said Donna.
"Exactly." Scott met her gaze and held it for a moment. It was then he knew, without a doubt, that she would do whatever he liked if he chose to make a move. Her body was against him, her hand touching his chest, her face just centimeters away from his--and she was willing. She was ready for anything and waiting to see what he would do next.
He considered the possibilities. He was a red-blooded man, and she was attractive...but he was also exhausted. As tempted as he was, as much as he might hate himself later for missing out, he just didn't have it in him.
Yawning, he slid his arm around her shoulders. "Thanks again," he told her. "I really owe you for this."
Donna picked up on his signals and relaxed against him. "That's right, you do." She ran her fingers down over his abdomen and kept them there a moment. "And I intend to collect."
Scott didn't address her comment. He could already feel himself drifting off as the possibilities that had been circling the two of them slowly faded away.
"Good night," he said, and then he gave her shoulders a squeeze, feeling truly grateful to be there with her after his lousy day. "Get me up when you get up, okay?"
"I'll do that," said Donna. "You can depend on me."
Scott smiled. His eyes were closed, but he could tell from the sound of her voice that she was smiling when she said it.
Â
*****
Â
Chapter 13
Â
Less than two days later, when the Sun Tzu slowed its near-faster-than-light travel at the edge of the Veda system, Scott was a changed man--fully rested and ready for anything. Sleeping in Donna's rack that first time and once afterward had really done the trick; without Trane and Abby's nonstop snoring, he'd been able to catch up on some of his much-needed lost sleep. That had made him better equipped to muscle through the hassles of shipboard life and prepare for the mission to Shard.
Which was good, because things hadn't gotten any easier for him. His schedule had stayed just as intense, packed with duty (in different departments, thankfully, not just Engineering), CORE Battlenaut training, shipwide drills, and meetings of the Surface Warfare Group. The Diamondbacks had run him ragged, pushing him to the limit in every possible way; without the rest he'd gotten with Donna, he wondered if he would've made it through as well as he had.
As for any other developments with Donna, Scott managed to keep them on hold. It was a situation that couldn't last forever, but at least for now, it seemed to be working out okay. There'd be time enough to reconsider after Shard, he figured. Assuming they all made it back from the mission, of course.
Â
*****
Â
The Sun Tzu was less than three hours from Shard when Perseid called Scott to the Command Deck. Scott was annoyed, in the middle of prepping his Battlenaut for landfall, but he also wondered what Perseid might want.
When the door to the Command Deck opened, Scott had to take a moment to get used to the place again. He hadn't been there since his first day aboard the ship, and the illusion of standing unprotected in open space made him feel a little dizzy.
On the other hand, the sight of the gray and silver planet up ahead was familiar to him by now. Shard had been on his mind a lot lately; he'd been studying it for days, memorizing landmarks, flora, and fauna that could help him survive its hostile environment. He'd been helping to plot strategies for battle on its surface, ways to defeat Red Battlenauts or anyone else the Diamondbacks encountered. He knew that planet well, though he also knew he'd never truly understand it until he got down there.
After adjusting to the see-through environs of the Command Deck, Scott stepped up to Perseid, who was standing on a circle of white light in the middle of the deck with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Corporal Scott reporting, sir." Scott snapped off a crisp salute.
Perseid spoke over his shoulder. "At ease, Corporal."
Scott relaxed.
"We're almost
"Exactly." Scott met her gaze and held it for a moment. It was then he knew, without a doubt, that she would do whatever he liked if he chose to make a move. Her body was against him, her hand touching his chest, her face just centimeters away from his--and she was willing. She was ready for anything and waiting to see what he would do next.
He considered the possibilities. He was a red-blooded man, and she was attractive...but he was also exhausted. As tempted as he was, as much as he might hate himself later for missing out, he just didn't have it in him.
Yawning, he slid his arm around her shoulders. "Thanks again," he told her. "I really owe you for this."
Donna picked up on his signals and relaxed against him. "That's right, you do." She ran her fingers down over his abdomen and kept them there a moment. "And I intend to collect."
Scott didn't address her comment. He could already feel himself drifting off as the possibilities that had been circling the two of them slowly faded away.
"Good night," he said, and then he gave her shoulders a squeeze, feeling truly grateful to be there with her after his lousy day. "Get me up when you get up, okay?"
"I'll do that," said Donna. "You can depend on me."
Scott smiled. His eyes were closed, but he could tell from the sound of her voice that she was smiling when she said it.
Â
*****
Â
Chapter 13
Â
Less than two days later, when the Sun Tzu slowed its near-faster-than-light travel at the edge of the Veda system, Scott was a changed man--fully rested and ready for anything. Sleeping in Donna's rack that first time and once afterward had really done the trick; without Trane and Abby's nonstop snoring, he'd been able to catch up on some of his much-needed lost sleep. That had made him better equipped to muscle through the hassles of shipboard life and prepare for the mission to Shard.
Which was good, because things hadn't gotten any easier for him. His schedule had stayed just as intense, packed with duty (in different departments, thankfully, not just Engineering), CORE Battlenaut training, shipwide drills, and meetings of the Surface Warfare Group. The Diamondbacks had run him ragged, pushing him to the limit in every possible way; without the rest he'd gotten with Donna, he wondered if he would've made it through as well as he had.
As for any other developments with Donna, Scott managed to keep them on hold. It was a situation that couldn't last forever, but at least for now, it seemed to be working out okay. There'd be time enough to reconsider after Shard, he figured. Assuming they all made it back from the mission, of course.
Â
*****
Â
The Sun Tzu was less than three hours from Shard when Perseid called Scott to the Command Deck. Scott was annoyed, in the middle of prepping his Battlenaut for landfall, but he also wondered what Perseid might want.
When the door to the Command Deck opened, Scott had to take a moment to get used to the place again. He hadn't been there since his first day aboard the ship, and the illusion of standing unprotected in open space made him feel a little dizzy.
On the other hand, the sight of the gray and silver planet up ahead was familiar to him by now. Shard had been on his mind a lot lately; he'd been studying it for days, memorizing landmarks, flora, and fauna that could help him survive its hostile environment. He'd been helping to plot strategies for battle on its surface, ways to defeat Red Battlenauts or anyone else the Diamondbacks encountered. He knew that planet well, though he also knew he'd never truly understand it until he got down there.
After adjusting to the see-through environs of the Command Deck, Scott stepped up to Perseid, who was standing on a circle of white light in the middle of the deck with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Corporal Scott reporting, sir." Scott snapped off a crisp salute.
Perseid spoke over his shoulder. "At ease, Corporal."
Scott relaxed.
"We're almost
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