Meet the Saalms (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 25 Jun 2018 @ 2:42pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Lieutenant Amaranai Franklin & Nesh Saalm

2,306 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Rigel II - Avondale Production Facility Administrative Complex
Timeline: MD 105, 1800 hrs

[ON]

The door chime to Lirha's office sounded, and kept sounding. After about twenty seconds, a voice shouted through the door, "Lirha, it's me! I'm here, it's wing slug o'clock! Let's go!" The chime started up again. Then "Toot! Toot! All aboard! Our ride's waiting!"

Inside the small administrative chamber, Captain Saalm's green fingers were delicately adjusting the new gold rank pips now adorned on Lieutenant Franklin's collar. It'd been her private pleasure to finally be the one to promote the young officer for a job well done, and now she wanted to make sure the reward was on full display -- and most importantly, not crooked.

Satisfied with her work, Lirha stepped back looked Amaranai over. Her uniform fit snugly and she looked as presentable as ever. "Congratulations, lieutenant," she beamed, then stuck out her hand for the other woman to shake just as a cacophony of noise began to emanate from the door chime.

Amaranai had a smile on her face and she couldn't believe it had finally happened. She had been a JG for much longer than some of her friends and she knew that it was her own fault. Her own issues with others and her duties in the past had kept her lower on the ladder than necessary and it finally had happened.

Looking into the eyes of her captain, her lover, her friend, Amaranai almost felt like crying because of the moment. When she graduated from the Academy, when she was promoted to JG, they were expected, desired. This promotion, while expected for some time and desired for even longer, was unexpected, at least in the moment it happened. And now it was official. The new pips felt right.

Amaranai nodded at the captain and then it broke as there was noise behind her.

"That must be Nesh," Lirha mumbled as the chime continued to sound over and over again with juvenile enthusiasm. "Enter!" she called out, allowing the door to unlock and swish open.

Nesh was standing there, hand upraised, about to hammer on the door. She put her hand down with a bright smile. "Good. I hope you're ready, I was about to call security. Lets go, I've got something tasty waiting in the shuttle." She then saw Amaranai. "Oh. Hi."

Amaranai turned to see Lirha's younger sister entering the office. She turned when acknowledged and smiled. She waited a beat and looked at the younger girl.

"Where are you going?"

Lirha hadn't said anything about going anywhere. As it was, Amaranai was preparing to leave with the Schofield on a short mission, but Amaranai still wondered where her girlfriend was going.

"We're going to Vajirapam for a vacation. Wing slugs, magaritas, one night stands. It will be awesome."

Amaranai cocked an eyebrow and looked at Lirha and then at Nesh.

"One night stands?" she said. "Surely you don't think Lirha will participate?"

She looked at Lirha again.

"I mean," she continued. "She's got me. What could be better?"

Of course, Amaranai had never mentioned - would never mention - her own one night stand that she had when Lirha was in prison and wondered if something like that could easily happen. Miraj had mentioned that Lirha was fickle and could change her mind about a lover in a matter of moments, so she was slightly worried.

"But you're young and you look like you could handle yourself with however many people you end up with."

"Because they're-' Nesh started to answer Amaranai's original comment, then her brain caught up and processed the follow up. 'Oh. You're the new carpet! Finally!"

Amaranai wasn't that much older than Nesh and yet, she still felt practically offended by the comment by the girl.

"New carpet?" she said. "I'm not one to be walked over."

The brunette looked to her lover and then to the sister.

"Is that your nickname for Lirha's girlfriends?" She paused and grinned. "I would have accepted play thing, doll, girl toy or many other less offensive names."

Nesh gave a cackle of laughter "You're the carpet becuase you get laid." She smirked at her sister, then turned back to Amaranai "And eaten, of course. If Lirha chooses to walk all over you? Well, Your Kink Is Okay."

Amaranai had to smile at Nesh's definition and even allowed a giggle to escape her lips.

"Okay," she said. "I can live with that."

She turned and offered a wink to Lirha and then turned her attention back to Nesh.

"So, vacation, huh?" Amaranai asked. "How long will you be gone?"

"Couple of days if Annie No-fun gets her way." Nesh rolled her eyes in Lirha's direction. "Couple of weeks if I get mine." She gave Amaranai a very appraising look. "Are you coming with us?"

"Two days, at most," the older Saalm clarified. "I have to return to the shipyards for final departure inspections by Sunday." It was the unfortunate sacrifice every captain had to make -- balancing pleasure with duty. It also didn't help that while most of her former crew had been given several months to enjoy shore leave, she'd been incarcerated at a Federation penal colony on false charges of treason against the UFP. Lirha let out a mental sigh then forced a smile back on her lips before turning to look at Amaranai. "And yes, you're coming," she said, hoping Franklin didn't have any immediate plans.

Amaranai looked at Lirha and smiled at the statement. She then looked at Nesh.

"I guess that's a yes," she said. "But I'm glad we won't be too long. I will be needed soon, I'm sure."

"Cool." Nesh clapped her hands in a chivvying gesture. "Right then, lets go. Left, right, left, right! The party planet is this way, people, and we're wasting sunsets."

Lirha had packed a small overnight duffel bag earlier in the day which now lay against the wall behind her desk. She went to retrieve it, picked it up, and set it down on the table so she could open it and stuff a couple PADDs inside at the last second. "Don't worry, I have some clothes you can wear," she said to Amaranai before turning to Nesh. "Which berth is the transport docket at?" she asked her sister. "Are we late?"

"43D" Nesh said promptly. "And we have a private ride, so the party starts as soon as the door seals engage."

Lirha craned her neck with narrowed eyes and curiosity as she looked at the taller 18-year-old. "A private ride?" Her brain wracked itself trying to figure out who Nesh could possibly know that had their own private shuttlecraft. And even more curiously, what Nesh might have done to elicit such a favor. "A ride from who?"

"No-one you know, a friend from the academy. His parents are away, so he borrowed their yacht. We're travelling in style"

"...Borrowing his parent's yacht?!" Lirha grabbed a small fistful of the fabric on Nesh's shirt and pulled her close. "How old is he? Is he even licensed to fly?" she whispered.

"oof," Nesh let out a small sound as she unbalanced a moment on her heels as her big sister grabbed her. "He's completely road-legal," Nesh said cheerfully. "He's older than me, and yes, he is licensed. Originally I said it was just going to me you me and him, but I'm sure he won't mind Amaranai coming along. He might be spread a little thin, but I'm sure he'll be too exhausted to care."

Lirha released her grip on Nesh and let out a deep breath once the situation had been explained more to her. "Fine. As long as we don't break down and drift into the belt. It's not too far to Seven, either," she agreed. The older Saalm looked to Franklin for confirmation so Nesh could lead the way.

Amaranai stayed quiet as the two sisters had words about the pilot and the mode of transport. She felt it wasn't necessary to get between the two women and an argument, or at least, a disapproval. She might be the "new carpet" but that didn't give her a right to agree or disagree with Nesh.

"This sounds like fun," Amaranai said as she took Lirha's hand in hers. "Shall we?"

She looked to Lirha, then Nesh, then the door and waited for the younger Orion to lead the way.

Nesh turned and headed off, trusting the other to to keep up, following her down to the docking port where a sleek mark V captain's yacht was coupled to the dockyard umbilicals. "Ta-Da. I present the Sacagawea." With perfect timing the door seals disengaged with a hiss, and revealed a young man around six foot tall, who obviously spent a lot of time in the gym, as the muscles were pressing against the thin fabric of his tight vest. "And this is Javier." She kissed him on the cheek, and then pulled him further into the ship. "He gave me a ride. And flew me out here."

Lirha took note of the cabin's interior when she followed Nesh inside. The vessel obviously wasn't Starfleet in nature since such proprietary technology was off-limits to civilians, but it looked luxurious nonetheless. She then noticed the unfamiliar person who her sister had just introduced. "Hello, Mister Javier," greeted Lirha. The name sounded Human in nature, perhaps from the southern European continent if she remembered her geography of Earth correctly.

"Welcome aboard, ma'am," he said politely. "Ma'am," he acknowledged Amaranai as well, then turned back to the yacht's interior, heading for the helm.

Nesh beckoned to her sister and Amaranai. "Come on, the state room is down here." She led the to a well appointed lounge, inspected a nest of decanters on a sidetable and pulled one out as the yacht moved smoothly away from the dock. "Drinkies?"

Following Nesh down the ramp while holding Amaranai's hand, Lirha then settled into nearest plush sofa and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Orion brandy for me, neat." She looked to Franklin to see what she desired.

Amaranai walked in concert with Lirha as they entered the shuttle. It was a nice shuttle and Amaranai was unsure of just how Nesh could have secured it, but she wasn't going to complain. When the drink order was requested, Amaranai smiled.

"Orion brandy sounds perfect," she said. "On the rocks."

Nesh poured three very generous glasses. "So here's to freedom." she held her own out the others.

Raising her glass in a muted toast, older Orion quickly knocked back her drink and let the warm, spiced rum slide down her throat and warm her insides. She involuntarily shivered from the potent liquor then licked her lips to capture the rest of the flavor. It'd been too long since she'd last been able to indulge in her favorite adult beverage.

Amaranai took a sip of her drink, not wanting to overdo it as much as possible. Any additional drinking would have to be carefully monitored. Not that she didn't trust Lirha to take care of her, but there was something about her sister that she sensed would take advantage of Amaranai should the opportunity arise. Leaning in to Lirha, she smiled and sipped her drink again.

"So, what sort of fun are we going to have in such a short amount of time?"

"Beach party, cute boys, take a couple back to a hotel room and share them around." Nesh said with a completely straight face, topping up Lirha's glass. "The usual."

A beach party sounded fun. And what woman could really resist the charm of young Orion males? Lirha also wanted to visit her family's penthouse complex in the central business district but the thought of spending some time alone with both her younger sister and Amaranai along the coastline felt very appealing.

"I hear the algae is in bloom again this season," Lirha commented. The Orion homeworld's oceans flourished with bio-luminescent life forms, the least of which emitted a spectacular pink florescent glow at night. "But no boys for me. You can have them all," she laughed while pulling a protective arm around Franklin's shoulders.

"I'll share if you'll share," Nesh shot back, giving Amaranai a sly smile, as she looked for the human's reaction.

"We are not 'sharing'," retorted Lirha as she watched her sister and stroked the side of Amaranai's arm with her sharp fingertips. "And what happened to Javier, anyway?" she asked with narrowed eyes. "Is that even his real name?"

"Its what he used all through operations 101." She gave Amaranai another grin, "And isn't it up to your friend if she's sharing or not? She may be more than happy to party a little harder than most."

Amaranai offered a glare at the younger Orion. In her own mind, she had considered her own dalliances with women and even a couple of men over the past several years, including one night of actual "sharing" with others, but those were distant memories, even the one night stand she had with the woman while Lirha was imprisoned was in the past.

"I don't plan on sharing or being shared," she offered. "Regardless of what you offer. I'm happy right where I am."

Nesh pouted. "Spoilsport." but Lirha's new squeeze hadn't got prudish or shy or outraged, so there was hope for her yet, "Fine, But If you find you need something a bit more...varied, Javier is at your disposal." She looked up as the young man in question entered, looking a little nervous. "Aren't you, babes?"

"Anything you want, princess," he told her, looking a lot smitten.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

Lieutenant Amaranai Franklin
Assistant Chief Security / Tactical Officer
USS Galileo-A

Nesh Saalm
Artist
[PNPC Derani]

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