustrating to the most scientifically minded, let along their esteemed second in command. Still, he schooled his features into a wry smirk and gestured around, "Doctor-patient confidentiality includes as many children as you wish to sire."

Lyra’s dark eyes shifted over to Daniel and narrowed just slightly.

In truth, SIpov wasn't entirely sure what to think, although being new to the crew he was more than aware it was best to maintain loyalties and keep low on anyone's radar to keep from risking any sort of trouble. Still, they gave him an unsettling feeling "They sound disgustingly perfect. Just the place for such alien scum to be, serving us. I look forward to seeing them in action. I'd never risk exposing such an asset and the glory of the empire." He was excited and ready now that his injuries had been properly healed.

Once that conversation had concluded, Andrei stepped out in front of the group to address them. He licked his lips and stood tall and strong.

“Our main objective is to find Doctor Pel, to get her back to Vengeance alive, and to do it quickly. The second is to execute the Prime Directive of Imperial Starfleet: Terror must be maintained. The Vidiians are hard learners when it comes to Terran superiority, and they need regular and severe lessons to establish the concept in their minds. Commander Cassiel, along with Dr. Brasken, Lieutenant Boros, and Chief Law, will download this outpost’s entire database and then locate Dr. Pel. Master Sergeant Kane and the legionnaires will join me in executing the Prime Directive thoroughly. When you locate the Doctor, call me. Any questions?”

Lyra looked at Andrei once he had finished. Her face was expressionless besides her focus and betrayed nothing to the others, but both she and Andrei knew very well that those assignments had not been the ones given by their captain. She gave no indication that she would correct him nor that she much cared about the change in the slightest. “None.”

The doctor simply shook his head. He was perfectly content with a retrieval operation and knew his place when off the ship. Keep his team alive and to be intelligent when needed. Daniel's face was flat and blank as his eyes simply scanned the rest of the away team and his hands rested on the tricorder on one hip and the phaser on his other.

Sipov still held his phaser tight considering the last time he'd seen serious action against an enemy, he'd been taken prisoner. "If you need any help enforcing the prime directive, let me know. Otherwise I have no questions in downloading the records. I can focusing on any sort of ship logs and manifest records that there may be copies of first."

Andrei nodded at their newest arrival.

“I appreciate your willingness to be flexible when it comes to getting the job done, Lieutenant. For now, remain with Commander Cassiel. We will go out first and clear the corridor.” Andrei said, then turned to the freakishly tall battle suits. “Legion.”

As soon as he said the word, the creepy band snapped to attention, the sound of their metal suits causing unison waves of echoes. They didn’t flinch or wave, but waited silently.

“Let’s go.” Andrei said, and then raised his rifle. Going to the door, he pressed the button to open it, and four scouts fanned out before the group into the corridor. The sound of phaser fire was accompanied by metal boots as the rest of the legion made their exit, weapons trained. Andrei turned to Lyra, his visible eye lingering on her gorgeous face. “Good hunting. Chief Law, if something happens to the commander, I’ll have them cut your balls off.”

“Roger that.” Julius said in a deadpan, though a slight smirk formed on his face. Andrei turned and exited without another word and the door slid shut, masking the sound of bloodshed.

After the door shut and the sounds of phaser and other fighting were loud enough to be heard, Daniel spoke up as he pulled out his tricorder. "So glad he feels the need to reinforce his boorish demeanor in the middle of a mission." His fingers worked the controls quickly even as he spoke, not letting his need to snipe at Andrei detract from his own duties.

Lyra glanced over at Daniel and lifted a brow, though didn’t make a comment to him directly. “Alright, gentlemen, column formation. I’ll take point, Sipov second, Daniel third, Julius bring up the rear.”

Sipov wasn't sure about Daniel being behind him as he barely knew the man, but he did trust Lyra somewhat, so there was no protest. "I've got your six covered, Commander."

Julius took up his designated position at the back of the column, his own Shadow Squad uniform making him distinct from the rest of the group. He still carried the torch for his defunct special ops team, and had kept his own personal devastation about leaving two of its members behind to himself. He was the first to sign up to Lyra and Andrei’s plan for finding the cure to this terrible disease by any means necessary, as far as he was concerned. His dedication was to his teammates and to Lyra, his direct superior. Much like Corvin, the Assistant Department Head they’d left behind, he was a trained combat artist who had spent his life involved in sport-based fighting. He was an owner and trainer, however, where the other man had been a participant and slave. Unlike the other man, Julius’ dedication to his boss was professional and undeniably healthy. That wasn’t to say he would reject anything more, but considering who she was dating, the prospect was likely more trouble than it was worth.

“What’s the plan, Commander? You have some sort of deck plan I don’t know about here?” he asked, looking over Daniel and Sipov.

“Yes, actually.” Lyra replied and pulled a small flat disc which she tapped with her thumb. Immediately, a display of the station appeared constructed from the scans the Gladius and Vengeance had taken on their scouting mission. A small red dot indicated their position.

“We’re here.” She explained and indicated the dot. “According to scans, it is likely that Dr. Pel is in this area.” She paused to indicate an area located below them in a more centralized and likely heavily fortified area of the station. “As ordered, our job is to locate her. When we do, I will attempt to convince her to willingly assist us in our endeavors. While I am doing this, Dr. Brasken you will begin a download of their medical database and a search for the cure for the disease; Lieutenant Boros, you will download as much information from their general database as you can - star charts, fleet positions, trading routes, tactical information and the like.”

She looked at each man in the eyes. “Does anyone have any questions?”

“Nothing from me.” Julius said, standing strong. He was a warrior, and he knew what his job was. Protection and looking intimidating.

“No, I’m good. I’ll pull all that I can” Sipov answered. He was itching to get to work and get the hell out of there. Part of him wanted to start going through the data as soon as possible to show his usefulness, and to better learn more about the surrounding region.

Daniel’s eyebrow quirked and he gave a soft snort of disbelief that Lyra even had to ask for confirmation. The orders were exactly what was to be expected. Still though, best to keep the chain of command as he recovered his slip up on his features and shook his head.

Lyra slipped the disc back into her belt and gestured to the door. "Let’s move."

The team formed up, their footsteps echoing softly in the now dimly lit corridor. Andrei and the legionnaires had already moved ahead, and the aftermath of their passage was clear. Bodies of Vidiians lay strewn across the floor, some still twitching, their grotesque faces frozen in expressions of terror and pain.

Lyra's eyes scanned the surroundings with a cold, practiced efficiency. Every corner, every shadow was a potential threat, and she moved with a predator's grace, her phaser at the ready and the men at her back.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of burnt flesh and discharged energy weapons, mingling with the metallic tang of blood. It was a scent that thrilled Lyra, but she kept her focus on the task at hand. They reached a cross corridor where a group of Vidiians had made a desperate stand. The walls were scorched with phaser burns, and the floor was slick with blood. Lyra stepped over a fallen Vidiian, her boot leaving a red print on the clean floor beyond.

“Keep moving,” she ordered, her voice low but commanding. They pressed on, the sound of distant combat growing fainter as they advanced deeper into the station.

Julius eyed the damage wrought by the XO and his alien troops. Not a single one of their own men had fallen, her, and the level of death was already staggering. Clearly, they had come through like a wave. The Vidiians were less attractive and exciting targets than some of the other races they’d encountered, and these scientists were especially feeble. It was a massacre.

Sipov was certainly appreciative at seeing less aliens alive and that the project that had been put together was so effective. Nothing like using scum to clean up scum, considering these people caused him to shudder at the thought of their technology being used on him. It was disgusting.

The doctor was making sure to be quiet as they made their way through the corridors. Having set his tricorder on auto scanning mode and holstered it to keep his hands free he did nothing more than keep up and be prepared for a fight.

Finally, they reached the entrance to a maintenance hatch that would likely lead them to a passage not unlike their Jeffries tubes . Lyra knelt beside it, her fingers tapping on the control panel to override the lock. The door slid open with a hiss, revealing a narrow, vertical shaft lined with rungs.

“This is our way down,” she said, looking at her team. “Julius, you go first. Daniel, you follow. Sipov will be third, and I’ll bring up the rear”

Julius could have commented about having to look at Daniel’s ass on the way down, but it wasn’t really in him to complain. He looked at her resolutely, without even nodding, and climbed into the tube, keeping his eyes down to track for any foes who might appear beneath them.

Daniel couldn’t argue at being kept in the middle of the formation and so simply took up his position on the climb and kept pace easily. He mildly wished there was more for him to do, but he knew that his skill set would be more useful a bit later on.

Sipov looked back over Lyra’s shoulder to watch for anything possible behind as the other two prepped and began to make their way down before finally backing himself up to find the rungs and begin making his own way down as well. While he mainly watched below to keep pace, he glanced up every so often to check on Lyra.

Lyra kept an eye out while the men moved down into the shaft and started on the ladder. Once there was sufficient space between where she would be and Sipov, she entered the opening herself and sealed it then began the climb down with the others.

The team had only been traveling down the metal wrongs of the tube for about thirty seconds before something moved in the tube below them. Julius paused on instinct, pointing his rifle downward. Whatever it was, it was gone.

His pause sent the action up the chain to Lyra who shifted to look down. Frowning, she focused on Julius. He wouldn’t have stopped just because. “What did you see?”

Julius didn’t respond to the question, nor did he move. Within a few seconds, a weapon, an arm, and then an angry face appeared in the tube as a Vidiian man leaned in, ready to kill. Julius pulled his trigger calmly, and the blast smashed directly into the man’s head. He yelped and started a long fall down the tube. Julius licked his lips and started climbing down again.

“Good work.” Lyra praised in a quiet, low voice. She glanced down to Daniel and Sipov again. “Keep moving.”

While the initial appearance of the other man below had surprised Sipov, the phaser blast and lack of reaction from his comrade, did not. He simply complied with the order given and continued with the other two below began moving again.

Daniel was uncertain what else could have happened on the encounter, but he certainly wasn’t going to comment at this time. Having had to keep his attention on Julius below him to make sure he didn’t step on a hand or head, he had seen the hesitation and paused in turn. His grip on the ladder shifting to make mobility a higher priority than stability and then back again once the phaser fire eliminated the threat.

As they continued down, the passage around them trembled as the station was hit by weapons fire. It was expected of course, the station was firing on the Shadow Fleet and the fleet was defending itself by attempting to disable the station’s weapons without endangering their away team, but there was always a risk. Silently Lyra wondered if Annalise might have designs to remove the thorns in her side given she had sent both her and Andrei on this mission, but she doubted the woman had it in her. At least not with Sipov and Brasken among them.

Sipov made his way forward with everyone else, pulling out a tricorder to help scan around them for any life signs or potential threats. He didn’t want to risk getting caught off guard again, and while he admired the efficiency of Julius, he barely knew the man and for the moment, trusted in himself the most.

Eventually, the group arrived at their destination and once everyone was off the ladder, Lyra pulled out the holographic disc to check their position again. They were on the right deck and Pel’s office wasn’t far. The station shook again though more violently and Lyra glanced up at nothing then back down to the image displayed in front of them. She allowed everyone a moment to look and get their breath then tucked it back into her pocket.

“Alright, let’s press on. Original formation: myself, Sipov, Daniel, Julius. Weapons ready. Commander Petrov and the Kazon likely have the majority of the attention on them, but we should expect resistance.”

She stepped toward the door then, expecting them to fall in line, and shouldered the rifle off of her back and into her hands before proceeding out.

Sipov fell in a couple meters behind the woman, looking over her shoulder and watching his sector ahead.”Ready here”.

Daniel drew his phaser pistol from its holster on his hip. He might’ve preferred a rifle but it was a slower weapon and in the situation they were in the flexibility of the hand held made more sense to him. Thankfully he was a science officer and no one really expected much from him in this department so he took advantage of that. Pressing a few buttons to confirm the phaser was set high but not to maximum to allow a few more shots but still just as lethal he then gave a nod and followed.

Julius took up the rear once again, as ordered, but instead of proceeding forward, he turned and covered their asses while moving his ride back and forth. If someone attacked them as they moved away, he would be the first to see them.

It seemed Lyra was correct in that most of the Vidiian security forces were busy trying to deal with Andrei and the Kazon leaving their path clear. Despite her usual enjoyment of a good fight, Lyra found this to be much more agreeable to her currently. She wanted to be done with this particular chapter and bring their crew back together before Andrei lost his patience and more Terran lives were lost. If this didn’t work out, she wasn’t sure what they would do, but she chose not to dwell on that.

He wasn’t a particularly tense person or prone to anxiety like others in the more intellectually inclined fields, but even Daniel’s jaw was clenched at the station shaking around them. If they were on board a Terran ship or outpost and it was being fired on by some enemy or another it wouldn’t bother him either, but he didn’t trust his own people not to get too into their own bloodlust and push just too far. He really needed this to work out to bring back those that were in stasis so he could continue his work on replacement soldiers. Making a mental note on how their temperments should be controlled.

Sipov was ready with his phaser in hand, his tricorder in the other, scanning for any sources that appeared to be a computer core or the like. He was amped to go and download the data they needed and get the hell out of there. Maybe they could rig something to explode on the way out as well.

As they turned the corridor that would lead them to Pel’s office, Lyra suddenly slowed and frowned. While there didn’t appear to be anything amiss, her instincts were telling her something wasn’t right. They continued a few more meters in and then Lyra pulled them to a stop. In front of them, a figure turned from one of the corridors and began to move toward them. Its gait was awkward and shuffling, it jerked forward, and its torso seemed to twist and rotate as if its spine lacked the actual strength to support it. As it lifted its head, Lyra cursed softly. One look at its face and she knew she was staring at one of the Phage infected Vidiians the crew had simply started to refer to as zombies.

She shifted her rifle from her right hand to her left and opted for the quieter shot of the phaser which she discharged at the creature and watched it evaporate immediately. The air cleared, but where there was once quiet came the sounds of movement ahead - a lot of movement. Too much movement.

“We need to fall back. Julius.” She called back to her man, knowing his name would be enough to signal him into action in leading their retreat back to somewhere more defensible than the middle of a straight corridor. More of the Vidiians turned the corner, and their path to their goal was immediately obstructed.

Julius heard the message loud and clear, but stole a glance over his shoulder first to see what the problem was. His eyes went wide as he saw what looked like the living dead shuffling quickly toward him.

“Fuck me, I remember those nasty fuckers.” He said, moving to a nearby door and pressing the button to open it. As the light turned on and a large communal sink presented itself, it was clear they had found the head. “Quick, get in here!”

Daniel did as told, though as he glanced around at their surroundings he gave low sigh and moved away from the door, scanning the room for anyone they did not want to be in there.

Sipov followed just behind, making sure to cover Daniel. The idea of falling back wasn’t quite in his mindset as he would’ve preferred eliminating them altogether. The Vidiians were disgusting to say the least.

Lyra had moved with the group, sending blasts of her phaser to the lead Vidiian creatures as they moved, but the hallway just seemed to keep filling. Why did the gods always have to make things difficult? She slid into the room and immediately closed the door and locked it with an encryption. These Vidiians were mindless, they wouldn’t be able to figure out the door, but they were trapped. She turned and was about to speak when a voice cut timidly through the room.

“H-hello?” A man called out from one of the stalls.

Lyra immediately made a face and indicated with a nod to the men they should take care of that while she herself turned back to the door.

Julius noticed Lyra’s nod and immediately got in position in front of the door. Indicating silently to Sipov that he would need his phaser, Julius lowered his own rifle to his side. When the other man seemed ready, Julius put his boot to the stall door powerfully, causing it to knock open and revealing an old and startled Vidiian man. He quickly moved aside, giving Sipov a clear shot.

Sipov had his phaser in hand and had brought it up. Once the other man moved, he swiftly placed it in front and fired at his target. Considering the short range, no real aim was required before firing. Upon the hit, the intended target crumpled in anguish. The rest of the area looked to be clear. He was glad to be rid of that disgusting being.

As the others handled the unfortunate Vidiian man, Lyra tapped her commbadge. “Cassiel to Petrov.”

“This is Petrov.” Andrei said. The sound of shouting and weapons fire in the background made him hard to hear, but his voice was calm, filled only with the silent energy of battle and killing.

There was a loud thump against the door as the Vidiians made contact with it followed by the sound of human nails on metal and more dull thumping sounds as they pawed at the door and walls; it was loud enough to carry over the commline.

“It seems the Vidiians may have been expecting us to come for Dr. Pel. We were nearly to the office, but they unleashed a horde of those Phage infected creatures on us. We’re pinned down on Deck 12 and could use some back up.” Lyra explained, her voice quite calm despite what was on the other side of the door.

“Send me your location. We’ll be there as soon as we can.” Andrei said, just a hint of concern for her in his voice.

“I’ve sent it to you. Don’t dally, Commander, or you may have to fish our remains out of Vidiian mouths.” Lyra offered with just a slight hint of amusement in her voice.

“I would have to set this entire damnable quadrant ablaze if that happened.” Andrei said over the comms, his voice as resolute as it was calm. “We’ll be there soon. Petrov out.”

Shaking her head and ignoring the increasing sounds against the door, Lyra walked back to the trio of men and glanced in the stall where the Vidiian man had been. She shrugged mostly to herself and then turned back toward the door. “Commander Petrov is on his way with the legionaries. The door is encrypted and these creatures shouldn’t be able to get in, but prepare to defend yourselves just in case.”

Julius frowned as he approached the door, hearing the scrapes, scratches, and poundings against the metal surface. He wasn’t afraid, and had faced death a thousand times, but he knew they wouldn’t last long if the door failed.

“How do the Vidiians control these creatures? Seems like this tactic would backfire more often than it works.” he said, placing his hand on the metal of the door; greeting death.

“I’m not sure there is much of a tactic behind it other than desperation. The healthy ones hide while they let their infected thralls rove about like this.” Lyra moved up behind Julius, eyeing the door. If it was Terran made, it certainly wouldn’t give, but she had no idea how well these animals knew how to build.

“Considering their medical technology, it is entirely possible that they know of a way to subdue or direct them once the threat is no longer.” The room being clear, Daniel holstered his phaser and pulled out his tricorder instead. He stood near the bulkhead near the door and scanned the creatures on the other side, taking advantage of the time they had to get some more in depth analysis while the creatures were alive.

Sipov on the other hand had decided he’d be damned if he was gonna let one of those things take him out. He kept his phaser handy but also tried to assist in scanning, and also checked around for a way out, maybe through a duct or otherwise. “Maybe an alternate route is our best choice. Now that I’m more able bodied, even if we have to climb out of this place, I think we all could make it. Is anyone finding another option we could all fit through? Anywhere has to be better than here.”

After a few beats, Lyra looked around and then looked at Julius. A coy smirk curled onto her lips and she moved her head in a way that just made her hair shift over her features attractively. “Jules… next time could you maybe find a more glorious place to make a last stand? The head really isn’t doing it for me.”

“Must be the rank. Think you’re too high and mighty to die in a toilet, Commander?” he asked, raising his brows. He didn’t return her smile, but there was a definitive sense of levity in his tone.

“Do you really want everyone to remember you as the one who got eaten alive in a toilet?” Lyra asked, shaking her head and smiling. “I surely don’t.”

“You can’t tell me it would be the first time you’ve been eaten in a toilet.” he said, the statement even more playful than before, but still the laughter didn’t come. When a loud bang on the door moved against his hand, he turned his eyes to it. “I don’t care how people remember me. All that matters to me is how I live now. Hard as iron; a master of fighters. I’m not all complex like you, ma’am.”

While many women might have demurred at the comment, Lyra’s eyes simply glinted with mystery and amusement. “The care doesn’t need to be complex, Jules.”

She stepped closer to the door and looked up and down. “I’d have you remembered as a great lanista. It was what you wanted, was it not?”

“Yeah but, out here…we’re a little bit past that, aren’t we? There’s no point in holding on to old dreams until they’re close at hand again.” he said, as if his resignation to his own fate was normal and natural.

“Perhaps they might be closer than you think, Jules.” Lyra smiled at him, mysterious and full of knowing. “Don’t close yourself off to possibilities.”

“Who said I was?” He asked, looking at her, practically unreadable, as she was. But, certainly for different reasons. “I’m just being flexible. Maybe the Gods want me to get eaten alive in a toilet.”

---

Several decks above, Commander Petrov and Staff Sergeant Kane stood with twenty unidentifiable devotees of the Shadow Legion, there dark metal suits of armor, and their short swords all twinkling with bright red Vidiian blood. They stood with hand-sheils in their hands which projected green force fields, and all of them were side by side. It had been an unquestionably one-sided masacre, and hundreds of Vidiians lay dead in piles at their feet. The helmets the Legionaries wore perfectly obscured their face, making it impossible to tell who or what they were.

“Alright, let’s move. Stay in formation.” said Lucas Kane, his sunken eyes showing a vacant, positively creepy indifference to the carnage around him. He looked to Andrei. Both men wore uniforms dotted with blood, and in Andrei’s hands were his two extend-swords, Shiver and Moan. “After you, sir.”

“Let’s make this quick.” Andrei said through perfect white teeth as he stepped out in front of the others and walked over dead bodies through the main corridor of the deck. As he proceeded forward, his eyes cast down indifferently at the dead and his heart racing from the bloodlust, he heard the loud clanking of the two contubernia at his back marching in perfect unison. These master slave killers were a work of art. It was a shame the scientists and grease monkeys they found on the outpost posed no challenge whatsoever. The group made their way to a large lift and Andrei stepped inside first. After the rest of the men were in, he maneuvered through the tight fit to the front of the lift where he would be the first to exit.

When the doors opened, they were greeted with the awful sound of the sick and deceased Vidians, not dead, but so rotted in their mind that they were less than animals. Andrei wrinkled his nose at the smell and stepped out first but held a hand out for the Legion not to follow quite yet. He turned to the Centurion and extended an open palm.

“Grenade. Quickly.”

The Kazon man complied immediately, producing a glowing cylinder which he handed to Andrei without a word before taking up his defensive posture with the rest of the men.

Andrei looked down at the device, not bothering to look at the Kazon creature who had once taken his pride, his dignity, his ship, and his eye. He was nothing now, and Andrei was pleased to see him serve so automatically, so mindlessly. His devotion was now complete. He almost grinned as he pushed the activation button, and then gave it a toss into the ground of Vidiians. The explosion was devastating, and as the deck shook, chunks of Vidiian and a shocking flash of blood pulsed out like a wave. Licking his lips, an amused smile on his face, Andrei proceeded forward with the Legion at his back. Stopping in front of the door, standing in the puddle of blood and guts, he pressed the chime.

“Open up, I need to use the facilities.” He said, his voice like music.

Within, the sound of the explosion and the immediate sound of devastation hitting the walls had made Lyra smile. She stepped to the door without hesitation and when Andrei called, she opened it. She did not greet him with a smile, however, and instead looked rather cross.

“This is the ladies room.” She protested in a playful huff, then finally smiled at him. “Well met, Commander. Have you been enjoying yourself?”

“There are no ladies in battle, Commander. Only the strong and the weak.” Andrei stepped into the room while the Legion and Kane remained outside. His visible eye landed on Lyra, looking her up and down shamelessly but not acting on the obvious look of desire he displayed. “I’ve been proving which ones we are.”

He stepped past her, his natural eye now falling on the other men in the room, but not lingering. He walked over to the open stall to look inside. When he saw the Vidiian dead on the seat, he grinned and looked at Daniel.

“Doctor, you’ve got to start watching your diet. Far too much protein, I think.” Andrei said, then promptly unzipped his pants, pulled out his notable manhood, and stepped forward to relieve himself despite whatever creature might be in his way.

Daniel smirked politely at the crude joke from Andrei, choosing not to antagonize the man who was in the middle of an adrenaline fueled rampage. Instead he turned and stepped towards Lyra and drew his phaser pistol as he expected they would be continuing through the halls once again

Sipov was thankful for the rescue and understanding of the other man in need of relief. Battle did strange things to people. He had an ensign that flew right seat in a small marauder that would crap himself everytime they got into a skirmish. It took almost two months for him to get over that habit.

Lyra didn’t react visibly when Andrei simply dismissed her quip and then ignored her question, but she had very much noticed it - he seemed to enjoy doing such things and she wasn’t sure if it was done to show his dominance or why given he certainly had no problem making light of a situation in general. She didn’t spare him another glance and instead stepped out into the hallway. The carnage didn’t bother her, and she turned to look down the hallway where they originally had been heading. More of the infected Vidiians came around the corner and she scowled. With a slight turn of her head, she looked back to the legionnaires.

“Kill them.” She ordered, her voice quiet, commanding, and immediately setting them to task as they marched past her to meet the Vidiians.

Sipov didn’t need any further direction and began opening fire to comply with the command and assist the others with the handful of shots he could. It was his pleasure.

Andrei returned and, despite the grime already on him, he took the time to wash his hands in the sink. When he was done, he returned to the door and walked up to Lyra.

“Have you located Doctor Pel?” he asked, studying her features and trying to read her answer before she gave it.

“Just ahead.” Lyra replied, her eyes still forward and her focus on the backs of the Kazon. After a moment, she looked up at Andrei. “Perhaps while you and the rest of the away team go to her, I take the legion and continue what you started?”

Her desire to do so was clear in her eyes. He’d taken her fun and she hadn’t protested in the slightest, but now she wanted to have a turn for a while. There was also of course the benefit that Andrei would be able to use his… charms… on the woman and she wouldn’t have to stand there and bear it.

Andrei smiled darkly, his eye finding her lips for a second before it drifted up again.

“Jealous, are we?” he asked in a mirthful tone. “By all means. There’s no challenge to be had, by the way. Just bones, blood and screams.”

He didn’t stay it as if it were a bad thing at all. He turned to the rest of the group until his gaze settled on Jules. “Chief. You’re with Commander Cassiel. The rest of you are with me.”

“You can keep the Chief, Commander. I have Sergeant Kane with me and I’m sure he will look out for me just as well.” Lyra reminded Andrei quietly so only he could hear her.

“I hope he will. After all, I’ve grown fond of the man.” Andrei said, seeing the logic in her suggestion and not resisting her. He turned back to Julius and shook his head. “Belay that.”

Jules licked his full lips and crossed his huge arms over his chest. Things always got complicated when soldiers hopped in bed together, and he knew that. He provided no protest or commentary.

“Enjoy, gentlemen.” Lyra offered in quick farewell and walked away from the group of men to join the Kazon contingent.

The group watched as Lyra left the head and proceeded down the corridor at a rapid pace. As soon as she had joined in with the action, Andrei turned back into the room and faced the group.

“Our mission is still clear. We’ll get into the Doctor’s office and Sipov and Daniel will work on downloading records while I attempt to engage with her. No deadly fire; I don’t want to risk harming Pel while she still has the information in her brain that will help us cure our people.” He said, speaking clearly. “I’ll head out first. Jules, you take the rear.”

The four men left together, moving fifty paces down the wide corridor through the carnage and toward a door which looked much like any other. As soon as they arrived, however, Andrei’s leather gloved hand found the lock pad and moved meticulously.

“Computer, override security lockout.” He said, and the image on his eyepatch corresponded with the activated program. After almost ten seconds, there was a click and the office door slid open. Andrei tossed in a flash grenade and closed his uncovered eye as it began to spark.

The yells from inside signaled that Pel wasn’t necessarily alone, but no hostile fire met them in retaliation for the flash grenade. No one was immediately in their sights when they entered, but the presence in the air seemed to indicate they were hiding.

The group swarmed into the office, weapons raised, and their eyes went to the structures and doors that each could conceal an assailant. When the light show settled and all seemed calm, Andrei smiled.

“Dr. Pel. Come out, wherever you are. The Empire requires your assistance.” He called in an almost sing-songy voice, pacing slowly, his hand on the hilt of his extendo-dagger, Whisper.

At first there was no answer, the tension and fear hung in the air like a physical fog but the Vidiians were wisely hiding where they had been. Finally, after a few tense beats a woman stood from behind one of the consoles. She was attractive, probably in her mid to late thirties, and was dressed in a burgundy uniform with her dark hair pulled back from her wide, alien forehead. She was wearing a brave face though her eyes told a different story.

“I am Dr. Denara Pel.”

As soon as Andrei saw the woman rise from her hiding place, his smile grew. They had done it. They had found the elusive scientist who would finally be the one to help them liberate their people from the planet.

Once Dr.Pel had been located, Andrei turned to Brasken and Boros, silently pointing toward a series of science and systems panels along the back wall. From there they would be able to access the outpost’s files and fulfill their part of the mission. He then looked to Jules.

“Secure the room, Chief.” Andrei said, lowering his rifle and pulling it onto his back again.

Julius had already started the process of checking every nook and cranny for additional lurkers. He didn’t confirm the order verbally, but merely intensified his search.

The doctor waited for a console to be cleared by their security before taking his place. Again swapping his phaser for his tricorder he went back and forth a few moments as he accessed the terminal and started recording. He knew what he was here for, but admittedly had some interest in the exchange with the alien doctor as well and so his eyes bounced occasionally up and to Pel as he sifted through the database for interesting and useful information.

Sipov moved over next to the Doctor and accessed the system as well, running a basic search and decryption algorithm. He wasn’t familiar with the systems and hoped the doctor might give him a pointer or two. Otherwise it was his standard search procedure. “If you have interest in conversation, now is probably the best time to do it while it’s still quiet” Sipov noted. He’d caught a look or two over.

Andrei approached Dr. Pel, his visible eye twinkling and his strong body erect and imposing, like the noble he was. Stopping in front of the woman, he saw the fear in her eyes. That pleased him. The truth was, he would get what he wanted out of her any way she required; easy or hard.

“We have been searching high and low for you, Doctor. Your people haven’t made it easy, and that was folly on their part. Many people had to die for us to get to you. Why is that?” He asked, and his gloved hand moved swiftly up to her temple. “What secrets does your mind hold that your people would risk so many just to protect you?”

Pel flinched from his hand raising and immediately pulled away from it when he moved it to her temple. Licking her lips nervously, she briefly glanced up at Andrei and then she looked around at the other Vidiians sitting quietly on the ground. None of them were looking around, their heads were lowered and they were silent. They just wanted to survive.

“I really don’t know” she replied and it seemed to be the truth from what Andrei could tell. “I’m considered to be one of the brightest minds of our people and they can be… stubborn and possessive.”

“And stupid.” Andrei added. He allowed her to step away without protest, but regarded her with passive interest. There was no reason to be nasty with her unless she forced the issue. “We require your service. Several months ago, one of our away teams landed on the second planet in the Gamma Eridine system. They were bitten by insects and have contracted a rare disease. Try as they might, our doctors haven’t been able to cure it, but we know you have.”

The Vidiian woman frowned in thought for a moment, and then suddenly her brow lifted. “Yes, I know the one you speak of. It is a simple enough cure though it was difficult to find.”

“Our people are bound to the planet until they receive this cure.” Andrei said, then folded his strong arms under his chest and lifted his head. “You are going to come with us and render assistance to us in delivering this cure. If you succeed, you will be rewarded and brought back here to resume your life as before.”

“I don’t need to come with you, I’m happy to give you the cure. I’m sure your medical staff is perfectly able to see that it is indeed the cure before you go as well.” Pel pointed out but didn’t seem overly insistent on the point; her preference to not leave was clear though.

“Dr. Pel…thousands of people have died to bring us to this moment. Our most prudent course is the have the expert close by just in case something goes wrong.” Andrei said, his tone sounding quite reasonable, but his words communicated the fact that she wasn’t going to be staying no matter what. “And the gods only know how hard to find you will be after we leave you.”

Pel frowned, but unlike the majority of her people they had encountered thus far, she seemed to actually understand her predicament better than most. The cruelty of these people was becoming quite widely known, and they rained death down on their enemies. She was a scientist and she had no interest in games of power.

“Very well.” She agreed without more protest.

Andrei smiled, and it seemed quite genuine considering the circumstances.

“I cannot tell you how glad it makes me to hear you say that.” Andrei said, and then turned to the consoles on the other side of the room.”Dr. Brasken, Lieutenant Boros, are you quite finished?”

Daniel could spend more time digging through their database, the conversation with the Vidian doctor having been much more direct than he was expecting. Though given the circumstances and the fact that his data finding mission was a bit superfluous with the agreement for Pel to join them he would be content with the overall data dump he had copied. Sifting through it would have to come later, he smirked just slightly to himself as he amused himself with assigning it to his new assistant chief.

“Aye, sir. Quite finished,” Daniel responded as he disconnected his tricorder from their systems and holstered it back to his hip.

Sipov followed suit, he had everything he could find for the time being and was looking to get going once more. “I think we’ve got all we’re going to skim from here without better algos and an engineering team. I’m all done here sir.”

Andrei tapped his commbadge. “Petrov to Cassiel. We’re finished with our mission here. What’s your status?”

“Excellent timing, Commander. I do believe we have run out of Vidiians to play with.” Lyra’s voice was lyrical and heady; obviously she had been enjoying herself.

“Hopefully there are a few survivors huddled in their quarters who can spread the tale of this day. Perhaps the Vidiians will remember this one, if nothing else.” Andrei said with a smirk, noting the tone in Lyra’s voice. “We’re initiating a beam-out, Commander. You do the same.”

"Aye, Commander." Lyra replied with sadistic sweetness.

Their mission had been very successful.

END
]]> Wed, 02 Oct 2024 03:34:44 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/832 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/832
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Various

ON

It had only been a few minutes since Vengeance and Gladius left under cloak to spy on the Research Outpost, but the silent tension of the three Terran officers on the Lovarr could be felt. The slaves on the bridge had no warning of the plan in order to organize, but each of them obviously realized that the power that held them in shackles was at a distance. Each Terran was wondering if their conditioning really was good enough to keep discipline in a situation like this.

The Bridge of the Lovarr was the temporary command center of the Shadow Fleet as Lieutenant Harper Bennet had been left in command. She, her XO, an older former enlisted who had been promoted for the role, and The slave master, Master Sergeant Lucas Kane, who was effectively her second officer. Other ships in the fleet were in there same situation, but there was the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

“Still no sign on sensors, Mistress.” said a lanky Kazon man at a nearby station.

“Of course not. They’re cloaked…” started the XO, crossing his arms defensively, “But there here, just as certain as if we could see them.”

“If not, they will be soon.” Harper said, her legs crossed as she sat in the chair that had been put on the bridge to make it more civilized. She found herself a bit ill at ease being responsible for the remaining ships given they were all full of slaves and they hadn’t exactly had the best track record with them. Yana and Andrei had been doing well, and she supposed they would see exactly how well now.

“What time is it?”

“13:00.” Kane said, his haunted eyes trained on their commander shamelessly, as if he didn’t know it was awkward to stare. “From here, it doesn’t seem like the outpost has much to hide. She’s got her legs open, just waiting to be taken…I hope they get back soon..”

Harper rolled her eyes slightly at the comment, but didn’t verbally make her feelings clear on the matter. “Well, this was around when they were scheduled to return, so probably not the time to get panicked yet, lieutenant.”

“I’m not panicking. I have every confidence in them.” the XO retorted, eyeing the slaves at their stations suspiciously. His thoughts were interrupted by an incoming message from a different console. He watched it being mirrored on his own.

“I’m getting an incoming communication from the Kez”Ron, Mistress.”

“Put it through.” Harper commanded sharply, a brief spike of anxiety welling up in her chest; the Numiri had proved to be rather unruly and she was immediately concerned something had happened.

“Brice to Lovarr. How you doin’ over there, Harp?” came the masculine, though subdued voice of the Numiri ship’s commander.

“Ah… fine. Just waiting.” Harper replied, her voice not betraying her worry much if at all. “Is everything alright over there?”

“Kez’Ron is ready for the fight, just like always.” he said, his voice suddenly more martial than before. Some sounds of ascent from the men he commanded came over the comms, but they were indistinct and hard to pin down.

“Good, we will need every resource available to us when the Vengeance and Gladius return, I’m sure.” She spoke with a bit more authority, but she didn’t necessarily actually feel it. “Stay sharp, Brice.”

“You too.” he said, and his voice lingered, a sign that he was feeling the same tension they were. “Brice out.”

Harper let out a sigh and sat back in her chair, busying herself with the readings there and trying not to think too hard about what could potentially go wrong in this situation. She hadn’t liked this idea at all, but it was likely simply because of the position it had put her in.

Proximity alarms went off several seconds later, but she didn’t need to ask why as the viewscreen showed the two Imperial ships materializing in front of them. Their comm system was immediately overridden and a familiar voice was heard over the speakers.

“Vengeance to Lovarr. This is Commander Petrov.” he said, his voice crisp and calm, laced with his Russian accent. “Report.”

“All is well, Commander.” Harper replied, a smile tugging at her lips at the sound of Andrei’s voice and her tone communicated pleasant surprise he was the one speaking to her. “Welcome back. Were you successful?”

Andrei could hear the smile in the woman’s voice. They were far from strangers and he knew how she felt about him, but he was also keenly aware he was on the bridge of the flagship of the Fleet and his very violent girlfriend was both behind him and very much read in on their past.

“We were. They seem to have only been able to muster one battleship to provide some extra defense against us. It won’t be enough by a long shot. They’ve been caught with their dicks in their hands, and it’s time for the killing blow.” he said, his voice smooth and unapologetic ally dangerous. “Do you recall the plan?”

“Of course, sir.” Harper replied. “The fleet stands ready.”

Annalise finally turned her head toward Andrei and her brows raised slightly at the interaction between him and the Lovarr’s commander. Harper wasn’t exactly being subtle, and while Andrei wasn’t doing anything but being himself, it was something of note.

Lyra for her part was sitting calm and collected at her station, revealing nothing of her feelings on the matter, but there was no doubt in the universe she had heard the exact same thing Andrei had in Harper’s voice. She remained focused on the task at hand instead of the justified bitterness she felt inside.

“Lieutenant Sovas, get me Fleetwide.” Andrei ordered.

"Fleetwide channel open, sir." Sovas replied.

Andrei turned his gaze to his CO for a moment to check if she wanted him to distribute the orders she had given. When he saw in her eyes the intention to speak herself, he gave way and leaned back in the chair again.

“This is Captain Faulkner.” Annalise began without missing a beat and stood from her chair. “We have compiled our intelligence and are in the process of sending an updated tactical mission briefing to each vessel. We will advance to the station as planned; the Vengeance and Gladius will be under cloak while the Rynall and Lovarr approach under a friendly banner. Kez’Ron and Jorran will take up position under the Lovarr to mask your ship signals. When we arrive at the station, the Gladius, Kez’Ron, Jordan, and Rynall will engage the warship while the Lovarr and Vengeance advance on the station to beam down teams to secure the cure for our people on Gamma Eridine II.”

She paused for just a beat and turned toward Andrei before continuing. “Commander Petrov will lead the away team with Doctor Brasken focused on locating Pel and the cure.”

Andrei’s handsome face turned to a smile at that moment. It hadn’t been clear if Annalise was going to empower him to do his job and lead the away team or if she was going to put him in a very awkward position.

Her body shifted again, and she looked up to Lyra sitting behind her station. “Commander Cassiel, you will lead the security teams responsible for the safety of the away team and neutralizing any threats the Vidiians might pose.”

Andrei wasn’t exactly sure why Annalise was micromanaging his away team, but the smile he had on his face drifted away, replaced by a frown. It was customary for the XO not only to lead the Away Team, but generally to pick them as well. Of course he would have selected Lyra anyway, but the power of the decision had very publicly been taken from him.

He stood from the XO’s chair and started toward the back of the Bridge.

“Lieutenant Bennett. We will require your strongest Kazon warriors. I don’t know what kind of innovations they have to repel boarding actions. Have the Master Sergeant select them and we will rendezvous with them in Cargobay one.”

He stepped into the turbo lift with Lyra and he gave the order to the computer about what floor they were seeking. When it started to move, he looked over at his lover.

“Pick men who are loyal and who can keep their mouths shut about what they see.”

There was a part of Lyra that wanted to make an underhanded comment about Harper and what she - and the rest of the bridge - had heard and witnessed, but she knew it was most certainly not the time for that right now. What she did know, however, was that as her relationship with Andrei continued to deepen, she was becoming decidedly less happy with how he made her look like a fool with his former whores.

They were alone for the moment, so she reached for his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze and allowed a smile. “Of course. We’re very close now, Andrei. Before you know it we will have your family back.”

“For now, I’m just going to focus on the mission.” He responded, his face resting in obvious tension. He touched her hand gently, however, to indicate it had nothing to do with her or anything she had done.

The smile faded from Lyra's face immediately and she turned her gaze away and to the door where his rested. Her fingers slid against his in acknowledgement of his gesture, but otherwise she said nothing else.

They had a mission to complete.

END

]]> Wed, 02 Oct 2024 03:31:07 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/830 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/830
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Ready Room; Vengeance

ON

It had been just over an hour since Andrei and Kit had returned to Vengeance. He had obviously gone to meet Lyra and to make up for lost time. It was standard protocol to report in immediately, but varying by a small amount of time wasn’t completely irregular. As he exited onto the Bridge, he nodded at Sovas and walked past the current Tactical officer on duty toward the Ready Room. He pressed the chime, and then stood by patiently.

“Come in.” Annalise summoned calmly from inside.

Just as Andrei stepped to the doors of the ready room, the doors to the turbolift opened and Lyra stepped out looking just as she had when she had left and not a hair out of place. She glanced at Andrei’s retreating form and took her station. She wanted to be close at hand just in case her lover’s temper flared. He had been calm after he had been relieved from the bridge several days ago, but she knew that could change in an instant. At least she knew after having kept him for an hour and working out his stress and excitement with her, he was as relaxed as he would probably get for the conversation at hand.

Annalise was sitting behind her desk with several PADDs in front of her and her eyes on her console. When the door opened and Andrei stepped in, she looked up and greeted him with a polite nod. “Commander, good morning.”

She didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by his delay at coming to see her; if she was, she certainly wasn’t showing it at that point.

Andrei walked in with a smile on his face, something she hadn’t seen before this moment. Typically, he was either neutral or surly with her, but now he seemed to be in a very good mood.

“Good morning, Captain.” he said, stepping up to the chair opposite her desk and taking it. He relaxed his muscular frame and crossed his arms for the sake of comfort, the expression on his face satisfied and eager. “I’m happy to inform you that our trip was a success. I found the location of Dr. Pel’s assignment and it’s quite close.”

Annalise’s brows lifted slightly when she saw the expression on Andrei’s face; that was certainly new, and she couldn’t deny from an objective standpoint it made him look even more attractive. She tapped the control panel to close out what she had been doing and then sat back in her chair. “Tell me.”

“I acquired her location from the Vidiian Science Database with assistance from an employee of a hospital on the moon where the conference was being held. Dr. Pel is the lead medical researcher at a nearby frontier station called Research Outpost 413. Some additional records from the Rynall suggests the outpost is very lightly armed and her service record tells me she’s quite accomplished and has developed many cures others failed to find, including the one we’re looking for.”

“Hmm…” Annalise hummed pensively and activated her console again to access the information they had from the Rynall regarding the base. She read for a moment and then looked back to Andrei. “I feel like we should assume these are out of date like the information about Dr. Pel we had from the Rynall as well.”

Andrei’s smile faltered a bit, but didn’t go away completely. He raised an eyebrow at her comment and took a few short moments before he actually responded.

“If it is, it wouldn’t be any more than a couple months out of date,” he said. “Almost certainly nothing to worry about.”

“The Rynall’s database hasn’t been updated in four years. The information you acquired from the hospital is good I’m sure, but from a tactical standpoint, four years could make a major difference.” Despite what she was saying, Annalise didn’t appear to be giving the typical indications she had previously that she was about to balk at the idea.

Andrei nodded slowly, the smile giving way to a more sober expression.

“Well, we have a cloaking device here and on Gladius. We could send Stagg in to take some close scans and see what we’re working with. Then we could adjust our strategy based on what he finds. After all, Dr. Pel might simply help us out of a desire to save lives and, if not that, for fabulous wealth. Her science career hasn’t helped her finances much, apparently. Go figure.”

“I’m hesitant to send the Gladius alone, but perhaps.” She considered what was on her screen a moment more and then turned it toward Andrei politely so he could also look at the schematics they had of the station. “We also need to consider the possibility that your… decisions in acquiring the information will have these people on alert.”

Andrei licked his lips. It wasn’t as if what she was saying was wrong, but he found her caution excessive and that alone was frustrating him a bit.

“Then the Vengeance and Gladius can go in together under cloak and scope out the situation.” he said. “If all is as we expect to find it and the outpost is weakly defended, then all of this worry could be for naught. We won't really know until we can get a look.”

“You have known and worked with them longer than I have; do you think the commanders of the other fleet vessels are capable of keeping their slaves in check without the threat of retaliation from the Vengeance or Gladius if they were left behind?” She questioned, seemingly genuinely after his opinion.

“We updated our brainwashing and conditioning methods after the situation on the Lovarr.” he said, pointing to the patch over his eye. “I believe the slaves are quite well in hand, and the ones who aren’t are known and watched closely. We don’t have a flight risk by being away from the Fleet for a few hours, and something drastic would have to change on-ship for a rebellion to take place. We’ve gotten quite good at what we do.”

She nodded and went quiet for a moment, then tapped the panel on her desk. “Commander Cassiel, please come join us in the ready room.”

A few seconds later, Lyra walked in through the doors and her eyes immediately moved to Andrei to get a read on the situation. “What can I do for you, Captain?”

“As I’m sure you know, Commander Petrov has returned with information regarding the location of Dr. Pel and the potential cure for the disease plaguing our stranded crew. All signs point to her being on an outlier station on Vidiian territory; the tactical data we have on the Rynall suggests it is lightly armed.” Annalise stopped there, her brows raising as if she were waiting to see if something would happen.

Lyra looked at the woman sitting down, her intelligent dark eyes a sharp contrast to Annalise’s blue. Really everything about the pair was a contrast. She knew Annalise was probing and testing her in that moment.

“The data from the Rynall is over four years old though.” Lyra stated, watching carefully.

Annalise’s body relaxed just a fraction and she nodded. “Yes, it is, but I would like to formulate a plan with the two of you to see what we might do about it.”

Andrei nodded at Lyra in a businesslike fashion before splitting his attention between the two women.

“Our safest option is to get scans of the outpost before we engage with them, either in peace or in battle.” He said. “I suggested we send Gladius in under cloak to scan the area, but the Captain is concerned about taking that approach. If you don’t believe that Gladius is up to it, ma’am, we could always go and leave them to guard the Shadow Fleet.”

Lyra quietly listened to Andrei while looking between him and Annalise. She was gauging everything going on between the pair with a critical eye.

Annalise spoke next. “My concern is that too much of a delay might allow for Dr. Pel to be moved or for Vidiian reinforcements to be called to the base. Not to mention any improvements they may have made to it in the past four years from a defensive standpoint. There was a bit of an incident during the acquisition of the information that may spark a response from the Vidiians.”

“Incident?” Lyra questioned, giving every impression she had no idea to what Annalise was referring to.

“What incident?” Andrei asked, raising an eyebrow. He hadn’t filed his report yet, so he suspected the information came from Kit. The fact she had ratted him out made him quite irritated, and he considered all the people he should have brought along instead. Many others would have been loyal and kept their mouths shut about topics they knew very little about.

“Lieutenant Urso informed me that the Vidiians believe that Commander Petrov killed two of their own. She also informed me that she was relatively certain they were just using that as some sort of ploy to drive you both out of the conference early because they didn’t want Terrans there.” Annalise replied and looked at Andrei, lifting her brows to see if he disagreed with that assessment. “Which is why you returned so early.”

“The Vidians continue to make the wrong choice concerning their betters.” Andrei said, his face giving away nothing. “One day, we should deal them a blow they’ll never forget. But, today, all we need from them is a simple cure to an obscure disease, and Dr. Pel has it.”

It wasn’t lost on Annalise that Andrei had avoided answering and perhaps it would be something she would speak to Kit about again later. She was about to speak when Lyra did so first.

“We should take the fleet to the station. The Vengeance and Gladius can go under cloak, the Rynall and Lovarr can approach under the guise of allied ships against us. The Kez’ron and Jorran are small enough ships they can hide under the Lovarr and mask their ship signatures to blend in until we are close enough to strike. The Vengeance and Gladius can precede the rest and do our own scans to assess the threat and relay an attack plan to the other ships.”

“That’s a fine plan.” Andrei said, looking to Lyra. “And if they’re a simple, defenseless research outpost like the evidence suggests, it won’t matter anyway.”

He turned to Annalise and offered a curious expression. “Are you going to shoot first and ask questions later, or are you planning a bit of diplomacy?”

Annalise crossed her legs and looked between the pair in front of her. They were a couple, but they seemed to be able to separate that from the working environment; that was no small feat and she admired it in a way. “That will likely depend on what we are up against.”

“That is not the best choice, Captain.” Lyra said, firm but respectful. She looked at Andrei for a moment, then back to Annalise. “The Vidiians constantly bite the open hand; they are vicious little animals and should be treated as such.”

“Any difficulty I faced on the moon was a result of their stubborn arrogance. We can’t trust them to help us for nothing. Sometimes, I fear even basic self-interest eludes them as a motivation. A bribe may be a safe bet, but a sit down and chat won’t work.” Andrei said with a frown.

Annalise sighed, clearly conflicted over the matter, but after a moment she finally gave a nod. “Alright, Commanders. We will try it your way.”

“Once we close in on the station, I can take down a boarding party to find Dr. Pel, if necessary. Maybe we can get out cleaner than that, but that can be a worst-case scenario.” Andrei said, nodding and allowing some of his joy from earlier to return. “You won’t regret this, Captain. This will bring us a crucial step closer to getting our people back.”

“I will make the decision on the boarding parties when we have a better idea of what we are looking at. For now, both of you go and formulate a more detailed plan with the information you have. I will have helm adjust our course.” Annalise nodded and stood. “Dismissed.”

Andrei stood up immediately and gave Annalise a charming, light-hearted wink. Very little about him had been sociable or light-hearted in the last couple of months since the landing party and his family had been first confined to the planet. The look hinted at the fun, engaging person beneath his grief and determination.

“Captain.”he said, and then turned with Lyra to walk out of the room.

END
]]> Fri, 09 Aug 2024 19:48:33 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/827 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/827
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Chief of Security's Office

ON

Lyra sat behind the desk in her office reading over the tactical scans of the Vidiian convoy they had passed by a few days ago. Not that she wanted to admit it, but Annalise had probably made the right call with what they had been able to glean about those three other ships of unknown make. They were absolute beasts, and Lyra wanted to get one just to have as a toy, more or less. Giving a wistful sigh, she picked up her tea and took a sip while her thoughts drifted to Andrei. The discovery of Sipov on the station had come as quite a surprise for everyone and was by far the most interesting bit of news; the other things well… they were for Andrei, but later on in their lives.

She knew he would be back soon, though didn’t know exactly when; she found herself missing him quite a bit. It was one thing to sleep apart or not see much of one another some days, but it was another to know he wasn’t there entirely. She didn’t like it much at all. Sitting back, she reached up and tiredly rubbed her face. She hadn’t slept well either and it was largely why she wasn’t on the bridge. In her office she could relax and let her mind wander a bit more.

The Aeroshuttle had docked safely and Andrei had bit his travel mate a farewell. He could tell she was still a bit standoffish after she had heard the Vidians were after him, and he grew all the more certain they had been wise not to include the woman in their secret plot. He went to deck two immediately to drop off his bag, and then asked the computer for Lyra’s location. Technically, he was supposed to report to the Captain first, but he couldn’t bear to go any longer without seeing her.

A few minutes later, he stepped into the security office and walked past the desks. He nodded at the officers and enlisted guards who greeted him and made a beeline for the door. Not even bothering to press the chime, he stepped in and saw nothing but the back of some crewman as he placed a series of PADD’s on Lyra’s desk. When the crewman shifted and went to ask her a question, he saw his woman sitting there finally. The emotional reaction was immediate. He was happier to see her than he ever would have expected. Even the look of her from across the room was intoxicating to him now.

Lyra had been looking at the PADDs as the man put them down and sorting them into piles by topic so she could delegate them later. When she heard the door open, she looked up and glanced around the crewman. Immediately, she smiled.

“Leave the rest and get out.” She ordered and the man immediately obeyed, bumping into Andrei haphazardly as he hurried out.

Lyra stood from her desk, her dark eyes on her lover as he stood there. “Hello, my Darling.”

Andrei made a beeline for her right away. The door was barely closed behind the crewman before his lips were on hers and he kissed her passionately, his fingers moving to her hair. His kiss was hungry, like he hadn’t touched her in weeks.

“Gods, I missed you..”

Her arms slid around his broad shoulders and she pressed her body to his. Though they hadn’t been parted even three days, it certainly felt longer. When he parted their kiss to speak, he barely got the words out before she kissed him again, his own passion reflected in her touch. One hand moved from his shoulders to grab his shirt which she began to pull up with one hand. The eagerness of his kiss and the genuine sentiment of his words pushed everything else temporarily to the back of her mind. She wanted to connect with her man, her beloved.

Andrei quickly aided her in getting his shirt off, moving his hand to the zipper of her jacket a short few seconds later. He pulled her jacket off and touched her body through her gold service shirt.

“I should have brought you with me.”

“You’re here now.” She replied, not disagreeing with him but not giving him the answer which could have come off as an “I told you so”. Her love and desire was reflected in her voice, but before she touched him again, she placed her hands on both of his cheeks to get him to look at her and focus on her face.

“Did you find what you were looking for, Darling?”

“I did.” He said, still pressing against her, his face in her hands. “I got the location of Dr. Pel, and she's within twenty light years of our position. Annalise will have to take this chance, and if she doesn’t…”

Lyra kissed him again, not allowing him to finish the thought. They both knew what would need to be done, and right now she wanted to celebrate his success. She reached behind her, feeling around on the console a bit and then finally finding the button she wanted. The glass on the windows of her office frosted over, and she pulled off her uniform shirt leaving her in her silky black bra. She wanted to hear all about it… after.

Andrei unzipped his pants and allowed them to fall to the floor.

“I had to end a few lives over all of this already.” He said, blatantly pulling down his boxers as well and not worrying about matching the speed of her undressing. “Two Vidiians who got in my way. It reminded me of you, and you’ve been on my mind nonstop ever since.”

Her dark eyes lit up with a different interest then and she hopped up to sit on her desk. She pushed her boots off of her feet and then reached up to her bra, freeing her wonderfully shaped and perky breasts. Her hands went down to her belt and that was off in a flash, she then unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, but didn’t remove them.

“Tell me.” She all but purred, spreading her legs and grabbing him by the back of the neck to pull him closer.

“I started at a hospital on the moon. The receptionist was terrified of me from the start, but she tried to be helpful until I needed her to bend some rules. When she refused and threatened to have me removed, I left and then followed her home after her short shift.” Andrei started, knowing his love would want to hear the story, and wouldn’t be ashamed of a single moment. He told the story up until the very moment the woman came back to her apartment, then he paused and grabbed her pants with his strong fingers and pulled them off. He wasn’t asking.

“She told me she would only give me the data device if I released her son. I didn’t like her trying to change the nature of our arrangement, so I vaporized the little snot right in front of her eyes. Then I climbed on top of her, and used these hands to show her exactly how things were going to go.” He continued, untwining his fingers in the sides of her panties and making it very clear she would have to say goodbye to them if she didn’t shift her body to help him take them off.

“Later, before we left, Kit reported to me the moon’s authorities were demanding I beam down and answer for the death of two Vidians. I Thought I had only killed the one.”

Her panties were off, and his strong, rough hand was between her legs in an instant.

Lyra had been listening to Andrei with rapt attention; her eyes were on his face, but her hands had not been idle. She had been touching him in all the ways he liked. His chest, his sides, his arms, his back - sometimes with her whole hand, sometimes with just the feathery touch of her fingertips. Her lips occasionally kissed his shoulder or neck when she felt like it, but her focus generally remained on just looking at him. She was smiling, wicked and full of that dark mirth, and the look in her dark eyes told him he was having the exact effect on her that he had been hoping for.

She had lifted her body off of the desk enough that he could remove her panties without tearing them, and when his hand moved between those long, fit legs, he found her quite ready. Leaning in, she kissed him passionately, dragging it out and ending it by lightly biting and tugging on his lower lip, naughty and playful. Her hands were on his abdomen and slowly started to slide up as she spoke to him in a voice thick with her desire.

“You are wonderful, Darling, and I’m so proud of you.” The words were genuine and as she spoke the last one, her hands had made it up to his chest where she started to more directly tease his nipples. She knew the exact effect it would have on him at this point, and while she enjoyed foreplay, she wanted her favorite thing.

Andrei’s appreciation of her pride in him was notable, as was his physical response to her attentions. His eyes flashed with desire and he parted her legs, guiding himself into her depths without warning. With a grunt of pleasure, he moved his hips like a master dancer, but there was intense energy in his motions. The time for restraint was done as he lifted her off the desk and supported her body, making love to her standing right in the office with swift, almost violent thrusts. His strong arms held her body and he manipulated her on him without difficulty at all, it seemed.

“I’m back to take what’s mine.” he said in a dark voice.

Lyra willingly moved when Andrei picked her up into his arms and when she was at face level with him, her lips found his with fire and passion. She kept enough tension in her body that she wasn’t dead weight in his grip, but was relaxed just enough that he was able to move her on top of him exactly how he wanted to. He had many women in his rather short lifetime, but who other than her could he celebrate their triumph over their lessers in this way?

She sang his praises quietly and intimately into his ear, her powerful, feminine figure clinging to him but never interfering. She moved her hips to meet his as much as she could, wanting to be active and passionate with him. After several long moments of his claiming her body, her whole body shuddered with her release, and she moaned into his ear.

“Mine…”

Andrei walked her over as she shuddered on him and whispered in his ear and placed her against the opaque glass that separated her office from the rest of Security. Taking her legs in his and lifting them, he moved into her, reaching depths that would likely hurt many women. He looked at her, that same fire in his eyes he’d had when he’d dominated that Vidian woman blazing. There was no doubt they were killers.

“Mine.” he growled.

They spent the next few minutes loudly reuniting after being apart for so long in their world. Andrei’s powerful muscles tensed as he pumped away inside her, as much animal as man in the moment. Finally, he shuddered with his powerful release as well, and then he collapsed against her, pressing her onto the glass and kissing her with much softer, more vulnerable moans.

“Mine.” he said again.

Lyra had been glad she had Corvin install the option for the glass being frosted months ago, but really she likely wouldn’t have cared if the whole of the security department had been able to see them; who wouldn’t want to watch with awe and reverence at two gods fucking? When she felt him release inside of her, she gave a quiet, low groan of satisfaction; it was starting to feel fulfilling for her in a deep, primal way.

She met his kiss with a gentle one of her own, and then gave the same to his forehead as he recovered against her. “I missed you, my Darling.”

“I missed you too.” he said in a low voice against her neck. “I was no fun for Kit the entire second half of the trip.”

He chuckled and held her for quite a while, kissing her and rubbing his hands along her body admiringly. He was positive in that moment that no other woman could compare to the way she made him feel. Eventually, he fell out of her and put her down before he sparked round two.

“Did I miss anything interesting while I was away?”

“Yes, actually.” She said and took a couple of steps on uncertain legs then found her feet again. Turning back to face him, she placed her hands on his hips but didn’t press her body to his. She wasn’t sure if she was done with him yet, but they were taking a moment to talk.

“I went to explore the trading post while you were gone to see if there were any leads on the matter of Dr. Pel here by chance. I didn’t find anything, but I knew it was a long shot since it isn’t a Vidiian station. What I did find was a Terran man and his Cardassian slave.”

“A what?” he asked with a furrowed brow. He grabbed a paper towel from one of her shelves and cleaned himself up a bit to prevent himself from making more of a mess of her carpet than he already had. A slave could clean it, of course, but he was still no slob. “How the hell did they get here? Don’t tell me there’s another fleet ship all the way out here.”

“Wouldn’t that be something?” Lyra chuckled, taking a towel for herself and moving to sit down on it on the edge of her desk. “No, he’s actually one of our own. Lieutenant Sipov Boros who was captured with a third of the crew from the ISS Wasp. Apparently he was on a Cardassian prison transfer convoy that got taken by the Caretaker like we were.”

“Boros.” Andrei said, thinking hard and clearly trying to remember. “Sounds vaguely familiar. What’s his division?”

“Command. He’s a pilot. A pretty decent one too as far as his record shows.” She said and grabbed her monitor, spinning it around and activating it once more. She brought up Sipov’s profile more for herself than for Andrei, but didn’t block him from it if he chose to look the more old fashioned way.

“Bit of a shit, though.” While it would usually have been an insult of course, it somehow didn’t seem to be one from her.

“As long as he’s an obedient, shit, or a useful one, I couldn’t care less.” Andrei said, leaning and looking at the profile over her shoulder. His arm embraced her. “What has our dear Captain decided to do with him? After all, he outranks our Acting Department Head, and Maya’s not ready for promotion yet.”

“She wants to give him a try at the helm.” Lyra replied, her leg resting against his as he drew near but the contact seemed mostly incidental.

“Hmm. I think I should pay him a visit then and see what he’s about.” Andrei said calmly. He didn’t seem particularly worried about it.

“You should. Later.” She smiled at him and took his hand. “Tell me about this lead you have on the doctor?”

“She’s the lead medical researcher at a Vidian frontier station nearby known as Research Outpost 413. According to her service record, she’s an accomplished medical doctor and was instrumental in developing their highly-secret cure for the Phage.” he reported. “I assume she can be bribed with riches; her contributions to Vidian society haven’t fairly compensated her thus far.”

“Or we can just take what we need, replace our lost slaves on the Rynall, and kill the rest.” Lyra pointed out and placed a hand on his hip. “How should we approach Annalise? Do you want me to go to her initially to prime her to speak to you?”

“No, we’ve come through too much for that.” he responded, shaking his head. “I’ll go and talk to her, and if she refuses to take this opportunity, then we’ll enact our plan just as we said. If she can’t see reason here without a woman’s soft touch first, then we’re doomed under her command anyway.”

“Soft touch? Since when do I have that?” She challenged him but it was clearly playful as she reached out and pinched his hip hard.

“Maybe I was going to threaten to drag her out by her hair.”

“I think that might defeat the point of leaving her alive, wouldn’t it?” Andrei asked, chuckling. “Though the image turns me on, I have to admit.”

“I can tell.” Lyra grinned and looked down between his legs then back up into his eyes. “I know you want to go talk to her, but may I suggest a different option?”

“Of course.” he answered, clearly unbothered by her offering her help. He grinned as she looked down at him.

“Let’s look over the schematics for that kind of station and come up with a solid plan of attack we can give to Annalise…” As she spoke, her body shifted in a fluid motion and suddenly she had her feet on the ground, but was bent over the desk. She looked back at him and swayed her hips in a tantalizingly slow way, her impressive backside on full display and the slight sheen of their earlier activities still glistening between her legs.

“After I give my conquering hero his prize.” She finished, her eyes warm with her want of him.

They were naturally glued together, it seemed. And he had already started to respond with his body when she bent over the desk. Slapping her rear end, he smiled, no longer paying any attention to her words about the plan of attack. In his mind, he was going to get what he was after either way. Despite what she said about pulling the woman out with her hair, Lyra clearly wanted to avoid too much drama, while he was very much past caring.

He pressed against her, his manhood dangling between her toned thighs and his hand pushing her further down to the desk.

“How many times do I need to claim my prize today?” he asked with a grin, grabbing himself and teasing against her wetness.

“How many would you like to?” She challenged with a grin and wiggled her hips back to spear herself onto him when he was just at the right spot. Giving a satisfied sigh, she stretched out her arms on the desk in an almost lazy fashion. “I’m yours, Darling.”

Andrei looked at the place where their bodies met and gave a sigh of satisfaction that matched hers, rather like he’d stepped into a hot tub after a strenuous workout. And when he started to move slowly inside her, the entire world disappeared around him.

OFF
]]> Fri, 09 Aug 2024 19:41:18 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/804 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/804
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Stagg's Quarters, ISS Gladius

Orion stepped of the transporter pad of the Gladius, nodding to the technician on duty, a fresh face and not one of the original crew but a few changes had been made since the meeting between the Vengeance and the Gladius, his transfer being a case in point. Though as far as anyone was concerned his visit to his old ship was to catch up with some of his old crew mates and relax. In truth he did miss the Gladius a bit but he was now on the flagship of the Shadowfleet, so it was something of a prestigious posting even if a scientific posting wasn't quite as glamourous as a military one. Tucked under his arm was a bottle of single malt scotch whisky, one from the collection of liquors he kept locked away that had survived their rough transition into the Delta Quadrant and subsequent merry-go-round of Hell they'd been riding on.

He nodded and greeted people he recognized, making his way through the smaller vessel until he stood in front of the door of the man he'd come to see about a particular issue they shared common ground on.

Andrei Petrov and bringing him down a peg.

Ever since Annalise had moved to the Vengeance and he was left in command, Asher had been in a pretty shitty mood. He was a bit more short with people, and found the general experience of being a commanding officer to be just as arduous and annoying as he thought it would be. He’s taken a couple hours in the gym to work off some of his agitation and had just finished his shower when the chime rang.

“Come in.” He said, walking out into his small living room in shorts and a T shirt.

"Asher, you look as terrible as ever." Orion walked in, holding up the bottle of whisky with a smirk toward the other man. "I thought I'd come over to congratulate you on the promotion since I know it's all you've ever wanted."

A bold face lie, and he knew it, but he did have to take a little dig at the other man since Stagg had always groused about eating the business end of a phaser before accepting command of a starship. But here he was. "Though I didn't come empty-handed."

Asher saw the drink in Orion’s hand and smiled. It was welcome. It smoothed over the man’s unwelcome congratulation.

“Fuck this job already.” He said with a grin, “It’s the perfect occasion to get drunk. Come on in and have a seat.”

Asher went to a cabinet and grabbed two glasses before plopping down in a chair and setting them down on the coffee table.

Orion followed while opening the bottle and pouring them both a few fingers of what was amber gold, handing a glass to Asher and taking his own seat. He laughed at the other man and took a sip from his glass. "Aw, you finally get the biggest room on the ship, enough space for all your weights....oh wait we had to jettison those over that moon to keep that torpedo from hitting us."

As he took a seat, the Terran noble knew that these used to be Annalise's quarters and when he breathed deeply, he still found her scent lingering in the air. A sweet blend of juicy peach with a subtle floral aroma that reminded him of the fields back home after a rainstorm. it also brought a slight smile to his lips before hiding it behind his glass as he took another sip.

"So with the move up to command, you decided to give up the smell of dank gym socks for something more fruity?" Orion smirked as he looked over at Stagg, continuing to tease him.

“As if you’d stepped into my quarters before.” Asher said with a grin as he brought the delicious drink to his lips. He and Orion had never truly gotten on. The noble was snooty and competitive, but the two of them weren’t even playing at the same game. He didn’t hate him though, and understood that the two of them had a greater enemy to discuss. “It’s hard to get the smell of all those girly shampoos and perfumes out of a place.”

"I'll send you some instructions you can use to help remove the lingering scents and make everything more neutral again, not difficult to do, but not something everyone knows." He offered while taking a sip of his drink and considering how he might broach the subject of Andrei. "Aside from being given command, you appear to be doing well."

"I'm pushing on and surviving like I do." Asher said with a shrug. "There's alot of change in the air, but you and I both know that's nothing new for us."

Asher had no love for Captain Petrov in particular or anyone else on the Away Team. It was sad that members of their Fleet had to stay behind, but they hadn't been around long enough for him to feel any closeness to them.

"Seems like it's a comfortable, familiar suit for us at this point." Orion agreed as he sipped his whisky, taking time to consider his words, He waited a moment and picked up the conversation again. "Sometimes with change, accidents happen, especially for individuals that have been doing nothing but making enemies."

Asher looked at Orion with a quirk of his brow. At first, he had no idea what the man was talking about, but after a few seconds of consideration, I dawned on him and he nodded slowly.

“Yeah, that’s true. Change can be totally perilous.” He said before sipping his own whiskey too. He would see what Orion was really about in coming here.

Cautious. That was good, more than he initially expected from the brutish man or maybe he was counting Asher's slowness to catch on as being caution. Still he'd already cracked an egg, why not go for the whole basket. He pulled out a small device from his pocket and set it on the coffee table between them. It was no larger than the probe from a tricorder and with a press of a button Asher would hear a momentary shrill sound before everything returned to normal. While it would stop someone from listening into their conversation, what they'd hear would be either too faint to understand or their words would be gibberish. There were ways to defeat it but it would also mean they'd have to complete a complex reconstruction similar how the universal translator constructed its database but with this device you would have to find the language key, which often was a time consuming task or you were betrayed by someone who knew your secrets.

"What we discuss here doesn't leave this room, if something about this should come to light, this conversation never happened, I was merely here to congratulate a former crewmate on his well deserved promotion, however unorthodox that situation came about." Orion laid very simple ground rules before taking a sip of his whisky.

"Obviously." Asher said with a nod, his face neutral. "That's all this is. I've got nothing to say about it being anything else."

Asher studied the other man, holding his own drink still against his own lips. He knew there was some wound that Andrei had inflicted on him as well, but he didn't see any physical signs, so he figured it must have been a wound to his pride.

"What did that psychotic fucker do to you then? I don't see you with a broken arm."

"Let's call it familial rivalry," Orion shared as he held the other man's gaze and considered his words for a moment as his mind went back to what he'd ultimately set himself up for in the end. He gave the other man a slight smile before continuing. "Its no less personal for me, I promise you that but I want to show him how far he can fall from his golden perch."

"Doesn't really seem sportsmanlike, Orion." Asher retorted. "After all, you know exactly what he did to me. But fine, keep your secrets. I'm willing to hear any plan that makes that crazy motherfucker suffer. What do you have?"

"Mine is more a matter of principle," Orion began as he sipped his drink, his mind going back to the last time he'd seen Andrei before their reunion on the Vengeance. Growing up, Andrei and I were made to interact. Our families believed that it would allow us to build up a camaraderie and that we could have an ally in the ever-shifting world of nobility and politics. Ivan was considering that Andrei and my sister be betrothed."

He let that lie briefly as he worked his glass around in his hands. "All my father did was make it clear that he would decide on the proper union since such alliances must always prove beneficial, but I'm wandering." He shook his head and returned his gaze to Asher's. "Back when we were in the Academy, Andrei enjoyed trying to be a big swinging cock, and he forgot his place, ordering me to some menial task like I was his servant; I reminded him that I wasn't beholden to him, and when I didn't back down in the face of physical violence, he decided I wasn't worth his time, and it's been my mission to remind him that he's little better than a near-rabid cur, something he is desperately in need of given his recent behavior against not only you but the crew of the Gladius."

Asher narrowed his eyes just a bit. It didn’t make much sense to him that Orion would risk so much going against Andrei Petrov, considering how little stake he said he had in some rivalry. But still, he wasn’t one to call another man a liar in a situation like this.

“His family’s gone. He’s weaker now than ever. And our Annie is in charge of the Fleet. This is the best time to act, I can think of.” He said, taking another drag from his glass.

"We agree there, but whatever plan we enact has to be subtle and something that would strike at the heart of what Andrei holds dear," Orion paused for a dramatic effect, refilling both his and Asher's glasses before sitting back. "Andrei himself, he's a vain prick who considers himself the gift from the gods to the universe, my plan might not be immediate, but it will leave a much deeper impact since it would take away that physicality that he's so proud of and would leave him twisted and neigh crippled so that the outside finally matches the inside."

Asher furrowed his brow at that. He was pissed off at Petrov and thought he needed to be taken care of, but he preferred taking on the issue head-on rather than going the route of poisoning the man. It seemed cowardly to him.

“I thought maybe we would just fucking kill him.” He said, drinking some of the freshly poured alcohol. “If we get a few guys together, we can take him.”

"I'd prefer to keep my skin," Orion sighed and shook his head at the suggestion from his conspirator; he knew that Asher was a much more direct person and always preferred to deal with things in a straightforward method. However, that thuggish approach would be their death. "While I agree there's strength in numbers, we also have to remember that Lyra controls the security of the Vengeance, and if she's half as capable as she seems, then that department is her's; going at him directly is the quickest way to taking a long walk out a short airlock or ending up like the Kazon who decided to betray Andrei,"

"And I've seen Andrei fight. He's more than capable of easily taking on a group of fighters and managing to come out on top." It tasted like bile in his mouth to give his rival a compliment, but he was willing to acknowledge excellence—even if it made Andrei insufferable.

"Then let's kill that bitch too." Asher said with a grown. "I see what you mean, Orion, but poison is for women. We should come at him like men. I'm sure we're not the only people who hate his fucking guts. My entire security team is up for anything at this point. Besides, I don't even know how I could help with your science experiment. It's not exactly my area."

Orion resisted the urge to roll his eyes at such a stereotyped viewpoint and even how incorrect Asher had gotten the idea of the plan. He sipped his drink and let his thoughts simmer so that he could choose his words carefully. "We are not poisoning him; with a man like Andrei, he is an unassailable mountain when being assaulted; the virus I am suggesting to use will strip him of everything that feeds into that pathetic ego of his, his looks, his strength, his intellect,"

The Terran nobleman paused as he silently tugged on the reins of his hatred for the other man before giving Anders a cool, calm smile. "Dead means he does not suffer. This means that he cannot know that he has been beaten and turned into something that women quail at, makes children cry, and gives men an equal measure of mocking laughter and utter dread. I admit that there is a time and place for violence; we have not reached that point."

"Consider yourself and your resources an ace in the hole should my plan fail to bear fruit."

Orion's thoughts turned to Lyra and Asher's statement about how she needed to die, something he considered wasteful, but his desire for the woman also brought to mind a moth flitting towards a flame. One touch and its wings would be singed and useless, though, with Lyra, he suspected the circumstances of the moth would be entirely more pleasant than what would await him, or Asher, at her none-too-gentle attentions. A small part of him thrilled at the idea of the danger; he certainly enjoyed living, and he liked many things about the condition.

"Asher, I knew you were thick, but I didn't think you'd be able to give neutronium a run for its money." He finally replied while swirling the dregs of the whisky in his glass. "First, Lyra is royal blood, and they take extreme exception when one of them dies. If it's found that a third party's hand was involved, they had ended entire bloodlines to satisfy what they feel is owed them, and they are very creative in getting their pound of flesh."

"From listening to you, Ri, I might think you wish Andrei Petrov would just let you suck him off already." Asher said, taking exception to the idea of poison as well as the insult to his intelligence Orion threw at him. He may not have been the sharpest tool in the box, but he knew any man could be killed with a phaser and dead countesses count for shit on the other side of the galaxy. "I don't even know what the fuck you need me for if all you need to do is jab the fucker with a needle."

Orion blinked before he shook his head again and decided that he needed to break it down a little more simply. Or maybe it was a shit idea all along since suspicion would fall on them if either one decided to enact their plan. One of subtlety or one of violence. "Asher, you missed your true calling as a wordsmith,"

"Maybe I just wanted to come and blow off steam with someone I know who wouldn't go running off to curry favor with the cunt," He conceded before shaking his head. "Right now, you're about the closest thing I could count as an ally in the fleet. Should there be a hitch, you'd be the contingency plan."

Orion was a cunt himself, and Asher was reminded of the fact the moment the man had "broken things down." The high-born often talked down to the low. Still, he hated Andrei Petrov far more, and so he merely sighed and heard the man out.

"I understand," he said simply when the man was done. "You'll poison the fucker, and I'll be the backup gun. Thanks for dumbing it down for me."

Orion took a moment to observe the man, finished the last of his drink, and rose to his feet, as it appeared their business was momentarily settled. "I see it as ensuring we're both aligned on our plan. Enjoy the rest of the bottle, since I owed you a strong drink."

"I'll see myself out." The Terran man departed from Asher's quarters. The conversation was not as unpleasant as he had anticipated, and Asher's straightforward nature didn't surprise him. He had his uses and would be valuable if things turned ugly.


END]]> Fri, 09 Aug 2024 01:32:32 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/833 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/833
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Gamma Eridine II

ON

After two and a half months on Gamma Eridine II, things were finally starting to feel somewhat normal. The pain of loss that everyone had been feeling had become obviously less sharp, and an almost content routine had taken form. Some people had given up on ever getting off the planet, but Mika wasn’t one of them.

She spent her days working long hours to find a cure, but sometimes it seemed to her that their little science team wasn’t getting any closer. She refused to give in, and a certain fire had been stoked in her that no one would have known was there. She focused her beautiful brown eyes on the samples in the microscope and then groaned. Looking quickly at the other women in the room, she grabbed her denim jacket and pulled it on over her yellow tank top.

“I’m going to step out and get some air.” She said, and then walked out of the research building and onto the soft grass of the clearing without another word.

The weather had been changing in the last few weeks and rain had been more frequent than before. The temperature had only dropped a few degrees, however, and it was still quite comfortable with a light jacket. Mika leaned against the building and closed her eyes, ignoring the other colonists milling about and doing their various jobs.

“You okay?” Ilan asked a moment later after following Mika out. Ilan hadn’t given up on finding a cure either, but she had not allowed the process to more or less completely consume her as Mika had. She had explored the surrounding area, relaxed, pursued other hobbies, and even learned a few new skills while being stuck in this place. Her biggest irritation really stemmed from lack of variety in her sex life, but she’d been dealing. She had been the one most consistent in working with Mika on finding the cure during the past months, and they had become friendly enough with each other despite their differences in philosophy.

“I’m fine, I’m just fighting off discouragement again.” Mika answered to Ilan with a frown. She had enjoyed getting to know the scientist better, and though they were quite different in their personalities, she had been a tremendous help in their mission. “It feels like we’re not getting anywhere.”

“Yeah, I understand.” Ilan agreed and moved to stand by Mika while looking out at the forest surrounding them. It was a beautiful place, but it was often hard to see the beauty in what surrounded them because of their circumstances. Maybe in time, but certainly not now. “We have though; we did soundly rule out that this is fungal or bacterial.”

“That’s true. At least there’s that, and it only took us almost three months of collective work.” Mika said, her tone gentle, but clearly depressed. She looked at the trees and admired the way the light shined through them for a moment. “I don’t know what to do next, Ilan.”

Ilan frowned. She didn’t really know either. “Well, we just need to keep hoping we catch the right bug in one of the traps at this point. I’m starting to think we should use human blood as bait.”

She chuckled, not really even joking anymore. “Why don’t we go take a walk down by the river?”

Mika smiled at the suggestion to use the substance the insects seemed to love so much and nodded.

“That sounds really nice, actually.” She said, and the two women started off together toward a well-walked gap in the tree line. “I go down there about seven times a day at this point.”

“Half of those to meet your boyfriend.” Ilan teased harmlessly. She knew better than to get too raunchy with Mika now, she had done it once, and the girl had reacted like she wanted to melt into the floor, so Ilan tamed her humor significantly for Mika’s benefit.

“We don’t meet in private, Ilan. That’s how mistakes happen.” Mika said with a smile. “That doesn’t mean I haven’t happened upon him a few times when fortune put us both down there.”

“Fortune, right.” Ilan grinned and shook her head. “You definitely don’t go down there seven times a day just to help fortune out.”

They walked down the now well maintained path toward the water and Ilan gave a soft, satisfied sigh as they came into view of the river. “We are really lucky this turned out to be fresh water.”

“It’s nice, and better than coming up with a desalination system.” Mika said with a grin. Her eyes turned to Ilan as they came to a stop by the lazy river. “So, when are you and Corvin getting married?”

“Gross. I’m not the marrying type.” Ilan smirked and shook her head. “Never really had an interest. Maybe in the future, or maybe not considering… well…” She waved her hands out in front of her indicating the general area as a metaphor for their predicament.

“Still, I’ve seen a few men looking at you. Will too. He’s handsome, at least.” Mika said, not pushing the marriage issue. She was hardly worried about that. “Some might say our only chance of surviving is to start having babies. And considering our contraceptive just ran out, it’s only a matter of time really with all those visits, isn’t it?”

Mika had made a concerted effort to meet Ilan half way, and though she had no aptitude for dirty jokes, she wanted to try to speak as brazenly as her companion often did. Sometimes it came off as sharp and a bit judgemental from her mouth. At first she didn’t hear it, but she was starting to be able to tell.

“Not that That’s bad…do what you want.”

“I mean, I have plenty left. That’s where my rations go to.” Ilan chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t know, Mika. I couldn’t imagine having babies here. It would be cruel, so I won’t have them.”

“Can life be cruel?” Mika asked as she watched a fluttering school of fish move in the river in front of them. Her eyes indicated she was pensive and lost in the natural beauty around her as well as the idea Ilan had presented. “I always thought that life was wonderful.”

“It can be cruel, it can be wonderful. What kind of life would a child have here though? They would be just as trapped as we are and they’d have to watch us waste away and die then do the same themselves. If we don’t get out of here, there’s no point in having babies - it would just be selfish.” Ilan shrugged, looking down at the fish.

“People always watch their parents die. And that’s better than the alternative.” Mika said, but shook her head. “It doesn't matter anyway. We’re getting out of here as soon as we find a cure.”

“Of course they do, that’s not really the bad part. It would be that in the end they too die alone here. Eventually just one person would be left, and I could not imagine how soul crushing it would be to be alone here surrounded by memories and the dead.” Ilan sighed and rubbed her face. “But yeah, we are going to get the fuck out of here, then you and Cedrik can have a little army of babies like I’m sure you’d love to have.”

“Every doctor’s dream.” Mika said ironically, but clearly didn’t mean much by the response. She disagreed with Ilan, she was fairly certain, and had a feeling life was good even when it wasn’t fun. Yet, still, she wouldn’t want her child to be left all alone.

“I don’t know about that, but you definitely seem like the type who wants a big family.” Ilan noted and looked over to Mika. “Am I wrong?”

Mika lifted her brow, but silence was her only response for a few seconds. Eventually, however, she shrugged.

“Life was easier when nobody asked me what I wanted. I was happier then.” she remarked with a shrug. “And I wasn’t stuck on a lovely planet in the Delta Quadrant. In other words, I have no idea really. It seems like what I should do…I’d be good at it.”

“Who cares what you should do, really? Do what you want to do, Mika. You’re in charge of your own life, you know.” Ilan sighed. “If you don’t want to be a mom, then don’t be one. There are plenty of men out there who have no interest in being fathers - if you even want a man. Maybe you want a woman or maybe you don’t want any of it at all. There’s nothing wrong with any of that.”

“I don’t think I’d like a world where everyone behaved that way.” Mika said, pensively. “People have told me that for the last five years…and maybe its good advice for some people.”

She leaned down and put her hand in the cool water, allowing it to flow over her hand with a sigh.

“We all have responsibilities to one another. We all owe the Empire something. I think we do ourselves and everyone we love a disservice by only thinking to do whatever we want.”

“Then do what you’re supposed to and try to find happiness in it. No one is going to stop you either way, but I find people who do things they actively don’t want to do just because they are supposed to end up being the most miserable people and they inevitably pass that same misery on to future generations.” Ilan watched Mika and shrugged. “I know it’s different for you nobles, though. I think being a miserable, sad sack about life is more of a disservice to others.”

Mika looked at Ilan, her hand still in the water.

“Do I seem miserable to you?” she asked, seeming almost worried about the concept.

“Not yet.” Ilan smiled in a strange but kind way, “You haven’t made the decision of if you’re going to do what you’re told, or if you’re going to do what you want yet, though.” She looked away and back out into the woods.

“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing you know, you can choose some things you want, some things you should. We live in a world of grey.”

“What is truth?” Mika said under her breath, and then stood. She looked at Ilan and shook her head. “Just something I heard as a kid.”

A tussling of the trees produced the impression some animal was nearby. On any other world that would have been a surprise, but on Gamma Eridine II, animals large enough to rustle the trees was a rarity.

“What was that?” Mika asked, and looked in that direction. “Who’s there?”

Ilan frowned and righted herself, looking in the direction of the sound, but unlike Mika was certainly used to, she made no move to protect the other young woman. She looked into the trees with her above average vision, and then relaxed as she saw what it was. “It’s one of those monkeys.”

Mika angled her body and squinted until she could see the creature. It sat in the shade of a tree staring at them.

“Remember what we said..those cute little creatures have to have a way of combating the virus.”

“Yeah I remember. They are also basically impossible to catch alive and they haven’t been any use to us dead for whatever reason.” Ilan pointed out while watching the animal carefully from where they were standing.

“We could try and tag it so that we can use the transporter on the shuttle to get it later.” Mika said. “Do you have anything on you that gives off a signal?”

“Uhhh yeah I still have my commbadge.” Ilan said and put her hand in her pocket to produce the device. “How do you propose we even get near it though to do that?”

“We could stun it… but that seems so mean, and it’s so adorable.” Mika said, frowning sadly as she thought.

“Too adorable to try and find a cure?” Ilan challenged mildly and turned her head to look at Mika finally.

Mika actively pouted at the prompting. She loved animals more than the next Terran, but she knew Ilan was right.

“Okay, but just one problem: I didn’t bring a phaser.”

“Well neither did I. Why don’t you go back and get one and I’ll stay here and watch the little biter to make sure it doesn’t run off.” Ilan prompted and ignored Mika’s pouting.

“What are you going to do if he runs?” Mika asked, confused how Ilan thought her plan was actually going to work.

“I’ll follow it or something. Look, you’re wasting time, go get a phaser.” Ilan pressed a bit more tersely.

“Fine.” Mika said with a sigh and then started quickly back the way she had come with a sprint.

Back at the camp, it was Cedrik who found himself in the main armory doing checks on the weapons. They were checked way more often than necessary, but it was good busy work for when one of the men was feeling a bit adrift or unsure of what to do with himself. Everything was neatly laid out on the tables and he was focusing on the rifles, humming a bit to himself as his skilled hands moved over the components and started piecing everything back together again.

The door opened and Mika jogged in, slightly out of breath. She slowed when she saw someone was in there and smiled immediately when she saw it was Cedrik.

“Cedrik, quick! I need a phaser!”

“Mika? What’s going on?” Cedrik frowned and immediately put what he was doing down to go to her. He placed his strong hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong? Why do you need a phaser?”

“We found another one of those primates and we need to stun it to bring it back with us.” Mika said, realizing as she said it that they won’t actually need to put a combadge on it if they could successfully shoot the poor creature. “I know, it sounds awful, but we think it can help us find a cure.”

Cedrik looked dubious to say the least, but after a beat he nodded and reached out to pick up one of the phasers. “Best let me come with you. I imagine I’m a bit of a better shot than you are given my job.”

“Okay.” She said, sweetly smiling and grabbing his hand. She showed no sign of being offended by the offer, and every sign that she was very happy to have him come along. “But we have to hurry. It’s down by the river.”

Cedrik returned her smile and allowed her to lead the way without any protest and easily kept up with her. “So did it just appear or were you looking for it?”

“We were taking a break from our research and talking as usual, and we heard a tussling in the trees.” Mika answered as they ran together. Her eyes moved to his fit body as he moved beside her. “Did they have you polishing guns again?”

“I volunteered.” He replied and glanced over at her, but wisely kept his eyes forward and off of her bouncing assets. As they drew closer, he slowed down. “Who were you with down here?”

“Just Ilan.” Mika answered as they cleared the trees and approached the river. “Ilan?” She called out, looking for the dark-haired scientist.

“Over here.” Ilan called, having moved about fifteen yards away from where Mika had left her last. “It’s still there in the trees. It’s having a snack.”

“I brought a marksman.” Mika said with a smile as they closed the distance to Ilan. She looked at the monkey and smiled. “Gods, I just want to keep it in my room with me.”

“It would probably tear your face off. Most primates are vicious.” Ilan pointed out and stood up, glancing at Mika and then at Cedrik. “Hey, Ced.”

“Hey.” He greeted Ilan easily then looked out to the tree to try and get his eyes on their prey. “So you just want me to stun it right?”

“Well our little monkey friend is so cute, he can do whatever he wants.” Mika said in a baby voice, joking, but then seemed immediately ashamed of herself. She turned to Cedrik, her eyes cast down. “We need it alive, Cedrik, so yes just stun him, please.”

Ilan side-eyed Mika when she used the baby voice and wondered if the girl was seriously trying to deny she didn’t actively want to play mommy to an army of babies herself.

“No problem.” Cedrik nodded, self assured, and lifted the phaser. He took aim, fired, and the monkey fell from the tree on the other side of the river immediately after.

“Look at you, good job.” Ilan grinned and thumped him on the back.

Mika watched as Cedrik leveled the weapon and shot the monkey at a distance. As sad as it was, and as much as she frowned, she found herself reaching out and grabbing his other strong arm.

“Wow, impressive.” She said, looking at him and almost smiling, meekly.

“Thanks.” Cedrik grinned, looking at Ilan first though only briefly but his dark eyes settled on Mika and lingered there. “He’ll be alright, he’s just stunned and I turned off the agonizer setting so he didn’t really feel much.”

Mika gave his arm a squeeze before turning her gaze to Ilan.

“Let’s go get him.”

The two women walked together past the first three, their eyes focused on the monkey observantly.

“Hey woah wait a second.” Cedrik blinked and reached out to grab each by the shoulder. “Why don’t you let me go get the thing. You two don’t need to be crossing the river.”

Mika smiled again and blushed at his touch. Regardless of whatever Ilan did, she stopped walking and looked to him, her gaze much more unmixed both in its affection and longing.

“Okay..” she said sweetly, the capable Starfleet officer in her vanished under the happily compliant woman.

“Whatever.” Ilan shrugged and crossed her arms. She didn’t seem thrilled about it, but for whatever reason she agreed - maybe she was just letting Cedrik play the gallant role for his girlfriend. When Cedrik handed her the phaser, she took it in her hand and then immediately folded her arms again.

Cedrik carefully moved down the bank into the water. He was tall enough that he didn’t really have to swim at all until he hit the middle of the water where it was finally up near his shoulders. He moved easily given the current wasn’t too bad where they were and only moved about six feet away from where he had been aiming on the opposite bank. He pulled himself out of the water, collected the monkey, and headed back.

“Hope it doesn’t tear his face off.” Ilan joked.

“That’s not going to happen because he stunned it.” Mika said in a hurt voice, clearly missing that it had been a joke and then looking on worried as Cedrik returned.

“You never know with things. It could wear off quick.” Ilan pointed out, this time less joking in the face of facts. She watched intently as Cedrik moved through the water with a bit more difficulty now given his arms were full, but he eventually hauled himself back up on their side of the river and walked back up the banks toward the two women with the creature in his arms.

“So where do you want this?”

“Come on. There’s a cage in the lab waiting for him.” Mika said, placing a hand on Cedrik’s wet arm and starting them toward the path again. “And be careful with him. We don’t know how long he’s going to be out.”

“Yeah, sure.” Cedrik nodded and followed Mika along since she knew where she was going. “Now you be careful handling this though. These things are stronger than they look and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be careful.” Mika said, knowing that they wouldn’t have a problem keeping the creature under control. “We should be able to get our samples without being in danger of getting hurt.”

“Mm… yeah well just be careful. If you need help you can come find me and ask, alright?” He pressed Mika slightly as they walked.

Ilan wandered behind them, a mildly amused expression on her face; but she said nothing.

Mika arranged herself so that her fingers could easily remain in his arm as they walked. She nearly melted into his side, but they were busy walking and such a thing would probably make one of them fall. As they came into the science building through the lab entrance, Luna and Riley looked up from their work stations.

“What is that?” Riley asked, her large eyes growing larger at the sight of something furry in Cedrik’s arms.

“One of the monkeys.” Ilan supplied as they got closer. “We were finally able to catch one so we can keep working on the cure and explore some new avenues.”

“Is it dead?” Riley asked, looking flabbergasted at the animal as it was placed inside the cage and the door was closed behind it. “It looks dead.”

“It’s passed out, shit for brains.” Luna said, rolling her eyes on the other side of the room.

“Just the way you like your boyfriends, Luna.” Ilan quipped easily and gave a teasing wink to the other woman.

Cedrik ignored the hens and walked over to the cage, putting the creature inside once Mika had opened it for him. He took a step back then and folded his arms. “Well, need anything else?”

“She needs a good fuck, Cedrik. Your girlfriend is far too high strung about our work.” Luna said, looking at Cedrik with a joking tone but no smile. “When are you going to be a man and show our little Mika the face of the gods?”

Riley giggled, seeming unbothered by the insult earlier, and her hand went to her mouth. Mika blushed, wide eyed, and looked at Luna in disbelief.

Cedrik didn’t even look over at Luna when she spoke and was clearly unbothered. He found women who were that uncouth and blatant about such things to be extremely unattractive. He wasn’t a prude, but he appreciated subtlety. His complete focus remained on Mika, and his intense dark eyes rested on her beautiful face.

“Mika?” He prompted her with gentleness.

Mika spent a lot of time with these girls, so very little of what happened in that room surprised her. Still blushing, she threw her arms over Cedrik’s shoulders and leaned up to kiss his chin. Smiling at him, she shook her head.

“That’s it. Thank you for all your help. Go polish your weapons.”

Cedrik wrapped one strong arm around her body and pulled her close, then kissed her forehead sweetly. He held her for just a moment, then let her go. “Just call if you need any more help.”

With that, he turned and left without another word and only the briefest of nods to Ilan likely because she had been involved in their little project and nothing more.

Mika watched as he left, still smiling, and when the door was closed behind him, she turned to Luna and shook her head.

“I should inject you with some other incurable disease for that.”

“Girl, I was only speaking up for you. I know you have needs, and you look at him like he’s made of diamond.” Luna said, stepping up to the cage. “We should start with a blood sample.“

“Careful, Luna. It might eat your face off.” Ilan half-cautioned with a smirk. She stretched a bit and rolled her shoulders. “Well, ladies. Back to work for us then, hm?”

“He couldn’t touch me. Too quick.” Luna said, and turned back to her station. Ilan, Mika, and Riley did the same. Actually getting their hands on this primate could break a breakthrough that could save them from this planet.

END
]]> Sun, 28 Jul 2024 07:05:18 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/825 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/825
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Aeroshuttle

ON

As soon as Andrei returned to the shuttle, he reviewed the medical records that had been obtained from the Vidian woman. It was unfortunate that he had to go to such extreme measures to get information from her, but in his mind, it was her own fault. He had tried to be nice, which he now believed he shouldn’t have done in the first place.

After just a few moments searching the records, he’d found the location of Dr. Pel. She was stationed on a Vidiian research station less than a week’s journey away from their location. He was so excited about the news that he had stripped into casual clothing and had a few celebratory shots. Now half drunk, he watched an action flick on a wall-mounted screen while he waited for Kit to return. On his lap was a large bowl of popcorn, and he leaned back in his chair in a pair of athletic shorts and a form-fitting black t-shirt.

The sound of the transporter pad cut through the noise of the movie Andrei was watching followed by a groaning growl of frustration. “I swear to the gods I have never been around as many stupid smart people since I was in school. Andrei, are you up here?”

She reached up and unzipped her uniform, walking into the sleeping quarters to pull more clothes out of her bag - or maybe they were on the floor.

Andrei was laying on the couch in the all-purpose room, his eyes locked on the screen as one Chinese man flipped another one over a table.

“I’m in here!” He called out, having heard Kit’s voice muttering something he found unintelligible over the din of the movie. He popped a handful of popcorn into his mouth and chewed.

Kit shuffled in carrying a box, wearing a faded graphic t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Her eyes moved up to the screen and she eyed it dubiously.

“The hell are you watching?” She asked.

“It’s called Ip Man. It’s about a guy who kicks ass and can’t stop it.” he said, and ate another handful of popcorn.

“Uh… sure.” Kit eyed the movie a moment longer then moved over to take a seat in one of the chairs. “So since you’re back and just sitting here, I take it you found whatever you were looking for?”

“I sure did, not that they made it easy for me. Aliens really can be so bothersome and stubborn.” he responded with a sigh. “But yes, I found the doctor's location. She’s quite close.”

“Really? Well that’s great news.” Kit said, though her enthusiasm was mildly dampened with the knowledge that Annalise would likely be quite cautious about the whole ordeal. Still, she wasn’t unreasonable. “Well, I can leave you to your movie I guess.”

“What, you don’t like watching guys beat the shit out of each other?” He asked, looking over at her.

“I prefer sappy romance movies.” Kit replied with an expression that didn’t quite indicate if she were kidding or not. “Oh, here. I won this in some sort of raffle. I don’t know if you ended up with time to get Lyra something; I figured you might want to give it to her if you didn’t. I had some at the conference and it was too sweet for my taste.”

She offered him the box and inside was a clear bottle filled with a deep purple liquid that was likely alcohol given the shape of the bottle.

Andrei looked over at the open box with the bottle inside and took it in his hand, almost dripping the bowl of popcorn on his flat stomach when he did so, but having quick enough reflexes to catch it.

Kit watched him nearly drop the popcorn and quirked a brow while she reached out to put a hand on the bottle so he didn’t drop that too. “Are you drunk?”

“I’m celebrating.” He answered, pulling the bottle out of the box as if he had all his skills of dexterity still in place. “It’s a nice bottle at least. I’m sure she can find a place for it in her stores.”

He slid the bottle back into the box and took it out of her hand, placing it on the floor by the couch.

“You’re welcome.” Kit shook her head and laughed, not really offended by his lack of thanks. It never would have even dawned on him just like the gift for Lyra hadn’t either. “Anyways get back to your movie. I’m going to go check on things.”

She left him there, wandering up to the cockpit area at a slow pace.

Contrary to Kit’s assumptions, Andrei had gotten Lyra something he suspected she would like very much indeed. It wasn’t, however, the kind of thing he could tell the engineer about. He leaned back on the couch and resumed watching the movie, grabbing yet another handful of popcorn and eating it.

About five minutes later, Kit appeared at the entrance to the common area with her arms crossed and her eyebrows raised. “So uh… got a question for you, Big Boy.”

Chewing, Andrei looked over at the entrance, and raised his eyebrows.

“What is it?”

“Why are we getting hailed by the Vidiians demanding you return to the surface of the moon to answer for murdering two people?” Kit asked, frowning slightly. “They seem quite adamant… and angry.”

Andrei looked at her with confusion in his eyes. He reached into the bowl and pulled out more popcorn, popping it into his mouth.

“Two?”

“Yeah. A woman and a kid?” Kit asked, seemingly mildly uncomfortable about that second one.

Andrei ate more popcorn and looked at Kit in silence. He chewed and swallowed, seeming almost indifferent to the whole thing.

“Set a course for the trading post so we can rendezvous with Vengeance. If we stay here much longer, these morons will just make trouble for us.”

“Yeah, sure.” Kit took just a moment longer looking at him, her thoughts on the matter rather hard to read, then eventually turned and walked back to the cockpit to sit down at the helm and set them back toward the fleet.

Kit had no particular love for aliens but she didn’t vehemently hate them as some did. Picturing him killing a child didn’t really sit well with her; violence against children really never sat well with her at all. She knew it was likely because she had been surrounded by children in one way or another her entire life until fairly recently, but she couldn’t help picture what it might be like were one of her family members taken in such a way.

“We’re heading out!” She called to him.

Andrei said nothing in response to her call as his eyes were fixed on the screen In the back of his mind, he wondered if Kit was going to make a big deal of what she had heard or not, but mostly shrugged the issue off. He would finish the movie, and then he supposed he would see what happened next.

END
]]> Sun, 28 Jul 2024 07:04:17 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/824 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/824
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Vridis III

ON

Andrei materialized on a busy street corner beside what looked like a lamp post. It was arched in shape, and was a pale bluish-green, a color that seemed to match the strange shaded tint of the morning sky. It was a large moon on the fringes of Vidiian space, so while most of the people who walked by him were of that race, there were many from various other races they’d encountered, and even more that Andrei had never seen before.

Checking the map he had uploaded onto his patch, he walked across the street, ignoring the almost frightened glances he was getting from people. It seems that Terrans were becoming recognizable in the area, and the impression was that they should be feared.

He entered the double doors of a hospital complex and stepped up behind an old Numiri woman in line. He decided to be patient rather than simply push her out of the way. Perhaps being nonchalant would get him somewhere.

The person in front of the woman stepped away and began to walk down one of the large hallways and in turn she stepped up and began to speak to the middle aged Vidiian woman sitting in a red uniform behind the desk. Thankfully, the woman seemed competent and not inclined to be chatty past what was polite, and it took only a few minutes before the Numiri was walking away.

The Vidiian woman looked up to the next person in line pleasantly, but the expression faltered when she saw the Terran man standing there. She frowned, cleared her throat, and then smiled again though it was markedly smaller and more reserved.

“Good morning, sir. How can I help you today?”

“Hello, I would like to get some medical information from your database. It’s very important.” Andrei said, smiling at the alien woman. The smile was handsome, but not intended to be particularly disarming. “Can you help me with that?”

There was a certain suspicion in her pale brown eyes, but the plastered on smile remained. She gestured with a hand to the left. “If you go down this corridor past the first one and take a right at the second, you’ll find the library as the second door in that hall. One of the attendants there will be able to help you.”

“Thank you. You’re very kind.” Andrei said in a soothed voice. He turned then and walked in the direction she had indicated. Once he reached the library, he walked through the doors and looked around for one of the attendees the woman had assured him would be there. When he saw a Vidiian wearing what looked like a uniform, he headed over to him. “Excuse me, I need help searching your database.”

The Vidiian man turned toward Andrei without a smile. He was older, not especially attractive, and by the look on his face he was already having a bad day. He ran a hand through his cropped brown hair and gave a sigh. “Yeah, what are you looking for exactly?”

“I’m looking for the cure to a rare insect-borne virus native to the planet Gamma Eridine II.” Andrei answered. “It seems that the cure is obscure, and my searching hasn’t uncovered it to this date.”

“Alright well,” the man walked over to one of the consoles on the floor and put his hand on it. “Here you go, you can look for the information here.” He tapped a few buttons to bring up the medical library regarding diseases for Andrei.

“Good luck.”

Andrei leaned forward immediately, his hands moving across the console as he searched the database. He searched for Gamma Eridine II and nothing came up. He searched cures for diseases from the area of space they were in, and it wasn’t on the list. Finally, he searched for cures created by Dr. Danara Pel, and came up with a short list which also excluded the relevant disease. He balled his fists and stood up. With frustration in his face, he walked back over to the man who had helped him.

“It’s not in there, or if it is, I couldn’t find it.” he said, pointing to the console. “Would you mind taking a look for me instead? I hardly know how your system works.”

The attendant who had been sitting down and probably taking a break looked up at Andrei and immediately gave an exasperated sigh. He stood though, and trudged over to the console he had left Andrei next to. He began to tap at the controls, but only did so for about thirty seconds before giving a shrug. “Sorry, not there.”

“No, they have to be there. Why would a Vidian medical record not be there?” Andrei asked, an irritation for the man’s apathy starting in his chest. He controlled himself though. The man didn’t know how important this cure was to him and to the Fleet.

“Generally means it is classified, new, or just doesn’t exist.” The man replied with an uncaring shrug and deactivated the terminal. “Sorry about that.”

“I know that it exists for a fact, so it can’t be that.” Andrei said, forcing a smile. He was clearly trying to be civil, but his patience would wear thin quickly if he faced any serious roadblocks. He would figure it out, of course, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to compromise someone’s health to make it happen. “If it were new or classified, how would I go about finding it? Who might I talk to directly? Perhaps you have a technician or doctor on staff who can help me resolve this quickly?”

“Uhh… I really don’t know. I suggest you go back out to the front desk and ask the woman there. I just help bring up files here, that’s all.” The man gave another shrug, clearly not caring about the urgency Andrei was feeling nor the fact that he couldn’t help the much taller, larger man.

“Godsdamnit.” Andrei said, balling up his fist. When he left the library, he forced open the door which was going far too slowly for his taste. He marched out without thanking the man and stormed toward the front desk. This time, he ignored the line and interrupted the woman behind the desk.

“Excuse me. The file I requested isn’t in your database. I need you to connect me with some database for sensitive or new files.”

“Sir, there’s a line. You’ll have to wait and then I will help you.” The woman replied calmly and indicated to the line which was five people long. She then turned her attention back to the man she had been helping and ignored Andrei.

Without missing a beat, Andrei reached and grabbed a closed cup she had sitting on the welcome desk, opened it, and poured it all over the counter, being careful not to get the dark brown liquid on any of the technology there. He then closed it, placed it back on the desk, and took a deep breath.

“I understand..” he said, his jaw tight. Then he turned and walked quickly and angrily to the back of the line. The Delta Quadrant was yet another experience in the total superiority of the Terran race. These people didn’t know what was good for them at any stage.

“Hey!” The woman yelled in alarm and immediately started pulling tissues from a box to stop the liquid from flowing all over. A few of her colleagues moved to help her clean up the desk once they saw what was going on, and angry glances were thrown in Andrei’s direction.

“Oh come on, you ass.” A man turned to Andrei, he looked humanoid but the strange ridges on his face marked him as an unknown species. “Now you’ve just made it take longer for everyone.”

Andrei looked at the man, his visible eye showing every possible bit of the cold brutality he was capable of. His jaw set. He didn’t like being insulted, especially by those beneath him.

“Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for you.” He said like a growl.

“Okay, relax.” The man rolled his eyes but looked away from Andrei and watched as the Vidiians finished cleaning up the mess behind the counter. Once it was finally done, the receptionist resumed her seat and the line continued to move though a bit more slowly this time. Finally, Andrei was next and the woman looked up at him through those pale brown eyes.

“Yes?”

“I already told you what I needed and I’m not going to repeat myself. Get it for me now.” He said, all semblance of politeness, gone from his voice and his face after the long wait in line.

“Sir, I do not have access to that information.” The woman replied calmly. “I am sorry, but you will have to seek it out elsewhere. We are a minor facility on a moon.”

“Couldn’t you have told me that when I came to the front of the line before?” He asked, scowling now. “Stupid…” he seemed to take a deep breath and steel himself. “Alright, fine. Then I need you to search the personal database for a Dr. Danara Pel. I need to find out where she’s stationed.”

“No, there was a line and people were here before you.” She replied and blinked at him once. On hearing his second request, she shook her head. “I’m afraid we don’t hand out personal information on patients nor doctors to people who are not employed at this facility or next of kin. You will have to look elsewhere.”

Andrei narrowed his eyes and leaned in toward her a bit, using his height and size to tower over her seated position.

“I’m going to get that information from you, or you’re going to tell me where I can get it. We can do it the easy way or the hard way.”

When he leaned forward, she shrank back and frowned nervously. While she knew she was of course following protocols, it certainly wasn’t worth being harmed or worse. This was a good job, but it wasn’t that good of a job. She cleared her throat and looked around, then chanced leaning in toward Andrei so she could speak quietly.

“Your best option for finding that kind of information would be at one of the medical research stations deeper in Vidiian territory.”

“You said you don’t give it out, which indicates to me that you have it. If that is the case, that means my best option is to get it from you. Log onto your system and give me her location right now.” Andrei commanded, his hand hovering by the dagger handle attached to his side. It wouldn’t have been obvious to the woman what it was, but the possibility it was a weapon would certainly dawn on her.

The woman looked up at him, the fear becoming much more apparent in her gaze when his hand moved to his side. She licked her lips and touched the console in front of her and suddenly a forcefield sprang up around the entirety of the front desk. With it in place, the woman stood and began to back away. “Sir, I am going to have to ask you to leave. Security is on its way to escort you off the premises.”

Andrei stood up, surprised as the force field raised. No matter what they seemed to do to play nice with alien races, it always seemed to blow up in their faces. His traumatic experience on the Lovarr coupled with their frustrating experiences on Ocampa, Banea, and Sikaris were prompting a slow change of philosophy in his mind. And now, when this disgusting Vidian woman resisted him, he knew something in him was different. He didn’t get angry, but looked at her calmly.

“There’s no need for that. I’ll leave on my own.” he said, looking down at her, his visible eye glowing with gray intensity. He turned then and walked straight out of the front door.

Stepping outside into the greenish tint of the day, Andrei walked down the busy street, pulling out his tricorder, and stepped into some establishment which looked to be similar to a Terran cafe. People sat, drinking warm drinks in mugs and either reading, working on portable devices, or talking to someone else. He sat down on a comfortable sofa and grimaced at the terrible music that was playing in the background. He accessed the public hospital system network and started the work of trying to hack their database. After a frustrating hour of trying, he switched his efforts to accessing their camera systems. After another half hour, he determined he didn’t have the skill for that either and he slumped back on the couch, frustrated. It was only after he had given up that attempt that he noticed the woman he had been speaking to at the welcome desk walking past the shop window with a large bag over her shoulder.

Andrei was up in a flash. Stepping out onto the street, he used his patch to scan and track her, and then let her walk a significant distance away to avoid being seen.

The woman was still on edge from earlier, Andrei could see it in the elevated pulse and stress hormones in her body. She was walking quickly and avoiding the people on the sidewalk who were taking things at a much more leisurely pace. She eventually turned down a more narrow side street that led her toward a tall building full of apartments. She walked into the front doors and out of Andrei’s sight.

Andrei was fifty feet behind her, but quickly closed the distance as soon as she walked into the building. Cautiously, he opened the doors as well and stepped inside. Inside, a moderately nice apartment building welcomed him with a long hallway and some foreign-looking potted plants. The only other person in the hallways was the woman he was following. He jumped into a small alcove in order to avoid her seeing him as she turned to unlock her door.

The woman had looked down the hall, having an unsettling feeling, but when she saw nothing she turned her door. As soon as she opened it, Andrei could hear an excited yell of an adolescent child and the woman laughing. Then the door slid closed.

“Yes, mama is home.” The woman chuckled, putting her bag down and scooping up her young son in her arms. Her husband stepped out of another room and smiled.

“You’re home early.” He noted.

“Yes… it was a rather eventful day.” She replied and sighed, still hugging her boy.

As soon as the door was closed, Andrei walked down the hallway with a calm ease and stopped in front of the door she was standing in front of. Taking out his phaser, he very kindly looked down and set it to high stun. He pressed the doorbell and sighed calmly.

“The things I do for love..”

It took a moment but the door was eventually answered by an alien man who was clearly not Vidiian but was clearly humanoid with ridges along the side of his head and forehead dappled with spots. He looked at Andrei and immediately frowned.

“Yes?”

Andrei Didn’t speak in response to the greeting, but instead simply discharged the phaser. With a yelp, the alien man flopped back onto the ground and Andrei stepped deftly over his body. Closing and locking the door behind him, he turned back to the Vidian woman and her child.

“Remember me?”

The woman screamed and the child instantly began to yell and cry. She grabbed him up in her arms and hurried away from Andrei down the hall. She more or less threw the boy into a room, panicked and terrified, and hastily bid him to not come out no matter what before she closed and locked the door. Remaining in front of it, she blocked it with her trembling body and looked at Andrei.

Andrei approached her with a neutral expression, reaching out and grabbing her shoulders with his strong hands. He pushed her against the door, hard, causing her to hit her head.

“It would have been so much easier for you to have given me the location of Dr. Pel, wouldn’t it?” He asked, grabbing her again and pressing her against the door. “I hope, for your sake, you’re ready to cooperate with me.”

Tears were streaming down her face, she let out a slight cry when he pushed her and her head hit the door. “Please… please don’t hurt my baby.”

“Oh, shut up.” Andrei said. He sighed, bored with it all, really. He wished Lyra was here. Something about her presence made terrorizing people so much more intoxicating. He leaned in close to her until his lips neared hers and smiled. “Are you going to help me or not?”

“Y-yes. I’ll help you. Please just leave my family alone.” She whimpered out, pressing herself into the door a bit more.

“Good girl.” He whispered, patting her cheek hard. “Thats all I wanted from you. Now, this is very simple. You are going back into work on the excuse you forgot something. You will download your entire medical database and your personal records onto a data drive, and you will bring it back to me. I will stay here and keep your strong men company. If, at any point, I even suspect that you told someone or I hear a siren or a sound that seems to me in the slightest to belong to a law officer, I will smash your son’s skull against the wall until it’s a stringy paste slightly before I escape unharmed. Any questions?”

“How do I know you won’t do that anyways?” She questioned hesitantly, frowning and not meeting his gaze.

“Doll…” he said with a playful grin. “I give you my word as a Terran. By the likes of my word, the greatest empire known to the universe was born.”

”Urso to Petrov. Checking in… again. This is obnoxious just so you know. Are you staying out of trouble? There aren’t nearly enough strippers where I’m at, I gotta tell ya.”

“Could be a good career option for you then, according to the laws of supply and demand.” He said, his eyes never leaving the woman across from him. “I’m a little busy here.”

”I don’t have enough tits or ass to do that. Also, I’m just following your rules, big boy. You wanted the hourly check-in.”

The woman Andrei was holding let out a slight whimper. “Please…”

”Ah, Andrei, what the hell? We talked about this. It was supposed to be in April.”

“Go.” Andrei said to the woman. “And remember what we talked about.”

The woman nodded and once she was released, she quickly took off, only briefly stopping to check on her husband and put a pillow under his head. The door opened and then closed right after.

“Are you learning anything over there, Kit?” Andrei asked as he tried the door to the bedroom where the little boy had been thrown.

The door was locked, but he could hear the boy still crying inside.

”Oh loads. What are you doing over there, you naughty dog?”

“I’m just gathering some basic informations. It’s no big deal.” Andrei said as he forced the door open with one swift kick from his uniform boot. It swung open and he heard the immediate scream of the boy. He rushed in, grabbing the boy by the shirt, and started to drag him out of the room and into the hallway. “It’s boring over here. I bet you’re having more fun than I am. Investigations are….a drag.”

”I don’t know about that… the hell are you doing over there? Why do I hear so much banging?”

Andrei pulled the crying child to the middle of the living room and placed him in a chair. The screaming had stopped by this point, and the boy was mostly whimpering and staring at his father’s unmoving figure on the floor. Andrei sat down on a different chair and crossed his arms.

“Sometimes banging helps to smooth the way and make things go much easier.” he said with a chuckle. “Tell me about your morning so far.”

”Really not that interesting. Most of it has been about exploring alternate power sources and means of travel, but nothing that would apply to us. I’m hoping later in the afternoon we’ll get to the more outlandish and fun things. Also the food here sucks.”

“The Vidians were never known to us for their food and drink.” Andrei said with a sigh, “or their music, fashion, or personality. I’m just happy they’re terrible at ambushes.”

”Ambushes?” Kit questioned, the surprise in her voice evident.

“”I was referring to the ambush at the nebula when-“ he started, but stopped when he heard movement behind the door. He picked up his phaser and leveled it at the door. “Anyway, must go. Petrov out.”

”He-.” Kit began but was cut off as he ended the link.

The door opened and the Vidiian woman stepped in, pale and sweating and reeking of distress. When she saw her son sitting in the chair, she let out a desperate cry which in turn made the boy start yelling and crying again. She ran toward him, her arms out to collect him from the chair and protect him from the Terran man. “Rako!”

“Mama!” The boy cried out, trying to jump from the chair and go to her himself.

Andrei watched as mother and son reunited, leveling his phaser at them casually and looking irritated and bored.

“How wonderful. Assuming you got what I asked for.”

“Go back to your room, Rako.” The woman said and gently pushed her son past Andrei, then turned her attention to the Terran man. “Yes, I’ve found what you want. Please leave my home and I will give it to you in the hallway.”

Andrei reached out and grabbed the boy’s arm as he walked by, pulling him back and into his lap. The boy yelped in fear as Andrei turned the phaser up to full power and placed it on the boy’s temple. He looked at the Vidian woman, his eyes cold.

“How about this? You give me what I want here, and then we can end this.”

“Let my son go. I’m not going to give you anything while you are holding him.” She replied, terrified but resolute as any mother would be.

“Oh, well…easily solved, I suppose.” Andrei discharged the phaser and the boy in his arms disintegrated before the very eyes of his mother. The boy was gone in vapor and dusk, and Andrei stood without the burden of having the boy on his lap. “He’s gone. Now give me the damn data.”

The Vidiian woman suddenly began to shriek, a terrible and visceral sound as she watched her son disappear. She rushed forward, weeping and grabbing at the air. “Rako! RAKO!”

Her body wretched with sobs and she looked up at Andrei. He’d taken her only reason to live and give him the information, so her gaze turned defiant. “I won’t give you anything, you fucking monster!”

“Godsdamnit, you stupid mongrel.” Andrei said, moving up lightning fast and backhanding her with his knuckles and the phaser. He watched as she went reeling backward and lost her footing, falling to the ground. Then he holstered the weapon and climbed on top of her, straddling her with his powerful legs and striking her repeatedly with his fists. “Give me the information now, or I swear I will make you curse the day you were born.”

The woman screamed and wailed underneath Andrei, but instead of lying there or trying to defend herself, she began to struggle under him and try to hit him. She slapped him ineffectually, then began to try and claw his arms, lifting her body to claw at his face in a rage. As he continued to hit her, she eventually went still, her pretty face bloodied and her body unmoving underneath him.

Andrei kept striking several times after she stopped moving before he stopped himself. Huffing and puffing from anger, he used his bloody hands to get up off the floor. He reached for his face and felt the sting of small cuts from where she had raked him. They were minor, and he hardly cared. He knelt down and ran his hands down the sides of her body looking for pockets. When he detected a small lump on the side of her pants, he fished out the small black device he had instructed her to use to get him the information he needed. He scoffed at her lying on the ground unconscious. If the foolish woman had just done what he said, her son would still be alive.

Andrei knew he would need the shuttle computer to search the device, so he looked around the room one more time to take in the terrible scene, then he activated his patch and initiated transport back to the Aeroshuttle.

END
]]> Sun, 28 Jul 2024 06:58:39 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/823 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/823
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Aeroshuttle

ON

Andrei liked to have fun, but he was an orderly man. As much as he liked Kit, she didn’t seem to share this personality trait. He was clean, while she had literally thrown all of her clothes all over the place. He left his bags closed and neat when he wasn’t accessing them and she left hers exactly the way they’d rested after she received what she wanted from them. The night before, she’d gone to bed and he stayed up completing some extra work.

He was tired, so when her first alarm went off at 0500 hours and proceeded to allow it to ring for the next four minutes. He got out of bed, walked over to her alcove, and reached over her sleeping, curled body to turn off the alarm from her bedside console. He wasn’t angry, and understood that not everyone was as responsive to some alarms as others.

Kit didn’t even stir other than to sigh and wiggle a little. Her head one on one pillow and she had her arms wrapped around another while she slept peacefully on her side curled up into a compact ball. She was sleeping in a tank top and long shorts underneath the sheet of the small single bed she was sleeping on. The alarm had scarcely been turned off for a moment when another one sounded and Kit continued to simply sleep without a care in the world.

Andrei rolled his eyes. She was one of THOSE. He canceled that alarm as well before turning and heading straight back to his bunk. Then, laying down in the double bunk, he closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. After fifteen minutes of silence, he finally drifted back to dreamland.

It seemed almost the moment Andrei drifted off, the alarm began to sound again from Kit’s bunk. This time she rolled over onto her other side, stretched, but immediately curled back up and continued to peacefully dream of whatever she was dreaming about.

“Godsdamnit, Kit…” he growled, his eyes flashing open as he leaped out of his bed and crossed the distance between them in a second. With a pointing of his finger, he deactivated the alarm and frowned down at her for a few seconds. He returned to his bed then, and sleep came more easily than last time.

Again, her alarm sounded. This time she stretched out and groaned, but instead of turning it off herself, she pulled the pillow she had been holding out of her arms and covered her head with it so she could continue to simply ignore the incessant noise playing by her head.

Andrei woke, his jaw tightening. At first, he didn’t get up, as he was focused on calming himself down. After a few moments, however, he climbed out of bed slowly, and walked over to Kit’s bunk again. This time he stared at her for a long while, looking particularly displeased. He then grabbed the pillow off of her head and started to pummel her with it over and over until she was awake.

“Do you hear that, Marikit? It’s the sound of your nineteenth fucking wake up alarm going off without you moving a muscle! No wonder you’re always late to meetings!”

Immediately, Kit yelled in alarm as Andrei started hitting her. She threw her hands up to fend off the attack while twisting her body so she could get up. “Hey! What the fuck?! Sto- STOP IT! I’m awake you asshole!”

She grabbed hold of the pillow but Andrei was easily able to get it out of her hands, so instead she just curled forward into herself and put her arms over her head while the alarm still sounded. “Stooooooooop!”

He continued to hit her with the pillow several more times, doing no damage, but making himself perfectly clear. Then he put his arms around her, grabbing her legs, and literally lifted her to move her aside on the bed. Climbing in next to her, he ran his hands over the bedside console with a frown.

“Shut up. I’m putting an end to this farce myself. You might be the worst bunk mate ever.”

“Fucking… fuck…” Kit grumbled and turned her head, glaring sleepily at him as he put his hands on her bed. She picked up her other pillow then and smacked him upside the head with it. “Get the shit out of my bed you weirdo!”

Andrei ate the impact, but ignored her for a few more seconds. He had deactivated the entire alarm function and then established a security lockout at his access level. Even a skilled engineer couldn’t crack the code without several weeks of sustained effort and a hell of a lot of luck.

He stood up out of bed then and grimaced at her.

“Fine, devil woman. Go back to sleep.”

“You’re so rude.” Kit grumbled at him, hitting him a few more times with the pillow as he retreated but then promptly flopped back down into the bed with a dramatic sigh and curled back up. It seemed she did intend on going back to sleep despite now not having any alarms to wake her. That was Andrei’s problem now, not hers.

Much to his dismay, Andrei was now very much awake. Instead of going to bed, he called onto the floor between their bunks and started with some push-ups, and then moved on to sit-ups. He made them look effortless and took quite a while to make sure he got as good a workout in as he could. He didn’t pay any attention to whether Kit was awake or not.

“Computer, ETA to destination.”

“You will arrive in 21 minutes, 43 seconds, the computer responded.

“Shhhhhh sleep time.” Kit grumbled from the bunk and put one of the pillows over her head again, trying to ignore Andrei and all of his noise in favor of going back to sleep.

“Kit, wake up.” He said from the floor, poking her in the side with his finger. Messing with her was more fun than he would admit, so he refused to smile about it. “We’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“I. Am. Sleeping. Fuck off.” Kit replied, shying away from his finger and throwing the pillow at Andrei instead to try and get him to go away. They definitely couldn’t have nearly already been there; she hadn’t slept nearly enough and there were alarms she hadn’t heard yet.

“You’re acting like a child.” He said, climbing to his feet. “I could launch you out of that bed onto the floor, but I can’t change you into your uniform, so I don’t really want to go down that road. Get up.”

“Just the worst man.” Kit half grumbled, half growled and then finally rolled over and sat up. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and looked around. “What, no coffee? No breakfast? No nothing? You suck.”

“I’m not your servant, woman.” Andrei said, finally grinning. “Your wake up habits are an attractive recipe for misery for you and anyone who sleeps with you. Now put your uniform on so we can eat.”

“Bet our girlfriend would have woken me up with coffee and kisses.” Kit grumbled as if she were sulking and pulled herself out of bed with obvious effort and over to her bag. She picked through it, throwing some clothes over onto the bed until she found what she wanted, then dug a bit more and pulled out her uniform.

“You suck.” She reiterated and then moved to the bathroom to clean up and change.

“At least you care.” He said, chuckling and pulling off the dark blue shirt he had worn to bed, revealing his chiseled, powerful torso. He folded the shirt neatly and placed it into a second small bag for dirty clothes. He had taken a shower the night before, so there was no need to wash again. He pulled off the shorts he was wearing, leaving him standing in gray boxer briefs. “What do you want for breakfast? Do you go light or heavy?”

“Filling. Don’t worry about it though; I like what I like and I’ll get it.” Kit called from the bathroom as she stepped into the sonic shower. She yawned as the waves began to run over her body and reached up to rub her face. After a minute of standing there she finally stepped out and pulled on the clothes she had dragged in with her. She was interested to see if she would learn anything useful at the conference, but she understood that likely the only reason this “trip” was even a thing was Andrei was looking for a cure. It was a noble purpose of course and Kit didn’t mind, but she also knew he probably really didn’t give a damn about the whole engineering side of the equation.

She walked out clean and dressed in her uniform with an open jacket and the pants option for women as was her usual. She didn’t even spare Andrei and glance and moved over to the replicator. “Urso Rice Beta-1.”

From the replicator came a plate of steaming rice with what appeared to be some sort of cut up sausage and a glass of water to pair with it. She picked it up and walked over to the table with it to sit down.

“So what’s the plan when we get here?”

“How many rice dishes do you have planned in the system?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her request. Beta-1 was very particular, and it made him wonder. He pulled on a tank top and then his uniform pants. Grabbing his socks and shoes, he walked over to the couch in the back room and pulled them on.

“I’m Filipino.” She replied with a wave of her fork as if that were a sufficient answer to his question. As he had walked by, she had looked up at his broad body and let her eyes linger for a long moment until he made it to the couch and she focused her attention back on her meal.

“Right right.” he said, beginning to tie his shoes. “Anyway, to answer your question, my first priority is to scope out the safety of the conference area. I have no intention of leaving you alone with a bunch of aliens if they’re going to try to do you harm.

He stood and walked into the quarters again, and then emerged with the rest of his uniform. He slipped himself into the red shirt, adjusted himself, and then put his arms through the uniform jacket.

“Once I’m satisfied it's safe, we’ll go our separate ways to get into our own trouble. I’m going to have you check in once an hour though.”

“Sure, sounds fine with me. I’ll say like doctors, Engineers generally have really upscale conferences that are more likely to have whores and drugs than anyone shanking someone else.” She flashed him a grin. “Don’t get yourself into trouble, eh?”

“Don’t buy too many whores.” he said, zipping his jacket and grinning. He went over to the replicator. “Andrei Breakfast Option 1.”

A large plate stacked with eggs, sausage, bacon, and half a grapefruit materialized. He grabbed it and walked over to the table. Sitting down, he started eating immediately.

“Just one or two. We’re limited on time so I may have to double up.” She speared a piece of sausage on her fork and brought it up to her mouth. “So what are you planning on getting?”

“A cure for the disease on Gamma Eridine II. Possibly get my hands dirty, if I need to.” he said. It was clear he was speaking seriously and there was no joking in his response. “I don’t care about anything else.”

Kit frowned, her nose wrinkling. “I meant for Lyra. I know you’re going to look for information on the cure, obviously.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, splitting the grapefruit with his fingers and plunging his lips into it.

“Hello? You went on a trip without your woman - with another woman I might add. You’re supposed to bring them back something to show you were thinking of her during your trip.” She popped the piece of meat in her mouth. “You’re bad at life.”

“My family is languishing on a planet, currently being abandoned to live in the Delta Quadrant for the rest of their lives. I think I’ve been a bit busy.” he said, looking up at her, his mouth and chin wet with the sour, sweet juice of the fruit. “I’m sure I’ll come across something she would like.”

Kit looked at him like she had something to say but thought better of it and just shrugged. “Whatever. You do you.”

“I already am. And I’ve been doing it quite well so far.” he said, grinning in the eyes as he focussed on the grapefruit again. He was eating it in a rather undignified manner as he would if he was alone. There was something about the animalistic process that was cathartic for him. Once the rind was impressively clean, he put it back on the plate and wiped his face with a napkin. “What would you get her, if she were your girlfriend? Just for the sake of research.”

“If she were my girlfriend, I wouldn’t have left her.” Kit replied simply with a grin and finished her meal. Standing immediately, she walked over to the replicator with the plate and cup, chugged the rest of her water, then put both in the replicator to recycle.

“She’s the ship’s second officer and is back on Vengeance doing her job. We are soldiers of the Empire and warriors.” Andrei said, popping bacon into his mouth. “And that isn’t remotely an answer to the question.”

“Well, like you said, you’re sure you’ll come across something she would like. Why do you need to ask me about it?” She challenged, obviously amused by this turn of events. The thought hadn’t even entered his mind that he might be served by getting something for Lyra.

Andrei blinked. A rare occurrence, he wasn’t in the mood for this game. Playing the day before had been fun, but today, he was geared up for battle. Talking about getting presents for his girlfriend was the last thing on his mind, and he felt quite justified in that. He’d had a dream the night before that involved his family, and he was still sick over it.

“Never mind.” He said, frowning as he popped the last bite of food into his mouth and then quickly shuffled the plate into the replicator. “I’ll figure it out.”

“Just get her some candy or something, man. It doesn’t have to be that deep.” Kit sighed at him. “Just a ‘hey, you actually entered my mind at some point on this trip’.”

She turned then and moved up to the cockpit while zipping up her jacket.

Andrei said nothing as she departed. He put the incident and the thought behind him. He couldn’t possibly know what they have on this moon anyway, as it was completely alien to them. He went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth before exiting the hall into the cockpit as well. He noticed Kit at the helm, so he sat at the Ops console instead.

“We’re entering the system, dropping to impulse.” She informed Andrei as he sat down and tapped the console to do just that. “How long are we planning on staying here before we head back?”

“A day. Maybe two if I can’t find what I’m after in that time.” He said, working the console in front of him and bringing up a map of the planet. “Any other questions?”

“Nope, don’t think so. Want to take over?” She asked and indicated up to his patch.

“Yeah.” he said, his voice sober and distracted. He networked with the computer and accessed helm controls. “I’m bringing us into range. Check and see if their traffic controller has sent us an orbit placement.”

“Checking.” Kit replied, leaning forward a bit to the console and lightly tapping at it. “They have, sending it to you now. They also extend their warmest welcome.”

“How cute. Clearly they’re just being nice.” he said, issuing his commands. “Pulling us into the designated orbit.”

When it was done, Andrei stood and gestured to the transporter.

“I want to make sure you get where you’re going first.”

“Sure.” Kit shrugged and walked toward the small transporter pad. “Do you want to physically meet up at some point today, or just check-ins?”

“Not for security purposes. If you want to grab lunch, I think that should be fine. As long as I’m not locked in pulling a stubborn Vidian’s teeth out with pliers.” he said, and smiled, though it wasn’t remotely a joke.

“We’ll play it by ear I guess. Don’t get yourself into too much trouble, okay?” She gave him a wink and stepped onto the pad.

“I make no promises.” he responded, lifting an eyebrow. “And you fill your mind with engineering technical bullshit.”

“Yeah yeah. I’m ready.” She waved a hand at him and rolled her shoulders, giving one more quick look around the area to make sure nothing was amiss and waited for Andrei to transport her down. “See you later.”

“Energizing” he said, initiating the transporter system with the aid of his patch. It occurred to him as he did it that he had never tried to use it with a transporter before. Walking over to the console, he scanned to make sure Kit had arrived in one piece. When he saw she had, he set the shuttle on vacant mode and stepped into the transporter himself.

END
]]> Sun, 28 Jul 2024 06:53:07 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/840 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/840
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Ready Room; Vengeance

ON

Sipov materialized with a familiar, darker, greyer surrounding. One he hadn’t seen in quite some time. The guard next to him reminded the man very quickly of the shadow he’d attained, but wasn’t too worried about. He’d actually found him quite handy in the last hour. After stopping by his quarters, he settled a couple of accounts with minimal trouble, and used his assistance to assign payback for another. The promise of breaking legs had manifested true, and in the meantime he’d gotten even more for the sale of Daraan than he’d initially planned. All in all the time to wrap up business on the station was much smoother with the Kazon cohort.

Standing there in the cleanest set of clothing he’d owned and his bag over his shoulder, Sipov made sure to follow tradition. Not wanting to break any sort of protocol, he made the official request. “Permission to come aboard.”

“Granted, Lieutenant.” Lyra stood a few feet away from the bottom of the transporter pad with her arms crossed though they lowered as Sipov began to move. Her eyes shifted to the Kazon who remained where he was.

“Return to the Lovarr.” She commanded, and as soon as Sipov was on the steps, the Kazon disappeared.

“I trust you have all your affairs in order? Did your pet Cardassian fetch a decent price?” She asked.

As he walked down from the PADD, Sipov held out a small bag. It was the extra money he’d made thanks to the intimidation factor of having the Kazon nearby during his sale. “More than I could’ve hoped for. For your troubles, and the lending of your guard.”

Once his hand was empty, he re-secured the shoulder strap of his bag and winced a bit from the pain in his leg from the healing injuries. “All of my affairs have been settled with ease so I have no further business there unless of course I am ordered back to conduct anything further. I am here to serve the Empire, and return to wearing a proper uniform Commander. Where shall we set off to first?”

Lyra took the money offered without hesitation and dropped the back into her uniform pocket for now. She eyed his leg a moment and then her dark, calculating gaze slowly slid back up to his face. “We will leave your bag in one of the guest quarters on the way to the bridge where you will speak to Captain Faulkner in her ready room regarding your request to join as a serving member of this crew.”

She turned immediately then and walked out of the room, expecting him to follow. “How exactly did you manage to not have your leg fixed when there’s so many Vidiians roaming around these parts? They have excellent medical technology for such an inferior species.”

He followed without hesitation. The mention of the Vidiians however caused the man to scowl and shake his head “Those people? Have you seen them? They’re absolutely disgusting and they butcher others like cattle. I would never trust such filthy alien technology to be responsible for placing anything inside my body, even to heal me in such a fashion. I was hoping to find better medical help elsewhere, until I ran into you of course. I’m sure any quarters here will be much better than anything the station provided, so I should be right at home. It’ll be nice to sleep in familiar surroundings. If I may ask, how long has the Captain been in command?”

“That… is a bit of a longer story, but two months now.” Lyra replied and glanced over to him as they walked. She kept her pace reasonable for him given he was injured and she didn’t want to put him out. He could perhaps prove a useful and interesting ally to her. “The short of it is a number of our crew ended up stranded on a planet unable to leave two of which were our former captain’s wife and daughter. He chose to remain behind to be with them.”

Sipov raised an eyebrow “Unable to leave? It sounds like they were quite committed….or forced to stay. I do wonder why everyone else did not remain behind as well….but I suppose I will learn in time. The details that matter anyways.” He appreciated her slowing pace and did his best to keep up. It had been some time since he had received any form of real consideration for his situation and while he was thankful for what he showed him in the moment, he also knew to not let his guard down as at the very least it was likely that there would be others looking to take advantage of his situation. “How long has the ship been in this god forsaken place?”

“Seven months.” She supplied easily, not seeming bothered by the fact. Perhaps there would have been a time where she had been, but after so many months, many had come to accept their situation more fully than others. They paused before the turbolift doors and then stepped on. “Deck three.”

“We have had quite our share of encounters with the local… wildlife. The Kazon and Vidiians more than the rest.”

As the doors closed he gave a nod in acknowledgement “I look forward to reading up on everything you have on them, I’d be curious to find every weak spot possible, to include within their flying. I’ve been itching to get back behind the helm for quite some time, kill a few aliens while I’m at it. But it seems like everything here has held up quite well, all things considered.” It didn’t take long for the lift to reach its destination before slowing and the doors opening once more, Sipov giving the woman the opportunity to step out first.

“Well, I do not know if you looked into anything in such a short time, but not only do we have the Vengeance but we have amassed a small fleet of ships into our little Shadow Fleet including another Terran vessel we found a few months ago.” She spoke as they walked around the corner and down two doors to one of the guest quarters which she opened for him. “Just put your things inside. With that in mind, I’m sure you will have all the information you could ever wish for regarding the known classes of Kazon and Vidiian ships as well as the Baneans and Numiri, though they won’t be thorns in our side after how we dealt with them.”

“I wasn’t aware of that, but you certainly have been busy. It sounds like whatever has been pulling us here has been busy too of course. That sounds like at least 3 vessels from our sector have been moved here one way or another. Have we gained any territory in that time or mainly been focusing on growing the fleet and spreading our influence?” He placed his bag just inside on the floor after making a quick scan, happy with what he saw inside and making note of the computer terminal on the far side of the room. Stepping back out the doors closed behind and he was ready to continue. “Either way I’ll be ready, pending the Captain’s approval of course.”

“We’ve been focused on getting home and expanding the fleet to make that goal a reality.” She glanced over at him as they walked back to the turbolift. “No one wishes to remain in this godsforsaken quadrant; we wish to be on Terra again and to help the effort there. Bridge.”

As the lift shuddered and began moving once more, he couldn’t agree more “Of course. Nothing would make me happier for us to return there as well. It is unfortunate those that came here with me will unlikely return as they’ve gone their own ways. But that is their penance for abandoning the empire, as it were.” Once again it was a quick trip for the pair before reaching their destination once more. Sipov knew however this time he’d be taking it all in. It had been some time since he’d been on the bridge of a Terran vessel, a place where the glory of the empire was at stake. And somewhere he could find usefulness once more.

The Vengeance bridge was immaculate as always and the officers currently on duty all briefly glanced toward the turbolift as Lyra walked out, though the focus moved immediately to Sipov as he limped after her. There was a mix of intrigue and wariness fitting to Terrans, but wisely they returned to their work after only a few seconds. She crossed in front of the tactical station and headed down the steps toward the doors of the ready room, casting a glance at Simmons on her way by and finding she wished instead for her pet hound Corvin to be there still.

She tapped the chime, and immediately opened the door as Annalise summoned them through.

Annalise was sitting behind the desk and lifted her eyes as soon as Lyra stepped in. “Commander Cassiel.”

“Captain.” Lyra nodded and stepped out of the way. “This is the man I was telling you about: Lieutenant Sipov Boros.”

Nodding, Annalise stood. She was a beautiful woman with her blonde hair pulled back and her blue eyes quick and intelligent, but she lacked Lyra’s presence and power. Rounding the desk, she stood in front of it and looked at Sipov. “Lieutenant Boros. I’m Captain Annalise Faulkner.”

Sipov had taken his time scanning everything as they made their way into the ready room, however once they entered he did his best to straighten up and present himself as best as possible. “Captain. Lieutenant Boros, reporting. It’s a great relief to find those from the empire all the way out here. I thought I was going to have to end my days out alone and without the chance of seeing home or our people ever again. Being around these aliens has certainly been undesirable to say the least.”

Annalise’s gaze slowly moved down Sipov’s body and lingered on his injured leg for a moment before coming back up first to him and then she switched to Lyra. “Thank you, Commander. You may return to the bridge.”

“Captain.” Lyra nodded. Before she left, her dark eyes moved down to Sipov quickly and she found herself wondering how he would actually clean up now that he was out of that little hell hole of a trading post. Turning on her heel, she left the bridge to resume her place in the center chair.

“Come have a seat, Lieutenant.” Annalise pulled the chair out for him slightly and then moved back to the other side of the desk to sit down herself. “I’ve been looking over the file we have on you in the database. Suffice to say you seem to be quite lucky, really, to have survived not only captivity but being transported here to the Delta Quadrant by what I assume were the same means as the rest of us; the entity known as the Caretaker?”

He hesitated for a moment and then moved forward to take the seat. Once he was situated comfortably, he responded. “In truth I’m not quite sure what exactly brought me here, I was a prisoner on a Cardassian transport ship as were a number of other Terrans. After some time we managed to overthrow our captors after they were weakened by a series of attacks by what were likely raiders and ended up here after some time. So your answer is likely our cause as well. However those that did survive to get here with me have all gone their own ways, I’m the last one here. I do like to think I’m lucky although perseverance and stubbornness have likely contributed a bit as well. That and the slave I took for a time. Things look to have gone fairly well for everyone here as well.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” Annalise allowed a slight smile to alight on her pretty face. “The Vengeance fared quite well, yes, but before I was captain here, I was captain of the Gladius having taken over the mantle when two of my predecessors died; the first fell when we were pulled through to this place, and the second died to his own foolishness. Survival was… a struggle until we found the Vengeance. In fact I’m rather sure if we hadn’t found her when we did, my crew would not have survived unless we had chosen to do much as you did and find a place to stay.

“That would seem to be the theme, at least for those of us that don’t have as many of our brethren to lean on, Captain. But we are our own strength, nothing can defeat the Terrans as long as we band together. I am glad to hear that the Vengeance managed to find you, and you found me. It sounds like there is much more cleansing to do than has already been carried out, and is necessary to continue honoring those we lost.” While Sipov was speaking everything in truth, he was also speaking in a more patriotic tone to help state his case in hopes to join the crew for his own self preservation. He needed medical treatment and he also needed a safer place to be. Living amongst the aliens wasn’t going to be his best option. Even on a ship where there were others looking to potentially stab him in the back, he was still safer here at the end of the day. “I understand you are in need of a Chief Helmsman.”

“Ah, yes. Commander Cassiel did mention that you might be interested in taking up the position. After looking over your records, I see you are clearly qualified for it. Did you have any experience even in passing with flying an Intrepid class ship? Perhaps something you were training on with hopes of being brought onto one in the future?” She asked, lacing her fingers together and placing her folded hands on top of her desk.

“The only experience with an Intrepid at least was in training and I did manage to sneak in to pilot one for a dry dock test run after a refit, but nothing long term. Most of my experience is with smaller craft, and most recently the Constellation class. So I’ll admit there will be a bit of a learning curve but it shouldn’t take me long to get a feel for her. I’m a quick study, but it won’t be my first time in front of the console for one.” While he wanted to do his best to increase his chance to get picked up, he wasn’t going to lie either. He knew what happened to those that underperformed for the empire.

It was very clear the prospect didn’t particularly thrill Annalise, but she wasn’t totally dismissing Sipov over it. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The simple fact was Jonathan hadn’t been up to the task, and though Maya was eager, her youth and own inexperience showed - it was perhaps a strange thing to think given only a couple of years separated her from the great majority of the senior staff, but it seemed to be just enough to be troublesome.

“I will consider your request. Commander Cassiel is currently acting XO while Lieutenant Commander Petrov is away. You will work with her through some simulations to evaluate your performance. Don’t worry though, Lieutenant, even if you don’t sit behind the helm, we will find something for you to do here. You won’t be put off the ship. You are Terran and you are safe here among us.”

“I serve the Empire, Captain.I look forward to your tests and can assure you one way or another, I’ll be ready to fly everyone here into battle soon. Even if I’m in those simulations day and night.” The look on his face was one of commitment. To what exactly, was always up for debate, but he was determined. He knew his skill and he knew he’d been wasted his first couple of years. His attitude had always gotten him in trouble, but here it wasn’t like they could just ship him off somewhere else. But at the same time, chances were they also had less tolerance. Sipov would have to find that balance. Duty would fix that for him. “Thank you for the consideration as well.”

“Of course. Do you have any pressing questions you would like to ask?” Annalise offered politely. Her blue eyes ran over him slowly, taking him in and wondering about him and his story, but right now she didn’t have time to delve into things; she hardly had time for much of anything lately, it seemed.

“Not at the moment, I’m sure things will come out in time. To be honest I’m just looking forward to getting settled in and proper medical treatment for my injuries. That and the simulations to follow afterwards are about the only thing on my mind. I’m just happy to be back around our people once more. You all have done me a great service today, one I shall not forget.” Sipov was eager to get acquainted with the ship and others on the crew to see where he could fit in, and whom he might be able to trust.

“Very well, Lieutenant. I suggest you leave here and report to sickbay so they can tend to your injuries and give you a check.” She smiled at him, not particularly warm but genuine enough. “Welcome to the Shadow Fleet.”

“Thank you Captain” Sipov replied. “Long live the Empire.” Next, he turned and made his way out. It was time to get healed up and walking normal once more.

END]]> Sun, 28 Jul 2024 06:42:19 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/835 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/835
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Dralian Trading Post

ON

After her successful negotiation with the slavers, Lyra had decided to linger on the station for a while longer to explore. There was nothing particularly troublesome about this place, and she had found it a good distraction for her troubles for a while. Lottie was following her in step and just behind and to the side, and the Kazon brute she had brought along was certainly dissuading any unwanted attention. It felt very natural to move like this through a crowd for her, her slave attending her and another guarding her. She had quite made up her mind that if things did move forward with Andrei, she would put her plan into action. She had no particular aim for the rest of the day so was simply moving through the open air shop fronts set up in the large open bay area to see if anything else would strike her fancy.

Her intense dark eyes moved from stall to stall, but it was a simple pass through the middle of the aisle that finally drew her complete interest. Ahead of her, being walked forward in a line of other aliens was a Cardassian man in chains. She surged forward immediately and while she heard the slight yelp Lottie gave behind her as the Kazon man pushed her forward to keep up, she paid it no mind. She caught up to the group in seconds and identified the guard who was herding the group.

“You there, where did you get that one?” She asked with an urgency in her voice and pointed to the Cardassian man.

The guard heard the woman but didn’t pay her much mind for the moment as he continued moving his prisoner towards their destination of the holding cells. Sipov paid well to ensure his ward was secured properly. The Cardassian however couldn’t help but shoot off his mouth “You’d better answer her or you’ll end up in the cell next to me…”

The next sound to escape Daraan’s mouth was a loud cry as a club found the back of his knee, causing him to fall to the floor in pain “Keep your place, pig” the guard said. With the temporary stop in movement, he turned and addressed the woman’s question “My client prefers a low profile. But I can take you to him, for a couple slips. Just let me get this fool to his cell first. But you should know he already has a contract to sell his services so you’ll have to wait…..”

Lyra looked at the alien man trying to extort her and then down to the Cardassian on the floor. With a slight movement of her head, her Kazon guard moved and hauled Daraan back up to his feet and Lyra easily moved herself between the guard and the Cardassian. She looked at his bruised face and found it strangely comforting in a familiar way; a piece of home, even if it was in this filthy slave.

“Who is your master?” She questioned him directly.

“You must be a fool if you think I’m going to answer you Terran, you’re all the same. Pure trash. You belong in these chains more than I do.” Daraan spat in her direction, uncaring of the help he’d just received.

The guard rolled his eyes “You see? He cares for you less than I do. I’ve given you an answer, woman. Now move out of my way and if you are in agreement we’ll complete this transaction and you can know his master. If not, we are done here.”

Lyra just looked at the Cardassian for a moment. “Not a very good master, then. We’ll have to fix that.”

She then turned abruptly to the guard and grabbed him by the chin, looking down into his eyes from her impressive height, then her hand gentled to cradle his cheek and her expression became one of sympathy. “Now then… certainly you can’t be so foolish to speak to a Terran of the Vengeance in such a way? I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you simply didn’t know.”

Her hand slid down back to her side. “Now that you do… don’t test me.”

The guard looked back at her for a moment, the name bringing familiarity. Part of him hoped that his payments in the future for the extra handling weren't going to be effected by his next decision, after all he and Sipov had a very particular arrangement, but he also knew the man was looking for a way off the station. He motioned to a nearby colleague that had gotten caught up in the commotion “Take the prisoner to the cells, I'll be along after I'm done here.”

The other guard reached over and took hold of the lead chain, pulling Daraan forward not bothering to care of the grip of the others still holding him.

“Now, if you will, I can lead you to his master. Or if we keep going back and forth I have little doubt eventually my neck will end up snapped and a fight will ensue, which will be of little consequence to me because I'll be dead. Either way my life is pathetic enough that my level of care only goes so far Terran.” The guard knew he was pushing limits but either way wanted the interaction to be finished.

“Release him.” Lyra commanded the Kazon man who complied immediately. She cast one last look after Daraan and then let her cold, dark gaze settle on the guard. “You are the one who wanted to make this into a game. Take me to his master.”

“I simply offered my services for a fee, for what you demanded. But this argument is pointless either way. Follow me if you will.” He looked behind him as he saw Daraan being led away, the guard wondering what fate may befall him after all of this. The good news was that he was more than aware of the location Sipov spent most of his time. There was a simple cafe he typically frequented, catching up on local news or looking for some venture or another, looking for his exit.
Leading the trio down the way, it didn’t take long until they reached their destination, spotting the man sitting in a small booth by himself eating a sandwich. He had a glass of juice and was scrolling through a series of listings for ships when the guards shadow cast over him. He looked up at the man, not minding who was behind him “What the fuck are you doing here? Didn’t I pay you to take Daraan back to his cell? I should kill you where you stand for cheating me!”

The guard took a few steps back and raised his baton “I’m not here by choice, she insisted I bring here to you.”

“Yes, you really probably should.” Lyra agreed from behind the guard. She stood behind him, tall and imperious, the picture of regal beauty. Her dark eyes were sharp and intelligent, and she looked over Sipov carefully. While she wasn’t in uniform, she still wore her commbadge insignia of the Terran Empire.

“Now… just how did you get out here?”

Sipov took note of the commbadge and grinned “I don’t recognize you, you didn’t come here with me. I was brought on a Cardassian slave ship. Something whisked us away into this god forsaken place and we found our way here, those of us that survived. We managed to overtake our captors. Please tell me you have a way out of here? Everyone else I was with has found their own way and is now gone” he answered. “Lieutenant Boros…” he said, scooting himself out and pushing the guard back before stepping forward with a limp or two and saluting “Long live the Empire!”

“Long live the Empire.” Lyra repeated with a mildly amused smirk on her beautiful face. Instead of saluting, though, she extended her hand out to Sipov. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel of the ISS Vengeance. What ship were you on before you were captured, Lieutenant?”

“Commander” he replied “I was aboard the Wasp. She was boarded and a number of us were captured, they used some new weapon on us to knock us out. When we awoke we were enslaved and carted around for almost a year before we ended up here. I was a helmsman prior, assistant Chief. I’ve been working to recover from my injuries here while having managed to enslave one of my captors to try and make a life for myself. But of course duty to the Empire would be preferred.”

The guard took a few more steps back as if to almost try and excuse himself from the situation at hand.

Lyra grabbed the guard by the shoulder to keep him from going anywhere. She was very tall and notably strong. It wasn’t surprising given her position, but to those that didn’t know that she held it, it would likely be rather surprising from a woman. “Where are you trying to scurry off to?”

He froze in place, her grip keeping him from moving further. “I figured I would leave you two to get acquainted, it seems I am done here.” He placed his baton by his side so as to not appear any sort of threat.

Sipov took a step forward and removed the baton from his hand instead “You failed your task, we had an agreement. We exchanged money for it.”

The guard looked him in the eye “Give me that back, you know what happens to those that defy us…


“You know what happens to those that break their transactions on this station. Or did you forget about those men you strung up yesterday for all to see?” Without giving the guard a moment to reply, Sipov head butted him in between the eyes, causing the guard to stagger back. “Now give me back my latinum. All of it, or you’ll be up there with them.”

“You’ll pay for that!” His hand covered his face, blood oozing around his hand and a nearby guard taking notice, making his way over.

“Sipov stared back at him “Who will pay more in the end? You can walk away with empty pockets, or strung up to die slowly. Either way I’ll walk out of here.” He threw the baton on the ground towards the other guard and crossed his arms. “Your move, scum.”

While the guard wanted to desperately fight him back, he knew Sipov was right. Reaching for a pouch he removed it from his waistband and tossed it at the Terran with one hand still covering his face.

“That’s better.” Sipov replied. He turned back to the Commander “Do you by chance have a need for another crew member? A seasoned pilot perhaps?”

Lyra had simply looked back to the Kazon brute she had brought with her for the man to move and put himself between the second guard approaching and the rest of the group. Her pretty young slave was standing very quietly and timidly behind Lyra with her eyes on the floor. Lyra herself hadn’t moved to interfere more than what she had already done and even watched with amusement on her face during the altercation. The alien man had chosen wisely - at least for the moment; Lyra didn’t take her eyes off of him even as Sipov spoke to her.

“Well, Lieutenant, I certainly wouldn’t leave you in this little hell hole even if we didn’t need a pilot. As it happens, our Chief Flight Control Officer couldn’t handle the duties he was expected to perform on a ship of the Vengeance’s size and our assistant chief is still a bit too green, so yes, actually. If you are up to the task, we could use a pilot assuming our captain agrees. You can even bring your pet Cardassian along if you like. Do you have more?”

“I would love to meet your Captain. As for the Cardassian he’s the only one left, although I have a potentially strong offer to purchase him and a lifelong guarantee he’ll spend cleaning up shit the rest of his days so I may be inclined to end up selling him instead. He’s almost more trouble than he’s worth. As far as Chief Helmsman, I’d love the opportunity to serve the Empire any way needed once more, and a chance to see a doctor that actually knows what the hell they’re doing. The people here are still stuck in the damned dark ages. Anything to fly again.” Sipov Looked over Lyra and her cohorts, wondering what the rest of the crew was going to be like. If this was any indication, he was going to have quite a time pending his acceptance on board.

“It is your choice on the matter. If you bring him into the fleet, however, he will be expected to perform duties for the fleet and will need to be put through the actual breaking and training process. I know you did not have the proper tools available to see him enslaved properly, but we will not have wild slaves on our ships. If you wish to sell him for the profit, perhaps that might be more agreeable to you.” She didn’t seem particularly bothered one way or the other on the topic, but clearly wanted him to decide. “Do you have belongings you need to collect before you join us?”

“A few things I would like to gather from my quarters and some loose ends for business I should attend to. I don’t believe it’ll take me more than say an hour or so, if that is acceptable. My slave will be sold as I don’t have the time for him and would rather know he is rotting here somewhere in a setting unfamiliar to him. I do not trust he will be worth our time as it is. I await your further directions, Commander.” He stood up as straight as he could, although it was evident there were injuries hindering him that would need addressed. However inside he was happier than he’d been in quite some time. She was the first Terran he’d seen in months, and now, she was also his lifeline.

“Very well. Shall I leave my slave with you in case there are any…” Her dark eyes focused on the guard once more, “problems? I would hate for anyone to make poor choices and doom this entire place.”

“That would be most appreciated. Also I am sure he could show me to the ship as well and assist in access. While I assure you I can hold my own even now, there’s no telling what this one might try before I leave.” Part of him also knew that her guard would likely be keeping a watchful eye on him being a new intake, but that didn’t bother Sipov. “At your leisure, of course. I am ready when you are Commander.”

“I don’t think he would be that foolish. We already had a little chat about such foolish thoughts, didn’t we?” It was a question to the guard, but obviously it was rhetorical. There was a pretty, pleasant smile resting on her face, but there was something undeniably sinister underneath it all. She looked back to Sipov and the expression remained, though it was less projected toward him than it had been with the guard. “He’ll remain with you then. When you are ready to come aboard the Vengeance, contact her from here and I will meet you to take you to our Captain.”

“Very well then. I will contact you soon to board the Vengeance. I look forward to being around our kind once more as I’ve had more than enough of this place, and its inhabitants.” Sipov took a few steps forward and then looked back to motion to the Kazon “With me. I may have a few legs for you to break, depending on how stubborn some of my contacts prove shortly.”

The Kazon didn’t move and instead looked over at Lyra for direction.

“Go with him and obey. In no more than two hours I expect you to both be on the Vengeance in front of me.” She spoke to the Kazon, but as she finished her eyes had landed on Sipov again. “I will see you soon.”

“I’ve never seen someone so unenergetic to break legs..” he quipped. “No more than two hours. Understood Commander, we’ll be before you soon.”

Motioning once more as he turned, Sipov continued on this time without looking back and his limp remained showing as the guard looked on, leaving the pair to go about their business. Soon he’d hopefully be rid of all of them. Sipov hoped to be richer and rid of the Cardassian, while seeing some pain inflicted as he wrapped up his affairs. The stop by his quarters would certainly be a quick one as his belongings were far and few between. Yes, this place would definitely not be missed. And if he could help it, he’d never return….

END
]]> Sun, 28 Jul 2024 06:40:53 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/839 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/839
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Dralian Trading Post

ON

“Energize.”

The haze of light cleared quickly from Lyra’s vision and she looked around the immediate area of the Dralian owned trading post. It wasn’t an overly large locale, but she immediately noted it was mostly clean and well lit unlike many of the random trading posts dotted around the quadrant. She was wearing a pristinely cut leather jacket over a blood red scoop neck shirt that didn’t show any of her cleavage, but it hugged her body and didn’t leave the shape of any of her curves to the imagination. The look was finished with a near black dark wash jean and a pair of feminine boots; her commbadge was affixed to her jacket. It wasn’t a look she often sported now, but it was one that was comfortable for her given how she had lived over half of her life.

Behind her stood two massive Kazon men along with one male Banean and one male Numiri. The surprising finish to the group, however, was the pretty little quarter Trill slave Lottie. The girl was clearly extremely nervous both for being off the ship for the first time and likely being with Lyra, but Lyra was hoping that perhaps this trip might give her some insight into the girl and if her plan for the future would end up working or not. She did hope so; it wasn’t as if servants were readily available. With a simple gesture, she summoned her slaves to heel like a pack of loyal dogs, and they began walking. They drew attention, and for Lyra’s purposes that was a good thing for once. As they moved to a slightly less congested area, she glanced over her shoulder.

“Lottie, come walk by my side.”

Immediately, Lottie moved to comply and glanced over to Lyra with nervous blue eyes. “Yes, Domina.”

It wasn’t uncommon for some Terrans - especially those of the Imperial line - to prefer to be referred to by the Roman titles of dominus and domina instead of the more standard master and mistress. Lyra was pleased the girl had only needed to be told once to remember the preference, but she would be curious to see if it would stick in more stressful situations. “Tell me about your life before you were sold to the Fleet for service. Who were your masters and how did you serve them?”

Lottie blinked but complied immediately. “I was born to my mother Idrin in the house of my first master Mitchell Holland and his wife Claudia Holland. They lived in Salzburg, Austria where my Master worked in banking and my Mistress remained at home to oversee it and raise their children; she enjoyed collecting art.” She paused to wet her lips and then continued, “I was the only first class slave owned by my masters and my main focus was assisting my mistress in day to day activities and keeping the house orderly through both instructing and assisting the second class slaves. I cooked meals, cleaned, and helped make sure my mistress remained informed on any needs within the household. I was trained to do this from childhood, and I know my masters were always pleased with the work I did.”

It bordered on being boastful, but it was a simple truth. Her masters had taken advantage of a horrible situation to make their lives easier and it had most certainly been a great fortune for them in the end to have a slave as dedicated and knowledgeable as Lottie.

“Why did your masters sell you into the service of the Fleet?” Lyra pressed as they walked.

“Master Mitchell made a bad investment that severely impacted the family. Without selling off their home, I was the highest object of value they could sell along with a few other slaves and some rarities Mistress Claudia had acquired.” Lottie replied and frowned slightly, her eyes downcast.

Lyra pursed her lips slightly. She knew the purchase price for Lottie had been quite high and it was easy to see why. Still, her confidence in her plan did not waver. “You said you assisted your mistress with her children; how many did she have and at what stages of their lives did you assist her?”

Lottie was confused and curious in equal measure at Lyra’s questions, but she knew it was not her place to ask about it. “Mistress had four children. I was too young to assist with the first two as they were both around my age, but there was a significant gap between the first and last two. With the two younger children, I spent a good portion of my time helping to look after the children even in their earliest days so Mistress could continue with her own pursuits.”

“Did you enjoy working with the children?”

“Yes, Domina. I love children.” Lottie smiled warmly despite herself.

Lyra’s dark eyes shifted over toward Lottie and took in the sweet, innocent smile the young woman wore. A slave like this wouldn’t be so bad; perhaps she might even find herself developing an affection toward it like one might have affection toward a pet. Either way, options were limited.

“If you were given the opportunity to enter back into private service, would you prefer that over serving in the fleet? Answer honestly, you won’t be punished.”

The young slave hesitated, averting her gaze and worrying her hands together in front of her. Feelings on assignments weren’t something to be discussed - or had in general - a slave was a slave and would do whatever they were commanded. She felt trapped by Lyra’s question, and even with the assurance she wouldn’t be punished, she was unsure. The truth was though, she was afraid of what might happen were she to not answer.

“Y-yes, Domina, I would.” Lottie squeaked out.

“Mm…” Lyra hummed acknowledgement. “Perhaps the future may hold something unexpected for you and I both.”

Lottie didn’t question the cryptic statement, and the group continued walking through the various avenues of the trading post. After pausing to ask a guard for further direction, they soon ended up in a large aisle full of dealers in flesh. Lyra knew who she was looking for and after a winding trip, she found the twin slavers she had contacted on the outpost. They were a species called the Boray that had light blue-ish purple skin and solid eyes that seemed to lack iris or pupil. Their black hair was kept long and heavily ornamented, likely a point of pride for them. They had strong, sharp features that were truly quite attractive if one could move past the color of their skin and the bony ridges on their temples and chin that ran down their necks likely to their concealed chests. That particular weakness had never afflicted Lyra. They smiled at her charmingly and in sync which was likely something they used in business.

“You must be Commander Cassiel.” One of them practically purred out and moved closer to her. It was impossible to tell where their eyes were lingering, but by the twitching of their lips she could tell they were having their fill of eyeing her and likely the pretty young woman who had fallen in line behind her.

“That’s right.” Lyra nodded and came to a stop with her group.

“Nevalon.” The one who had greeted her offered his name.

“Traxus.” The other supplied immediately and both bowed their heads in sync. “These are the slaves you spoke of?”

Lyra stepped to the side and gestured for Lottie to move away. With a simple motion of her hand, the Banean and Numiri men stepped forward with the Kazon taking a step up after them. “Yes, they are. Feel free to inspect them, but they are just as promised.”

She stood by with surprising patience as the two men approached her slaves and began to inspect them. These two with twenty others had been the survivors of the forty Baneans and Numiri she had been given to do with as she pleased in recompense for their imprisonment and torture of her. She had no intention of killing them all at once like had probably been expected of her; though she would likely kill a few more when the mood struck her. Instead, she had been trying her hand at breaking them and seeing them trained as slaves to great success and now she had decided to sell two of them for her own purposes - their lives belonged to her, she could do what she wished.

“Impressive, very impressive.” Nevalon said with genuine admiration. “Come, shall we sit and talk more?”

With a nod Lyra consented and they moved as a group to sit at a table under a canopy. Around them, slaves owned by the twins were put out on display for buyers who were examining them like one might look at produce at a store. A slave poured their drinks and they began to discuss the matter at hand. The Boray men were intensely curious about the story of the sundering of the Baneans and the complete annihilation of the Numiri and Lyra provided it willingly though of course left out the details involving herself. They were fascinated by it and hung off her every word; it even seemed quite genuine and not some sort of business tactic.

When she was done, the Banean and Numiri were put through several sets of tasks to prove their viability as slaves and how obedient they were. The Banean was focused on more cerebral tasks while the larger Numiri was given more physical challenges including sparring with one of the Boray’s slave guards; Lyra’s trained dog had won, of course.

“These two are certainly a rare find - the Numiri especially.” Lyra pointed out and placed her hands on the Numiri man’s shoulders. She leaned into his back and spoke to the Boray men over his shoulder with an enticing look in her dark eyes and an equally alluring timbre to her voice.

“You’ll likely never find another like him.”

The two brothers turned to discuss with each other and Lyra resumed her seat at the table.

“What about the woman?” Traxus asked and eyed Lottie with clear lust in his eyes.

“She’s mine and not for sale.” Lyra replied definitively. Lottie glanced over at her, confused by the phrasing though said nothing.

“Pity, but understandable.” The men sat back down with Lyra at the table

Lyra waited as Nevalon and Traxus settled in, their eyes flicking between her and the slaves. She knew the value of what she was offering, and she had no intention of letting them lowball her. She spoke with confidence, but kept her voice low. "Now, let's discuss the matter of payment.”

Nevalon leaned back, his expression thoughtful. "For these two slaves, we are prepared to offer 120,000 credits."

Traxus nodded in agreement. "And an additional 20,000 in precious jewels."

Lyra’s smile didn't waver, but her eyes hardened slightly. They had listened to what she had wanted with the combination of credits and jewels, but they were not giving her nearly the amount she was after. "One hundred twenty thousand credits and 20,000 in jewels?" she echoed. "Surely you jest. The Numiri alone could command such a price on his own. Strong, skilled in combat, and obedient. A perfect bodyguard or fighter. And the Banean, with his intellect, is an asset to any strategic planning. Both are rare finds, fully trained, and in prime condition. I am looking for 200,000 credits and 50,000 in jewels"

Nevalon hesitated, glancing at his brother before speaking again. "They are impressive, yes, but we must consider our own margins."

Lyra considered the two aliens before her. She had picked up on Nevalon’s hesitation and had felt his attention lingering on places that certainly were not on any of the slaves at her back. She turned her focus toward him, leaning toward him in a way that pulled her jacket slightly and revealed more of the curves on her body. Her dark eyes settled on his, and she parted her plush lips with purpose.

"Margins are important, I agree. But consider this: by acquiring these two, you gain not just their immediate services but the prestige of owning such unique and powerful assets." Her voice was melodic, giving a guise of understanding with their hesitation.

Nevalon seemed to waver, looking between Lyra and Traxus. "We recognize their value, Commander, but 200,000 credits and 50,000 in jewels is a steep price."

Lyra’s demeanor didn’t waver despite her annoyance. "You both know as well as I do that in the right circles, these slaves would fetch even higher prices."

Traxus sighed, leaning forward. "We could perhaps go up to 150,000 credits and 30,000 in jewels. That is a generous offer."

Finally, Lyra’s gaze hardened. "That is still below their worth. Consider the Numiri’s combat capabilities alone and the fact that his species is now virtually extinct except for a smattering of ships. Two hundred thousand credits and 50,000 in jewels, or I take them to someone who truly understands their value."

Traxus frowned, clearly conflicted. "Your point is valid, but the investment is substantial."

Lyra leaned back, crossing her legs with a confident air. Apparently they needed it spelled out for them in small words since they hadn’t picked up on it the first time. She spoke again, her face softening into a small, daring smirk that was coupled with a voice that held just the slightest of sultry notes. "Gentlemen, think long-term. The notoriety of owning such rare and capable slaves will attract more business to you, increase your standing among your peers, and ensure that your operations run more smoothly and securely. This is not just a purchase; it’s an enhancement to your entire enterprise."

The brothers exchanged a look, silently communicating. Though they were still hesitant, the way she spoke of the potential celebrity was intoxicating to them. Traxus spoke up, “We need a moment, please.”

Lyra nodded, her eyes never wavering. “Take your time. I assure you, it will be worth it.”

The brothers stood and moved away, engaging in a hushed conversation. Lyra watched them, her demeanor calm and confident. She knew they would come around. The slaves she offered were too valuable to pass up.

After a few minutes, the brothers returned, their expressions resigned but accepting. “Very well, Commander Cassiel,” Nevalon said. “Two hundred thousand credits and fifty thousand in precious gems, minerals, and metals.”

Lyra’s smile widened. “Excellent choice, gentlemen. I’m sure you’ll find these slaves to be worth every credit.” She extended her hand, and the brothers took turns shaking it.

As the deal was finalized, Lyra couldn’t help but feel a thrill of satisfaction. She had gotten exactly what she wanted, and the brothers were none the wiser to her subtle manipulations. She rose from her seat, gesturing for Lottie and the other slaves to follow.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” she said over her shoulder, leaving the brothers to marvel at their new acquisitions.

As they walked away, Lottie glanced up at Lyra with a mix of admiration and fear. She had made that entire exchange look so easy and those slaves had sold for more than she could have ever dreamed of, but what lingered in her mind was Lyra’s words of claim over her. Perhaps it had just been something easy.

With the deal concluded and her purpose fulfilled, Lyra led her entourage back through the trading post with a confident stride. The galaxy was a vast place, full of opportunities for those bold enough to seize them. And Lyra Cassiel was nothing if not bold.


OFF]]> Sun, 28 Jul 2024 06:39:38 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/822 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/822
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Aeroshuttle

ON

It had been a day since they encountered the Vidian Convoy on Long-Range Sensors and Andrei had gotten his lecture from Annalise. He hadn’t left any better than he’d arrived and it seemed that his working relationship with the woman was coming close to a tipping point. He was sure his little get-away mission with Kit would be seen as a relief for both of them. Lyra, at least, wouldn’t scream in the woman’s face.

He stepped onto the Aeroshuttle with a go-bag over his shoulder. Since there was quite a lot of travel to be done, he came dressed in a silk-like purple button-up and gray dress pants, saving himself the trouble of being in uniform for hours. He placed his bag on the floor in the quarters and then made his way into the cockpit. Sitting at the helm, he logged into the system and started the pre-flight check. He was eager to get going.

Kit entered the shuttle soon after, tossing her back into the sleeping area without a care in the world and coming up to the cockpit. She herself was dressed in an old t-shirt with some rock band logo emblazoned on it and an old pair of faded, comfortable looking jeans.

“Honey, I’m home.” She announced as she entered, her eyes finding the back of Andrei’s head. “Sorry, had to say goodbye to our girlfriend.”

Andrei chuckled at that and shook his head. He wondered if Kit knew that Lyra was the one not down for any arrangement close to that. He tapped several keys at his console before he responded.

“Well, while you were out there flirting, I was in here slaving over a hot console. Why do I have to do all the work around here?”

“You’re doing just fine where you are, sweetcheeks. Flirting is my job.” She said and moved up next to him, looking down at the console. “Alright good enough, let’s get going. I hate long shuttle rides.”

“This is a really very comfortable shuttle. I think you’ll be okay.” He said, looking over his shoulder at her. “The engineer wants to cut corners on the pre-flight check? That isn’t comforting in the slightest.”

“What can I say, I’m confident in the crew.” She shrugged and moved to sit down in one of the chairs. “But if you need to do your checks, you go right ahead. I’ll just sit here and look pretty.”

Andrei continued the diagnosis, figuring it was better to be sure everything worked than not. Kit was amusing, but he already found himself missing Lyra. For a moment, he wondered if it would have been better had the three of them gone, but then he pushed the thought aside, silently deciding to take Lyra out when they could.

“All finished.” He said after a few minutes.

“Look at you following all those protocols. I’m so proud.” She sniffed and wiped a nonexistent tear from her eye, then immediately turned to the console. With a few quick movements of her hands, she looked over at him. “We’re cleared for launch.”

“Fuck you.” he said with a grin, moving to the next task. “Detach the docking clamps. I’m depressurizing the bay in three…two…one…”

“Hope I didn’t leave the oven on.” She grinned as the docking clamps slid out of place and released the aeroshuttle from its cradle. “Here’s to a productive trip for both of us.”

“I’m sure you’ll find something to cram into that egg head.” he said as he used thrusters to bring the Aeroshuttle a safe distance from Vengeance. Once they were free and clear, he turned to Kit. “Want to see what I’ve been working on?”

“Wow. Egg head? My head is perfectly shaped thank you.” Kit snorted at him then grinned to show she hadn’t taken offense obviously. “Did you learn to balance a hat on your dick?”

“I did that when I was twelve.” he said, smiling cockily and stood up. “A top hat at that. That wasn’t the project I was talking about.”

Unseen by her, Andrei accessed the patch over his bionic eye and tapped into the shuttle’s systems. With a simple command, the shuttle rocketed forward away from Vengeance.

“I’ve got a new addition to my arsenal. Direct interfacing that even allows me to access outside cameras. The really significant question is: can I pilot this shuttle with my mind while balancing a top hat on my dick?”

“Huh, fancy.” Kit moved over closer to him, her face right up next to his and her brown eyes considering his patch. Every semblance of personal space was ignored. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her tricorder and held it up by his temple.

“I’m going to assume you’re not stupid and know the risks of such a thing.”

“Sure, I could lose my boner and then the trick is ruined.” Andrei said with a smile as he turned the shuttle sharply, bracing himself first in an attempt to jostle Kit. “Why do you think I even told you? These controls are sluggish, and I want to make sure this device doesn’t blow up. And you know all about having things explode all over your face, so you’re the perfect little helper.”

Kit swayed but maintained her feet. “Ah you’re not my first bucking bronco.” She laughed and shook her head, tapping the tricorder a few times. “Are you feeling any physical symptoms when you use it?”

“No, not so far. No migraines or anything like that.” he answered, the smile slowly falling from his handsome face. “I would have expected it to be a bit more difficult, but I’m also used to using the patch daily to network with computers and it's not like its making use of a real eye.”

“No but it’s still making use of your brain.” She said and poked the side of his head rudely. “How long of a stretch have you used it specifically in this scenario before?”

“A few dozen hours in simulations.” He said, nudging her in the side with his elbow. “But, as for actual flight tests in the actual Aeroshuttle…this is the very first time.”

“Mm, yeah simulations are alright but they don’t really cut it when it comes to figuring out how something like this might really affect you.” Kit considered a moment. “How long have you had the eye and the patch in general?”

“Since the Kazon on Lovarr gouged my real eye out of my skull half a year ago.” He said, and pitched the shuttle up dramatically.

Kit grabbed the back of his chair to steady herself but otherwise didn’t move from where she stood. “Right. Okay then. You use the interface every day in some capacity?”

“Almost always when I’m on duty.” He responded in a focused tone. “There’s an asteroid out there. I can see it on sensors. Bringing weapons online.”

“Careful trying to do too much at once, Andrei. Ease yourself into it.” Kit cautioned and moved to sit back down while the tricorder still ran its scans next to her.

The shuttle streamed toward the asteroid at full impulse power, and Andrei focused on training the phasers on the target. The weapons fired, impacting the asteroid and blowing it to bits, but it was clear it wouldn’t be safe to fly through the debris. He attempted to change course, but a strange clinching sound from computer indicated a belayed ordered. A bit more panicked then, he tried to maneuver. Finally, the helm responded and the shuttle jumped to the side at the last possible second.

He looked at Kit silently.

“Mmmmkay.” Kit hummed, seemingly at ease but her elevated heart rate said otherwise. “Can you fly like a normal person for a while and let me see your patch?”

Andrei nodded and gave one additional piloting command, setting a course to the moon where the conference was scheduled and bringing them to warp with a flash. He then reached up and decoupled the patch from his bionic eye. Sitting behind the helm, he placed it on the recessed part of her console.

Kit picked it up in her hands and immediately began to play with it, holding it about an inch from her face. “So what do you do with this on a daily basis? I know you gave a general answer but I’d like more specifics.”

“I look at women without their clothes on, I take note of bra sizes, and I read ship readiness reports.” He answered, running his hand along the sleek metal beside the consoles. “It networks with the computer, so I can use it for anything you might use a console for.”

“Are you much of a tit man?” Kit asked without missing a beat. “Your woman’s got a beautiful rack but there’s bigger ones out there.”

“Size isn’t the only factor.” He said, not really answering the question. “I really am not too picky as long as a woman’s fit and beautiful.” He said, and then paused. “Oh, and is smart or whatever”

Immediately, she laughed at that and shook her head. “Well I don’t fucking believe that for a second.” She put the patch back down on the console and then got up, retreating to one of the other stations where she pulled out a small toolkit. “So how long is it going to take us to get there?”

“It’s an 11 hour journey at cruising speed.” He said, leaning back in the chair by slouching. “And what do you mean you don’t believe me?”

“I don’t believe a woman has to be smart or any sort of whatever except reasonably attractive for you to bend her over and show her your nacelle.” She gestured to him slightly but was busy taking tools out of the kit. “Now, the one you keep if you decide to stop humping like a rabbit I could see being one of two options.”

“And those are?” He said, amused and seemingly not offended in the slightest.

“Boring, dull, but utterly devoted and kissing your feet to where you could do no wrong, or someone with fire who will probably make you want to kill her more than once in your relationship, but will keep you engaged and interested for forever.” Kit shrugged and glanced at him then picked up a tool and the patch and began to poke at it.

“Actually, I prefer my women fiery and incredibly devoted. I’m writing a book. It’s called ‘Why I deserve more’.” He said, smiling.

“Good fucking luck with that, babe. That’s a unicorn.” Kit grinned and shook her head and looked down at the patch. “Whoops.”

“Spoken like a true cynic. You should be ashamed.” He said, popping his fist down on the console. “I’m not interested in anyone who isn’t loyal. There is nothing less sexy than disloyalty.”

“Does that go both ways?” Kit asked and looked at him again, clearly amused by the notion of it all when it came to Andrei.

“Obviously.” He said with a wave of his hand. “You’re still wearing clothes, aren’t you? I have been a very very good boy.”

“Mm… guess so. Guess you must trust her then too to have left her back on the ship with Orion.” The patch in her hand gave a slight beep of a sound and she flipped it over, continuing her work. “He told me what happened months back, you know.”

“What do you mean he told you? Is he an idiot?” Andrei asked, looking at her amused. “If I had suffered a thorough humiliation like that, I would take it to the grave with me. What did he tell you exactly?”

“That your lady was jacking you off under the table while you were eating dinner, you scurried off to the bathroom and she chased you down and then you two rolled around all hot and sweaty on his bed.” Kit grinned and shook her head. “Naughty people.”

“I think you’re jealous.” He said with a grin. “Now, after hearing his pathetic story, why would you imagine I have anything to worry about leaving them together?”

“Not so much worried about the cheating thing more of the whole ‘vengeful man’ thing.” Kit pointed out and shrugged slightly.

“If he were to touch her, I’d cut his little dick off and shove it in his mouth so hard, it would break all of his teeth. And I think, deep down in that pea-sized brain of his, he knows that.”

“Not much you can do when you’re away for a conference though.” She pointed out and waved her tool at him slightly. “I’m sure he won’t be stupid enough to try. She’s probably eat him.”

The last time Andrei put his total trust in Lyra to defend herself, it hadn’t really worked out for her. He didn’t hold it against her, but rather blamed himself. He couldn’t imagine a world where Orion was a man to worry about, be his method of attack, romantic or violent, but he didn’t like being away from her, and Kit’s comments accentuated that.

“I couldn't be less concerned.” He said with a shake of his head. “His bed was a mess, by the way. I wonder how he decided to get it clean.”

“I think he just got a new one from storage, honestly.” Kit shrugged but was looking at Andrei out of the corner of her eyes, trying to discern if what he had said was actually true or not. She couldn’t deny she was interested in the dynamics of their relationship - it could make her a lot of money in the end.

“Incredibly funny.” Andrei said, and stood, going back to the replicator. “You want something to drink?”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you are having is fine.” She replied, obviously very distracted in her tinkering with his patch. She’d actually been a bit surprised he had handed it over to her without fuss. It would have been very easy for her to modify it to do rather terrible things to him.

Andrei ordered two black teas and returned to the work console where she was sitting. He placed her mug there and then hovered a bit, watching her work.

“What exactly are you doing?”

“Reworking some of the links in here to process sequenced commands faster. You’re still going to need to be careful how much you do under your own power though, Andrei.”

“Why is that? Can’t we just make it faster still?” He asked, sipping the piping hot tea, unphased by the heat.

“We can make the device faster, but we can’t make you faster I’m afraid unless you want to start replacing bits of your brain with machinery which will probably in turn change who you are completely, so take that as you will.” Kit shrugged. “Personally I recommend against that.”

“I see what you mean.” Andrei said with a quick nod of his head, sipping his tea again. “As long as I can give a command once every half second without that thing rejecting the order, I should be okay. I’ll make sure I learn the exact limit of what I can handle. That’s what I do.”

“Well that is the plan.” She nodded. “Anyone go over the normal risks with you of linking your brain up with the computer by the way? Or did you just decide to do that all on your own?”

“It was discussed and debated. Our former Assistant Chief Engineer helped me develop the patch, but let’s say she wasn’t a huge fan of the idea, but I was told the risks, and I weighed them.”

“As long as you are aware and actually listened, that’s what matters.” She replied and made a few more adjustments. “Okay, we’ll give this a try. Just remember - you probably aren’t going to really be able to do more than two things at once.”

“That’s fine.” He said, grinning and taking the patch. He placed it over his bionic eye and polarized it. Then, logging into the system, he brought the Aeroshuttle out of warp. “It’s definitely much faster, you damn miracle worker you.”

“Now just keep in mind with the changes you might need to adjust over the next few days. It is going to make more demands on you, so I’d sincerely caution against overuse and the moment you start to feel dizzy or a headache coming on or anything like that, stop and take it off for a while.” Kit spoke as she put the tools back into their box.

“If I bring you back to the ship and you’ve fried your brain I don’t think Lyra will be all too happy with me.”

“Blah blah blah.” He said, waving his hand dismissively. Then he eyed her and smiled. “I’m fucking with you. I’ll be so careful. Don’t you fret about me.”

“Honestly I wouldn’t even care but the problem is she would blame me and then probably kill me and honestly I like me and I like being alive so I’d like to avoid that.” At first she seemed serious about that, then looked at him and gave a grin and a wink to show she was just teasing.

“Now why don’t you get us back to going zip zip to the conference, hm?”

At first, Andrew thought she was serious, but when she smiled, he finally realized that it was a joke. All kidding aside, he thrived on loyalty, and anyone feeling ambivalent toward him, his success, or his well-being turned him completely off.

“She would not be happy, no.” He said simply, and jumped them back into warp again.

Kit finally picked up her tea and took a sip, sighing out over the brim immediately. “So do you like to play cards or anything?”

“I enjoy a good game of cards every now and then.” He said, removing the patch and sliding it into his pockets. “I brought liquor too, so that should keep things interesting.”

“Look at you making plans.” Kit chuckled. “Well then, sounds like we’ll have a good time of it. Better be interesting though, I’m missing out on a trading post and those usually have all kinds of neat and fun things.”

“Well, if not, there’s always the hat trick.” He said, walking over to the helm and checking some of their travel stats. “But I say we take it back to the academy and play a game of truth or dare.”

“Now there’s a thought.” Kit laughed and kicked her feet up on the console after turning it off. “Sure, I’m game.”

“Alright, you first. Truth or dare?” He asked, leaning against the transporter and sipping his tea again.

“Let’s go with truth.” She replied after considering a moment.

“Hmm..what’s your biggest insecurity?” Andrei asked with a grin.

“My tits. I don’t have them.” She said and immediately grabbed at her very small chest without shame. “It is very sad, but I suppose at least they don’t get in the way when I’m working.”

“No, that can’t be.” He said leaning in and looking with squinted eyes. “I’m sure I see some there. Hard to tell with all that fabric in the way, isn’t it?”

He looked at her jokingly, his face moving from strained effort to a smile.

“It’s honestly attractive on you, Kit. Really goes with your ‘one of the boys’ vibe. Big tits on you would make you less, I think.” He said, and it seemed honest. He finished his cup of still-hot tea, not seeming to feel any burn effects.

“Oh I wouldn’t want big knockers, that would just be stupid, but if I could fill my own hands that would be fun.” Kit grinned at him and then threw her hands up dramatically. “What can ya do? Truth or dare?”

“A minor, though somewhat tacky, surgery at this point.” He said with a smile. “But that’s cheating.”

He placed his mug in the replicator and didn’t bother to watch as it dematerialized.

“Truth first.”

“What’s the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?” She asked, still sipping her tea and not seeming in a rush at all.

He thought about that question for a few silent seconds before he answered, furrowing his brow.

“I had this dream where I walked in on Princess Gigi in the shower once. Let’s just say she turned into her older brother before I was properly inserted.” He frowned then. “It always pisses me off when that happens.”

He looked at her a bit colder then, his gaze heating up.

“Don’t tell anyone about that. Lyra and Giana were close and I don’t need that in her head. Besides, it was weeks ago. Old news.”

“Does that uh… happen often?” She asked and tilted her head while blinking at him. That was a strange dream and she was sure some shrink somewhere would have a field day analyzing it and claiming he had some latent attraction to men.

“Fucking symbols of power in my dreams? Yes. Stabbing powerful men who try to stop me in the dick? Also yes.” He said, seeming satisfied with his own answer even if she wasn’t. “Truth or dare?”

“Uh huh.” Kit just looked at him with her intelligent brown eyes that were brighter than Lyra’s, but lacked the intensity Andrei was greeted with when he looked at his woman. “Truth.”

“Okay, sure.” He said, thinking. “What was your biggest heartbreak?”

“First and last boyfriend when I was nineteen. Caught him in bed fucking my best friend when I came home early from work to surprise him on our anniversary, so that was a triple whammy as they say.” She waved her hand slightly and gave a sigh, obviously it still bothered her to a point.

“What an asshole.” Andrei said, watching her closely, soaking in every sign of how the betrayal made her feel. He had been a dog, but never a cheating one, and he didn’t find the idea attractive at all. “Anyone I would know?”

“Oh no, I can’t imagine you would. Wasn’t in the fleet and was a peasant like I am. He was a lot older though and that probably should have said something about the whole situation in hindsight.” Kit shrugged and gave a smile, though there was a sadness lingering in the corners. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare.” he said, smiling. He figured the opportunity might raise her spirits, after all.

“Let me paint your nails and you keep it on the whole time for the conference.” She challenged him with a smirk. It was a tame dare to be sure, but given the story she had just told, it was reasonable to assume Kit was treading lightly. Andrei was an immensely attractive man and while he had too much drama surrounding him for anything other than a fling, she couldn’t deny this game probably would have taken a very different turn had he not been in a relationship. She was very curious, and she hadn’t really been joking about hearing him and Lyra going at it now and then - it only fed that curiosity for the experience.

Having known that particular pain though, she would never inflict it on another woman - maybe one that had done her wrong… maybe… but Lyra hadn’t done anything to her and frankly Kit had no trust in Andrei’s ability to actually resist someone he was interested in really coming on to him especially in this situation where they were very alone and his woman was very, very much not present. Men seemed to default to “out of sight, out of mind”.

“You’re joking.” he said, sounding quite certain as the smile faded from his face. His first instinct was to refuse it out of hand, but then he realized the stakes were much lower among non-Terrans who would have no idea the connotations. “On a dare, that’s it? No money involved?”

“Well if you bitch out you’ll have to do something instead or I get to tell everyone you bitched out of truth or dare.” Kit said and leaned in closer, propping her chin up in her hand as she rested her arm on the console.

“Fine, you witch. But black, like the color of your heart, and my hair.” he said, shaking his head. “You didn’t actually bring nail polish, did you?”

“Fuck that, you don’t get to pick the color.” Kit said and stood. “No one gets to dictate the terms of the dare, they can just say they aren’t doing it.” She stepped closer to him, crossing her arms and looking down at him with challenging eyes.

“So are you chickening out?”

“I am going to get you back for this.” He said, his tone serious to the point of being frightening, but his face grinning. “Fine, fine.”

“Probably, but it will be worth it.” Kit laughed as she walked over to the replicator. “And of course I didn’t bring any with me, do I seem like the manicure type?”

She tapped a few commands into the console and something shimmered into existence, but she grabbed it up in her hand to hide it before Andrei could see.

“It’s hot pink, fuck you.” he said, glaring at her. “And no, you don’t seem like the manicure type. I’m perfectly expecting you to do as well as a five year old girl.”

He pointed to the door, seeming absolutely surly about the dare and barely of any real good humor. “There’s a table in the multi-purpose room.”

He departed first before her, heading through the door, the small corridor, and yet another door before he entered the quarters. The room was designed with inlaid bunkbeds, but would only hold two on this particular voyage. He reached into his bag and produced a bottle of pale pink liquor before walking out of the back door and into the aft room. The relatively large space was a cargo hold of sorts, but currently had a conference table sitting in the middle of the floor. Outside the windows the stars streaked away from them, reminding the Russian man of the view from After 11. He wondered what Lyra would think of him walking around with nail polish on and then quickly pushed the thought from his mind. She was never going to find out.

He set the tall bottle on the table and then went to the replicator, ordering two glasses with ice.

“Excuse you it is bubblegum pink. Get it right.” She said and showed him the bright pink nail polish with a huge, mischievous grin. “Matches the drink. What the hell is that anyways?” She gestured to the bottle and plopped down into one of the chairs where the bottle was.

“It’s a moonshine Jackie found in the mountains on Sikaris. Kicks like a mule, so it’s perfect for this.” he said, putting the glasses down on the table and sitting down. “It’s supposed to be served with ice, she says. I’m pretty sure she marked up the price when I offered to buy it from her, but that’s Jackie.”

“Aw poor you, having to pay extra for a nice thing.” Kit reached for the bottle and opened it immediately, giving it a sniff and immediately shaking her head. “Woah.”

“I’m going to get you shitfaced before I dare you to jump out of the airlock.” he said, grinning as he presented the fingers on one hand and slid his glass to her with the other.

“You’re so rude.” She said as she poured the alcohol for both of them and closed the bottle once more. “Well now I imagine we’d be down to a game of truth or truth while I work on making you pretty.”

She picked up the nail polish and shook it rapidly before twisting it open and pulling the brush top out of the bottle.

“That’s alright. It gives me time to think of the perfect punishment for you. I’d suggest a spanking, but you’d like that, you freak.” he said, chuckling and picking up his glass. He took a sip, and just a sip. It was strong and sweet. “You’re the adventurous type, I know..what’s the riskiest place you and Stagg have had sex?”

Truth be told, Andrei’s attraction for Kit was no small thing. She had the down-to-earth habits he found incredibly sexy in a short-term fling. He was a man’s man under it all, and he appreciated man’s women. He was alarmed that Lyra had so much more of a problem with Revana than Kit, but Revana’s appeal to a man like him was more predictable. Still, despite what people suspected, he was very much a one woman man, and he could tell Kit understood the natural boundaries of their fun. For that reason, he considered her a safe female friend, though he’d keep the label to himself. Jealousy in relationships was impossible to prevent.

“I fucked him under the warp core once. It wasn’t fantastic because the space is so fucking small, but it was fun just for what it was.” Kit chuckled and grabbed Andrei’s hand with her left while the right wielded the brush with which she began to spread the obnoxiously pink lacquer.

“What about you and Lyra?”

Andrei didn’t answer right away. The main reason for that is because he and Lyra had made sport of making love in the most fantastical situations they could considering where they had been. He wasn’t sure which to pick, but the other reason is many of them had to be kept a secret because they involved them doing so near someone’s dead body in one environment or another.

“Oh, so many options. Which to choose?” He said, trying not to watch her defile his hand with that ghastly pink liquid. “There was Orion’s bed, which you know about. That was pretty wild. But I think the best one had to be in the rain on Banea. It was pouring down, and we were wrapped up in each other on our balcony for the entire planet to see.”

“The planet with the bird people, right?” Kit briefly glanced up and then went back to her work. To her credit, she didn’t look like she was purposefully messing it up - yet. “Sounds hot.”

“It was. But it always is.” he said with a smile, wishing he could mention their first time in Ivers quarters directly next to his newly dead corpse. Kit wouldn’t understand, he imagined. She was far too normal for that. “When was the last time you peed yourself?”

“When I was sixteen. I got really drunk at a party, went to the bathroom and thought I took off my pants but I hadn’t.” She replied easily, not seemingly particularly ashamed of it. “This is definitely your color.”

She paused to take a sip of the drink and reload the brush. “Gonna need two coats though.”

“How did you manage to get out of the party without letting everyone know what happened?” he asked, chuckling at the presented memory with more mirth than she had shown.

“Ran out and jumped in the pool of course.” She chuckled. “Clothes and everything, couple others joined in so it was all in good fun.”

Briefly, she looked up at him again. “What’s the first thing you would do if you woke up as a woman instead of a man one day?”

“That’s obvious, I can’t even believe you have to ask!” He said, slamming his hand on the table hard enough to rattle the glasses. He pretended to be angry, all in fun. “I’d go shopping.”

He smiled and shrugged. “But, right before that, I’d probably play with myself.”

“Okay, different spin on it - what if you and your girlfriend swapped bodies?” Kit asked with a grin while continuing her project on his fingertips.

“That is too obvious to need answers. I’m not ashamed.” He answered, but then he paused and thought about it for a moment. “But hold on..”

“Well?” Kit prompted more or less immediately as if the concept of patience was completely foreign to her. She finished on Andrei’s first hand and reached for the second.

“I’d probably just keep to myself.” He answered, extending the other hand while shaking his head.

“Well what the hell kind of fun is that, hm?” She challenged and then ran the nail polish brush up his finger before landing on his nail.

“I’m not interested in sleeping with myself or any man.” He said with a smile. “I’ve got a good one. What’s your secret fantasy?”

“But you’d be in her body so - you know what nevermind you weirdo.” Kit laughed and paused to drink more of the potent drink. “See, I’d love to be a guy just once. I’ve always wanted to know what that all would feel like from your point of view.”

“That explains your question…and your nacelle comments at the gym.” He said with a smile, looking down at his nails and wondering when she would be done. “Maybe you should invent a machine for brain swapping.”

“Now there’s an idea.” She chuckled, finishing on the second hand and then taking the first again. “Worst date you’ve ever had?”

“That’s easy. I once took a girl out to a restaurant at the academy, trying to get in her pants, obviously.”he started with a smile. “Well, apparently she hadn’t been feeling very well, and halfway through the date, she blew the chocolate milkshake she was drinking all over my face. She offered to help me clean it up, but I politely declined.”

He looked at her and smiled then, devious.

“I dare you to speak exclusively in rhymes for the entire duration of this trip, then moan after everything you say.”

“I don’t believe I asked for a dare.” Kit smirked and finished the last of his nails with the second coat. “There. Now don’t you look pretty, I’m sure all the girls will flash you their titties.”

She screwed the cap onto the bottle, let out a little moan, and winked at him before going over to the replicator.

He smiled at the rhyme she made, but when she moaned, his eyes went wide for a second.

“I can’t decide if that dare is a good idea or not yet.” He said. Then he looked at his fingers and grimaced. “Nor this one.”

Kit grinned at him again, her amusement apparently fueled by his discomfort surrounding his nails. “Aw, don’t worry, you look nice. I think I’m going to have some pizza; want a slice?” She asked, giving another short, almost playful moan as she walked over to the replicator.

It helped that Kit was such a good sport, he laughed along with her and nodded.

“Normally I don’t like to do that to my body, but I’ll make an exception for the occasion. Just make sure it’s worth it.”

Kit scoffed. “You worry too much, you live at the gym.” She tapped the replicator which spat out two plates almost immediately and brought them back to the table. Both had two slices instead of one of fully loaded pizza.

“And you fuck your girlfriend nightly with vigor and vim.” She moaned again, clearly trying to imitate Lyra but not coming close.

“Not every night.” He corrected with a smile, taking the plate from her and reaching for the slice. “Sometimes I think you might be in your room with your ear to the wall, putting the handle of your hyperspanner to good use.”

Kit looked up, wondering if she had struck some sort of nerve with his correction and decided to leave it alone.

“I can do wicked things with spanner in hand; as an added bonus, it has way more stamina than a man.” She moaned again, then promptly filled her mouth with pizza.

“You’re too good at that. I think you may have missed your calling. The gods had in mind that you be a poet..” He said, taking a bite and not bothering to finish chewing before he went on. He knew it would count for nothing with Kit. “I know the feeling.”

“Do you?” Kit’s brows lifted slightly in surprise. “I have a hard time picturing you as a poet too.” She moaned into her slice of pizza again.

The moans were starting to get to him, and he was starting to wonder if he could put up with them for the next few days. He pushed it out of his mind the best he could and shook his head.

“Not poet.” He said, his mouth full of pizza. “Porn star.”

Kit laughed at that though sputtered and coughed. She reached for her drink and took a sip to clear her throat. The burn wasn’t really comfortable, but she hadn’t brought anything else over. “Alright alright, I give up. You win. This rhyming thing is going to break my brain. Porn star, hm? I thought you already kind of fancied yourself one.”

“Hell no. If you give in, then why should I walk around with nail polish on my fingers?” He asked, leaning back and pausing in his bites. “And no, I don’t record. It’s a poor investment in one’s future.”

“Because if you don’t that means you’re a loser too and you couldn’t stand that.” Kit challenged with a grin. “Is it a poor investment? Most porn stars seem like they are filthy rich if they are good at it. Well, they would be if they didn’t blow it all on drugs, alcohol, and bitches “

“No, it absolutely does not. By refusing to rhyme and moan, you are breaching contract. If you don’t continue to rhyme and moan immediately, you forfeit and I will declare myself winner of this game of truth or dare WITH full bragging rights.” He said, crossing his strong arms over his chest. “And a bottle of nail polish remover.”

“Still a loser if you don’t follow through on your dare.” She wagged another piece of pizza at him. “Besides, I totally already got pictures of you with the nail polish on. Gonna send them to the girlfriend.”

“That could be hazardous to your welbeing. She might not actually find it funny.” He said, raising an eyebrow. “You lose. Admit it.”

“I already said that I give up and you win like five minutes ago you were just too busy fantasizing about being a porn star.” She pointed out and took another bite of pizza.

“She would find it hilarious.”

“I love to win.” Andrei said, smirking, and then standing up to move to the replicator to order the nail polish remover.

“Well it’s fortunate you won’t be doing that damn moaning anymore. It was becoming unbelievably sexy. I was considering making you sleep back here on this table tonight.”

“Nah, I don’t sleep in the dog house because a man made a silly decision.” Kit winked at him and moved to put her plate and the now empty drink into the replicator. “Now if you excuse me, I’m going to go take a nap.”

She didn’t really give him a chance to protest as she began to wander toward the hall that would take her to the sleeping quarters.

Andrei watched her go without complaint. It had been a fun evening, but it was understandable if she was getting tired. He wandered back to the table with the nail polish remover and sat down. All fun aside, he was grateful she gave him an escape.

END
]]> Sun, 28 Jul 2024 06:35:43 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/831 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/831
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Phantom Depot Starbase

A smile spread across Sipov's face as the last few strips of latinum were placed into his outstretched hand. "A pleasure doing business with you."

The Dralian female that stood across from him had been a repeat customer, one that had commonly paid for the day labor provided by his prisoner, Daraan. The Cardassian was filthy and had his hands cuffed in front of him, deep contusions over parts of his face, covered with a film of dirt and grease. He hadn't had a shower in days, not that Sipov cared. The more money he could save to try and leave this place, the better. He also needed to find a buyer for this alien bastard that he was half responsible for at the moment.

A guard stepped forward, ready to take him back to the jail. A couple slips of latinum were exchanged and another smile appeared, this time from the other man. "I'll take extra care of him, like always."

"See that you do, or you'll end up just like him" Sipov quipped. He stood there wearing a pair of dark slacks and a lighter shirt, his shoes were clean and polished. The extra money he'd been making lately after he found out he could have Daraan clean out the stations waste extraction system meant he could spare a little more expense on clothing and much needed amenities he'd been going without for months now. Ever since the transport ship made it to the station, the crew had gone their separate ways after selling the ship for scrap and splitting the profits, mostly evenly.

The main reason he was still remaining was due to the injuries he'd sustained over hazardous journey getting there, after the abuse he'd suffered at the hands of his captors previously. As a result the medical treatment Sipov had required was extensive and the healing time and cost matched that.

"Get this stinking Cardie out of here."

Daraan gave his usual evil look at the human before being hit in the back with a club and beginning to stumble away "You'll pay for this one day, Sipov."

"Not if I kill you first. You're the one in cuffs, not me." He laughed as the guard shuffled away his prisoner and the woman who'd been watching the entire exchange quirked an eyebrow. "Just keep him in good enough shape so I can pay for him tomorrow again. He does good work, when properly motivated. Not bad for an alien slave"

Sipov shrugged "He's filth. He deserves to be cleaning shit. Hopefully he dies in a pile of it one day as well, there won't have to be any sort of cleanup either. Perhaps when I leave here if he's still alive I'll sell him to you. For a fair price."

The woman returned a nod "I'll see if it's an option, it's usually cheaper to rent them than maintain a slave."

"Well just remember, word gets around fast and someone else who buys him will probably charge more, if they even want to provide you with his services." His stomach growled, reminding him it was nearly time to eat. The idea of food was cut short however when he felt the ache him his left leg. His femur was still healing and it was time to go and get it checked, and likely another treatment. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go see the doctor..."

The woman gave a nod "Of course. Same time tomorrow morning then?"

He took a moment to consider raising the price but instead agreed "Same time. He'll be ready."

Both of them went their separate ways, leaving the maintenance bay with Sipov half limping his way towards medical. The station itself was fairly advanced, well kept and overall a nice looking place. It wasn't the most beautiful place he'd ever seen but for a station out in the middle of nowhere in this Delta quadrant but was nicer than some of the places back home. He had no clue how he'd ever get back there or of it was even possible but for the time being that wasn't his greatest concern. With no sign of the Empire about, deciding what his next lot in life would be was a higher priority. At least he could still fly.

Once he arrived at the med bay, the doors opened and one of the nurses recognized him, motioning for him to go ahead and take a seat.

It only took a few minutes after he moved up onto the bio bed for the doctor, an older man with grey streaks in his hair and a long scar on the left side of his face, to walk up and begin scanning him. "That leg....are you sure you don't want us to just cut it off? It would almost be quicker to fit a bio synthetic one and recovery time would be shorter...."

He shook his head "No need. Just treat it and I'll be back in a few more days."

The doctor didn't look up from his tricorder "Very well." He motioned over to the nurse to bring a hypo who then pressed it against Sipov's neck, allowing the wave of relief to wash over him with the pain relief taking effect. In addition the medication for his leg was also delivered and continued the needed treatment.

"A few more days then. If anything changes, let us know. Next patient" the doctor called out to the nurse. He didn't have time for small talk.

He slid off the bed, now able to fully walk and made his way out, heading towards the nearest cafe'. It was time for dinner. Definitely much better than anything that Danaar would be eating....]]> Sat, 01 Jun 2024 18:47:16 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/829 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/829
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - XO's Office

It was roughly half an hour after the debacle on the bridge that Lyra had left her station in the hands of one of the auxiliary officers. The whole thing had left a bad taste in her mouth. Of course she sided with Andrei for the most part; Annalise was too cautious, but Andrei’s approach left much to be desired. She knew he was desperate to find a cure for his family while Annalise was determined to protect the rest of their people; both goals seemed fundamentally at odds. Andrei had retreated to his office, and Lyra walked into the entrance doors.

“Jasper.” She greeted.

“He’s pissed.” Jasper warned her.

“Yeah I know.” Lyra waved him off and stepped into Andrei’s office proper.

When the door opened, Lyra saw the long black hair on the back of Andrei’s head. He sat in his desk chair, facing the back console display.

“I asked to be left alone, did I not?” He asked, his voice dark and dangerous.

“I didn’t really give Jasper a chance to say anything.” Lyra admitted as she walked into the office and the door closed behind her. She moved up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder as he sat there, offering her presence, but not pressing him.

“Well he’s lucky it’s you.” He said somberly, but his eyes were still trained on the logo of Imperial Starfleet presented on the screen. He was clearly frustrated, but strangely introspective. “Do you need something, Love?”

She glanced at him, her expression unreadable. She couldn’t decide if he was purposefully being aloof or if he really didn’t think she would come to him after what had happened; or maybe he just didn’t want her.

“I wanted to come and speak with you.”

“Good.” He said, turning and looking up at her finally. “There’s clearly a lot to talk about.”

Andrei turned and activated a pad on his desk. An indicator on the side would make it clear to Lyra it was an encrypted device.

“I can’t allow her to remain in command any longer. I don’t believe she has any real intention of trying to save the away team, and every day we get further away.” He said. He was angry and his behavior was unusually reserved, but he wasn’t bursting at the seams.

Of course Annalise wasn’t trying to save the away team, she was trying to continue to lead the crew to Terra. There was literally no one else in the entire fleet that cared about the away team as much as Andrei for obvious reasons, but Lyra couldn’t help be certain he wouldn’t have cared at all had his family not been on the planet. Truthfully, she didn’t know why he hadn’t remained with them, but maybe underneath it all his ambition would win out over everything.

When he offered the PADD to her, she took it, but instead of looking at it her eyes remained on him. “What are you proposing?”

“I’m proposing we do away with her. I’d prefer her dead, personally…it might be cleaner that way, since dead people can’t fight back. But I assume you and most others would want to save her and keep it bloodless.” he said, and initiated a conversation which might change the entire trajectory of the Fleet.

Lyra narrowly avoided rolling her eyes at his statement, instead taking a brief glance down to the PADD. “Yes I think that would be the smarter short term move.”

“Assuming she plays ball and goes peacefully. We could risk a serious fight trying to hold her hostage for more than a few hours.” Andrei commented. “Her allies would inevitably try to save her unless proper fear was put into them, and people might end up dying anyway. At least, if she were dead, there would be nothing to fight for.”

He leaned back in the chair, his fist clenching from the interaction earlier. If Lyra was annoyed with his point of view, he either didn’t notice or didn’t give it much thought. There was more than one way to take a ship, and he wasn’t claiming his personal desire to have her gone was the only option.

“So, if not that, then what shall we do with her to keep her away from the half of the senior staff who have served under her since arriving in the Delta Quadrant?”

Lyra shifted to sit on the edge of his desk. “She does seem to genuinely want to protect the people in this fleet. Assuming that is true, when she sees how much support we would have I doubt she would try to retaliate; a lot of people would die. If we kill her, we’d also likely end up with a number of dead Terrans seeking vengeance. I also can’t say it’s generally a popular move to kill a beautiful young woman regardless of circumstance or reason.

We’d have to confine all of the former Gladius personnel on the ship as well if we remove her.” She paused then, pensive a moment. “Though, truthfully, I don’t think she would be against going back for the away team. Not if she was given something concrete.”

Lyra understood that Annalise didn’t want to take enormous risk on the chance of a “maybe”. If Lyra were in that position, she likely would have done the same. The problem was Andrei cared about nothing or no one besides his family. The fleet could go down in flames and everyone - perhaps including her - could die if it meant he could hold his sister and mother again; he wouldn’t care. That depth of loyalty could be admirable, but it didn’t generally make a person capable of logically thinking things through.

“I’d suggest we work on planning this little coup, but we wait to enact it until after you get back with information on the cure. If you have it and she still says no, then we can remove her.”

Andrei wasn’t too concerned with the optics, but he trusted Lyra’s instincts and was willing to steer a less extreme road with her. He licked his dry lips and nodded.

“I can do that. After all, if she will act, there’s no reason for all the drama of removing her from the captain's chair.”

Lyra nodded. She was proud of how Andrei was handling this, but wasn’t sure it was right to point that out to him. Truthfully she had come in here expecting him to be in a blind rage and completely unreasonable about the whole thing. She moved a bit closer to him while remaining on the desk.

“Do you know where you’re going to look for information when you get to the conference?”

“I figured the best place to start was a hospital, if I can find one. The Vidian Scientific Database is networked to all of their facilities. We already know the Lovarr doesn’t have any serious information on the disease or its cure, but I’m more interested in finding personnel records.” Andrei answered, taking a deep, calming breath. “If Dr. Pel is located on the fringes of the Sodality, we can contact her.”

On watching him take the breath, Lyra moved again and this time slid into his lap, though sideways so she was on his thigh with her long toned legs over the arm of his chair. Her hand went to his chest, but she didn’t press for anything at all.

“Or we can just go to her and take it from her. Talking to these people has never gotten us anywhere.”

“That’s true.” Andrei said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He seemed to genuinely calm a bit more with her against him. “These aliens have always been wolves or sheep, and their stubborn stupidity can be astounding. I’m not sure Annalise is willing to fight though. It depends how challenging the odds would be.”

“Perhaps, but we will see. She is Terran and while she is certainly more cautious than I agree with, I don’t know that it necessarily means she wouldn’t fight for our people. If she isn’t, we remove the lamb from commanding the lions.” Lyra moved her hand from his chest and brought it up to trace the features of his handsome face. “We’ll get your family back, Darling.”

“We’ll get them all back.” he corrected, and grabbed her hand quickly. He brought it down to his lips and kissed it gently, looking into her eyes. “Jasper and Jackie will be with us, for what that’s worth. We can avoid calling in the Legion considering we’re trying to do this peacefully.”

Pretty words, but she knew it wasn’t about any of the others in the end.

“See I thought Jackie’s giant crush on the woman would prevent that.” She was clearly joking, and the corners of her lips turned up in a smile. “We’ll have the great majority of the security department with us as well, obviously. Some of the engineers… Sovas will support us as well.”

“Jackie likes every pretty face, so that’s nothing new. Besides, she loves my father and tells me she’s the son he never had.” Andrei said, returning the grin. “Obviously Kit won’t be for us, and I’m not sure if Nairobi will be willing to do anything drastic. She doesn’t seem like a risk taker to me, though I don’t know her very well.”

Lyra was quite sure Andrei could charm Nairobi into doing anything, but she wasn’t about to say that and add to her list of women she would likely have to take care of some day. It was already quite long. “We’ll need to find some way to draw those two out of engineering when we do this. Kit is much smarter than she lets on and very quick.”

“But she isn’t strong.” Andrei commented, eyeing Lyra. “A bit of cloak and dagger just before we arrest her will do the trick. I don’t imagine anyone in the department will press the issue when they know Annalise and Kit are both locked away and I am in command. I know many of them personally anyway, and I have no reason to suspect they’ll have some problem with my leadership. We could always bring Revana over to assist us…but I have a feeling she’ll be needed to keep an eye on Stagg. He’s one of the idiots who might actually try to stop us.”

Lyra didn’t react when he spoke of Revana, though she found it interesting he expected her to somehow keep Stagg in check while more or less dismissing Kit out of hand. “Yes, he probably will. He doesn’t like you after all.”

“I can’t imagine why.” Andrei said, running a hand through her hair. “We can make use of Immy to manage ship systems until we have control of every department. What are your thoughts on medical?”

“Brasken will be interested in a cure even if he isn’t necessarily overly supportive of the rest. Once that type of person gets something like that in their head, they rarely give up on it. He still looks for one on his own even after these months.” She leaned into him a bit more, relaxing. “The others… well, a bunch of nurses and doctors are hardly a physical threat and if we bar their access to ship systems they won’t be problems.”

“I hope they want to save Mika and Riley as much as we do. Everyone has lost someone they worked with every day.” Andrei said, and then consulted the PADD he’d given Lyra for the next item. “It would be a shame if something happened to Orion during this mutiny, wouldn’t it?”

“Much like it was a shame what happened to Johnathan during the attack in the nebula.” Lyra noted, convincing in her somber tone but delighted in those dark eyes. “If you’d like, Darling, though I admit I enjoy watching his face every time one of us passes by; so angry and ineffectual.”

“He’s the kind of weak man who can’t give up. I’m sure he masterbates to some fantasy where he makes love to you while I stand in the background crying.” Andrei said, shaking his head. “The man has an insatiable taste for justification. He despises that I’m better than him and he always has.”

Lyra laughed at that, shaking her head and sliding her arms around his shoulders. “He’s a weak man who lets that kind of petty grievance stand in his way and always will. He could probably have plenty of wealth and power if he could just accept his place as lesser.”

“He never will. And that makes him as dangerous as it makes him useful. I should find a way to keep an eye on him.” he said, and then kissed her cheek gently. “Where shall we keep them? Their quarters? The Brig?”

“We could tie Orion up in our quarters, keep him as a pet.” She teased and then kissed his forehead. “Separated would be best. The ones we worry about the most should be kept in the brig and away from being able to be nuisances, the others can be locked in their quarters and given access to nothing.”

“I’m sure he could be trained to bark like a dog and fetch the paper.” Andrei said with a chuckle. “That sounds like a good plan. Your friend Maya will need to be arrested as well. Does that bother you?”

“I doubt there will be much of a friendship after this regardless of if she were arrested or not, really.” Lyra noted and was frustratingly cryptic on her actual feelings about it. “It doesn’t matter.”

“What do you mean? I thought the two of you were getting along well.” he asked, looking confused. “It’s not like we’re killing anybody.”

“No, but it’s a betrayal and she already thinks I did that once in a way, I suppose.” She shrugged and kissed his forehead again. “She likes Annalise. The woman kept them safe and going for a long while, that kind of thing inspires a lot of loyalty.”

“We can make sure she has an extra comfortable cell as a sign of love.” he said, moving his hand through her hair again. It hadn't been a joke, and he didn’t smile. “And it’ll only be a little while anyway. The amount of time it takes to secure the cure and travel back to the Gamma Eridine System. You can visit her and make sure she knows it isn’t personal. Didn’t you say she has a boyfriend stuck on the planet? For all we know, she might be willing to help us.”

“She does, though they hadn’t been together too long so I don’t know how much she might be pining after him; with how she talked though I’m not sure they got out of the puppy love stage though, and that is strong.” Lyra sat, pensive, but was relatively certain Maya wouldn’t forgive the insult. “I wouldn’t risk trying to bring her in. She speaks very highly of Annalise.”

He nodded. It wasn’t that they needed Maya, though having her at the helm would certainly help things. It was much more that he noticed Lyra had no other real connections but him. Part of him loved that and adored having so much of her attention. The part that loved her unselfishly, however, knew she could use a friend. He knew from experience Maya was a bit softer than what Lyra probably required, but he also knew that Lyra genuinely liked her.

“Well, you could always make friends with Nat. I’m pretty sure she’d do anything we asked of her for almost nothing in return.”

“She probably would. She does seem very… into us.” Lyra smirked and reached up to play with Andrei’s black mane of hair. “Maybe we can just get everyone on our side by saying they won’t get served at After 11 if they don’t stand with us.”

Andrei laughed at that, the frustration of his argument with Annalise mostly forgotten. “We’d get almost everyone on our side right away. And I’m pretty sure all we have to do is let her watch us have sex. She looks at us like we’re on her menu.”

Lyra wasn’t entirely sure she made it on the menu or if it was just another case of a woman desiring what was hers and Lyra was merely standing in the picture.

“Maybe so, maybe so.” She smiled and kissed his lips gently.

“Is there anything else you can think of that we need to figure out?” he asked gently, his lips still close to hers. “I’m sure I’ll be called to the principal’s office soon.”

“I can’t think of anything right now except solidifying who will join us.” She replied and remained close as she was. “You probably will, naughty boy. You need a good spanking.”

She grinned then, devious, and playfully nipped his lower lip. “I think that falls under my duties.”

“Well then you’d better get to it before Annalise gives it a try, hadn’t you?” He asked with a grin, kissing her back and nipping at her lower lip just as she had.

“It isn’t something I enjoy.” She said and sighed dramatically, slowly pulling herself out of his lap and standing up for effect. She tapped the desk in front of her. Then, she giggled in a strange mix of feminine and evil.

“Oh wait, yes I do.”

“Well then.” he said, standing up as well and leaning close to her. “In the name of justice, go on.”

Lyra moved out of the way so he could put his hands on the desk and lean forward. She stood at his side, lifted her hand, and gave his rear end a sharp swat, though instead of pulling her hand back she playfully grabbed a handful of his flesh and gave it a squeeze.

“Justice served.” She grinned and then jumped up on his back playfully, her arms around his shoulders and her breasts pressing against his body.

Andrei grabbed her hands and laughed, spinning around several times with her attached to him.

“Thank you. I know you beat me because you love me.” he said, and then backed up against the window that displayed the streaming stars outside the ship, gently leaning her against it.

Lyra didn’t squirm as he pinned her between himself and the window and instead she shifted her head forward to kiss tenderly under his ear. “You know I do.”

It was spoken softly and genuinely, words of one lover to the other. She kissed him again, her lips lingering on the soft flesh there.

“Faulkner to Petrov.” Annalise’s voice cut in through the comms.

Andrei sighed immediately, at first from the intimate and arousing kiss and then from the interruption from the last person he wanted to speak with. He tapped his commbadge impatiently.

“Petrov here.” he said, and left it at that.

“I would like to see you in the ready room.” Annalise continued, her voice firm but not angry.

Lyra made a slight sound, nuzzling the tip of her nose in the spot where she had been kissing.

“I’m finishing a meeting, Captain. May I join you when I’ve taken care of the business at hand?” He asked, sounding amiable and relaxed as his hand moved up Lyra’s thigh.

There was a slight pause, then Annalise spoke again. “I’ll be expecting you in no more than thirty minutes, Commander.”

“I can make that work.” He said. “Petrov out.”

As soon as the comm line was cut, he turned around, pinning Lyra against the window the front way and kissing her passionately on the lips.

“I don’t think I learned my lesson from the first beating. You’ll have to try again.”

“Oh is that so?” She asked and slid her hands down his back to grab hold of his behind with both hands. It was playful and flirtatious and she gave him a squeeze. “Well then… assume the position, Commander.”

END
]]> Fri, 31 May 2024 06:05:34 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/821 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/821
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Bridge, ISS Vengeance

Bridge, ISS Vengeance
Since Annalise took command of Vengeance a month and a half ago, it had no longer been rare to see the CO and XO's chairs filled during Alpha shift. Even though both Andrei and Annalise often departed to their office or to make the rounds, they tended to be there together most days for a few hours. Sometimes, they would even converse, but it was fairly clear they weren't close, and neither wanted to be.

"The daily report has supply requests from Engineering, Ops, Security, Flight, and Sickbay. Most of the lists are small, so it's better than I expected," Andrei said, turning his head just enough toward her that his eye could detect her underneath the patch. However, it wouldn't look like he was glancing at her at all.

“Good. We’ll also see if anything is interesting for them at this trading post.” She smiled and turned to look at him, leaning in a bit. “Are you looking forward to your trip with Kit?”

Over the past month, Annalise tried with Andrei, but he was as stubborn as Stagg had been. Still, she was confident that a continued gentle, supportive hand - not a permissive one like he had been receiving - would see him accept the situation and embrace his role as XO under her to the fullest. It had worked before.

“Well, it’s an opportunity for us to pursue leads on a cure, and that’s very important.” He said, placing a finger between his lips as he considered the question. But it will also be an opportunity for us to learn some vital information about this quadrant's technologies. Who knows, Kit might find something in her studies that helps us use the Sikarian Trajector or some other form of propulsion. It was very smart of you to have us go.”

Of course, it hadn’t been her idea at all. He knew that and so did she. But Andrei decided to give her credit for approving his plan.

Annalise just chuckled and shook her head slightly. “You found it, Andrei. I just said yes.”

“Helm, what is our ETA to the trading post?”

The stunning caramel-skinned woman at the helm snapped from her latest distraction at the sound of the Captain’s voice. Few things were as dull for a pilot as flying in a straight line, and even though she was Acting CFCO, there was nothing to do. All of her paperwork had been completed, and all the shuttles had been checked. She licked her full lips and looked back, her blonde dreadlocks dancing with the motion of her head.

“Our ETA is 27 hours, 17 minutes, Captain,” Maya answered.

"Very good, Ensign," Annalise replied, crossing her legs as she picked up the PADD that had been sitting next to her and began reading it.

"Captain," Sovas's deep, even tone broke the gentle background hum of the bridge as he glanced up from his console. "Long-range sensors have picked up a fleet of ships roughly five light years out from our current position. Sensor readings indicate several large warp signatures; they currently appear to be maintaining a cruising speed of Warp 5."

Annalise lowered the PADD from her hand and frowned slightly. "Commander Cassiel, can you identify them?"

Lyra's hands moved deftly over the console, and when she saw the readings, her eyes widened just slightly. "It is a convoy of twelve Vidiian ships." As the readings from the targeted sensors filled in, she frowned. "Six warships, three destroyers, and three ships of the same model that we do not have records of."

"Helm, adjust course to keep us out of their sensor range," Annalise ordered immediately.

Maya nodded and immediately went to comply with the Captain’s order. She had served under Annalise as her department head, and they always got along well. She understood that Andrei was upset about the loss of his family; her boyfriend was left on Gamma Eridine II along with the friends of many others. At the end of the day, it was important to her that they followed Captain Petrov’s final orders and avoided danger to the Fleet. She ran her hands over the course controls, altering their warp field to keep them away from the Vidian Convoy.

“I’m altering our course by 40 degrees. That should help us steer clear of them.”

Andrei frowned as the direction the stars were streaming in altered with their course change. Why the hell were they turning away from a Vidian Convoy that could likely have the information they were looking for?

“Captain, it’s very possible one or more of those ships could have the information we’re looking for: either the cure to the virus on Gamma Eridine II or information on the location of Dr. Pel,” Andrei said calmly. “I recommend we set a course for them and ask some questions.”

"It is true that they may, and if we were looking at a lesser fleet I might agree with you. However, the Vidiian fleet has an overwhelming firepower advantage to our own fleet and our encounters with them have not exactly been friendly. I won't risk our entire fleet on a maybe, Commander." Annalise replied patiently and looked at Andrei with a bit of sympathy in her eyes.

"I'm sure you will find the information at the conference you will attend with Lieutenant Urso."

"Well, I'm not sure, Captain. And we should obviously take every opportunity to find the information we're seeking." Andrei responded. His tone was still overtly respectful, and he was clearly trying to remain calm. "If we approach the convoy with a friendly posture, there's no reason to expect there would be serious trouble."

“Except for the fact they are fully aware that we commandeered one of their ships, enslaved their crew, and killed hundreds of their people in the attack at the nebula.” Annalise pointed out, patient and unmoving. “We are not going to risk a confrontation where we are outnumbered and fully outgunned.”

"We've destroyed a Fleet of Vidian ships, among others. We've laid waste to planets." Andrei said, his tone bordering on frustration. "Are you honestly telling me that you want to draw the line at asking a question?"

She took a slow breath and responded calmly. “And how many people have been lost in those incidents, Commander? How many more Terran lives will you lose on a maybe?”

"Why the hell should we be so timid in the face of this alien rabble? Those lives were lost because we played things safe and tried to stay in our lane. We should have been showing this quadrant what their betters look like, and those lives were lost because we didn't bring our inferiors to heel soon enough." Andrei said his jaw setting. "Even now, we cower and think about safety. There is NOTHING Terran about that, Captain."

"So you propose I risk the lives of every soul left in this fleet on the chance that this convoy might not attack us despite our aggression toward their species in the past?" She challenged him.

"I propose that you grow a fucking backbone and act like a Terran Captain!" he declared, raising his voice now. "We can approach under a peace banner and request their flagship meet Vengeance alone. We could offer them something in return for information. We could fucking do anything, and it would be better than cowering with our dick between our legs."

"Commander Petrov, you're relieved." She stood and gestured toward the turbolift door. "We will discuss this later. For now, remove yourself from the bridge."

Andrei stood up, too, towering over Annalise and not backing down at first. For a moment, it wasn't clear if he was going to step off the Bridge or pull his dagger and plunge it into her belly. He scowled at her, then briefly turned his eyes toward Lyra in the silence before turning and stepping up to the second level, heading for the turbolift without another word.

Sovas quietly watched the exchange between Andrei and Annalise, the air tense as he watched the Terran man standing there. As he watched, the half-Vulcan could see the potential for violence building before it broke weakly like a way wave onto shore after rushing in from the sea. He couldn't argue with Andrei's assessment; there were viable alternatives, and while they weren't exactly the apex predators here, they had options and he felt that their new captain was being overly cautious, perhaps from her time aboard the Gladius, though she had managed to keep the tiny Terran vessel functioning and mostly intact with her approach, he knew the Vidiian medical sciences were much more highly advanced than that of the Terrans, so it made sense to approach them for assistance.

He frowned as he watched Andrei moving towards the turbolift for a moment, but his attention returned to his station, and he kept silent, given that he felt conflicted. After all, it was his duty to support the captain and maintain the chain of command. Hadn't he drawn his weapon on Ivan's daughter in support of that very chain during the Vidiian assault on their ship?

As his fingers moved over his console, Sovas glanced up toward Lyra to see her reaction.

Lyra had watched the exchange in silence from her station and had only returned Andrei's glance when he looked at her and looked at him once again as he passed by her station. Past that, she didn't react at all, but she was acutely aware of Annalise glancing back at her, Sovas looking at her, and the less than subtle looks many of the others on the bridge were giving her. She gave no reaction or indication of her feelings and simply continued to work.

"Helm, maintain course away from the Vidiians." Annalise ordered.

They weren't going to die today.

END]]> Fri, 31 May 2024 06:00:44 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/816 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/816
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - XO's Office

ON

Following his conversation with Kit in the gym, Andrei had gone home, showered, and started his day as he always had. The fact he had to tell Lyra about their plan to go on a trip together weighed on him slightly, but he felt certain she would see it for what it was: an attempt to save his family. After sitting on the Bridge and making his regular rounds around the ship, Andrei came down to his office to continue working on his constant stream of paperwork. An hour passed in silence as the yeomen and slaves worked in the next room and only interrupted him sporadically to bring PADDs or to take PADDs away. An hour had passed since his arrival, and he knew Lyra would be arriving soon so they could enjoy their lunch break together. He was selecting the menu this time, but he had already made the decision hours before.

Lyra entered the office, her eyes immediately finding Jackie and Jasper at their respective desks and she also saw Lottie and Ren in her peripheral vision.

“Jackie, Jasper.” She greeted them in turn but didn’t wait for them to say anything, instead headed into Andrei’s office. She was the only one who could simply enter like she did of course. When she stepped through and saw him sitting there hard at work, she smiled.

“Hello, darling.”

They shared lunch like this usually twice a week, though not always. It had usually been on the days she wouldn’t stay with him in the evenings, but now that those days were virtually gone she had no idea if it would continue. Instead of moving to sit down on the other side of the desk, she moved to his side and leaned down to kiss him.

Andrei returned the kiss, setting the PADD in his hand down and allowing his other hand to find Lyra’s cheek tenderly. At the end of the kiss, he smiled at her and lowered his hand to her hip. Pulling her onto his lap, he kissed her cheek then.

“Hello, Love. How’s the day going so far?”

She settled into his lap naturally, her body seeming to naturally know how best to position itself so they were both comfortable and close. She put one elbow on the back of his chair over his shoulder and rested her head against that hand while her other immediately went to his chest.

“Well enough, I’ve been working out the schedule for the upcoming small weapons maintenance checks. It’s been very titillating.” The comment was dry, but she smirked as she said it.

“Maybe you should strap a few wiley crew to the phaser range and do some low-powered target practice. I’m sure that would spice it up even more.” he said, chuckling. “I can send you some people from other departments too.”

“There’s a thought.” She chuckled and moved her head so she could use her hand to play with his beautiful black mane instead. “I was thinking about just having them chase each other through Jeffries tubes and seeing who won.”

“And then we can shoot that one.” he said, closing his eyes a she played with his hair. “Great idea, Love.”

“Exactly right.” She smiled and worked her nails down to his scalp so she could lightly scratch and massage him there. “So did you pick something for lunch yet?”

“I did. Today, we’re traveling to beautiful China. Lord Li is an asshole, but his food is divine.” he said through a groan as she continued to pet him. He was like puddy in her hands and wasn’t apologetic about it in the slightest.

“Sounds delicious.” She spoke with clear approval and while her fingers worked on his scalp, her lips found the soft skin under his ear at the point of his jaw. “What will we be sampling?”

“Oh, if you don’t stop that, we’ll be having a very different kind of lunch.” he said in a low voice. “Mmm Pineapple chicken with roasted vegetables on a bed of steamed rice.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get an order of the sausage with the special sauce later.” She teased and then nipped him where she had been kissing him, giving a little jolt of pain in place of the fluttering gentleness. Pulling back a bit, she looked over to the replicator. “Want me to get it?”

“No no, sit your lovely toned ass down. It’s my turn.” Andrei said with a chuckle. “You always get it.”

Chuckling herself, Lyra gave him another quick kiss and then finally moved out of his lap to go to the other side of the desk and sat down into the other chair. “Have you been working on anything exciting today, darling?”

“It’s been the same boring stuff as it always is for the most part I’m afraid.” He said, standing up and walking over to the replicator. Punching in the pre-programmed code, two glass bowls appeared on a tray along with two tall cups. He lifted it carefully and brought it over to the desk. “I did run into Kit at the gym this morning, however. We’ve got a project in the works in a few days.”

“Oh?” She prompted with a bit of surprise in her voice and watched him as he brought the tray over to the desk and moved the bowls and cups off of them. “What kind of project?”

“A trip, actually, he said, sitting down in front of his own plate and picking up his fork. “There’s an Engineers Conference on a Vidiian moon and I talked Annalise into letting Kit and I shuttle there. While she learns about Delta Quadrant technologies, I’m going to be searching for a lead on Dr. Pel’s location.”

Lyra had been in the process of lifting a bite of food to her mouth but as he laid out his plan, she lowered it back down into the bowl. While her expression remained neutral, there was something about her eyes that indicated she was likely wondering over the same questions Kit had asked earlier. She occupied herself a moment by stirring the contents of the bowl around. He expected her to be fine with this, she could tell, but she didn’t like it one bit. If the roles were reversed, he probably would have tried to outright forbid it or use his position as XO to change what was happening; she didn’t have that luxury.

Still, she couldn’t deny that he had been dedicated and faithful to her under the terms of their relationship agreement and that wasn’t worth nothing. He was also going with Kit and not Revana - that one she knew she wouldn’t tolerate in the slightest. Even thinking about it annoyed her deeply. Finally, she let out a breath of resignation; she’d have to trust him with something like this eventually. Now was as good a time as any, she supposed.

“Well, I certainly hope you both learn something useful.” She said and finally took a bite of her food though she had lost her appetite.

“I feel optimistic about it.” He said, his eyes watching her for signs of any particular displeasure. He was pleased to see she seemed alright with the arrangement and assumed, much to his joy, that she trusted him with this. “Kit has a crush on you, you know. Every time we talk it’s Lyra’s ass this and Lyra’s moaning that.”

“Oh is that so?” Lyra chuckled slightly between bites. “Well, I do have a magnificent ass, as I’ve been told frequently by a certain someone.” She brought her eyes up to his briefly and took a sip of her drink.

“As for the moaning well… that’s hard to miss too.”

“Apparently it is.” He said with a grin. “People can hear us, you know. Do you think we should consider some sound proofing?

“It’s the only action some people get, darling. Would we be right to deprive them of that?” She asked with a tone of someone with a bleeding heart, but there was that glitter of mischief in her eyes. There was no use in dwelling on the matter of the trip and she knew she needed to give him this chance whether she was thrilled about it or not. Maybe he would understand her feelings, but she assumed not given his general reaction when she had voiced them in the past.

“I suppose you’re right. It’s a grace for them really.” He said, sharing her grin, and then he took another bite from his bowl. He chewed and swallowed before speaking again. “Do you mind me going with Kit alone? It’s a two night trip, and I know I would be a bit..uncomfortable in your position.”

Usually, Lyra would have been delighted he was asking about her feelings on something, but this just felt like a trap and a chance to start an argument with her. He wasn’t stupid. Still, she had endeavored to be honest with him at least when he made a point to directly ask her questions. She swallowed the bite in her mouth and chased it down with a drink, then just looked at him for a beat.

“I’m not going to lie to you, the idea doesn’t thrill me for a few reasons.” She reached across the table and placed her hand on his arm. “But, I trust you.”

At least she was making the active choice to do so.

Andrei grinned, clearly very happy with the answer she’d given.

“I understand. But don’t worry. We’re going to prove the bookies wrong. I have no doubt.”

“There’s very good money in it if we do, from what I understand.” She smirked, not pointing out to him that she was aware that all of the bets hinged on his faithfulness to her - there strangely didn’t seem to be any question of her own to him, but she supposed that was natural given she hadn’t played the whore.

“Maybe we should make someone bet in our stead and then beat them up when they win.”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually..” he said with a grin. “I was going to try to talk Kit into an arrangement, but she seems too connected. I didn’t feel like she was the right choice. I think Jasper bets..and Jackie for that matter.”

“Probably.” She mulled it over a moment while pushing her fork around in the bowl of food. “I could get Simmons to do it, or maybe Romano. He’s always fun to beat up.”

“Yes, but how much can the man take?” He asked with a lift of his brow. “But, then again, he’s fortunate to be alive after what he did. He owes us.”

“Mmm…” Lyra’s eyes shifted slightly and she thought back to the evening Andrei had come to find her as Maddie in the holodeck. He’d been there to find out why she had broken Romano’s hand so badly - he hadn’t been happy about it, but he’d been much less happy about what Luca had done to his sister. She remembered how enraged he was, how intoxicating that had been and how much she had wanted him in her bed after the had shared the experience of torturing the man for his crime.

She licked her lips and blinked, becoming aware she was pressing her thighs together a bit more.

“Yeah, he does.” She agreed, distracted.

“If we had more Terrans with us, I would cut his other hand off too.” Andrei said, clearly getting angry all over again. Obviously any sort of violation of his sister was unacceptable to him, and it was a genuine marvel, in his mind, that Romano still drew breath.

“I think you would have done more than that, Darling.” She said, her words leaving with a wistful sigh from her lips.

He nodded at that, knowing it was true. The man would have been brutally killed.

“I’ll finish the job some day, as soon as it’s right for us.” He said, and then took his final bite of food from his bowl. “Maybe I’ll watch while the Legion tears him apart and eats him raw.”

“Well on that note, I am soaking wet and ready for dessert.” Lyra said and pushed her bowl away from her - she’d eaten most of it but had left some of the rice in the bottom.

“Oh really? You and that sweet tooth again.” He said with a smile. He saw that desire in her eyes he could never resist. “What do you have a taste for, Love?”

Lyra was up and stacked the bowls and cups back on the tray and had it all back in the replicator to recycle at an impressive speed. She then sashayed her way back to the desk, her beautiful, curvy hips swinging with each step. Her hands went up to her jacket and she unzipped it slowly.

“The only thing I ever have a taste for, Darling.” She purred and shrugged it off her shoulders as she leaned in to put her face near his. “You.”

“Oh, of course.” He said, his hands moving for his zipper as well. They so often had their hands on each other, it became difficult when they weren’t actively making love at times.

Lyra’s hands batted his away and she took over the job herself. She was certainly hungry and she intended on having her fill of him. His coming trip still lingered in the back of her mind, but she was doing her best to ignore it and in the moments that followed when she was finally entwined with him, she found that task much, much easier to accomplish.

END
]]> Thu, 30 May 2024 20:37:58 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/815 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/815
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Gym

ON

Though it had been months now, it still felt strange to no longer be wondering if they’d have enough power or supplies to keep their ship holding together during the journey. Being part of a fleet certainly had its perks and while she did miss the Gladius, Marikit couldn’t deny that the Vengeance offered her more freedoms to pursue her own pet projects than the Gladius had - or interesting projects others had given her. She was working on one such project now and was sitting in the corner of the gym with one of the very large tablet PADDs propped up on her thighs, her legs bent up to keep it in place. She had the stylus clutched in her mouth while her fingers were busy on the screen.

Her shorts and tank top indicated she had originally been in the gym to exercise, but that was certainly not what she was doing right now.

The gym tended to be a fairly busy place as fitness was important in the military, so the doors opened and closed quite often. This time, however, the XO entered in a black tank top, gray sweats, and black tennis shoes, and moved immediately to the treadmills. A light sheen of sweat already glistened on his impressively cut arms and the parts of his chest and torso the tank top left bare. His long raven-black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and it began to bob as he started to run on the machine. He came here daily , a ritual that helped him to sculpt himself. He was a weapon, and he needed the gym like his swords needed a sharpener.

“Well fuck you too.” Kit huffed at the PADD on her legs and then shoved it off to the side. She hadn’t even noticed Andrei walk in, but as she stood and reflexively brushed herself off, she caught sight of him running on the treadmill nearby and just watched him for a moment. He definitely was some sort of unit, and she found herself wondering if he had gotten like naturally or if he had help; it didn’t matter, but she was naturally curious. Seeing as the other treadmills besides those directly on either side of Andrei were occupied, she shrugged and moved onto one of them to resume her own workout.

Kit had no impressive physique, but she was fit and stronger than she looked; being flexible was what served her most in her job and she focused her exercises to maintain that more than anything. Her short hair and small backside bounced with each step, though her small chest was well tamed by the sports bra she was wearing.

Andrei glanced over toward the origin of the movement beside him and noticed Kit standing there. His eyes lingered on her face for a few seconds, but didn’t wander down before he looked forward again. Directly in front of them was an exterior window that provided a view of the stars streaming sideways as the ship traveled at warp. He was trotting along at a brisk pace, but hadn’t come up to a full-on sprint yet.

“What did I do this time?” he asked, obviously responding to the ‘fuck you’ she’d offered while sitting down with her PADD.

“Oh I’m sure you’ve done plenty to deserve it.” Kit replied without missing a beat and moving at her own leisurely pace. She did turn her head and glance over at him, then smirked. “Are you ever not in here?”

“I think I’ve heard more ‘fuck me’s’ than ‘fuck you’s’ in my life, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a close count.” he responded, flashing a grin at her through parted lips. He was breathing quickly as he pumped his powerful arms. “I’m passionately in love with moving fast and lifting heavy things. It’s my thing now. You should try it more often.”

“Careful, Andrei, I don’t think your girlfriend would appreciate being called a ‘heavy thing’.” The mischievous grin remained but her eyes were forward looking out the window. “I come here most every day, just not at this time.”

“The morning’s the best time. Right when you’re fresh.” he said, shaking his head at the first part of her statement but not responding verbally. “And when I’m done, I feel energized and ready to tackle the day with both hands.”

“Yeah but I get my best ideas in the morning, and since I’m not looking to break people with my bare hands, I think I’m good.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Besides, I could think of a lot more fun and pleasant ways to start off my morning.”

“Like what? Touching yourself looking at warp nacelle schematics?” he asked, rolling his eyes. The tone was dramatic and joking, but there was almost certainly a bit of real contempt in the statement. He reached his hand down and increased the speed so that he was running full-tilt. He moved his arms and legs like they were oiled pistons, and the intensity of the motion drew the eyes of several people in the room who were all working out much more casually than their incredibly intense superior officer.

“Are you threatened by the size of my nacelle?” Kit all but cooed teasingly at him. She never did understand why some men seemed to just be like that; she understood it more if there was a relationship of course, but why they cared otherwise was beyond her.

Andrei laughed loudly at her response, and it was fairly obvious he held no ill will, even if he was still a condescending ass. He didn’t try to respond, as he was running fast enough to make doing so impossible. He came here at the end of his jog to do the kind of running which would have likely genuinely hurt people if he’d done it in the corridors. The smile stayed frozen on his handsome face as he moved, and he chuckled several more times before he brought the speed down to a brisk walk. Huffing and puffing, he looked at her.

“Too bad I’m always in the gym, and can’t confirm my theory by listening to you breach your core through those surprisingly thin walls.” he said, stepping off the treadmill and grabbing his red bottle of water. He squirted it into his mouth from a distance, brazenly getting water all over himself as he did so.

He was impressive as hell when he moved, she couldn’t deny that, and idly she wondered if that transferred into the bedroom. He certainly seemed to.

“Well if you’re always in the gym, who’s in there breaching your girlfriend in the mornings, hm?” She challenged with a smirk. She really, really did need to soundproof their room.

“That’s me, Kit.” he said, dropping the empty bottle on the ground and grabbing the tank top. He lifted it and used it as a fan, exposing the scarring on his chiseled abs. “I just snake him through the corridors. Watch your step next time, by the way.”

“Oh is that what that is? I didn’t know he made house calls.” Kit slowed the machine and then let the momentum of the belt carry her back so she could step off. Her eyes caught the flash of his abdomen and lingered there - had she not known he spent a fair amount of his time in his quarters, she might have actually believed he was one of those people that spent every waking moment outside of work in the gym. She wondered about the scars - men often kept some just so they could look more manly, but each one had a story.

“Only one house now.” he said with a grin, grabbing his manhood and shaking it for a second under the sweat pants. He let go though and picked up his water bottle. There was a refill station nearby, so he stepped up to it and placed it inside, looking back at her while it filled up. “I decided not to get the bionic upgrades though, so don’t get any ideas. Without a vibrating head and anal attachments, I bet it couldn’t even get you started.”

When he grabbed and shook himself, Kit laughed loudly. She was irreverent through and through, so that kind of humor struck just as keenly as anything else. When he wandered off, she drifted after him while stretching. “That’s a shame, everyone likes a little vibe. I did not, however, take you for an ass man. I mean I know you're an ass man, just look at your woman, but I didn’t know you were an ass man.” She stressed.

Andrei looked at her with a smile that resembled how a child looked when they were doing something their parents told them not to do and they thought it was a game, but he didn’t respond. His water started to overflow all over his hands and flowed into the basin before he recognized his refill was done. He pulled it out and took a drag from the open bottle so that he would be able to close it, then walked back over to her closing the lid.

“So, your professional advice is that I should get the attachments then?”

“I mean, I could just replace the whole thing with a nacelle.” She grinned. Though she was flirtatious and clearly attracted, Kit seemed to be naturally aware of and respectful of the lines she couldn’t cross. “Or maybe I can bring mine over and we can see which one she likes more.”

“In the end, it might depend on who can vent the most plasma,” he said with a grin. “I need to get over to the bench. Spot me?”

“Well I’d win at that no problem.” She gave a confident grin then canted her head toward the bench in agreement. “I’m pretty sure you lift more than I weigh, but yeah sure. What could possibly go wrong.”

Kit was well aware he probably didn’t need a spotter at all, but she was enjoying the banter.

“That’s true, but I wanted to talk to you about something else besides big dick jokes, and it seems like a good time.” he said, laying down on the bench and grabbing the bar. Modern technology made it so that the weights were simulated and could be easily changed or removed the second things weren’t going right. Almost no one needed a spotter with these, but that was irrelevant. He looked up at her. “If you let me drop this and I get killed, I’ll come back and haunt your scrawny ass, Lieutenant.”

“Now now, we can’t all be as gifted as your magnificent lady.” Kit scolded him without any venom and grinned directly after. “What is it you need? Soundproofing?” She almost sounded hopeful.

“No, I need an excuse. And you are the perfect one.” he said, before activating the weight bar and lifting it. The way his strong arms moved and flexed, showing the substantial definition that normally laid dormant, made it clear the weight was heavy. He lowered it slowly in a controlled moment and exhaled sharply as he pushed it back up again. “You and I are going to take a trip.”

“Are we?” Kit asked curiously, standing above him though her eyes were drifting down to his body as he lifted the weights. “Where to, exactly?”

Andrei grunted slightly while lifting the weights, but didn’t say anything else until his set was done. He put the weights down and exhaled his tension.

“There’s a moon at the edge of Vidiian space where an engineering conference is taking place in a few days. You and I are going to take the Aeroshuttle on an overnight trip so that you can learn about Delta Quadrant technologies. Meanwhile, I’m going to follow a lead on a cure for the virus.”

He grabbed the bar again and got to work as soon as he’d finished speaking, needing no encouragement to lift again. His eyes drifted up to her slim body. She was fit, and he liked women, so he stole glances every now and then.

“Oh.” Kit blinked, her uniquely attractive face scrunching just a bit. She didn’t know what she had been expecting exactly, but that hadn’t been it. “Well, that’s fine if the Captain signed off on it. When is it exactly?”

“It’s on the 28th. We’ll have to fly all night to get there.” he said, grunting as he lifted the bar over and over again. His arms bulged and his impressive muscles strained, but he seemed to have everything completely under control. “Only question is..”

He placed the back down and sighed. “How are you going to tell Lyra we’re going to spend two nights together?”

“She’s not coming?” Kit looked back down at him immediately and while she didn’t seem outright alarmed by the prospect, she obviously had assumed it would be a trio of a trip. “Why?”

“Why would she?” he asked, as if he couldn’t see any reason besides the offensive idea he would need a babysitter. “She’ll stay here as acting XO. Any trouble we meet out there, we’ll be more than capable of dealing with.”

She found his reaction strange to say the least and it showed on her face while she looked down at him. “I just figured it was a chance to get away. Usually people take those whenever they get them and would bring their person along too to share in the fun.” She thought for a moment and then smirked slyly. “Are you two fighting?”

Andrei made a confused expression to match it. What she was saying made sense, but he had honestly not even thought about using this trip as a retreat for him or for anyone else. His mind had been locked on finding a way to save his family along with the other colonists, and the concept of “getting away” hadn’t entered his mind.

“You couldn’t imagine how beautiful our fighting is.” he responded, and lifted the bar again.

Actually, it was strange. Kit - and anyone on the deck - could hear when they were fucking, but she had never actually heard them fighting before. They didn’t seem like the types that would be quiet about it either, but maybe she was wrong. She didn’t dwell on it and instead just gave a shrug.

“I’m not telling your girlfriend shit unless it’s going to be ‘I’m here telling you this because your boyfriend is too chicken shit to say it to your face himself’.”

“I was joking, you ass.” he said, chuckling. “I’ll tell her. Oh, by the way, do you have favorite flowers? It’s best to know these things before the time of death in preparation for your funeral.”

“Wow, just gonna throw me to the wolves I see. That’s rude.” Kit snorted and crossed her arms under her small chest. “You know what, maybe I should just go with her instead.”

“No, I don’t trust your intentions, you pervert.” He said, sitting up and grabbing his water bottle again.

“That’s probably wise.” Kit confirmed stoically then grinned immediately after at her own joke. “You know, if you go back home and tell her now before shift starts, she won’t have a chance to yell at you and maybe she will cool off while she’s working.”

“Concern for the well-being of my relationship is touching, Kit, but she only screams at me in the way I like.” He said, and then squirted the water into his mouth again wantonly, standing up.

“You seem to enjoy things squirting on you.” Kit noted, having noticed the way he handled the bottle every time he did so.

“You have no idea.” He responded with a mischievous grin. “Though, I figure we share that, one way or another.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.” She grinned in response, having to tilt her head a fair bit back to look up at him. “But seriously, just don’t be stupid about it okay because I actually don’t want her to come take it out on me.”

“Calm down, scared cats. I’m the XO, you’re the chief engineer. It’s as simple as that unless…” his grin widened and he leaned a little closer. ”…Stagg isn’t doing it for you anymore.”

Kit laughed and shook her head. “No, Asher does just fine, but if you try to fuck me on the trip I’m going to lose out on a pretty penny. I had you lasting until April.”

“Oh, ‘just fine’, every man’s favorite way of being described in bed.” Andrei responded, grinning ear to ear. “And don’t worry about that. I never ‘try’.”

“Okay well if you can wait until do until April, maybe I’ll even give you a cut of my winnings.” Kit leaned in, conspiratorial. “It is a pretty big pool you know.”

“Who's the bookie taking bets? I should get in on this action.” Andrei responded with a lift of his eyebrows. “If people have so little faith in me, I can capitalize on that just as well as you. Probably better.”

“You and Lyra are definitely not allowed to be part of the pool.” Kit laughed and shook her head. “You’d just bet on a day and go fuck someone down to the correct second just to get all the money.”

“Kit, you wound me.” He said with a grin. “I’m a good boy, and I always have been. I would never throw a wrench in the wholesome practice of betting exactly what pussy I’m going to fall into and when. That would be wrong!”

Kit sidled up close to him and poked his chest once. “I believe you are very good at being very bad and that’s about it. Oh and running.”

“You have a heart of stone.” he said, incredulously. “I’m also good at fighting, throwing a fit, telling people what to do, getting my way, and fucking. Don’t sell me short.”

“Oh, oh you’re right. Terribly sorry, do forgive me.” Kit clasped her hands together in front of him. “I did forget all of those things - well, I guess I can’t confirm the last one personally but I’ve been around enough to hear things and see the way women still eye fuck you even with the woman you have.”

“I hadn’t noticed.” He said, using his towel to wipe some of the sweat and water from his face and the exposed parts of his chest. “They’re just admiring my work ethic, I'd imagine. Not everything is about sex.”

“Oh yes you have and you like it too.” Kit smirked. “Not like you don’t do it back. I see what you do when your girlfriend isn’t looking your way with those big brown eyes of her’s.” She poked his chest again.

“You know there’s a slightly less popular pool out there too.”

“I don’t think I’m going to like this one..” he said, eyeing her with amused suspicion.

“Who is going to end up dead if you do fuck up - you, Cassiel, or whatever slut you stuck your dick into?” She provided, crossing her arms and smirking.

“Don’t stress, Kitty. Might never happen.” He said simply, smiling all the more keenly but not really giving any insight one way or another. He was satisfied people were talking about them constantly, to be quite honest. “Tell them She and I are survivors. We can’t be killed. And don’t be late to the morning briefing again, or I’ll stick you in the agonizer. Or maybe I’ll call Stagg over to give you something just fine.”

He laughed at his joke and started off toward the exit, moving slowly and actually still looking over his shoulder at her.

“I’ll put my name down for Team Slut, then.” She called after him loudly enough to turn some heads in their direction with people wondering what the hell was happening. “See you at the briefing… probably.”

“Try me, Kit. I’ll have you running laps with me until you’re dead.” he said, and then he walked out of the doors into the corridor, and was gone.

END
]]> Thu, 30 May 2024 20:35:27 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/814 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/814
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - After 11

ON

After 11 was more or less back to its usual crowd a month after leaving their people on Gamma Eridine II. People had taken a long while to find the new “normal” after suffering the major and heartbreaking losses so close on the heels of the battle in the nebula. It had been a process, but it seemed the vast majority of the crew had accepted Annalise as their captain - there were of course exceptions, but she wasn’t in constant fear she was going to turn the corner and walk directly into a blade. The fear was still there, though, she wasn’t stupid.

What maybe had been a stupid choice was going out of her comfort zone to try and be a bit more social with the crew. Usually the messhall would have been enough for her, but she had been feeling brave and decided on the lounge. Things had been going well enough when she had been the one to approach small standing groups just to say hellos and have a few polite exchanges, but she had grown tired of standing and had wanted to sit down with her drink. That had been her first mistake. The second mistake was allowing someone to sit down with her.

She was bearing it, but Luca Romano was sloppy drunk and being obnoxious. She didn’t want to be rude to the man though, he was pouring out his concerns to her and she felt it was her duty to listen no matter how ridiculous it was.

Andrei and Lyra stepped off the turbo lift at the rear of deck 11 and turned down the mostly empty hallway which would lead to the very back of the ship. He wore a simple long-sleeve black cotton shirt, light jeans, and white sneakers, and had decided to forgo the patch for the evening.

“I’m surprised she’s here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in After 11 before.” Lyra walked next to Andrei easily, holding his hand with their fingers loosely woven together. She had opted to wear the pretty yellow dress covered in flowers that Andrei had given her two months ago, it was fun, casual, and disarming with its sweet silhouette and vibrant color. They were on a mission to try and convince their stalwart captain to pursue the lead Andrei had pulled out of one of the Vidiian slaves that might have directed them toward a cure for their people. Though she hadn’t said anything against the plan, Lyra wasn’t optimistic given the intelligence was over four years old. Privately, she wouldn’t blame Annalise for denying the request - she likely would do the same; publicly, she was going to support Andrei, her beloved was still suffering without his family.

The two of them passed through the double doors and into the busy bar and lounge. It was bustling with activity as people started to settle into the new normal of their lives. Andrei and Lyra walked up to the bar.

“Well, if it isn’t the royal couple. What can I get you?” Nat asked, moving to their side of the bar right away and eyeing Lyra and Andrei in that way she always looked at both of them. She wasn’t a woman who kept her interests hidden very often, but she also wasn’t really brave enough to bring them up with these two.

“Hey, Nat.” Lyra greeted with a smile that didn’t reach those cool dark eyes. “What’s on special?”

“Sikarian winter wine. No matter how far away from that planet we get, people won’t shut up about it.” Nat answered, her own cool eyes meeting Lyra’s. “Have you tried it?”

“Can’t say that I have.” Lyra shrugged slightly. “I’ll give it a try.” She turned her head to look up at Andrei and see what he would order. They had both clocked Annalise when they had walked in, poor woman was being harassed by Luca Romano, but Lyra didn’t feel the need to break his fingers over it this time - it was less fun when there was only one hand.

“Three glasses of that then.” Andrei said, making sure there was one for the Captain as well. He watched as Nat produced three tall, slender glasses and poured a pale green, slightly milky liquid into them. When she was done, she slid them toward the pair.

“Your tab, Andrei?”

Andrei nodded and picked up two of the glasses, leaving the last one sitting there for Lyra.

“Thanks, Nat.” Lyra pulled the wine off the counter and turned with Andrei to walk over to the table where Annalise was being accosted.

“Lemme tell you, the woman was alllll over me, women just can’t resist me, I know you’re feeling it too.” Luca slurred and sloppily pointed in Annalise’s direction.

It was clear the captain was uncomfortable already and was just waiting to get a word in so she could escape, but she saw Andrei and Lyra wandering her way and a new level of apprehension and automatic defensiveness came over her. She hadn’t had any run-ins with Lyra herself, but she and Andrei were still butting heads now and then.

Andrei’s mouth gaped in genuine shock when he heard the words out of Luca’s mouth. He was roaring drunk and speaking to his captain like a frat boy. As he and Lyra stopped by the table, Andrei looked down at him in disapproval.

“What was that, Petty Officer Romano?” He asked in a stern voice, still holding the two wine glasses he had picked up. “I couldn’t quite hear you over the din of the bar.”

“I sssai-“ Romano began, turning toward Andrei with one finger raised as if he were about to tell the monster of a man off. “Oh shit.”

Immediately, Luca blanched and got up, but he knocked his chair over and somehow went toppling down with it. He didn’t even try to pick it up and scrambled on his hands and knees away until he could get his feet under him and then took off out of the door.

Andrei watched the pathetic man scurry off like a rat from a burning building and shook his head, causing his black mane to tussle back and forth. He placed the extra wine glass down in front of Annalise, but his eyes went to Lyra.

“He needs the agonizer for talking to the Captain that way.” He said clearly. “Do you want to handle him, or shall I?”

“I’ll take care of it.” Lyra replied and reached into the pocket of the dress she was wearing to pull out her commbadge. “Cassiel to Simmons, Romano just scurried out of After 11. Find him and put him in the brig to sober up. I’ll come deal with him later.”

“Yes, Commander.” Simmons replied dutifully and she pocketed her commbadge.

Annalise for once didn’t argue against the use of the device; whether it was because she felt it was deserved or she simply didn’t want to go against her officers wasn’t clear. She looked at the wine and then up to Andrei. “Thank you for the wine, Commander.”

“You looked like you could use some fresh company.” Andrei said, and grinned as he pulled out Lyra’s chair with his free hand and waited for her to sit. “Luca has two problems; that’s women and the drink. Still, I would have thought he would control himself around his commanding officer.”

Lyra sat down and crossed her long, shapely legs under the table, her eyes falling on Annalise across from her. “He’s been problematic like that for a long while and doesn’t seem to take the hint, but he’s going to this time.”

“I see.” Annalise frowned, not seeming to like that idea in particular but perhaps accepting that it needed to be done. “What brings you both here tonight? Do you come here often?”

“A few nights a week, normally. Otherwise we prefer our quiet time.” Andrei said, sitting down himself in the seat that gave him the perfect view of the windows and the stars that streamed away from them in straight lines. He looked at Annalise, settling on her beautiful blue eyes. They’re interactions had seldom been overtly pleasant, but tended to be business-like when they weren’t strained. He adopted a charming social expression, though. “I’ve never seen you here before, though. What inspired you to join the party?”

“Poor judgment, apparently.” Annalise admitted with dry humor and picked up the wine to take a small sip. “I’ve come down a few times but never stay for long. This isn’t generally my thing.”

“Why do you bother, then? You wouldn’t be the only captain to avoid the bar scene. Captain’ Petrov barely set food down here.” Andrei asked, bringing the glass of wine to his lips. It was quite sweet; a bit too sweet for him, but he would finish the glass.

“It’s the easiest place to be social with the crew; everyone is down here at some point and people like to see their captain.” Annalise shrugged.

“You get more used to it the more you come down here. I used to not like it very much either, but after a few months I started to enjoy it.” Lyra offered. Of course she left out the part where the reason for that was she had been plotting the gruesome demise of Ivers, but Annalise didn’t need to know that.

“It’s easier when you know you have someone to spend time with down here.” Andrei added. “I always came down with friends from security, so there was never any pressure to roam around or fear of sitting alone.”

These weren’t things Andrei feared in the slightest, but he knew both the women would find it relatable on some level, and he suspected Annalise, in particular, often fell victim to that particular anxiety.

“Definitely cuts down on creepy, desperate men approaching you randomly.” Lyra commiserated with Annalise in a way only another woman could. She took a small sip of the wine and couldn’t decide how she felt about it, she liked its sweetness but there was some underlying taste she didn’t like as much.

“Mm… I could see that.” Annalise nodded and shifted in her chair slightly. Small talk wasn’t her strong suit. “Still, I like to try new things.”

“Nat always finds a way to make that happen.” Andrei said, and then pointed to Annalise’s glass. “How do you like the wine then, since you like to sample?”

“It’s nice. I’m not much of a drinker which probably isn’t really a surprise, but when I do drink I tend to like sweeter ones like this.” She picked up the glass again and took another small sip. “So… how are you both doing?”

“I feel fantastic.” he answered with a grin, convincing, whether it were true or not. He had a magnetic way about him in social situations, and he was aware of that fact. He glanced at Lyra, almost staring at her. “And she is…beautiful. We like to get a break from gazing longingly into each other’s eyes, so we come here, drink, and talk.”

“And inevitably gaze at each other a bit more.” Lyra quipped easily, giving her lover a playful grin then looking back at Annalise. “I just can’t help myself.”

“If you like sweet drinks, you must like that club favorite from Sikkaris then.” Andrei said, turning his attention back to Annalise. “The purple one with the electric polarization was quite sweet. Have you tried that?”

“No, I only went down to Sikaris for about a half a day so I didn’t get to sample much.” The beautiful blonde replied with a slight shake of her head. She had really only gone down to check on Stagg, and that hadn’t gone especially well to begin with, but it had ended alright.

“Why the hell not?” Andrei asked, frowning at Annalise but clearly just being funny more than expressing actual frustration. “What do you mean you only went down for half a day? What were you doing the rest of the time?”

“Working.” Her brows raised slightly as she looked at him. “My XO was out of commission for a while.”

Lyra took another sip of the wine and successfully kept her expression neutral at the mention of Stagg. Her hand found Andrei’s leg under the table, a simple touch that was looking for nothing in return.

Andrei paused at her answer for a moment, a clear indication that the thought hadn’t occurred to him. Then he smiled and nodded. His hand found Lyra’s under the table.

“Well, yes, I suppose that would make some sense. Still, old Asher could have sat in the chair and given you a break. Broken arms and noses aside, that doesn’t quite add up to me.”

He took another sip of his wine and looked at her with curious expectation as if she had the answers to rid him of his uncertainty.

“I felt given the circumstances it would be more beneficial for him to take the time off.” She shrugged and sat back in her chair, signaling she was done speaking politely on the topic. “I’m used to long hours and working hard, it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“Well, you certainly sound like a Starfleet Captain.” Andrei answered, and took the cue to move off of the topic. He harbored no tension and no sense of awkwardness about the previous discussion or their time together. In fact, he seemed genuinely amused. “Am I going to have to fight you on this sort of thing on our next shoreleave? I have a sneaking suspicion you’re the kind who always has an excuse to stay in uniform.”

“I’m not going to say you are wrong given I really just can’t.” She gestured to herself sitting there still indeed in her uniform. “I’m sure I’ll find some time next shoreleave if the schedule allows, but as you’ve noticed the paperwork never really gets finished at all.”

“We have more infrastructure for completing paperwork on Vengeance than you did on Gladius.” Andrei said. “You have an XO who doesn’t double as a department head, a 2XO, two Command Yeomen and two slaves. We’re used to sharing the burden around here. If you won’t take a break, I’ll bug you half to death.”

“Alright, alright, I get the point.” Annalise lifted both hands in surrender while she smiled and chuckled.

“We have a good system here.” Lyra offered her own charming smile to Annalise, hers was different than Andrei’s of course but projected a genuine friendliness she didn’t feel at all. “Trust us to do our jobs.”

“See, you have two bullies to make you put on a nice dress and enjoy yourself from time to time.” Andrei said, looking over at Lyra with a smile. “How are you adjusting to fleet command so far? I’ve heard the reports, and we’ve had meetings but..really.” He turned to Annalise with an expression of concern. “How do you feel about it after a month?”

“I’ve settled in. I know it was very hard for everyone to adjust and I understand that perfectly.” She frowned and let out a slight sigh. She hadn’t wanted to leave their people behind anymore than anyone else had, but she had been much more willing to accept the necessity. She supposed that had stemmed from her own command of the Gladius for the past months. “I’m very proud of how everyone has come together though.”

“People have been dutiful and have shown themselves to be strong Terran warriors. We’re unstoppable when we set ourselves a task, and getting home is the task.” He said, and picked up his wine glass to finish it. Swallowing the sweet liquid, he waved the Vulcan slave, Lonell over.

The slave walked over quickly when summoned and gave a bow of her head, waiting on Andrei to state what he wanted.

“Yes, that is the task.” Annalise agreed but she was starting to get this nagging feeling that somehow this was going to take a turn that she wasn’t going to like.

“Three Electric Elixirs.” Andrei ordered the slave, then turned back to the captain. “It’s a shame we cannot all be there to see the task completed.”

There it was. Annalise took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She shifted in her chair so she was sitting up a bit straighter. “Yes, it is a shame. We have lost many people along the way from both crews.”

“Fortunately, I found a lead. A scientist who, according to our sources, discovered the cure for the disease our crew members have. Her name is Danara Pel.” Andrei said, and let them information linger in the air.

“I see, and where did you find this lead exactly? From the slaves on the Rynall?” She asked, giving him the benefit of the doubt that he wasn’t reaching out over subspace and possibly putting the crew in danger on his quest.

“Yes, from the slaves in the Rynall. I gathered all the information they had in their database.” Andrei said. He had been following her rules up until that point, but he wasn’t beyond using subspace to get the information he needed. “Dr. Pel was assigned as a researcher at this starbase.”

He pulled out a PADD, activated it, and slid it across the table just as Lonell approached with their sparking, electrified drinks.

Annalise picked up the PADD and brought it closer - at the very least she wasn’t dismissing Andrei’s offering out of hand. She paused to glance at the drink and lifted a brow. “What is this, exactly?”

“They have a device that causes this effect with the juice of citrus fruits. I think Nat uses pineapple juice and a blue liquor in this version. The taste is pretty much the same.” Andrei answered and sipped his own. Truth be told, he didn’t give a damn about the drink.

“It’s good.” Lyra offered in an encouraging way. “It tastes tropical.”

She had been content to be quiet and allow the two to talk, simply allowing her presence at the table while dressed in the bright dress and seeming completely at ease to soften the entire moment with her beloved. She could of course adjust if the moment called for it, but right now she was doing what she needed to do to help the process. She picked up her drink and took a sip, watching Annalise do the same. It was definitely different than the one served on the planet, but it was passable enough and obviously Annalise wasn’t going to notice the difference.

“You're right, it is.” Annalise agreed and let her eyes go back down to the information on the PADD, she read it and then slowly put it down. “This information is four years old and has her in the heart of Vidiian territory.”

“Yes, but, as you say, it’s out of date.” Andrei said. “It’s more than a small start when it comes to negotiating with the Vidians. All we have to do is narrow down our investigation to where she is now. With some well-placed questions, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out.”

“Well, I’m certainly not taking the fleet into the heart of their territory without a much better lead than this.” She put the PADD down in front of her. “You’re sure she knows what the cure is for the disease?”

Andrei blinked and, to his credit, only showed a fraction of the anger he had felt.

“She developed the cure, so yes, I’m sure,” he answered. His tone indicated just what he thought of the question, but he moved on fast enough that it might have gone unnoticed. “And, no, I”m not suggesting we take the Fleet deep into Vidian space. I’m saying we will get somewhere faster if we can find a less well-defended outpost and ask some pointed questions.”

Annalise drummed her nails on the side of the glass and considered Andrei for a moment. This wasn’t going to be something he would likely ever let go of. “Do some digging, reach out to any vessels in range and see if they have information on where such an outpost might be.”

Andrei seemed almost surprised at first, so much so that he didn’t say anything. But, as the realization of what she had just said dawned on him, he smiled.

“Oh good. Right, yes.” he said, uncharacteristically lost for words. Then he seemed to find himself again. “I will. Thank you, Captain.”

Annalise’s brows lifted at his reaction and she felt almost pleased that she had obviously surprised him. She finished about half of the drink in front of her and then stood with a polite smile. “Keep me updated with anything you find, Commander. I’ll leave you both to your evening.”

“Yes, sir.” Andrei said, for once not tense and irritated in her presence. Even though they didn’t have a cure and there was no guarantee his search would lead anywhere, this was a light in the darkness. He stood with her. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Captain.” Lyra bid with a smile and watched as Annalise nodded and left them. Once she was away and they were alone again, she gently squeezed Andrei’s leg. “Well, that went well.”

“It did. And that’s a surprise to me.” Andrei said, picking up his drink and downing it right there. Every sign pointed to him feeling great. “I’m trying to decide if we should celebrate or if I should spend the next few hours getting some research in.”

“Why don’t you have a look for an hour or two and I’ll figure out dinner for when you come back.” She offered; it was terribly domestic, but she found herself not minding that so much.

“Or..”Andrei said, leaning over and kissing her, not caring how visible they were. “We can skip straight to dessert.”

Lyra was surprised by Andrei’s kiss, of course they’d shown physical signs of affection to each other before in public, but the kiss was certainly different. She returned it and touched his cheek as she did so, then pulled back with a soft chuckle. “Well, you know I do have a sweet tooth.”

Her tone was suggestive and it was clear she was talking about something much different than sweets.

“Oh, I know.” he said, practically growling before popping up out of his seat. “See you in a few. Thanks for being here, by the way.”

“Always, darling.” She promised and gave his hand a squeeze as he stood next to her. “Happy hunting. If you need any help you know where to find me.”

END]]> Mon, 27 May 2024 05:05:57 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/812 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/812
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Cassiel's Quarters

ON

Andrei stood in the middle of the clearing where they had left their Away Team exactly a month before. The bright, vibrant sun had been replaced by one of a dull, milky white with wisps of frightening clouds adorning it. The residences and other gray-washed buildings were stained with violent splashes of red, and the grass as well as every surface were covered with bodies and unmistakable human gore.

He stepped over the body of his father, his heart pounding in his chest. They’d found the cure, but they had clearly returned too late. Tears streamed down his cheeks and a panicked, ragged breathing took command of his chest as he approached the table in the middle of the clearing. There, he saw his sister naked, defiled, and with a Kazon dagger plunged between her breasts.

He woke screaming, his fists clenched in white-hot fear and rage. Every bit of it felt real, and the feeling carried over into the waking world. He was doused with sweat. Instinctively, almost, he reached for Lyra, but she wasn’t there. As he calmed, he remembered that she was staying over in her own quarters that night. He blinked and took deep breaths, and then he looked at the clock. 01:00 hours.

He stood from the bed and walked slowly into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he saw the stress in his natural eye and the raggedness of his hair with long black strands scattered randomly across his face. He wasted a little time running the water from the sink and washing his face. Then, walking out to his room again, he pulled on a black tank top and tan jogging shorts, and headed out the door.

It was a quick walk around the corridor’s bend from the door to his quarters to the ones that allowed access to Lyra's. He walked it with sure feet and pressed the access code which would allow him entry. Even if he didn’t know her code, his status as XO would permit him to enter any room on the ship. He suspected she wouldn’t be expecting him, but he figured they would deal with that when they came to it. Walking in, he made his way through her living room and into the bedroom where he saw her sleeping peacefully on her side. As soon as he laid eyes on her, he found that so much of his fear and stress melted away. He would never admit it in a thousand years, but he felt safe when she was around.

Since she had started sharing a bed with her lover more often than she didn’t during the week, Lyra’s snap reaction to go for the knife between her headboard and mattress had diminished greatly; it wouldn’t do to constantly be threatening to stab a tired boyfriend who simply hadn’t been able to join her in bed immediately. What hadn’t lessened though was that uncanny ability even in sleep to know when she was being watched, especially when she hadn’t been asleep for long. It took only seconds under Andrei’s gaze for her to rouse and turn her head. Her dark eyes cracked and she looked at him through long, dark lashes; her tired mind mulled over what she was seeing. She was in her quarters and he was here. She could see the remnants of water around his hairline, but his hair wasn’t wet and she could see the slightly tense way he was holding himself.

Instead of questioning him, she simply scooted out of the middle of her bed and over to the side to give him room, pulled back the covers behind her, and then sleepily extended a hand out toward him to coax him to join her.

Andrei walked toward the side she had indicated, his face unable to communicate the typical signs of warmth of happiness he gave with her. Instead, he removed his shorts and tank top, dropping them lazily where he stood, which was unlike him in most cases, and crawled beside her in just his underwear. Wrapping his strong arms around her immediately, he didn’t say anything. He did, however, let out an exhale that communicated a release of stress. He hadn't even bothered to pull the blankets over himself, but simply allowed his arms to be warm with her. She didn’t appreciate the cold as much as he did, and her quarters were warmer.

Over the past weeks, she had been no stranger to Andrei’s nightmares. They still never talked about them, but she could always tell when one was worse than the others by how he would seek his comfort from her. Sometimes it was just a questing hand to make sure she was still there if their bodies had drifted away while they slept, but other times like this one, she found those massive arms encircling her and practically crushing her to his body; he hadn’t gone that far this time of course, but right now he was awake and it wasn’t an unconscious plea for her to be there and safe with him.

She lay there quietly for a moment and then turned over carefully so she was facing him. She slid one leg between his for comfort, let one arm drape over his muscular side, and then nuzzled into his chest so his chin practically rested on top of her head. She was warm, her scent was comforting; though she was strong and fit, she still retained the softness of a woman - she had always been careful to do so. Her covered breasts pressed through the fabric of her shirt against his bare skin, and her fingertips began to move slowly over the defined line of his spine.

He shivered slightly at the touch, his hands clasping around her at the small of her back. The feeling of weakness was incredibly uncomfortable for Andrei, and he had never been able to settle with the idea that there was nothing he could do about some unfortunate situations. Especially since he felt responsible for protecting his sister, the dream had shaken him to the core of who he was. But Lyra was soft and, though their physical position suggested she was taking comfort in him, he knew the situation was quite different. That scared him even more.

Truth be told, the real reason he didn’t stay behind on Gamma Eridine II regardless of what his father had ordered was her. He hadn’t said so, and he refused to put blame on her, but it was true. He had come to want her and, perhaps, to need her a bit as well. A large part of him screamed that he had violated almost all of his values for a woman, but he knew it wasn’t that simple either. As he held her, the image of Mika laying dead on that table covered in her own blood came to him again. He frowned deeply and wondered in silence if he had made the right choice after all.

“I don’t sleep as well without you anymore.” She murmured to him softly. Truthfully, it was a very sweet picture; it was astounding that in the very quiet moments when they were alone like this, they could be so gentle, that these two machines built to kill, destroy, and conquer could be… sweet. Her lips touched his collarbone and her long eyelashes tickled his skin as she closed her eyes again.

“Why is that?” he asked, his voice seeming to indicate genuine interest in her answer. He was grateful she had broken the silence, and he was very happy they were talking about anything but how he felt, what he had seen, and why he was here.

“Because I miss you when you aren’t next to me.” She admitted sleepily. “I miss your warmth, your smell, your arms around me.”

She nuzzled into him again, loving and tender. “You make me feel safe.”

Andrei smiled then, though it was still somewhat sad. Whatever they had was special to both of them, as long as Lyra was being as honest as she seemed. He found that he really liked the idea of being the reason she felt safe. Still, it made him feel a pang of hot guilt as he thought of the other people in his life he had a responsibility to keep safe who were beyond his reach.

“Well, if anyone bursts in here with a blade, they don’t stand a chance.” he said, his sad smile still remaining. His hand moved down over the surface of her ample bottom. It wasn’t a gesture that suggested anything should follow it, and was more about comfort than attraction; more about possession and care than desire. Though, of course, those were there too. “I miss you when you’re gone too. I don’t get as much out of sleeping alone as I used to.”

The only reaction Lyra gave to the touch on her rear was to wiggle her body just slightly to make sure she was as close as she could be to him, but otherwise she did nothing but continue to rub his back and talk sleepily to him. “Maybe I should stay with you more often?”

She hadn’t been lying to him in the slightest, she really did sleep better when she slept with him. She also knew that right now he was vulnerable especially at nights and enjoyed the comfort of her presence. The evidence was right there in the fact he had come to her bed. She knew, however, that the idea of it would be much easier to swallow coming from her lips than him even hinting to her he would like her to do so first.

“I don’t see why not.” He said quietly, though he had a feeling he knew what she was doing. He kissed her forehead then, slowly, and his hand moved up from her bottom to tangle in her long brown hair. “It makes both of us feel good to be together, so it’s simple to me.”

As he tangled his hand into her hair, she finally moved her head back so she could look into his eyes. She gave a tired but genuine smile and seemed genuinely pleased by his response. “I’m happy to hear that.”

Lyra kissed him then, gentle and possessive. Her hand moved from his back and instead alighted on his hip where she moved it slowly up and down. She didn’t directly press him toward anything, but seemed to be indicating willingness if he wanted more comfort than that of just her embrace; he often found an outlet for his frustrations and feelings between her thighs after all. She wanted to take care of him; really she had never wanted to take care of anyone more and that fact did concern her deeply.

Andrei knew what her look meant, and it made him smile quite genuinely for the first time. Normally he would be very responsive to the prompting, but his crisis of family was working on his self confidence enough that he was more a deflated balloon or a fireball on the inside than a man. When he was angry, he would fuck her like an animal with biting, grunting, and furious, skilled, and wild movement of his hips. Then, in moments like this, he felt no stirring at all between his legs. He would rather die than admit it though, so he would only move toward making love if she seemed to genuinely want it. He kissed her again, but made no other move.

“I had a dream.” He admitted what he knew she already figured out. “We returned to the colony with a cure, but I found that the Kazon had violently killed the entire away team.”

The way Mika had been lying there naked reminded him of the way the Kazon had tried to humiliate him. She had been there for him, but he had failed to be there for her.

Lyra listened intently, holding his gaze. There was sympathy in her eyes, but certainly not pity. It wasn’t a huge leap to connect that the dream had centered around his family more than any of the others. She moved her hand from his hip up to his face to trace his features. “That is a terrible dream to have, darling. I’m sorry.”

She kissed his forehead again and let out a soft sigh. “We need to find a lead somewhere…”

“I think I may have found one yesterday, actually. It’s a Vidiian scientist and renowned doctor whom the slaves on the Rynall swear to me is the source of the cure. I’m pretty sure I have her location as well.” he admitted, seeming almost excited, but the expression was held back by something. “What I don’t have yet is a Captain willing to follow up on the lead. I’m planning on going to speak with her later today and convincing her this is worth pursuing, despite our orders.”

Even thinking about the roadblocks he had faced in pursuing a cure for the disease which kept their people bound to the planet caused a swell of anger in him. Why couldn’t she just do what he told her?

“I’m losing my patience with that woman.” he admitted, touching the hand on her face gently and shaking his head. “I hope she proves reasonable.”

Lyra listened with genuine interest as he spoke of the potential lead to information on the cure. She shifted against him and propped her head up on her lower arm. “Would you like me to try and speak with her? Perhaps she is the type who responds better woman to woman?”

“I doubt it would do anything, though you’re welcome to join us.” he said with a lift of his brow. “She won’t listen to anything with even the slightest danger. And that doesn’t bode well for us actually approaching someone who can help us. This could be an important lead, though, and we should be pursuing it.”

Her hand drifted from his cheek and down his neck and shoulder to his chest. She began tracing random patterns with no purpose other than touching him there, occasionally tracing the scars on his pale skin but not putting much thought into it. “It can’t hurt to try with both of us there, I imagine.”

At the very least maybe she could prevent Andrei from losing his temper and doing something foolish. “I’ll accompany you, darling.”

“Well, at least I have that to look forward to.” He said with a shrug, enjoying the feel of her hands on his body. They never seemed to get tired of being in contact with each other. Even when they didn’t speak, they were touching.

Her response was a smile and simply to continue to show him her physical affection to soothe him from his troubles. While she didn’t say it outright, she was very pleased he had come to seek her out after he had been unsettled by his nightmare. More than most things, that simple fact spoke of his true attachment to her and that she brought him comfort in a way others hadn’t before. She didn’t know why he had decided to leave his family, but she had been glad for it - they had too much ahead in life to be trapped and die like caged, lonely animals.

She also knew if he had decided to stay, she would have chosen to remain with him, and that frightened her.

“Are you ready to try and sleep?”

He kissed her again even as she was finishing her question. He felt much better now, meaning his libido had returned quite suddenly, but he kept that fact to himself. Sleep was what he truly needed. Sleep and her.

“Let’s get a few hours in.” He said with a smile, and his strong hands moved down her back again.

Her lips found his and once the kiss was broken, she shifted to cuddle back into him knowing very well how much he enjoyed having her so close. Her lips grazed his defined shoulder and her breasts pressed with tempting softness into his pecs, he could feel the slight bumps of her nipples through the silky tank top she was wearing. She was warm and inviting, her tiredness only made her sweeter toward him.

“Mmm. Well, on second thought..” he said with a grin as his hands found her bottom again. No words were needed after that.

“Hmmmm?” She hummed in question, having just settled into her comfortable position to rest. When his hands moved to her rear with obvious purpose this time, she laughed softly. He was feeling better. Her own hands moved to uncover her favorite toy, and soon enough tender words were replaced by passionate moans and the rhythmic thumping of her headboard against the wall. They’d tire each other out in their favorite way, push away all the lingering ill feelings with their shared pleasure, and then they would finally get some much needed sleep.

END
]]> Mon, 27 May 2024 05:02:58 +0000 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/828 https://vengeance.split-world.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/828
Mission - S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location - Gamma Eridine II

ON

Bryana felt trapped.

It wasn't just the tiny living cubicle that she and the other fifteen people were forced to call home. The claustrophobia was unbearable, leaving her sleepless. In a desperate attempt to find solace, she dragged out her survival gear and set up her tent near the housing blocks , using it as a distraction from the uncomfortable sea of emotions within her. Every time she struck a tent stake with her hammer, her mind cruelly brought back the memories of when she'd gone camping with her grandpa.

Clang! Laughing around the campfire.

Clang! The sound of his gravelly voice telling a ghost story.

Clang! The deliciously sweet and savory treat of smores.

Suddenly she had something new to distract her from her feelings as pain exploded through her hand as she smashed it with the hammer end of her survival axe. "Fuck!" she cried out, using every last shred of her sel control to not fling that axe away angrily, instead holding her injured hand to her chest as she stood and started walking away, trembling with the anger that was boiling up inside of her, feeling the unpleasant stinging of tears in her eyes as her vision blurred. She sniffled and swallowed hard, shaking her head as she tried to will it all away. In doing so she bumped hard into the shoulder of someone else.

That was just what the simmering anger needed to ignite as she spun around to confront whomever it was that she'd run into. Hoping it might being someone she could physically take out everything she had pent up inside of her "You fucking blind?!"

“Uh you’re the one that ran into me.” Ilan pointed out, much less hostile than the woman that she had shared the collision with. Bumping into people around the community area was just a day to day occurrence at this point and most people just murmured apologies and moved on, they’d been here long enough that for most, the anxiety had lessened significantly and people were starting to accept they were living a new life.

Ilan brushed her dark hair back behind her shoulder and crossed her arms, eyeing Bryana up and down now that she actually got a good look at the older woman. “Are you okay?”

Bri felt a sense of impotence as her anger began to die down. She trembled and sniffed, trying to hold on to the last embers of her frustration before it turned into nothingness. "Everything is just peachy, right?" she drawled in a heavy accent, still holding her hand, which she had injured. She looked around and shrugged, "It doesn't matter anyway. There's nothing I can do about it."

Bri's gaze then shifted to the compound as her thoughts turned to the rooms within, how small and coffin-like the rooms felt to her. She turned to Ilan and said, "I can't stand being stuck inside those shoe boxes anymore. I think I might have to build something of my own - something bigger with more space."

Ilan opened her mouth to say something and then realized Bryana was cradling her hand. She took a step closer, her green eyes softening with some concern. “Are you hurt? Let me see.”

She held her hand out but didn’t grab Bry’s hand.

"No...maybe. I just banged it with my hammer and got distracted thinking about things." She frowned, looking down at it, the impact site an angry red color and a little swollen before moving it to rest in the hand of the other woman. "It hurts, but I don't think anything's broken."

Ilan cradled Bry's hand gently and looked it over. She wasn't a medical professional of course but she had the basic training that even the NCOs were required to have. "Mm... I don't know. I think we should head to the medical bay and have a look at it."

Bri frowned as she watched Ilan as she examined her injured hand, frowning at the gentle attention since she wasn't sure how she should be reacting as she just left her hand in Ilan's. "Ummm, if you think so...It feels fine, just hurts when I try to close my hand into a fist."

“Well better safe than sorry, don’t you think? Last thing you want is to be dumb and end up with a ruined hand down here.” Ilan could be nice when it suited her and she could be very Terran when it suited her. Right now, it suited her to be nice.

“Come on.”

Without leaving any more room for protest, argument, or conversation Ilan turned and headed toward the small medical bay. It wasn’t like it was manned all the time now, but she knew if she couldn’t figure out Bryana’s hand on her own there were a few people she could call to help them.

Bri frowned as she looked around before following after Ilan at a more reluctant pace, but she knew the other woman was right, they didn't need someone lame and not able to do anything to help out. "So how are you settling in?"

“As well as anyone else I imagine.” Ilan shrugged and then looked back at Bryana. “Maybe not you but… most everyone, I guess. I’ve been trying to get out and take more walks and that has been helping with feeling so confined. I took a long walk along the river the other day and found some nice scenery,”

"I guess one of the perks of this place not having any large critters roaming about you don't really have to worry something's gonna pounce ya." She tried to sound a little more amused than she felt but her tone fell a bit flat while shaking her head a little.

"Notice if there was any fish?"

Ilan frowned at the question as they entered the thankfully deserted medical bay. She went for the tricorder and indicated for Bri to take a seat on the biobed. “Yeah I think I did. Why? Do you know how to fish?”

"Yeah, used to..." Bri trailed off as her thoughts turned towards her dad, remembering that he hadn't exactly been a young man when she'd left for her assignment on the Vengeance. Seventy years had been bad enough, but now she'd never get to see him or any other member of her family again.

She felt Ilan's gaze on her and she became self conscious as she cleared her throat. "I learned how to fish with my dad and grampa, how to dress it...he didn't have any sons so he started teaching me things that a boy would have learned."

“That’s always been such a weird concept to me that people would teach their sons and daughters most of the same things. Sure there would be some different stuff but like in general… makes no sense to me.” Ilan shrugged slightly.

Bryana blinked a moment as her attention turned fully to Ilan, it was a little odd she thought but then again who was she to judge odd, she was supposed to have been learning how to take care of the house and children while her husband dealt with the important task of running the business side of life. That wasn't a life she had ever been remotely interested in. "I guess, my family wasn't exactly normal since there were no sons, but other people I went to school with thought I was weird for knowing how to do all the things a boy would,"

She shrugged and shook her head. "Honestly I think that kind of stuff is just really important to noble types cause they gotta do things a certain way."

“Well yeah, for noble types. But you aren’t nobility.” Ilan noted and then frowned, looking at Bryana again and tilting her head. “Are you?”

Again Bry blinked as she was trying to figure out if Ilan was joking before smirking a little. "You know damn well that I'm not one of them, for one thing I've got at least a pocketful of sense."

“Well I didn’t think so but you’re talking about life lessons like you are.” Ilan pointed out and shrugged. “Looks like your hand is just bruised but not broken. I can find an analgesic in here somewhere I’m sure…”

"I thought about it once, when I was little, we had some nobles come to my school for an inspection, at the time they used a lot of words I didn't understand, but basically they called my school a shithole, don't know why they were there but the school survived after they left so I think they were going out to rough it or something." Bri replied and looked down at her hand, working it a few times.

"Save it, we should leave stuff like that for when we really need it, but thanks."

“Hey it’s not like we can’t replicate more if we need to.” Ilan reminded her and shrugged, but didn’t seem like she was going to push the point. “But if you don’t want it then suit yourself.”

Bry frowned and fought back against that ingrained idea that they need to conserve every little thing before she nodded once more. "Go ahead and give it to me, I need to finish setting up my tent."

With that she looked away from Ilan and out towards the lush vegetation beyond. "Do you have any family back home?"

"Oh of course. My parents, brother and sister." Ilan smiled though it was understandably a bit sad as she spoke of them - especially now when getting home seemed like an impossibility. She loaded up a hypospray with a small dose of medicine and pressed it into Bri's neck. "There you go. I'm sure you'll be feeling better soon but you should probably take it easy with your hand."

"Are you close with your family?" She questioned, the Marine's attention going far away since it seemed to her like everyone here was accepting that this was their fate and they'd live out their lives here and their families would only know that they'd been left behind on an alien planet to live out the rest of their lives.

"Yeah, I am. We all work in the same business as it were, so we are all very close being around each other all the time. I imagine it would be pretty miserable if we weren't." She chuckled and put everything away neat and tidy as it had been - the nurses could get very upset if things weren't just so.

“Were you close to anyone else in your family? Siblings or cousins or the like?"

"I have two younger sisters, but we weren't close...I was kind of an embarrassment for them since I didn't like girly things." Bri replied and shook her head a little as she thought about who would be left back on Terra. "I'm pretty close with my granpa since he's been too stubborn to die given all the prognosis' the doctors gave him, my dad when it came to farm work and stuff he wanted to do with a son..."

“How old is your grandpa?” Ilan asked curiously and leaned against one of the small counters in the small room.

"He'll be ninety six this year, the first I haven't been able to attend," The Marine frowned, picking at her thumb nail as she let the reality slowly soak in. "Even if I couldn't make it back to Terra, I'd call and wish him a happy birthday."

Reaching out, Ilan placed a hand on Bri’s shoulder. She wasn’t going to offer the placating words of maybe they would get home or that maybe they’d find a way to contact their families like so many might have. While she still hadn’t given up on the prospect, Ilan was a realist and always had been despite her generally exuberant and upbeat take. She gave the other woman a squeeze and smiled.

“Well, I’ll make sure to share a toast with you to him and his health on the day.”

Bri chuckled but nodded. She looked over at Ilan and gave her a warm smile. "Thanks, I know he'd like that...you two would probably get along, most people think he's a grump, but he likes living life to the fullest and finding new and interesting things to do,"

"His biggest worry was that he'd run out of interesting things before he turned a hundred."

“Definitely sounds like my kind of guy.” Ilan laughed and let her hand slide from Bri’s shoulder. “Come on, how about I help you set up that tent of yours? Or at least try to cheer you on while you do it.”

"Yeah, sure we can do that...think I might be able to teach you how to set it up if you want to learn." The brunette smirked as she moved to stand, taking a deep breath before she flexed her hand to make sure she'd have the strength needed to finish setting up the tent. "Also sometimes cheering on is just as good too,"

She turned and headed for the door to take them back out to the spot she'd chosen for her tent as she picked up the hammer and stake before turning her attention back to her companion. "So you've never taken the wilderness survival course?"

“I did, I just didn’t do it very well.” Ilan replied with a chuckle and moved to stand near Bri, but not interfere with her work. She had never really liked the thought of sleeping outdoors if there was another option.

“I’m built for science and fun.”

"Mmmm, well, I can't speak fully to the science, but I know you like fun." The marine shot a playful smirk to the other woman as she set about finishing her work from before. It didn't take much since she'd more or less been most of the way through. Few more stakes, a taut tension line and Bri had the tent all set up.

"I like satin sheets as much as the next girl, but sometimes I just need be outside, under the stars."

"Yeah, that was never for me. Way too many bugs and creatures and I need to sleep on something soft or I end up waking up wanting to murder people." Ilan chuckled and shook her head. "But to each their own, I know a lot of people find enjoyment in it and there's really nothing wrong with that."

"Well, there is always something to be said for the creature comforts and I don't think I'd want to see you ready to murder people, something tells me that'd be a different level of scary," Bri shook her head and shifted to sit back on the ground and look up at the sky.

The green eyed beauty laughed again and shook her head. "It could very well be. Well, I'll leave you to your tent and stargazing, Bri. I hope you find some peace out here, really. I know things have been very hard for everyone."

"You know you can join me, I promise I won't make you sleep outside," Bri looked over at Ilan and smiled warmly. "Always nice to have company and to take a moment for the little things, granpa's wisdom."

“Mm… well I guess I can stay and look at the stars for a little while.” Chuckling, Ilan moved to sit down next to Bri and leaned back on her hands so she could look up. “So different, yet so similar to the ones at home, don’t you think?”

"Yeah, they are...I think if I can come to terms with the stars, I can come to terms with being here," Bri admitted as she stared up at the night sky of the alien world, finding a small measure of comfort in them and in having Ilan close to her.

She was still struggling but at least she had someone that felt familiar.

END]]> Sat, 25 May 2024 04:50:20 +0000