Man to Man

Posted on Fri Oct 20th, 2023 @ 4:43pm by Private 1st Class Cedrik Feng & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov

Mission: In-Between (S1:E5-S1:E6)
Location: XO's Office
Timeline: Date 2371-08-26 at 1930
2408 words - 4.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

The days for Shadow Squad were regimentally scheduled and left very little time for oneself. While Cedrik enjoyed being part of the team and it gave him purpose, he couldn’t deny he missed having more freedom in his life especially now that he was going to be potentially seeing someone. He’d retained enough focus throughout the day to get through all of his training, but his mind had been filled with thoughts of Mika and considerations of what to do for their next date. Their impromptu second date hadn’t been a complete disaster which Cedrik considered a positive, but he wanted to make sure to do something she would enjoy for sure.

It was after hours and his free time which he was using simply to take a walk around the ship. Walks had always helped to clear and focus his mind. He would have loved some better scenery of course, but he was saving his holodeck time to be spent with others - specifically one other at the moment. He was strolling around deck eight slowly and calmly, his thoughts drifting everywhere and nowhere at once.

Deck 8 was known for its wide open spaces, be they the cargo bays or the marine barracks, so there was only one corridor to move through before he arrived at the turbolifts. As Cedrik stood and waited for the lift to arrive, the door, a familiar man rounded the corner and stopped in front of him. He was tall and, though he wasn’t particularly imposing, he was fit and had a creepy, haunted sort of look in his large eyes. Staff Sergeant Lucas Kane was known for being a hard-ass and for driving the marines to their limits. He said nothing, simply looking at Cedrik with that haunted stare

“Ah fu-“ Cedrik caught himself from finishing the exclamation as Creepy Kane, or better known as simply The Creeper, suddenly appeared in that way he always managed to - completely out of nowhere. He didn’t like to give people those kinds of labels, but Lucas Kane was straight up creepy. He earned the nickname early on in their deployment; he wasn’t a man of many words and seemed to prefer to simply stare at people with those haunted dark eyes until he got his way just by virtue of people being completely unnerved.

“Sergeant Kane, good evening.” The young man recovered smoothly.

Kane sniffled twice, paused, and then did the same thing again, except even louder. Then a dark silence descended upon the interaction again. His presence alone was an energy well, making people tense and unnerved. He was appreciated in training, but seldom called into battle for that very reason. Eventually he spoke, quietly.

“Private.” he said, looking Cedrik over quite obviously, his eyes scanning the man’s every detail and quality. He made his way back to his eyes again. His voice was like a whisper, more a rusty nail than a symphony. “Are you uhh…taking a walk?”

“Yes.” Cedrik replied and shifted slightly, crossing his arms over his chest and willing the turbolift to come faster. “I was going to head up to the lounge.”

“That sounds nice.” Kane said quietly. “I’m going to join you, if you don’t mind.” He said. When the turbolift came, he stepped inside and turned to look back at Cedrik. He stared quietly and expectantly, showing that he wasn’t planning on taking no for an answer.

“I guess.” Cedrik just shrugged, stepping onto the turbolift with Kane and turning around. “Deck 11.”

As the door closed, Kane fell into the same typical silence he typically adopted. The enclosed space did much to make things even more uncomfortable, though Kane seemed completely unbothered by it. When the doors opened again, they were greeted by a familiar yet completely unexpected face. That of Andrei Petrov. His smile appeared, handsome, but not reaching his visible eye. The powerfully built man stepped onto the turbolift, not leaving either man room to exit, and then immediately ordered a floor change.

“Deck 3.” He said, and he looked at Cedrik silently as the doors closed and the lift started moving again. “You have very consistent habits, Cedrik. Let’s take a trip.”

Cedrik really hadn’t thought much when Andrei stepped onto the turbolift outside of a mild annoyance when he ordered the floor change, but it wasn’t worth a comment or a fuss, it wasn’t like he was in a hurry to get anywhere. When Andrei spoke more directly toward him though, his brows went up in confusion. “Sir?”

“We’re taking a trip.” Andrei repeated, his smile fading slightly. Before Cedrik could respond again, Andrei turned out of the newly opened door and into the corridor. With another turn, he made the short journey to his office. Kane stood in the turbolift, watching Cedrik with big eyes. He was clearly waiting for him to move.

Frowning, the young man sighed slightly and stepped off after Andrei, following him since obviously that was what was intended here. Vaguely he thought about Mika and her warnings and the fearfulness he had seen in her eyes. Physically, Cedrik was not that far off from Andrei, but he wasn’t stupid enough to believe he could go toe to toe with him. He didn’t bother asking questions, he was intelligent enough for that too.

Once inside the office, Andrei went for his cabinet, pulling out two squat glasses and a bottle of dark green liquid. Pouring two fingers into each, he passed them out starting first with Kane and then with Cedrik.

“My sister and I had a very interesting conversation today.” Andrei said, moving to the couch area and lowering himself into a comfortable chair. “You know what she told me, of course.”

Kane took the drink and sat silently, watching Andrei as he spoke and taking a slow, uncertain sip of his drink.

“I have a pretty good idea, yes.” Cedrik confirmed, holding the glass but not taking a drink of it. His dark eyes shifted to Kane and then back to Andrei. He wondered why the other marine was here exactly; it wasn’t like Andrei needed assistance in being intimidating.

“Relax. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t use poison.” Andrei said with a grin as he sipped his own drink. The green liquid was the same sweet stuff they’d stocked up on Anorra. “Mika came to me and told me you and her were seeing each other. Obviously, as her only brother and, for several years the man of the house in our family, I’m very protective of her. Very protective.”

Andrei cleared the glass then, drinking slowly, and poured himself more.

“I’m not stupid. Mika is beautiful and kind; the perfect target for a red blooded man who wanted to play on her innocence. Many many have tried. Some of them didn’t make it.”

He was spread out in the chair, taking up lots of space, and his eye fell on the younger marine.

“Are you fucking my sister, Cedrik?”

“No. I’m not.” Cedrik’s voice and demeanor were level. He wasn’t challenging Andrei, but he also wasn’t shaking in his boots. He knew his own intentions with Mika but also understood where Andrei was coming from as an older brother. He took a sip of the drink to be polite, but was more interested in the conversation.

“Then what, exactly, are you walking around this ship arm in arm for?” Andrei returned the question. “I’ve heard about your trips to the holodeck too.”

This time, Cedrik did seem mildly confused by what Andrei was saying. “Because she is kind, beautiful, and I would like to get to know her even as a friend. She seems amenable to something more serious, and I want to explore that with her too at her pace. I was raised to respect women.”

“So was I.” Andrei said with an expression that communicated precisely what he thought of that defense.

“Then I suppose my lessons stuck better.” Cedrik commented dryly.

Andrei looked at him silently, his stare somehow communicating that he was a stone cold killer and perfectly at ease. Considering the creeper’s presence, the room was very chilly indeed.

“You aren’t very bright, it seems.” Andrei said in an erudite and dismissive tone. “If you were, you’d consider a bit more closely how a man in my position might receive such a comment. Say I don’t approve of you seeing her. What then?”

“I’d ask why, exactly, would you not approve of my seeing her? Besides the fact that you are an older brother and it is just natural to not want anyone close to your little sister?” Cedrik asked, ignoring Andrei’s comment about him not being bright; his comment hadn’t been wrong and they both knew it.

“Because you’re disrespectful.” Andrei said, frowning at the man. The insult he had offered so lightly was a knife blade in Andrei’s side. It seemed the man had noticed. “You’re not even wise enough to know when to keep your mouth closed.”

“Am I? Did I say something incorrect about your character?” Cedrik asked, shifting where he stood but still watching Andrei. “If I did, I do apologize. I had heard you were quite proud of all your conquests. I simply view the world differently and don’t see your sister in such a light.”

“You shouldn’t believe everything you hear. A lot of people around this ship run their mouths when they have no idea what they’re talking about.” Andrei said in a gruff tone before calmly pointing his finger at Cedrik. “I have no reason to like you, trust you, or believe you. I want you to know that I’m watching you; watching your every…fucking…move. And if you hurt her or put your hands on her in an inappropriate way…”

Andrei turned and looked at Kane. He gave a stoic nod at the older marine.

“I’ll have Lucas here rearrange your organs.” He concluded, smiling slowly. “That would be a shame. Mika seems to like you, after all.”

Cedrik briefly looked over to Lucas and then back to Andrei once again. “I am aware you don’t and I would expect nothing less as her older brother. I would do the same for any of my sisters. I won’t bore you with talk of intentions since I know you won’t believe them until you see them, and possibly not even then. I understand.”

“Then you know I’m not exaggerating about the consequences.” Andrei said, taking another sip of the drink. “For Petrovs, family is everything. I wasn’t the easiest brother to grow up with, and there are many things I haven’t been able to give my sister. But keeping her good…keeping her different…special. That, I can do, Cedrik. And believe me, I know exactly how to do it.”

Andrei wasn’t working hard to intimidate and his tone was calm and business-like. He meant what he said, and he was clearly the sort of man who could casually use violence to get what he wanted, or to stop what he wanted to have stopped.

“I have no doubt.” Cedrik replied, paused, and then crossed his arms. “Be frank with me, when you say special are you wanting to keep your sister a virgin?”

“Nothing so simplistic as that.” Andrei said, waving his hand. “Though that’s obviously included.”

“Will you explain what you mean then, exactly?” He doubted Andrei would actually answer, but he asked anyway. He seemed to genuinely want to know despite all of Andrei’s threats and demands.

“Mika…is the only good person I’ve ever met. I’ve known her since she was born and she’s never lied, or cursed, or intentionally hurt anyone.” Andrei’s answer was genuine and strangely warm for him. He spoke with obvious feeling, though it was restrained. “People like that have to be protected. They’re a miracle.”

“I don’t want to take any of that from her.” Cedrik frowned and shook his head. He was surprised by the display of feeling from Andrei, but again he understood the feeling brothers had for their sisters. “Right now, genuinely, all I want is to get to know her, nothing more. She is not the type of woman to rush into things nor the type you try to rush and I respect that.”

“We’ll see.” Andrei said, the sentimentalism draining slowly from his face. “As you say, words and actions aren’t the same.”

“All I ask for is a chance to show you.” Cedrik shook his head slightly.

Andrei looked at him, seeming to consider him again silently.

“Remind me who your father is, again. Breeding isn’t everything, but she is the only daughter of the Lord of Russia. “

“Lord Feng Honghui of Hong Kong.” Though Hong Kong wasn’t as large or powerful as Russia was, it was a rather powerful nation in the Pacific dominion despite its size and Lord Feng commanded respect. Cedrik wasn’t sure what Andrei was playing at - or perhaps he really simply had forgotten.

“Right, Lord Feng, of course. I’ve never had the pleasure.” Andrei said before thinking for the space of a few seconds. “I’ll stay off your back, give you time to try and impress my sister. If she ends up liking you, you can’t be too bad. Just keep your hands to yourself, especially in public.”

“Not a problem.” Cedrik nodded, lowering his arms from where he had crossed them. “Anything else?”

“That’s all.” Andrei said, draining his glass one more time and sitting it down on the table. Lottie or Ren would clean it up later. For now he watched Cedrik and the Staff Sergeant did the same.

After taking one last polite drink, Cedrik put the glass down on the corner of the desk he was standing by, nodded to Andrei and then promptly left the room. Wisely, he hadn’t mentioned that in the end, whether he dated Mika or not wasn’t Andrei’s choice, it was his father’s, but such things could wait until later.

END