Straight To The Top

Posted on Wed Apr 20th, 2022 @ 9:13pm by Captain Natalya Markova & Captain Calypso Skyie & Bexley Kinsley

Mission: Pirates! (Or Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Yum)
Location: Pirate Ship Oracle, Conference Room

The Akira-class starship had been painted black with white speckles to simulate a starfield. The escort up to the conference room had been rapid and lonely, the two guards with rifles flanking Nat as they silently led her up. The door opened and one of the guards gestured her inside, the doors sliding closed behind her. Another pair, separated from the door to either side, kept hands on their weapons as the man gazing out into the starry night glanced over his shoulder and sighed.

He wore a black tunic with black pants, shoulders adorned with a pair of insignia each, a simple communications patch over his heart visible as he turned around and peered at the civilian-clad former Marine, "First Lieutenant Natalya Markova, I presume." He said in a smooth baritone, a slight smile on his face, "A pleasure to meet you, a pity that you've come this far, just to die." Two rasps of weapons being drawn came from behind her and to either side.

Nat didn't even blink, though she wanted to. On the trip here, she had been going over possible fake identities in her mind. The fact she man knew exactly who she was already... that blew her plans out of the water. She stood just inside the doors of the Turbolift, dressed in a black, sleeve-less turtle neck, black leather pants, spiked leather cuffs, solid combat boots, and eye-liner to complete the look.

Nat ignored the sound of weapons being drawn, instead just focusing on the man in front of her. "You'd throw away profitable information? Fine. Shoot me. Blow your profits out the airlock along with my corpse."

His dark hair, peppered with flecks of white that indicated that age was catching up with him here and there, but he watched her reactions with an amused smile, "Profitable information? Hardly likely. You've been in the Fleet for the last few years, there's nothing you could know that could make me a profit." He gave her a shrug, "Of course, you could have some information to give me, oh yes, that's what they give to all of those people that try to infiltrate my band of... Independent wealth distributors. Three of them in the last year and a half, in fact."

Nat just smirked. "They must have had terrible intel. I got kicked off a ship that's gonna make a cargo run in three weeks. Dexic. A protectorate, but still independent. Starfleet is keeping this trip on the down-low. One Starship, four freighters. Off the books trip. Loaded with high value cargo. That worth your while?" She let her gaze slide down his form, and back up. "Or do you want more?"

With a gesture, there was another scraping of holsters as the man shrugged, "Sounds like a trap to me. Not interested." He turned back to face the starscape again, "The starship would be that Luna-class you were on, and while I DO have the firepower to take it out, I'd lose ships."

"The Captain is a former Marine." Nat was now nervous. "Former fighter pilot. Hot-headed. Jumps before she looks - it's why she's given the crap assignments, like escorting four freighters by herself."

He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, one of the two guards came up and grasped Nat by an elbow, tugging her towards the door, which was opening to admit someone. He turned his head again, a smile broadening on his face as recognized the newcomer, "Bex, my dear, what brings you back to the Oracle so soon?"

"Leave her be," Bex cast a scathing look to one of the two guards as she crossed the room, her own personal body guards remaining inside the doors. Even here, safe on the Oracle, they wouldn't let her out of their sight, not if they wanted to keep their jobs, and they all knew what loss of employment on the Oracle entailed. Since Black Pearl had returned to the Akira class vessel Bex had made sure her cargo was unloaded, all except her most valuable possession, the reason she'd been on the station unaccompanied all along. She'd returned to her own spacious quarters, enjoyed a long shower and changed. The low ride jeans and the barely there handkerchief top accented every curve of her body, the heels of her boots lifting her ass, her long blonde hair pulled to the sides in two low pony tails. She looked good, this she knew. It was why she was there, why she was his girl. Every eye in the room appreciated the view, none lingered for fear of reprisal.

She sashayed across the room, stopping in front of him and rising up on her toes, brushing a kiss across the corner of his mouth before wiping away the residual lipstick left behind. She slid her hand into her back pocket and pulled out an isolinear chip, handing it to him. "I brought you a present," she said before turning toward Nat. "I found her in a bar when I was on the station," she said before she turned back to him again, her hands resting against his chest, her body pressed up against his. "Can I keep her? Pretty please?" she asked batting her eyelids.

Nat was unable to not look when the women entered the Bridge. The stress since leaving the Starbase, the sheer tension of the ride here. The fight-or-flight part of her rain was in high gear, though some deeper, darker corner of her brain was giving other ideas. "Keep... keep me?" Nat's voice was a hoarse sound, as fear melded with something else. Anticipation. She remembered the thrill of combat. The wait was maddening, but once action started, she did enjoy it.

Damien Penweather’s eyebrows both rose, his hand on the bare skin on Bex’s back holding her against him, while the isolinear chip twirled between his long fingers, “Hmm… This makes me wonder if I should be jealous or not.” He considered it for a moment, “We shall see, my dear, but you should have heard the fairy tale she was telling me about a minute ago. A convoy with a high value cargo with a Luna as escort, she seems to think that it would be an interesting target to go after, but it smells like a trap to me. You said you picked her up on the station? Are you certain she isn’t a spy sent here to lead us into a trap?”

Bex turned toward Nat, leaning back against Penweather, his hand that had previously been on her bare back now rested under the light fabric of her top against her flat stomach. "Hmmmm...." the sound almost came out like a purr as she reached back with one hand, running fingertips along the side of his face. The hand travelled down, fingertips brushing over her own bare shoulder before she raised one finger to her mouth, biting gently on a long purple and black ombre fingernail. She pushed back against him for a moment before walking toward Nat, each step slow and sensual. "She doesn't look like a spy," she commented as she approached, stopping in front of Nat, forefinger and thumb around Nat's chin, turning the other woman's head from side to side. "Are you a spy Federation?" she asked breathlessly as she leaned in, tongue slowly tracing along Nat's jawline to her ear before she let go and took a step back, turning toward Damien. "She doesn't taste like a spy either..." she added, hip cocked, head tilted to one side slightly. "So... can I keep her?"

Nat shivered as Bex's tongue traced over her skin. A frision of energy running down her spine. "I..." She swallowed, trying to clear her throat. Words were failing her.

Damien watched the scene with interest, pondering the situation. Then he shrugged, “I suppose, for now.” He nodded, “She’s in your care, my sweet, if she turns out to be one of them… But there’s a way to prove it, perhaps.” He took a few steps to one side, watching Bex the entire time, “Miss Markova, details on that starship, if you don’t mind… Names as well, if you please. Why do you think that convoy is such a good target?” With the… Former? Marine distracted by Bexley, there wouldn’t be the wit for deception. Besides… He could compare what she said to what was on the chip that had been picked up from his man inside the Federation Starbase.

"Tell him," again, the words were almost a purr as she spoke, the back of her hand trailing down the side of Nat's face, down over her shoulder and along the side of her chest as Bex slowly moved around her until she was standing behind the dark haired woman, pulling her hair to one side, leaning in, the warmth of her breath making the skin on Nat's shoulder prickle with goosebumps. "The sooner you tell him what he wants to know the sooner we can go play."

Nat's breathing hitched. She could feel Bex behind her, the breath on her skin. She closed her eyes, and tried to focus. Tried being the operative word. "USS Chimera. Luna-class. Captain Calypso Skyie. Will be running undercover as a freighter. When provoked, will take an aggressive posture. I know Captain Skyie. Former fighter pilot. Former Marine. She'll bluster, she'll bluff. She'll even take some close shots. Her orders will be to defend. Not to offensively engage. Luna's can pack a punch, but unless they have orders to seek and destroy, their hands will be tied. This is an Akira. Use the maneuverability. Keep the freighters between us and the Chimera. They either won't fire, for fear of hitting the freighters, or can't fire, due to orders."

Nat took a breath, and continued. "Three or four actual civilian freighters - the details of that part were still being hashed out. One starship to defend panicked, minimally armed civilian haulers. That's a large area to cover. Skyie won't be expecting an Akira. Use the element of surprise." Her expression hardened for a moment. "She kicked me out. Took away my rank, my commission. Everything that mattered. I want to watch that woman pay."

At the name of the ship, Penweather half-shrugged, but at the name of the Captain, his eyebrows rose to the top of his head, “Skyie is here? I knew she survived, but I’m surprised they sent her back out, much less gave her a ship of her own…” he caressed his chin with one hand, “And disguising herself as a freighter, so she’s going to try to suck me in… But that’s going to be the extent of her bluff. You see, Natalya, Calypso Skyie and I have a history, in fact this ship played a part in that history. It took me a year to bring Oracle into proper shape to be the flagship of my little fleet.” A broad smile crossed his face.

He took another step towards Natalya, watching her the entire time. If she were a plant, and it was looking like she wasn’t one, the next words would probably prove it, “It would be true justice for her to get killed by the ship she used to try to kill me. Welcome aboard the Oracle, what used to once be the USS Perseus, Calypso Skyie’s old ship.”

A smile crept across Nat's face. A cruel, malicious smile. "Speared by her own sword." Nat saw the elegance of his plan. She could even admire the beauty of it, evil as it was. "I hope she suffers, before her end."

Walking away from Nat, Bex returned to Damien's side, one hand protectively on his chest as she eased under his arm, her head against the crook of his shoulder, her eyes glittering with mischief. "So I can keep her now?" she asked seductively, her fingers tiptoeing over his chest. "You promised me a new toy if I was good."

“Yes, of course you can keep her.” Damien Penweather agreed, kissing the top of her head ever so gently, “Please, treat this one nicely, she can help us greatly, my sweet. I do believe after this job, we’ll be able to set ourselves up wherever we desire.. I’ll see you later, tonight, yes?”

Bex grinned with delight and turned toward the two guards that had been standing by Nat. "Take her to my quarters and have someone unload my shuttle. I want my shopping delivered to my quarters before I get there," she ordered before she turned back toward Damien. "I found time to get in a little shopping while I was on the station," Bex purred admiringly as she looked up at him, eyes sparkling with adoration and mischief. "I think you're going to like what I spent my allowance on." The palm of her hand rested flat against his chest before sliding slowly down over his abs before veering toward his hip. "Maybe tonight we can talk about you giving me a raise?" she teased seductively.

"I'm sure we can discuss it." He spun with her in a little mini-dance, "Go have your fun while I look over what you brought me." His hand came up to cup her cheek ever so gently, "I'll see you in just a little bit."