Dinner At Y(our) Place (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 23 Apr 2018 @ 2:45pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Lieutenant Amaranai Franklin
Edited on on 23 Apr 2018 @ 2:45pm

1,823 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Avondale Shipyards - USS Galileo-A, Captain's Quarters
Timeline: MD 102, 0130 hours

[ON]

3.5 hours later...

A heavy sheen of sweat coated Lirha's face, neck, and chest as she lay on her back panting from their most recent foray. She weakly reached out and wrapped an arm around Amaranai to pull her close while giving her a satisfied yet bashful smile. "..That was..." she started to whisper.

Amaranai was surprised that she could breathe and that she didn't need to go to a hospital for how much her body was in pain and ecstasy after so much love making. She slumped to the bed next to her sweaty partner, smile on her face and felt the arm wrap around her to pull her closer to the woman. Amaranai offered a sly grin to finish the short statement.

"Yes it was," she said after a few more breaths.

They lay there for several minutes in silence, other than their own lungs slowly regaining a slower pattern. After a few more moments in silence, Amaranai looked at Lirha.

"How is this even possible?" she said. "You were in prison. You were gone."

Several long moments passed while Lirha remained silent and instead focused her attention on stroking and caressing Amaranai's warm body. "...Yes. I was," she finally answered, then turned her head to kiss Amaranai on the lips and look into her green eyes. "Do you remember the Director of Starfleet Intelligence who was present at my trial?"

Amaranai was still not used to having Lirha touch her sensually and her body shivered gently with the soft caresses. She offered a quiet acknowledgement and let her lover continue.

"He came to visit me at the labor camp, almost a month ago," the Orion continued. "He...offered me a job. In exchange for a formal pardon, early release, and reinstatement to command, I was to work on a sensitive assignment for him," she revealed in a quiet voice. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling while she recalled the details of the conversation in her mind.

Amaranai listened to the Orion. It seemed odd that Starfleet Intelligence would free Lirha despite what she had done - committed treason against Starfleet. But Amaranai didn't want to dispute the results - together again with the woman she loved.

"Is this mission why the Galileo is being sent a long way?" She paused. "Is there anything you can tell me about it?"

The newly minted lieutenant knew there would be little Lirha would be able to tell her, even if she wanted. Starfleet Intelligence was ruthless and would likely be watching Lirha to insure that the mission was completed.

Lirha opened her mouth to answer but then paused to consider how much she could -- or should -- tell Amaranai. She trusted the young officer, of course, but the secretive nature of her arrangement with West was something she hadn't even told her sister about.

"Well, no," she started to explain as best she could, "Galileo's orders come from 7th Fleet Operations, not directly from Starfleet Intelligence. The admiral's instructions to me are...for me, personally. Not the entire crew. Does that make sense?" she asked.

Amaranai nodded in understanding. She knew Lirha wouldn't be able to tell her anything and she accepted that.

"It makes sense," she offered. "I wish I knew, but I get it."

She brushed her fingers through Lirha's hair and sighed. Her other hand brushed across Lirha's body, more in a way to keep her hands occupied.

"So what happens next?" she asked. "With everything? What happens if you fail your mission? Will you get sent back to prison? I don't think I can handle that a second time."

The thought of being relegated back to that scorching hot hellhole in Perth's 'Rehabilitation Facility' was enough to give the captain a shiver of disgust. She shook her head with conviction that she would never allow it to happen again. "I won't fail. I promise, Amaranai," she reassured. "Besides, we'll be out there," she lazily pointed with her green hand to the stars beyond the window, "away from everyone. I wanted this assignment. I want to start again and find a new home away from the violence."

Amaranai watched the green hand point toward nothing and nodded.

"I like the sound of that," she said and then snuggled against the captain. "I have a feeling that getting away from Earth for a long time will be worth it."

Lirha wholeheartedly agreed and continued to stroke the side of Amaranai's arm. "I enjoy Earth. But...it was never my home. I'm an Orion and I was raised aboard a merchant vessel with my family. It was all I knew until I became 13 in age and the Dominion War forced us to resettle," she recalled. With a soft sigh, she shifted her gaze to stare back into Amaranai's eyes. "My people have always been explorers and nomads. Sometimes I think it's in my blood, and...even in Nesh. I can see it in her eyes. That spark to seek out the unknown."

"I was always a wanderer, a loner," Amaranai started. "Someone that always wanted to find something new to do. Perhaps that is why I got into so much trouble when I was young."

Amaranai didn't like to talk about her past, not even with Lirha. Even her own sister didn't know too much of her own sister's past.

"But new beginnings are wonderful."

Lirha laughed softly with Amaranai pressed against her. "You? Trouble?" she asked, her lips curling with amusement at what her partner could have gotten herself into.

The past was the past and Amaranai knew that no matter what, she could never escape it. Her parents had been terrible influences, choosing to let their children get into all sorts of trouble, including illegal activities. Amaranai from her own experience, had been arrested for theft and assault. She had even been present during a murder and though she was arrested and charged, her father had been able to pay off the local police to clear her name.

"It was a long time ago," she whispered. "With your security clearance, you probably could figure most of it out."

"I think you told me that before," Lirha conceded, remembering vague mention of her past. "I," Lirha paused again and closed her eyes, "I never looked at your juvenile record," came the captain's admission. "We all make mistakes when we are young and I have already made my judgement of you," she mischievously smiled.

Amaranai nuzzled against Lirha again, content with her place in the galaxy. As Lirha spoke about not looking at her records, she was inwardly pleased by the Orion.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I don't like my past but I know and understand what I did and how I need to keep myself from going back to that life again."

She leaned over and kissed Lirha on the lips.

"And this is one of the best ways."

Lirha returned the kiss with an wet one of her own. She gently tugged on Amaranai's plush bottom lip with her teeth then grazed her tongue across the soft member. "I agree," she whispered, then rolled both of them over until Amaranai was on her back and she now lay on top. The Orion looked intently into Franklin's eyes. "The other day, in my office in the shipyard complex...you said you love me. Do you really mean that?"

The roll, while not expected, was welcome. Laying there, with Lirha on top of her, increased the feelings of pleasure that were building up again after a short resting period. When Lirha asked about what Amaranai said, she thought back. There was no flinching at the words, no fear. She stared into the Orion's eyes and then pulled her down to embrace her, feeling Lirha's skin on her own. Kissing the green neck, Amaranai turned to slip her tongue onto Lirha's ears and whispered.

"I did," she said. "I really do love you. No matter what."

A pleasurable shiver rippled through Lirha's body -- not only from the wet tongue playing with her ear, but also from the revelation that her partner had deep and loving feelings for her. The last person she'd ever felt such warmth and tenderness for had been her ex-wife, Siren, but too long had passed since she'd had been reassigned and subsequently vanished from Lirha's life.

Closing her eyes, she smiled to Amaranai with satisfaction then captured her lips with her own for a long, deep and sensual kiss. She moaned softly into the woman's mouth, a moan full of desire, need, and comfort. "...I feel the same way," she whispered in reply. "Do you intend to court me?" Lirha then asked, wondering what plans Amaranai envisioned for the two of them.

The deep kiss and the words were all Amaranai needed to hear to know that Lirha did, truly love her. When Lirha asked the next question, Amaranai looked at the woman, slightly surprised. She wanted to be courted? That was something that Amaranai had never done. Of course, she had dated before but had never really "courted" anyone. After a moment, she spoke.

"I've never courted anyone before," she started. "It was never something that came up with my previous lovers, but if it is what you would like."

A small twinkle of amusement appeared in the Orion's light green eyes. "Well...do you intend to sleep with anyone else while we are together?" she asked.

Amaranai thought back to her one night stand that she didn't even know the girl's name and how guilty and sad she felt afterward. She knew it was a byproduct of the loneliness but knowing that Lirha would be with her again made her feel so much better.

"Of course not," Amaranai said confidently. "Why ruin such a beautiful thing?"

"Good. Then it's settled," Lirha smiled. She was fully in agreement with Amaranai's sentiment and finally felt happy to have a permanent mate. "But, I must warn you," she added with mischievous curl of her lips, "my people's rituals can be...intense."

The grin that accompanied Lirha's statement made Amaranai look at the woman a bit puzzled.

"Intense?" she said. "Like dangerous or adventurous?"

"I guess that depends on your definition of adventure," Lirha answered, still smiling. "Dangerous? Not really. But it will be an adventure for us. A fun one, I think," she vaguely answered. Much about Orion courting rituals remained secret to the outside world, but she was willing to share the details with Amaranai.

Amaranai was intrigued by the statement and smiled at her lover. After everything that had happened between the two women, Amaranai was at peace with Lirha and their relationship - happy that they would be together for the foreseeable future.

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

Lieutenant Amaranai Franklin
Assistant Security and Tactical Officer
USS Galileo-A

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