Her assessment was largely what he had expected. It wasn't uncommon for crewmates to stand up for one another, but he could sense that this was more than that. Area had no reason to lie about her second in command now, and was quite well motivated to tell him the truth about the man's abilities. She no doubt wanted to remain in a position to advise him, especially as she was going to command his ship.<br/><br/>"Thank you." As he spoke, his hand continued to trail up and down her back, even as his free hand came to rest on her thigh. She seemed to be quite absorbed in what she was doing, and more importantly, she was good at it. Calen could imagine that she would be an excellent release for the stresses of his position. "That was all." The words weren't unkind, but hopefully the implication was clear. She was to resume focusing on the task she had been assigned, limiting herself to 'yes, master' and 'no, master.'<br/><br/>He paused for just a moment before doing what needed to come next. Calen had promised not to humiliate her too much in front of her crew, but their deal wouldn't survive if the people here spoke about it like she had been promoted. He would have to do at least a little to reveal her new station, and he had just the plan for how to accomplish that task. He moved his hand from her thigh just long enough to activate the local comm, connecting him to the bridge. "Commander Koren, please meet me in the captain's office."<br/><br/>"Right away, sir."<br/><br/>Once the channel closed, he looked down at Area as best he could. "Don't stop for a moment. I want to see him overflowing with jealousy by the time he leaves this room." It was another little test of her obedience. It was one thing to kiss him when they were alone, and he was asking nothing too demanding of her, but another to be shown off in front of one who had been her subordinate only minutes ago.