Interlude

Posted on Tue Dec 8th, 2020 @ 11:03am by Ensign Evelyn Moro & Lieutenant Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova

From her balcony at the Intercontinental Hotel, Millie looked out over the bustling street below, filled with tourists and locals hurrying back and forth. Millie closed her eyes, shutting out the business, and focused on the warmth of the sun on her skin. There was a visible line of pale skin across her stomach where her cropped top was just slightly shorter than the local clothing she'd been wearing when she was rescued. She chuckled to herself, remembering that the sun that had tanned her skin on that planet had also made her decently sick...and she wondered for the hundredth time in the last week how long she could have stayed on that planet and lived.

The chime from the door startled her from her thoughts. "Enter," she called out as she stepped off of the balcony and back into her hotel room.

Evelyn walked in, a bag slung over her shoulder. "Beautiful view."

Millie set the pad in her hand on the table. Her eyes gave a quick glance-down of Evelyn. "Maybe, but I like the view over here better."

"Keep talking like that and we'll never get to sight see. Speaking of which, the speakers ought to be over about 1700 hours. So I figured I'd run back here, and then we can go see the town, get some dinner, all that fun stuff."

Millie closed the distance quietly as Evelyn talked. She gave a quiet sigh as she slipped her arms around the woman. Without a word, she pressed her lips to Evelyn's.

Silenced by the kiss, Evelyn returned it, letting her bag slip off her shoulder to the floor. She hadn't expected it but something about it made her never want to break it.

Millie wrapped an arm around Evelyn's waist, pulling her close. She pressed in deeper for the kiss, almost reveling in the ability to touch skin after the months of refraining from physical contact. No fire-skin. No pain. Her fingers laced into Evelyn's hair, and she wanted the kiss to last forever.

After a few moments the need to breathe overtook the flames of passion and Evelyn took a deep breath like she was coming up from the depths of the ocean. Her head was swimming as she focused on the woman in front of her. "Wow," she said quietly.

Millie pressed her forehead to Evelyn's. Her fingers still entangled in Evelyn's hair, she softly stroked the woman's cheek with her thumb. "Do you have to go right now?"

She didn't want to answer because her brain and her body had two different opinions. "I...could miss the opening introductions...."

Millie didn't wait for her to finish the sentence before pressing her lips back in. "Stay," she murmured, her other hand coming up to cup Evelyn's other cheek.

She melted into the touch simply nodding her agreement.

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A few hours later Evelyn stirred. Looking to her right Millie was deep asleep. Evelyn glanced to the chronometer. 'Might make it to the luncheon' she thought as she carefully planted a soft kiss on Millie's cheek before slipping out of the bed and dressing quickly before she headed out.

The sound of the door roused Millie the rest of the way. She reached out sleepily with an arm, and finding the bed empty, rubbed her eyes. She gave her hair a ruffle before slipping out of bed.

Millie hadn't stepped a few feet from the bed before she felt the tingles of a transporter beam envelope her and suddenly she was on a shuttle. A strong set of arms wrapped a blanket around her from behind. Having been trained for such an event she slammed her head back into the face of the person behind her. An audible grunt of pain sounded before the person's right forearm reached around to club her face and things went dark.

===============

A professional looking woman looked down at Millie who was sprawled on a neatly kept bed. She wasn't sure how the woman's lip had been split and her cheek bruised but she didn't have any medical equipment to fix it. All she could hope for was that she wouldn't be blamed.

Millie had been brought about a half hour before and was as nude as a newborn. Luckily she'd found clothes to put her in, though if her boss' modus operandi held true she wouldn't be wearing them for long.

She reached down and touched Millie's sleeve. "Miss...can you hear me?"

A sharp intake of air, and Millie startled awake. She quickly pulled back on the bed. "Where am I?"

"You're safe and won't be harmed...again. I was just told to prep you and tell you he's waiting for you on the balcony. It's a little cool with the breeze so I picked something with long sleeves for you."

Millie tasted the blood in her mouth, and she reached a hand up to her face. "I'm not going anywhere," she stated plainly, "unless it's right back to my hotel room."

"That isn't an option. I can tell you he doesn't like to be kept waiting." The women who looked only a few years older than Millie sighed. "Please don't make him angry."

"Make who angry?" Millie folded her arms across her chest.

"Mr. Nadall."

"Иисус." Millie rolled her eyes, shifting her body off the bed. She looked around on the floor. "Did anyone beam my shoes with me?"

"No, sorry, we didn't expect you to be nude when we got you."

Millie looked down at the clothes she was wearing--oversized, and obviously not hers. "Then next time, your boss needs to send a proper invitation." Millie strode out of the room, her arms once again folded unhappily across her chest.

When she exited the lodge house she saw him standing on the large patio balcony looking out at the mountains. "You are a hard woman to keep track of," he said, keeping his back to her.

Millie gave a huff. "I've been a hard one to find the past couple of months." She leaned against the frame in the doorway. "Next time, ask."

He turned, motioning her to come over. "Come see this view."

"In my bare feet?" Millie quirked an eyebrow from the doorway.

He walked over to her, but as he got close his expression changed. "Marcy!"

The woman who had greeted Millie came rushing. "Sir?"

"What happened to her?"

"She was....resistant when we took her."

"Who did it?"

"Squan, Sir."

"Bring him here."

She quickly nodded and ran off. James turned back to Millie. "I am sorry you were injured."

Millie shook her head. "I've had worse the last couple of months. It's nothing."

Marcy and the man returned a moment later. James turned to him. "Did you do this?"

The man nodded. "She broke my nose sir."

"Oh...well, in that case." James held out his hand. "Give me your sidearm, you're dismissed."

The man handed over his pistol, bowing and walked away. James glanced at the gun before pointing it and shooting the man in the back of the head from about twenty feet away. As the body dropped he handed it to Marcy. "Have that cleaned up....and give her your shoes."

Marcy didn't even flinch at the gunshot, apparently used to it. "Yes Sir....and yes, Sir." She stepped out of her shoes and walked back into the house.

James turned to Millie. "Now, where were we?"

Millie took a step back, setting her bare feet on the deck in a defensive stance. "You were about to send me back to my hotel room."

He smiled. "Patricia taught you that stance."

"If she hadn't, I wouldn't be alive to have this conversation." Millie let out an indignant huff. "And because she did, Mr. Squan is bleeding out on the floor."

"Don't worry about him. Do you know who taught her that?"

"You, I would assume." Millie didn't bother to take the edge off the bite in her statement.

He nodded with a smile. "Come on, don't be mad. Let's talk out here. I want to tell you about the history of this place and why we're here."

"No."

"Maybe I ought to invite your new friend."

Millie gave a snort. "So you could watch? You're not her type."

He chuckled, waving her to follow him. "This home belonged to a very powerful man. As a child my mother grew up in the village below and always wanted to come here and she did once because her father brought her to meet the man. She remembered that people said terrible things about him but he loved his dogs and how could anyone be all that bad if they did?"

About a century ago my mother purchased this property and renovated it to exactly how it was when she was a child. She doesn't come to Earth anymore but when I do, I stay here and I use this vista to think about my next moves. Which is why you're here. I need advice from someone who is unattached to my problems."

Millie gave a sigh. "If you are wanting my advice, then I am going to need a shower, proper clothing, and a meal." Her arms wrapped around her chest, more to keep away the chill than to be defiant.

He nodded. "As you wish. Marcy!" His assistant came running again. "Show her where she can get showed and bring her clothing to the room. Then have lunch prepared." He looked to Millie. "We'll talk soon."

Marcy looked at Millie. "Right this way," she motioned to the house.

Lieutenant JG Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova
Chief Counselor, USS Mercutio

Ensign Evelyn Moro
Computer Systems Specialist, USS Mercutio