Back to Nature (Part I)

Posted on 07 Nov 2020 @ 9:18pm by Lieutenant C'Tora Kuroka

Mission: R&R - after facing the Planet Killer
Location: Starbase 308
Timeline: After: A Spot of tea and a Dash of trouble
2236 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

A chance to dream and a place to unwind. That is what M'Tarra wished to have. She found one, a nice little nook in the recreation area of the Starbase, on the hiking trail. She was happy to escape being under the scrutinizing eye of P'Ral Kuroka, her boss. Her boss was relentless, always trying to set her up with different males. The last one was her eldest son, C'Tora. M'Tarra wasn't quite ready, she didn't like to be pushed. When she could, M'Tarra escaped so she could read one of the latest journals of research. Sighing happily, M'Tarra curled up in a comfortable crook of a tree, and was soon engrossed in her reading.

C'Tora appreciated the distraction that Natasha had given him and went the opposite direction form where his mother was going and took off at a quick pace. As he traveled he remembered a conversation that he and his father had.

Dad, why is mother the way she is? I've heard her called the Lwaxana Troi of matchmaking."

"Son, she is who she is and nothing more. She is in love with being in love and thinks everyone else should be as well."

"I still don't understand that concept Dad. Why does she do it? And she can be downright relentless and overbearing doing such."

"I know she can be C'Tora, But she loves being married and in love and thinks everyone should be, It's her way of helping the universe and that's how she'll always be.afte

C'Tora looked up and noticed he was at the entrance of the recreational area's hiking trails. He took off down the trail and about five minutes later noticed a large beautiful tree and thought it would be a great place to go unnoticed for a bit. He popped his claws and scrambled up the tree to a large branch. As he arrived he saw another Caitian already there and was startled to see her there. He lost his grip and started trying to grab the branch and fell backwards and dropped about 10 meters and landed awkwardly. He felt a sharp pain in his left ankle and fell to a sitting position.

" Oww!! By the maker that hurts." He exclaimed as he checked his ankle to make sure it wasn't broke and forgetting about the person in the tree above him for the moment.

M'Tarra's pure white ears perked up, she cast her emerald green eyes down towards the base of the tree. There below her was a caitian with glossy ebony fur, on the ground. Quickly she tucked her padd into the pocket of her uniform, making her way to where he was at.

"You are hurt, let me help you. I am a trained medical personnel." she stated, crouching down to examine the mysterious caitian's foot.

" As am I." Said C'Tora. " I am the CMO aboard the Andromeda." As he grimaced with the pain but not looking up. " I don't think it's broken, but I'm at an awkward angle perhaps you'll be able to see it better and check it please." The pain hit once again and he drew in a sharp intake breath and exhaled as the pain subsided for the moment. " I was just looking for a place to get away from an annoying person for awhile."

He looked up finally looked into the face of the person rendering aid. " Huh?..Wha... Beautiful." He said softly. He shook his head as if clearing cobwebs. His skin flushed and felt warm with embarrassment. " I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that. Who.. I .. Are.. You." He placed his face into his hand and thought You just met a lovely albino Caitian jaguar and your babbling like a fool. She most likely thinks I'm an idiot.

M'Tarra examined his ankle, feeling it gently as her fingers explored. "Nothing broken but definitely a sprain." was her diagnosis. She turned her attention to C'Tora, looking quizzically at him, he called her beautiful, not some throwback nor made any derisive comment, as other female caitians have done. Not all but some had done so.

"You were trying to escape from an annoying person? I was here to get relief from my persistent boss, LT. Commander P'Rall Kuroka. She has designs of setting me up on a date with her son, C'Tora Kuroka." she sighed, " She just wouldn't give up so once I had the opportunity to get away, I did." her nose turned a darker pink. "I don't know why I told you this. Something about you..." her voice trailed away looking into his eyes.

C'Tora visibly tensed up at the mention of his mother's name. " you wouldn't happen to be traveling with two other companions named S'hull Shirio and R'nera M'tata would you?" watching her expression he knew he was right. " Allow me to introduce myself before you tell me to go take a flying leap, And I wouldn't blame you really." He sighed. " The annoying person I'm escaping from is my mother. I apologize for how my mother has treated you." He looked down at the grass. " That's right, I'm Dr. C'Tora Kuroka. Please let someone on the medical staff know where I am if you leave me here."

"Those two..." she cut herself off to not speak ill of them. "Y-you are Dr. C'Tora Kuroka?" she gave him an even more closer inspection. "You are not how those two described you. They... well... didn't paint a pretty picture of you. I can see why, they didn't want me to meet you at all. They had described you as a couple feet shorter, with a bald spot on your head, and that your tail wasn't as long as you.. have."

Her nose went pink once more as well as her ears, "They said you were more of a balding bobcat." she cleared her throat nervously. "Perhaps I should have looked at the image your mother wished to show me, but... I didn't want to be pushed into a relationship at all. My mother had tried to set me up as well, with other males and they were nothing more than feral alleycats. I simply had to fend them off, and they were rather rude. Who cares if they were large and strong. I didn't like them at all." she hmmphed. "They said they didn't want me to do any medical research, they wanted me to just have babies and keep house, and serve them what they wanted." she growled at that.

All the while she was talking, M'Tarra had pulled out from a pouch, a hypo spray and also something to bind C'Tora's sprained ankle. She applied the hypospray, in it was a pain reliever, then she wrapped his ankle up.

"There that should take care of your ankle." she said with a smile.

C'Tora growled. " A balding bobcat am I? Perhaps I should.....Wait a moment. Did you say you were a medical researcher? As in researching infectious diseases and coming up with cures? That's wonderful! Normally someone in your field is assigned to a research lab or a hospital ship, I want you on my medical team!" He said excitedly. He recomposed himself. " Allow me to do this properly. M'Tarra could I interest you in joining my medical team aboard the Andromeda."

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. " Of course I'll have to talk to mother to get you assigned to me and then talk to the Captain to get your transfer approved. I guess I should wait for you to give me an answer if your interested or not in the job offer." He laid on his back looking to the artificial sky. " Care to take a seat?" As he motioned to the ground next to him.

" You know we met by accident today and not something that was forced upon us by either of our mothers. You make me feel comfortable, like someone I can honestly talk to. Even though I got hurt today, I would gladly suffer ten times worse if it meant meeting you again for the first time." He said with a smile. " Your in medical because you care about people. Your a researcher because you don't like to see people suffer. Caring, compassionate, and intelligent." He shook his head in disbelief. " All that and gorgeous too. I know this might sound a little corny, I think meeting you today may have been the best day of my life so far."

Her eyes widened, M'Tarra was speechless, she hadn't expected this sort of reception from someone like C'Tora, a magnificent male caitian. He liked the idea that she loved medical research, didn't scoff at what she told him. He was treating her as an equal, as someone with brains. He wanted her to join his team!

She looked at him once more, feeling the strong stirrings of a connection that went beyond this moment, even though they had just met, she felt a primal connection. To top that off, she wanted to be more than just a part of his team, he thought she was gorgeous! He made her feel all warm and tingly inside. He made her feel like she was very important. She felt like.. Oh! Her mother had told her once of how she felt when she met M'Tarra's father, there was an electricity and a strong connection with him. In Human terms it could be called love.

M'Tarra looked deeply into C'Tora's eyes, caught his irresistible scent. Oh yes there it was, she felt the connection, she wanted to be with him not just for a moment but for the rest of her life. She realized that she hadn't spoken for a few so lost in her thoughts.

"Y-you find me gorgeous? M-me? I find you highly attractive as well. But more so, you like my intelligence. We've just met but I feel that I've known you for much longer than just this moment." M'Tarra replied as she settled down beside C'Tora.

C'Tora nodded in agreement. " It's funny how that happens with our people. Mother told me she knew Father was the one for her when she saw him. It just took him a little longer for him to figure it out. But meeting you was like being hit with a ton of bricks, you had my senses reeling. It felt familiar, comfortable, like a missing part of me had been restored. Does this sound strange to you? I am only speaking what I feel in my heart." He reached up and gently caressed the side of M'Tarra's face and smiled at her.

M'Tarra closed her eyes, nestling into his touch of her cheek. "It doesn't sound strange at all." she murmured softly, then turned her head slightly to where she was nuzzling the palm of his hand. Then rubbed her cheek against his hand once more. She then moved to lay next to C'Tora, laying her head upon his chest, listening to his heart beat. Her own heart was beating wildly, being so near to him, his warmth radiating from beneath his clothing.

"C'Tora.. I-I love you, this feels so right." her voice soft and gentle almost purring.

" You're right M'Tarra, this does feel so right that it borders on incredible." He let out a contented sigh as he stroked her head. " I almost don't want to say it, but we have a few things we need to do. We need to get me to sickbay so they can mend the ankle better. Next, We should get something to eat. But most importantly, M'Tarra, would you do me the honor of being my mate now and forever?" He said looking into those jade eyes and seeing love reflected back at him.

M'Tarra lifted her head, moved up just a small bit to where she could kiss C'Tora, which she did. "I would be honored to be your mate, now and forever." smiling, and definitely purring.

He nuzzled her face and gently purred himself. " I have never been so sure of anything in my life as I am right now." He said as he softly kissed her. " Well Mrs. Kuroka, shall we inform my parents after we've had a chance to eat and relax a bit? I certainly wouldn't object to some more snuggling after lunch." He stated with a teasing smile.

"Mrs. Kuroka, MRS Kuroka." putting an emphasis of the first suffix. " I love the sound of that." M'Tarra replied, snuggling closer, for a few more moments. " I wouldn't mind doing more snuggling." listening once more to his heart beat. That didn't last for too long though, feeling herself become rather energized.

"Come, lets get things taken care of, Mr. Kuroka." she said with a smile. Extending a hand out to help C'Tora up. "I wonder what your mother will say about this development." giggling. " I will definitely need to tell my parents too!"

" Of course we will my love." He had surprised himself with how easily and naturally that slid off his tongue. " We can send them a sub space message after we've met with my parents." As he put his arm around her waist as they walked together. " Then afterwards we can go get our betrothal bands. Or would you like to do that before we meet with my parents? I'm fine with it either way. I'll let you make the call on that one."

(TBC)