Adoring Public

[Tory Knight 0]

Adoring Public

ENS Victoria Knight

MAJ Julian de Beresford (NPC)

John Knight (NPC)

 

****

Note: Takes place just shy of a year prior to Tory joining Republic.

****

 

 

As a cadet, Victoria Knight reflected, she had a different uniform for every whim of the Commandant: The Class "A," a reddish-orange dress uniform that carried through in slightly modified form from the fabled days of Kirk and McCoy. Then there was the Class "B," a boring cut of gray worsted wool, designed for every day wear; dress uniforms for visiting guests; and dinner dress for graduation. Crawling around through the Jeffries tubes aboard the training ships, she wore coveralls, alternatively known as "poopy suits," a crass name that dated back to the blue water navies. And the less said about the physical training gear, the better, she thought.

 

Standing before the full length mirror in her suite, Tory couldn't help but think she'd taken a step up. The Starfleet dress uniform – a tailored black tunic, department indicated by a colored undershirt – was an improvement on them all. The customized fit was more flattering than the grays had been and the splash of blue around the neck and shoulders contrasted well with the russet tones in her shoulder length hair. It made her look official. It made her feel official. That, she discovered, was worth a lot today.

 

A low whistle behind her broke her reverie. Brow furrowed, she glanced into the mirror, finding a familiar form in the reflection: Marine Captain Julian de Beresford. A lopsided grin slid across his lips as they made eye contact, eyes twinkling. "I'd always heard women swoon for a man in uniform," he commented. "I think now I understand the attraction."

 

Tory felt warmth crawl across her cheeks despite herself. She allowed her gaze to visibly trace the familiar lines of his dress uniform – shoulders, torso, trousers, polished boots – before meeting his eyes once again. On the way back up, she noted the glint of fresh gold on the Prussian collar. "You're looking rather smart yourself, Major."

 

Beresford's grin broadened into a smile. He made a show of tugging down at his sleeves as he approached her. "You noticed."

 

"A girl always notices jewelry."

 

"Gender stereotypes?" The major asked, brows raised. "I expected much more from you, Miss Knight."

 

"Well, this girl always notices jewelry – at least jewelry that has been deservedly bestowed on a friend," Tory replied with a smirk. "And that's Ensign Knight, now."

 

Julian took a step closer, eyes still alight with mischief as their banter continued. "I must say, that's going to take some getting used to," he said.

 

Shuffling closer herself, Tory tilted her chin up, adjusting her gaze to maintain eye contact. She could feel the warmth radiating off his body. "You've no one to blame but yourself, you know; they should have you assigned to recruiting command."

 

"Too much paperwork." His lips twitched and then the impish gleam in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by something more somber. "It's going to be very dull around here without you."

 

Tory gave a wry smile. Her right hand came to rest against his chest, fingers brushing the old fashioned gold buttons. "And it's going to be dreadfully dull over there without you."

 

"I think perhaps," Beresford began, covering her hand with his own, "I did my job a touch too well."

 

"Perhaps." Victoria stacked her left hand atop his. "But how could I choose otherwise, when presented with such a stunning package?"

 

Julian barked a laugh. "Oh-ho! So it was the uniform!"

 

"I refuse to answer on the grounds that I might incriminate myself."

 

Still smiling, the major placed his free hand against her shoulder and drew her closer. "Your blush incriminates you more than enough, Miss Knight."

 

"And there are other parts of your anatomy, Major de Beresford, that incriminate you." Tory returned his smile. "Unless that's your sidearm."

 

"This is a quiet party, among friends," he said. His voice had dropped considerably, the syllables rumbling through his chest; his hand came to rest against her hip. "I'm unarmed."

 

"All evidence to the contrary."

 

The sound of a soft "ahem" halted any response from Beresford. They parted, turning and looking toward the door. Her uncle and former guardian, John Knight, stepped into the suite, offering a sheepish smile. "My apologies."

 

Julian offered his courtesy smile – one that told Tory he was less than thrilled with the interruption. "Not at all," he said, extending his hand. "Excellent to see you again."

 

The elder Knight took the offered hand and pumped it once, firmly. "And you... Major now, is it?"

 

"It is, indeed."

 

"Congratulations, sir," Uncle John replied. He offered a taut smile, then turned his attention on his niece. "And how are you? Ready to meet your adoring public?"

 

I could really do without the adoring public, Tory thought, but kept silent. Her uncle had gone to a great deal of trouble to arrange this dual-purpose commissioning-going-away party, and she had no desire to hurt the feelings of a very dear man. Aloud she simply said, "As ready as I'm going to be," and gave a smile.

 

"Well, then, Major, if you'll do the honors, I'll go and get their attention."

 

Beresford bowed formally. "At your command, sir."

 

Chuckling, both he and Tory watched as John Knight shook his head and then disappeared back around the corner. The major then offered Tory his arm. "Shall we, Miss Knight?"

 

Victoria hooked her arm in his. "We shall, Major de Beresford."

 

****

 

Applause and jests greeted them as Tory and Julian made their way down the sweeping staircase in the center of the old British estate house. Familiar faces beamed with smiles, warming Tory with their sincerity, and putting her a bit more at ease. She stood with Julian on the third step, both waiting a long moment for the enthusiasm to quiet. It was then her uncle continued.

 

"As many of you know, I was less than thrilled when our Tory announced to me that she had enrolled in officer candidate training with Starfleet," Sir John said. "I thought, perhaps, she had been swept away by the attentions of a rather dashing man in uniform."

 

Beresford reached up, covering her hand with his own as it rest on his forearm. "It has been known to happen, Sir John," he replied. Chuckles twittered through the room. "But I think our Tory has better sense than that."

 

"Indeed, Major, she does," the elder Knight continued, "and the long, emotional conversation that followed certainly brought home that point. I was, you see, still thinking about my favorite niece as a little girl – and she's not so little any more. The time has come for her to find her own way. Part of that path will now take her to Starfleet and – hopefully – an illustrious career."

 

Sir John turned to his niece, blue eyes suspiciously glassy. "I think your Mum and Da would be proud of you today, Tory; as a matter of fact, I know they would be because I am. The places you'll go, the things you'll see – it will all shape you and provide you with experiences many of us can only imagine. And I'll be waiting here, ready to welcome you home, whenever you're ready to return."

 

Tory felt her breath catch in her throat, her own eyes watering. It was only through stern self control that she refrained from crying, even as she hugged her uncle, guardian, and second father. "Thank you, Uncle John," she whispered.

 

"Always, love; always." He offered a watery smile as he drew back. He then squeezed her hand, pausing as he regained his own composure. His attention shifted toward Julian. "And now I'd like to introduce Major Julian de Beresford, Starfleet Marine Corps.

 

"Julian came to Knight Technologies some four years ago, still a captain then, assigned to offer insight into what our men and women along the frontlines need to do their jobs safely and efficiently. His knowledge, experience, and wit have certainly endeared him to us, and I'm very honoured to count him among our friends. As a friend, Tory has asked Major de Beresford to pin her on this evening."

 

Julian stepped back and Tory immediately felt at a loss; her smile never wavered. She stood watching, her attention fixed – like everyone else – on the man in the uniform. He reached into his pocket and produced one small, gold pip. As she turned to face him, she could not miss the intensity in his eyes. She was only glad it was not immediately visible to those in their audience.

 

"Tory, in the past year, you've shown remarkable determination in pursuit of your goal. You're brilliant, witty, and I have to say you'd make one Hell of a Marine. It's somewhat disappointing to be pinning on this pip instead of first lieutenant bars," he said with a smirk. The comment was met with chuckles. From the throaty nature of his voice Tory recognized it for what it was – his attempt to lighten the mood between them.

 

As his fingertips brushed the skin at her neck, she knew his attempt had failed; it took the last vestiges of her self-control not to react. He bit his bottom lip, looking for all the world as though he were having difficulty with the small back of the pip. His eyes, however, glinted with wicked humor.

 

Tory cut him a glare that was at once threatening and suggestive. The blackguard was doing it on purpose! Payback, she thought, was going to be fun...if she didn't kill him first. Finally closing the back on the pip, Julian leaned forward and planted a kiss to her left cheek, lips lingering for only a beat longer than necessary. "Congratulations, Ensign Knight," he said.

 

"Thank you, Major de Beresford," she replied. She gave him a trademark smile, reiterating her threat, then turned a very different, family friendly smile back onto her gathered friends and relatives. "I know this isn't what many of you expected of me – it's certainly not a turn I expected myself. But I see here opportunities to serve, and to learn and to grow that I could never have, even as CEO of Knight Technologies.

 

"I thank you all for your love and your support" – she looked over the crowd, to her Uncle John, to Beresford – "and your patience with me over the past year. And, while I realize that my orders take me across distant shores, I will at least be on the same planet. Through the power of transporter technology, I really hope to reconnect with each of you, now that I should have a little more time to myself."

 

She chuckled, giving a rueful smile. "I thank you, too, for coming this evening. Now, please – tuck in to all the good food Uncle John has been so kind to provide and be sure to make a large enough dent in his liquor collection that he has an excuse to buy more."

 

Applause rippled through the gathered crowd who then began to disperse toward the living rooms. Tory found Beresford smirking at her when she whirled back to him. "Am I in trouble?" he asked.

 

"You have no idea," the ensign answered. She couldn't keep the wry tone from her words.

 

"As much fun as it will be to find out," Julian said, stepping closer and dropping his voice, "I'd suggest we make the rounds before we disappear. You are, after all, the guest of honor, my dear." He grinned, offering her his arm. "Shall we?"

 

Tory narrowed her eyes at him, pausing a long moment before hooking her arm in his. "One thing."

 

"And what's that?"

 

"Never call me 'my dear' again."

 

"Of course... my dear."

 

Jerking her elbow back, the ensign made solid contact with Beresford's ribs. He bit back a yelp, giving a start. Tory maintained a smile. The major offered his own matching smile as he tightened his grip on her forearm and pulled her closer, clucking his tongue by her ear. "Such insubordinate behaviour, my dear." They moved closer to a knot of people that included her maternal aunt, Adela, and Adela's step-daughter, Cecily. "Mind your manners, Ensign."

 

"Of course, Major."

 

The tug of war, she thought, was going to make it a very long, very interesting evening.

[STSF_BluRox 0]

Adoring Public

ENS Victoria Knight

MAJ Julian de Beresford (NPC)

John Knight (NPC)

 

Awesome log Tory! Thanks for sharing with us, I can't wait to see more!

[STSF_BluRox 0]

Adoring Public

ENS Victoria Knight

MAJ Julian de Beresford (NPC)

John Knight (NPC)

 

Awesome log Tory! Thanks for sharing with us, I can't wait to see more!