Into the Fire

Posted on Wed Apr 20th, 2022 @ 9:06pm by Captain Natalya Markova & Bexley Kinsley

Mission: Pirates! (Or Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Yum)

ON

Nat stood outside the airlock of the docking bay. It was a little over 90 minutes since Bex had said two hours, and her hand shook slightly as she set the passcard against the scanner, and the doors hissed open. With both bags in hand, Nat crossed over the threshold, with no chance of turning back now.

Not that she wanted to. The mission was too important. Her goal too important. She needed to get to Medron, get on a Pirate ship, and make damn sure the Chimera made it out if this in one piece. "Hello?" Nat called, looking around.

"Took you long enough!" Bex shot back from the back of the small craft. There was a heavy thud followed by a string of expletives and another thud before finally the petite blonde emerged, hair disheveled. "Welcome to Ailith. Stow your stuff and sit, we gotta go."

She slid past Nat and into the pilots seat, bringing the power online.

"Docking port 29, you're not cleared for departure. Power down your engines and wait for security."

"Sorry, on a deadline!" Bex replied via com before she hit the thrusters, the small craft disconnecting readily from the starbase. They'd barely cleared the station and surrounding traffic when Bex hit the console, the craft launching into warp. "Wait for security," she muttered. "Fuck off."

Nat found a small closet and managed to get her bags put away for now, joining Bex as she settled into a seat. "Quite the departure." She noted. "You in a rush?"

"Let's just say an expedited departure was in both our interests," she said with a grin, glancing across at Nat before turning her attention back to the console in front of her. "Alright, Federation, I assume you can run a basic sensor sweep?" Her fingers danced across the console before she flicked some sensor data across to Nat's console. "That's what we're looking for."

Nat loaded up the sensor data, and began a sweep, checking for any correlations between her readings and the profile given. "We're looking for a ship?" While she wasn't at all familiar with this particular warp signature, Nat did know when she was given a warp signature to find.

"Actually, that's exactly what we're not looking for," Bex replied as she slid out of her seat. "If they catch us, well, I guess it's a good thing you've got some looks about you Federation, it might be what saves that cute ass." She walked across to the replicator, ordering a coffee, strong and black, before pulling a small bottle from a cabinet next to the replicator, adding a healthy dose of deep amber liquid to the coffee cup. "You want one?" she finally offered.

Nat lifted her gaze from admiring Bex's own backside, to see what she was doing. A small pause, and a slight shrug. She'd already blown her streak back on the Starbase. "Sure." She turned her eyes back to the sensors. "So I'm guessing you've pissed someone off?" It wasn't much of a deduction and a fairly obvious one, but Nat wanted something to do while staring at the sensor sweep.

"Someone, sometwo.." Bex gave a shrug and handed the drink to Nat before returning to the replicator to make another. "We'll be flanked by friends soon, they'll make sure we get safely to where we need to be."

Bex wasn't lying. Nat estimated it was only a few minutes before two sensor contacts appeared, one to port, and one to starboard. "This is odd..." Nat was running her hands over the controls. "Having a hard time getting a decent scan..."

"Don't bother trying," Bex replied. "Open a channel to the starboard vessel."

"Channel open." Nat reported. It was a strange sensation, to be following Bex's orders, but she really did have little choice.

"Did you get it?" The gruff male voice came over the comm system.

Bex grinned easily. "You doubted me for a minute?" she asked sweetly, though the sweetness only lasted a moment before her demeanour changed. "I had to make a hasty exit from the Station, we're likely going to be tailed." She slid into the pilots seat again, casting an uncertain glance at Nat. "And tell him I have company," she added.

"Company?" There was a moment of silence as the small craft they were in was scanned. "Your bodyguards will be waiting when you get home. He's waiting for you. Storm out." The small craft lapsed into silence as the communication ended.

Bex reset the autopilot, changing directions again, one hand holding the mug of laced coffee, sipping it easily as if she were completely unperturbed by anything.

Nat sat, feeling her tension amounting, the adrenaline was on high, and Nat was holding herself way too stiff. The silence after even a few minutes was almost unbearable. "You ... uh... need anything?" She asked, wanting something to do.

Turning her seat toward Nat, Bex crossed her legs and offered a smile. "Sit back and relax, we'll be home in a few hours. Then the real fun begins."

Nat actually scoffed. "I got fired from Starfleet. I concoct a hair-brained plan to get back at the one who fired me, I'm travelling to somewhere I don't know, with a - albeit gorgeous - stranger. And I'm to relax." She just shook her head. "Not likely to happen. Not any time soon at least."

"Awww, shucks," Bex replied with a grin. "Flattery gets you everywhere." She took another sip of the coffee, leaving the mug lingering at her lips between sips. "Fortune favours the bold, Federation. Fortune favours the bold."

Nat fell silent for a time, lost in her own thoughts. She could feel her heart racing, feel her nerves on edge. She needed to do 'something'. Taking a deep breath, Nat got up, and moved for the Repilactor. As she moved past Bex, the ex-Marine bent down, and let a soft kiss fall onto the woman's cheek. "The bold you say?" She whispered into Bex's ear, standing back up.

As Nat walked away, Bex double checked the autopilot and stood up, following the dark haired woman toward the back of the shuttle. Perhaps this trip wouldn't be quite so boring after all.

Turning abruptly, Nat put both arms around Bex's neck. "How long do we have to play with?" She breathed, drawing the blonde in close.

Bex shivered with anticipation as she felt Nat's breath along her neck. "Not long enough," she murmured back. "Only an hour or so at most."

Nat let out a throaty chuckle, drawing Bex deeper into the back of the shuttle. "You'd be surprised what I can do with an hour." She half promised, half taunted.