Swimming (Part 1)

Posted on 02 Jan 2013 @ 8:35pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm
Edited on on 03 Jan 2013 @ 10:26am

3,559 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: Vega Colony - Secluded Beach
Timeline: MD 09 - 1830 hrs

[ON]

Sitting on the warm sand only several meters from the ocean's waves, Lirha sipped on her cocktail as she stared out at the sunset horizon and pondered recent events. The day's all-crew beach gathering had gone well enough, despite a large crab creature who had decided to make a brief appearance, and she was relatively pleased at the social progress everyone had made. Well, for the most part. There had seemed to be a minor domestic dispute involving a new, young operations officer named Tiffany and her boyfriend/not-boyfriend, Kell, but nothing that had gotten out of hand or needed intervention. But now Lirha was positively bored, and the Orion captain let out a long sigh as she glanced across the beach and took note of the few remaining crew members. Her eyes eventually settled on the thin figure of her chief science officer, Lieutenant Panne, and she couldn't help but let her mind drift back to the pleasurable night they had recently spent together.

Grateful that everything had quieted down and that most of the people who'd cluttered the beach all day had gone home, Maenad left her blanket and book for a quiet walk along the water. She was walking barefoot along the surf's edge, carrying her sandals in one hand by their straps, thinking to herself about nothing in particular. This was the kind of thing that she did like about the beach. She could lose herself to the sound of the waves and enjoy the cool water around her feet, let the wind blow her unkempt hair. The sun was falling, though it was far from setting, and it had cooled off substantially. She looked up from her wet feet and down the shoreline, seeing a rocky cove about a kilometre away. She thought it would be a nice place to watch the sun go down. So, without rush and with nothing on her mind, Maenad held her slow meander down the beach, enjoying the pleasure of every second with all of her senses.

Lirha watched as Maenad slowly walked down the beach in her direction, apparently not in a hurry and seemingly enjoying herself. With a small smile on her face, the captain couldn't help but rise to her feet and move to intercept her, although in her slightly-drunken state, Lirha stumbled on a large seashell and fell flat on her face in the wet sand. Letting out a soft groan, she picked herself up and began to clean herself off. She gave Maenad a sheepish wave as she felt rather embarrassed by her clumsiness.

In the distance, not noticing until now, Maenad saw somebody sitting close to the water. She couldn't tell if it was anybody from the ship because of the dusky orange light, but as she neared the person got up and started moving in her direction. Before long, Maenad recognised that it was a woman-- the captain? It was the captain. But then she fell, and, well, Maenad didn't know what to think about that. With a grin on her face, though, Maenad hurried toward her. "Hello captain," she said once they were in earshot. "Are you all right?" Maenad looked her over to see if she were cut, at her knees and elbows, her wrists. Lirha seemed fine, but it even if she were cut or bruised, Maenad thought that she would still look fine. Enthralled by the greenness of her skin, and she could practically see all of it, Maenad realised that she might have taken too long to check her over. "That looked like it hurt," she said Liyar-like. She felt overdressed next to the captain, as usual. With her long dress and cardigan, even though it was thin enough to see through when the light shone a certain way, Maenad felt a little bit like a prude.

"I, um...yes. I'm fine." she replied, trying her best to wipe the sand from her body but to no avail. There was simply too much of it, it was wet, and it clung to her skin with persistency. Finally, she let out an exasperated sigh and let her hands fall down to her waist, giving up in defeat. She looked up at Meaned, noticing her attractive features, and gave her a small grin. "Don't mind me, I've had a bit of brandy." she added, half-joking and half-serious.

"Yes, I can see that," Maenad gave her an awkward smile. "I thought I would watch the sunset from over there," she nodded to the rocks in the distance. "It looks nice in that cove. And, it could be a while before we get to a see sunset like this again."

Lirha listened to the offer then narrowed her eyes with fake skepticism and stepped closer to Maenad. "Is that an invitation, Miss Panne?" she asked, trying her best to suppress a large grin.

Maenad's face puzzled as she made a quiet laugh. Lirha was certainly drunk, and for some reason Maenad found that kind of funny when normally it would have bothered her. "Do you want to come with me?" she asked her, starting to walk again.

"Of course." the captain replied. Not hesitating to let her friend know she wanted some company, Lirha tucked her arm in between Maenad's and began to walk with her, trying her best to avoid anymore errant seashells and not embarrass herself further. She was pretty sure Maenad knew she had had a few drinks, but didn't really give it much thought. Afterall, Lirha had seen the science chief drink plenty herself. "A cove, you said? I take it we'll be alone?" she asked in a soft voice with a tilt of her head.

Maenad looked down at the captain by her side with a curious frown. "I don't know," she admitted. "Probably."

Letting out a content sigh, Lirha rested her head against Maenad's shoulder as she walked with her. It was a comforting feeling to have the tall woman next to her, and it didn't take long before they arrived at the cove, a secluded part of the beach surrounded by rocks and some foliage. Lirha took the lead and pushed her way through a patch of light brush, then delicately climbed over a few rocks until her bare feet made contact with the sand. It had a different feel to it than the beach sand, a softer texture to it which allowed her toes to sink in and absorb the warmth. Still holding on to Maenad's arm, Lirha moved closer towards the water until she was several inches from the surf. Turning back to Maenad, she noticed that she was still wearing her long beach dress and cardigan, and reached up to remove the fabric from around her shoulders. "I think you're a bit overdressed." she said with a sly grin.

Being pulled along rather than pulling along felt better for the moment, Maenad thought. It seemed to her as though she were the 'good friend' on a night out, and she vaguely reminded herself of some undergrad memories with a far-away smile. They climbed up the rocks and through some brush until they had a better view of the little cove. An arm of rocks jutted out from the shoreline into the surf, shielding the water on one side so that it was calm and still. It was so clear that from the raised height where Maenad and Lirha were standing you see right to the bottom. Maenad thought it was very pretty and she gasped at the view, but Lirha led her down toward the opposite side, toward the waves smashing against the rocks. When Lirha tried to removed her red cardigan, saying she was wearing too much, Maenad gave the captain an embarrassed smile. "I burn really badly," she said. It was a good enough excuse, she had always thought, because it was true. "Look at my cheeks and hands," she said, holding the tops of her hands out. She looked like she was blushing, but she wasn't - she was burned, and she could feel that the sun had gotten her. "I even put on extra sunblock."

Lirha reached back down and ran her hand gently over the skin on Maenad's hand, noticing that it indeed looked red as opposed to its usually milky color. The skin felt different also, a bit rubbery to the touch and very tight. "I'm sorry..." Lirha said, "I've never been sunburned...I don't know what it feels like. Does it hurt?" she asked curiously, not wanting to play with the flesh if it was overly sensitive.

"It will tonight," Maenad told her. "It'll sting when I get dressed, lay in bed," she laughed. "Fabrics really hurt a fresh sunburn. But, right now, I'm fine. As long as I don't rub it too hard, I won't even know I have one. You're really lucky to have your skin," she said, looking at Lirha's neck and rounded shoulders. "Here, feel," she flipped her right hand and gently pressed the top of it against Lirha's shoulder. The captain felt cool to the touch, but she knew that that was only because of the burn. "Does it feel warm?"

Feeling her friend's hand on her shoulder, the captain couldn't help but notice that it indeed felt warm to the touch, as if it were generating its own heat. From Lirha's previous experiences with Maenad, it was a stark contrast from her usually-cool skin. "Yes...very strange." she commented, then stepped closer and took Maenad's wrist to gently place the back of the Human's hand affectionately against her green cheek.

Maenad felt a pleasurable tickle beneath her ears, the kind that she only experienced when feeling intimately close to someone. It felt like someone was whispering softly in her ear, and gently she sucked in her lips for a second. "What are you doing?" she asked with a quiet laugh, finding this all very funny. There was something about Lirha that affected Maenad strangely, but she enjoyed it and so didn't think too much about it. At least, not since the night she had stayed over.

Lirha paused and let Maenad's hand go as her mind began to work. 'What was she doing?' the woman had asked...that was a good question, because the captain was entirely sure. She enjoyed her time with the science chief on a physical level, but wanted something more, some type of affection or emotional connection. But Maenad was a subordinate and fellow officer, which left Lirha wondering how and if she should proceed. Her thoughts suddenly turned into a jumble of protocol and self-discipline, and the voice inside her head began to scream at her to put some distance between the two of them.

"I'm...not sure what I'm doing." she finally answered. With a soft sigh, the Orion took a few steps away from Maenad until she found a small area of flat rocks, then sat down and pulled her knees to her chest as she stared at the sand in deep thought.

Maenad stood alone now, a few metres behind Lirha where she'd left her. A look of quiet dejection came over her as her smile withered away and Lirha's expression sunk in. What did she do this time? What did Maenad say wrong? She thought that she had said it playfully, not rudely. She was rude, though, and she and everybody in the galaxy knew it. Maenad thought about Cyrus, then. He had probably told everyone on the ship to stay away from her, and everyone on the ship probably listened to him because of how... chummy the smug the little... no, little didn't work... the big bastard was. Tiffany was absolutely right and she thought that she shouldn't have so readily dismissed her.

After several long seconds of standing by herself, after watching Lirha walk away and sit down, then watching her sit for several more seconds, Maenad followed her. "Hey," she said as she sat down beside her, leaning into Lirha's shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head, Lirha continued to stare down at the sand between her green feet. "Nothing," she lied in a barely audible voice, "I've just had a few things on my mind recently...and I was hoping this day at the beach would let me forget about them for a few hours, but...not really."

Maenad wrapped one arm around the captain's back to her side and pulled her close. She didn't know why she did it, but she did. "Don't be sad," she whispered. "Sometimes it helps to talk, and you can talk to me," Maenad said to her.

Lirha felt a small sense of comfort when Maenad put her arm around her, but it still didn't help suppress the feeling which were running through her head. "I'm not sad," she replied quietly with a shake of her head, "I've been more upset than anything else. Sometimes angry and frustrated." she elaborated briefly. "Ever since our return to the Alpha Quadrant, I haven't been sleeping well, and I get...nightmares, terrible ones sometimes. It has been taking a toll on me over the past week."

Maenad slumped as her demeanour sulked a bit. She used to suffer from nightmares too, but she hadn't had one in a very long time. She wanted to ask her about them, but wasn't sure if such a question were too personal. If Lirha wanted to reveal them, then she would. But holding Lirha as she was, though, made her feel like it was up to her to do something about it. For some reason, coddling her this way made her feel in control and, admittedly, a little excited - which both alarmed and pleased her. There was something about cuddling with a dominant personality such as a captain, Maenad thought without wanting to. She held her a little tighter and, because she was taller, lowered her head and rubbed her nose against her ear. "I'm sorry to hear that," she whispered into Lirha's ear.

Letting out a soft sigh, Lirha leaned herself into Maenad and curled her body towards her. "Thanks. I suppose-" she paused to correct herself, "-I hope they subside soon. Perhaps they are stress related...I'm not sure." she said with a light shrug, then tilted her head up and gave the science chief a kiss. "It helps to have company...I'm beginning to realize that being a Starfleet captain can be a lonely affair, many times." she confessed.

Maenad didn't move, but looked off toward the setting sun. The sky was starting to turn a brilliant yellow/orange now. She didn't know anything about being a captain, but she had always thought that the XO handled the captain's conscience - perhaps she knew less about the captain/first officer relationship than she thought.

As the sun began to set, Lirha mind began to wander further. She looked down at the clear water in the cove and noticed the colorful reflection in the waves; The air was still warm and she had a sudden longing to go wade in the water. Pulling herself away from Maenad, she slowly stood up and brushed some sand off of her arm. "I think I want to go swimming." she finally said, changing the subject. "Join me?"

Maenad watched the captain stand up and head toward the mirror-like water in the cove, and a smirk grew across her lips. She was still a little fuzzy from her drinking binge with Liyar that afternoon, which she didn't notice until she stood up. "Okay," she replied, starting to navigate down toward the water.

The captain delicately moved herself down the array of rocks and foliage until she finally arrived near the surf. After pulling off her chocolate beach dress, she tugged at the straps of her bikini in order to adjust them more comfortably, then began to wade into the water. It was surprisingly warm considering the cool breeze, and Lirha wandered out into waves until the water was waist high then turned to look back and wait for Maenad.

Maenad removed her cardigan first and then pulled the dress over her head. She took the time to fold her clothes, which was strange because she never folded anything even at home, and set them on a rock. Then she put her sandals beside the clothes and started wading into the water behind Lirha. It was a good thing she had worn her bathing suit, after all, she thought, catching up to Lirha in the water.

As Maenad approached, Lirha casually glanced around the cove for anything of interest. Her eyes looked across to the far side where she noticed a relatively unobstructed sand bank, and she turned back to the science officer with a small smile of anticipation. "Do you want to cross? There's a bank over there where we can rest once we get there?" she proposed. A quick mental calculation of the distance appeared to be no more than two kilometers; a perfect evening swim length for the captain. But she was unsure about Maenad and her swimming ability and endurance.

"Okay," Maenad replied, diving into a swim. She hadn't swam for a long time, but she was pretty good at it. The sand bank didn't look too far off. "Lead the way," she said to her, swimming up beside her and then added "Captain" with a friendly smile.

With Maenad's consent, Lirha turned in the water and began a slow and steady swim using an overhand style. It was her preferred method of swimming and one which she knew wouldn't tire her out too much on a long-distance swim. As she expertly began to move her green body through the clear water, her sense of time adjusted in order to accommodate the soothing motion.

She wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed but eventually she arrived at the large sandbank she previously seen in the distance. A quick check of the horizon once again verified her position in the cove, and Lirha noticed that the sun was now almost completely setting. With a final push of her legs into the wet sand, the Orion captain slowly climbed her way up onto the beach and then promptly lay down on her back, panting heavily as she regained her breath.

Maenad climbed out of the water, a few paces behind the captain. She was now feeling exhausted. The sun, the drinking, and now a two kilometre swim... she hadn't thought that one through very well, she thought. She saw the captain on her back and Maenad sat down beside her, trying to laugh at what they had done. "I didn't think we were going to make it," she said.

"It has been a long time since I did a swim of that distance." Lirha admitted with a grin as she rolled her head to the side to get a clear view of Maenad. The science chief's long and slender back was glistening with water under the final sunset, and Lirha reached out and gently rubbed her hand up and down Maenad's spine. "You did well to keep up."

"It wasn't that hard," she lied while laughing. Now the sun was beginning to sink in the water. Brilliant beams of orange and yellow light radiated from behind the horizon, silhouetting the clouds in pink, purple, purple, silver, and black. Maenad smiled. "Isn't it lovely?" she turned to Lirha. "It was a good idea to come out here."

Lirha stared out in mild awe at brilliant display of colors on the horizon. The sunset was much different than that on Earth and even her native home of Rigel VII, and part of her liked Vega's the most out of them all. It was a shame she didn't get to visit the colony more often, she thought with a content sigh. "It's beautiful." she replied simply, then scooted herself closer to Maenad. There was something extremely romantic about the situation the captain now found herself in, and she didn't hesitate to sit up and lean in to deeply kiss her friend.

Not expecting to be kissed, Maenad tensed before she embraced it. It felt good, she thought, and she did like it. More than was probably good for her, actually. But she ignored those voices, and she could feel the liquor still circulating enough to impair her better judgement. She pushed the captain down into the sand, gently guiding her with one arm, so that she was now on top of her. What was she doing? Her wet hair was clung together and hung around her face and Lirha's. Maenad opened her eyes, withdrawing to rub her nose against Lirha's neck and shoulders, inhaling the natural perfume of her skin and feeling a tingle of pleasure in her bare shoulders. She stopped for a pause, and looked at the sunset, thinking that maybe she ought to apologise for whatever the hell she had just done, but she didn't. A mischievous grin remained on her lips instead as she watched the sun sink further.

To be continued...

***

[OFF]

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (JG) Maenad Panne
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

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