Fire and Ice (Part I of III)

Posted on Sun Jan 13, 2019 @ 9:15pm by Captain Maritza Soran & Civilian 'Arrival' Geral Lasuma

1,203 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Geral Lasuma's yacht.
Timeline: MD 04 1900

[ON]

Maritza hadn't been certain what to wear for a Bajoran mountain retreat. In the end she found herself a practical winter outfit in the replicator catalogue, sensible boots, with leggings and tunic in a soft blue, with a matching fur trimmed coat and fur lined gloves. With the coat folded over her arm and the gloves in hand, she entered Shuttle bay 340N, and paged Lasuma's ship, asking them to open the boarding doors.

Dorian was the only on in the command center and acknowledged the commanders request. A few taps on the side panel and the airlock unsealed an opened as the boarding ramp was extended. There was a small smirk on his face but he also hoped things worked out for his boss.

[Holo-Lounge]

Finally satisfied with his recreation he had given the majority staff the night off. Geral was outside the replica of his retreat chopping wood for the evening.

The doors opened to reveal Maritza. She stepped inside quickly to preserve the illusion. The light was dieing, the setting sun burnishing the surrounding peaks copper, and letting the first stars appear like a sprinkle of diamonds over the rich blues and purples of the dusk sky.

She shivered in the cooling evening air, and quickly pulled her coat over her shoulders. She could see Lasuma outside the cabin, axe swinging. She raised an eyebrow. Doing something physically when the holoprogram could do it? That said something about the man. In this environment, that he wasn't afraid of hard work and a little discomfort. She approved. And he wasn't hard to watch either. But it would be rude to stare, so with a little reluctance she hurried down the path to meet him.

Having heard the doors open and closed he looked over his shoulder and instead of placing another piece of wood on the stump he buried the blade in the stump and began gathering what he had cut to add to what had already been prepared.

His arms loaded up with wood he stood. "Perfect timing. Let me take care of this and I will show you around." Stepping just in the door he dropped the wood and returned to Maritza, picking up his coat off the remaining wood pile, offering her his arm.

She slipped her hand through and laid it on his hand, settling in beside him. "So this is your home? On Bajor?"

He lead her up the steps and onto the wrap around porch, their boots sounding against the wood planks or the porch. "No not really. Just a place were I can get away, by myself, and decompress."

Rounding the corner the view shifted drastically. Moving up to the rail they looked out at the sunset. The ground sloped away from the cabin to a mountain lake that was now a blaze as the remaining rays of the sunset began to vanish.

For a moment, she was awestruck. The lake was mirror smooth and the glorious golden mountains and the beautiful purple sky were reflected perfectly. For a moment she forgot to breathe, overwhelmed by the majesty she was surrounded with. "Its sublime," she murmured, almost to herself.

"You should see it in the morning. Sitting out here with a cup of coffee watching the sky brighten, no harsh glare, the chill of crisp clean mountain are. Very peaceful."

Stars that had only begun to shine were being obscured by clouds now passing overhead. The temperature dropped and the first flakes of snow were beginning to fall.

"Id love to see a morning out here." She stopped as her brain caught up with what she said. "That came out wrong. I meant it must be something to see, I wasn't suggesting..." though now she was thinking about it, blood was rushing to her face. "Please dont think i was being forward." Except did that suggest she didnt think he was worth the suggestion? Thus should not be so hard. "Oh look, snow." she said, wanting to change the subject.

Geral held back a laugh at her flustered reaction. "Not to worry; you can see this view whenever you like." Even in that short time the snowfall had turned to heavy, fat, fluffy flakes. Blowing onto the edge of the porch the snow landing in her hair and along the collar of her coat. A very attractive sight he had to admit.

"I can see why you love it up here." Maritza looked out over the vista before her. The snowfall was deadening even the tiny sounds of wildlife settling down against the night, everything becoming still, and even more serene. "Its beautiful."

Watching her look out across the scenery. "Yes...it is."

A gust of wind made the snowflakes dance around them, and she shivered a bit. "Maybe I should abuse my position a bit and see if there's anything down on Pangaea that could match this. Its not till you see something like this you forget how much you miss planets. Real air..." She brushed at her braids, where the flakes were building up, and starting to make her hair damp. "Even real snow."

With a mischievous grin he had formed a small snowball by clearing the rail near him. "Well we wouldn't want you to miss anything." Stepping back hurriedly and gave it a toss, hitting her in the shoulder.

For a moment, she just gasped at him, surprised, and shocked. Then she recovered, and cleared her own section of rail. "That's the best you can do?" She packed the ball a little closer and hurled it squarely at his centre mass.

Laughing he quickly moved further down the porch his hands swept the next section of rail as he packed quickly and threw.
Striking her midsection.

She gave a girlish squeal, trying and failing to dodge, and she looked down at her snow covered belly. "You're going to pay for that." She backed away to get another handful of the snow, and threw it, with more enthusiasm than accuracy, at his head.

There was no time to dodge and his eyes widened before closing instinctively. When he reopened them he was spitting wiping his face looking at her with one eye as he wiped snow from the other.

She was laughing, one gloved hand over her mouth, trying to hold it in. She wasn't quite succeeding, blue eyes sparkling. "Sorry," she managed, "Are you okay?"

He laughed as well, "Oh I'm fine. Just didn't expect you to try and blind me is all." One corner of his mouth curled, "You know you are going to pay for that."

"Oh yes?" Maritza stepped back again, to the last of her side of the railing, and scraped up the show. "I'm armed, and you are not." With her other hand, she made a beckoning gesture, daring him to try and exact his revenge.

Taking a step forward he spoke in Bajoran, "Computer remove the section of roof above my guest." With that command the blanket of snow that had collected there came falling down on and around her with a thump.

To Be Continued

Commander Maritza Soran
CO
DS5

Geral Lasuma
Owner of Lasuma Enterprises

 

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