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Might I remind you we will be here for some time, it would be best to keep your temper under control.
Kira snorted.
West added in his last ice cube, “Everything alright over there Captain?”
“Peachy.” Assuming a relaxed stance she said, “I’m only here to make sure all of our paperwork is in line? Since we were allowed to dock I assume we crossed all our t’s and dotted our i’s?”
“Not here for a friendly chat?” West raised his glass to his lips. There was something extremely wormlike about them, Kira decided, as he took a drink.
“Usually summons like this are about protocol.”
“Ah,” West fiddled with his cup, sending his ice spinning around in it, “Miss. Donahue personally processed your paperwork. Everything was in line. I simply wanted to check in with you… Kira, I was informed you were supposed to be staying on board the Eikos.”
That earned him a sharp look, both for the use of her name and for the fact he wanted to check in, “Commander West, I do not believe it is any of your business whether or not I remain aboard the Callistar.”
“You know I do not mean it like that,” he sighed and set his drink down, “There is always a place for you here on the Eikos. You’d be safer here-”
“Safer how?”
“Well, for one you wouldn’t be on a ship with a stranger without proper security, and two-”
“Watson is there,” Kira interrupted him, not allowing him to give a second reason.
West frowned, his chin dropping a little, “And two, it’s not healthy to be alone like that. Besides, you don’t think Watson can’t be worked around? Toke didn’t spill all the beans, but he gave me enough to know that the retrofitter of your ship can work around an AI.”
“Well, one,” Kira raised a finger and her eyebrows, her tone sarcastic, “I’m a grown woman who can look after herself, and two,” a second finger shot up, “I don’t like the accusations you’re making about my new crew member.”
Kira knew Quinn was not quite a crew member, but for the sake of arguing with West it wasn’t worth the semantics. Shifting her weight to her good leg, her ankle ached inside the boot. She’d covered it with loose pants, but a good look down would give it away.
Which was exactly what West did when she’d moved. “Kira is that a medical brace?”
“It’s the new style these days,” she shot back venomously. The anger there made it clear. It was best that he dropped it.
The room speaker beeped before Watson came over the line, “Commander West, sorry to interrupt, Captain Kira, you have an urgent message from Sir.”
Kira breathed in a slow breath. He was early, but she thanked the stars he was. “Thank you, Watson. Forward it to my communicator.”
West stepped towards her almost physically, barring the exit, but she was quicker.
“Thank you Commander, I’m glad everything is in order. I really must be going.”
“Kira-”
“Bye Commander.”
His door wouldn’t auto lock from the inside, so she was out of it and past a very confused Miss Donahue in a matter of moments.
Taking a few deep gulps of air in the corridor like she’d just left a stuffy room, which she had, she’d grin like a Cheshire cat. “Good timing, Watson.”
Someone had to save you from yourself.
“You’re a good man,” she’d chuckle under her breath, starting a very painful walk back to the Callistar.
Chapter Five
KIRA
Hitting up the med-bay first, Kira was immensely grateful that Bree, their ships doctor, was an organized little critter. She also liked labels. “Bless her,” she said as she opened the medicine cabinet.
