Slow Ride (Part 3)

Posted on Thu Jun 24th, 2021 @ 10:55am by Lieutenant Commander Amaya Capac & Lieutenant Cyrus Jericho
Edited on on Fri Jun 25th, 2021 @ 10:26am

1,922 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 8 - A Blast from the Past
Location: Shuttle Craft: Griffin
Timeline: 2296/03/11 1715

[PREVIOUSLY]

Cyrus nodded his head. "Mountains huh?" He repeated, smiling a bit, before crossing his arms on his chest. "I came from a big city. My mountains were skyscrapers and corporate buildings. In order to even see the stars, you had to get to get to a roof, but you had to make sure it was the right one, or you'd be looking at smoke and smog most of the night." He added a laugh before looking away. "Still... there was a rhythm to it. It had its own music if you really listened to it." Cyrus smirked a bit before looking to her. "And the smells. You stand in the right place, at the right time of day, the smells will overwhelm you. Fresh baked bread. Pretzels. Grilled food from around the sectors. Enough to make your stomach groan whether you had just eaten or not. No matter how dirty and bad it was it did have its own way."

[CONTINUED]

"Fresh bread..." She sighed. "I loved mornings in Sucre. You could smell the bread baking. I'd go to the panaderia as soon as they opened."

He nodded his head, smiling, as he leaned back a bit in his seat. "Nothing like a fresh roll." Cyrus looked over to his cat carrier, watching it fidget somewhat, knowing it was a clear sign that Gypsy was getting restless. She hated that thing and he understood why considering how they met. With a smile still on his face he looked back over to Amaya. "Want to meet a friend?"

"Sure."

Cyrus got up and walked over to where he was sitting before. When he got there, he crouched down low enough to the cat carry on, before tapping the code to unlock it. Slowly, he eased the door opened, reaching his hand inside. "Hey, Darlin. You get enough sleep? Didn't mean to shake your bones earlier. Forgive me." He whispered, smiling as he could hear the purring in response.

He eased his other hand in, taking a grip of the cat, before slowly pulling her out and standing back up. As he turned, Amaya, could see the unusual cat in his arms. She was black with white patches on her paws and black spikes going from the back of her head to down her lower back. At the moment the spikes were low and not pointed up, which was a good sign. She could also hear the relaxing purring coming from the cat as Cyrus got closer to his seat. The cat's eyes closed as it enjoyed the rubbing under her chin and side of her face.

"Amaya Capac? This is Gypsy." He said as he sat back down in the chair next to Amaya, looking over to her. "Capellan power-cat. I rescued her from a creep that wanted to harvest her insides. Specifically, the ones that make her shock people. We've been together ever since."

She liked him even more for rescuing the cat. Amaya held out her hand, palm up, so the cat could sniff her fingers. "Hello, Gypsy. A pleasure to meet you." When the cat didn't pull away, she gently scratched her on the head. "You are beautiful," she said softly to the cat.

"Watch out for her spikes." Cyrus replied softly as he continued to rub the cat. "Notice how they are low?"

"Yes," she said, examining them.

"When they are down like that, almost flushed with her fur, it means she’s relaxed. It's when they are up you need to be cautious." He said as he gestured to the spikes along Gypsy's back as he continued. "Capellan power-cats will raise their spikes when they feel threatened. It's how they're body prepares itself to discharge the shock in order to defend itself." He chuckled slightly. "I learned that the hard way, but not as much. Other than that, she's just like a normal cat. Except, I gather, much smarter."

"What are the predators she has to defend against?" Amaya didn't know much about the cats or the planet they came from.

"Well... I don't know if they are predators, per say." Cyrus replied with a smile before saying. "There are the usual bigger animals. Canine breeds. Other cats. And, of course, the most dangerous predator of them all." He emphasized with a slight overdramatic tone before finally saying. "The dreaded, man."

"Yes. We do tend to become the alpha predator on the worlds we conquer," she replied, chuckling. She gently ran her fingers down the cat's back, careful not to irritate her.

"It’s not only that." Cyrus said as he looked down to the cat, stroking her gently, hearing her purr as he continued. "We step on things. Human beings. We step on lower life forms because we think they are weak and we are superior. If we want something, we take it, with no though of who gets hurt along the way. It doesn’t matter who it is either. We are so bad we even step on our own kind with no regard for their feelings or how hurting them will affect their lives going forward." He paused slightly, as if holding back something, before finally saying. "She didn't deserve to be stepped on just because someone wanted to cut her up and see what made her special."

"Historically we have, yes. Survival instinct, and a belief by some that we have the right to dominate because we're superior. But we're beginning to learn better. I believe there's room for us to live together, to leave wilderness areas for the non-humans." She nodded to the cat. "In her case, I agree with you. You can study a creature without dissecting it. I'm glad you were able to save her."

Cyrus laughed softly, hearing her words and agreeing to a point, before replying. "You're right. Parts of the galaxy things are getting better, but in others, it’s still the same. While it would be nice if it’s everywhere, as someone whose life is about learning from history, you know it’s not always the case. Some cultures, some governments, still believe in dominance and bullying those they consider less than they are. So they fight and kill people in order to get something from them, claiming to be fighting for the betterment of their families, all the while neglecting that they are killing others who have families themselves. The cost for a better life is the loss of another." He stopped, looking at her, before letting out a chuckle. "Yeah, I know. Odd platform for a Security Officer to take, huh?"

"Not really," she said. She stopped petting the cat before she got annoyed and sat back. "It's true that different planets, different colonies have different ways of looking at things, at nature. But I don't think it's so odd for you to have that opinion and be a security officer."

"I just don't like bullies." Cyrus replied with a soft smirk. "Never have. Never will." He looked to Amaya before adding. "I decided on Security because I wanted to do what the ones on my planet didn't. I want to help people. Stand for something. Make a difference. Not abuse my power to make people who what I want out of intimidation or fear."

She nodded. "A good reason to join Starfleet. And to make a difference." She respected him for that.

Cyrus nodded his head, smiling at her. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly innocent. I've done some bad stuff. Broken my fair share of rules, but I've always had a good reason and I never crossed the line."

She chuckled. "I think that can be said of most of us."

Cyrus stopped petting Gypsy, who began to knead and circle on his lap, preparing to rest after getting more affection that expected. "I know I am just the assistant to the Chief, but I hope I can be of more use, instead of just filling in a hole when its required."

"You should. At least, I'll try to make sure you're involved," she said, watching the cat.

TAG He looked to her and laughed softly. "That would be much appreciated. I also wouldn't want to step on the Chief's toes. He got that position fair and square. It's good to know you'll be giving me a chance."

She smiled. “How else are you going to make a chief out of an assistant?” she quipped. She also wanted to see how he did his job. She had to admit to herself that she wanted to learn more about Cyrus.

Cyrus nodded slightly, smiling a bit, as he leaned back in his chair placing his hand on the sleeping cat. "That's true, but I need to remember, he's my superior. Unless told otherwise, he decides what I do, even if I think it could be handled in a different way. Remember my default for dealing with superiors is compliance." He than looked back to Amaya and added. "But I'll be sure to try and speak up from time to time as long as you are willing to listen." He eased his hand over and placed it on hers, feeling more comfortable with her, and wanted to see if she felt the same way about him that he was beginning to feel about her.

Maya started to answer, then stopped when his hand covered hers. It sent warm shivers up her arm and made her heart beat faster. She looked down at their hands, then up at him, wanting to read the expression in his eyes. Her hand closed over his fingers in response. "Yes... Suggesting alternatives then letting the person in charge decide is generally a good idea."

"Cool." Cyrus replied softly, almost to the tone of a whisper, as he squeezed her hand slightly. He smiled at her, his eyes locked with hers, as he was tempted to do more, but didn't want to push it. "Then I am happy to be of service to you, Amaya Capac, and the America. Maybe, one day, I'll have the chance to introduce you to the hidden beauty of my planet and you can show me the amazing mountains of yours. Of course, I don't need further proof that your home can produce beautiful things, but you are all the proof I need."

"I'd like that very much," she whispered back. It didn't feel like they'd just met. It felt more like he was someone she'd been waiting for and didn't know it.

"I knew you would." Cyrus whispered back with a smile. He kept his eyes locked with hers, as if observing her every move, but not in a cautious way like he normally would. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to know everything, but still he wanted her to still keep stuff to herself, for him to discover. Cyrus didn't know if moving forward would break any rules or regulations, but he also didn't care. He was accustomed to breaking rules for a good cause and what better of a cause would there be then holding onto someone like her. Amaya wasn't like most of the woman he'd been with, but she was definitely someone he was very interested in finding out if she was what his mother would refer to as his better half.


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OFF

Lieutenant JG Cyrus Jericho
Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS America

Lieutenant Commander Amaya Capac
Chief Communications Officer & First Officer
USS America

 

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