The Lady and The Commander - Chapter 7
Title: The Lady and the Commander - Chapter Seven
'Historical' A/U
Not my characters, not making money.
Rated: Mish
As it has been a while, I have added links to previous chapters.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
As they reached the upper deck, Laura did not require any further clues to ascertain the crisis aboard the ship. Thick blankets of smoke were billowing into the air and the unmistakeable crackle of fire exploded into what would have been an otherwise still night.
Mr Tigh was barking orders and sailors appeared to be rushing in many directions at once.
"Fire," the Commander murmured with trepidation.
"What can I do?" she asked.
"Do not come to harm," the Commander said, pushing her to an area away from the deck ladder. "We are on a wooden ship. Fire is our arch nemesis. If we cannot control the flames, we shall have to abandon ship, so prepare yourself and remain here, close to the lifeboats."
With that, Adama strode purposefully towards Mr Tigh.
A line of sailors formed a chain to pass pails of water from one to another. She was relieved to see both Kara and Callandra were in amongst this row of men, aiding them in this capacity. She would never forgive herself if any harm should befall the young girls under her patronage. She glanced around desperately for sight of Victoria but failed to locate the young girl.
She did spy, however, a grey headed man bending on his haunches next to some obviously injured crew members. She reasoned that the man was the ship's doctor. She watched for a moment, realising he was rapidly becoming overwhelmed with the amount of wounded who needed to be treated.
She made her way over and, without further ado, went to work assisting him.
0.0.0
William Adama could not believe they had been fortunate enough to save the ship. As he had informed Lady Laura, fire was the one great fear of sailors. The smallest spark could engulf a ship within a few short minutes. He did not wish to contemplate the consequences had Mr Tigh not made a trip to the galley in search of extra alcohol. For once, his friend's dire drinking habit had found some advantage in his life.
He cast his eyes around the deck. His crew, along with the two women he was under the belief were Lady Laura's attendants, sat exhausted and spent from the previous two hours, the time it had taken them to gain control over their amber enemy. Quite a few men wandered near the entrance to the damaged deck with blackened faces. Many of these were engaged in coughing spasms which were wrenching their weakened bodies.
"Mr Karl!" he shouted to attract the officer's attention.
"Yes, sir."
"I believe the Officers have a vat of water that was not stored in the galley with the remainder of the crew's provisions. Can you please arrange for it to be distributed amongst the most smoke affected?"
"Yes, sir."
"Mr Galen! We will need you and your men to immediately ascertain the extent of the damage and report back to me with as much haste as possible. Furthermore, I need you to be attentive for indications as to where this demon sprang from."
"Yes, I understand, sir."
"Mr Jaffee!"
"Sir!"
"Please make an inventory of what food and supplies can be salvaged. Then please mediate with Mr Karl so that a rationing system is calculated."
His eyes wandered to where he had told Laura to stand but could not see any trace of her beauteous shape.
He scanned the deck and was taken aback when his eyes rested upon her. She was winding a dressing around the leg of an injured member of his crew. He watched for a time as she and Doctor Cottle worked in tandem, attending to the men with burns and cuts and bruises sustained in their encounter. He walked purposely towards her, though, when he observed her closing the eyes of one of the men and pulling a sheet up to cover the body.
He pulled her up from her position on the ground next to the deceased, and held her close in a brief but warm embrace.
"You do not need to assist the Doctor any further. I shall find another member of the crew to support him. Come," he began to draw her away from the injured, "sit down and rest for a while until the morning fully dawns."
"No," she said in a firm voice. "Your crew are exhausted from their trials in fighting the flames. I am still in a tolerable mood." His heart thumped inside of his chest when she looked up and gave him a smile. "That embrace has facilitated much more strength in my body. May I be bold enough to petition for an additional one when the doctor and I have concluded administering our aid to the patients?"
He found himself returning her smile.
"Your wish is my command, my lady."
She hummed. Then, after a slight paused asked,"Is the fire completely extinguished?"
"It would appear so. We came perilously close to sustaining a great deal more damage."
"Do you know its source?"
"I have sent my head carpenter in to sift through the wreckage. We shall soon know whether or not he is able to establish the ignition point from his investigation. The crew are very aware, however, of the dangers of fire. It is standard practice, for instance, that only pipes and chewing tobacco are permissible whilst aboard."
"You sense the blaze may have been started by a deliberate action, do you not?"
"Mr Jaffee, our head cook, is not one to allow such errors in his galley. Unlike many of the other crew, he does not indulge in alcohol and, therefore, I find it difficult to believe he would be without such duty of care. He is not one to ignore his responsibilities of ensuring all boiling pits were fully contained before his retirement for the evening. I think this indicates the fire will not be determined to be an accidental incidence."
Mr Karl chose this moment to arrive on the scene with a barrel of fresh water. Doctor Cottle commenced issuing orders, with his usual brusque mannerisms, as to the use of the water.
"Use it sparingly, doctor," he warned. "This is our last barrel. All the others were in the galley and were, therefore, destroyed."
"There is another," Laura informed him. "The Viscount brought several of his own provisions. I am positive they included a barrel of fresh water." She turned to Mr Karl. "Please go and appropriate the Viscount's supplies on my orders."
"Yes, ma'am," Mr Karl nodded curtly before departing.
"The doctor requires my assistance," she said. "We should discuss our situation later."
"Yes," he nodded in agreement. "I must locate Mr Felix. He and Doctor Baltar will need to discover land in order to replenish our supplies."
"Wait, Commander." She laid a hand upon his arm. "I think we should initially grant Mr Felix an opportunity to find land by his own means. I do not believe it wise to entrust the Doctor in this endeavour until his whereabouts this night is established."
He had to concur he also had initial misgivings about the trustworthiness of the doctor, therefore, he nodded before gently squeezing her arm and departing in search of his navigator.
0.0.0
Later that morning, William Adama finally made his way back to his quarters. He carried a small ewer of seawater he was planning on utilising to cleanse himself. He was full of sweat and his clothes had been permeated in smoke and ash particles. The putrid smouldering scent of smoke still settled on Galactica resulting in various respiratory afflictions amongst his crew.
He poured the water into a bowl that stood on his nightstand before disrobing from his uniform. He found a cloth and began sponging his body, starting with his underarms.
"What time is it?"
He swung to the sound of a sweet melodic voice. Laura Roslin lay in his rack. From the way she was stretching her arms and yawning, he assumed she had been, up to a short period ago, slumbering there.
"Just before midday," he murmured in reply, trying to compose himself from her enchanting presence.
She stood gracefully and padded silently towards him. She took the cloth from his fingers, immersed it in the water and squeezed off the excess before gliding it across his shoulders and down his spine.
"Lady Laura," he groaned.
"Mmm," was all she said as an answer.
After several sweeping strokes over his back she leaned around his body to replenish the water of his cloth before quietly ordering him to turn.
He readily complied and she turned her attention to the front of his body. She focussed her ministrations to his upper chest, running the cloth over each of his nipples before guiding it down the centre of his torso and swirling it near the rounded area of his stomach that protruded slightly near the top of his trousers.
"What is this?" she asked, running her finger along the ragged scar that ran down his front.
"I was shot by a Cylon. Some three years have elapsed since the incident," he rasped out, unable to make his voice steady when she was touching him such a manner.
"You must have been extremely close to perishing." She frowned up at him.
"Yes. Doctor Cottle attended to me. As you have probably come to appreciate today, he is a most gifted surgeon."
"Yes," she agreed. "Remind me to offer him my eternal gratitude," she said as she bent down and kissed the raised red flesh.
He groaned her name as he plunged his fingers into the silken strands that adorned her head.
Gradually her mouth ascended the path of his scar to be at a similar level to his own mouth. He bridged the gap between them and pressed his lips onto hers with a contented sigh.
Chapter 8
'Historical' A/U
Not my characters, not making money.
Rated: Mish
As it has been a while, I have added links to previous chapters.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
As they reached the upper deck, Laura did not require any further clues to ascertain the crisis aboard the ship. Thick blankets of smoke were billowing into the air and the unmistakeable crackle of fire exploded into what would have been an otherwise still night.
Mr Tigh was barking orders and sailors appeared to be rushing in many directions at once.
"Fire," the Commander murmured with trepidation.
"What can I do?" she asked.
"Do not come to harm," the Commander said, pushing her to an area away from the deck ladder. "We are on a wooden ship. Fire is our arch nemesis. If we cannot control the flames, we shall have to abandon ship, so prepare yourself and remain here, close to the lifeboats."
With that, Adama strode purposefully towards Mr Tigh.
A line of sailors formed a chain to pass pails of water from one to another. She was relieved to see both Kara and Callandra were in amongst this row of men, aiding them in this capacity. She would never forgive herself if any harm should befall the young girls under her patronage. She glanced around desperately for sight of Victoria but failed to locate the young girl.
She did spy, however, a grey headed man bending on his haunches next to some obviously injured crew members. She reasoned that the man was the ship's doctor. She watched for a moment, realising he was rapidly becoming overwhelmed with the amount of wounded who needed to be treated.
She made her way over and, without further ado, went to work assisting him.
0.0.0
William Adama could not believe they had been fortunate enough to save the ship. As he had informed Lady Laura, fire was the one great fear of sailors. The smallest spark could engulf a ship within a few short minutes. He did not wish to contemplate the consequences had Mr Tigh not made a trip to the galley in search of extra alcohol. For once, his friend's dire drinking habit had found some advantage in his life.
He cast his eyes around the deck. His crew, along with the two women he was under the belief were Lady Laura's attendants, sat exhausted and spent from the previous two hours, the time it had taken them to gain control over their amber enemy. Quite a few men wandered near the entrance to the damaged deck with blackened faces. Many of these were engaged in coughing spasms which were wrenching their weakened bodies.
"Mr Karl!" he shouted to attract the officer's attention.
"Yes, sir."
"I believe the Officers have a vat of water that was not stored in the galley with the remainder of the crew's provisions. Can you please arrange for it to be distributed amongst the most smoke affected?"
"Yes, sir."
"Mr Galen! We will need you and your men to immediately ascertain the extent of the damage and report back to me with as much haste as possible. Furthermore, I need you to be attentive for indications as to where this demon sprang from."
"Yes, I understand, sir."
"Mr Jaffee!"
"Sir!"
"Please make an inventory of what food and supplies can be salvaged. Then please mediate with Mr Karl so that a rationing system is calculated."
His eyes wandered to where he had told Laura to stand but could not see any trace of her beauteous shape.
He scanned the deck and was taken aback when his eyes rested upon her. She was winding a dressing around the leg of an injured member of his crew. He watched for a time as she and Doctor Cottle worked in tandem, attending to the men with burns and cuts and bruises sustained in their encounter. He walked purposely towards her, though, when he observed her closing the eyes of one of the men and pulling a sheet up to cover the body.
He pulled her up from her position on the ground next to the deceased, and held her close in a brief but warm embrace.
"You do not need to assist the Doctor any further. I shall find another member of the crew to support him. Come," he began to draw her away from the injured, "sit down and rest for a while until the morning fully dawns."
"No," she said in a firm voice. "Your crew are exhausted from their trials in fighting the flames. I am still in a tolerable mood." His heart thumped inside of his chest when she looked up and gave him a smile. "That embrace has facilitated much more strength in my body. May I be bold enough to petition for an additional one when the doctor and I have concluded administering our aid to the patients?"
He found himself returning her smile.
"Your wish is my command, my lady."
She hummed. Then, after a slight paused asked,"Is the fire completely extinguished?"
"It would appear so. We came perilously close to sustaining a great deal more damage."
"Do you know its source?"
"I have sent my head carpenter in to sift through the wreckage. We shall soon know whether or not he is able to establish the ignition point from his investigation. The crew are very aware, however, of the dangers of fire. It is standard practice, for instance, that only pipes and chewing tobacco are permissible whilst aboard."
"You sense the blaze may have been started by a deliberate action, do you not?"
"Mr Jaffee, our head cook, is not one to allow such errors in his galley. Unlike many of the other crew, he does not indulge in alcohol and, therefore, I find it difficult to believe he would be without such duty of care. He is not one to ignore his responsibilities of ensuring all boiling pits were fully contained before his retirement for the evening. I think this indicates the fire will not be determined to be an accidental incidence."
Mr Karl chose this moment to arrive on the scene with a barrel of fresh water. Doctor Cottle commenced issuing orders, with his usual brusque mannerisms, as to the use of the water.
"Use it sparingly, doctor," he warned. "This is our last barrel. All the others were in the galley and were, therefore, destroyed."
"There is another," Laura informed him. "The Viscount brought several of his own provisions. I am positive they included a barrel of fresh water." She turned to Mr Karl. "Please go and appropriate the Viscount's supplies on my orders."
"Yes, ma'am," Mr Karl nodded curtly before departing.
"The doctor requires my assistance," she said. "We should discuss our situation later."
"Yes," he nodded in agreement. "I must locate Mr Felix. He and Doctor Baltar will need to discover land in order to replenish our supplies."
"Wait, Commander." She laid a hand upon his arm. "I think we should initially grant Mr Felix an opportunity to find land by his own means. I do not believe it wise to entrust the Doctor in this endeavour until his whereabouts this night is established."
He had to concur he also had initial misgivings about the trustworthiness of the doctor, therefore, he nodded before gently squeezing her arm and departing in search of his navigator.
0.0.0
Later that morning, William Adama finally made his way back to his quarters. He carried a small ewer of seawater he was planning on utilising to cleanse himself. He was full of sweat and his clothes had been permeated in smoke and ash particles. The putrid smouldering scent of smoke still settled on Galactica resulting in various respiratory afflictions amongst his crew.
He poured the water into a bowl that stood on his nightstand before disrobing from his uniform. He found a cloth and began sponging his body, starting with his underarms.
"What time is it?"
He swung to the sound of a sweet melodic voice. Laura Roslin lay in his rack. From the way she was stretching her arms and yawning, he assumed she had been, up to a short period ago, slumbering there.
"Just before midday," he murmured in reply, trying to compose himself from her enchanting presence.
She stood gracefully and padded silently towards him. She took the cloth from his fingers, immersed it in the water and squeezed off the excess before gliding it across his shoulders and down his spine.
"Lady Laura," he groaned.
"Mmm," was all she said as an answer.
After several sweeping strokes over his back she leaned around his body to replenish the water of his cloth before quietly ordering him to turn.
He readily complied and she turned her attention to the front of his body. She focussed her ministrations to his upper chest, running the cloth over each of his nipples before guiding it down the centre of his torso and swirling it near the rounded area of his stomach that protruded slightly near the top of his trousers.
"What is this?" she asked, running her finger along the ragged scar that ran down his front.
"I was shot by a Cylon. Some three years have elapsed since the incident," he rasped out, unable to make his voice steady when she was touching him such a manner.
"You must have been extremely close to perishing." She frowned up at him.
"Yes. Doctor Cottle attended to me. As you have probably come to appreciate today, he is a most gifted surgeon."
"Yes," she agreed. "Remind me to offer him my eternal gratitude," she said as she bent down and kissed the raised red flesh.
He groaned her name as he plunged his fingers into the silken strands that adorned her head.
Gradually her mouth ascended the path of his scar to be at a similar level to his own mouth. He bridged the gap between them and pressed his lips onto hers with a contented sigh.
Chapter 8