<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Dark Star Dropship</strong><div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/e/ef/Damian_Harper.jpg)</div><br/><br/>Damian had figured it would have been a straight-up coin toss on how Allia would respond to what he did. They did not know each other well, and she was in a vulnerable position, the perfect recipe for her to believe he was merely taking advantage of her. In some ways, maybe he was, but at the same time, he just desired a semblance of closeness to make the concerns go away; at least for a little while. When he felt her lips pressed back to his, as lustful as his, he knew her mind had gone through the same process. It was just something, anything, to take their minds off of it. It was bound to be more productive and effective than letting the young lieutenant injure her fists on a punching bag.<br/><br/>The sensations the clanner felt were powerful; almost unfamiliar with how long it had been since he had let passion override the rationality he normally wielded when giving into his needs. Other times, all it was was business, entertainment and a distraction. Affection and love still had nothing to do with what suddenly erupted between the two teammates, but there -was- a degree of emotion; far more than he was used to. It made the kiss more powerful, sending ripples of intense desire through his body. He could feel her hands on his flesh, fingertips scraping across toned abs that rested beneath his shirt and jacket. Soon after, the position they were in began to grow uncomfortable, prompting the man to push his weight forward. A probing hand stretched out to make sure there was nothing she could hit, and a split second later, she would be on her back on the rubbery mats of the exercise room.<br/><br/>Their kiss did not break, with his tongue meeting her in kind, even as his heartrate sped up rapidly, and his breathing grew heavy. All signs of his rising needs. Palms rested on the mats beneath them as he felt her grind. He grew impatient almost immediately, and after parting their lips, he sat up. Words were not necessary. They both knew what they were doing, and she looked ridiculously sexy in that outfit of hers. Roughly and hurriedly, he pulled off his jacket and shirt, and tossed them away in a random arc. He did not care where they landed; he'd track them down later. He didn't bother with his pants yet, instead leaning down to cover her attractively sweaty form with his warm body.<br/><br/>His build was lean, but not an inch of it was left untrained. He lacked the bulk of some of her other teammates, but made up for it with how rock-solid his muscles felt to the touch. He hid a lot more strength than his appearance implied, and it became all the more obvious as he held her down with his presence. Lips claimed hers again, a teasing bite of her lower tier preempting a descent along her neck. He traced across her collarbone before nipping at the base of her throat.<br/><br/>There was not a single moment in which he bothered to ask her if this was wise, if this was what they should be doing. He just needed it; badly.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Dark Star Dropship</strong><div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/b/ba/Emily_Jirani.jpg)</div><br/><br/>Emily nodded slowly. The woman was known for being tough on others and overall being a stern and serious individual. She definitely had a lighter side to her which she did not hesitate to show. But overall, she was not so dissimilar from Damian at times, no matter how much she would loathe to be told that. Despite this strong presence, her eyes still softened visibly as the new commander recounted what she knew about what had happened to her father. She had lost people in her life, both due to war and sickness, and no matter how many times one was reassured that it had just been their time; that they had led good lives, it never got any easier. As a result, she knew exactly what Kari was feeling like, and she also knew that nothing she said or did was going to take the pain away. But the commander would pull through. After all, she had the late commander Moreno's genes and tenacity. She was going to be just fine.<br/><br/><strong>"Just don't lose yourself in your work. You've got priorities and responsibilities now that you cannot push to the side. But there is no shame in taking a few hours in the day just for yourself. After all, if you don't get the chance to mourn, you're only going to break down,"</strong> Emily argued, a confidant nod adding some force to her conclusion. <strong>"And if you do, we will be all the worse for it. Reassure the company, and then give yourself some time. Everyone else will."</strong><br/><br/>She then smiled at Kari's words. It was hard to believe how much she had grown over the years. Maybe she could not see it yet. In fact, Emily was certain she, and many others, couldn't. But she had all the makings of a fine commander. If only her first task wasn't a trial by fire that would have her bringing back an entire company from the brink of oblivion. There were usually better ways of introducing a new leader...<br/><strong>"Careful what you give me permission for, ma'am,"</strong> she chuckled, before rising up. <strong>"Come on. You need a stiff drink. You can finish this stuff later,"</strong> she suddenly suggested. She could only imagine how many hours straight Kari had spent on the heaps of work she had to wrestle through. A little break never did anyone any harm.</div>