Kit Smart's Blog

SFR Flash Fiction / Command Decision / Claimed By His Captain 12

Please note that Command Decision has been renamed ‘Claimed By His Captain’^^ To avoid confusion I will continue to refer to this story by its original and new title. If you’re new here and would like to read this story in order, please follow the links below. ~Kit

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Command Decision Part 1

Command Decision Part 2

Command Decision Part 3

Command Decision Part 4

Command Decision Part 5

Command Decision Part 6

Command Decision Part 7

Command Decision Part 8

Command Decision Part 9 (ie the missing battle scene that is coming soon)

Command Decision Part 10

Command Decision / Claimed By His Captain Part 11

 

*****

Kate was puzzled for a moment by Junnet’s lack of response before she concluded that since their coupling was merely a means to an end—a medical plaster of sorts—it stood to reason that he wouldn’t be particularly invested in the act. That decided, she applied herself to bringing him to completion as quickly, and efficiently as possible moving her hips experimentally until his face took on that peculiar slackness that told her she’d found his rhythm. After that, it was only a matter of moments before he arched beneath her—forcing her to grab his shoulders—as the force of his orgasm threatened to knock her off of him.

Looking down at him as she held on, Kate noted that Junnet had his teeth clamped tight even as his lips drew back in a snarl of pleasure. 

He made no sound even as the aftershocks of his orgasm, caused him to writhe and twist under her for several minutes before he fell back into the chair; jaw clamped shut, arms still crossed over his chest, hands still fisted. 

She suppressed a sigh as she felt the throb of unsatisfied desire roll though her but mentally Captained Up, and after closing her eyes and releasing her grip on his shoulders, braced her palms on his chest, and used them to push herself up and off Junnet’s now fading erection.

 You are the pits girl.  She told herself when her body protested the feel of all that satisfying hardness leaving her body before it had gotten what it desired. You have responsibilities here, a mission to think about. Surely you’re not so hard up for an orgasm that you’d continue to foist yourself on a man who is only fucking you out of duty? And then when she felt her XO’s hands move to her hips to help stabilize her as she slid off him and onto her feet, she snorted at herself internally. See, that puts paid to that Arpád. He’s not interested in you beyond what is necessary. Nor, are you interested in him.

Ducking down to retrieve her pants from the deck she quickly detangled her panties, stepped into them and slid them up her hips before shaking out her fatigues and slipping them on before wandering over to the nav panel to check their status while simultaneously smoothing her tunic into place so that she could  fasten her pants over top. 

Absently, doing up her belt while she scanned the readings she noted that, according to the chronometer, her entire encounter with Junnet had taken less than ten minutes. Hmm… “All’s well.” She reported reflexively as turning toward him, she checked the buttons and fastenings of her tunic and jacket. Everything was fastened and in place she noted with surprise and then seeing her XO standing with his pants pulled up, but unfastened as he straightened and did up his tunic, she realized that she hadn’t even bothered to open her shirt. Ah well. She thought as the dexterity with which Junnet twisted and manipulated the fasteners on his uniform—smoothing out a spare wrinkle here and restoring a bit of errant insignia to order there—made her think that those large, strong, deft hands would feel wonderful on her breasts. 

Junnet glanced up briefly at her status report, his expression neutral, and nodded once in acknowledgment, before returning his attention to the restoration of his uniform. 

Kate noted that the tension and the restlessness that seemed to be symptomatic of rut appeared to have abated for the time being, and though he still looked exhausted, she felt strangely triumphant about it. “You look better.” She told him without thinking, and then when he gave her a peculiar look realized that it sounded like bragging and hastened to quip. “The wonders of a little casual no-strings-attached sex eh? Nothing like it to cure what ails you!” She smiled at him as she she slid into the pilot’s chair and hooking her left foot around the chair’s base, pulled herself around and away from him.

Behind her Junnet’s hands froze on the buttons of his jacket for a second and he dropped his gaze to the deck before resuming work on the buttons. “As you say Captain.”

SFR Flash Fiction / Command Decision Title and Cover Reveal

 

[image error]Okay, so a couple of missing battle scenes aside, I have a completed first draft of ‘Command Decision’, a new working title and a cover. I will continue to post scenes of this story as it undergoes edits and revisions. Watch this space, and / or subscribe to my newsletter for details on how to get a free copy of this story when it’s ready.

~Kit

SFR Flash Fiction / Command Decision 11

A Note From Kit: [image error]

Okay, still no battle scene. Apparently, battle scenes are not my forte at the moment so, I’m going to have  to keep working on it whist I move along here.

If you’re new here, and would like to read this ongoing little novella in order please click the links below.

~Kit

Command Decision Part 1

Command Decision Part 2

Command Decision Part 3

Command Decision Part 4

Command Decision Part 5

Command Decision Part 6

Command Decision Part 7

Command Decision Part 8

Command Decision Part 9 (ie the missing battle scene that is coming soon)

Command Decision Part 10

 

 

*****

Junnet’s jaw tightened hard in reaction to that and he froze beneath her hands, but his facegave nothing away. Eventually he nodded. “You’re right.” 

Reaching down, he took lifted her hands from his thighs and pulled her up and forward until she was settled on his lap. 

And while Kate wondered at the iciness both in his eyes and tone she took the Junnet given opportunity to begin rubbing his shoulders with her hands congratulating herself when after a moment he sighed and rolled his head back as the caress began to bleed the tension from his shoulders. “You see, it’s good isn’t it?”

He stared at her, expression guarded, for a full minute as she continued to work at his shoulders. “I’m Recessive.” He bit out finally as though she were mentally deficient. 

“I know.” She said. She wondered what he was trying to convey with that non-sequitur.

“You don’t.” In the same dark tone.

So angry. She thought studying his face. No. She corrected herself upon catching sight of the flush that extended out of the collar of his uniform and out along his cheekbones; so frustrated. And then following the instincts of her body which was beginning to respond to the feeling of him under her, she lifted herself up on her toes and tilting her pelvis forward slid forward along his thighs until she felt his erection in the cradle of her hips. 

He swore viciously at the contact, and jerked back his arms coming up to push her away.

 She wouldn’t have resisted if she hadn’t felt his body respond to the contact; if she hadn’t seen the way her action caused his skin to flush with desire. But she did see it, and so instead, she locked her hands around his neck, and using the position to anchor herself against his hands which were now locked round her upper arms in preparation to push her back and off of him, she rocked her pelvis with deliberate slowness against him caressing him intimately.

That earned her another curse, but though his hands remained where they were he stopped trying to pull her off. “You don’t understand.” He gritted still trying to fight the desire flooding his body. “I can’t control this.”  He shuddered and jerked his head back as his hands clenched on her arm. “I don’t want to hurt you!”  He half-shouted half-whispered at her as he tried to shift away from her.

Ah, She stopped moving then. “You won’t hurt me.” She told him firmly meeting his gaze. And when he would have protested shook her head. “You won’t.”

Junnet let his head fall back against his chair. “You can’t know that.” He told her as he began to breathe deeply, dropping his hands from her arms onto the hand-rests where they curled into fists. Trying to regain control, but failing Kate realized when she felt his body tighten against a surge of hormones through his system and he hardened against her.

Ignoring the way her own body began to throb in reaction she watched his face tighten into a grimace that was neither wholly desire nor wholly pain as he flushed.

So frustrated. Kate thought again. And so very, very damaged by who and what he was, and how the universe reacted to that. She recalled the wary expressions of the civilians on station as they watched him and waited for him to turn into a monster. 

From where she now sat she could see the tension in Junnet’s jaw, a tension that was reflected in every sinew of his body as he fought against the biological imperative riding his body. She wondered if the civilians could see him now, would they change their minds about him? Somehow she doubted it. Their fear went too deep, and they would tend to believe what would be most useful in terms of avoiding the dangers of their world anyway. It was more about his fear, she realized. And how he’d internalized it.

“It’s the most natural thing in the world Commander.” She reached forward and began to undo his uniform, and under-tunic. Junnet froze and then squirmed slightly as she pulled the fabric aside to reveal his chest, but he stilled and then gasped when she reached out to scrape her nails lightly over his nipples which was encouraging so she ducked her head, and while her left hand massaged and stroked his right nipple, she took his left nipple into her mouth.

Feeling him harden even further beneath her, Kate levered herself onto her toes, and then with a flick of her tongue over his nipple that had him growling deep and low in his throat, released him and slid herself back along his thighs until she stood bent over him as he sat in the nav chair. Lowering both hands to his waist, she quickly undid his belt and then slipped her fingers inside his waistband—an action that caused renewed squirming from her XO—and went to work unfastening his trousers. She was only peripherally aware of his hands clenching and unclenching on the arms of the chair as she gripped the waistbands of his trousers, and undergarments and pulled them carefully over his straining erection.

There was a slight hesitation from him which forced her to pause in her endeavor, and then he lifted himself up slightly so that she could pull his pants  down along his thighs to his ankles where she stopped to remove his boots before sliding the garments off  entirely and laying them to the side.

That accomplished, Kate stood up, slipped her own pants off and stepping forward, pushed the arms of the nav chair back before climbing back onto his lap where she grasped his engorged cock with one hand and guiding it to her entrance, matter-of-factly lowered herself down onto him. “We don’t have much time.” She told him as she braced herself on his shoulders and began to move.

Junnet regarded her silently through somber eyes for a moment before tilting his head back against the nav chair, and closing his eyes. His hands remained clenched as he brought his arms up and crossed them over his chest.

SFR Flash Fiction /Command Decision 10

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RE: Command Decision Part 9 (Don’t Worry)

If you’re here and are wondering why this is part 10 and not part 9 and are wondering where part 9 has gotten off to, don’t worry. Part 10 has not mysteriously vanished into the abyss. Part 10 is a battle scene that I wasn’t able to finish up today because my brain was apparently not into battle scenes this morning, so I wrote the next scene instead and will go back and finish up the battle scene in the next day or so and slip it into the part 9 slot.

As usual, if you’re new here and would like to read this ongoing serial in order, just click on the links below:

Command Decision Part 1

Command Decision Part 2

Command Decision Part 3

Command Decision Part 4

Command Decision Part 5

Command Decision Part 6

Command Decision Part 7

Command Decision Part 8

Command Decision Part 9 (ie the missing battle scene that is coming soon)

 

*****

Kate swung her chair round and after locking the nav panel down regarded her XO’s profile thoughtfully. Out of respect for his privacy she’d disregarded his increasing restlessness over the past couple of hours, but now the the dark circles under his eyes and the deep grooves strain had carved into his face coupled with the knowledge that he hadn’t been able to sleep, eat or consume any fluids in the last two rotations indicated that action had to be taken soon or she’d risk losing him–even if only temporarily.

As she watched, he finished setting their course corrections and locked his own panel down, closing his eyes and exhaling deeply after he’d done so. The tension in his body was painful to see and  the brittle aspect to it made her understand that he was well and truly at the end of his rope; had in fact been there for quite some time. You are bleeding to death in front of me are you not Commander? She thought suddenly, and it had her on her feet and reaching out to pulls chair round in her direction without conscious thought. When he hunched forward and wrapped his arms around his torso in involuntary reaction to the motion she slid her hands down his shoulders to his elbows thinking to pull him to his feet but when his eyes shot open in shocked reaction to her touch she aborted the motion crouching in front of him and setting her hands on his thighs instead.

He lurched up suddenly as though he intended to stand and push her away–to dump her ass on the deck, but froze when she instinctively gripped his thighs in her hands in an attempt to steady herself in the face of the threat of being knocked back. His arms jerked between them once before settling once again against his torso. His gaze locked on hers and he blinked once before looking away and down at her shoulder. “What are you..?”

The harshness in his tone made her wince internally. We need to get some water into you and soon. “We need you strong and focussed Commander.” Kate told him. “I need you on your feet not on your back and sedated in a med bay.”

“I’m fine.” He said still not looking at her. “I’ll be fine. I don’t need-”

“Commander.” She cut him off then when she felt more than saw him flinch, paused. “Commander, you have a responsibility to me, to our crew and to our mission.” She said deliberately. “You are of absolutely no use to us like this.” She continued  harshly. “Failing to take advantage of a solution to your condition when it is available is a dereliction of duty and as such unworthy of your position as Executive Officer of The Crimson Tide.”

 

SFR Flash Fiction / Command Decision Part 9 (an announcement)

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RE: Command Decision Part 9 

A note from the crazy writer.

So, as of this moment there is no actual Command Decision part 9. Part 9 is a battle scene and apparently my brain was not into battle scenes this morning and so, I was not able to complete it to my satisfaction. Instead, I moved on to the next scene and will go back to the battle scene tomorrow when my brain is feeling, hopefully, more up for battle.

Part 10 is, however, going up.

I apologize for the interruption in the continuity of the story, I think this is one of the hazards of writing like this.

Best,

Kit

SFR Flash Fiction / Command Decision Part 8

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If you’re new here and would like to read this ongoing serial in order, just click on the links below:

Command Decision Part 1

Command Decision Part 2

Command Decision Part 3

Command Decision Part 4

Command Decision Part 5

Command Decision Part 6

Command Decision Part 7

(for Jeanie who wanted something a little longer)

*****

“You sound fairly certain of that.” Junnet tilted his head back against the wall as he wordlessly offered her his other hand in a request for additional support.

Obligingly, Kate took it and braced her feet against his in preparation for pulling him to his feet. “I am.” Leaning back to gain leverage she tugged as firmly as she could while keeping the motion smooth. To her surprise he came to his feet easily enough, but wobbled slightly upon gaining his feet as blood began to rush to muscles that had been cold and cramped for hours.

Although she propped a shoulder under his arm as he steadied himself, Kate was careful to remain in front of him as she did so that his very visible arousal was concealed from their audience of hostile civilians. As Junnet closed his eyes and grimaced in reaction to the pins and needles in his legs, she cast a discreet glance down at his pelvis to ascertain what they were dealing with and had to suppress a wince of sympathy as the size of the bulge in his uniform pants indicated that he was in advanced stages of sexual arousal. Glancing up she caught him watching her and shrugged her admission of checking him out. “That looks pretty painful.” Considering, and then summarily dismissing euphemism and tact as counter-productive in this instance, Kate went with the bull by the horns approach.

He stared at her slightly shocked, looked away. “I…” He frowned. “Yes. It is.”

Kate chewed on her lip thoughtfully. “Maybe if you untucked your shirt, and undid your jacket… it would provide some… camouflage.” She watched as his face locked down on itself; every muscle an impenetrable brick in the wall locking her out  and his reaction in. How to make this less… uncomfortable for him? 

“That might be a bit… obvious…” He ground out between clenched teeth. “Especially with this crowd.”

“Hmm…” He had a point. He’d stick out like a sore… thumb, if he were the only member of the crew who was disheveled. So…

“Let’s make it a thing then.” Kate rocked back on her heels, and reaching her hands high stretched thus ensuring that she attracted the attention of the civilians nearby then dropping her hands she began to undo her uniform jacket shrugging nonchalantly in the direction of a nearby group as she did so. “May as well get comfortable Commander.” Deliberately raising her voice a bit and strengthening her tone to ensure that it carried to interested ears. “We’re gonna be here awhile yet.” Reaching into her waistband she untucked her tunic ,and let it fall over her hips, and then after a second’s hesitation raised her hands to her throat and loosened her collar, thus completing what she considered her ‘halfway between the door and the shower off-duty look’. Catching the doc’s scrutiny from across the room she indicated that Thea should follow their lead then glanced at Junnet who hadn’t moved.

He was doing that muscle ticking along his jaw thing again she saw immediately, and nudged him with her shoulder while maintaining an easy going smile for their audience. “Loosen up Commander.” She told him amiably for the benefit of their audience. “Consider it an order.”

After an almost microscopic hesitation he raised his hands to the fasteners of his jacket. “Aye Ma’am.”

Appropriately obedient tone that. Kate thought. You sound perfectly innocuous. She shifted slightly to insure that she blocked his hips from view and fixing her smile in place, lowered her voice so that only he could hear her.

“Smile Junnet, and look at me.” She said. “Pretend we’re having a chat.” She waited until he looked at her and then nodded encouragingly. “Nothing interesting going on here right?”

His face took on a curiously sunburned aspect as he regarded her from too serious eyes. “Right.” He said, and curved his lips obediently.

Kate cocked her head at him. “Weak, Junnet. Weak.” She teased him. “That smile wouldn’t fool anyone not halfway across the room.” Easy now Commander. She thought to herself. Steady on.

“I’m not a smiley guy.” He said as he undid the last button on his jacket, and reached for his tunic.

“I wouldn’t say that…” She protested. “exactly.” She added when he looked at her skeptically. She opened her mouth to elaborate only to shut it again when he gave a funny little squirm–aborted almost as quickly as it started–as he pulled his tunic pulled free of his pants. As the light flush that covered his face and throat deepened, Kate realized almost immediately that the sensation of the fabric being pulled over his engorged genitals must have brought him to the brink of ejaculation. This can’t happen. She thought watching him swallow hard, and close his eyes. Not here. “Junnet.” She said softly eyeing the way he was absolutely frozen in place. “Look at me.”

“I can’t.” He ground out quietly.

“You can.” She thought about touching him, and rejected the idea for the moment. No need to overbalance him… further. 

“No.” His voice was harsh and guttural; barely recognizable. “I can’t… move…”

“I know.” Kate said, reading his body. It hit her for the first time how hard he was having to fight against the biological imperatives riding him; how crazy-making being even just the physical tension and heaviness that accompanied sexual arousal must be when experienced in such an unrelenting fashion. Is this what drives the Recs on planet to violence and rape? She wondered. This relentless, all-consuming drive for sexual release that manifests, and builds, and demands, and leaves the bearer strung out with the inability to achieve it?

Kate tried to imagine herself on the verge of orgasm and unable to get there; stuck on that precipice for hours, perhaps days at a time, and it started her nerves screaming as though she’d scraped her nail along a chalkboard. It’s a wonder you’re not stark, staring mad Junnet. She thought eyeing him and the tight way he held himself together. Always so very contained—so very private…    

She tried to remember when she’d last seen him relaxed; guard down and open, and found she couldn’t. She’d never seen him so much as have a beer after hours she realized, had never seen him laugh a real honest-to-goodness amused laugh, or wear non-military attire when it came to it. No, that couldn’t be right. She shook her head as if to prod her memory into working. Surely you’ve just been unobservant Kate. He can’t actually be in uniform at all times. You just haven’t seen him because he hasn’t been on board for long enough that’s all. However contained he is, it is ridiculous to think that he  extends that to wearing military issue during off-duty hours so just get a grip and get back to it. 

Forcefully pushing her musings aside, and refocussing on her XO Kate considered the hewn-from-stone-quality of his face, and knew that the issue of whether or not he wore civvies in his off time aside, for this man to be on display in such a state; facing down the prospect of having something as intimate as an orgasm forced on him in front of an audience was deeply mortifying. You deserve some privacy Commander—some time and space in which to give in to the depth and breadth of the sensation. And a partner to relish it with. Not this, this hell of a station and these Rec hating civilians.

“Look at me Commander.” She gave him her quietest rendition of her Captain’s voice.

Military to the bone, he opened his eyes, and despite having expected it, Kate was surprised by the way desire softened and clouded his expression, and downright disconcerted to see the hard edge of fear that revealed itself in the tension of his face. When she regained her mental footing, she gave him a little nod. “You’re okay.” She told, almost ordered, him. “It isn’t going to happen here.”

“I need…” His expression intensified, the harsh lines of his mouth twisting the word until it came out a hard little bullet of a groan. “to… to move.”

It came out half a question, so Kate nodded to confirm. “I know.” She kept her tone calm; reassuring. “You’re very close?” She lifted a brow at him in question, and when he nodded slightly to indicate the veracity of that paused to consider their options.

“I don’t want that. Not here.” Junnet gritted.

“I don’t blame you.” She said wryly.  “Not with this crowd.”

“So… ” He asked almost without moving his lips. “How can I… stop it?”

“I–uh– time.” Kate gave him a sympathetic shrug. “Just give yourself a couple of minutes and it should dissipate naturally if there isn’t any further…  stimulation.”

He nodded, blinked once, and fastened his gaze on her shoulder.

 “How will I know when it’s… okay to, to move?” He asked after a moment.

Kate blinked. Talk about your unexpected questions. She thought about that for a moment. She must have looked confused because he shrugged. “I’ve never been quite here before.”

And you think I have?  “Umm…” She wondered briefly how experienced he was sexually, and then brushed the thought aside as ridiculous. The man is forty-two years old for god’s sake. More than likely he’s just worried about how visible his erection is. Right? Okay then why is he asking?

Kate sifted through her knowledge of male anatomy. “Well, I guess when you feel your testicles descend you could maybe pull your penis up against your belly, and hold it there with the waistband of your pants? It’s much less visible that way.” Kate shrugged. “Especially with your shirt untucked.” She added thoughtfully. At his faintly appalled look she shrugged again. “I have a lot of male… cousins.” She frowned at the word; it wasn’t quite right. “They were very educational. You don’t even have to undo your pants; just stick you hand in your pocket and–uh–adjust.”

  “I see.” It came out a little stiff, and she dipped her head to try and catch his gaze; see what he was thinking. To her surprise he slanted her a glance, and held her gaze. “I feel like I should know that.” He murmured a tad ruefully.

“Just one damn thing after another Junnet.” Kate quirked her lips at him.

“Are you comparing this to commanding a battleship Captain?” He asked with incredulous,  but surprisingly good, humour given the circumstances. 

“It’s what I know.” She shrugged. “And as you know it’s a professional hazard.” That got a smile from him so she continued. “I see command opportunities everywhere; in fact there’s not a breakfast cereal in my kitchen that isn’t ship-shaped up, and prepared for battle.” She waggled her brows at him suggestively. “And don’t even try to pretend that your cooking implements aren’t rigorously sorted according to shape, size, ostensible purpose, and possible uses in hand-to-hand combat Junnet. I’m on to you Commander.” Raising her left index finger to her temple she tapped it three times. 

He grinned and ducked his head. “I wouldn’t dream of it Captain.” He said, and some of the frozen stillness went out of his body. Discretion being the better part of valour, Kate, ignored the hand he put in the pocket of his uniform trousers, and watched quietly as he took several deep breaths only opening her mouth when he rocked back on his heels and looked up at her.

“Okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You good to go hijack a shuttle Commander?” She asked taking in the  pallor and strain that  remained after the flush caused by his arousal had dissipated.

He leveled a glance at her; the one she’d had from him so often on the bridge of The Crimson Tide; all-knowing and faintly arrogant. Welcome back Commander. 

“I’ll do Captain.”

 

SFR Flash Fiction / Command Decision Part 7

Writing Prompt: No Writing Prompt

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A note from Kit: I am pretty sure I missed doing at least one this week (I was very surprised to see that it is Friday today, which never bodes well^^), so here is a bonus scene from the ongoing “Not at all flash fiction, but not sure what it’s going to be thing going on here with Command Decision”.

If you’re new here and would like to read this in order, just click on the links below:

Command Decision Part 1

Command Decision Part 2

Command Decision Part 3

Command Decision Part 4

Command Decision Part 5

Command Decision Part 6

 

*****

“They’re all a little in love with you you know.” Junnet said into the silence.

“Huh?”

“The crew.” Her XO nodded after the departing Lieutenant.

“Highly unlikely Commander.” Kate rolled her eyes at him. “It’s just the pointy ears.”

The sensitive skin at the corners of his eyes wrinkled, and he looked intrigued. “I thought that was just a rumour…”

“Nope.” Kate allowed her amusement to show as she grinned at him. “It happens.” She shrugged. “They get one look at me and poof,” Kate opened and closed her hand to indicate something suddenly appearing. “Elf-Struck. They turn into slavering fools wherever I go.”

Junnet regarded her steadily from under the shadow of his heavy brow and she had a moment to muse that it served the same function as his uniform hat; cloaked his eyes and gave him an aura of no compromising authority. “You’re taking the piss out of me Captain.” He said quietly.

Kate pressed a hand to her heart. “I am Commander.” She replied. “And enjoying too.”

“Nice. Kick a man when he’s down.” But he smiled slightly to mitigate his sardonic tone.

Kate ran her eyes over the length and breadth of him. “Well, I wouldn’t have a chance against you standing up would I?” She said lightly.

The smile vanished and a muscle jumped along his jaw as he dropped his gaze to his knees and it occurred to Kate to wonder for the first time if he might be somewhat self-conscious about his size. But he doesn’t move as though he’s self-conscious. She thought back to a friend she had in the academy who’d been large-breasted and of all the contortions and tricks she’d gone to to try to conceal that fact before she’d finally had reduction surgery. The woman had always slouched or tried to make herself seem smaller and unnoticeable. He doesn’t do that. Kate thought back to her interactions with him since he’d been assigned to The Tide; he always stood straight with appropriately military posture… Maybe because, as big as he is, making himself seem smaller is not really an option. She wondered what it was like to tower over absolutely everyone and found herself disconcerted by the thought.

“I wouldn’t want to put money on that Captain.” Junnet said after a moment; a little dryly. and with an expression so bland that she wondered if she’d imagined his reaction. “I’ve seen you in the gym taking down the Marine Commander.”

Kate smoothed her own expression out. If he was going to ignore it so would she. “He lets me win.” She said airily. “Proper etiquette you know.”

To her surprise, he commandeered one of her pet moves and raised a brow at her. “As you say Captain.” He replied in a tone so bland that there was no doubt he was calling horse shit on her statement; with proper etiquette of course.

“You are determined to be a trial are you not Junnet?” She grinned at him in appreciation, and pushed herself into a crouch. “Shall we get this circus on the road?” Pulling herself to her feet in a lazy stretch designed at once to release muscles protesting their sojourn on the station floor, and put the locals at ease with its very banality she then finished with a quick hip twist and still smiling offered him her hand.

He regarded her plainly. “Have you got a cargo lift under there Captain?”

“That stiff are we old man?” She teased.

“I’m younger than you are.” He shot back just as light and then. “And yes. I’ve been down here awhile.”

Kate rolled her eyes at him. “Who isn’t younger than me?” Elves were long-lived. “Age aside, it appears I’ve got you in the flexibility department Commander.” She said in her normal tone for anyone who might be listening and then in a murmur designed for his ears only. “I’ve got you. Just give me your hands and let me pull you up and don’t worry about—” She hesitated over the word not wanting to make him self-conscious—more self-conscious, than he already was. “Nobody will be able to see anything with me in front of you.”

He dropped his gaze to her hands.

“You’ll have to move eventually.” She watched colour mount in his face even as he flicked his gaze towards the civilians. “Do we have a contingency plan in place for when they notice…my condition?”

“They won’t notice.” She said firmly and waggled her hand at him until he took it.

SFR Flash Fiction / Command Decision Part 6

Writing Prompt: No Writing Prompt

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A note from Kit: This is rapidly turning into a novella I think, so if you’d like to read this story in order, please use the links below.

Command Decision Part 1

Command Decision Part 2

Command Decision Part 3

Command Decision Part 4

Command Decision Part 5

 

*****

Shocked, Kate felt her jaw drop at his quiet pronouncement before she caught the wry amusement in his gaze.

She gaped at him in utter astonishment; opening and closing her mouth several times as she scrambled to recover from the shock of humour from an unexpected source.

“The Great Captain Arpád at a loss for words.” He smiled outright; the first time she could recall ever seeing him do so; and it transformed his face; made him look younger more… well, if not human… more dimensional… as though he had another layer.

She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. “Captain, Commander,” Lieutenant Tim Brandon dropped into a crouch in front of them. “A Stryker class shuttle is requesting permission to dock. According to station logs, the shuttle is scheduled to run the regular station to planet route. Preliminary scans show two life-signs aboard.” He reported quietly.

“ETA?” Kate leaned forward in anticipation of getting her legs under her.

“Fifteen minutes.” The Lieutenant answered and gave her an enquiring glance. “Ma’am we could significantly reduce our time—“

“—if we commandeered this shuttle.” Kate finished. “I know LT but there are other factors to consider here. “This crowd isn’t going to be pleased if we steal their ride.” She nodded discreetly at the civilians.

“We are armed.” Brandon pointed out.

“Likely, so are many of them.” Junnet put in. “It’s a rough planet.” He added when she glanced at him. “Stationers are drawn from the local populace and since they know the score they’re pretty lax about enforcing the no weapon’s on-station policy.”

“We could take them with us?” Brandon sounded uncertain.

“This many civilians on a battle-cruiser during an active conflict? Recipe for disaster.” Kate answered.

“They’re safer here.” Junnet confirmed.

“So, if we don’t want to cause excessive damage, or undue casualties…” Kate glanced at Junnet briefly and thought from his neutral expression that he might not object overmuch to damages or casualties. “We’ll have to stun ’em and run.” She narrowed her eyes. “I assume nobody else knows of the shuttle’s approach?”

“No ma’am, our eyes only.” He confirmed. “We control the boards.” The last was said with satisfaction. As was appropriate for someone with his hacking skills.

She gave him a look. “Just as long as you work for us LT.” Kate murmured and her signals officer turned red to the tips of his ears.

“Aye Ma’am.” He managed in a strangled tone and dropped his gaze as his colour intensified.

SFR Flash Fiction / Command Decision Part 5

Writing Prompt: No Writing Prompt

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A note from Kit: This is rapidly turning into a novella I think, so if you’d like to read this story in order, please use the links below.

Command Decision Part 1

Command Decision Part 2

Command Decision Part 3

Command Decision Part 4

 

Taken aback, Kate froze and then relaxed when it occurred to her that she had options to consider here. Their relationship thus far had been professional and courteous; nothing more. She had to have missed something she thought, and, that in mind, she studied him; tried to see behind all that savage bitterness and hostility; tried to put herself in his shoes and found that she couldn’t because she simply didn’t know anything about him beyond his performance as her exec. I don’t know where you are from, not really, not more than as a note in your file… I know nothing  about how you grew up or about your family… We’ve never discussed such things.

Laying her head on her knees and calling herself every kind of jackass, she studied the curious combination of heavy Recessive bone structure, and more finely wrought human angles that comprised his face and it occurred to her that he was almost certainly the product of a rape, and, that the stigma attached to that, no matter how well adjusted and enlightened his hypothetical family may have been, most certainly played into this somehow.

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye she flicked her eyes across the room in time to see one of the locals stretch her legs out in front of her. The woman’s eyes were on the commander, and they were wary. Curious, Kate surveilled the room and caught more than one pair of eyes watching them. That played into it too, she thought ,and wondered—not about being different, she knew about that—but about being a specific kind of different. She wondered about being the kind of different that garnered you a lifetime of fearful sidelong glances and an invisible perimeter; the sort that no one wanted to stray into whether physically or mentally lest the come into contact with you.

Thinking back to her own behaviour, she realised that she too, had been unusually distant with him, and that she had not so much as touched his hand exchanging cups of coffee or reports since she’d come aboard The Crimson Tide; nor had she witnessed any sort of contact, innocuous or otherwise, between him and any other member of their crew. He was treated with the respect due his rank, she realised, but he was still a social pariah and as such was unlikely to have much of a sex life. ‘Something I can never have.‘ he’d said and she suddenly began to understand the kind of humiliation this situation must represent for him. To want, to desire and yet to be almost universally classified as unwanted; undesirable—Kate cursed silently—it was a hell she would wish only on her worst enemy and he wasn’t her enemy… he was just… an unknown.

Coming to a decision she shifted until there was but a hairsbreadth of distance between them and when he didn’t push her away or otherwise react negatively to her closeness she shifted again and the distance was gone and she was pressed up against his side intimately aware of the way he inhaled deeply in reaction to her movement. “Ease-up commander.” She told him softly.

Another deep breath; a massive expansion of his chest and then, pressed up against him as she was, Kate felt his grip across his abdomen loosen as he allowed himself to relax a little. 

They sat that way for what felt like a lifetime and then, something tipped and he was leaning into her, pushing against her everywhere they touched as if he’d push himself through her. “I’m sorry.” He said after a moment.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Kate replied perplexed. He was still quite stiff and tight beside her despite having relaxed enough to allow himself to lean against her.

“I know this puts an added stress on the situation—on you—one you don’t need.” He explained quietly with an impersonal directness to his tone that she found disturbing in the way it made him a situation to be dealt with and not an individual being.

Kate swore sharply, succinctly. “Gods Commander, I am not such a bitch as all that.” She told him.

“I shouldn’t have said… what I said earlier about…” He trailed off as a red tide crawled up from his throat and engulfed his face..

“About removing my clothes, pressing me up against the wall and having your way with me?” Kate asked lightly. “That’s not very flattering.”

He looked directly at her. “Neither is being offered a pity fuck.”

 

Build A Baehr (Excerpt)

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A short excerpt from Build a Baehr.

1

Amory

“Just take a deep breath or something.” I resist the urge to curse as the command is accompanied by an unrelenting pressure on my arms as they are pulled further back and over my head than I would have liked. Can’t swear in yoga class. I remind myself forcefully as I attempt to wriggle my hips in an attempt to alleviate some of the strain on my back. Particularly when you are supposed to be setting some sort of an example. 

The attempt to wriggle my hips is largely futile given the solidity of the man sitting on my thighs, so I force myself to keep breathing and arch further up off the yoga mat in an attempt to lean back into the stretch. 

The pain in my back lessens as my abs start to scream in protest.

“Deep breath.” The man behind me rumbles softly and with some amusement. 

“Take a deep breath? It feels like my insides are being ripped out!”

 Lachlan Baehr, my yoga partner and fake boss mercifully adjusts his grip on my arms and relaxes the intensity of the backbend. The amusement in his tone goes nowhere.“Suck it up buttercup.” There is a sudden warmth in the vicinity of my left ear followed by the faint scent of his aftershave as he leans forward a bit. “I commend you on biting back all of those four letter words ye want to spit at me.”

Mind reader. “You are so not my favorite person today.”

 “Liar.” My left cheek is suddenly cold as he shifts himself back. “I’m your favorite person every day.” I feel a slight pressure as he pulls back gently on my arms. Thankfully, not as intensely as before and I am able to settle into it without much strain. 

“I bring you tea every morning.” Lachlan reminds me.

I catch the female half of the couple next to us looking our way, and roll my eyes. “Is that all you’ve got?” 

“I help you up in the gym when you’re working on your fitness?” He singsongs in return which earns a snort of laughter from our audience.

As the stretch becomes painful, I shift a bit under him. “You take every opportunity to torture me you mean?”

 Lachlan snorts. “Darling, you’ll know if I ever want to torture you.” 

“Sadist.” I cease my attempts to squirm as he keeps me pinned stolidly in place under him. Idiot. You’ve been doing Yoga long enough with him to know better.

 “Wouldn’t you like to know.” Reading me correctly, he relaxes the stretch.

Unable to help myself I sigh loudly with relief as the remaining bit of strain on my back and arms vanishes. “Just wait until the shoe is on the other foot.” 

“Regretting the donuts are we?” 

Still laughing at me. Naturally. “You fed me those donuts!”

 Lachlan, rather primly for a man of his size and military experience: “I offered you those donuts. You chose to eat them and now you’re paying.” 

Unable to argue that, I grimace. “Sometimes you eat salads and go to the gym and sometimes you eat donuts and don’t put on pants. It’s called life balance. You should try it.”

 I feel his laugh more than I hear it. “I think I’ve got the no pants thing covered.”

 I roll my eyes as I recall all the times I’ve wandered into his office and found him without his pants. “If you’d take the time to close the door between our offices, this wouldn’t be an issue.”

 “But if I closed the door, how would I summon you?” Leaning forward he releases the pressure on my arms in a steady move that allows me to use him as a support while I lower myself to the floor. “By using the phone like a normal person?” I mutter into the yoga mat as I lay there like a limpet.

Shifting back, and bracing his hands on either side of my hips, he moves off of my thighs and onto the floor beside me. I hear the voice of the instructor telling us to roll onto our backs, but I’m deliciously comfortable so I ignore her.

“You could knock.” 

I can feel him studying me, so I reluctantly roll over. Set an example. “On an open door?” Raising myself up onto my elbows as instructed, I wrinkle my nose at his expression. You are having way too much fun at my expense this morning Baehr. “You have all the hallmarks of an exhibitionist you know that?” Digging down deep, I find some energy somewhere in the vicinity of my little toe and use it to lever myself up and off the mat. Your turn, you sadist. I watch with some glee as he takes my place on the mat.

Lachlan, flicks me a glance as he shifts and wriggles himself into a comfortable position on his back. “I doubt anyone else in the office would agree with you.” 

I cross my eyes at that. “So it’s just for me?” 

Lifting his chest and arching his back, he eyes me. “I know an appreciative audience when I see it.” 

“Roll onto your stomachs.” The instructor calls from the front of the room. 

Lachlan, more comfortable on his back than his stomach scowls, and I make a little circling motion with my index finger. “You heard the lady.”

“Is this a conspiracy?” He grumbles as with reluctance writ large in every movement of his body,  he rolls onto his stomach. “If you want to ogle my backside, you have only to ask.”

Swinging my legs to the side and pushing myself up onto my knees, I take in the slight tension in his body as he repositions himself. “Just stop. I only have a certain level of sanity, and you’re not helping me keep it.” 

Levering himself up on mine elbow, he looks back at me over his shoulder. “Is it my washboard abs, my broad shoulders, or—” With a slight tilt of his head and a lowering of his lashes he indicates his posterior. “My behind that has you all aflutter?”

His mock lascivious tone elicits a grin from me. “I hate to burst your bubble, but there’s no conspiracy afoot here.” I tell him with mock severity. He’s  uneasy just laying facedown on his stomach without anything in particular to do, so I play along as we wait for the next series of instructions from our instructor. “Haven’t you got anybody better to flirt with?”

“Not at the moment.” He stacks his hands and lowers his forehead to rest on top of them with impressive obedience as the instructor calls out for him to do so.

Bracing myself on my arm I throw a leg over his hip and shift my weight over his body until I’m straddling his hips. “Any convenient target then eh?” I lower myself carefully onto his hips. “Okay?”

 “Yes. Fine.” 

“Prepare yourself.” I intone in my best deep, dark, dramatic voice. 

 “With pleasure.” 

“I wouldn’t count on any pleasure.” Leaning forward slightly, I lay my hands—heels together, fingers out—on the small of his back in anticipation of the instructor. “For now, it has come— my time for retaliation and revenge. Prepare to suffer sadist!” Despite my dramatic threats, I keep my hands gentle as I begin to knead the tight muscles at the small of his back. From experience working with him as well as all out time in ‘couples yoga’, I know he carries a lot of tension in his lower back and hips and the area tends to be sore and sensitive. 

I congratulate myself on my perfect application of pressure and technique when the motions of my fingers and palms are met with a long groan and a deep shift in his body as he relaxes. “I’ve gotta say Amory, if this is your idea of retaliation, and revenge, I may never wear pants again.”

As I watch, he slides his hands out from under his forehead and bending the elbows brings his hands up and back until they are cradling the sides of his neck. You do that a lot. “Shut up Lachlan.” I tell him as I deepen the pressure of the massage slightly.

“I don’t think I could say anything if I tried.” He groans.

Spreading my hands wide and curling my fingers around his sides as I lean forward, I shift my weight onto my palms slowly and steadily backing off when his body tells me it can’t take anymore. “And yet you’re still talking.” 

There is a long moment’s silence and then his reply comes faint and muffled by the yoga mat. “I hate you.” 

Shifting forward slightly so I can slide my hands up a few centimeters to start the whole deep pressing thing again, I grin at his reaction to the massage. From experience, I know that another ten minutes of this and he’ll be human putty under my hands.“You think I’m lovely.” 

Lachlan’s voice slides into a sort of lazy dreaminess as his tight back muscles relax further: “I think you’re a red-haired witch.” 

“You’re awfully mouthy about gingers for a Scot old man.” 

“I’m only thirty-eight.” He protests faintly.

I use my toes to brace myself as I lean even further over him to reach the muscles of his upper back. “You sure about that? You go to bed awfully early for a thirty-eight year old.” 

His protest, when it comes, is hardly a protest. “I do not.” He says indistinctly as he sinks deeper into the mat. I’ve had him fall asleep on me before in class, so the tone doesn’t surprise me in the least.

“So, that wasn’t you asleep on my sofa last night at half past nine?” I lower my voice slightly trying not to jar him. An integral aim of this class is to promote good sleep habits, so there are always a few people who wind up passed out on the floor, and both he and I have gotten into the habit of letting the other sleep should one of us drift off. 

It’s a long moment before he answers me. “Boring movie.” He slurs and then more distinctly. “Put me to sleep directly.” 

“We were literally two minutes in.” I keep my voice low.

“Deadly dull.” The slur is back. 

Having worked my way up to his neck now, I pause with my hands  on his shoulders. “Do you want to move your hands?”

“Can’t.” He mutters into the mat.

“Can’t?” He sounds a bit like a petulant child and it makes me smile.

 “Too comfortable.” 

Okay then. I work my fingers around his hands a bit before I start to work my way back down his spine. This time, I abandon the deep pressure I’d used on my way up his spine, and use my fingertips to massage circles into the muscles on either side of his spine. “You gonna pass out on me old man?” I ask him when he lets out a deep sigh in response to the technique.

“No.” He tells me then pauses. “Trying not to.”  

I grin at that. “Why am I not convinced?”

“Have I ever passed out on you?” He sounds faintly disgruntled now.

 “Last night—” 

He snorts. “In yoga class Amory—have I ever passed out on you in yoga class?” 

“Every time, we do back work, you turn into a jellyfish.”

 “You like it.” He tells me

I shrug. “Of course I do. It’s basically the only time you shut up.” I sit back a bit as I reach the base of his spine. “Do you wanna to move on to the back bend practice, or do you want me to work on your psoas?”

 His answer is muffled and indistinct: “I’m sure that that would violate some sort of work rule—qualify as sexual harassment.”

 Like we don’t do this or something like it every class? “You did mine.” I lean down so only he can hear me. “Also, technically, we don’t actually work together.”

 “Amory—“ He hesitates slightly. “It’s different.” 

“Why? Because you have a penis and I don’t?” Now you’re going to be squeamish? After a solid three months of participating in couple’s yoga?

Lachlan laughs briefly. “Yes.”

 I consider his hesitation. I suppose I might be a bit hesitant myself if I had such visibly reactive genitalia. “I promise not to hold it against you.” What’s a penis between friends right?

Another slight hesitation from him. “You’re going to be digging around in my groin—I can’t guarantee that I won’t—“ 

“As I said, I won’t hold it against you. It’s just physiology right?” 

No response. 

Casting around for some way to reassure him, I consider the logistics. “Also, we’ve got a towel to cover you up with. It’ll be fine. We’re friends. No big deal.” 

“I’ve been told by some it’s a very big deal.” He mutters wryly. 

 “Braggert.” Relieved by the humour in his tone, I  swing my legs off of him, and tap the side of his hip suggestively. “Roll over Lachlan before I change my mind.” 

Lachlan rolls onto his back and looks up at me. “Maybe you should.” He tells me with a smile that is half grimace. Wouldn’t have figured you to be so prim about this.

I am struck a bit by the relaxation in his expression. He looks sleepy, as if he’s just woken up and it occurs to me that he’s rather handsome and that it would be no hardship to wake up to that face, which makes me wonder how it is that he’s single. Get a grip. I brace my hands on my thighs and sit back on my knees. “Nonsense. You’re tight right?” 

He raises his eyebrows at me slightly. “I’m always tight.” 

“Well  that’s kind of why we’re here so—“ Leaning to the left I, reach into the small pile of blocks and bands and other yoga props piled beside our mat and snag a large towel  Unfolding it, I spread it over his hips. 

With a small grimace, Lachlan draws his right hand up and settles his forearm across his eyes. After a slight hesitation he pulls his shirt up with his left hand.

Well then. I think to myself as I begin to feel gently for his iliacus muscle. 

The sensation of my fingers working deep into the soft flesh of his belly and along the interior of his hip is surprisingly intimate and I understand immediately why he he hesitated.

Lachlan shifts under my hand slightly and gives a soft grunt of discomfort as I press too hard. “Dear Diary,” He murmers. “Life as I know it sucks. I’ve just realized that the closest I’ve come to having sex in the past six months is being platonically fondled by my best friend in yoga class. This is the worst day ever.” 

“Six months eh? That’s quite the dry spell. I’m not sure I credit that.” I soften my touch and he stops shifting.

“Would I lie to you?” 

“Hmmmm…..” 

He huffs. “My schedule is full.” 

I am working my thumbs into the sensitive area long the points of his hips now and the way I can feel that huff in the shifting of his diaphragm and organs against my hands is startling. Visceral in a way that is striking. I am not certain that I have ever been as aware of another person’s body before. Not in this—this mechanical—foundational sort of sense at least. I find myself wanting to giggle over his worries about having an erection, because who knew that his diaphragm would be the part of anatomy I’d find myself most distracted by? Biting my lip, I force myself to focus. “Well, then it’s a good thing that we have that bachelor auction tomorrow night isn’t it? A convenient way to restart your love life, and conveniently for you, it’s scheduled into your schedule.” 

Lachlan releases a long, slow breath that I feel under my hands. “I’m not sure being auctioned off for charity is an effective way to get into a relationship.

 “Maybe not.” I concede. “But it’s probably a decent way to get laid.” 

 “About that—” He breaks off as I find a sweet spot, and get to work on it. “Bloody hell. That’s good.”

When I feel his body give under my hands, I lift my hands and trapping a bolster from our pile of accessories, prop it beside his left hip. “About getting laid?” I prompt as I adjust my legs to act as a bolster alone his right hip. Reaching out, I use my hands to guide first his left and then his right hip into the correct position. When he arches his back slightly and grunts with discomfort, I know that despite my work, he’s still too tight for the position. “Shift your legs down a bit.” I tell him. “You should feel a bit of a pull but no pain.” I remind him. “Just find a position that feels good.”

It takes a bit of adjusting and readjusting but we eventually figure out that propping the bolster at a forty-five degree angle along the underside of his residual limb on the left is the best way to achieve the appropriate, comfortable angle we’re looking for. 

Eyeing the size and angle of the bolster under his left thigh, I extend my right leg across the mat at the same angle while keeping my left leg curled under me, which allows me to prop his right thigh over mine. His right thigh is shorter than his left, so I have to squidge myself closer in order to be an effective makeshift bolster. As I lean forward experimentally, I am frankly surprised that I am flexible enough for it not to be an issue. I guess all this yoga is actually having an effect.

 “The auction.” 

I am busy sliding my hands into the sensitive point where his hip met his leg and beginning to work gently on the tight muscles there whilst being amazed by my own flexibility, and so it takes me a moment to remember what we are talking about. “What about it?”

Reaching down he readjusts the towel over himself; keeps his hand resting over his belly in a move that feels vaguely protective. 

 “I need you to help me choose something to wear.” 

I snort before I can help it. “You’ve been dressing yourself for years now Lachlan and doing a fine job of it from what I can see. I find it hard to believe that you need any help from me.”

 “You like the way I dress?” He asks and there is a note of surprised pleasure in his tone that takes me aback.

 “You’d be hard pressed to find a female within 200 kilometers of here that would have complaints about the way you dress.” I tell him as I deepen the pressure a bit with my hands. “You’re a handsome well built man, and you dress to show that off. If you’re not comfortable with people noticing that, I suggest you consider wearing some sort of sack cloth type thing.”

He shifts a bit in response to that. “I’m thinking of wearing a kilt.” 

 “Women love a man in a kilt. Sound choice.”

 “I’m not sure which legs—which leg plates to wear with it.” Another shift as he follows my hands, telling me wordlessly where to massage: “I’m absolutely willing to bribe you.” 

I follow the motion of his body under my hands, as he directs me to the spots that could use attention while I think about what I want from him. “I demand tea from the Andersley Tea Shop then.” I tell him finally.

He huffs, clearly unimpressed with my choice. “I get you tea from the Andersley Tea Shop nigh on every morning.” 

 “Well, then, I also want dinner while we review your kilt and leg plate choices. Take out. From that nice Italian place.” 

Lachlan groans as I finish up with his hip flexors and reposition my hands on his outer thigh and start in on his IT band. “Deal.” He sighs. “You can have anything you want so long as you never stop that.”