How Far The Apple Falls

Dawn of a new era

Another morning waking up the way she had done for the most part of the last three years. The captain's breathing was the first sound she would hear and then she opened her eyes, which thankfully no longer itched from the previous day's make up, to see the familiar room around her. She would then pull the sheets up over her shoulders as she felt cold. She listened for him waking up and was ready to play the Elinor he thought he knew. When he came round, she was ready and sat on the bed with the red silk robe, a cup of coffee in hand and the smile she knew he expected from her but at the same time was weak for. He took the cup from her and began to drink it.

"Good girl" he muttered, still slightly drowsy from the heavy, brandy induced sleep.

"Good morning, Captain. How are you feeling with such a big day ahead of you?"

"I don't think there's going to be much happening. They've got no defences after all."

"But I know if they ask you for trouble they'll get it, right?"

"Oh, that they will, Elinor." Emmett took in her appearance of elegant robe and slightly messy hair and placed a hand on her thigh. She longed to grab it and slap him with it in the "Stop hitting yourself" fashion that she and her brothers had done as children, but instead did nothing except continue to smile in the same way. It wasn't the time or place. She leaned in and caressed his face.

"Just promise me you'll be careful. I've been watching Commander Thorpe's body language the last few days and I think she's up to something. She keeps going quiet if she knows I'm around and avoiding eye contact in the corridor" 

"That pathetic excuse for a first officer is straight to the agony booth if she tries a single thing." Emmett didn't like Commander Sophie Thorpe at all. He knew that the woman wanted his chair but he wasn't stupid and kept her at arms length, her and the chief engineer. The only person he trusted was Elinor. She might be the sister of a traitor to the Empire but at least had the sense to be compliant. And she always seemed to think of everything as well. He finished his coffee and then went to get ready for the day. She waited until the door shut after him leaving eventually and then breathed a sigh of relief. If this part succeeded it would be the last morning like this.

But she wasn't going to be complacent yet. There were still several hours to go depending on how things went down on the planet. The captain would want a celebratory drink when he returned so she would have to choose something for him. His favourite was Vulcan brandy but after something like this he preferred something more special. She went carefully through the wine choices in the ship's stores and decided on a bottle of champagne made in 2243. She was very young when this twenty year old bottle had been made. That was the age difference between her and Captain Emmett so it seemed to fit somehow. She picked up a bottle of the Château Picard red she was rather fond of as well. The quartermaster protested but she gave him a raised eyebrow. He knew what she meant. He could let her past without protest or she would turn over evidence of previous misdemeanours to the captain. Not preventing an assassination attempt when he could have done was one, even if it had failed miserably. She walked past as he stepped aside. It was a wise choice on his part.

Eventually the call from the transporter room came informing her that Captain Emmett had returned. Elinor returned to his quarters and began preparation for his return. The champagne was nicely chilled and the glasses were polished to perfection, free from any finger marks. A final check of her appearance in the mirror showed that she looked fine. She was in the middle of pouring the first glass when Emmett returned and he waited for her to finish the second one. He was very pleased that Volara had agreed to accept the rule of the Terran Empire but also to see that Elinor had once again thought of just what he needed. She smiled at him and handed him a glass

"Welcome back, Captain. I trust that everything went according to plan?"

"Just like I knew it would. They didn't put up any fight, agreed straight away and now I come back to this" He sipped from the glass and was happy to see that the young officer had chosen well. It was a good vintage. He watched as she took a good sip from her own glass.

"It sounds like your day couldn't get any better than this" Elinor took another sip from the glass, then put it down on the table, taking a couple of steps towards him and looking him straight in the eye.

"It can always get better" he chuckled "Come here and attend to me" he said as he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him. This elicited a giggle from her and she put her arms around his neck, stretching up on tiptoe as she was only quite petite and he was much taller than her. Immediately he began to kiss her. It had been a long day and his frayed nerves needed soothing. When his hands got to the tie in her uniform sash, he suddenly felt a sharp prick on the back of his neck.

"Did I catch you with my ring? I'm sorry" Her voice was soft and quiet

"Yes. But just take it off and we'll forget about it."

"Of course, sir" She responded. She did as she was told immediately and placed it down on the table. He pulled her back against him and began to kiss her again.

"Could have given me a heart attack, you bad girl" he muttered jokingly. Elinor giggled at this again

"Not yet , Captain" Her voice and expression then changed "That's not going to happen for another few seconds" Initially he laughed but then realised she wasn't joking. He roughly grabbed hold of her wrists.

"You're not going to get away with this!" He spat. Elinor pushed her wrists in towards him to use the rebound force to push him back, at the same time driving her right knee upwards and into the place where it would hurt the most. His hand went to grab his knife but she was already twirling it tauntingly

"I already have. Feeling a bit humiliated? Degraded? Powerless?"

"How could you do this to me! You're my woman!" He yelled from his spot on the floor. The paralytic from the poison was affecting him as well as bad chest pains "That label will never leave you, you traitor. Just like your father and brother, the apple never falls far from the tree" 

"You're wasting your breath. Goodbye, Dan" Elinor knelt beside him and leaned over and mockingly blew a kiss. She got up, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, and looked around at the scene left behind. His glass was knocked over in the struggle but hers was still standing. She picked up her communicator and waited for Commander Thorpe to answer.

"It's done" she said.