On the Edge of a Knife - Part 1
Posted on 27 Mar 2018 @ 10:21am by Commander Scarlet Blake
1,683 words; about a 8 minute read
[[Flashback: Set approximately 6 years previous to current timeline - SFMC Base, Tyraellan]]
ON:
It had started like any other day.
Well, any other mission day at least.
Scarlet Blake had weaved her way through the busy sterile corridors of the Marine base, doing her best to dodge the people in her path, turning sidewise to slide through a group of men heading her way.
She wore her duty uniform, simple garb with shined boots and her long, dark hair was twisted and pinned up out of the way. Having spent the morning catching up on the psych reports that had come through, her uniform jacket was half open and her rank pin obscured.
"If you're looking for the spa, you're on the wrong side of the quadrant, sweetheart!" one of the livelier men called out, clearly still high and somewhat intoxicated from the bar trip they'd taken advantage of, being on a planet based facility.
"That's Captain, not sweetheart," Scarlet called back to him, but didn't bother looking back over her shoulder or stopping her steps and journey. "And I'm looking for your arse in my office tomorrow morning at 0500 hours for extra physical training; we're clearly not training you hard enough if you have energy left to mouth off to officers."
Scarlet just about heard the sniggers of the man's friends, directed at the now cringing, worse for wear marine as he realised his mistake. She shook her head, but with a small smile as she rounded the corner. Pressing the chime, she waited patiently outside of the office.
"Enter!"
Stepping in, Scarlet kept her usual upright posture, shoulders back and her hands clasped neatly behind her back. "Sir."
The Colonel glanced up from his computer, frowning for a long moment. "Barton isn't with you?"
"No, Sir," Scarlet replied with a slight shake of her head, watching the man carefully. "I believe he may still be in the training suite."
Colonel Ward gave a gruff snort of derision at the words, shaking his head as he sat back. "He should concentrate more on the real world around us. He'll start to think that he's safe unless he's blinking red, like those stupid holo-games teenagers play."
The corner of Scarlet's lips curled into a smile at the words. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Sir."
"Hm, of course not," Ward lifted his eyebrows at her, his tone of voice saying that he knew better. "Sit down. You're making the place look untidy."
Scarlet moved to the seat at his desk, relaxing into the chair as she watched him with a small smile. "He only wants to be on top form."
"I know, but you can't predict real life in a holotraining suite," he shook his head before sliding a padd across to her. "We need you for a mission."
Picking up the padd, she glanced over it, taking a breath. "Need me as a psych? Or a rifle?"
"Rifle. Regular officer out in the field with a rifle. Need your sharpshooting on this one," Colonel Ward motioned to the padd with a slight frown. "Barton will be with you, and select members of his squad, but no more. A small, quiet group. We've had information from a civilian. They saw pirate activity out in the forest. They could even give co-ordinates," he brought the map up on his own screen.
Scarlet grimaced. "That's not a good place," she said quietly. "The forest is thick out there."
"I know, but I don't want an assault, not yet," Ward said firmly. "That's why you're going in as a small group first. Check it out. I want to know if they are out there. Scans say they're not. If you can remain undetected, even better. Bring back the intel to us. If you do have to open fire, keep it limited and unnoticed."
Scarlet nodded, starting to understand. A sniper shot here and there on any guards that left the main group to investigate any noise or readings could still remain undiscovered by the main group of pirates if covered up well enough. "Limited contact."
Ward nodded with a small smile. "You'll keep a cool head. I know you will. All I want to know is if I can trust this intel. No heroics. You find them? I want you right back here with the info so I can plan a proper assault."
"Understood," she said softly, but firmly, holding his eyes so he could see she meant it. She took a breath, watching his face. "You know this could be a trap, right?"
"Of course I do," Ward sighed, shrugging with a frown. "But if there really are slave traders out there? I want to clear them out. They're not dealing on my territory."
Scarlet just gave him a small smile at that. She knew how strongly he felt about it. "Don't worry, if they're out there, we'll find them, John."
He gave her a smile at that, nodding before tossing another padd to her. "Do me a favour? Pass that on to the boy."
Scarlet laughed softly, taking a hold of it as she stood quickly, nodding. "Yes, Sir."
***
"You decent?" Scarlet called out as she moved through Barton's quarters, looking around the living room with assessing eyes, taking in the things he had on display.
"Like you care," Christopher Barton moved through, a towel wrapped around his waist as he watched her with a confident grin.
"The Colonel sends his regards. He wants to know if you've beaten that highscore set by some teenager back on Earth yet," she teased lightly, tossing the padd onto the table.
"Not yet, maybe I should up the difficulty," he chuckled as he moved to catch hold of the padd, sighing as he read it over. "Mission?"
Scarlet nodded, watching him for a long moment, hands clasped behind her back. "Someone claimed there's slave traders operating in the forest. You, me and a couple of your squad need to go and take a look. Strictly recon, no contact."
"He knows this is a load of rubbish, right?" he watched her with a frown, shaking his head.
"Yes, but he wants to be sure," Scarlet said firmly, holding his eyes. "He won't let it go until he knows for sure it's fake."
Barton sighed, rubbing the back of his neck roughly. "Great. Let's take a picnic."
"He's sending you because he trusts you. It's not a punishment," Scarlet shook her head firmly, knowing already where his mind was.
"I wish you wouldn't do that, do you have any idea how annoying it is?" he moved to get a drink, shaking his head with a slight frown.
"What? Because I'm right?" she folded her arms, watching him with an unrelenting gaze. "You always think that if you don't get put on a 'real' mission it's because he doesn't think you're up to it. That's just plain paranoia."
"If I wanted a shrink, I'd go and find me one," he motioned to her with his glass, sighing tiredly.
"I don't get it. I really don't. It's so bloody obvious to the rest of us that you're his best man. You're the best he has. He knows that. One mistake a couple of years back hasn't changed that," she pushed, shaking her head with something between confusion and frustration.
"Shut up," he muttered, knocking his drink back quickly.
"Why? Getting there are we?" Scarlet motioned to him with her hand. "If you get sent on a rubbish job, it's just because there are rubbish jobs that need doing. Welcome to service. It's what we all have to put up with. You used to get sent out on the rubbish ones before too, you just didn't notice because you weren't so paranoid about it."
Barton moved quickly, getting a hold of her by the arms and pushing her hard against the wall. He looked into her eyes, his own dark as he caught his breath. He pressed forward against her, feeling her breath caress against his lips before kissing her hard. He caught hold of the side her face, his fingertips running firmly up the length of her jaw before pushing into her hair, not caring if he messed it up as he pinned her head back against the wall with the grip, deepening the kiss insistently.
He only pulled his lips away from hers when he needed to catch his breath, breathing hard as he held her eyes, his thumb running tenderly across her cheekbone. "I told you to shut up."
"I don't always do what I'm told," Scarlet replied easily, smiling as she stroked her hand up his bare side, feeling the warm skin, the roughness of some scars. "Besides, we're both Captains, I get to tell you to get lost."
"Or you could tell me to kiss you again," he grinned, his fingers playing through her long, dark hair, unpinning it so he could wrap his fingers tight in to it, tugging playfully.
Scarlet's breath caught at the sensation and she laughed warmly, reaching to grip his hair in return, doing the same back to him. "Or you could ask me."
"Don't hold your breath," he laughed, brushing his lips against her neck, breathing in the scent of the perfume against her skin. "I much prefer you when you're not talking."
Scarlet laughed, slapping his hip hard for the comment. "Only because I'm right," she replied playfully, her nails teasing gently up his spine. "Just trust me, hm? I wouldn't lie to you, Christopher."
He smiled gently at that, caressing his thumb over her bottom lip before kissing it softly, tasting her with a satisfied sigh. "I know," he said softly. "I missed you last night."
"I had work to finish," Scarlet shook her head with a weak smile, sliding her hands up over his shoulders so she could wrap her arms around him. "I can stay tonight though."
"Good," Christopher grinned, catching hold of her and picking her up, laughing when she wrapped her legs tight around his waist, carrying her through to the bedroom.
TBC: