The Trials of Table 1 (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 26 Mar 2013 @ 2:16pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Anera

3,899 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2, Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 05 - 1115 hrs

[ON]

It was only 1100 and the morning shift had already been quite eventful for the captain. Following their arrival at Rojar II at 0500, her crew had proceeded to conduct an in-depth survey of the planetary system, including several shuttlecraft away missions and much probe reconnaissance. She had been boggled down all morning with various status reports and updates, and within the hour she planned to send the first away team down to the surface of one of the Class M moons. Having skipped breakfast and after realizing how busy her day was going to be, she decided that an early lunch was in order. She excused herself from the bridge command station then made her way to the turbolift, and took a short ride down to the deck below.

Lirha walked down the corridor at a brisk pace until she arrived at the mess hall, then stepped through the double gray doors as they swished open. It was surprisingly busy in the mess for such an early hour and she frowned with disapproval at the small line for the rood replicators. Lunch wasn't being served until 1330 which meant that the captain had no choice but to grab a food tray and wait in line behind several other crew members. When her turn finally arrived, she spoke to the machine in an impatient voice. "Salmon Caesar salad, recipe Saalm-zero-two-zero." she ordered, and watched a large bowl materialize in front of her. She grabbed the plate and gently placed it on her tray along with a napkin and some cutlery, then wandered further into the mess hall to try and find a seat. Preferably one in private.

Unfortunately for the captain, the small number of tables were already occupied, and she sighed in disappointment. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly spotted a bright collage of colorful clothing at one of the corner booths. Anera, she realized with a sudden flutter of her heart. Memories of the previous evening flooded back into her mind and her mindset suddenly became much more relaxed and happy. The mere sight of the Deltan sitting alone at the table was enough to cause Lirha to start moving towards her, and she quickly found herself hovering next to Anera with a small smile. "May I join you?" she asked.

"Please," Anera welcomed her, rising to give her a kiss of greeting. "You slept well, but you feel beset upon once more. Was your morning unpleasant?"

Lirha returned the kiss then placed her tray down on the table and sat down across from Anera. Shaking her head as her dark hair bobbed across her shoulders, she let out a deep breath and tried to relax herself. She was beginning to learn that the Deltan had great insight into her feelings and mood, and didn't try to deny her emotions. "I had to wake up early and it has been a very busy day for me." she started to explain. "We arrived at Rojar II at 0500 and have been busy surveying and recording data ever since. We have discovered several habitable worlds and now we have an away team scheduled to depart in forty-five minutes." she added, then paused to look up into her blue eyes with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry...I have just been very preoccupied. The life of a Starfleet captain, sadly."

"Why sadly?" Anera asked. "You are doing what you love. There should be no sadness in that. Take joy in your discoveries and accomplishments; that joy will help to put you at ease." She picked up a wedge of tangy yellow fruit and nibbled it. "I felt you go," she added with a small smile. "It was a pleasure to touch the place where you'd lain and feel the residual heat ebb away. So early and no alarm. Do you have an internal clock?"

Intimate thoughts of the previous evening again spread through Lirha's head, forcing a grin on her lips as she unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap. The pleasure had been mutual, she thought, and she would have been lying to herself to say that it wasn't the most memorable evening of her life so far. "Well," she began to explain, "most Orions do not sleep for long periods of time. We prefer short rests throughout the day as opposed to a longer, single sleep. Although I must admit...I could have slept the entire day away next to you." she said, looking into Anera's eyes again with a knowing gaze. "I have never experienced anything similar to last night. It was...incredible, to say the least." And that quite a compliment, especially coming from an Orion.

The Deltan beamed, "I'm glad to have introduced you to some of the benefits of italri practice." She bowed her head for a moment, luxuriating in the taste of Lirha's aura as she fluctuated through slivers of the emotions she'd displayed the evening before, then returned to nibbling her fruit. "And I thank you for sharing your pleasure and presence with me." The emotions, the scent and taste of them, were more fulfilling to Anera than the food. They deepened her breath and rolled her hips. A welcome sensation.

"No, thank you." Lirha replied enthusiastically. "I had never known that I was capable of such heights and I would like to learn much more about italri." she said with eagerness. Grabbing a fork and knife, she began to cut into the blackened salmon filet, then mixed it with a healthy dose of romaine lettuce and croutons before shoveling it hungrily into her mouth. As she munched away, she reached out with her boot underneath the table and let it begin to stroke the side of Anera's leg.

A shuddering sigh issued from Anera at the touch; her lips parted slightly with it. Her core tightened. "Yes," she murmured. "These are lessons I would be glad to share with you." She bit a piece of the fruit off and idly rubbed the uneaten part against her lips as she chewed.

Taking another bite of the crunchy lettuce and moist salmon, Lirha nodded in thanks then tilted her head with intrigue. "I am curious...do you, as a Deltan, believe in polygamous relationships? I am unfortunately not well-versed in Deltan culture, but I have heard that many of them have multiple lovers throughout their lives. Does that include marriage?" she asked, hoping not to offend Anera with her ignorant questions.

Anera hummed. "I believe in love, in all its forms and practices and varieties. Just as I believe in gravity and the possibility of space travel: because it exists. Culturally, we do not tend to form 'relationships' as many other cultures do. Needs change day to day and cannot all be met by one individual. To demand that of one person would be a great deal of pressure. So we take and give, balancing and creating pleasure and harmony as we can." She sucked the remaining fruit between her fingertips thoughtfully. "One forms alliances, of course, for the sake of family harmony, but they aren't contractual. My parents have been lovers since they were of age for italri practice, but they are not 'bound' to each other as it were. They take lovers together and they take them when they are apart as well. It is the practice of italri that helps us to find balance." She smiled. "There is a great deal to be said for polyamorous italri. What about Orion culture?"

Lirha continued to eat her salad but felt a bit of sadness and jealousy when her suspicions were confirmed. Deltan's apparently did in fact have a polygamous culture, and the captain wasn't sure how she felt about that. She was already beginning to develop feelings for Anera, and the thought of her taking multiple mates aside from herself was unsettling. Wiping her mouth on her napkin, she looked up at Anera with a forced smile and answered her question. "Orions are very hedonistic in nature and we engage in many forms of pleasure. We are very open with our relationships, but also value commitment, family, and loyalty to one another. We usually get married to one and only one partner...but it is not unheard of for married couples to share each other with other partners." she admitted. "However...do you not think that such a strong emotion like love is perhaps better honored by exclusivity?" she wondered out loud, hoping that the Deltan did not pick up on her inner feelings about the matter.

Anera could feel Lirha's discomfort and her twinge of coveting dejection. She understood the argument intellectually, but had never been able to entirely empathize with the point of view so many other cultures had about relationships. Placing boundaries on the heart. It was such a primitive state of being, emotionally and culturally. "I think that love is honored by being experienced wholly however it presents itself. It is never the same; it changes between two people over time - flourishing or withering, and likewise it is a different beast altogether for every new person it graces. To deny any part of it within myself would be to deny a part of me. To say one love is more important than another is to say that my mind knows better than my heart. When, in truth, every creature that is in balance with the world around them must be in balance with themselves first, honoring every part equally. So my mind and heart are on the same plane, as are my throat, my hands, my stomach... This troubles you," she murmured. "How can I help?"

Anera had indeed been able to read her feelings. Somehow, some way. The last thing Lirha wanted to do was lie to her or project bad emotions, so she finished taking another big bite of food and then set her fork down. "I do not think it troubles me, but," she paused for a moment, "if I develop feelings for someone, I want to show those feelings by being with my mate...and only my mate." she explained. "Unless of course, there is mutual consent between both parties." she added with a mischievous grin, then picked her fork back up and shrugged lightly. "I suppose we simply come from different cultures with different views on intimacy and relationships. I apologize if I seem troubled, but I do get jealous from time to time. Especially of those whom I have intimate feelings for." she admitted.

"Does that benefit you in some way?" Anera asked curiously.

Lirha tilted her head, not fully understanding what the Deltan was asking. "What do you mean?"

"The jealousy. It helps you?"

"I am not sure. Perhaps. If nothing else, it is a way for me to know that I care about someone. In my experience, even negative emotions have a valuable purpose despite their connotations. You and I were not raised the same way and our genetics are different, but we share many of the same sentiments. I am, by nature, an emotional being, and those feelings are a part of me. I do not know anything different...such as what life would be like without jealousy." she answered. "Do Deltans not feel that same emotion?" she wondered.

"I cannot speak for everyone, but I've felt it - jealousy - in Terrans before. And envy, which is similar. I've never experienced it organically, only vicariously, but it seems destructive to me." She shrugged a little. "I would not wish to experience it on my own. I would rather know that I care for someone because I care for them, not through a negative feeling, but... we cannot choose all of our emotions, I suppose. And so many species have placed so many rules on themselves and their cultures, they never fully evolved when it came to pleasure." She picked up another piece of fruit, "I would not ask you to deny your own feelings or who you are. But likewise, I cannot betray my own or me. Where does that leave us?"

Lirha let out a light laugh. "It leaves us where we started, I suppose. I would never ask you to change yourself or who you are, just as I hope you would never ask the same of me. One of the benefits of being in Starfleet is having the opportunity to interact with and learn from all types of races and cultures. Even ones we do not understand or agree with." she said, then continued to eat her salad for a short moment. "But...I think I am developing feelings for you. So consider my jealousy a compliment, of sorts." she added with a wink, then brushed her foot back against the woman's leg to reassure her.

"I will try," Anera smiled. "Can I ask you a question - since we're sharing cultures?"

"Of course." the captain answered, happy to exchange ideals and philosophies.

"I have always wondered this - what is it like to 'develop feelings'? I've always just had them without a building process."

"Well, I suppose it is different for everyone so I can only speak from own experience." she thoughtfully replied. Anera had asked a loaded question and Lirha wasn't quite sure how well she would be able to answer, but she would do her best. "Usually when I meet someone, I have an unopinionated view of them. Not because I do not care, but simply that I do not know them well enough to form any sort of emotional or intimate bond with them. My position as ship's captain also forces me to keep most people at arm's length, especially my crew. But there are also cases where physical attraction plays a key role and make me more prone to developing those feelings. For example, when I first met you in the transporter room, I simply knew you as Anera, a young Deltan who was coming aboard to provide educational services to some of my crew. I had no feelings for you aside from professional ones, mainly relief that my sister would be back in class and studying." she said with a small chuckle.

"When I first talked to you in that transporter room and walked you to your quarters, I began to find you very intellectually stimulating. As we engaged in conversation, it became apparent to me that you were well-educated, wholesome, and possessed an amiable personality. I also found you very intriguing because you are one of the few Deltans I have ever met. And...needless to say, I found you very physically attractive." Lirha added, stroking Anera's leg again.

"I suppose that is when I first began to have feelings for you." she confessed. "They were subtle at first, more curiosity than anything else, but they soon became more and more pronounced as we spent more time together. The fact that you care about my sister and her development is very touching to me...and I began to have thoughts of you outside of our professional environment. Then, last night...when we made love...it was unlike anything I had ever felt. To the point where now, I have trouble not thinking about you when I am alone." she added with a soft flutter of her green eyes.

Anera listened, interested. So much categorization. Who one could touch. Who one couldn't. Who had to remain at arm's length. So many rules. She was sure then, more than she ever had been before, that she could never actually join Starfleet. The protocols would drive her up the walls. Respecting the boundaries of others, she could do. But following rules that stood in the way of mutual interest seemed entirely counterproductive to her. Tiring.

She felt a sudden rush of empathy for the woman across from her. Not only the stresses of being a leader, but the added tension of holding her own needs continually in check. It was little wonder Lirha was wound tight as a drum. Anera slipped her sandal off under the table and stroked her toes lightly up the inseam of Lirha's leg. If they'd been on Delta, she'd have had her right there, releasing all that pressure before it had a chance to calcify into knots. But Federation constraints demanded certain posturing. "It was my pleasure to give you pleasure." Her toes slipped past Lirha's knee. "I am honored that you allowed yourself to develop these feelings; they taste like honeying tree flowers." She smiled, her toes rubbing gently at Lirha's thigh just above her knee. "They will change over time and I will enjoy that transition as well."

Lirha returned the smiled and blushed at the compliment, and cheeks flushed to a darker green tone. "I think I will enjoy that as well." she replied. She had only known Anera for a little over two days, but in that time she was well on her way to falling in love with the woman. The captain knew herself well enough to realize that she had a habit of getting very attached to her friends and bedmates, and looked forward to the possibility of falling in love with the Deltan in the near future. Especially after such a disastrous fallout with Maenad.

Feeling Anera's toes trickling up her leg to her thigh, she let out a soft sigh and realized that she was becoming aroused again. In the middle of lunch, in the mess hall, nonetheless. Something about the situation seemed inappropriate, but that made it even more exciting. Lirha picked up another crouton and popped it in her mouth, then softly hummed as she chewed while discretely spreading her legs a bit as a subtle invitation. "Have you ever been married?" she curiously asked Anera. She knew that she had a child, but that did not necessarily facilitate marriage.

Anera laughed outright, "No. Never. Have you?"

Lirha shook her head and chewed on a piece of romaine lettuce drenched in Caesar dressing. "No...but I was proposed to by one of my ex-boyfriends during my senior year of high school. He did not want me to enlist in Starfleet Academy and I think he thought that marriage would prevent me from enrolling." she answered with a soft laugh and a shake of her head.

"Proposals are a different matter entirely," the Deltan grinned. "Although I've never had a proposal for marriage, per se. I think my views on that come across pretty clearly from the get go in most relationships. Life partnerships, though, or invitations to move to some planet or another. If I wanted to move back to a planet, I'd move home, I think. I've yet to see any I loved more." She lifted one of the remaining pieces of fruit from her plate and bit as her toes crept further up Lirha's inseam. "The oceans are bright blue and crystal clear all the way down to the coral and sand for miles out until they're too deep to see straight through. And even there, they shimmer like Terran sapphires. And the beaches are soft and warm to the touch; at dusk they gleam kaleidoscopically. And as evening approaches, the water lights up around my home island. Bioluminescent fish dart through glowing seaweed." She pressed the ball of her foot between Lirha's legs and gently rolled her foot there, licking the fruit between her fingers. "The tree pipers burst into song as soon as the fish are visible and begin a dance over the calm lapping waves, searching for their prey." She twisted her foot and rubbed her toes against the dampening cloth, "And above us, every star gleams and winks encouragingly. On the beaches, my whole village piles out of their trees and tents and two-pronged fishing boats and we dance. We don't need fires on nights like this because the air is warm and the breeze coming off the ocean is cool. Drummers test new rhythms and we rock to them, rolling in the sand, diving into the water, climbing trees for the pure joy of being in the air like the pipers-"

Anara's foot began to creep upwards with precision causing Lirha to stare at her intently for a long moment while she began to describe the Deltan homeworld. As she began to explain the beautiful ocean waves, the captain felt her own waves of pleasure begin to ripple through her. She slowly removed her hands from the bowl in front of her and rested them on the table. The fabric of her Starfleet-issue pants was thin yet sturdy, but was also very flexible which allowed Anera's foot to press firmly against her center. Lirha's eyes fell down to the edge of the table in front of her and eventually glossed over, after which her breathing became deeper and more ragged. The foot now pressed firmly against her moist private region and Lirha could feel her own wetness soaking through her pants.

The idea of what was happening in the middle of the mess hall with over twenty other crew members nearby was erotic, and fed more fuel into the Orion's fire. Toes began to rub up and down against her slit and she soon found herself zoning out and giving way to the raw emotions of a pending climax. Gripping the table firmly on each side, Lirha panted and quickly came with a gush of fluids which seeped through her clothing and onto Anera's foot. Her body squirmed in her seat and she dipped her head down to stare with blurry eyes at the salad in front of her, still gasping and trying to maintain control. "Anera...stop...please." she implored, try her best to remain composed but with little avail. She didn't want Anera to stop, but her duties required it.

Anera tilted her head to the side. "Feeling better?" she asked lightly.

Lirha's head and body rush slowly subsided, and eventually she looked up at Anera with a weak smile. "Yes. Very much." she answered with a final deep breath. "But...I fear my pants are soaked." The captain didn't bother to look down because she already knew that she most likely had a large wet spot in the middle of her legs. She didn't know what to do or how to make it discreet, and the last thing she wanted was to have her crew staring at her crotch as she left the mess hall. Perhaps a napkin would help? No...that was too little, too late. The muscles in her inner-walls still twitched from her climax, albeit less pronounced, and she closed her legs together to try and qualm the sensation.

The Deltan licked her fingers clean of fruit juice, allowing the residual waves of Lirha's sensations to wash over her as she dropped her foot back to the ground and slipped her toes up inside Lirha's pantleg. Delicious. "You might as well let it run its course," she murmured. "You've still got a meal to eat..." Anera trailed off, glancing up to see a tall red-collared man approaching them, trailed by a nervous looking Trill. "Hello."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Anera
Teacher
USS Galileo
(pNPC Lilou Peers)

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