Ring at Sunset

Posted on Mon Jul 31st, 2023 @ 2:21am by Private 1st Class Cedrik Feng & Ensign Mika Petrova

Mission: S1 Episode 5: Ex Post Facto
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: Date 2371-08-20 at 1900
5913 words - 11.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Cedrik stood in the tack area of a gorgeous horse stable with high sweeping ceilings decorated with old wooden beams and rustic chandeliers. The brown-grey brick floor had seen its fair share of use over many years, but the intricate dark wood and metal stalls looked like new. To his left, a tall beautiful dapple grey horse stood saddled and ready, lazily picking at strands of hay from a hanging feeder. In front of him, he was sliding the bridle over over the head and into the mouth of the plucky bay Kabarda mare the computer had generated on his request. Being a curious sort, he’d looked up a bit of information on the unknown breed and found it was a breed with a unique build that wasn’t considered conventionally glamorous when compared to other horse breeds - in fact they’d be considered deformed - but it was that build that had made them perfect for mountain climbs and traveling long distances over rocky terrain. It was also a breed that had nearly gone extinct but had been kept alive by dedicated breeders.

He was dressed simply for the ride wearing heavier blue jeans, a dark blue button up shirt and a deep brown leather jacket. He wanted to make sure he looked good but also that he would be comfortable. The doors were closed so there wasn’t any view to the outside; he wanted that to be a surprise for when Mika arrived.

Mika was every bit as excited as she’d seemed when she spoke to Cedrik in the medical supply closet earlier in the day. So excited, in fact, that she finished her shift and ran home to her cabin to cook a special meal for herself and to spend hours getting ready. She ordered blini from the replicator and ate the thin Russian pancakes with fruit and tea while sitting on her floor. Then, once she was done with her meal, she showered and spent a lavishly long time doing her hair in a stylish braid that ran down to the middle of her back and applying modest makeup.

She selected a floral scent and sprayed herself with it and started dressing by donning a pair of black compression underwear and a sports bra that would hopefully keep most of the bouncing in check. She’d pulled on gray riding breeches that tended to hug her curves more than she was comfortable with, tall brown heeled boots, and a pale pink half zip that clung to her made of light material. She pulled her look together with a pink lip gloss that made her lips stand out.

When she passed through the arch and into the stables, the smell that invited her made her smile. Despite her perfume which wafted through it, she preferred the smell of horseback riding. This had truly been her favorite pastime before she entered Starfleet Medical. Seeing Cedrik, she walked toward him, taking note of his outfit over his clearly chiseled physique.

“Hi, Cedrik!” She said with an inviting expression as she opened her arms and approached him for a hug. “This looks amazing. I’m so excited!”

“Hey!” He greeted and turned toward her. She looked quite nice. He wondered if he should tell her that fact, but he was immediately distracted seeing she was coming in for a hug. Smartly, he bent forward just slightly with their height difference and intercepted her with his own long, strong arms. This kept their hips apart and made sure to not cause any real problems down south for himself. He pulled her against his strong, solid chest but kept the contact warm and brief before parting from her; his hands moved to her shoulders to give a gentle squeeze and then one left so he could turn his body and indicate to her horse.

“A pretty little mare for you.”

Mika gave a polite hug, understanding the implications of anything more. When she pulled back and looked at the horse, her face lit up again and she raised her hands to her cheeks in awe.

“Gods, she’s beautiful, Cedrik!” she said, walking up to the horse and gently petting her nose. The beast showed signs of friendliness right away, and so she went around it placing her hand along its dark sides. “This is so exciting.”

Her enthusiasm was once again infectious, and Cedrik found himself smiling again. He gave her enough room to move around the horse and look at her without feeling crowded. His stance was easy, relaxed, and he seemed to just be focused on her as a whole. “Good. I hope you enjoy it. I’ve picked one of my favorite places to ride. I’ll help you up when you’re ready.”

Mika gave him an expression that was downright rebellious by her standards, mingled with a good-humored smile and a bit of challenge. She lifted her foot, put it in the stirrup, and hoisted herself onto the black horse without any trouble. She lifted her head in triumph, dramatic, and then she giggled girlishly as the horse flexed.

“Help me up where?” She asked, looking at him and fluttering her lashes in mock innocence.

Cedrik would have been lying if he said he hadn’t been mildly disappointed she got herself up on the horse under her own power. It would have been a good excuse to be closer to her, but he supposed in the end it was probably better that he wasn’t. His smile only sobered just a little, still remaining as he stepped to his own horse to untie him and then took the reins of both to lead them to the large door.

“Have you ever been to Ireland?”

Mika caught something in his expression; something about her getting up made him unhappy. Stupid; she should have let him help her. Men love to help. She chastised herself and fixed her face.

“I think I may have gone with my mother when I was little. It’s hard for me to remember specifically.” She asked as she allowed him to lead her horse toward the door.

He nodded and paused before the door. He gave her her reins and slid those of his horse over its head. “My mother has family in Ireland, so we would visit often. One of our favorite places to go was the Ring of Kerry.”

Moving to the door he opened it to finally reveal the magnificent scene waiting for them. The sky was bathed in the hues of a beautiful, clear sunset with just a few dark clouds dotting the sky. In front of them was a world of green dotted with flowers of pink, purple, and yellow. With ease Cedrik pulled himself up on his horse and settled in the saddle. Obviously, he was quite experienced himself. “Ready?”

As soon as Mika’s horse was clear of the stables and her eyes rested upon the sight before her, her pouty, full lips parted and she let out an audible gasp. For seconds on end, she didn’t say anything, but instead she stared in wonder at the landscape before her. It was a hilly scene of green dotted with moss, and flowers of pink and purple which ended only at an expanse of sea. And in the distance, the sun was setting in gold, purple, and pink just as she had asked.

After what felt like an eternity of sitting there silent on her horse, she turned to Cedrik, her eyes welling with tears, and she smiled.

“Ready.” She said, her voice shaking as she seemed to battle her feelings for control of her voice and her eyes. “Lead the way.”

Cedrik had waited patiently for her, not interfering in her moment but he was watching her reaction. A pleased smile sat on his attractive, youthful face and grew when she finally turned to look at him. He didn’t comment on the tears he saw in her eyes, but it was endearing and an obvious sign he had made the right choice. Giving his horse a light squeeze with his legs and a gentle push, they started off down the beaten dirt path that would take them through the hills and next to the sea. It was an easy ride and for a little while, he took the lead but eventually gently pulled up his horse so he could ride next to her.

“So do you like it?”

Mika followed him, getting used to the feel of the horse and petting her to reinforce the relationship. Once he made room for her to join him on the path, she increased her speed until they were trotting side by side.

“I love it. It’s beautiful here.” She said, her brown eyes watching the horizon as the tears still welled in her eyes. “It really reminds me of Terra. There’s no place like it, I think. I guess I’m getting pretty homesick.”

“Yeah, I understand. Honestly, I think a lot of people are, just nobody talks about it.” Cedrik pointed out, mulling it over. “It’s important we don’t give up hope of getting home though. When we do how about I bring you here for real?”

She looked at him, the tears resting in her eyes and finally relenting without falling down her cheeks. She smiled a somewhat playful blushing smile.

“We’ll see.” She said simply, and then turned her smile to the route before them. After a beat of silence, she looked to the gorgeous sky. “Do you think we’ll ever see another Terran again?”

For a moment, Cedrik was mildly confused by her reaction and then it hit him that she might have taken it as a more romantic invitation than he had originally intended. He flushed slightly and wondered if he should clarify his meaning - not that he would have been opposed to such a thing, it just hadn’t been what he had intended. Her next question gave him an out though, and he relaxed. “Well, I believe we will get home, so yes.”

“Do you?” She asked gently, her eyes still on the purple circle of sky.

“Yeah, of course I do.” Cedrik smiled even in the face of her skepticism. “I don’t know how long it will take, but we’ll get home. We won’t spend our entire lives out here.”

She sighed quietly, not saying anything for several seconds. It was a touchy subject for the Terrans of the Shadow Fleet, of course. But she was particularly sentimental.

“Well, okay.” She said quietly, and continued to trot along. Her eyes scanned the expanse of clear land before her and landed on the water which glowed dark blue and purple as a result of the sunset. She smiled then, and in that smile there was something that resembled badness or sassines, but was still a hundred light years from it.

“Race you to the beach?”

“Sounds good.” He agreed with a smile and urged his horse to match pace with hers. “Ready?”

Spurring her horse, Mika let out a sudden cackle, trying to steal a head start. Instantly, she was off, charging down the hill ahead of him. He could hear her laughter even as she moved from his side.

“Hey, no fair!” Cedrik called after her with a laugh and urged his horse to follow. As the oldest of nine siblings, he was used to this kind of thing and so it didn’t come as a complete surprise when she took off on him. In truth it just reminded him a bit of home. Despite her head start, his horse caught up to hers quickly with its longer stride and Cedrik brought it up close to her. He turned his head and winked playfully at her.

“Hey.”

Mika gave him an expression of pretend shock with her mouth standing open and her brown eyes wide, but a smile replaced it soon after that let him know how much fun she was having.

“Get out of my way, boy!” She said over the sound of her working horse. Then she leaned forward and encouraged her horse to increase his speed just as they were coming to a turn in the road. She complied, pulling ahead of Cedrik’s.

Cedrik laughed, letting her take off again before urging his horse to follow. He caught up to her quickly, coming up to her side as they rounded the turn that would lead to the slightly downhill straightway to the coast. He urged his horse forward again, starting to pull ahead of Mika. It was always a gamble he found when dealing with females of all ages - let them win or not when you had the upper hand. Some loved it, some hated it, but he had always been encouraged to do the respect of not holding back, so that is what he did here. He continued to urge his horse forward, the animal’s hooves hitting the sand about a length in front of Mika’s mare.

As he won, Mika laughed with an expression of nothing but joy on her face as she slowed her horse and trotted around his in the sand. The excitement had quickened her breath and her face was slightly red, In a quick flash, the old self-consciousness of her teen years came to her mind again, when she had been so worried that her body, which had developed early and dramatically, would be a source of embarrassment and attention when her horse was at full gallop. Her smile weakened a bit at the thought, but she wasn’t nearly as worried about it as she once was. She was older now; an adult, a doctor, and the Captain’s daughter. She had to be beyond some of those innocent concerns.

“I think you’re the first man not to let me win since I used to ride with my brother.” she said, giggling some more.

“My parents instilled in me the respect of not holding back regardless of sex.” Cedrik gave voice to the thoughts in his head. He smiled at her, looking into her eyes and not letting them stray from her. She was beautiful, it would have been so easy, but he seemed quite determined to be gentlemanly - at least while she was looking at him.

“A victory from a lie is no victory at all.”

“That’s very honourable, Cedrik Feng. Very manly, I think.” she said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him innocently. “I like that.”

She was quite transparent and had never been one for subterfuge or unnecessary secrets. Unlike the rest of her family, she had no moral inclination toward intrigue and never played their spy games when she could avoid it. She wanted an honest life, free from harm to herself and others. She wanted to heal. Her long brown hair billowed in her braid against the wind, but didn’t go anywhere as she looked at him with a hint of curiosity.

“Where are you from, Cedrik Feng, and who taught you how to ride a horse?”

“Hong Kong.” He provided with ease and looked out to the sea beyond them and the setting sun. “My mother, however, was from Ireland and she was the one who taught me how to ride a horse. She was a professional for most of her life until she settled down with my father and started the family, now she simply does it as a hobby.”

“A professional equestrian?” Mika asked, pulling her horse a bit closer to his. “What’s her name? Maybe I’ve heard of her? Small chance but, it’s possible.”

“Chelsea Fletcher was her maiden name.” Cedrik supplied with a smile as he thought about his mother. “She was quite good.”

Mika thought for a moment, trying to remember someone by that name, but then she shrugged and shook her head.

“Sorry, In Russia, we’d never forget a Chelsea Fletcher. I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard of her. “Mika said with a gentle and apologetic expression, like what she was admitting was genuinely a big deal. “Does she still ride?”

For his part, Cedrik didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. Instead he simply looked back to Mika with that easy, warm smile and those kind brown eyes. “Not in competitions no, but on occasion she will go to exhibition rides when she is invited. She still has the abilities and skills to do it, she just chooses not to.”

“I can understand that. I never liked the competitions. My favorite way to ride was in the open country.” Mika shrugged, moving to her next question. It was one she had learned to ask living in the egalitarian military among commoners. “What did your father do? You know…for a living?”

When she moved on to the next question, he shifted his horse a bit, then clicked his tongue and gave a quick whistle to get both horses started walking lazily along the beach. “My father is Lord of Hong Kong, but we also have a hand in several construction businesses that are successful in the Empire. Before we… came out here, my father was in talks to do some work on the Imperial residence in New York at the behest of Princess Giana.”

Mika lowered her head immediately, clearly deeply embarrassed at having assumed he was a commoner. She glanced at him, her eyes full of so much worry, another signal of the gentle innocence that made her who she was.

“Oh Gods, Cedrik, I’m so sorry. I’m so embarrassed! I should have known you weren’t a commoner.” she said, her eyes begging him for some forgiveness she didn’t ask for verbally. “Lord Feng of Hong Kong, I know that..”

Cedrik blinked at her reaction, taken off guard by it. He hadn’t really realized she hadn’t known who he was or his father was, he’d simply thought it didn’t particularly matter. He saw the worry and embarrassment in her eyes and that pleading look, it alarmed him on some level. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m not offended.” He chuckled. He clearly wasn’t, he was just confused of why it would matter either way. “We probably never really traveled in the same court circles.”

“I tried not to travel at all.” she admitted and looked from him, his words of comfort not having had as much of an effect as he’d hoped. She looked out at the sea as the beautiful painting-like sky cast its myriad colors into the water and that same purple and pink liquid kissed the shore in short calm bursts. And she kept her eyes in that direction. “You must think I’m so stupid.”

Immediately, Cedrik pulled his horse up again and her horse stopped in response. “Why would I think you’re stupid for not knowing something? Nobody knows everything, Mika. It isn’t like I’m a prince or the son of some rich and powerful lord. I’m just Cedrik.”

Most people had understanding about these things, but her upbringing had made her particularly sensitive to making these kinds of mistakes. The girls in every court she’d ever visited had seen her and immediately hated her, the opposite of the response she got from men and commoners. Her mother told her they were jealous, but she didn’t see it that way. Many of them were quite beautiful and she didn’t know what they had to be jealous about.

“I know, of course you are, I just…” she trailed off, looking at him again with her head low; submissive. “I was always told it was important not to forget the…important people. I suppose the lesson stuck.”

Her eyes went wide then as she looked at him.

“I don’t mean to say you’re not important. You are! Hong Kong is a great place.” she said, her conscious screaming at her immediately that she had no way of knowing if that was true since she’d never been there. She looked down again, her shoulders slumping this time as she somehow managed to defeat herself in the perfect moment. “Umm..”

He had to fight not to chuckle, because though she was struggling it was just the way she was doing it that tickled him. He couldn’t know for sure, but he had strong doubts she had ever been to Hong Kong because it was likely if she had, she would have probably ended up in his home for a party if it had been any visit of substance. Instead he smiled again and reached over to her slumped shoulder, gently touching it to get her attention.

“Mika, I know what you meant. Take a deep breath, it’s alright.”

The physical contact seemed to do something to shake her a bit. She was the kind of girl who had a hard time coming back around once she became emotional, and that was showing. She looked up at him, smiling sadly at his handsome face. He was very handsome, and so gentle.

“Maybe I should go…” she said, looking at him through those big brown eyes. “I’m no fun right now, and you work too hard putting this together for me to ruin your holodeck time. I’m being ridiculous and…I don’t normally know how to stop.”

“Just ride with me.” He offered simply and gestured to the beach in front of him. “Come on.”

Mika was hardly the most headstrong person on the ship, and this was demonstrated as she immediately turned and started trotting along with Cedrik.

“Okay..” she said, not sounding convinced but not hesitating to follow him as he had asked. She said nothing, letting him initiate the next part of the conversation for fear she’d only make things worse.

Cedrik let the silence sit for a couple of minutes while they started riding side by side again. The breeze was cool and the smell of the sea was potent but not overwhelming. Finally, he looked over with that easy smile. “So you have just the one brother? Oh and the uh… half sister.” He noted politely of the family bastard.

“That’s right. Andrei and Kassandra.” Mika said, her tone raising a bit as they came up. She loved her brother despite how intense he could be and she was delighted to finally have a sister. “Knowing her is, at least, one of the good things about getting stuck out here in the Delta Quadrant. If we hadn’t been, I probably never would have known I have a big sister. We don’t talk much, but it's still nice.”

Cedrik wondered at that for a moment. It wasn’t like Kassandra was from a first marriage that had ended in death or divorce, she was the living embodiment of Ivan Petrov’s weakness and infidelity to his wife. Was that nice? Was that a good thing? Perhaps Mika just never really thought about it in those terms. She was sweet and kind.

“I’m glad you get to know her, then.” He smiled, meaning it in his own way. “What made you decide to join the fleet?”

“It’s hard to say, really.” she said, admitting something she thought was a bit ridiculous about herself. “I knew I wanted to be a doctor but I never seriously considered a private practice. My father wasn’t really there when I was growing up because he was gone doing his duty and, after that, a fugitive. I guess Imperial Starfleet was the closest thing I had to him.”

“That makes sense.” Cedrik nodded thoughtfully. He vaguely knew the history there, but decided not to pry. “Do you think you’d consider a private practice now?”

“Gods, Cedrik, I haven’t known what I want to do a day in my life.” she said with a grin and a shake of her head. “I’ll just wait to see what the future brings. I don’t get along well in Starfleet, but I don’t have any experience practicing anywhere else. How about you? May I ask why you didn’t go the officer route?”

“Well, being a marine, we tend to not think about being part of the fleet, honestly.” He admitted but considered a moment. “Either way, I wasn’t planning on staying in long, taking a tour and then returning to court. I joined to honor my uncle.”

“Your uncle?” she asked, seeming to slowly be losing the reserved embarrassment she had been feeling. “Why? Did he serve?”

“He did, yeah. He was a Master Sergeant; he was killed in action about eight years ago though. It was a heavy loss for my family, and I thought this was a good way to remember him.” Cedrik didn’t seem overly upset talking about his uncle, but it was clear the man had an impact on his life.

“Well, I think its very noble for you to honor him like this.” Mika said, flashing him an approving smile. “I guess it didn’t go as you planned though, huh? 70 years away from home with only a Russian doctor and a very very angry Squad commander to keep you company. Oh, and your trusty holographic steed, of course.”

“Aw, Julius isn’t that bad, really. He puts on the mean face, but he cares a lot for his people.” Cedrik chuckled. “Definitely didn’t work out like I had planned though, no. But, like I said, I’m sure we’ll get home in the end and sooner rather than later. So I just try to take this a day at a time and not dwell on it too much.”

“Your hope is inspiring.” Mika said, “I already told you I have doubts and I’m not alone on that. But you seem like you really believe we’ll be home soon. I just hope you’re right. I’d hate to live my life on Vengeance and never be able to see my homeland again. Never fall in love or marry; never have children. And maybe even die young from some alien disease. I get pretty worked up about the possibilities sometimes.”

“Why do you think you wouldn’t be able to marry or have children out here?” He frowned and his eyebrows lifted at that. “I mean realistically after a time… we’d have to have a new generation to continue pressing toward home if worst came to worst. I still don’t think it will, but…”`

“My father is very selective about men, and my brother is even worse.” she said with a shrug like it wasn’t the big deal. “They scare away the bad ones who just want…you know…but they also scare away the ones that might be good too. I don’t think me getting married is likely unless we get home and he can pick from the Imperial Court.”

“Want what?” Cedrik asked, oblivious and it showed. He wasn’t trying to be mean.

“To…” she said, her voice trailing off as she became uncomfortable. She leaned on her medical professionalism and gave a rather awkward answer. “You know…intercourse…fellatio. Other things…All the things that men tend to want.”

“Oh!” Cedrik exclaimed and immediately looked away, embarrassed and uncomfortable. “Sorry. I should have realized where you were going with that… sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“Don’t worry, it’s okay as long as I think of it like a doctor.” She said with a nod and an enthusiastic tone, but then she paused and raised an eyebrow. “That sounds kind of off when I say it out loud.”

He laughed slightly at that. “Yeah, I guess it does a bit but I get your point. Still though, I feel like there’s probably someone on the ship that could be agreeable - I am sure your father wouldn’t want to deny you a husband and family if that is what would make you happy. You’re his daughter.”

“I guess you might be right.” She said thoughtfully. “But, if you’re dreams come true and we get back home quickly, it won’t really matter.”

She walked her horse into the water and stopped suddenly. With a swing of her leg, she hopped off the horse and landed in the ankle-deep sea water of the beach. Her boots protected her, but as she plopped down in the water and stared to remove them, she was sure they wouldn’t be for long.

“How about you, Cedrik Feng?” She asked as she worked on getting her second boot off. “Do you see yourself settling down one day and living a family life or are you addicted to the military after a taste of the life?”

“Oh no, my plan is still to leave.” Cedrik slid off of his horse and watched her as she moved into the water. He didn’t have to worry about the horses obviously, they were programmed not to run off. He wandered down to where she sat, looked down, then back toward the horizon. “Yeah I’ll settle down and have a family. I have a big one myself.”

“Really? I always wished I had a bunch of siblings. How many do you have?” She asked with an eager and curious tone as she pulled off her socks. She stood then, her form-fitting riding outfit covered in sand and put her feet in the cold water. She made satisfied little sounds as she made her toes dance in the morphing wet sand. She loved the beach, and showed it by moving around excitedly through the water as her sandy pants began to soak on the legs and around her butt where she had sat. She didn’t care.

Cedrik’s eyes moved over Mika’s body with her back turned toward him, lingering on her back end a moment. Her chest was more impressive, but her behind was quite cute too. He looked away before he was caught. “Eight.”

“That sounds like so much fun. A bunch of lifelong friends built in to your family.” she said, eventually not satisfied with just getting her feet wet and stepping further into the water up to her knees.

“Yeah, they will be. The little ones are still too young to see me as anything more than a big brother, but I would happily call the oldest few of my younger siblings my friends.” He kicked idly at the water with his boot, but didn’t seem inclined to stop her from doing whatever she wanted as far as going into the water.

“Do you and your brother get along?”

“Me and Andrei?” Mika asked as she moved up to her waist and stopped, splashing around without any worry. The water arched up and splashed her shirt until she was pretty soaked. “We do, for the most part. He’s a sweetheart really, and he always takes care of me when I need it. We don’t agree on everything but he’s my brother.”

“Well, as an older brother it is his duty to look after you. I would do the same for my sisters.” Cedrik smiled as he watched her enjoying the water. He was glad she seemed to have recovered from the earlier mix up. “It is good you both get along though; I think it would be such a shame to have siblings and not get along. Of course there’s always disagreements and fights, but what relationship doesn’t have those?”

After splashing a bit more, she turned and walked slowly out of the chilled water covered heat to two in wetness. She giggled, walking over to him and flicking her wet fingers at him several times.

“Of course. Everybody fights now and then.” She said in response. “If they don’t, they’re either perfect or liars.”

He grinned at her as she flicked the water at him, bringing up his hands in a mock attempt to shield himself from the droplets. “Well, no one is perfect but unfortunately there are more than a fair few liars out there.”

“That’s true. That’s true.” She said, smiling at him. There was a moment of lingering silence between them as she looked up at him, noting he hadn’t once been seen staring down at her body and the clothing which clung wet to it. He was so respectful. So kind. If her mother was right about people, though, he was too good to be true. Perhaps he was lying too. She disengaged and walked over to her horse again. “This is nice. Did you come up with it just for tonight or do you ride here often during your off hours?”

“It’s in the rotation I use as far as programs, but this has the most beautiful sunset. I figured it would be perfect, so in a way both.” He moved back to his horse and rubbed the holographic animal’s neck while looking over the saddle to Mika. “I hope you liked it.”

“Liked it? Cedrik, I think it's wonderful.” she said, turning her head as she smiled at him enthusiastically. Then, soon after, a frown crossed her face full of compassion and concern. “But I think I need to go home now. It’s got nothing to do with you at all. It’s just getting a bit late.”

“No problem.” Cedrik assured her and seemed to mean it. “Are you just going to transport there?”

He indicated slightly to her wet clothes.

She looked down at herself, the wet clothing clinging to her shapely form and hiding much less than she thought. Immediately, her arms went up around her chest and she looked up, a pained expression on her face which was also laced with amusement.

“Yes, so that might be a good idea.” she said, the anxiety giving way to genuine smile again. “Thanks for inviting me, Cedrik. It really made my night. I’d love to hang out with you again some time.”

She moved forward and, opening her arms, gave him another hug. This time it was closer and held for several seconds. There was clearly more trust there than before.

Cedrik returned the hug and forcefully willed his body to behave; it felt like an eternity, but given it was only a few seconds he seemed to manage. “I’d like that. I’ll see you around then, Mika. Don’t be a stranger.”

“Sorry I’m so wet.” she said and stepped back. Patting the horse he’d prepared for her one more time, Mika smiled a contented smile. “Computer, site to site transport to my quarters.”

And, with that phrase, she disappeared in a haze of blue which soon itself was gone.

Cedrik let out a breath he hadn't really known he had been holding and felt his body relax. He had really enjoyed spending time with Mika, but that last few minutes when she was so close and soaking wet well... there was only so much a twenty year old man could handle.

"Computer, end program."

END