Questionable Morality - Chapter 1
Title: Questionable Morality
Author: Looneyluna
Category: AU, Action, Smut
Code: R/S, others
Rating: NC-17
Summary: This was inspired by Bladefantic's concept of
piracy in her fic "The Other" and somebody's comment that she was
surprised that there weren't many evil Malcolm fics out there. Well, in this
one, everybody has questionable morals, even Starfleet. Thanks to Chrysa and
Jessica for Lieutenant Em Gomez who originally appeared in "It's Not Easy
Being Green." Thanks to Chris and PJ for the beta.
Archive: OK. This was written for shits and giggles. Paramount
owns everybody and I have merely borrowed them for my demented purposes. Feedback?
Yes please. Perhaps it will inspire the muse to complete this.
Chapter One
The long corridor of the cargo hauler loomed before her
ominously, reminding her of where she had come from and where she wanted to go.
She scoffed at the latter part of the thought and shook her head from side to
side. Do I really know where I'm going? I haven't a clue where I want to
go. I don't know anybody who knows where they're going. If anything she was
sure of, it was that nothing was for certain.
"Captain, we've picked up a Starfleet transponder
signal on long-range sensors," the gruff voice of her helmsman broke
through her reflective moment.
Fuck! I don't need Starfleet nosing around in my God
damn business right now.
"It's the Intrepid and they are on an intercept
course."
"Those sorry sacks of dog shits! We have got to meet
with the buyer in two days," Captain Hoshi Sato barked into the comm
panel.
Her outburst was met with uneasy silence
Hoshi sighed. "Find out who the Intrepid's captain is
and find out what his price is."
A curt "Yes Ma'am" signaled acknowledgement and
compliance of her request.
Hoshi fixed her stare down the narrow corridor and gave a
mental toast to the future as she pondered her past. She had been captain of
the Celestial for a little over two years now, happy in the knowledge that what
she was doing was laughing in the convention of old earth time mariner
attitudes. More so, her line of work laughed at the traditional and stifling
constraints of her family. She sent them e-postcards at every port she found
herself in and laughed her ass off as she imagined her parent's faces upon
reading them.
Their big mistake was when they used the word 'forbade' with
her. They basically forbade her to do anything other than keep her nose in a
book, marry, spread her legs for some prick to impregnate her, and raise the
spawn. Then they expected her to repeat the pattern. The thought was
enough to send her on the first cargo ship that made it back to Earth.
She had been in luck that day. The E.C.S. Horizon only made
it back to Earth once every decade and once she let Captain Mayweather sample
her expertise in languages he would broker no other argument with his wife over
not taking Hoshi Sato along with them. It wasn't that Mrs. Mayweather didn't
like Hoshi; it was merely concern for her safety.
"Starfleet is more menace than assistance nowadays,
Thomas. In fact they're more menace than the aliens we've come across." Rianna
Mayweather wasn't afraid to confront her husband. That was so unlike her
mother, and Hoshi knew Rianna would become a fast friend.
"She's of legal age to make her own decisions,"
bantered Thomas Mayweather.
Rianna turned to Hoshi and glared at her. "How old are
you, girl?"
"I'm eighteen."
"And you do realize that three cargo ships have gone
missing in action in the last year and the rumors surrounding those
disappearances?" Rianna had faced a lot during her marriage with Thomas
and there was a catch to her voice as she hugged her husband.
"You're hired. The transport for Horizon leaves at 0600
sharp. I hope to see you there. Dismissed." Thomas was hugging his wife
and motioned for Hoshi to leave.
To this day, rumors surrounding the disappearances of the
three cargo ships surfaced. To this day, Earth continued to lose an E.C.S. ship
a year, and the trend now was to buddy up. It wasn't as productive, but the
philosophy of there being comfort in numbers� well it had proven to be just
that� a philosophy. The E.C.S. Merchant of Venice and its companion the Oberon
went missing about a month ago.
As usual Starfleet was useless when it came to helping the
cargo ships. Starfleet was out to promote Earth and line its pockets with their
kickbacks. As long as you coughed up Starfleet's commissions you were pretty
much left alone, baring any infractions, which were few and far between. If you
played the politics right, you were golden. Laws were flexible. There were
basically two laws � Slavery of any sentient being was forbidden.
Gun running was forbidden too, but only if you were selling
to a side that was fighting one of Earth's allies or one of Earth's outright
enemies. Anything else goes.
The Celestial was on her way to an arms deal with the Andorians,
who were close allies with Earth � more so than the Vulcans, who had basically
abandoned associating with Earth on the basis of ethical dilemmas. The Andorians
were more forthcoming with their technology, which thrilled Starfleet to no
end.
Her communicator chirped and she flipped it open. "Go
ahead."
"We're being hailed by the Intrepid," a panicked
voice reported.
"Relax!" barked Hoshi. "Our cargo and records
are up to date and the appropriate kickbacks have been made."
"But, they are instructing us to drop out of warp and
prepare to be boarded," Helmsman Spangler squeaked.
"What the fuck!" Astonishment and dread flooded
through her. "Do as they say and don't say anything or do anything that
will piss them off. And get me the goddamn specs on the Intrepid!" Hoshi
took off at a dead run, unaware that her fate and that of her crew were already
sealed.
--
"Time to intercept," Captain Malcolm Reed inquired
onboard the pursuing Intrepid.
"Nine point three six minutes," Ensign Mathers
replied from the helm.
Reed stood and crossed to Mathers and leaned over his
console. "Has she made a move to jettison her cargo, yet?"
Lieutenant Gomez at tactical answered. "Not yet,
sir."
Lieutenant Em Gomez shifted uneasily at her station.
"They're dropping out of warp and extending their port docking
hatch."
"Good!" Malcolm straightened and walked to the
back of the bridge toward his ready room. "Forward the crew compliment to
my ready room. When you board them, arrest them. If they resist, you have
permission to use any means necessary to secure them. Just try not to kill
anybody."
Reed heard a curt "Yes sir" then turned his
attention to the task at hand. He certainly did hope Gomez didn't kill anybody.
He didn't feel like filing any incident reports.
Reed scratched the trimmed beard on his face, the beard that
did an adequate job hiding most of the scars beneath it.� He sat down at his desk
and touched the terminal. The specs and crew listing for the E.S.C. Celestial
flashed before him.� She was a long-range cargo ship with a sparse crew of
twenty-three, fifteen men and eight women. Harold O'field, who, by all accounts
was a reasonable man when sober and even more reasonable when drunk, captained
her. If offered the right incentive, he would gladly part with some of his
female crewmembers for this mission. Hell, he'd even take some of the men if
need be for this mission. The choice was ultimately O'fields and not his.
He saw the lighting turn to amber in his ready room and felt
the slight jostle of docking procedures. He pressed the button on his desk. "Reed
to the galley."
"Yes sir." The reply was instant.
"Be sure to set two places at my table tonight and make
sure I have a large selection of alcoholic beverages on hand to offer my
guest."
"Aye, sir."
By tonight O'field will give me anything I want.
Malcolm punched another button and watched the security team round up the crew
and detain them in the sizable brig.
--
Reed poured himself a drink and waited patiently for O'field
to be delivered to him. Luckily, no one had resisted, and no one had been
harmed. His comm panel chirped and he opened the channel. "Sir, we have a
problem," Gomez's voice informed him.
"And?" he stated dryly.
"O'field isn't the captain of the Celestial. Our
intelligence is outdated and�"
"Just bring me whoever the captain is and be done with
it," Reed bristled, setting his beer down gently. "And make an
accurate accounting of the manifest and crew. Do I make myself, clear?"
"Understood, sir."
Reed stared out the small hatch and looked at the cargo
hauler beside him. It was older than the Intrepid and only capable of warp two.
The Intrepid was capable of warp three point six. The Celestial looked like it
had a few asteroid impacts in recent months -- impacts that had yet to be
patched up. Whoever the captain was, he was sloppy.
The door to his mess chimed and he didn't even turn to greet
the arrival.
The door hissed open and Gomez cleared her throat.
"Sir, here's Captain Sato per your request."
"That will be all, Lieutenant. Dismissed."
An uneasy silence filled the room and Hoshi watched Captain
Reed's profile as he stared out the hatch and sipped his beer. He was slightly
taller than she with dark hair and a slim build. The Starfleet uniform with the
gold piping did little for his lithe form, but only served to hide what she
could only imagine was beneath it.
For Christ's sake, Sato! Get a fucking grip. Remain
calm. Quit sizing up the prick in front of you and find out what the hell he
wants. Note to self. Next furlough, get laid!
"Looks like your hull could use some repair work."
Reed continued to glare out the window and assess the ship.
"We were going to stop at Minos Four for repairs after
we made our next rendezvous, which we're late for, by the way," Hoshi
stated with a slightly annoyed hitch to her voice.
Reed spun quickly at the sound of the feminine voice,
startled. He quickly recovered. "When did you gain the captaincy of the
Celestial?"
"About six months ago," Hoshi replied and looked
straight ahead as Reed approached her. God, he smells good.
He stood inches in front of her surmising her stance. Her
dark brown eyes looked over his shoulder and she chewed the inside of her lip.
"I see." He walked to the table and calmly picked up the PADD and
punched in her name.
Hoshi Sato was listed as a runaway and had taken refuge on
the Horizon, where she remained for four years. Six months ago, the ownership
of the Celestial mysteriously transferred over to her and she became its
captain. He shook his head in disbelief and disgust. For someone so young, she
certainly was poised and controlled. Let's see if we can't ruffle her
feathers a bit."
"So, you got bored and your mommy and daddy bought you
a space ship so you could come out here and play." The goading glint to
his voice was minimal at best and he waited for her reply.
"If my parents were so inclined to buy me a space ship.
They would have bought me something that would have surpassed Intrepid,"
she bantered back calmly.
Touch�. She has spunk. Reed circled around her,
assessing for any weaknesses.
"I won her in a poker game from O'field."
Reed pulled a seat out for her and motioned for her to sit
down. "The stakes must have been pretty high." His curiosity was
piqued.
Sato took the seat politely, brushing against her host
softly. She had no delusions as to what she looked like, but a woman was a woman
and she had all the right parts. Perhaps she could use her assets to charm her
way out of the detention. She tugged on her jeans and moved to take her jacket
off. "Do you mind?" She handed the stained material to her host for
him to hang, which he did without missing a beat. "The hand was down to me
and O'field. We were both evenly matched and put all of our earnings into the
pot." She watched as Reed sat down across from her. "It was a
stalemate, and neither of us had anything else to bet. So I bet him a night of
unadulterated lust, no holds barred and he tossed in the Celestial to
counter."
Reed couldn't help but scoff. "He bet his ship to call
on sex? You must be legendary in bed."
Hoshi's brow arched, she grinned; yet remained silent.
"Go on," he encouraged.
"I had a straight. He had three of a kind. I won."
Just then the porter entered and served them, breaking the
easy-going conversation between the two captains. Then he left.
"Why have you impounded my crew and my ship?"
Hoshi asked and took a bite of her meal.
"You're in direct violation of Starfleet regulation
2603.75. Illegal arms distribution to an enemy of Earth." Reed cut his
food.
"Since when are the Andorians enemies of Earth? Did I
miss a memo or something?" Hoshi's stomach flipped uneasily and she set
her utensils down.
He sipped his beer to hide the smile on his lips and took
another bite, chewing thoughtfully as the caustic tone to her voice echoed in
his mind. So she does rattle.
"Well?" A hint of desperation caught in Hoshi's
tone.
"They are potential enemies," Reed stated coldly.
"And since they are potential enemies, you have broken the law and are
subject to the penalties."
Hoshi's head was whirling as she registered the serious tone
in her capture's inflections. Priorities shifted from making the rendezvous to
simply staying alive. The penalty was execution. Reed pushed back from the
table slightly and continued staring at her, waiting for the seriousness of the
bogus charge to sink in. Earth was very friendly with the Andorians, but the
information wasn't really public domain yet. Andoria easily embraced anybody
who demonstrated the slightest dislike of Vulcans.
The sound of her chair scraping the floor as she stood
caught his attention. He pushed his chair further out to stand out of courtesy,
but stopped when she motioned for him to stop. He sat transfixed as she
sauntered up to him. Curiosity over her next move had him wondering.
Captain Sato touched Reed's shoulder and stooped down at his
side, letting the cascade of her hair brush against his cheek. "I'm sure
there's a mutual agreement we could reach�" Her tongue flicked against his
ear lobe and she graciously straddled his lap. "I could unload the
contraband to you and you could do with it as you see fit. And you could see
how legendary in bed I can be."
Reed had to give her credit as her slight weight settled
across his lap. Her husky whisper sent a shiver down his spine and he felt his
body respond to the heat that was pressed onto his crotch. Her hand traveled
between their bodies and undid the buttons of her blouse. He sat stock-still
and let her exorcise whatever demon she needed to express.
She bit his earlobe and moved down his jaw and finally
claimed his lips.
He allowed her access to his inner recesses and couldn't
help the groan that escaped his throat as her tongue scraped its way across
his. She was done exposing her breasts to him, the shirt and bra deftly removed
as the materials hung on her shoulders. She was half-naked and sitting on his
lap, her tongue mimicking the rhythm of lovers.
Her warm hands encircled his wrists and lifted them to her
chest. His palms flattened against her warm flesh and against his better
judgment, he responded.
She gasped as his fingertips clasped her nipples and tweaked
them simultaneously in rhythm with his thrusting tongue. Her plan blurred and
her focus shifted as sharp splinters of arousal stirred inside her. Does it
really matter if I enjoy seducing my way out of this? Does this make me such a
bad person? I'm doing this for the crew.
He shifted and broke the kiss, only to trail his tongue and
beard down the sensitive column of her throat. He lifted her off his lap but
kept his lips pressed to her pulse. She heard some dishes shatter on the deck as
he shoved them off the table. The scrape of his beard against her tender flesh
sent all semblance of thought out the proverbial window. I'm so glad he's
agreeable.
Reed caressed his breath against one breast while one hand
pinched and teased the other. Good God, she smells good. His other
hand made quick work of the button and zipper to her jeans as he slipped his
fingers past the nest and into the wet folds, finally settling at a smooth and
steady stroke on the jutting evidence of her heightened arousal. He pulled her
nipple into his mouth hard and let it go with a loud pop. "Ignorance of
the law is no excuse," he growled.
Her response was immediate as he continued to stroke her. He
was refusing her plan, but taking what she offered so readily.
His arm pinned her shoulders down as she tried to sit up and
lash out at him. His fingers continued to stroke her clit as his knee pinned
hers opened. She strained and hissed. "Bastard! Let me go!" Just
then, a white-hot flame shot through her body and she trembled in his arms.
He coaxed the angry waves of her release from her body
expertly, laughing and growling at the same time. "Don't go getting
panicky on me now, Captain. I could bend you over this table and bugger you
right now, if I wanted. The charges of sedition against Earth will stand
against you and your crew. The Celestial and her cargo will remain impounded
and auctioned off to the highest bidder as soon as it can be arranged."
Reed slipped his fingers from her wetness and pushed himself
off of her. He walked over to the door and opened.
Hoshi jump and started righting her clothes, fuming.
"Ensign, escort the Captain to the brig so that she can
await trial with her crew," Reed instructed.
"Aye sir!"
Hoshi moved past Reed but stopped dead as his arm shot out
and blocked her way. His beard and lips brushed against her ear.
"Just so you know... I've had better. It's a good thing
your hand was higher than O'fields because you wouldn't have been able to
deliver on the bet."
He lowered his arm and let her pass. She had never been this
pissed before. She clasped her shirt closed over her chest and quickly buttoned
her pants before walking out. His words echoed in her mind. Her pride had been
decapitated at the knees, but was secondary to her main concern. Everything she
had worked for and the lives of her crew were at stake. Plan A was shot to hell
and there wasn't a plan B. Now, she had another problem to contend with. How
was she going to tell her crew?
-----
TBC