Cassandra's Challenge

by M. K. Eidem

  Staring at the bed she judges that it’s easily 8 foot long and 7 foot wide and right now looks well used. Blushing at what she’d done in that bed she walks over touching the spot where they’d ‘mated’ as William called it. She can’t believe the passion this man brings out in her. She’s never had her body control her like that, has never been unable to control herself, of being unaware of what she is revealing to another person. Getting up she puts the bed back in order. Finishing she hears the ready room’s hatch open and close. He had finished quickly.

  “You’re a big girl Cassandra, you can handle this.” She whispers to herself as she walks to the door separating the rooms.

  In Communication’s the Admiral is reading the transcription Quinn called him on. “This has been rechecked?”

  “Yes.”

  “Imperial light still shining. Believed being protected. Will continue search, if unable to obtain, will destroy. Agreement will then be honored.” The Admiral rereads it aloud.

  “It makes no sense Will.” Quinn is one of the few who can address the Admiral by his given name.

  “They’re searching for something. That’s what Earth was about. Something they desperately want but couldn’t find before we got there. Something they don’t want us to have.” William stands. “Imperial light, Regulus is ruled by a military council, there’s nothing ‘Imperial’ there, being protected, protected by who and where.”

  “We’d need to know what it is before we can answer that.” Quinn replies.

  “Wouldn’t that be helpful, but it’s pretty clear they don’t have it. It was either taken from Earth before it was destroyed or was never there in the first place. How did we get this transmission?”

  “The Sentinel recorded after the attack a couple weeks ago. They sent it to us for translation at 1200 today.”

  “What the fuck was the delay!”

  “I don’t know Admiral.” Quinn addresses him formally, he knows the Admiral well.

  “Find out! Find out NOW! Two fucking weeks Quinn, they had this for two fucking weeks! Get me Captain Procne on the Sentinel NOW!” The communications officer cowers behind the Admiral as he contacts the Sentinel. The Admiral’s wrath is legendary he doesn’t want it directed at him.

  “Admiral, I have Captain Procne on the comm.

  “Admiral, this is Procne.”

  “What the fuck are you doing over there Procne! It takes you two fucking weeks to send over Regulian traffic for translation!”

  “Admiral, I can explain.”

  “It’d better good!”

  “Admiral, the transmission was recorded after the battle but it wasn’t on any of the normal Regulian channels. As you know we took a serious hit during the attack losing a communications specialist.”

  “Stop making fucking excuses!”

  “Sir I’m not, but with that lose, all remaining specialists made reviewing the Regulian channel tapes top priority. This transmission was only found after they started reviewing Carinian channels.”

  “You’re telling me you found a Regulian transmission, in Regulian, on a Carinian channel!”

  “Yes sir at 1130 today.”

  The Admiral looks at Quinn, “Were you able to track the signal?”

  “Sir using available data the source was the Regulian battleship Cimex. We were unable track the destination.”

  “General area?”

  “Deep in Carinian space sir.”

  “Good work Captain, tell your Communications well done.”

  “Thank you sir!” It was high praise from the Admiral. William turns to Quinn and in a low voice.

  “We have a traitor.”

  “So it would seem, but what do they need this ‘light’ for?” Quinn ignores a ringing line.

  “We need to start monitoring all Carinian traffic in this sector.”

  “Agreed.”

  “Commander.” The communications officer interrupts.

  The Admiral turns to him impatiently.

  “Sir I have Senior Chief Falco on the secure line requesting to speak with you. She says it urgent, sir.” The Admiral takes the headset the officer holds out.

  “What is it Falco.”

  Cassandra enters the ready room expecting to see William instead there is a 6’5” woman in military garb behind William’s desk. She’s running her hands, in what can only be describe as, lovingly up and down the chair.

  “Can I help you?” She asks. The woman’s head snaps up, she immediately removes her hands like a child with her fingers in the cookie jar.

  “What are you doing in here?” She demands.

  Cassandra walks further into the room, “That’s my question.”

  “I’m Senior Chief Falco! I’m dropping off a report for the Admiral. No one is allowed in his quarters when he’s not here!” Falco stands tall trying to intimidate the smaller woman.

  “Then what are you doing here?” Cassandra demands. She’ll be damned if this woman will make her feel like an unwanted guest.

  “You’re that refugee from Earth.” Falco sneers. “I’m calling security.”

  “Go ahead. Do that.” She sneers back, “But before you do you’d better think about who was here first. You also might want to consider calling the Admiral to report your ‘intruder’. He might have something to say about it. Oh, and I’d do it on a secure line unless you want the entire ship to find out you entered the Admiral’s quarters without permission!” Cassandra’s temper is starting to get the better of her. Here this woman is, acting like she owned the place, like she has some prior claim on William. She’d be damned if she’s giving up without a fight.

  The woman named Falco turns to the Admiral’s communications consol.

  “By the way, he’s in Communications.” Falco shoots her a furious look, Cassandra just smiles in return.

  “Vasa, this is Falco, is the Admiral there?” She demands keeping her eyes on Cassandra, the first shadow of doubt flickers through her eyes when she gets an affirmative. “I need to speak to him on a secure line, its urgent.” She waits for the Admiral with a sinking feeling.

  “What is it Falco.”

  “Admiral, I’m informing you that I’ve discovered an intruder in your quarters.” Silence greets her comment.

  “Would you repeat that please.”

  “Admiral, I’m in your quarters and have discovered an intruder.”

  “Why are you there?” William asks in a quiet voice, so full of fury that Quinn raises an eyebrow.

  “Sir, I was dropping off a report.”

  “Are you on a secure line?”

  “Yes sir.” Falco starts to feel more confident adding “I wanted to inform you before calling security sir.”

  “Put me on intercom Falco.”

  “Sir?”

  “DO IT!”

  “Yes sir!” Pushing a button she removes the headset.

  “Am I on intercom?”

  “Yes.” Falco replies.

  “Yes.” Cassandra stares down Falco.

  “Now listen very carefully Falco. Are you listening?

  “Yes sir.”

  “You will leave immediately. If everything isn’t in the same condition I left it, I will knock you back down Private. Is that understood?”

  Falco shallows hard. “Yes sir!” William disconnects, throwing his headset down.

  “Problem?” Quinn inquires. He’s known William for over thirty cycles, knows his moods, but this is something new.

  “There’d better not be.” Damn he wants to make sure Cassandra hasn’t spooked. But she’s right he isn’t leaving this until this is finished.

  “Set up extra shifts on all ships, I want all transmissions monitored, recorded and analyzed.”

  “I’ll take care of it Admiral.” Quinn replies.

  “Send that transmission to my ready room comm. I’ll be in my quarters.”

  “Yes sir.” I hope it’s the way you left it Quinn thinks to himself.

  Falco disconnects, sending Cassandra a hate
filled look, walks to the hatch and leaves. There is no report in her hands or on the Admiral’s desk. Cassandra remains where she is trying to figure out what shocks her more the jealousy she’s feeling, knowing that this other woman feels she has a claim on William, or the utter hatred in her eyes.

  Moving back into William’s private chambers she tries to rationalize her feelings. What is going with her? Jealousy? Really? That means she cares about him. He’d have to matter.

  “It’s just physical.” Saying it out loud she can hear the lie in her own voice. Running her hands through her hair she paces the room. Hearing the hatch open and close she freezes.

  “If that bitch is back again…” She mutters storming through the connecting door ready for a fight and straight into William’s arms.

  He instantly realizes he’s holding a very angry woman in his arms, still he can’t help but be relieved that she’s still here. Tipping her chin up, he kisses her as her arms tighten around him.

  “Where are you rushing off too?” Cassandra’s hazy eyes sharpen.

  “I thought I heard an intruder.” He lets out a deep sigh.

  “I’m sorry, that never should have happened. No one just walks into my ready room.”

  “How would you know?”

  “What?”

  “If you’re not here and the door isn’t secured, how do you know someone hasn’t been in your ready room?” William has no answer.

  There’s a knock on the hatch and the door opens. “Admiral?” Cassandra gives him an, ‘I told you so look’ as she turns walking deeper into his private chambers.

  “It’s just Hutu bringing dinner.” William says in exasperation.

  “Admiral, do you want me to bring it back?”

  William walks back into his ready room. “No Hutu just put it on the table over here. That’ll be all.”

  “Yes sir.” Hutu leaves.

  Walking to the hatch William secures it. Picking up the tray he heads back to Cassandra, finding her sitting on the couch, her head in her hands.

  “Cassandra….” Lifting her head she looks at him. He can’t read her expression as he sets the tray of food down.

  “Come on you haven’t eaten.” He takes the lids off two plates of food. Looking at them she doesn’t recognize a single thing. One more thing proving she’s out of her element here.

  “Who is she?” She asks lifting her eyes from the plates to his.

  “Her name is Senior Chief Delondra Falco. She is the navigations specialist on board the Retribution.” He replies, handing her eating utensils.

  “Who is she to you?” Cassandra narrows the question ignoring the utensils.

  “I just told you.”

  Cassandra looks him in the eye for a few more moments, waiting. “So she was never anything else.” She knows she’s not wrong.

  William goes still. Carefully he puts the utensils down. “Nothing important.” He finally admits. He didn’t want to discuss this, especially with her. No one who came before matters to him including his past wife, didn’t she understand that?

  “I think she would disagree.” She’ll be damned if she’s letting him off the hook. “Earlier you asked me not to shut you out, I’m asking the same.” William’s eyes shoot to hers. “I may not have been in many relationships, but I know what I want in one.”

  “What do you want, Cassandra.” He’s almost afraid to ask.

  “Honesty. Even if I don’t like the answer, I need the truth.” As she starts to stand he grips her hand, stopping her.

  “It was nearly eight cycles ago,” He begins. “I wasn’t even an Admiral yet, I was in command of the Battleship Babirusa, we’d just come back from a one year tour, we’d taken heavy fire.” William watches her face. “We put in, orbiting Diomede, for repairs. I took a five-day leave. I met Falco. She was on leave from the Battleship Talaria. Things…happened”

  “It wasn’t a one night stand.”

  “No.” She waits. “It was three days.” He says through clenched teeth.

  “So a fling.” William raises an eyebrow at her term. “Something you enjoy for a while then forget about.”

  “That would fit. I didn’t even realize she was assigned to the Retribution until after we were underway.”

  “Would you have reassigned her?”

  “No. There was no reason too.”

  “So what is your term for the three days?” She needs to know.

  “Leave.” He tells her bluntly.

  Cassandra looks at his face, realizing he isn’t used to being questioned, that he’s tolerating it for her. She turns her hand over in his.

  “Okay,” She squeezes his hand. “But there are a couple things you should be aware of.” William laces his fingers into hers.

  “What.”

  “Falco doesn’t consider it ‘leave’ and she’s been in your quarters before.” She puts it out there.

  “Why do you believe that?”

  “First because of the way she looked at me after you ordered her out. And second, where’s the report she was bringing you?”

  “What?”

  “Did you see one on your desk? Because she sure didn’t leave with one.”

  Rising he enters his ready room going to his desk everything is exactly as he’d left it. There is no report. Turning he find Cassandra in the doorway.

  “So what’s the stuff on the plates?” She asks letting the subject drop. This is Admiral territory he’ll decide what he’s going to do. Walking her back to the couch they sit.

  “It’s called Zebu.”

  “How does it taste?” He looks at her then chuckles.

  “I’ll let you decide.” Picking up a piece with his forc he puts it to her lips. “Open up.” Trusting him she opens, letting him feed her.

  “Not bad.” She finally says after she swallows. Swooping in for a quick kiss, he hands her a forc, then orders.

  “Eat.”

  They eat together in a comfortable silence with Cassandra all but licking her plate clean. Finding him watching her she gives him a sheepish look.

  “I didn’t realize I was so hungry.”

  “You needed it. Do you want more?”

  “No. Where do I put these?” She gestures to the now empty dishes.

  “I’ll take care of them.” Rising he picks up the plates.

  Returning he finds her in the middle of a big yawn. Seeing him she grins. “Sorry, it’s not the company.”

  “You need sleep, come on.”

  “William its only 2130.”

  “And you’re tired. You need sleep.” Cassandra looks at him as he leads her to the bed.

  “William…” She isn’t sure what to do.

  “Cassandra, get undressed, get into bed, go to sleep. I have paper work to do. I’ll be in later.” He pulls the blanket and sheets down on the bed, realizing she’d restored it.

  “But, I thought…” She stuttered to a stop.

  “Thought what?” Realizing what she’s thinking he finds he wants to hear her say it.

  “That we’d…” Confusion fills her eyes as she looks up at him.

  “Cassandra, don’t think I don’t want to mate with you again.” He rubs his hands up and down her arms. “Your body needs time to recover. We have time. Get into bed, get some sleep.” Pulling her up, he kisses her then walks into his ready room.

  Standing by the bed she watches him leave. Is she ever going to figure him out? She expected a repeat of this afternoon and finds she’s disappointed. She can’t stop the next yawn that hits her. Maybe she’d just take a short nap. Undressing she puts her clothes on the chest at the foot of the bed then climbing in she’s almost instantly asleep.

  In his ready room William is replaying his day. Cassandra. The transmission. Falco. All in all an eventful day. While she’s brought up some good points concerning Falco he thinks she’s reading them wrong. Leaning back in his chair he remembers how responsive she’d been. That she’d been able to accept his entire length. His never experienced that
before, she truly is his life-mate. Now he just had to make her understand what that means.

  Turning his attention to his desk he thinks about Falco’s missing report. That is something to deal with tomorrow. At the comm center he brings up the Regulian transmission to study again.

  The nightmare has Cassandra sitting straight up in bed looking franticly around. Where is she! Where’s Victoria! Heart pounding she tries to get her bearings. There’s a light but it seems so far away. It’s the scent that finally calms her.

  “William.” She whispers. But he’s not here, picking up the pillow that carries his scent, the nightmare comes back to her and she lowers her head to the pillow.

  She’s been having the nightmare since the Regulians attacked Earth. There’s supposed to be a light but all she sees is death and destruction. Every time she tries for the light someone she loves dies. Its’ all her fault…if she’d just been smarter, she could have saved them all. But tonight the nightmare changed, for the last seventeen days it’s always had her dropping Victoria, falling after her, something that even now makes her shutter. But tonight it included William, William falling out of the Raptor after both of them. What does it mean?

  Her maternal Grandmother had always told her to listen to her dreams to learn from them. They would reveal things that we need to know. She’d always believed her, but she doesn’t know what this means.

  What she does know is she wants William. He scares her, not with his size or passion, but with what he makes her feel. She could lose herself to him, trusting he would take care of her. How did she know that? It isn’t her mind telling her, it’s her heart. She’s never trusted it to anyone other than family, but her heart says she can trust him. Does she have the courage? There are so many things they don’t know about each other.

  In the later part of his life her father had been a carpenter. And while he’d loved to build things, he’d gotten his greatest pleasure out of restoring pieces that had been either forgotten or neglected. He’d tell her that sometimes you just need to strip away the outer layers to see the true beauty. That it’s what’s underneath that really matters. She can hear his voice in her head telling her this is such a time.