Darwin Needs a Woman

Posted on Sat Oct 17th, 2015 @ 11:37pm by Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin & Seyla

* Seyla’s Quarters *

Niro’s visit had been one for the record books, Seyla decided. He was on a dangerous course that would likely not end well but he seemed determined and it wasn’t her place to change his mind. It was clear, though, that he had something planned for Six and she debated whether she should warn Suresh. There was a lot riding on that young one’s head. Her internal debate was cut short by the chime at her door. Expecting it to be Niro again, she opened the door. “Go home and leave me out of it!” She realized too late that it wasn’t Niro.

“Um..., if that’s how you really feel, Sey?” Darwin said, obviously confused. “Are you suddenly psychic?”

“Oh, Darwin. Come in. I’ve had much less desirables then you at my door today. You are a refreshing change.” She turned and moved away from the door so he could enter. “What brings you around?”

“I need a woman,” he cut right to the chase, “and you probably won’t like why I need one.” He smiled tightly. This was an awkward request he was about to make; the only thing that made this visit tolerable was that he was in normal clothing instead of Archadian male fashion.

“Now you need a woman?” Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him. “What happened to your Orion friend? Did she cut you off?” She paused a moment as the rest of what he’d said sunk in. “Why would I not like it? What you do is your own business unless you plan to….” She left it at that.

“Plan to what? C’mon, Sey, you’re the one who cut me off, not the other way around, remember?” He caught her in a loose embrace. “It isn’t what I plan to do, anyway. It’s who the woman is for that you’re not going to like.” He held her against him a little tighter and continued on, “I need a woman to seduce Will.” He braced himself.

She was still at first, positive she hadn’t heard what he just said. “Sorry? Did you say to seduce Will? Maybe I need to lay off the Orion whiskey since that’s what I thought I heard.”

“That is what you heard,” Darwin confirmed. “It’s for something on Archadia. You know he’s the First Consort there and let me tell you, he’s... good god, Seyla, no wonder you dropped me for him! I mean... don’t get me wrong - I think it’s my job that keeps me from being quite so... ah... active in bed. I have to work out every day and then still patrol the Station. Will, he’s just living in the Palace--”

“Will is….what??” Seyla blinked and then a wave of heat flushed her face and spread through her. She was certain that any second she would burst into flame. She started to move back from Darwin but he had much too good a grip on her. “Consort? And...and…” She began to splutter with rage, unable even to repeat the part about Will’s being so active.

“Oh...,” Darwin’s brows rose as he realized he’d just told Seyla something Will should have told her. “I thought you and Will were serious. Serious enough that you were staying with him more nights than you were here.”

Seyla struggled in vain to get free of Darwin’s hold. “I thought we were too. Well, one thing happened but...that’s beside the point. I ...that is we….” She stopped and growled, banging her fists on Darwin’s chest. “Do you know where he is? Because I haven’t been able to get hold of him for days! He better be dead because if he isn’t, I may kill him!”

He let go of her, enough so that he could draw her to the sofa. “Sey, someone else already tried to kill him, which is why I’ve been working on the planet the past few days. Officially, Solaana has named me as the ‘Third Consort’. But Will’s been taking up all her time. Anyway, Will is on the planet, at the Palace, as the First Consort. I have a lead on someone who may have tried to kill Will. To flush him out, I need a woman to pretend to seduce Will.”

“She is taking up all his time you mean,” she growled, but then she softened. As angry as she was, there was no denying the rest of what he’d said. “Someone really tried to kill him? Why?”

“Yes, someone really tried. Poison a couple of days ago.” He sighed. “Right now, it looks like the Second Consort, an ass named Parker, is jealous enough and xenophobic enough to try to kill Will to regain his position as First Consort. He tried to recruit me to help him unseat Will. This time, the plan is to have Will caught in a compromising situation with another woman.” He paused. “One of Solaana’s requirements is that her consorts remain available to her and only her.” He was rubbing her back without thinking about it.

“So how does seducing Will flush this man out into the open?” She still wasn’t happy but the news that Will had been poisoned had leveled out the pain and anger for the moment. “I take it she is in on this plan?” She realized she’d thus far refused to say the Prime Minister’s name. She didn’t think she could either.

“No, she isn’t. Will is, or will be, once I tell him. My plan is to get Parker to believe I’m with him on discrediting Will. The first step there is to show Parker that I can get a woman on Archadia to try to get in bed with Will.”

“So what happens if you prove it?” she asked. “Will and his new interest live happily ever after?”

“Well... Will won’t be killed, for one. I suppose that, yes, he and Solaana would continue on as they have been. What happened with you two?” He moved a lock of her hair back behind her ear.

Her ire returned and she pulled back from Darwin’s hand. She rose and moved to the bar, decided she didn’t want anything and turned back. “Niro happened. Then some gossip happened and I admitted I’d been with Niro. He walked out and we didn’t talk for a couple of days. Then when Eli was in sickbay, we finally talked and worked things out...sort of.”

“Sort of? But then he ends up on Archadia in the Palace? Sounds like you didn’t really work it out.” Darwin went over and took her hands in his. “Anything I can do?”

“Kill the Prime Minister?” she half-joked. “What am I going to do, Darwin? Did I blow it?”

He pulled her in to hug her and shook his head, “I don’t know. I can’t imagine what’s in his head. Solaana is a powerful, beautiful woman.... but so are you, Sey. Maybe he needs to lick his wounds and sow some oats?” He kissed her hair.

“I don’t know. He was deeply hurt when he left here that night. I don’t think what I said helped either. I know he was seeing her before but then he left her for me. I thought that we--never mind.” She shook her head. “Maybe you’re right.” She rested her head against his chest. “Whatever is going on, I can’t let someone who tried to kill him roam free. Take Marabeth. He knows her so that should make it easier and she’s good with secrets.”

“Will do, Sey.” He didn’t leave, though, instead he simply held onto her. He had a soft spot for Seyla that Edana hadn’t filled.

***************
Seyla
Conflicted

Lt. M. Darwin
Conflicted, Too