First Meetings (part 3)

Posted on Fri Oct 23rd, 2015 @ 8:20am by Captain Darius Cayne & Commander Raven Adams

1,313 words; about a 7 minute read

[CONTINUED]

[OLD]

He sat their in quiet contemplation before finally raising a brow as he placed his hands on the empty glass and looked back at her curiously. "Whose brilliant idea was it to bring in a ship with hostile markings after your scans all proved to be inconclusive? Has no one here ever heard of the Battle Of Troy and a certain wooden horse?" Darius paused for a moment, looking down at the glass before looking back at Raven with a surprised look. "Who runs security on this place? Mister Magoo?"

[NEW]

She took several moments to sort through his comments. "The CHief of Security thinks he's an idiot, too. But she's new, too. I won't say who it is, you'll meet him soon enough."

She took another drink of her shake and then tapped her combadge. "Edgar, the Arthurian has an VI named Merlin. Don't let him access the Intel computer. Cayne either. Not without permission." She smiled at Darius. "Just being careful. We all have our secrets."

She turned back to her shake, only to find she'd finished it. She would NOT order another one. Not this time. "If I'm not busy, I would be happy to help you get past your demons. I've dealt with a few of my own over the years." His comment made her feel good. That was something she would have to contemplate later. "And if I'm getting surprises in a wooden animal, I'd much prefer it to be a rabbit than a horse. Less bloodshed, more singing."

"If your waiting for a rabbit, I'll make sure to pack my Holy Hand Grenade." Darius replied quickly, adding a bit of a chuckle as the waitress walked over. When she removed the next glass from her tray, he raised his hand and waved it off, focusing more on their conversation than his next drink. "Maybe, some day soon, we can compare demons and see if we come up with a better way to keep them at bay."

"If you call it a holy hand grenade, I may not want to know what you do with it," she said meaningfully. She should be going. She needed to get back to her office and find out more about Darius Cayne. And she needed to figure out why a ship from the Terran Empire had come to Typhon. But instead of getting up and leaving like she should, she again looked at him. "At least the demons I'm willing to talk about."

"I don't care what you call it. All I know is that I need to pull the pin and throw it at three. Not one. Not two. And five, I've been told, is right out." Darius said with a straight face as he looked at her sternly before cracking a slight smile. "And to be fair. I've only haven't talked to you about my demons is because you haven't asked yet, but if it's any consolation. I've prefer to talk to you than some of the counselors around here. You seem to me like someone who would understand more than anything else because you have your own. Maybe, when your ready, you could tell me some of yours so I can do the same for you."

"Maybe," she said quietly. "But if you're out in five, I'm not sure I want to be part of that particular conversation."

"Commander Adams." Darius said softly as he leaned back in his seat and began to give her a stern look. "If you were trying to seduce me, you didn't have to wait for me to have had all those drinks." He than flashed her a quick smirk.

Raven stood and looked down at Darius, a wicked twinkle in her eye. "Captain Cayne, I prefer my men sober and in control of their ... faculties. Not trying to remember what comes next."

Darius let out a sigh as he stood up and placed his hands onto the table, leaning forward slightly as he looked her in the eye with a stern look on his face. "I can assure you, Commander, I am as sober as a judge and have no problem remembering what comes next. It's three and then throw. I thought I made that abundantly clear?"

"But my dear Captain Cayne, you still have to pull the pin." The mischievous twinkle in her eye expanded to a half smile. "But not pulling the pin is fine, too. I am not quite ready to snuff it."

Darius raised a brow, leaning back slightly. "Okay. This conversation just got very weird."

"You need to go back to your original source," she said. " Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it." She gave Darius a cheerful half bow. "And with that, kind sir, I will take my leave of you."

"Okay. You win." Darius replied with a smile as he nodded his head a bit. "Let me reward you by at least giving you a personal tour of the Arthurian. I think, you and I, are the only ones who can fully appreciate it. Besides, it might give us some time to get to know each other a bit more. Talk about more stuff than bad days, wooden horses, holy hand grenades, and old movie quotes. What do you say?" He said as he extended his hand toward her.

She paused for just a moment and then took his hand. "I accept. When do you want to take me on this tour?"

"Now would be nice." Darius replied as he took her hand and walked around the table and closer to Raven. "Unless you have something more important to worry about."

"Nothing I can't put off." Again. "Does this mean I have to worry about you?" she asked him, giving him a brief, genuine smile.

"Oh, you always have to worry about me." Darius replied with a smirk "I'll make sure its not as much as usual. Alright?"

"Alright." She glanced up at him. "But that's still not encouraging."

Darius cleared his throat a bit as he stepped to her side and began to walk with her toward the door. "If you begin to become very concerned then throw the Holy Hand Grenade. Just remember." He cleared his throat again before talking in a bad British accent. "Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it."

Raven couldn't help laughing. "I'm not sure what's more dangerous: you or your hand grenade."

"Actually, Commander, what's really dangerous is my left hook. On a count of it being artificial now." Darius said softly as they walked out of the doors and through the corridor. "But if it makes you feel better, I've been told the hand grenade is right under that."

"No, it doesn't. I'll make sure to stay on your left side. Harder to use thar right hook."

Darius laughed slightly as he continued to walk. "Now, now, Commander. Just because my left hook is stronger, doesn't mean my right one is worse. My left just has more power behind it. I would say it was a gift from Intelligence, but I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing is ever free and it often comes with a price."

"Everything has a price, Captain," Raven said. "Some are just higher than others."

"Don't I know it." Darius replied, looking down slightly before looking back up.

____
OFF

Captain Darius Cayne
CO, USS Arthurian

Commander Raven Adams
Chief Intelligence Officer
Starbase Typhon

RSS Feed