EE Snippet 3

We're still in chapter 1:

The party was just as boring and dull as he'd feared. Stuffed shirts all milling about, drinking wine or champagne and patting themselves on the back for the achievements of men and women and neuters who were out there still busting their asses for low pay and little regard.

But, that was how civilization worked, Horatio knew. He also knew as much as he detested such events they were useful and in some ways critical. It allowed the movers and shakers to socialize and to get to know one another in a formal and structured situation but without a lot of pressure. At least, he hoped so.

He was also well aware that he was going to have to put up with more and more of them the higher he climbed in the Navy's chain of command. That was a depressing thought he realized.

The good news for him was that the civilians and junior officers were still enamored with the Bekian delegation. Each had a knot of eager people chattering with them or listening to every word they said. “Um...” he turned in surprise to a woman with flat black skin and white markings. She had a sheer gown on with crystals that just covered her private areas tantalizingly. He smiled politely. “Yes ma'am?”

He'd parked himself in a corner but had drifted away from conversations. He'd realized he'd drifted over near the entrance to the rest rooms but had no way of getting away from them with all the people around him. The only places clear of people were the balcony and the center of the room it seemed.

“I must say, it is so exciting, seeing such things going on more and more,” the woman said, eager. She grinned at him with pearl white teeth. “And to meet someone like you...” she purred. She puzzled at his rank.

“Commodore. We haven't been introduced,” Horatio said politely, setting his drink down on a passing waiter bot's tray. “Commodore Horatio Logan,” he said with a slight nod to her.

“Oh!” her eyes widened. It took him a moment to realize it was in dismay. “But I thought...” she looked around the room.

“Thought ma'am?”

“I thought all the flag officers were from Bek?” she asked.

Horatio smiled. “No ma'am. I was recently promoted,” he said.

“So, you aren't from Bek?” she asked, eyeing him as if she was sizing him up before her eyes started to roam the crowd for her intended prey.

“No ma'am, I've never been there. I've spent the past century here in Pyrax,” he said.

“I see,” she said in a different tone of voice. He realized she'd singled him out in order to make a connection. Once she knew who he was she left with a sniff and murmur that she had to be elsewhere. He snorted and shook his head at her departure.

“Sour grapes?” a voice asked behind him.

“Apparently,” Horatio said, turning as his implants oriented on the female voice. He raised an eyebrow when he noted it belonged to Miss Sema, the former Lieutenant Governor of Bek A. He bowed briefly to her. “Having a good evening here ma'am?” he asked smoothly.

“Some more than others I suppose,” she said with a quizzical smile. “Something tells me you'd rather be anywhere but here Commodore,” she said with a slight trace of a smile and twinkle in her eye.

He snorted. “Am I that transparent ma'am?”

“You don't wear your heart on your sleeve but your occasional long looks to the door and the clock tend to give you away,” the woman teased with a slightly broader smile.

“You know, I could call her back here. She was more interested in rubbing elbows with the likes of you ma'am than me...”

Moira's lips puckered in a mock sour expression. “Now now, no need to be nasty about it,” she said, tucking her arm in his to his surprise. She smiled at his expression. “Shocked?”

“Just... flattered ma'am. You are a gorgeous woman. You've got the pick of just about any single person here and you chose me.”

She shook her head slightly, letting her hair bob. She clearly liked the compliment. “I like to choose the best,” she said, holding onto his arm possessively.

“Flatterer,” he growled. She snorted.

“I've heard your history. Let's say I'm suitably impressed. I know the history buffs will get it wrong, and I definitely know the media never gets the whole story, they never do!” she shook her head. “So, while we're waiting for dinner, why don't you trot out a couple stories and fill me in. Purely to entertain a lady in distress,” she said with a moue.

“Distress ma'am?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow skyward.

“Of dying of terminal boredom,” she said with a suffering sigh. He chuckled as she pretended to wring out her free hand. “And of getting the delicate bones in my hand crushed by another person eager to introduce themselves...”

Horatio's polite chuckle turned into a more natural sympathetic one. “Well, what would you like to hear ma'am?”

“Hmm...” she frowned thoughtfully. He had to admit, she struck a nice figure in the glittering red gown. It was off one shoulder and open on her right flank. It was also split up the side and showed just the right hint of leg to make a heterosexual male like him interested.

“Well,” she said coyly, one finger playing with her bottom lip as she pretended to think it over. “I heard a few things about how you met Admiral Irons and knew him. And well, there is the whole story about how you two somehow found each other again despite this being such a big galaxy,” she drawled, eyeing him.

Horatio smiled indulgently. He could tell people around them had quieted to hear some of the story too. “There isn't much to tell about the first ma'am, we saw each other only briefly before the war. I was surprised he remembered me. We only served together a week. He was filling in while some of the flag officers were on leave.”

“And the other incident?” Moira asked, looking up at him. He could tell she was genuinely curious. He just wasn't sure why.

“Well,” Horatio drawled. “As it happens, Admiral Irons was assigned to this quadrant of the galaxy like I was. That is how we met before the war. And he did a lot of work in Sigma and Rho sector since he was tapped to work on the Stargate project. So, I suppose it's not much of a surprise that his ship was lost in Senka. As to my being here, well, Washington was torn up and the skipper wanted an out of the way place to dock to make repairs. To lick our wounds and then get back into the fight I guess you could say,” he said thoughtfully. “It's been a while since I've thought about that time actually,” he admitted.

“If it troubles you...” Moira said with a hint of concern in her voice. She guided him away from knots of curious on lookers and out into a balcony area. He looked out at the black stars and ships beyond the dome for a moment before he answered.

“No, no, no trouble. I know Admiral Irons dispatched a cruiser to Washington's exit point in order to see if they could find any surviving pods. It's like looking for a lot of tiny needles in a vast black space, but I appreciate the effort,” Horatio admitted.

Moira mentally filed that little tidbit away for future reference. It was a good sign that the Commodore had opened up and given her that little tidbit of information. Doing so in seeming confidence helped build trust too she knew. “But they haven't found anything yet?” Moira asked, clearly curious and eager.

Horatio frowned thoughtfully. “They left a few days ago. They are tasked to look for two months since the pods could have spread out anywhere over the seven light years since I'd been found. I don't honestly know if they will find a pod. The odds...” he shrugged, voice rough. “And the odds of finding a pod with power...” he shook his head.

“Don't be too surprised Commodore. My grandmother was found in a pod oh, years and years ago,” Moira admitted. He blinked at her. She smiled. “It's something we have in common I suppose you could say. Well,” she cocked her head. “I suppose once removed on my part.”

“I appreciate the effort ma'am,” Horatio replied.

“Thank you Commodore. Chalk it up to a politician’s urge to bond with a potential voter,” she teased.

“Please, call me Horatio ma'am,” he said.

Her eyes lit slightly. “I'd be delighted,” she purred. “But only if you call me Moira,” she said with a nod.

“Thank you ma'am, I'd be honored,” Horatio replied softly, feeling a stirring of something long since thought forgotten within him waken. Down boy, he thought as they slowly walked to the double doors leading to the dining room.

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