Twisiting And Turning Part 2

Posted on Tue Jun 9th, 2020 @ 8:55am by Ledeya Ehestri (Mirror) & Executive Officer Jake Ford (Mirror)

Mission: Mission 11 - Prospecting
Location: Imperial Outpost 42
Timeline: 2396
1343 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

The room was dimly lit and a small group of women were huddled around a pregnant woman who was panting and sweating despite the coldness of the room.

“Who is he?” The woman demanded.

“My guest,” Ledeya said simply as a woman brought her an apron to cover her dress. “I am guessing you are trained in basic medicine Lieutenant?”

Jake ignored the question. He stopped, rooted to the spot at the sight. "What is this?" he demanded, his gaze flicking over to Ledeya.

Ledeya bent to look at the woman who was barely older than a child before she glanced at the man rooted to the spot and not being the anywhere near as useful as needed him to be. She had hoped for a little fun, he looked the type but this was much more important. She needed to teach him a lesson, not for herself but for him and maybe even the interrogator on his ship. “This is what happened to interrogators when they are passed there uses to people on ships. Left for dead in labour.”

His eyes couldn't resist staring at the scene. Her words rang in his ears; he could see it. The memories of Serra giving birth to their child flashed in his mind. This girl in front of him looked probably about the age Mia might have been. He forced himself to avert his eyes. "You're messing with my head," he growled. "You think this will make me soft; make me care. Well caring is a weakness."

If Ledeya had been anywhere else right then and there she would have been laughing at him. The anger meant she was getting to him. "Then leave," Ledeya said simply as the woman who she was starting to tend to screamed out in pain.

Jake turned away with a snarl brewing on his face. But he couldn't. He wouldn't just leave it that way. Although he hated it, he knew that with all those memories burning their way back to the surface it wouldn't have given him any kind of respite. "Supposed to be my damned shore leave..." he growled at himself as he turned back to face them. "What do you want?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Ledeya watched the man pause in the doorway. "Hold her hand," Ledeya instructed as she returned to where she had been checking how far along the slip of a girl was. "I will make it up to you." The former doctor said with a smirk in his direction.

Reluctantly Jake appoached, practically shoving some of the other young women out of his way. He'd get this over with, and maybe he could return to drinking sooner without having to deal with the judgemental part of his subconscious any more. He practically snatched-up the gasping woman's hand, feeling it slick with enough sweat to make him cringe. Realising he was holding on to her, she started to clamp down hard on his hand. Silently, Jake refused to make eye contact, instead watching Ledeya.

Ledeya ignored his intense stare or more likely glare, she had a job to do. "The head is crowning." The Betazoid said aloud remembering to speak for the man in the room. As if she wouldn't be able to feel it. Ledeya was in awe of the woman she had gone through the whole labour with no medication. Just a few more pushes and maybe the hand in hers would remain unbroken.

The moment the screaming baby fell into her arms she let out a sigh of relief at the fact the baby was a boy. He would have a better boy than a girl.

Jake released the woman's hand and stepped back, a mix of wonder and disdain on his face. The boy was alive, and looked healthy enough. Good for him. Or not. What did it matter.

"It's done," he grunted, moving back towards the door and waiting to see what Ledeya did. "Are you satisfied?"

"Very much." The woman replied pretty much as she ignored him and moved to check the baby over properly. She looked completely at ease despite the fancy dress that she wore looking completely out of place.

He turned and walked back out through the curtain into the backroom area. Off to his left he could see the opening out towards the bar he'd been sat in just a few minutes earlier. He didn't walk that way. He waited, calming himself. He couldn't be in that room any longer, not out of shame but out of a strange sense of pity. That child, growing up in this place, would be lucky to achieve anything. At least Mia, wherever she was, would be serving the glory of the Empire.

"Who is Mia?" Ledeya wondered as she finally joined him in the dark corridor. It was over, the girl would rest before they sorted out somewhere for her and her baby to be safe.

Without warning Jake grabbed her by the throat and pushed her up against the wall. "Get out of my head!" he barked, an intense rage building. He held her there for a few seconds, to make the point, then he let her go. "You paint yourself differently to the Inquisitors, but you're all the same. You can't even help it."

Ledeya didn't even bat an eyelid as Jake grabbed her and held her by the throat. When he finally let her go she moved his hand aside. "It was hard to miss the thought when these corridors only have me and you in and I cannot hear the thoughts out there. The owner of this place likes his privacy as much as you do." The woman said with a shrug. "And I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I don't need you to 'make sure I'm okay'," he retorted. "I was perfectly fine having a drink and enjoying the show." His eyes narrowed as his hand moved away from her neck and slid down her body. "So now you're going to make it up to me. As promised."

"Of course you were and I will make sure people are okay whenever possible," Ledeya answered back. "How would you like me to keep my promising then Lieutenant?" She wondered staring at him intently.

"So now you're refusing to read my mind?" he wondered with a smirk. "Convenient."

The woman wanted to roll her eyes at him and delve into his head to find out where all this attitude towards her species came from but decided against it. “You told me to get out. I respect but the thought about who ever Mia is was pretty loud even a youngling would have picked up bouncing around here.” Ledeya told him with a shrug.

As with most of her kind, the woman was frustrating. And nonchalant about it too. "You're starting to bore me," Jake remarked, deflecting the conversation again. "I came here for some entertainment. Maybe one of those other girls back there can help me out with that," he added suggestively, goading her for a reaction.

"So you like them young then. What a shame that you bore me now as well." Ledeya said with a shrug at him as she moved his hand from her waist. "I can at least buy you a drink for your assistance. Go find somewhere to sit." She instructed not at all sure if he would do as he was asked to or not.

Jake just smirked in her face. What a waste, he thought to himself, that she was one of those do-gooder types who wanted him to 'learn something' while he was here. The only thing he'd wanted to learn was her measurements. "Make it fast. I'm suddenly very thirsty," he growled, turning and heading back for the bar area.

"As you command." She said in a sickly sweet voice going in the opposite direction as him.

OFF::

OFF::

Jake Ford
Chief Security Officer
ISS Fenrir
(PNPC Jake)

Ledeya Ehestri
Night Club Worker
Imperial Outpost 42
(PNPC Gregnol)