JDL | "From Ice Comes Fire" | CO, XO | Capt Neyes, Cmdr Ivanova

Posted on Fri May 9th, 2014 @ 10:37pm by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Captain Landon Neyes

3,552 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: In the Dark
Location: Captain Neyes encampment

Rochelle listened to the all too familiar muffled padding of her socked feet pacing against the cold shuttle floor, felt the heavy silence of her bunk weighing on her shoulders, a most unwanted burden. She was used to the long, lonely nights that she spent unable to sleep, sometimes from the nightmares, sometimes from the worries that plagued her restless mind.

Tonight, though, she refused to sleep. She didn’t want to close her eyes and be taken hostage by the dark world of her memory, for she felt the frightening chains tugging at her mind, begging to reveal what that which she was desperate to forget. The woman’s head throbbed with an ache that begged for release, one she dared not allow. Hell – this was the third night that she’d denied herself sleep, successfully fending off he terror she knew would inevitably come once she rested her eyes.

She sighed, looking at the time. It was ten past midnight, and she wavered in her stride too tired to keep up her frantic pacing. The inviting warmth of her makeshift bed called to her with a siren’s lilt and she shook her head, rebuking it’s softness and it’s ability to lull her to sleep. She yawned, and feeling her heavy eyes moisten, she moved on knowing she could no longer fight and deny herself sleep if she simply stood there like a fool. Any other night, alone in the protective sanctuary of her private quarters, she’d have taken the punches her night terrors dealt – but here she was within earshot of both away teams. Within earshot of Dahe`el , whom she kept just close enough to keep an eye on given the nature of sentiments towards the Cardassian people. Within earshot of Garza, the Marine that was an incessant source of irritation. Within earshot of Neyes, the Captain that threatened to consume every bit of impulse control Andrea had carefully worked on making her grasp and keep as a tool.

Neyes… He’d been there earlier in the day when the Elders had given their peacock display of misogyny – enough of an excuse to keep her up and send her tip toeing through the shuttle and past where the Cardassian was forced to take up roost to keep warm. Rochelle pulled her coat on and tight around her tiny frame as she took to the snow and the short skip to where the Captain had set up camp. Come dawn they’d all be moved to the city, but for now she risked frostbite’s assault on her sock clad feet as she crossed the cold camp to the other shuttle where she knew she’d find him just as awake as she was.

"Pardon my intrusion, Captain." The redhead started from beneath her downy hood, only the frost reddened tip of her delicate nose poking out from the dark recesses of the garment. Her eyes traced the contours of his facial features, reading him as best she could in their tired state. "But I couldn't rest after today's exchange and wanted to apologize for my smart mouth."

The night had not been any kinder to Landon's ability to sleep. The day had revealed the complexity of handling alien diplomatic adventures to him once again, and he'd spent a good deal of the night worrying about Caldwell's scouting team. Knowledge that the Noturan guide was with them helped to ease his mind, but only just enough to keep him from calling on the Marines to track them down. Spending the night reading a fictional novel was just about the only thing able to keep his experienced mind from imagining the worst possibilities.

When Rochelle entered his cabin, he sat up from his bed. Well... really it was more of a cot. Even in the cold he was unable to sleep with a full set of clothes, and reached for his shirt as she entered. "Come on, Commander. You should call me Landon after midnight," he teased. Standing, his pajama shorts fell softly across his lithe form, the dots of his Trill markings trailing down his legs and over his feet. He slipped on the fitted shirt and sat at the small chair, offering her a seat on the bed.

"Besides, I had no idea the Noturans would be so... unenlightened. They posses the cultural knowledge to know better. They simply choose to ignore the technology their past has afforded them." He paused, "Can I get you something to drink?"

The Commander's first instinct was to avert her eyes, her lashes lidded them, directing their gaze towards the floor briefly. "Duly noted." She responded and shook her head with a wry smile, tugging down her hood as she crossed the chilly floor and took the offered seat on his bed. It was a stark reminder that they were adults, not bashful virgins at their first co-ed sleep over. More-so, she was envious of his ability to tolerate the cold. "Tea would be nice." She nodded tiredly, sweeping loose hair back behind her ears.

"I can't help but think it goes deeper, maybe some power struggle or deeper oppression that we're just now seeing the tip of the proverbial iceberg." Rochelle gestured with a shrug and a slight sigh, "Then again it could be nothing more than ignorance and the boy's club will eventually take the same nose dive it did on Earth."

"I'm a little rusty when it comes to Earth cultural history. I've adopted some colloquial terms, but otherwise you lost me." He laughed, entering her order for tea into the small replicator built into the wall. "I think their attitude is certainly outmoded, but it's not our place to judge it... No matter how much we'd like to, or how ridiculous it may be."

"Prime directive, yadda yadda..." She blew out her breath and studied her hands, "I know. It's just difficult to swallow given what women have to go through even now -- especially women who happen to have a little bit of power behind them." Her eyes lifted again, back to Landon as he harassed the replicator, bullied it into working at such an hour. "Women were considered property until the early nineteen-hundreds that women really managed to have any real standing even though there had been tons of us in power since time bega--" She scoffed lightly, offering an apologetic smile, "Now's not the time for a lecture in suffrage."

Neyes handed her the mug, a warm and polite smile on his face. "Here you go, Rochelle."

Taking his own seat, Landon sipped his coffee and pulled a blanket off the back of the chair to cover his legs. Confiding with someone else in the room felt good, after stewing in his own sense of worry for the past few hours. Rochelle was still an image of collected beauty even at this hour, and part of his wondered how she managed to look so put together despite their environment. "Thanks for coming to chat, Commander. I'm concerned about Caldwell and the others though. They were only supposed to go out and check for signs of a herd. They've been gone for hours, and now...", he shook his head, "if they're not back by morning I may need to take the runabout to look for them."

"Thank you." She admonished, wrapping her chilled fingers around the mug and taking a sip with a hum of true appreciation. The heat and soothing flavor of the tea slowly washed away the rabid dogs of trauma that nipped at her tired heels, sent them cowering in the shadows all but forgotten as she settled in deeper, enjoying his company. "When was their last check in?" She asked, furrowing her brow and tucking her feet up under herself, jumping at the cold wet feeling they rendered against her rear-end.

"That's just it," he sighed, unable to find comfort in his beverage or the blanket, "They never have. I want to blame it on the damn comm signals getting spindled and jammed on this planet. I don't like the idea of them spending the night out there, and I have to believe Caldwell wouldn't have made camp unless he had to. With our guests here though, I'm not sure I'm prepared to send a team out to look for them. If the Noturans insist on sending another hrathktika or whatever, they'll be nearly out of their own guards.

"Making them uncomfortable is the last thing this mission needs."

Neyes adjusted in the chair, taking a moment to try and stretch out his neck. "To make things worse, we're camping," he raised his voice with sarcastic incredulity, "I'm very old you know, and this bed is just..."

Landon's neck popped as he stretched, "... Just the worst."

Rochelle blinked and tilted her head, concern marring her face. "Then we send Garza and her minions out to look for them if they're not back by dawn, tell them it's a perimeter search or sight seeing tour or something. We'll come up with a cover." She shrugged, "chances are they'll be back and we won't need to worry about it." Her tea mug found itself set upon a makeshift side table, it's warmth a wanton memory calling to her fingers as she unfurled her legs and lent to roll up her melted snow wet pajama pant legs and remove her soaked socks.

"To be completely honest, their comfort isn't something that's crossed my mind." The Commander's wry smile tugged at the corners of her full lips, "I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd openly admit longing for my quarters," she chuckled and sat up, rolling the socks into a ball and set them down on the floor. "But... Here we are, roughing it." The concussion of her hand against the thin mattress only seemed to punctuate her thoughts and words as she scooted over and invited the man back to the better of the two roosts in the room.

"I was a Marine once," Neyes laughed a little to himself, "I used to laugh with them about naval officers and diplomats being spoiled and soft. Not that being on a starship is always comfortable, but seeing these people, remembering what it used to be like on Trill before things like replicators and warp engines... I can't help but feel like maybe we are a little too dependent on our technology."

Rochelle chuckled lightly, "Yeah, well, it's all about life support now. It just so happens that we're privileged enough to have more at hand than what we need. We're lucky, not our fault there's still people out there who would rather live in the dark ages."

Neyes fell back on the bed exasperatedly, throwing up his arms behind his head. With a cheeky grin he poked at her, "Remind me to lay all the crew complaints on your desk when we get back to Vindi."

Sticking out a leg, the redhead balanced herself from the bed's bucking beneath the Trill's toned body. Grabbing at his offending finger, Rochelle's wry grin turned into a rare thing; a genuine smile. "What's an ex-oh for other than torture?" She retorted, releasing his cold digit and throwing a crumpled blanket at him with her free hand. "Anything else would be far too humane. That's why I'll just happily forward them on to Malone. Maybe he'll think twice before asking us to go anywhere snowy other than maybe a vacation in the Swiss alps."

Bellowing a laugh from beneath the blanket, he just laid there, "Maybe we'll get to go someplace warm, like Cardassia. Is that what you'd prefer? I know an Engineer who'd probably be on board." Imagining the tropics and their warm humidity, he pulled the blanket away from his face.

"Sipping cool fruity drinks with those cute little umbrellas Humans seem to enjoy so much. The warm ocean breeze your only relief from the hot hot sun. Half-naked Cardassians showing off their scales," the image he was creating quickly collapsed as he chuckled evilly.

"More your style, Commander?"

All the pair of them needed was home baked cookies and frilly panties, the image would have been perfectly complete. Rochelle shook her head and laughed, "Can't say I'd enjoy the cute little umbrellas." She winked, swatting at his arm. "The rumors about that certain engineer and I are false, so sorry to kill your nighttime fantasy fodder." Flopping down beside him, she rested her head in her hand, propped up on her elbow. Sure... She found the Cardassian Engineer intriguing and, at times, handsome -- but never had she lay with him much to the chagrin of the crew who seemed to think her sex life was rich with adventure.

"Besides... The resort tropical worlds are over rated and crowded. If I'm going to lewdly eyeball nearly naked men, it's not going to be on Risa or Cardassia." The woman reached over, tugging the blanket off the rest of his partially shrouded upper half, effectively stealing it for herself. "What about your style, Landon?" She asked, purposely drawling his name as per his earlier silly request.

Neyes reached to his chest, absently pulling the wrinkles out of his shirt as he thought, "It's interesting. Living on Trill for so long I think I kind of forgot about what other worlds and people are like, or I guess I didn't really know. I didn't leave home for any length of time until my later hosts. Eyeballing the opposite sex always seemed like it had to be forced, especially when you've been both. It may sound self-serving and petty, but I usually waited until I noticed someone 'noticing me'. That way I could assume the role they desired... if I shared their interest. It's always easier that way. Call me lazy." He turned his head to face her.

"I never thought about it much." He pursed his lips, "You ever been in a serious relationship, Rochelle?"

The smile faded, her head shook. "That seems like a rather lonely existence, feeling the need to morph into whatever fantasy the other party desires... Kind of a gyp to both of you." Rochelle answered, "though it makes sense... Makes the entire process that much easier." A shrug saw her shoulders rising before her entire body rolled onto its back and she went from looking at the Trill's handsome face to studying the ceiling. His question struck a nerve, burning her vulnerable psyche in the wake of exhaustion. But this was Landon. He was safe, good people. Her tongue stroked along the fullness of her upper lip as she finally nodded.

"Once." She replied, laying her head sideways on the mattress, her eyes seeking the blue of his while the fading memories of Taggart's face played on in her mind. She reached to unbuckle the the leather strap that guarded her wrist, freeing the creamy satin skin that had remained hidden beneath it since her time on the Griffin, since she'd given herself to the Atlantean. The blue mark that denoted her as Atleantean royalty saw the dim light of the bunk, pressed over the pulse of the artery that ran just beneath. "It fell apart, left me with responsibilities I've denied for the sake of the uniform." She smirked, showing him the mark she'd come to think of as a slave brand. "It took me a long time to realize that regardless of the imprinting, I don't belong to him. It wasn't all bad, just the ending."

Not wanting to pry he changed the subject, seeing her expression fade from the lively energy he felt akin to. "If you can believe it I was engaged to a nice girl once. After years of not speaking, I found out the Intrepid didn't make it through the Siege of Sol. No one survived."

He caught himself leaning toward her, out some sense of comfort or connection about their shared past or what, he couldn't tell. Her eyes were calm and blue, paler than his own, but just as deep. The tickle of sensation in his gut as he looked at her rose to his throat, and he didn't care to look away.

Neyes' voice softened. "I'm glad you're here, Rochelle. I'm used to doing things alone... it's nice. Having someone to watch my back, I mean."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Ivanova soothed, her face softening in sympathy. None of this was formal, the stiffness she was akin to since the Griffin became the past and Andrea went back to schooling the future back at the academy. Then again, she'd never lay beside her best friend in her bed. The entire experience was foreign, alien -- but warm and quiet and all things that made the woman feel alive. She felt her pulse quicken as he neared her, however slowly. The sensation was familiar, one he often solicited in his nearness -- one she'd denied power to not unlike she'd denied the nightmares, only she quietly appreciated it. Appreciated him. Her eyes darted from his eyes to his lips and back.

"I didn't think I was going to ever connect to another..." She paused, "I didn't think I'd live up to your expectations, that I'd be as fond of you as I am. But I was wrong. It's my pleasure serving with you, I'll always have your six." Her words were chosen carefully, not daring to read too far into his words as she lay there, letting him drift ever closer, allowing herself to reach to brush her fingers across his knuckles.

Time had stretched for years since he could relax like this without fear of judgement. Even his strong friendship with Rob was littered with the potential to carry baggage he accepted as a term of their camaraderie. The warmth of her heavy breath was fresh, new, and tantalizing as it passed over him. She was fair and delicate when she set down her shield and armor, and he wanted nothing more than to guard her, make her feel safe in his care.

Urging himself to shift closer to her, to settle skin against skin, he could hear the shouting disapproval of his position and discipline. It had been long enough, he could tell for both of them, that if something happened between them it would be fast and too easy. Breaking the principle bond between himself and his executive officer in the process. Living on the constant edge of remembering all the people he'd lost was a simple enough deterrent for him not to engage in any kind of 'personal' activity, especially given all those he'd remember losing spanned lifetimes more than his own. In this case though, he just wanted to dive in and get lost in her. Neyes knew better... but still.

He took a sharp breath in and blinked hard, hammering away at the surging desire he knew he needed to overcome. It clawed at his resolve, his eyes lingering on her as he forced the battle between responsibility and profound longing.

"Well, thank you for popping in, Commander." Landon's voice rang true, a shallow but confident guile to cover his near-misstep with her. With a smooth hand he gently moved past her, his fingers catching fire as he touched her. He calmly moved to the edge of the bed and stood, as if inviting her to do the same. "We should try to get at least a little sleep before tomorrow." He held out his hand to help her up.

The man was infernal and threatening to send her completely up in flames herself. She could feel the blood rising to color the surface of her sensitive skin, yearning for the coolness of his touch to soothe and ease the searing heat of her. It was taboo, strictly forbidden -- but it felt so strangely right. From the moment she'd seen him he'd piqued her curiosity and jabbed at her with spurs of desire that she'd managed to tamp down out of respect and the ease of slipping loyally into servitude under the role of his savage little XO and he'd been cast in the role of boss and eye candy.

Rochelle knew it was dangerous, the blue mark on her wrist -- still bare -- was testimony to that fact. Her own bitter psyche shouted at her as she sunk her teeth into her lower lip and held her breath at his final approach, shivering at his touch over her jacket... And then it was over. She was startled back to professionalism. Clearing her throat, she sat up and bent to grab her soaked socks, the leather bracelet forgotten and cold on Neyes' bed.

"Good night." He said coolly.

"Was a pleasure." She managed with, concealing her thundering heart as she took his offered hand and got to her feet. Tugging her hood back up, once again the features of her face were shrouded - concealing even the glitter of her eyes as she studied his face once more. "Absolutely. Sleep well, Captain." And with out a second thought, not giving either one the chance to further tempt fate, she disappeared back out into the snow.

Captain Landon Neyes
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR

Commander Rochelle Ivanova
Executive Officer
USS VINDICATOR

 

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