Shoreleave
Posted on Tue Oct 15th, 2024 @ 7:19am by Ensign Connor Turner & 1st Lieutenant Marjani Smith
Edited on on Tue Oct 15th, 2024 @ 11:08pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: The Breakers/ Marjani's quarters
Timeline: MD001 1800 hrs
Seated at a table, nursing a tall bourbon, Marjani leaned back in her chair. it was said that the USS Pioneer had arrived to Empok Nor for shoreleave. She hadn't heard from Connor, and then again she hadn't contacted him due to the nature of the diplomatic mission she was on. Tapping on her commbadge she messaged Connor.
=^= Connor, this is Marjani, meet me at the bar called The Breakers. I'm already seated at a table. Hopefully you will meet me here.=^=
=^= Marjani! =^= a rarely excited response came back from Connor. =^= Crikey, do I have stories for you and it will be so good to see you. Though, after our last chat, I did not have a lot of time to miss you. I'll explain it all. =^=
Marjani smiled hearing the excitement in Connor's voice, took a sip of her drink awaiting his arrival. She was feeling excited as well looking forward to seeing her boyfriend. Marjani stood up just to keep watch for Connor, not wanting him to miss seeing her.
It did not take long. Though Connor walked in a thoroughly dignified manner, there was a hidden urgency in his steps. Once he reached Marjani, he wrapped her completely in his arms and whispered, "I am grateful to be able to do this again."
Marjani lost her breath for a moment at the fervent embrace from Connor. This was quite unexpected from him, her arms wrapping around him and giving him a strong embrace as well. "I am glad to see you as well," she whispered in return. "Though let me catch my breath," she told him, giving him a huge smile.
Connor looked down towards his feet with a secret smile as he released Marjani. "Right. Sorry. Just, well, I did not know if I would see you again, and well, I obviously have. It was a rather troubling mission."
"Want to talk here or where I am currently staying? Have you eaten yet? I haven't," she stated, feeling all warm and fuzzy standing there with Connor. Her stomach, though, sent up a protest. "Oh my, the boss is speaking again." Marjani giggled.
"Well, by all means, let us sate your hunger," Connor responded with a smile. He looked around and wondered, "So, um, well, where do you want to eat? We could take food out or eat out.... As long as I have time with you."
"How about fish and chips or a sandwich to go with drinks?" Marjani suggested. "Take out sounds good and we can share in what has happened in our various missions sound good?" She decided to reluctantly release Connor from her embrace.
"Take away it is," Connor concluded. He took her hand and found Marjani's intertwining their fingers. "So, lead on. I don't get out much and have not looked up your quarters."
Marjani ordered both fish and chips, plus a roast beef sandwich with fries. She couldn't decide between the two. She waited for Connor's order before they went on their way to her quarters. "I wasn't certain if you were going to arrive, then I asked someone if Pioneer was slated to arrive here. And here I am."
Connor also ordered the fish and chips. He marveled at Marjani's appetite but said nothing. His parents raised him better than that. "Well, I'm glad you came and I am sorry that I did not call prior to arrival. I guess, I well, figured, you would be here. Silly of me, I guess. But, well, at the same time, I did not want to be disappointed, well, if you were not back."
"I can understand that." When their food was ready, a bag was handed to them. "I've got one more stop for us to make to get some non alcoholic drinks for us and maybe some tea?" The smile Marjani had not leaving one iota. "Or do you want just tea?"
"Whatever your preference is," Connor replied. "I'm just happy to be back with you and will look foward to having you in my arms. Now, just let me carry that for you, so you can lead me as you will." He extended his off hand to her hand and took the bag in his right.
They stopped at another place where Marjani got the different beverages along with tea. Their next stop was her quarters on the station. It contained a double bed, a table for four and a small kitchen with a fridge included. "Let's set the food on the table." Marjani wanted her hands free to get a proper kiss from Connor, alone at last.
Connor set the bag with their dinner down on the table and closed the gap between himself and Marjani. He embraced her and gave her a slow, deep kiss. He let the time pass, enjoying the moment. After uncountable time, he pulled his face slightly away and said, "We keep this up, we may not have dinner. It would be a shame to waste."
Marjani was pleasantly surprised by Connor initiating the first kiss in her quarters. She leaned into it and enjoyed every moment. She felt there was a change in him, more confidence. It was great to see it. "You are probably right, we do need to eat, even though my mind is going elsewhere." She moved away to put the roast beef sandwich in the fridge then took a seat in order for them to eat their food. "Fish and chips for dinner! Let's dig in." She grinned and set out the drinks and their food. She popped in one of the chips in her mouth and she smiled, it was so good!
Connor was more methodical about his eating. He took the fish from the bag and took out a fork and knife and cut a piece and placed it in his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and repeated the process. Finally, he asked, "So, what were you doing while we were apart? Clearly, you made it through in one piece, which I appreciate."
"I was back to working for the Diplomatic Corps apparently they needed my skills and familiarity of the area of space they needed to go to. I think I mentioned it to you last time we spoke however long ago it was. It seems like forever." Her eyes crinkled up as she smiled. "Apparently they had a small convention there, with other diplomats." She took a bite of her fish along with spearing a few of her chips.
Connor nodded at Marjani, especially when he heard that it seemed like forever ago. He personally felt like he had aged a decade through the Pioneer's last mission. While paying attention, he had eaten a bit more of his meal. When Marjani had finished talking, he commented, "A bunch of diplomats...? It sounds a bit too social for me." He gave Marjani a small humored smile. "What did you do while they were talking?"
"I was standing guard in order to prevent anything from happening." Marjani gave him a half smile "Where they met, it was an undisclosed area, didn't want anyone to crash this meeting." Unlike a few years ago. What was supposed to be a meeting of peace and a dinner. It ended up being something else. Insurgents had infiltrated, and attacked killing a few people, including the Captain who had been bringing the delegates there. Marjani thought to herself. She didn't want to mention what happened in the past, didn't want to sour the mood.
"Makes sense. Well, you're back and in one piece. That's what matters," Connor concluded before eating some of his chips. Why Americans called them fries, he would never understand. "Our supposedly routine mission to a nebula went all pear shaped. You would think that something would go right on a mission."
"Wh-what happened? I remember us talking about you being a lead for a shift. How did that go?" She took in a few more fries, with a forkfui of fish. She was focused on Connor, definitely wanting more information.
He gave a wry scoff. "I never really got to lead a shift. I got to be the temporary Chief of Engineering." Connor let that sink in for several moments before eating a few more bites of fish.
"Seriously?" Marjani amazed at this news. "That is fabulous! I am sure that you did rather well, you've got the makings of a fine Chief of Engineering." She paused to take a bite, and chew her morsel before she added. "Though it must have been rather scary."
"Terrifying," Connor answered, not eating. "The entire set of Chiefs disappeared just after the ACEO had transferred. That left me in charge and I had not even taken my first shift as the Gamma lead," Connor explained. "Every time that I thought I solved a problem, two more popped up. If Millie had not been there, too, I don't know what I would have done."
"Sounds to me that you took matters in hand and that you've got talent in being in a leadership role. That is good. Also, Millie must be a good friend of yours, you're not stuttering when you are talking of her." Her eyes twinkled and Marjani popped in another bite of fish and fries.
"Well, um, yes, well, she is. But, I mean, well, it is not like she is right in front of me now, is she?" He sighed, blushing lightly. "Actually, she might have more trouble with the opposite sex than I ever have."
This response elicited a raised eyebrow from Marjani, "What makes you say that? I do know that you are rather shy around the opposite sex. And it is an interesting observation coming from you."
"Well, there was this science officer she had a lot of trouble talking around when we were trying to keep the ship together.... What was his name again?" Connor scrunched up his face thoughtfully, absentmindedly thumping a piece of fish on his fork on the plate while he thought. "I think she even disappeared for a bit. Can't be sure. I was trying to figure out how to utilize resources."
Marjani paused momentarily as she regarded Connor, her eyes drifting down to watch the movement of the fish laden fork. Her eyes went back to Connor. "There might be a story behind that, but since I've not met Millie, I wouldn't be able to even fathom a reason why she is nervous around males. Uh, is the man handsome?"
Connor ate another bite of his fish and then followed it up with what Americans would call a fry. Completely uncivilized. He then shrugged his shoulders helplessly and gave a verbal sound that was the equivalent of "I don't know." After he swallowed, he continued his answer verbally. "How would I know? I have no idea what a handsome guy looks like and people have all kinds of taste, I think."
"What you say is a true fact. What one person finds attractive may not necessarily be found as such in another person's perspective. There is the saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Marjani popped the last of her fries in her mouth and chewed them.
"So, what would handsome have to do with anything anyways?" Connor asked perplexed. He looked over at Marjani's plate and noticed that she had finished eating. She always seemed to finish before him. It did not matter to him, but he was worried she might find his slower eating habits off-putting.
"There are some who get nervous around a pretty woman or a handsome man. Take you for instance, you got nervous when we first met. You did say that pretty women tended to make you nervous, but once we started to get to know each other, you became more comfortable around me. Maybe Millie has that same trouble or there is another underlying layer that she isn't talking about."
"Maybe," Connor answered, his face turning a bright shade of red. "Um, well, uh, we do and don't know each other well. I mean, well, um, you know.... Well...." He choked on his words as he felt much warmer.
"Well, are you referring to the fact that we don't know much about each other or, is it more about you and Millie not knowing each other too well or all of the above?" Marjani was getting the idea of why he was blushing, of them getting to know each other in the physical sense.
"Well, um, in some, well, senses, I know Millie better," he admitted, his eyes casting down. "But, um, well, we see each other every day on the ship and we were in classes together, though I did not really interact with her in the academy."
"I see." Marjani smiled softly. "Do you wish you had gotten to know her during your Academy days? I think you and Millie would have been good friends," she said beginning to clear her dishes off the table.
"I think we're good friends now. That's all that matters." He shook his head lightly as he told Marjani, "Let me help when I'm done. Sit, please...." He continued after several moments. "The Academy was not, well, easy. I, well, did not talk to many people. Holly, well, she had to chase me down and practically trap me before I would talk to her."
He chuckled lightly. "Um, well, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" He gave Marjani a sly yet bashful smile.
Marjani laughed. "Well now, I wonder just what you are referring to." She then gave a wink to Connor. She sat back down as he had requested. "I am glad you and Millie are good friends. Always good to have someone like that, someone who has your back when you need them the most."
"She had my back when I was defaulted as the Chief Engineer. So, yes. I'm glad to have her. I'm also very pleased to have you."
"I am sorry I wasn't around to provide backup, but you came out none worse for the wear." Marjani looked at Connor affectionately. She drew in a breath. "You are on shoreleave now, so a chance for you to relax. And the same for me." She reached out and touched his hand, her own hand warm and gentle giving his a squeeze.
"Marjani," he said softly, looking into her eyes. "You gave me all the confidence in the world before everything went mad. Without you, I may have folded." He rose up from the table and took Marjani into his arms. "You're simply smashing." Not allowing Marjani to response, he pushed his lips against hers.
His kisses seemed to be having quite the heat to them, Marjani melted into his kiss, losing her breath. When their lips parted, Marjani drew in a deep breath. "Wow!" a huge smile appeared. "Your kisses seem to have an additonal sizzle. I really like that." Marjani hesitated a moment, biting her lower lip. "What would you like to do next?" she asked, finally speaking.
Connor simply held Marjani, sighed pleasantly and after a moment's thought answered, "As long as it is holding you for the next 24 hours, I will not mind. All I want is to be with you."
"Well how about we stay here then not going anywhere, just enjoy each other's company, watch some movies. I don't and won't mind doing that at all. Sometimes a person just needs to not go do anything, outside of these quarters." Marjani pulled him in for a lovely loving kiss.
There was no hesitation as Connor allowed himself to be taken in for the kiss. He pulled back only for a moment, his breath short from Marjani's passion. "That sounds lovely." After another quick breath he told her, "As lovely as you."
A Joint Post By
First Lieutenant Marjani Smith
Pilot
Ensign Connor Turner
Computer Systems Specialist, USS Pioneer
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