A terrible blizzard was raging out there but inside the house it was warm and pleasant. For Marcus and Lena the day started with a walking trip in the nearby forest. They returned around noon when they saw the gathering clouds. By the time they entered the main door the wind was already blowing strong.

Now, late in the afternoon, they were sitting on either sides of the large sofa in the livingroom, watching some war holo-movie with beer in their hands. Even if they were on vacation, they stuck to their uniforms as they were proud to be soldiers, though they took it easier than usual. Both buttoned out their collars and Lena was wearing her long, black hair in a simple ponytail.

They've been watching the movie for a while, but it wasn't the best they had ever seen, but the makers could have made it much better. It was about a company of clones, liquidating some remaining confederate stronghold in the name of the Empire, shortly after the end of the Clone War.

„Ah. I don't know if I should laugh or cry now." commented Lena, when the now Imperial stormtroopers heroically charged the hilltop shouting battle cries. „There were those rocks on the other side of the hill. They could use them as cover and get closer to the fort safer. No, let's charge through the most coverless, open field and risk loosing half of the company senslessly!"

„I see your point. And that orbital bombardment scene before. We never open fire before the troop transport land." added the naval officer.

„Mind if I switch to something else?"

„I'd thank you for that."

And so Lena stood up to find something better to watch. Marcus stared out the window for a moment and when he turned back quite a sight greeted him. As Lena leaned down to the device, he got a nice view at her much curvy rear part. He got stunned immediately and got lost in thoughts. He never ever thought about her like that but now he had no choice but admit that she was in fact a dead beautiful woman. And for a few seconds his mind wandered away, wondering how smooth her skin could be...

Luckily he managed to quickly look away before she turned around after finding some sport broadcast. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing." he replied. "Anything?"

"Just a lot of boring stuff." Lena shrugged.

"Someone needs to talk with the leadership of the broadcast center." said Marcus. "I start making dinner." he said as he stood up.

"Say, can I use that fancy gym of yours while you're in the kitchen? It would make more sense than this."

"Without question." he replied.

"Thanks." The house's large gym was fitted with various workout machines; Lena was jogging on the treadmill, while the glass wall in front of her allowed her to watch the ocean in mean time.

As she was working out, she couldn't help but think about her host. She was indeed very wrong in the past when she thought she knew Marcus. His generosity was a very nice surprise for her. And that thought of hers about him in the bathtub... She shook her head, shooing it away. "Don't think stupid things!" she warned herself. It's nothing like that, it's not even possible. They are... acquaintances, friends. That's all. Yet, it would have been a lie to state that she didn't begin to like him.

After a while she had enough and covered with sweat she headed to the bathroom.

Marcus on the other hand finished the dinner and went to tell Lena; however he couldn't find her in her room. As he was searching for her, he passed the slightly open bathroom door and for the second time that evening he froze down as he looked inside. In the middle of the premises there was Lena toweling herself dry after the bath with her bare back facing him, though because of a small cupboard he couldn't see lower than her waist... Damn, that slim figure, that smooth skin still covered with a thin layer of water, every line, every muscle was just beauteous on her. To his great surprise two crossed swords were tattooed on the upper part of her back, but that just added to the sight.

He could have stared for longer, but he managed to keep consciousness and hurried away with an accelerated pulse.

By the time Lena arrived to the dining room, everything was ready. "Why are you being so strange today?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Am I strange?" Marcus tried to divert the conversation.

"Hm. You're probably right after all." she smirked. "You've always been weird."

"I love you too." he joked back, unknowingly causing her to get confused.

The two settled down for supper without any further words.

"Was the exercise good?" Marcus asked after a while.

"Oh it felt great." replied Lena. "It was good to move intensively."

"Glad to hear that."

"Quite an enjoyable stay to say at least." she said, taking a bite.

Marcus answered with a smile, then something got into his mind that already interested him earlier. "Say, can I ask something?"

"Go ahead." she nodded.

"Why are you being so puritan? I mean, with the salary of a lieutenant colonel you could have a much better service apartment than that tiny one you have for example. And you don't have too many stuffs either."

"Ah." Lena stopped eating and put down the fork. "Well, I guess I can tell you. Just don't pass it on, okay?"

"There's a padlock on my mouth." Marcus promised.

"So, you know I am from Ertegas, right?" asked Lena, folding the fingers of her hands on the table."

"Right."

"We are an agricultural planet, which might make you think that everyone has everything they need. Well, no. Not at all. Most of the lands are and have always been in the hands of rich landlords who bought them up from the simple farmers. Some were kicked out of the land of their families, some were allowed to stay as simple tenants, workers in total insecurity. I also came from one of the not too big farms; it is completely surrounded by these huge manors. These moneybags tried to play the same game with us too, but my father insisted to stay. And how wise he is; that land has been the property of our family for generations. But this also means that our financial situation is not the best, as people can get everything cheaper from the big farmlands and... I'm not going to lie, we have always been poor. The land gave us enough to eat, but as for everything else... I became a soldier partly because I wanted to and partly because I wanted to ease the burdens of my father. To answer your question: I always send half of my salary home to help him out. That is why I'm being "puritan". But that's enough for me, I don't have big needs."

"What about your mother?" asked Marcus.

"She died in some sickness when I was about three years old." said Lena. "I don't even have real memories about her, just a few images."

"Kriff..." frowned Marcus. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Never mind, how could you have known? Yeah, for most of the time it was just the two of us with my dad. Everything I know, I learned from him. We may never have had much but we had each other."

"I envy you." said Marcus.

"What? Why?" asked Lena surprised.

"You have a loving parent, a small but caring family."

"Why? To the best of my knowledge, you have a family."

"I have. But as for my relationship with them..." Marcus shrugged. "Honestly, I don't remember the last time we talked. As you know my father was a senator. After the Senate was dissolved, he became a representative in Carida's leadership. And they wanted me to follow his example, they think that it is stupid for someone with so high social status to be a soldier, even an officer. But I wanted to join the military and I couldn't be stopped from that. As for me I find it laughable for a man to spend his entire life at political meetings. My decision made me a black sheep in the Rienar family, they are quite angry with me up until this day." he explained.

"Damn. You know what? I misjudged you." said Lena. "I thought you were like those landlords on Ertegas, that was because I kinda disliked you. Guess I was wrong."

"Everyone can be wrong. But hey, let's talk about something happier. What do you like to do in your free time for example?" asked Marcus.

"Like some date." laughed Lena. "Well, for example I really like speeders."

"Woah. How cool is someone." joked Marcus.

"Did you expect anything less?" smirked Lena.

"Honestly, no. I tell you something. After dinner I show you something that you'll really like." he winked.

After eating he guided her to a garage where six small vehicles were standing, covered with tarps. "Let me present them to you." Marcus said and he removed the tarps, revealing six of the most modern speeders in the Galaxy.

"This is becoming too much." Lena said in awe. "May I?"

"Of course." gestured Marcus.

Lena stepped to one of the speeders, touching its handlebars, switches, and seat. "Beautiful. Just beautiful."

"It can be yours." Marcus simply said.

"What?"

"I think I have more than enough anyway. If you like it so much, I give it to you, really."

"Ah. I would really like to say yes. But I can't." Lena said gratefully, her voice betraying that she was touched. "I'm used to get things by working for them, that's how I was raised."

"That's praiseworthy for sure." nodded Marcus. "Then what about a deal?"

"What kind of?"

"A speeder race, you against me. If you win, it can be yours."

This sounded way better for the female officer. "Why didn't you start with this?" she grinned. "I'm gonna debase you!"

"You think so?"

Not long after this, both of them were sitting on a speeder outside of the gate, clad in their coats. Luckily for them the storm died down a little bit. "Okay. From here to the frozen waterfall and back." said Marcus, fixing his protective glasses.

"Prepare for defeat mister!"

"Ready."

"Set."

"GO!"

The two got underway like rockets as they sped on the empty road, the snowflakes hitting their faces like many tiny needles. After a while they took a sharp right turn into the dark woods, turning on their headlights. Until now the race was more or less equal but now because of the trees they had to zig zag here and there. Because of a dark rock she didn't see, Lena had to slow down significantly, and take an evasive maneuver.

"Bye bye!" Marcus shouted back laughing.

"Oh yeah?" Lena muttered with a grin, not intending to lose. She took a turn and disappeared in the depths of the forest.

Marcus on the other hand reached a glade and a few hundred meters before him he could already see the gradual, wide waterfall frozen into various formations of ice. "Huhh. Too easy." Just as he thought this, he suddenly noticed a small, growing light on top of the cliff.

What he couldn't expect was Lena, appearing out of nowhere and racing down the steep, rough ice formation.

"Wooohooo!" she yelled and before Marcus could blink, she passed by him like lightning, heading back to the house.

"Hey!" he turned back.

"I can't remember setting rules!" Lena shouted back with a smirk on her face.

Marcus shook his head with a small smile and turned around, following her, increasing the speed as much as he could. By the time they reached the road again he was hot on her heel again but couldn't get any closer.

They were closing rapidly to the house and then... Lena reached the gate, fisting the air triumphantly.

"Good old Lena Barani. Just as tough as always." Marcus said, as he took down his glasses and stopped next to her.

"Admit that you like it." grinned Lena, pointing at him mockingly.

"I don't lie, I do. And I stand my word. It's officially yours."

"In the end I'll find out that you are too kind." chuckled Lena. "Thank you Marcus, really."

The pair went back into the house. The warm air felt great as the temperature out there combined with the strong leading wind almost made the skin of their faces insensitive.

"Let's hit the bed, shall we?" asked Marcus as they were going up the stairs. It was late in the night indeed.

"I support your idea, I'm done." said Lena. "But this day was great, especially with this ending, I felt alive!"

"Ha ha. Good to hear that." smiled Marcus. He knew Lena was impulsive, but he had never seen her so energetic. And it only made her even more attractive... "I didn't ask if your place is good." he said when they stopped at her room.

"Very much." she replied as she opened the door. "In fact, this is the most comfortable place I have ever been in my life. Unusual for me but great."

"I'm glad then." And then came that unpleasant, agonizing silence.

They knew they should turn around but none of them could, as if their feet were glued to the floor. All they could notice was that they were slowly getting closer to each other and none of them really knew how. All they knew was that the other's scent was so pleasant, so seductive. And the other's face, hair, mouth...

And then the breaking point came as their lips interlocked in a kiss. After savoring him Lena pulled back for a mere second before claiming his lips for her again and snaking her arms around his neck. Her move was rewarded with two strong arms folding around her body, holding her close. "I knew you found me desirable." she thought with a small smirk as they continued the more and more heated kiss.

She grabbed his collar and dragged him after herself into her room. No, Marcus wasn't just an old acquaintance, enemy and friend or host. He became something more. And that more made her to start unbuttoning his overcoat and to let him to free her from her clothes one by one. And to push herself fully against him, wrapping a long, slender leg around his waist. And then to drag him further to the huge bed...