The Saga Begins - Part I

Posted on Wed Jul 8th, 2015 @ 1:17pm by Suresh & Ensign Reva Madhava & Seyla

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Iapetus / Marcus' Quarters / Seyla's Quarters

Marcus led Reva out of the Nexus, his arm around her as they passed through those waiting to get in for the late set. Once they were in the turbolift and going down, he turned her to face him, his hands on her hips.

“I have a confession to make.” He pulled her closer till she was pressed against him.

"Do you? What might that be?" She laughed, assuming it was to be a silly confession.

Her laugh was light-hearted and made him smile. “I’m glad Owain and Six hit it off. That way I don’t feel bad leaving them behind so I could have you all to myself. He’ll take good care of her.”

"That's your confession?" She smiled. "I'm glad too, and I'm sure she'll let him walk her home. We don't have to worry about them. Do you have another confession?"

“I do but it might be a little impolite by some standards.” He buried his hand in her long hair, tilted her head back and whispered at her ear. “I intend to show you what fun there is to be had when you aren’t bound by rules and regulations. Are you off-shift tomorrow?”

His whisper and intimate closeness sent a shiver down her spine and she bit back a moan. Instead, she answered, "I am working tomorrow, beta-shift as usual," Reva wrinkled her nose in distaste as she gave him that answer. "What about you? When do you start working for Seyla? I imagine your nights will be booked."

“Tomorrow night. And since you don’t have to be anywhere until the afternoon, that means we have all night, Reva.” He leaned in for a kiss, just as the lift doors opened. Several whistles and catcalls came from those waiting to enter the lift and Marcus pulled back from Reva. “Go find your own,” he laughed as they moved down the corridor.

While he had responded with humor, Reva had responded with a withering look at the catcallers. Once Marcus and she were past them, though, she smiled at him. "All night, huh? Even after no dinner and having a bunch of wine? Or did you and Owain eat at the bar?"

“I ate earlier, actually,” he answered. Taking her hand in his, he led her through the corridors finally arriving at the open square outside Saturnalia and several other bars and shops. “So, something more crowded?” He pointed to Saturnalia. “Or more quiet and private?”

She glanced at Saturnalia and wondered whether Suresh or Darwin were in there. "Let's not go to Saturnalia. So... quiet and private?"

“My sentiments exactly.” Marcus smiled and raised her hand to his lips. The door of Iapetus opened and several people stepped out, laughing and clearly well into their spirits. Once they were gone, Marcus led the way in and to a table in the back. He wanted all of Reva’s attention and that meant no interruptions. “Care for a drink?”

"Yes, please," she nodded and named a concoction that most bartenders knew. As he went up to the bar, she waited at the table, looking around the room and curiously watching two or three of the patrons and their antics.

Suddenly, a shadow fell across the table, a man standing much too close. “Evening, sweetheart. Remember me?”

She looked up, surprised anyone would be talking to her. When she did, she didn't recognize him, not until she reached out a bit and read him. "Oh, you," she sat back and tried to glance around him to see Marcus. He had his back to her at the bar. "Do you really want to bother me?"

"Oh, yes, we do," a second male, the friend of this one, slid into the booth next to her. "Though we'd rather do so in private. Come along," he stood again, a hand on her arm.

“He’s right, and I don’t see your guard dog Suresh here. Lucky for us.” He took hold of Reva’s other arm and both men began to hustle her towards the door.

"No, lucky for me," she growled and stomped on the nearest male's foot then yanked her arm away, or almost away. He pulled her on her arm and she went with the motion, ending up jabbing him in the neck. "Marcus!", she shouted.

Marcus turned with their drinks in hand. He didn’t know the two men but their hands on Reva was enough. He dropped the drinks and was instantly in motion. The one bent over holding his foot took Marcus’ shoulder and was thrown back, crashing his head into the bar. He went down in an instant, unconscious.

Like any good dive bar, once a ruckus started, others joined in, just because they wanted to or because they were nudged or touched by those already fighting. Reva shoved the guy with his hand on her arm backward into a table of Klingons. They didn't take kindly to having their card game interrupted. With a roar, they lit into the fellow while one of them turned on Reva. She grinned and tried to smile her way out of it, but found that the Klingon didn't like her toothiness. "Augh!", she hollered as the Klingon tossed her into a table.

Marcus instantly assessed the situation and decided to leave the ruffian to the Klingons, who were doing a good job on him. He ducked down, missing a left hook, and scooped up Reva. Slinging her over his shoulder, he made a dash for the door. It opened as they reached it and Marcus barreled past two men and across the square.

"Okay, okay, you can let me down now," Reva said. He let her slide down to a bench. She laughed, but it was shaky; for that matter, she was shaky. "Wow. That was...," she cleared her throat and shook her head.

Marcus slipped his arm around her and helped her to her feet. “Come on, I’m taking you to my place. We’ll be safe there.” They began to move down the corridor and down a cross corridor and finally to a set of doors. Marcus punched in his code and the moment they were inside, he locked the doors.

She looked around and commented, "Looks like you've definitely just arrived, Marcus." The place was barren of personal items and wasn't the most inviting place.

“I’ve not had much time to unpack my own things but the basics are here.” He took her hand and led her to the sofa. Once they sat, he wrapped his arms around her. She was still shaking and he murmured softly, hoping to ease her. “It’s okay, you’ll be safe here. I promise.”

She snuggled against him, "I know. I should call Security and tell them about the bar." She chuckled, "That's the first and hopefully last bar fight I've ever been in. Maybe letting people believe Suresh owns me is a better idea than... well, not." Her distaste for the idea came through in her tone.

“Do you want to call them now? They’ll want a statement from you and since you’re safe, and they are probably gone, does it matter so much tonight?” Marcus relaxed back into the sofa, pulling her into his lap, facing him. “It would be a shame to interrupt the evening.”

"Again?" She smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

“Seyla is going to want to hear about this you know.” He pulled her close for another kiss, letting it linger. “Should we tell her now or...later?” He reached to her thigh, sliding her skirt up. “No rush on her account.”

She reacted to his hand on her thigh, but not in the way he might have wanted: she caught his hand and held it. "Could we call Seyla? Please?" It was funny: two weeks ago, she hated the idea of the Orion; now, she thought of the woman as a comfort.

“Of course.” He lifted her from his lap, settled her on the sofa, and crossed to his terminal. He sent a brief message that he was on his way, then nodded. “Let’s go.”

"Okay," she took his hand and they headed to Seyla's quarters. There, Seyla let them in.

"I'm about to leave for the evening, kitten. Whatever has happened?"

"We went to Iapetus and... I started a bar fight," Reva admitted, much to Seyla's surprise.

Seyla looked at Marcus as she pulled Reva to the couch and reverted to terse one word orders with him, "Explain."

Marcus filled her in regarding the two men who’d tried to snatch Reva right out from under his nose, then gave her details of the fight. “Some Klingons jumped in and we left them to their fun. I got Reva out and called you from my place, Seyla.”

"Kitten, stay here," Seyla hugged Reva with one arm and kissed her hair, much like a mother might comfort her child. She stood and pulled Marcus into her bedroom, where she spoke quietly, "I am impressed, newbie." She smiled and nodded. "Keep her here for the night. If you can, bed her, give her a full experience in my bed." She crossed to her vanity and pulled out a tin to hand it to him. "If you're having issues, use this, but sparingly. And it'll affect you as much, if not more, than it does her."

“Thank you but I doubt I’ll need it. If we hadn’t been so rudely interrupted, she and I would be enjoying ourselves now.” Marcus smiled. “I don’t think it could have gone better if I’d planned it this way.”

She looked him up and down then nodded. "If you succeed, then you're certainly worth my investment. I'll have your quarters upgraded. Now, come," she went back out to Reva.

They emerged from Seyla’s bedroom and Marcus returned immediately to Reva, drawing her close. “We’re staying here tonight, sweetheart. It’s likely the last place those men would look and I can be here to watch over you.” He kissed her forehead gently. “You have nothing to worry about. Seyla’s even offered her bed so there’s a comfortable place to relax.”

Reva smiled at Seyla, "Thanks, Sey."

"Anything to keep you safe, dear. I'm heading out. I'll be back in the morning, so you have this place to yourselves," she said, stepping toward the door. "If you can't reach me, don't worry. I will be back."

Once Seyla was gone, Reva looked at Marcus. "Thanks for calling her. It must have been a bit awkward telling her what happened, since you're not even on the job yet."

“On the contrary, she was most pleased that I got you out safe and sound. So am I. I would be crushed if anything happened to you.” He kissed her deeply, enjoying the feel of her body pressed to his. “It’s getting late and you’ve had quite an evening. How do you feel about testing out Queen Sey’s bed?”

She grinned and moaned, "Oooo, let's!" She beat him to Seyla's bedroom and kicked off her shoes and stripped her dress off before sliding into the massive bed. "This is a slice of heaven."

Marcus stood for a moment, watching her. “I’d say the slice of heaven is what is in the bed. Computer, lower the lights.”

She patted the bed next to her. "C'mon, we were interrupted," she said, smiling. Here in Seyla's place, she felt safe and was ready to have some fun.

Marcus slipped out of his clothes and joined Reva beneath the sheets. He smiled and pressed her down among the pillows. “We won’t be again.”

**********
Ensign Reva Madhava
Seyla
Marcus