Past Prologue, Part 18

Posted on Wed Jul 17, 2019 @ 8:26am by Commander Caleb Ryan

1,323 words; about a 7 minute read

7/17/19

USS Winchester
FLASHBACK: 2375/Toward the End of the Dominion War

Artemis and Keesmaat strolled down to the holodeck. It had been set aside at this time for the training of the Augment girls under Melek’s careful observation, and Pierce wanted to see how they were coming along. He already knew the girls could fight. The three ten-year-olds had taken out a platoon of well-trained Marines. This was mostly to let them get out their excess energy so they didn’t take it out on his crew.

Keesmaat was along because, well, her captain sometimes enjoyed a little private time with his flight chief occasionally. They both tried to play it off as nothing serious, but after the visit with her mother, Kees couldn’t really expect that. Despite the casualness of sex in Rowa’ni culture, she knew it meant more to Artemis, and had become more with her, as well. He didn’t try to possess or claim her, though. She’d never met a Human that never tried to pin her down in a relationship.

The doors slid open and the pair of officers entered the gym, taking it in. “How can you tell them apart?” Keesmaat said in amazement.

“It’s easy,” Artemis said. “That’s Elisa.” He pointed to one of the girls dragging heavy weights. “She’s the most determined. And that’s Eden.” He indicated the girl moving through a gymnastic maze of rings and bars. “The most agile. And that’s Eve.” He indicated the girl that was sparring with Melek, his large Vulcan Chief of Boat, his black skin and bald head glistening with sweat as he blocked and parried the blows from the ten-year-old. “She’s the most angry.”

Kees looked at Artemis with surprise. Pierce couldn’t hold a straight face. “Fuck all if I know!” he said with a laugh, his Australian accent coming out more. “I’m working on getting it down. Pretty sure I got it right, though.”

Melek landed a blow that sent Eve rolling across the mat. Pierce knew he’d hit the girl hard enough to lay out a fully grown adult male. He wasn’t pulling punches. But Eve just shook her head to clear it and forced herself up, only swaying slightly, an even angrier and more determined look on her face. She was about to charge in and pummel the large Vulcan when he gave a whistle.

“Water break!” he yelled to the room.

“No!” Eve charged angrily, viciously kicking out at Melek’s knee to break it. Melek moved quickly, grabbed her ankle, and upended her onto the mat, bringing his foot to her throat to choke and pin her.

“Eve Three, stand down!” Melek barked in that drill sergeant voice Pierce remembered from his own Academy training days under the Vulcan.

Eve glared up at Melek, defiance in her eyes, but she couldn’t breathe, and she couldn’t move him. Finally she closed her eyes and her body seemed to calm. Only then did Melek release her. The three girls moved to stand in a straight line at attention.

“Good job, Elise,” Melek told the girl who had been pulling the weights. “But don’t overdo the weight. Lower weight and more distance is better for you. Eden, I know you can go through that course faster. Do not slack off. Eve, you still need to learn to control your emotions. Extra meditation for you tonight.”

Eve sighed and grumbled.

“Dismissed. Go get some water,” Melek told them.

The girls scampered off to the replicator and returned with large bottles of cold water. Eve dumped one over her head to cool off, soaking her white training clothes.

“Captain,” Melek said, approaching Artemis and Keesmaat. He took a bottle of water that Elisa brought and took a long drink.

“Looks like things are going well,” Pierce commented.

Melek nodded. “They were all well trained already, sir,” he said. “I am just refining their talent. They are stronger, faster, and smarter than any other Human, but they have the known weaknesses of Augments. Arrogance, a sense of superiority, and difficulty in controlling their violence and aggression, combined with a lack of social integration from their isolation in the Section 31 facility.”

Pierce nodded. “So exactly as dangerous as we expected,” he said quietly.

“Dangerous, but not irredeemable.”

“Even Eve?” Artemis whispered, looking to the girl who was eying them suspiciously.

“Even Eve,” Melek said. He motioned the girls over. “Salute your captain,” he instructed.

The girls marched up and stood in a perfect line, standing at attention. They snapped a perfect Starfleet salute.

Artemis returned it. “You don’t need to salute me,” he told them. “You aren’t Starfleet.” Artemis preferred a more relaxed attitude toward command, more family than rank. Officers were often on a first name basis with each other and their captain. Breaking out rank was when you knew Pierce was displeased with you.

“It is good for discipline, sir,” Melek reprimanded Artemis.

Artemis took a breath. “Fine.” He gestured to the green-skinned woman beside him. “This is Lieutenant Keesmaat Mira’ni, my chief flight control officer.”

“Hello, girls,” Kees greeted, bending down to their level.

They stared up at her, confused looks on their faces.

“You smell funny,” Elisa finally said.

Artemis coughed to hide a laugh, and Keesmaat just smiled. “I hope not bad,” she said.

“Like flowers,” Eden said, tilting her head.

Artemis shot a look to Melek. By virtue of his Vulcan discipline, he was more or less immune to Keesmaat’s scent, but Pierce wasn’t. Just being near her made his blood run hot and head south. She had that effect on most species, male or female, but especially male. At least the girls were too young to be affected.

Eve studied them. “Are you two going to fuck?”

Artemis had accepted a bottle of water from Melek to cool his libido and was now choking on it. “Excuse me?”

“Eve Three!” Melek barked. The girl snapped to attention. “I am sorry, sir,” Melek said. “I had the Marines here to spar with them. I am afraid they learned some new vocabulary.”

Artemis wiped his mouth and coughed. “No, it is fine,” he said. He squatted down to the girls’ level and looked them in the eyes. “Lieutenant Mira’ni and I are going to have lunch together, and then, yes, we may have sex if there is time.”

“There will be time,” Kees said with a smirk.

Melek glared at the Rowa’ni. He was a by the book NCO and didn’t tend to approve of the relaxed nature of Pierce’s command, or the Rowa’ni’s freely promiscuous nature with the crew. But then he was a Vulcan, and he couldn’t deny his own desires for her.

“Care to join us, Chief?” Kees teased.

The dark-skinned Vulcan cleared his throat and straightened. “The girls and I dine in the enlisted mess, not with officers,” he intoned.

“Too bad. Three’s company,” Keesmaat teased, enjoying watching the Vulcan squirm.

The girls just looked at each other with confusion.

“We should get going. Sorry to interrupt you, Melek,” Artemis said. He smiled at the girls. “I am pleased with your progress. Carry on.”

“Girls! Break over! Rotate stations!” Melek barked, turning away from the lusciously curved Rowa’ni woman to focus his attention on driving his much younger and flat-chested charges to exhaustion.

Artemis and Keesmaat walked out of the gym and headed for the turbolift up to Pierce’s quarters. “Can you imagine them when they’re teenagers?” Kees giggled.

Artemis rolled his eyes. “God help us!” he said, then paused. “No, God help their boyfriends!”

FIN

Captain Artemis Pierce
Commanding Officer
USS Winchester

Lieutenant Keesmaat Mira’ni
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Winchester

Melek
Chief of Boat
USS Winchester

Elisa One
Augment

Eden Two
Augment

Eve Three
Augment

 

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