spn_springfling | Across the Universe by ashtraythief for <user site="livejournal

Title: Across the Universe

Pairing: Adrianne/Genevieve

Rating: hard R

Any warnings: brief violence and minor character death

“You come highly recommended, Sergeant Palicki,” Doctor Sheppard says. “Graduated from the Intergalactic Academy of Biological Sciences with honors, flawless service record and a glowing recommendation by Commander Ackles. I was elated when Captain Pellegrino told me you applied for a position on the Discovery.”

Adrianne nods. “It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to be part of a scientific explorer ship. And with your reputation, Dr. Sheppard, it will be such a great opportunity to work with you.”

Sheppard smiles. “I’m sure our work will be quite excellent. Shall I show you the facilities?”

“Absolutely.”

Sheppard leads the way into the laboratories. The Discovery is a big ship, outfitted with a large scientific tract in the lower middle. It is one of the Federation’s ships traversing the universe, exploring unknown solar systems.

The facilities are impressive. State of the art analytical systems, storage area to contain samples of all shapes, forms and temperatures, and then of course the special section holding the live specimen.

Row after row of metallic cages house creatures Adrianne has never even seen before. They’re monitored and recorded, data waiting to be analyzed further when the Discovery docks back on their homebase.

Adrianne’s assignment starts mid-quest. A merchant vessel had given her a lift out here into the Marrin system, where the Discovery is currently cataloguing three planets, previously thought to be uninhabited, only to discover small spongy life forms living deep in the ground.

Sheppard prattles on and on about different species, the problems with figuring out how to keep them alive on their long journey, and the hazard of running into space pirates occasionally. Adrianne takes everything in, memorizing doors and corridors. In this maze it would be too easy to get lost.

At the end of the far wall is a small door, but Sheppard is hesitating.

“So,” he says carefully. “With your record, you could have applied to any ship. Any reason you picked the Discovery?”

Adrianne chooses her next words carefully. “Alaina recommended this position as a good opportunity to further… my career.”

Alaina had been choking on her own blood when she’d finally spit out the name of the ship, but Adrianne doesn’t mention that.

“Ah, excellent!” Sheppard says happily. “Then let’s get to the interesting part.”

He heads straight for the door, and Adrianne apprehensively follows him inside. Again, row after row of cages, but these are filled with creatures she recognizes.

“Captain Pellegrino pays us a percentage of the sales price for our efforts to keep them alive and well. You can assist here, or go out with the acquisitions team. With your knowledge of species biology and military training I trust you’ll be a great asset.”

Adrianne nods and watches how Sheppard nonchalantly walks past the caged creatures he intends to sell on the black market.

“Haven’t quite figured out where to get the best price for all of them, maybe you can help me out? How about this one?”

Adrianne looks down at the small creature. It’s barely the size of her hand, see-through wings fluttering in fear.

“They can sing wonderfully,” she says. “Do not harm it, and sell it to someone with excellent hearing.”

Sheppard makes a note on the computer attached to the cage. “Terrific. How about this one? Excellent specimen, but we’re getting confusing DNA readings.”

Adrianne looks down at the cat cowering in the cage, freezing when she spots Adrianne. Her fur is jet black, and the teeth she bares at them are razor sharp.

“Let me guess,” Adrianne says, working hard to keep the joy from showing on her face, “you get classic oxygen-based class three animal readings, but there’s a smidge of something different in there.”

Sheppard nods astounded. “How did you know?”

“Because I know what she is. I’m lucky you didn’t know, or you would’ve already sold her and I’d never seen her. They’re rare, the felanoids, and in high demand if you know where to sell them.”

“I thought they were just a myth.” Sheppard is looking into the cage with glowing eyes.

Adrianne shakes her head. “Oh no. The scientists on Altera really succeeded in blending animal and humanoid DNA. The DNA looks different to you, because it’s not classic human, but Alteran. I wonder why she hasn’t shifted yet, is she hurt?”

“I don’t know. Up until a minute ago, I wasn’t even sure what she was. She seems healthy, vitals are stable.”

“Hmm.” Adrianne crouches down and the felanoid hisses at her. There’s something off in how she moves her shoulder, and Adrianne can see a patch of fur that looks different than the rest.

“There‘s a piece of something lodged into her shoulder. Probably metal, it’s why she can’t shift.”

“We could sedate her and remove it,” Sheppard suggests.

“I don’t know about sedation, they have a delicate metabolism. It could kill her. Better to just restrain her.”

Sheppard nods.

“Tell me something,” Adrianne says, eyes fixed on the angry cat in front of her. “How come you can keep this whole operation a secret? You run one of the biggest smuggling rings in the galaxy and the Federation doesn’t have a clue?”

Sheppard looks at her sharply. “What’s it to you?”

“I want to know if it’s safe to risk my promising career for a bit of extra cash.”

Sheppard grins. “First off, it’s not ‘a bit’ of cash. And you would be surprised how many members of the Federation Council have more… exotic tastes that require goods from outside our trade agreements.”

Adrianne isn’t surprised. Corrupt politicians, of course.

Sheppard claps his hands again. It’s an annoying habit and Adrianne is close to clocking him one. The man is insufferable enough without bad mannerisms.

“Now that we’ve cleared the essentials, we’re good to go, I’d say.”

Adrianne nods. “I have to coordinate with the security detail, but starting tomorrow morning, I’m all yours.”

Sheppard grins gleefully. “Excellent.”

Sergeant Johnson gives Adrianne the go-round of the rest of the ship. It’s pretty standard as far as space vessels go, but it’s still good to know the layout of the maze of corridors and where the guards are stationed. Adrianne insists on seeing everything, even the hangar with the small escape pods and ships used for short trips when they land on a planet. After all, you never know when the occasion calls for a quick evacuation.

Her quarters are pretty standard, and Adrianne goes to bed with a good feeling. After all she went through to get on this ship it seems almost too easy, but considering she had to cheat her way through the Intergalactic fleet, she thinks she deserves some smooth sailing.

It’s four days of careful observation later, when she convinces Sheppard to operate on the felanoid.

“We can only assess her mental state and see what she’s worth after she shifts,” she explains and the doctor agrees.

It’s a hassle to get the cat on the table and two of Sheppard’s assistants get quite a number of scratches, before they have her tied to the table. Sheppard sends his assistants away - “the less people know about this, the richer we’ll be,” he tells Adrianne and she has a feeling he doesn’t even want to share this find with the Captain.

Adrianne works quickly to get the piece of metal out of the cat’s shoulder, and she shifts immediately into a small, brown-haired woman, dark eyes glaring daggers at them.

“You will pay for this, human,” she hisses at Sheppard. “Do you even know who I am?”

The doctor chuckles. “You are a product of human science. You should be thankful you exist in the first place.”

“You know nothing,” the felanoid says. “We haven’t been your pets in generations.”

Sheppard turns surprised to Adrianne.

“It’s true,” she says with a sharp smile, “we have long since freed us from our creators. We are our own people now.”

“We?” Sheppard asks and Adrianne smiles wider, letting her incisors lengthen. Then she shifts and jumps.

Sheppard tries to scream but there’s only gargled noises coming out of his ripped throat. Satisfied, Adrianne shifts back. She’s naked now, the clothes ripped during her first shift but she doesn’t care. She walks over to where Genevieve is bound to the table in her human form. Her stunning cat form really held all her promises. She’s just as pretty as Adrianne remembers from seeing her years ago, when her mother negotiated a truce with the king of the felanoids. She’d just reached maturity and turned every suitor away trying to court her. Adrianne had decided then and there that Genevieve would be the only shifter she’d ever chase.

“Your highness,” Adrianne says and inclines her head.

Genevieve looks at her in disbelief. “What are you waiting for? Untie me!”

“There’s something we have to discuss first,” Adrianne says with a smile, letting her eyes wander over Genevieve’s firm body, soft curves in all the right places.

“You fucking mutt,” the princess of the felanoids spits out.

“Yeah, that’s one of the things,” Adrianne cuts her off. “No derogatory terms when talking about my people. We’re lupi and that’s the word you’ll use. Secondly, and I don’t think you’re aware of this, but when you were abducted on your little fun trip across the universe, your father was so desperate he offered a big reward to whoever brought you back. I want your word that you’ll tell the truth, so I won’t be cheated out of what I deserve.”

Genevieve glares and Adrianne has to hand it to her. Naked and bound on a metallic table after months of captivity and she still looks every inch the royalty she is.

“Fine,” she says and Adrianne unties her.

“I want a blood oath on it.”

Genevieve rolls her eyes, but grabs the nearest scalpel and cuts into her arm. Then she reaches for Adrianne’s arm, cuts her deeper than necessary and says, “I swear by our mixed blood to uphold our promise and make sure you get your reward.”

Adrianne grins. She only barely resists drawing her little kitty in and kiss and mate her right there, but they have to get off this damn ship first. Besides, Genevieve’s face when her father tells her she has to mate her savior, will be priceless.

So, “After you, your highness,” is all she says, and with a snort Genevieve shifts and walks towards the door. Adrianne follows her example, dropping down on four paws, and she can’t keep her tail from wagging. She can’t wait to get that fierce cat under her.

Ever since they escaped the Discovery on a small space glider, Genevieve has been quiet. She’s asked a few questions about her family and home planet that Adrianne answered to the best of her knowledge, but there has been nothing but silence since then. It’s been two days.

Adrianne doesn’t try to talk to her, even though she’s dying to finally unravel the mystery that is aloof, cold and beautiful Genevieve Cortese, but she doesn’t want to antagonize her future mate further. She knows how Genevieve usually treats her prospective suitors, and Adrianne has zero interest in receiving the scars accompanying that treatment.

It comes completely out of nowhere when Genevieve says over a bland military ration meal they’re sharing, “So, I guess my father offered a pretty big reward.”

“Pretty big, yes,” Adrianne says with a grin and she can’t keep her eyes from wandering over Genevieve’s tiny frame in Adrianne’s spare clothes. The sight tugs at something deep inside of her she usually ignores.

“Thought so,” Gen mumbles, but she doesn’t sound happy. Then she leans over and kisses Adrianne. For a moment, Adrianne is shell-shocked, overwhelmed by the sudden soft wide press of Genevieve’s lips until she manages to kiss back.

When she draws back in wonder, realizing she might not be able to have the upper hand in their mating at all like she’d thought if Genevieve continues to kiss her like that, the cat looks self-consciously down at her hands. It’s such an usual look on her and again, it tugs on Adrianne.

“What was that for?” she can’t help but ask.

“I guess I haven't really… This is me saying thanks, okay?”

The damn tugging at Adrianne’s heart gets stronger and she just knows the little felanoid will be her undoing.

“You don’t have to do this,” she offers, internally cursing at herself, because there is nothing more right now she wants than to feel Genevieve's small body against her own.

“What if I want to?” Gen asks, usual haughty annoyance back in her voice.

Adrianne smiles. So she hadn’t imagined that glance back then, dared in front of the whole court. It hadn’t even lasted for even a full second, just one moment of dark eyes burning under long lashes before Genevieve had looked away. Still, she needs to ask.

“You never,” Adrianne starts, but Genevieve cuts her off, obviously already expecting the question.

“You’re a fucking mutt,” she says as if that explains everything, and it actually does.

“You father still made peace with us,” Adrianne points out, but Genevieve just scoffs.

“He’d never allow it.”

Adrianne laughs, almost giddy, and reaches for Gen. She threads her hand into the heavy hair tumbling down over her back and draws her little kitty in.

“He has to. See, he made a blood oath too.”

For a moment Genevieve stares, then understanding dawns in her beautiful eyes.

“I don’t get a say in this?”

Adrianne pulls her into her lap. “No. You will be mine. But if I had asked, would you have said no?”

Genevieve’s eyes darken, mirroring Adrianne’s own desire. “Maybe,” she says and leans in to nip at Adrianne’s lips. “But you have the rest of the trip to convince me not to rip you apart when the time for the mating ceremony comes.”

Adrianne suppresses a grin and grips Gen tighter. “I think I can do that,” she says and kisses her little kitty.

She can’t wait to see the face of the felanoid’s king when his daughter willingly mates a lupi. She stops thinking about that, when Genevieve practically molds her body against hers, already unbuttoning her shirt. They’ll have to wait to officially mate until they’re back home, but there are so many other things they can do until then.

Adrianne grips Genevieve's legs, and then she stands up, hoisting the cat up on her hips. Genevieve purrs, right into her ear, sending shivers down Adrianne’s back.

Oh yeah, she doesn't have a shot in hell at keeping the upper hand here, but when they tumble down onto the small cot, Genevieve's body invitingly spread out under her, little hands demanding to see her naked, Adrianne thinks she’ll be okay with that.