Chapter One: Epilogue is Prologue
A spotlight came on above the stage. A Caitian woman was alone, sitting solemnly upon a lone fake stump set dead in the middle of the light. The overheard beam burned bright and heavy upon her cream-colored fur and as she brought her head up, the wicked gleam of her toothy grin caught in the revelry of the streaming light.
"It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue," she said with a purr, "but it is no more unhandsome than to see the lord the prologue. If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 'tis true that a good play needs no epilogue."
She stood at this point, stretching lazily and then clasping her arms behind her back.
"Yet to good wine they do use good bushes, and good plays prove the better by the help of good epilogues."
A look of indecision and confusion spread across her furred face as she broke eye contact with the audience only for a moment to look up to the sky, as if silently asking the invisible stars for guidance.
"What a case I am in then, that am neither a good epilogue nor cannot insinuate with you in the behalf of a good play!"
She threw out her arms in exasperation and did a playful twirl, making sure to face the audience by the end of it.
"I am not furnished like a beggar, therefore to beg will not become me: my way is to conjure you," she leaned ever so slightly forward and allowed that gleaming smile to play further across her mouth, "and I'll begin with the women. I charge you, O women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as please you."
The Caitian's smile then became almost sultry.
"And I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women—as I perceive by your simpering," she leaned further out, all her feminine wiles at play, "none of you hates them—that between you and the women the play may please."
She ended that bit with a wink and stood taller, collecting herself to her full height.
"If I were a woman," she paused knowingly with an almost imperceptible shrug, "I would kiss as many of you as had beards that pleased me, complexions that liked me and breaths that I defied not. And, I am sure, as many as have good beards or good faces or sweet breaths will, for my kind offer, when I make curtsy, bid me… farewell."
She bowed low and graciously, signaling the modest audience to reward her with a joyous applause.
Atticus Noon joined in with the standing ovation to this wonderful little performance. When Noon began his aimless trek to enjoy the beauty of Yorktown one last time before setting out into space proper, finding an amateur performance of Shakespeare's "As You Like It" in a park was not exactly what he expected. But as he came in on the tail end of the first act, he decided to stick around. It always fascinated him to see how other species adapted Terran works, and even though this show was mostly played straight, the novelty of a Caitian playing the lead and seeing a Vulcan absolutely dominate the role of Touchstone the fool was not lost in translation.
And what a lovely lead she was. As the rest of the performers came out to give a final group bow, Noon's eyes were drawn to the Caitian woman. Creamy fur, golden-eyed, and golden-brown hair cascading down her back. There was an elegance to her form, an animalistic beauty that was soft and denoted an untamed wildness. Noon could certainly see why other species were often romantically drawn to Caitians. But such things did not concern him at this point in his life. He had more pressing issues to keep to the front of his mind. As the crowd began to disperse and the cast began talking to fans, Noon gave a few more respectful claps before turning away and walking further into the park.
As the artificial night created by Yorktown's advanced day/night cycle systems marched slowly along, he realized it would almost be time to head back to his quarters and try to get some rest. Before the big day tomorrow became a reality. Noon meandered around the park, not really looking for anything beyond the general splendor of one of Yorktown's finest public spaces. He settled on a bench resting atop a small slope that glided down to meet the shore of a crystal-clear lake. Water spurted from underwater fountains below the surface, creating a pleasant artistic beauty. People of all shapes, sizes, and species walked and laughed and ate small confections. Noon relaxed further to truly appreciate the wonder of the peace that surrounded him.
This. This is why he was in Starfleet. Because he believed in this. That the Federation is a shining light of peace and comfort to be shared across the dark vastness of space. With all peoples. No matter who they may be.
Noon let his mind wander for several minutes. He continued to drift before something caught his eye, bringing him out of his mental stupor. Making their way from the opposite end of the lake was the Caitian, her Vulcan co-star, and a Human woman. Probably a fan, judging by how she fawned over the two amateur actors. As they drew closer to his end of the lake, the fangirl gave a clumsy Vulcan salute and ran off in a giddy gallop. The Caitian stifled a laugh while the Vulcan cocked a single eyebrow in something that looked to be halfway between amusement and annoyance. The two of them continued along the path by the lake for a few more minutes before separating. The Vulcan giving a much more dignified farewell salute.
The Caitian was alone then, standing by the lakeside, enjoying the view seemingly as much as Noon was. He thought for a moment if he should say something to her. It seemed rude to disturb her, but he also felt uncomfortable as a voyeur. Deciding to risk the rudeness, he straightened up and called out to her.
"Oh, Rosalind!" he yelled. She wasn't too far away from his bench so he didn't have to call too loudly, although he knew her enhanced auditory senses would have been able to hear him from halfway across the lake. As she glanced to where Noon had called from, he added, "Your performance earlier was outstanding!" Her curious expression turned into a coy sort of amusement as she brushed her hair back and grinned.
"Thank you! Mrowwwrrr. So you saw our little show, then?" she asked, sauntering up the incline towards the bench.
"Oh yes," he replied, "I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to enjoy a little Shakespeare in the park."
"Ah, a true appreciator of the arts. And here I thought we didn't get the word out long enough beforehand to attract a true connoisseur," she said with a friendly purr.
"You're giving me far too much credit. I found your show by coincidence," he clarified.
"Oh. Really?" the Caitian seemed disappointed by that, her ears even drooping slightly. "Pity. I guess we didn't get the word out then. Next time we do a show, we have to get better advertisement." She sat down on the bench next to Noon and rested one leg atop the other. The coat she wore over her costume rode up somewhat, revealing a substantial amount of her cream-colored legs as her tail playfully wagged back and forth. "So… what brought you out at this late hour? Hopefully not a late-night rendezvous with some strange woman."
"No, nothing like that," Noon dismissed, doing his best to ignore the hypnotic swing of her tail, "Although, if you don't mind me saying… there is something I do find strange about you."
"I don't mind you saying and, please, do tell," she said with a curious sort of grin.
"You see, I thought I had met a Caitian before," he explained. "The Caitians I had seen had tails but looked very much the Terran-like standard. You know, with skin and whatnot."
"Then they were not full-blooded Caitians," the Caitian woman stated simply. "I hope seeing a full-blooded Caitian now does not disappoint… mrewwrrr." She made a significant effort to stretch out, showing off her exposed fur and tapping her claws on the bench.
Noon chuckled at that. Making a concerted effort to keep the mood friendly, he said, "No, not at all. Coming to this park turned out to be quite the learning experience."
"And why exactly did you come to this park, if not for the entertainment or the finest exotic beauties the Federation has to offer?" she inquired.
"I'm in Starfleet and I'm shipping out on the Hood tomorrow. I guess I wanted to have a few more breaths of fresh air in me." At the mention of the Hood, the Caitian sat up, her coat restoring a generous amount of decency to her figure and her tail folding down and resting in her lap.
"The Hood?" she asked. "You're serving on the Hood?"
"I am. Chief of Security and First Officer," he replied. The Caitian somehow managed to sit up even further and stiffened.
"Then that would make you Commander Atticus Noon," she said, nodding as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"It would. But… how would you know that?" he asked. But Noon already figured he knew the answer. He had an idea that this might just be the Caitian assigned to the Hood, but he wanted to leave open the possibility for error. Assumptions make an ass out of everyone. As it turned out, that was unnecessary as the Caitian chuckled politely to herself before standing at attention.
"Lieutenant Shiboline M'Ress, Communications Officer assigned to the USS Hood due to leave Yorktown station tomorrow. Sir," she added an extra layer of polite purring to that last word as she continued to stand at rapt attention. Noon found her performance amusing and waved a hand at her to sit.
"At ease, Lieutenant. Duty hasn't even begun yet. No need for proper introductions until tomorrow." M'Ress retook her seat. She didn't have the same loose sitting posture as she had before, but she was visibly more relaxed.
"Good. I'd hate to have to end my vacation short by running into my superior officer and getting dragged into formality," she said, adding some mock disgust onto the last word.
"No, no. We wouldn't want that. Think of the tragedy," he said. Whatever tension had built up had easily been defused. Good. Noon didn't need to have any of the crew starting off their voyage with the jitters or any misconceptions about him.
"It's just surprising is all," M'Ress said. "I never expected to run across another of my crew in the park, let alone my ship's first officer. Makes me paranoid."
"Stranger things have happened in this universe, I'm sure of it," Noon pointed out.
"I suppose… mrowwrr… which begs another question, if you'll indulge me."
"Go ahead. I'm a… mostly open book."
"You seem quite young for a first officer, aren't you? Let alone the Chief of Security."
"You would be correct. Apparently, I'm something like the ninth or tenth youngest person to make it to first officer."
"Ninth or tenth? I expected there to be fewer."
"Hey, I'm in my late twenties. It isn't like I'm some sort of baby."
"Still. Quite the accomplishment."
"Well, get enrolled into enough Honors courses and pre-req programs and you'll find your way to the top sooner than later. Not that I'm planning on making captain any time soon."
"But there has to be more to it than that."
"Maybe… one or two things. Needless to say, my situation is a little unique and… a little unstable. But enough about that, I'd much rather hear about you."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. I want to know my crew better than I know the back of my hand."
"My, how intimate. I'm sorry to disappoint, but there isn't much to my rise to the glory of Communications Officer. I wanted to be in engineering, but because of my species' gifted ears, I was encouraged to pursue communications as a steppingstone." M'Ress leaned back against the bench and gazed starward. "Someday, I'm hoping to make it to Chief Engineer."
"Is that your subtle way of getting me to help pad your resume with a first officer's recommendation?"
M'Ress put a paw to her chest in faux outrage.
"Perish the thought, sir!"
"Good. Because my recommendations don't come easy. You'll have to work for a living, Lieutenant."
"Mrowr… Of course, sir."
"You don't have to call me 'sir,' M'Ress. We're off-duty."
"Of course I don't. Sir," she purred assuringly. There was a quiet moment before they both started chuckling. M'Ress got comfortable again before continuing.
"Anyway, so here I am. Living out the whirlwind life of a Communications Officer on the frontiers of space," she said.
"Why the Hood in particular? Did you get assigned, or…?"
"No, I had my pick. And it came down to either the Hood or the Enterprise. And the Enterprise seemed a little too…" she struggled to find the right word.
"Exciting?" Noon offered, knowing full well of the Enterprise's brash reputation.
"Explosion-friendly," she corrected. "Besides, they already have a comms officer, which would leave me as the relief. And I'd rather take a lead role."
"Well I promise to do my best to make sure we almost die in a hellfire of explosions every so often. Just to make sure you won't feel like you're missing out with the Enterprise."
"Oh, would you? that sounds marvelous!" Her mock enthusiasm coming out strong as she clasped her hands together. "Although, I wouldn't think Captain Dodge would appreciate you endangering his ship on a regular basis."
"I assure you I will bring all hellfire-related explosions through the proper chain of command before endangering the lives of my subordinate officers and crewmen."
"I feel safer already, Commander," she said with a cool grin.
"At any rate, I expect you to lead all theatrical matters during our voyage."
"Oh, stop. That was just a bit of fun before getting down to business. Theater is only one of my hobbies."
"What are the others?"
"That'll have to wait for another time, I'm afraid," she said, standing up and stretching. "It's well past my bedtime and I need to get some decent sleep if I hope to perform my first day duties to the satisfactory level expected by my superior officers."
"Well then, far be it for me to keep you," Noon responded and stood as well. He stuck out his hand and M'Ress took it in her paw. Her grip was soft, but firm. And warm. "Until tomorrow, Lieutenant. I expect you to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed." M'Ress giggled and brought her tail up between them, waggling it playfully.
"Mrowwr… It can't get much bushier than it already is, Commander. But I will try my best."
"I don't doubt it," he said and let go of her paw. His own hand felt colder for the loss of contact with her fur. She turned to walk away.
As she strode away across the grass, Noon called out, "Fare thee well, Rosalind!" She turned around and while walking backwards gave him a slight bow.
"As I make my curtsy, bid me farewell!" she called and back turned around, fading away from sight. Noon stared after her for a while before making his own way home though the long warm night.
So there was the first chapter! Hope you got some enjoyment out of it! I'm hoping to release at least one chapter a week. The smut won't start getting smutty until Chapter 4. Hold out until then if that's what you're here for. If anyone is actually reading this and cares, let me know, and I'll speed up the release of chapters. They're all done, I just have to edit and post them. Like I said, at least one a week, but more if I can get to it and if there's actual push for it.
Also something of a note, I borrowed character names off the Hood's personnel roster from a wiki. Dodge is one of them, and you'll be meeting the rest in the next chapter! I didn't bother to try and hold to whatever characterizations they had before in whatever non-canon novel they first appeared or were mentioned in. Just decided to make them my own as best I could.