Twenty-Four Hours Earlier - The I.S.S. Enterprise
"I told you, Sulu, I'm not interested." Lt. Nyota Uhura, of the I.S.S. Enterprise, toyed with the dagger she usually kept tucked into the top of one thigh-high boot. Whenever Sulu managed to get her alone--which happened with annoying frequency lately--she made a point of keeping the weapon at hand. She'd been on her way to her quarters when he appeared as if by coincidence and cornered her in this cul-de-sac; the knife had been in her hand before he got near enough to touch her. Not that it was much of a threat if he was of a mind to overpower her, but that wasn't what he wanted.
Or so he claimed. "I'm just suggesting you might want to rethink your position," Sulu said, a mocking smile on his face. He stroked his scarred cheek meaningfully. "Not that I mind a few battle scars, but I think you and I would be better off as allies." The smile turned cruel. "Besides, you know the captain's still interested in his current woman. You were never more than a one-night stand."
She almost slapped him, but held herself under rigid control. She should have known he'd find out about the night she spent in Kirk's quarters. "Things change," she said in an even voice. "I'm willing to take that gamble. But I'm not willing to jump into an alliance against Captain Kirk." She paused, deciding in a split second to hedge her bets. "Not right now."
"Hey, who said anything about an alliance against Kirk?" Sulu asked, raising his hands in a "who, me?" gesture that was about as sincere as this entire conversation. "When I said allies, I wasn't talking mutiny." Not yet, his entire attitude implied.
Uhura stared at him coldly. "This conversation is over, mister. If you back off then maybe, just maybe, I won't report it to the captain."
Sulu shrugged, but she wasn't fooled. He was furious, but keeping himself under control for once. "There isn't anything to mention, and you know where to find me when you decide you want me." He moved out of her way with exaggerated courtesy, sweeping his arms in an "after you" manner that she eyed with suspicion.
As Uhura slid past, he reached out and stroked her arm, snatching his hand back with a smirk as she whirled, dagger ready to slice off the offending fingers. Raising his arms in an mocking gesture of surrender, he backed away, then turned and swaggered in the opposite direction from which he'd originally claimed to be heading.
Uhura waited until he disappeared from sight, then waited some more until his bodyguards had also passed. They'd been lingering around the corner, out of sight but not out of earshot, ready to pounce if Sulu gave the word. As she'd expected. She frowned. If this kept up, she was going to have to invest in some bodyguards of her own, and soon. Sulu was powerful; he'd decided he wanted her but not by direct force. Coercion, however, was a different story, and she had no doubt the threats would become more overt. She'd done nothing but delay the inevitable.
She shrugged, a half-smile playing across her lips as she strutted down the hall, then entered the code that would allow her access to her quarters. She made sure the door was securely locked as she slipped out of her uniform, tossing the short skirt and halter top across her bed. Bending over to remove her boots, she stopped as she caught her reflection in the floor-length mirror she'd had installed the last time they'd visited Starbase 23. It had been expensive, but, she decided as she admired her firm body, well worth it.
"Magnificent," she gloated, turning this way and that, making a mental note that the effect of full nudity except for her boots and jewelry was quite striking. "No wonder Sulu wants you, Nyota," she murmured as she ran her hands down her body and struck various seductive poses. "But I've got bigger fish to fry, as Momma used to say. Kirk won't keep Moreau forever, and I'll make sure he remembers our night together once she's out of the way."
She certainly remembered. It had been the layover at Starbase 23, a little over a month ago. Moreau had been off the ship, away at some stupid bio lecture or something. Kirk had been restlessly roaming the corridors, a bottle of Saurian brandy in one hand, a new throwing knife in the other. Uhura made sure she was just leaving her quarters when he came by. She'd leaned seductively against the wall, engaging him in conversation with just the right amount of suggestion and innuendo, teased a swig of the brandy out of him, while making it quite clear she was available if he wanted.
He had, indeed, wanted. Moreau was away, had abandoned him to his own devices, so why not? Uhura had outdone herself that night. Kirk had been admiring, but she knew it wouldn't go further, not while he was keeping Moreau in his cabin. Although the idea certainly didn't stop him from bringing Uhura there for the night.
She didn't make any demands on him, letting him be surprised and relieved that she didn't immediately ask for a promotion, or a bigger share of the ship's profits, or for him to get rid of an inconvenient suitor. She'd never made any demands afterwards, either, and caught him looking at her speculatively on more than one occasion during the past thirty days. As if trying to figure her out. She enjoyed the feeling of power she held just by not asking him for anything; it intrigued him, which was exactly what she wanted. A man who was intrigued was likely to come back. She was perfectly happy to bide her time. Moreau wouldn't last, she wasn't even talented enough to get onto the command track, she was stuck in Science and probably would be the rest of her career unless Kirk promoted her before he sent her on her way. Which he would, some day. And Uhura would be there. Waiting.
This upcoming away mission was another opportunity to gain Kirk's attention. She'd made sure she was included in the landing party, along with Scott and McCoy. The Captain's Yeoman usually acted as the seductress when the Captain personally entered into negotiations, but Janice Rand had met with an unfortunate accident a week ago, and a replacement hadn't been immediately required due to Moreau's presence in Kirk's personal life. So Uhura had casually volunteered to be the one to keep the Halkan representative off-balance, to distract him when Kirk made his demands. It was a role she reveled in, as she reveled in the opportunity to once again remind Kirk of exactly what he was missing...