Posted by Lieutenant Commander Natasha Knight (Chief Medical Officer) in Starfleet Academy - First Cadet mission

Posted by Captain Dante Knight (Commanding Officer) in Starfleet Academy - First Cadet mission

Posted by Captain Dante Knight (Commanding Officer) in Starfleet Academy - First Cadet mission
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Snip

Dante ignored the students attempts to either get his attention or shy away from it, he already knew who the cadets in the room were that he needed on a command team, and which ones still needed time to adjust to Starfleet life, he looked at Johnson and blinked. The cadet was a Science major and was known to be rather good at his chosen career path, he was also known to be one of the more boot lickery and ambitious, as well as overzealous, cadets on Campus. He was the type that would breathe the party line his entire life and be the first soldier shot on the landing ramp when the doors opened on first deployment.

“Cadet Natasha Daye,” Dante said without looking at her. “Chief Medical Officer.” He adjusted his cuffs and made sure he didn’t look in her direction. She had gotten him into this, and he would make sure she was right there next to him, even if it was just another session in the Kobayashi Maru simulator. If it was anything else, Dante might take the opportunity to inspect her supply cupboard once or twice.

Natasha kicked her legs out clumsily as she attempted to sit up in her seat. This turn of events was not what she had expected. “Dante you know I had plans this weekend,” she hissed low under her breath as she stood up next to him.

“Mm Hm,” Dante made the sound, but still refused to glance at her. Instead his face was completely businesslike . “I know exactly what you had planned, sunshine.”

“Just know I have not taken bedside manner so I am going to be lacking the skills as your CMO for such activities this trip,” she straightened her posture. There would be more to say as soon as the doors to the classroom closed behind them. As Dante began to call out names it would only give Natasha time to redline her temper.

“Oh I’m quite familiar with your bedside manner, Cadet,” Dante told her, this time looking in her direction. “Only for this weekend, they will have to be slightly less hands on.” He tried his best not to grin, but the edges of his mouth gave him away.

“Cadet Ethan Nash,” He said, and looked at the young Mintaran cadet sitting a few rows in front of him, the man just raised an eyebrow back at him. “Chief of Security.” The man was intense at times, but had an easy smile and laugh and was usually able to get people to do what they should simply by using his natural charm and good humor.

“Cadet Adelaide Jenkins, Chief Engineer.” Jenkins was one of the more naturally gifted engineering cadets, and it was known that anything hard and mechanical often purred when it was in her hands. It was also known to keep away from her when she was in the cafeteria, due to an unusual habit of being slightly clumsy whenever she wasn’t around mechanical tools.

“Amazing Addie,” Daye said barely moving her jaw as she heard who he was picking as his engineering chief. “Really I am pretty sure Cadet Wideside would have been a far better choice.” Nat had nothing against Adelaide except that she was smart and at times too much one of the boys. That woman could repair an engine faster than most of the men in her class and looked like a model when she was grease smudged.

“Cadet Wideside gets distracted by flashing lights,” Dante countered, “besides, she can fix a warp core with a rubber band and have you seen her when she is grease smudged? It’s like a visual of your bedside manner. I need the A Team on this one.”

“Cadet Kelly Schultz, Executive Officer.” Dante looked at his one time room mate, and grinned. Kelly was right on track with him in the Command path, and their rivalry was matched only by their friendship. Kelly would recognize Dante instantly as giving her a chance to shine in an important role and being his right hand woman, while simultaneously kicking her in the shin and grinning maniacally about how he was the boss.

Kelly stood pulling down her shirt. She was three rows down and to the left of Dante but knew the second professor got pleasant something like this would happen. Part of her wanted to suggest that they make this a competition between her and Knight to the professor; however, the dork was getting the first pick of the cadets. Nash and Adelaide were half of a dream crew. She and Dante also worked so well together that they were almost a campus name in command teams. She had zero doubt he was going to select her as XO. In any other situation, she would already be plotting on how to take the other team out before they boarded their training ship. This trip, however, was not going to be fun or involve guns so Kelly gave him a side glance with a slight eye roll.

Dante knew that look instantly and shrugged slightly before mouthing it might include guns by way of trying to make it better.

“Cadet Effram Johnson,”

“Sir yes sir I will not disappoint you,” he turned snapping a salute at Dante as his voice echoed in the hall.

” Chief Science Officer.” He said, and tried to ignore Johnson as the man seemed to puff up three times larger than he normally did at being chosen for whatever it was that was going to happen. “Johnson, sit down,” he added, then looked at Professor Carter. “Command Team chosen, Sir.”

Cadet Dante Knight

“Sir if I may,” Natasha raised her hand taking on the sweet and polite tone that typically got her what she needed.

“You are so not getting out of this Tasia,” Dante said quietly as he sat down, even tugged on the back of her shirt slightly to get her to sit.

“Not me,” the professor swirled his finger pointing at Dante. “You call him sir for the weekend.”

“See, nothing changes even on this trip sunshine,” Dante smirked and covered his mouth, pretending to scratch his nose as he muttered the words to Nat.

“Bah ha,” Kelly could not stifle her snicker fast enough and badly attempted to fix it with a series of fake coughs. The joke would be lost on anyone other than her, Dante and Daye but then again Kelly was the one displace for her friend’s birthday visitor. “Sorry. Allergies,” she made up a flimsy excuse.

“Then talk to her. She is your CMO. You three are made for each other,” the professor rolled his eyes before screaming out dismissed.

Standing, he picked up his books and PaDD and waited for Nat to do the same before leaving with her, placing his hand on the small of her back gently as he walked. “You know he’s right about that, the three of us really are a team.”

Natasha barely let the door hit her in the backside before she started on Dante. “Okay so I am not sure what you are going to do but I have the spa day at Nob Hill set for Saturday. You now the one you bought me for my birthday barely six weeks ago. The reason I haven’t used it before now is that it takes six weeks to book a Saturday,” she said exasperated as she half-ran beside him moving down the halls. Groaning she grabbed his arm at the top of the large marble staircase that led them out of the English and Law building.

“I know, I bought it for you remember,” he grinned wider, “and when you get to use it you are going to love it, I got the hostess to add a little something to the regular deal as well, I know you are going to love it.” Still walking, Dante led her down one street before turning a corner to another.

“That something had better be you Dante,” she stopped putting her hands on her hips. He was going to stop walking. Dante had to stop. She was talking to him. When he didn’t stop, Natasha decided she needed to take action.

“And stop walking with a purpose. You and those giraffe legs of yours are twice my stride. You know I can’t keep up when you don’t lessen your stride. I am not going to run after you,” she crossed her arms. Looking at him from the top step she waited for him to make his move.

“Sir,” Dante said to her over his shoulder. “Stop walking with a purpose, Sir, you’re supposed to say. Wanna practise it with me? We can say it together so you get the tone right.”

“Dante Alighieri Knight…stop taking two steps at a time,” she threw up her hands following him down the stairs. The pace she had to keep in order to keep up with him was almost comical. “I am not going to chase you,” Natasha threatened yet that is exactly what she was doing.

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you without that ‘Sir’ attached to it, sunshine.” He kept walking and made sure he didn’t slow his pace in the slightest. She was cute when she was feisty.

“I booked the ultimate package. You know how much that cost,” she picked up her half run half walk stride as Dante continued to walk as if her leg span equaled his.

“Considering I paid for it, well yeah.” He said, mostly to himself now as she was still catching up to him after her mini and unsuccessful tanty.

“Dante I want my seven hours of bliss and glass of wine,” she yelled stopping in the middle of the intersection not caring who was now watching her very verbal and very public display of affection. Since she was not touching him it did not break any rules. She also didn’t care who saw. It never bothered her for people to know they were a couple. Natasha never understood the women that tried to keep such things quiet. Quiet meant people didn’t know and she wanted everyone on the campus to know that one day she would be Mrs. Dante Aligehri Knight.

Cadet Daye

Pausing on the sidewalk Dante turned back to her and met her eye to eye for a moment. Quite casually he slid his thumbs into the pockets of his trousers and tilted his head down, in the time-honored motion of a silent come here while he made sure their eyes stayed together. His intense hazel greens meeting her feisty gold-flecked greens. Then he waited calmly, seemingly oblivious to the eyes and grins of the people around them on him and on Natasha.

“Oh I am not going to take a hey baby its all part of Starfleet,” she crossed her hands in the time honored position of a woman not only ready to send someone to the dog house but show him the way as she approached him. “We are not graduates yet and even when we are we get our pips liberty becomes shore leave and I want my liberty to go to the spa,” she threw up her hands pacing some in a circle. “So…what d you have to say for yourself?” Natasha was not entirely mad at Dante. Starfleet did cause most of her issues late but you could not direct you anger at someone. Besides Dante did volunteer for the mission so in a round about way it was his fault…sort of.

Some people might have thought her raised voice was a ‘fight’ of sorts, but Dante knew her well enough by now to know it was her just wanting his attention and affection. He also knew her well enough to know he had to make her work for it slightly, she was passionate and loving but in a way that was only enhanced when she was feisty, and both of them revelled in that passion she carried.

When she had walked off the middle of the intersection and was facing him, he took a step forward so they were close, far closer than the ‘proper’ distance required them to be but he knew she loved the feeling of breaking the rules slightly. It was now that he reached up and tilted her face up to him, and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear the way he always did when he wanted her to remember and focus on the fact that he was in love with her, even if it was still early in their relationship.

“Sunshine I promise you that you will get your seven hours of bliss and a glass of wine, I’ll make it happen, trust me. But not this weekend, this weekend we have a job to do and you are my Chief Medical Officer. I chose you because I can trust you, I believe in you, and want to be near you every moment of the day. After this, you get your bliss and more, I promise you that.” As he spoke, he had moved his lips close to hers but did not touch them with his, and he spoke gently but firmly. “Now say thank you, and add a sir to that, Natasha.”

Cadet Dante Knight

As much as she wanted to continue her tanty as Dante called it, Natasha had a hard time staying mad at Dante when he was like this. She had a hard time staying mad most of the time. It was his voice. Something in his tone and rhythm had a hypnotic effect on her. When he whispered low and soft, it made Natasha stop and pause, focusing all her attention on him. Some claimed it was Dante just learning to use the command voice all cadets recognized as authoritative. Natasha knew he had mastered that skill already when I came to her, when she wanted it to that was.

“I only say thank you when services are rendered....Sir,” she raised an eyebrow at him with a smirk on her face. Nat paused long enough after Dante issued his order to let him know she had put a pin in this conversation but was ready for the next idea he had suggested. “Kiss me and I won’t make your life hell,” she teased him softly and daring him to continue what he started. This was not Find a Spouse University as Herman Hornsby called it. No one lip-locked in the center of the campus, in broad daylight, unless they were that bold enough not to care about demerits if caught. Closing her eyes, Natasha raised on her toes so that Dante had to move even less than a moment earlier. Holding a perfect releve was not an easy task but Natasha Daye was half Russian. Ten minutes after she was born her Babushka had her in ballet lessons which made bridging the height difference between her and Dante easy as making borscht.

Out of no where a heavy weight pounced on his back lurching him forward slightly. The action threw Dante’s head into Natasha’s creating an audible crack as their foreheads banged into each other. “Dude what are you two doing,” Kelly laughed pitching Dante’s hat off the front of his head. “You know that will get you both demerits and then no away mission.”

“I think I have a concussion,” Natasha rubbed the top of her forehead as if trying to smear the pain away.

“You are fine. The only person’s head harder than yours is his,” she pulled at her skirt adjusting the length back to where it was supposed to lay. Most of the women wore the pants option for uniforms thinking it made them look more authoritative or some random bull like that. Kelly never understood why looking like a woman because she was a woman was ever a bad thing. It also helped to procuring things Dante’s serious scowl never would. A loud, sharp whistle echoed through the quad turning everyone’s attention to a ruggedly handsome senior cadet on the path across the grass from them. Kelly’s smile brightened considerably as she turned to face the sound.

“Cadet Shutlz I am going to suggest you do not perform that maneuver with that hem line. I will be performing a uniform inspection and reviewing your ability to take down an enemy before the away team departure,” he snapped never breaking his stride or facial expression.

“Yes sir. I am having issues with the chapter on escaping from security restraints,” Kelly called out never taking her eyes off the man on the other path. A laugh erupted from the stern man and he spun around walking backward, spreading his arms wide indicating he was speechless. Only Kelly could render him speechless like few others but if you knew Kelly and Ric you would know why.

“Is that what the kids are calling it these days,” Natasha hit her shoulder forcing the young blonde Co-Ed to focus her attention back to Knight and Daye.

“It’s what I am calling it,” Kelly’s smile was wide.

“So who do we have for the command team. Nat as CMO, me as your better half, Ric as the security rockstar, Phil as our science guy,” Kelly began walking with Dante and Nat towards the hangar. They still had three hours to form the team but the last thing Kelly wanted was to be assigned someone. They already got stuck with Phillip Sye the overzealous science guy. She didn’t want some boot kissing, promotion seeker on this mission who would run back to command with a PaDD filled with an unofficial performance review on all of them just to get another pip attached to his neck. “So who are we getting for the tactical position,” Kelly asked Dante matching his stride.

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Alexander Hall
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The doors to Alexander Hall always felt oppressive even though the pneumatically retracted upon approach. It was probably the decor of the room that made Kelly feel this way. Alexander Hall was home to the tactical officers of Starfleet. The murals, mosaics, and art that lined the walls was of every military tactician in history. Kelly’s heels clicked a steady beat in time with Dante just at a different pitch from his flat soled boots. By now many cadets knew this sound because Kelly and Dante were the most well known of the cadet command teams. She never left Dante and Dante never chose anyone but her. The relationship was so close many wondered where Daye or Ric fit into the picture when it came to Shultz and Knight. Stopping at the door Kelly’s contact at the registrar’s office told them they could find one Senior cadet Ethan Nash.

Cadet Natasha Daye

Bump