Zing...

Posted on Fri Oct 22nd, 2021 @ 10:36am by Lieutenant Samaire MacBride-Reece [Lalor] & Skylah McBride [Lalor] & Commander Kyle Reece & Staff Sergeant Liam "Swede" Reece [Reece]

Mission: Season 5: Episode 3: CAPETOWN
Location: USS Elysium, Captain Kyle Reece's quarters
Timeline: MD 2 / 1435 hours
3717 words - 7.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Kyle was pacing his living room. He was worried about his baby brother, Liam. The last information he had was that the world his brother was on had suddenly went completely dark. There had been no communicationd to or from since they had sent notice of a strange spacial phenomena, approaching them from deep space.

"What the hell is happening out there?!" Heswore under his breath as he turned and kicked a large tote. He had just started to move into his new quarters, following both his promotion to captain and granted the respectable position of Commandant for the entire mobile academy, here on the Elysium.

Vanessa tapped the door chime. She could feel Kyle's distress, and she was doing what she could to contact people who knew something about Liam

Kyle turned his eyes to the door leading out of his cabin. "Come!" The doors opened, revealing the two newest women of his life, Samaire, his new friend, and Vanessa, the woman who had brought his heart back to life.

"Kyle..." Vanessa noted. "I have contacted all of my friends and sources to make contact with Liam. I'm pained to say that there is no new information, or they are in the process of learning what is taking place."

Kyle nodded. He felt so powerless right now. "Thank you for trying, sweetheart." He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss.

Vanessa helped him unpack. "I won't give up Kyle. I have many friends and contacts in the diplomatic service. They will find him."

The chime rang.

Samaire was outside with a PADD and a box that she had carted from Kyle's old cabin.

"That must be Samaire," Kyle said as he moved to the door. "Come."

The doors slid open again, allowing Samaire to enter.

Sam entered and placed the box on the table. "What is in this? Rocks?" She grumbled and then handed the PADD to Kyle. "Your student listing as requested and the list of staff."

Kyle chuckled softly, despite the overwhelming worry that he was feeling. "Actually, that's books. I'm surprised you grabbed that one. It is labeled as being heavy." He then took the PADD containing the Academy roster. "And thank you for this."

"With yours truly teaching the diplomatic curriculum" Vanessa noted. "I pride myself knowing I will sponsor many capable diplomats in this academy, Kyle." Vanessa smiled at Samaire. "Ah you must be Samaire McBride, I'm delighted to meet you. Legate Vanessa Alcean an Vantar, at your service." Vanessa was certainly going to be friends with the women in Kyle's life.

Samaire held out her hand to shake Vanessa's. "Legate" she said in her accented English. "pleased to meet you too." Then she turned to Kyle. "You sir, need to learn about this wonderful new invention, called a PADD. You can store books on it"

"Au Contraire Samaire." Vanessa mentioned. "Books may take up space, but you don't need a power source to use a book. You simply just open it, and a cornacopia of knowledge is at your fingertips, mi'dear." Vanessa noted with a smile. She liked this woman. "No matter how much technology advances, It must first overcome the hurdle of energy."

"Plus," Kyle added, pulling out a particularly special book out, the one K'Tox had given him when they first set out on the Elysium's maiden voyage. It was an old Earth book, covering the history of naval warefare. He smiled softly at the memory of his adopted uncle. "Real books connect you to the past in a way that PADDs never will. Yes, you can have thousands, millions even, of books in a single PADD. However, the words that are there are cold, empty. Turning the page of a book as you read pulls uou into the story being told. These books," he waved his hand over the open tote. "Were the holodecks of their time."

"As someone a lot closer to that time than you both I have books I just do not bring them with me from assignment to assignment." Samaire replied. "My ... family's home has a 2 story library"

Kyle chuckled softly. "Then you should know that books are special. While the stories can be transmitted, the book itself is a crucial part of the experience." He gave her a friendly wink. "Two-story library...holding out on me, Sammy."

"As I am barred from accessing it, I am not exactly holding out on you." She replied with a smirk.

Kyle started to say somethong, then stopped. He put his hands up in mock surrender.

At that moment, the door chime rang. Kyle looked over to the door with a perplexed look on his face. "Wonder who that is?" He moved closer to the door and said aloud, "Come."

When the doors slid open, he took a slight step forward, his face changing to shock, then surprise, then joy. "LIAM!" He shouted as he rushed forward and wrapped the person standing outside in a huge bear hug.

Vanessa smiled at the emotions of relief she was sensing from Kyle as she sauntered up the man that just entered the room.

Samaire turned and watched with a curious look on her face. She recognised the name, Kyle's younger brother.

Kyle still had his arms wrapped tightly around his younger brother. Liam hugged his brother in return and gasped, "Air, Kyle, air!!"

Releasing his grip and pulled his baby brother into hos quarters. "How?!" He asked as he looked his brother over for any injuries. "You were listed as M.I.A.!"

Now it was Liam's turn to look perplexed. "What the hell are you talking about? I just spent the last two weeks relaxing on a cruiser, on leave, as I made my way here. My hitch at Camp Falkirk was over, so I reupped and decided to come back here and surprise you." He paused briefly. "Why? What's happened?"

"All contact was lost with Falkirk six days ago," Kyle replied somberly. "Everyone is listed as M.I.A."

Liam paled. "What?! What happened? Has anyone gone out to check?!"

Kyle nodded. "The Third Fleet is already in route. They'll be there in two days." Kyle took a breath, relief finally starting to take hold. "What matters right now is that you're here and safe. I promise you, we will find out what happened at Falkirk."

Liam had so many conflicted feelings. Anger and worry that something may have happened to his brother and sister Marines, happiness and relief that he was with his big brother and together they would find the answers.

Nodding, he finally noticed that they weren't alone. "Oh, I've interrupted a party. I'm sorry."

Kyle remembered himself. "Oh! Ladies, I'm sorry! This is my baby brother, Sergeant Liam Reece. Liam, please allow me to introduce two very important women." He extended his arm to Vanessa, so she could come up against his side. "This is Legate Vanessa Alcean an Vantar, the best diplomat serving on the Elysium."

Vanessa smiled and stood next to Kyle. "It is a pleasure to meet you mi'dear."

"It's a pleasure, Ma'am." He took her offered hand and grinned a polite smile. It was clear that this woman was seeing Kyle now. It made Liam happy, to see Kyle happy in a relationship again. When Liz was killed, it nearly killed him too.

Kyle then smiled and said, "And this, is one of my newest friends here on Ely, Lieutenant JG Samaire McBride, the best operations officer here on the ship."

Liam turned his eyes to Samaire as she approached and he seemed to freeze for a beat, like he had seen an angel. A slow, lop-sided grin started to fill his face and his eyes seemed to sparkle. "Hi..." he said softly.

She froze but managed a quick nod and "Hi" before her comm pinged and she absently hit it. "McBride" She said, her scottish accent to the fore as she said her surname.

[["Miss McBride. This is Carol Harkes. Your ... Niece has left school without permission!"]]

Shaken out of whatever had come over her, Samaire sighed. "Acknowledged Ms Harkes, I will find her. I know where she will be."

[["Miss McBride, this cannot continue! the child needs to be disciplined."]]

"I will handle it" Sam gritted out flashing the others in the room an apologetic smile. She severed the call and her cheeks heated from embarrassment, headed for the door. "Sorry to run," She said forcing cheerfulness into her tone. "I will make sure to catch up with you all later." and she reached the door and fled.

Vanessa spoke. "I will never, for the life of me, understand human children and their misbehavior." She noted.

Liam watched Samaire leave and in a flash, went after. "Sorry, Bro. Vanessa, Very lovely to meet you." He then ducked out into the corridor. He looked left and didn't see anyone, spun around and saw a flash of Samaire's hair as she turned a corner. "Samaire!" He called out as he sprinted towards the corner.

There was the sound of leather on the deck plating as she skidded to a stop. "oh?" she turned as Liam came around the corner, her eyes met his and she flushed. "Sorry I was rude"

Liam came to a halt and smiled again, seeing that he had caught up to Samaire. "Oh! Not at all." He blushed slightly. "I..uh..was wondering if I could accompany you in finding your niece?"

"Ah..thank you for the offer but I know where she is. Where she always goes. She does not like her teacher" Samaire babbled. "But thank you, you should spend time with Kyle, he has been worried about you."

Liam grinned again and shrugged. "I don't mind. I'd like to get to know you more." When she mentioned her brother, he glanced back towards the direction of Kyle's quarters, then back into those beautiful eyes again. "I tgink right now, he wants to be alone with his girlfriend." He silently hoped that Samaire would allow him to accompany her. He really was very interested in learning everything about her that he could. Something about her got his heart racing. He felt like a young man who just got his first kiss from a cute girl.

Sam considered it and nodded "Ok" she conceded.

Smiling, he asked, "Okay, where do we find your wayward rebel?"

Sam turned and headed for the turbolift. "Deck 3. Arboretum." She said with a smile. "She likes being there"

Liam was thoughtfully quiet for a few beats, then asked, "Does she like to climb trees?"

"Yes. There is a big tree in the middle of the park area. She will be up it."

Liam smiled. "I know it well. It used to sit under it and read when i was here last."

"So you have been assigned here before?" Samaire asked as they entered the turbolift and ordered it to deck 4

Nodding, Liam grinned. "Yeah, before I went to Falkirk. Kyle was here then too, though as a Lieutenant Commander and as the first Tactical Chief for the Ely. Back then, Admiral Sharr was in charge."

"I have heard of him. Captain Lalor often spoke of him."

Liam tilted his head slightly. "He was a good CO, even if, at times, he seemed a bit...different. I mean, he died like three or four times. And that was just when Kyle was a member of his crew! You gotta admit, that is different."

"yes that is a bit weird." the lift stopped and Samaire moved out of it.

Liam followed her out. "So, how long have you been aboard Ely?"

"Oh just under 2 months or so. I was assigned right before Captain Lalor was removed from Command."

"What happened," Liam was concerned. "If I may ask?"

Samaire shrugged "No one knows. One minute she was Captain the next, we had Carrington. Well I should say no one below the rank of Commander knows."

Contemplating that information, Liam suggested, "Kyle's a captain now, with a long service record. I could ask him if he could see what he could find out?"

"I think Commanders Taylor have been looking as well." Samaire said as they entered the Arboretum. Pausing Sam took her bearings and headed for the tree grove.

Reaching out, Liam gently grasped Samaire's left arm. "May I try first? You'd be surprised how many times I had to talk Ally out a tree when we were kids."

She considered it. "She isn't very good with strangers" she warned.

"I understand," Liam said. "But I would still like to try?"

Samaire waved her hand as if to say go ahead.

Smiling softly, Liam made his way over to the tree in question.

The tallest tree was covered in green foliage and it blocked the view of the upper branches. The only sign that someone was in it was the bookbag at the base of the tree.

The tree was just as magnificent as Liam remembered it being. He quietly chuckled to himself when he saw where the bookbag was, the exact spot he always sat in years past. Looking up, he could just about make out a pair of small shoes a few branches up.

Grabbing hold of the tree, he started to climb, acting as if he didn't know someone else was up in the tree. He started to whistle a soft tune as he made his ascent.

Skylah, more adapt at trees then her aunt, hung upside down suddenly, her legs locked around a branch, twin braids hanging down in the air. She studied the man climbing the tree.

Liam acted surprised. "Hey, short stuff, what are you doing in my tree?" He looked around as if it was a big secret. "Are you here to have fun too?" He whispered as he climbed up onto the branch just below hers, sitting back against the trunk, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

The 5 year old narrowed her eyes. "I was hiding" she swung back up so she straddled the branch she had been hanging off of.

"Hiding?" Liam asked, some concern in his voice. "Hiding from whom?"

"My dumb teacher. She thinks because I am " and here the child slowed her words down "Temp-or-ally dis-pla-ced that I have learning difficulties and am slow."Skylah braced her hands on the branch and pushed herself up until she was standing on the branch like it was a balance beam.

Liam frowned. "That doesn't sound very nice of her to say. I'm sorry you had to hear her say that to you." He paused before asking, "Have you been having difficulties with the different stuff in your current class?"

"nope" The child replied. "I covered it on the Archeron"

"Hmmm," Liam thought carefully. "Well, maybe, you need to ask your teacher for more advanced lessons? Have her give you something more interesting to study? I had a similar problem when I was in school. It was all so easy, that I got bored very easily."

"My aunt had that talk with them." Skylah balanced on the branch and walked back and forth bare foot. "She is down there right?"

Liam decided to be honest with her. "She is. She's worried about you, Skylah. By the way, My name is Liam. I am a new friend of your aunt's. I hope you and I can be friends too? If you want, that is." His tone was calm and friendly.

Skylah merely studied him and then nimbling climbed down from her branch. "Fine" she said as she headed for the ground.

"Hey!" Liam spun on the branch, then rolled back, flipping off, landing in a crouch, a couple meters below. After standing up, he moved over to where Skylah was almost to the ground. He knelt back down and offered his hand to her. "Pleasure to meet you, friend." He gave her a playdul wink and a lop-sided grin that seemed to make his whole face light up.

Skylah shook his hand and then looked at her Aunt who was standing her arms crossed. "Hi" she said sheepishly

"Skylah" Samaire's tone was cool. "We have spoken about this."

"Yeah i know" The girl said "But she was being mean again!"

Liam stood and smiled softly. So much like Ally, he thought to himself. From behind Skylah, he gave Samaire a soft, knowing, smile. He decided not to say anything, though, as he hadn't been invited to say anything of a disciplining nature.

Samaire knelt in front of her niece. "Look, I know she is being mean, I know it's hard, You only have to last a few more weeks, then you can take the exams ok?"

Skylah nodded "I know."

"Good, please try to stay in class."

Liam smiled a bit more, watching Samaire with her niece. They looked like a good team. He hoped he'd have a chance to learn more about them.

Samaire stood and Skylah slid her hand in hers and glanced at Liam. "Thank you for your assistance Liam" Samaire said softly.

"You're welcome," he smiled warmly at Samaire as he replied. "Besides," he said, looking down at Skylah, grinning and kneeling down to her level. He extended his right hand back to her, fingers curled, execpt for his extended pinky. "We fellow tree climbers gotta look out for one another, right?" He gave her an innocent wink as he spoke.

Skylah grinned despite herself and linked her pinky with his.

Liam gave her a huge grin as they shook. Once they released their secret handshake, he stood back up and said to Samaire, "Well, I don't know about you ladies, but I'm hungry. Is Dave's Burger Bar still on the promenade deck? I could really go for one of his Marine specials."

"I believe it is still there." Sam replied she was not sure it would be a good idea to stay close to the man who was making her consider things she had never considered before. "Maybe another time?"

Liam gave her an honest, and very nice, grin. "Of course. How about...next Saturday, say lunchtime, the three of us jave a little picnic, here under our tree?" He gave Skylah a little wink. He didn't want to pressure either of them. Thats why he suggested a mid day meal, in public, the three of them. That way, if at any point, Samaire felt uneasy, they could easily just walk away.

But, he hoped she would never want to walk away. There was something, in her eyes and her smile, that was making him feel alive, for the first time in a very long time.

Samaire nodded "ok, sounds good"

Liam nodded and smiled softly. "Then I hope you ladies have a great rest of your day, and I'll see you on Saturday." Hel then turned and walked away.

===Kyle's quarters===

As soon as the doors slid shut, Kyle turned to Vanessa. "Looks like baby brother has a thing for Sammy."

"My dear Kyle... She could have told him to beg, and you'd have a german shepard as a brother." Vanessa smiled widely. "He's right now chasing after her like a love-sick puppy."

Kyle chuckled. He then turned and pulled her into his arms. "Well, at least he's alive and here. I'm feeling that he can do whatever he wants. Right now, you and I are all alone...and I haven't used my new, bigger shower yet. Care to join me?"

"My, my." Vanessa smiled. "Your new quarters, and you show me the shower."

"Well," he said, a sly grin on his face. "We could check out the large bed too?"

"You dirty man." Vanessa teased. "I believe we're going to have to use the shower so we can clean you up." She smirked.

Kyle pulled her closer, taking hold of her lower jaw with his right hand. Looking deep into her eyes, he replied, his voice full of hunger. "My dear, you have no idea how dirty I can be."

Vanessa chuckled and suddenly unleashed a martial arts kata Cartwheeling him to the ground. "Behavior, Kyle." She straddled him. "It seems I'm going to have to teach you to be gentle with women. And these lessons will be quite.. humbling and direct. Time for me to teach you manners. Would you prefer if I shackled you to the wall, or shall we move this to the shower?"

A look of desire and hunger filled the big man's eyes as he gazed up at Vanessa. In a speed that belied his size, he spun them around, leaving him on top, pinning her to the deck. "We can play any way you want to, sweetheart." He then leaned in and kissed her deeply.

She flipped him over hard and began to tear his uniform off. "Oh I'm going to enjoy taming you."

Bucking his hips, he tossed her over his head. Kyle then performed a flawless shoulder popup, landing on his feet. As he turned to face Vanessa, he finished ripping off his uniform, his muscles rippling as he did so. "You ain't taming me, Baby." He then waited for Vanessa's attack.

Vanessa smiled and slowly pulled her uniform jacket and shirt of, leaving her uniform skirt. "Oh we'll just see about that now will we? I'm afraid I'll have to use a different approach now to ensure your compliance.. Mmmm..."

Kyle smirked hungrily. "Well, show me what you've got, my love."

Vanessa noticed a box and got curious. "So, what do we have here that I can use to tame you? Hmm?" She opened it. "OH...." She pulled out a cat of nine tails. "Just the thing for a naughty, naughty man. Yes this will teach him a lesson."

Kyle grinned hungrily. "Be careful, I don't use that on you."

"You will never make me bow to you, and you'll never make me your slave, mi'dear. But I might do that to you." She cracked the whip on the floor.

Kyle straightened up, a defiant look in his eyes. He could tell that, like himself, Vanessa was an Alpha. This was going to be fun. "Then get over here, show me how you think you'll tame me. "

*To be continued in post. 'The Taming of the Alpha.'*