bookdragon01 | Adventures in Recruiting (Reply)

Title: Adventures in Recruiting
Author: bookdragon01
Characters/Pairing: Pike/Gaila
Bingo Card: babel.crackerboxpalace.com/stbingo/bookdragon01card1.jpg
Bingo Progress: [6/8 needed to complete bingo]
Genre: Humor/Romance
Summary: While on a recruiting assignment Captain Pike meets an Orion woman. Oh, the things you do to sign talent for Starfleet...
Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but it's sure fun to fantasize...

Pike sat at the station bar and stared into his drink, or tried to. He couldn't help noticing her: red curls, long legs, figure that gave a meaning to hourglass, and smooth, vibrantly green skin.

It was a weakness. He knew it. But at least it was one shared by most humanoid males. There was a mystique about Orion women - some of it created by the Syndicate, but Chris had enough experience to know how much of it was real and...

Better not to let his thoughts stray there. He was a respected Starfleet officer and staring at an Orion woman, especially an Orion woman who looked to be about half his age (or possibly less, Chris thought with a sigh) was just not something that a 'fleet captain passing through on a recruiting assignment ought to do. So his drink was ...brownish and the ice was melting making nice little swirls. 'Fascinating' as a certain Vulcan would say.

Gaila knew they were looking at her. Men always looked, especially human men - they were almost too easy. Most of them had been having wet dreams about Orion women since they were old enough to have those sort of dreams. It was one of the reasons she liked them so much.

She sipped her drink, surveying prospects over the rim. Lots of guys in here, eying her longingly and trying to build up their courage. She enjoyed being a tantalizing fantasy. Humans thought their strength was in optimism or tenacity or, as one particularly interesting specimen had put it, 'sheer cussedness', but what really set humans apart was imagination. Since coming to this sector of space she'd found that there were humans who had fantasized about doing things with Orions that a lot of Orions themselves had never even imagined. It had been a delightful revelation. Although sometimes fantasy got the best of them and things could be a little ...rushed.

Her eyes fell on one of the few men who wasn't looking at her (at least right now) as he took a drink and held it in his mouth, savoring. ...Mmm. Power. Presence. Self-Control. They hung around him like an aura. And that little touch of gray - an Orion man radiating those qualities and with the years to have made something of them would be beating women off with a stick. Yet there he sat, all by himself.

Hers for the taking.

It had been a mistake, a momentary lapse. His eye, caught by motion, had strayed toward that alluring Orion and she'd looked right back and smiled. Now she was sitting beside him, far too near for comfort.

She set her empty glass near his. "What is it you're drinking?"

"Bourbon." He took a sip, concentrating on the burn.

"Bour-bon," she repeated, purring the r. "It sounds so warm and robust. Can I try a taste?"

A woman like that, asking a question like that. There had been a time when an offer to taste whatever she wanted would have rolled right off his lips. Hell, there had been a time when he would have taken a drink and offered her that taste from his lips. But somewhere during the past twenty years or so brakes had been installed between impulse and action. That was probably a good thing.

Pike signaled the bartender. "How about if I buy you one?"

"I'd like that." She leaned even closer, hand on his arm. "Can I get you anything?"

Better brakes. He shook his head. "Not necessary."

"At least let me thank you." She kissed the corner of his mouth, light but tantalizing.

Pike smiled despite himself and then quickly focused on the ice in his glass.

"Starfleet?" she asked, fingers brushing the insignia on his jacket.

He nodded. "Captain Pike, USS Yorktown." Brilliant Chris. You sound like you're responding to interrogation.

"Gaila," she smiled and tipped her head, creating a small cascade of red curls. "So does Starfleet take Orions?"

"Yes." A hand fell on his knee. "I mean, there are Orion officers in the Starfleet."

She looked momentarily surprised. "Really?"

"We take anyone with the necessary," he cleared his throat, mentally discarding standard recruiting phrases: skill, talent, desire to succeed (he was definitey not using anything remotely resembling 'dare to do better' with her hand on his thigh), "...requirements for enlistment."

"And what requirements are those?" She gave him a sly grin and slid her hand up his in-seam.

Pike quickly shifted his leg to fish a small padd out of his pocket. "Let me show you." He tapped the screen and got ...nothing. He batted the edge of the device. Frak. Still nothing. "Sorry, I need to replace this. It's gotten a bit temperamental lately."

"Intermittency." She plucked it out of hands, pulled a little instrument out of her purse, got the back cover off and did something that suddenly brought the screen to life before he could even object that it was Starfleet property. "You need to have the A19-Ontali connector replaced, but this should by-pass the problem for now." She smiled, handing it back to him.

Chris stared at the revived padd in disbelief. He doubted even Spock could have jury-rigged a fix that fast. Maybe he should be recruiting her. "That was incredible. What else can you do?"

She grinned, hand landing back on his thigh.

He covered it with his to at least prevent travel. "What tech skills."

"Lots of things," she shrugged. "I've always liked computers and equipment, but it's not the sort of thing women get to study on Orion. That's why I left."

"You know," Pike said, tapping the recruiting app, "That's exactly the sort of thing Starfleet would encourage you to study..."

"It sounds like what I've been looking for," Gaila said, sipping the last of her drink. "But before I sign up, I'd like to sleep on it."

"Of course," Pike nodded, getting up and keying his card to close the bar tab. "I understand."

I certainly hope you do. Just to make sure, Gaila 'accidentally' stumbled against him as she slipped out of her seat.

He caught and steadied her. "Maybe I should walk you?"

Gaila smiled acceptance, wrapping a hand around his arm. She could barely believe her luck. Scoring a sexy Captain and an invitation to apply to Starfleet in one pick-up! If only her sisters could see her now.

Dear Mom, I know you don't really like Starfleet, but I met this Captain and he's the first guy who's ever been as excited about my computer skills as my other charms. And you should see the nice tight ass on him...

Pike walked Gaila to her room. It seemed like the gentlemanly thing to do and since he was officially talking to her as recruiter, he could at least pretend that he had no interest in following her inside. Of course, that would be a whole lot easier if she wasn't pressing those curves against his side and if there wasn't a touch of pheromone involved. It wasn't overwhelming since she had to be taking some level of suppressant to be living on the station. Still, he'd be opting for a cold water shower when he got to his assigned room tonight.

Gaila stopped at a door. "Here we are."

"Well, it's been a pleasure and - ::mmmphf:: -" The kiss happened so fast he was completely caught off guard.

His body however had no trouble responding before his brain could even catch up with events. Not exactly a new experience there, but it had been awhile. Sexy young women didn't just throw themselves into his arms on a regular basis anymore (okay, 'regular basis' might have been a stretch even when he was a rakish young lieutenant, but the incidence rate had definitely declined over the years).

Gaila grinned impishly after she let him up for air. "Ready to come in now?"

God, yes. "I... I really shouldn't. I've been recruiting you and - ::mmphf:: -"

This time he was a little more ready for the kiss, but hadn't expected to be hauled through the door at the same time. He'd forgotten how strong Orion women could be.

"I haven't enlisted yet," her lips brushed his neck on the 'yet' as the door closed behind them. "I might need a bit more incentive."

He nearly laughed. "You want me to 'lay back and think of Stafleet'?"

"Oh, I expect a lot more than that," she smiled seductively, drawing him toward the bed. "Think of it as signing bonus."

Chris grinned, following her. The admiral had said to do whatever it took to get the best talent...

Still, this was not going in the recruiting report.

AN: Another bingo square. That Pike has a certain weakness for Orion women is supported in canon (like The Cage) and semi-canon books and a couple Star Trek comics. That Gaila would target Pike is supported only by the fact that it's what I'd probably do in her place. ;D

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