Your Enemy is Dead Chapter IX

Your Enemy is Dead

Chapter IX

Janice Rand stumbled blindly back to her quarters, threw herself on her bed, and cried.  She laid there with her face in her pillow, her body heaving with sobs.   Then, the computer’s chime rang, slicing through Rand’s need to be alone in her sadness.  Rand lifted her head from her pillow and wiped her eyes.  She looked at the computer, annoyed at this invasion.

“Probably Uhura,” she thought.

Rand was truly not in the mood for another pep talk from her best friend when she knew that the situation was futile.  She tried to ignore the chime by putting her head back on her pillow, but the high-pitched resonance of the chime irritated her so much that she was compelled to answer it.

“It could be the captain,” she said to herself grudgingly.

She struggled to get up from her bed, walked over to her desk, and pressed the button, effectively activating the computer screen.  Rand was stunned when the face that showed up on the screen belonged to Khobran.

“Janice,” he said, his voice hesitant and gentle.

Rand knew that she was a mess, as she could feel the rawness of her eyes and the moistness of her nostrils.  Frankly, she didn’t give a shit how she looked right now.

“Well, well, well.  What do I owe the pleasure?”  There was a curtness in her greeting that made Khobran flinch.

“You’ve been crying,” he said, concern visible on his face.

Rand snorted and crossed her arms.  “What do you care?”

“What do I care?  Of course, I care, Janice!  I resent you implying otherwise!” he said, hurt.

Rand just stared at Khobran, crossing her arms, not giving him any assurance to the contrary.

“Are you free, Janice?  Can you come down to Hades?” he asked after awhile.

“Why the hell for?!”  Rand snapped.

“We need to talk,” Khobran said defensively.

“I heard that one before,” Rand bit back.

“Janice, please!  We really need to talk!  If you don’t have anyplace to go right now, come down.  If you beam down, ask for the promenade.  We can talk there, okay?”

Khobran’s eyes were pleading now, but Rand was unmoved.

“Can’t you just tell me what this is about now, over the computer?”

“Look, if you don’t come down, you simply won’t know what I want!”  he said with finality.

“Khobran, I haven’t known what’s been up with you since yesterday!  You don’t answer any of my messages…”

“I know!  Please!  Come down, this can’t be discussed over the screen--so to speak.”

Rand looked at Khobran for awhile before she sighed, defeated. 

“Okay, I’ll be down in a minute,” she said, reaching over to turn off the computer. 

She sat there, looking at the blank screen.  “What could this be about?  Is he going to dump me when I get down there?”

Rand shook her head and let out a hiss while she got up and dragged herself to the door.

*****************************************

Rand was overwhelmed when she beamed down onto a platform of the Hades Space Station on Adrius IV.  She had been on many space stations during her short time on the Enterprise, but this particular station was the largest she’s ever seen.  It was like an underground metropolis, with pathways and corners and structures reaching tall against the seemingly endless ceiling.  Rand looked at the settings around her, panic rising inside her belly.  Perhaps if she was in a better mood, her overwhelm would have been awe instead.

“What the hell,” she thought to herself.

Many possible scenarios played through Rand’s head about what it was that Khobran wanted to say to her, and she was not looking forward to the conversation.

In front of her stood a large rectangular structure displaying a graph of the various areas of the space station.  Rand walked over to this map and examined it until she spotted the operational devices, which enabled her to pinpoint and enlarge a particular area of the graph.  She studied this map until she found the promenade, enlarged the graphic, and got the information needed to find the place.  Turning to her left, Rand started her trek to her destination.

As she walked, she took the opportunity to take in her surroundings.  Once she got over her overwhelm, Rand was truly impressed by the engineering feat that made Hades possible.  Rand walked for a long while, at times wondering if she had misread the directions.  Then, straight ahead of her, she spotted a curved black sign with the word promenade etched in white.  Behind this sign was a sweeping collection of paths surrounded by lush greenery.  To the left side of all this was erected an elongated balcony, with benches scattered on various parts of it.  Rand scanned the area for a short time until she spotted Khobran.  But, what she saw made her heart leap to her throat.

Khobran was smiling and laughing with a beautiful young woman, who was about his age.  They were very affectionate with each other, touching each other, hugging each other, even tickling each other.  The young woman was tall, with a tiny waist and full breasts on top of long, toned elegant legs.  Her face was both classical and sensual in its beauty, with high cheekbones, full lips, and a swanlike neck.  She wore her blue-black hair in an upswept ponytail that reached down to the middle of her back.  The Federation uniform that the young woman wore was the same red color as what Khobran wore, though the insignia on her upper left chest was from a different starship.  And, like Khobran, her skin was an emerald green.

The tender sight of Khobran displaying a carefree joy that he had withdrawn from her was too much for Rand.  Her body shook uncontrollably, and she didn’t even bother to try to control the tears that flowed heavily from her eyes now.  She stepped up slowly, deliberately, to the Orion pair.  When she spoke, her voice quivered in a wet, low pitch that spoke of her hurt, her pain, her heartbreak.

“Oh, far be it for me to interrupt this touching picture,” spat Rand.

Khobran and his companion turned around to face Rand, their faces showing confusion.  After a short time, they looked at each other. 

“What?!  Got nothing to say to me,” Rand said, daring the pair to say something to her.

Khobran whispered to his concerned companion before turning to approach Rand.

“Janice.”

Rand continued in her accusing tone, her stance defiant in its anger and vulnerable in its sadness.

“I gotta tell you, you sure know how to give it to me straight without even telling me anything.  How in the hell could I ever compete with her!” she said gesturing to Khobran’s companion, her eyes blinded by her tears. 

Khobran looked incredulously at Rand.  “Compete?”  Janice, what are you talking about?”

“Your girlfriend, damn it!” 

Khobran looked at Rand compassionately, and sighed.  “Janice, she’s not my girlfriend.  She’s my sister.  Remember?  We talked about her.  My twin sister, Hydra.”

He came up to Rand and wrapped his arms around her waist.  She looked at Khobran, and then turned to look at Hydra.

“Hi, there,” said Hydra quietly, waving discreetly at her.

Rand sighed heavily, placing the palm of her hand on her forehead.  She desperately wanted to run into one of those parks on the promenade, find a rock, and hide under it.     

In her embarrassed state, Rand didn’t even care if she got pissed on by the gofer that shared the space under the rock with her.

“Oh God.  Of course, I should have known.  I…forget it.  I’m such an idiot,” she said, defeated.

Khobran placed his large hand under Rand’s chin, tilting it upward so that his girlfriend was facing him.

“Janice, I called you down here because I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday.  You see, there’s a group of refugees seeking asylum in the Federation.  It turns out that my parents are part of this particular group!”

Rand’s eyes grew big, as she was surprised by this news.  She looked up at Khobran, almost forgetting the earlier funk and embarrassment from a short time ago.

“What?  Your parents?  Are you serious, Khobran?  That’s wonderful,” she said while she reached up to touch her boyfriend’s cheek.  It felt so good to touch his smooth skin again.

“But how?”

“I can’t even tell you myself,” said Khobran.  “Hydra’s been in touch with the Federation Amnesty Office, because she was searching for our parents.  She was actually able to establish contact with them when they were in the process of leaving Kush, where they’d been staying.  But, she lost touch with them suddenly.  She heard nothing.  Word was that the Orion Syndicate caught up with them, but this was never verified!  My sister called me about this on the day that you saw me in my funk.  I was nuts!  Devastated!  No one knew what the hell was going on!  I shut down, literally.  That’s why I was such an asshole to you.”

Rand nodded her understanding to the situation.  “I guess I can understand what you were going through.  I’d probably be unavailable too.  But, you really hurt me, Khobran!  I thought you didn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore.”

“I know that.  Janice, you’ve become such an important part of my life!  I absolutely do not want to end what we have.  Please, give me another chance,” Khobran pleaded, reaching down to brush his lips lightly against Rand’s and collecting her in his arms.

After the kiss ended, Rand pointed her finger squarely on Khobran, her voice firm. 

“The next time you have a problem with anything, you need to confide in me, Khobran!  I want to help you.  I’m your partner here! Know that!”  She hugged Khobran and sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

“I guess it’s my fault as well.  I should have pinned you down and demand an answer to what was going on,” she said sadly.

“We need to promise each other to do better in the future,” said Khobran, while he attempted to kiss Rand again.

 A thunderous sound was heard overhead, like a huge door screeching open.  Hydra hurried over to her brother and placed her hand on his arm, her violet eyes wide.  Following the screech was an intrusive hum, like a shuttlecraft making its landing. 

Khobran and Hydra looked at each other, raw with anticipation as they reached for one another’s hand.  Rand looked on with her own anticipation, jumpy and hopeful while she snuggled against her boyfriend, his sheltering arm around her.

The three of them positioned themselves among the growing crowd of people who gathered around them, people who were also seeking lost relatives.

Then, way up above the collection of paths and parks, a humungous white sliding door opened slowly, creaking with an almost deafening noise. 

Groups of refugees from various non-Federation planets emerged from behind the door as one unit.  They were all quiet, but for the footsteps that echoed throughout.  In spite of all the people in the promenade, there was no talking during this time, at least not initially.

The refugees seemed hesitant as they took in their new surroundings.  Federation officers could be seen walking by the sides of the crowd.   These officers were to escort the asylum seekers to apartment complexes, where they would live until their immigration to the Federation planet of their choice-- where they would begin new lives. 

Rand was amazed at the variety of aliens there were, comprising mostly of races that she’s never seen before during her short mission on the Enterprise.  But then, there was a couple that emerged from this crowd.  When they spotted Khobran and Hydra, they looked at each other with hushed excitement, and then proceeded to work their way through the crowd.  When they broke fully from the group, they walked up to the balcony.

The couple was tall, attractive, and vigorous in health.  They both had the same blue- black hair as Khobran and Hydra, their skin the same emerald green color.  The man was muscular, ruggedly handsome, his eyes a deep cobalt blue.  The woman was as tall as Rand, her body lush in voluptuous curves, her eyes a warm red wine color.

This Orion couple faced Khobran and Hydra and trembled, their eyes filling with tears.  Rand turned to Khobran and Hydra and saw them cry openly.  The quartet reached out to each other and embraced, crying and holding onto each other, as if to make sure that they wouldn’t lose one another again.

Rand stood slightly behind them, hugging herself and looking on with tears in her own eyes as she witnessed the reuniting of what had once been a family fragmented.  Khobran and Hydra were with their family again, no longer the isolated, heartbroken cadets of years ago looking out into the audience during graduation, knowing that their parents were not there.

************************************************************

It was late at night in Rand’s quarters.  She was in her bed, lying on top of Khobran.  As she looked up at him, she marveled at how much he resembled a slumbering god.  Rand smiled, recalling the day that they had spent together; meeting Khobran’s family and falling in love with them, exploring the space station together with all the art galleries, shops, restaurants, and indoor parks, and ending the day with bringing his parents to their well-furnished apartment, where they would stay until leaving permanently for Earth to live with their children once their missions ended.

There would be a big ceremony to welcome the refugees to their new lives tomorrow at the promenade in the afternoon.  Rand would make it a point to accompany Khobran and Hydra.

She ran her hands along the sides of Khobaran’s smooth, taunt rippling body.  Rand marveled at his beauty, his intelligence, his all-around goodness and how much they had in common--even New Jersey, for God’s Sake!  Amazing, the incredible things waiting for us in this life.  As she laid her head on Khobran’s stomach and rubbed her cheek against the warmth of his body, she knew that her cynicism towards love was gone.  She was in a relationship that she could call home.

Rand could safely say, unequivocally, that her enemy was dead.

  

***************************************************************

OUTLINE COMPLETED: June 1^st, 2011

DRAFT ZERO COMPLETED: September 9^th, 2011

FIRST DRAFT COMPLETED: December 20^th, 2011

SECOND and THIRD DRAFT COMPLETED: January 28^th, 2012

FOURTH DRAFT COMPLETED: January 28^th, 2012

PUBLISHED on TOSHET: January 29^th, 2012

PUBLISHED on ASCEML: February, 2012(exact date on Google Groups, xversion.com,

And News Web Reader) under Alt.Startrek.Creative.Erotica.Moderated List. 

Story is no longer on TOSHET or ASCEML. Removed by the author.

         

Your Enemy is Dead Part VIII

Your Enemy is Dead

 Chapter VIII

It was the next day, early in the evening.  Janice Rand was aglow as she stood in the turbolift, headed downward to engineering.  Across from her stood a young science officer who wore a black headscarf in contrast to her blue uniform tunic.  Instead of the short dress usually worn by the women in the crew, she wore the same black uniform pants as the men.  She was Lt. Zmed, a Syrian officer specializing in the workings of crystals in space travel.

“My goodness, look at you!" said Zmed, noticing Rand's high spirits. "Is it that young man of yours?"

“It’s that’s obvious, huh?”  Both women laughed good naturedly.

“We’re gonna go over a map of that space station to see where we can visit,” said Rand.

“Oh, yes.  I’m looking forward to that myself.  We can definitely use some shore leave,” said Zmed, with relief.

“We sure can!”

The lieutenant came over to Rand and playfully elbowed her on her side and said, “And I’ll bet shore leave for you will be extra nice.”

There was another round of laughter from the two women when the door to the turbolift opened.

“I guess this is us,” said Zmed, while she and Rand stepped out of the turbolift and onto the floor.  After the two women said their goodbyes and parted ways, Rand headed to engineering with an extra bounce to her step.  Her smiled grew even broader when she spotted Lt. Shapiro by the entrance.

“Hey, George!”  called Rand, waving to the crewman.

“Hey, beautiful!  How’s it going?”  asked Shapiro, displaying a big smile for the blonde.

“Great!  Have you seen Khobran?  He and I have plans for shore leave!”

“Khobran was headed your way, or so I thought.”

“He’s not here?”  asked Rand, her voice trailing off slightly.

“He left about 15 minutes ago.  He seemed to be in a hurry.”

Rand’s brows knitted as she wondered how Khobran could forget their date.

“That’s strange.  He didn’t contact me at all.  You think he went to his quarters?”

Shapiro shook his head and drew his lips together in a tight line.

“I honestly couldn’t tell you,” he said, looking at Rand.

After a short while, he shrugged his shoulders.  “Well, I’m sure it’s no big deal.  He probably did go to his quarters.  You could try there.”

Rand nodded her head warily.  “I think I will.  Thanks, George,” she said while she turned and headed back to the turbolift.

******************************

Rand pressed the side buzzer of the door to Khobran’s quarters.  When she heard his deep voice saying come in from the other side of the door, Rand let out a sigh of relief and gratefully stepped inside his quarters.   Rand spotted Khobran sitting at his desk in front of his computer, looking pensive.  Rand felt her worry melt away when she rushed to him, threw her arms around his neck, and leaned against him.

“How’s my lover doing?”  Rand reveled in the strength and warmth of her Orion boyfriend.

Khobran sat at his desk, his body rigid and unresponsive under Rand’s touch, his eyes glued to the computer.  Rand flinched away from the cool distance coming from the young Orion and proceeded to loosen her arms from his neck.  Something was different here, something was wrong.

“Hey, honey.  Is everything all night?”  she asked, confused and hesitant.  Looking at Khobran’s handsome face, Rand saw something dark residing there.  There was no warmth, no openness like before.

“I don’t know, I guess.”  Khobran’s voice came out in a steely monotone, his arms never once leaving his side to embrace her.

Rand was suddenly uncomfortable in his presence, self-conscious that she was intruding in his space.  She hoped that this feeling was an overreaction as she reached out to stroke the smooth skin of her boyfriend’s cheek, which sat tight and hollow from the setting of his jaw.

“I went down to engineering to pick you up, but Shapiro told me you had left around 15 minutes ago.  Why didn’t you…”

The Orion mechanically reached over and removed Rand’s arms from around his neck and walked away from her, his back facing her.

“I really don’t need for you to waltz into engineering and yap about our relationship!  I don’t need anymore gossip down there!” he snapped.

Rand was numb.  She felt herself start to sway at her feet.  What the hell was happening here, and what the hell had happened between yesterday and this very moment?  Khobran’s back rose and fell before he finally turned to face her.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice strained.  “That was uncalled for.”  Khobran looked down on the floor, his body held tight.

Rand’s throat constricted while she fought to take in a breath.  It came out shallow and unsteady.  “I would certainly agree with you there, Khobran.  That was totally, completely uncalled for.” 

Khobran raised his head and looked at Rand, his violet eyes holding an urgency to them.

“Janice, I simply can’t be with you right now.  There’s too much going on at this time, and I have way too much on my mind.”

Rand’s body went ramrod straight, her hands balling up into fists. 

“Guess that means we don’t have a date tonight, huh?” she asked icily.

“Not today,” said Khobran softly.

“Will we ever have a date again, Khobran?  Did I do anything that you’re not being candid about here?” 

He closed his eyes and raised his hands  surrender, his body language speaking volumes to the fact that he wanted Rand to leave his quarters.

“Janice, this has nothing to do with you.  Really.”

Rand snorted.  “Really.  Nothing to do with me.”  Her eyes narrowed at Khobran.

“I’m sorry, you’ll just have to take my word for it, but I need for you to leave now.  Please.”

“Well, talk about finality,” she said in disdain.

Rand looked at Khobran for one last withering moment before she turned and stormed out of his quarters.  As the door closed behind her, Rand started down the hall.  She would be sure, that as she reached the wider part of the corridor, to pick up her pace.  Rand wanted to be in her own quarters as soon as possible, so that no one would be able to see her cry.

*********************************************************  

It was early the next morning.  Rand stood in front of her dresser mirror, her long blond hair combed and brushed and hanging to her back.  She turned her head indifferently from side to side, wondering how she’d wear her hair on this day.  Her heart really wasn’t in it, but it was a way to distract her from Khobran’s confusing and hurtful behavior yesterday.  She did have to admit that she was partly to blame for what happened.  She should have pinned him down, forced an explanation from him--but she didn’t.  She wondered if it was too late to do so now, as she looked at herself squarely in the mirror and sighed.

“Should I contact him?”

She turned from her mirror to the computer on her desk, looking at the blank viewing screen.  Rand walked hesitantly to her desk and sat down in front of the console.  She sat there for a moment and closed her eyes.  Will he be there?  Will he answer my call if he is there?  She opened her eyes, throwing caution and disappointment to the wind, turning on her computer console.  As the screen lit up in front of her, she pressed another button that had the number to Khobran’s quarters memorized. 

The chime to his quarters went unanswered for some time before the computer’s artificial voice announced that no one was present. 

“He probably had to go to work early,” she thought, dejected.

She got up from her desk and dragged her feet back to the dresser mirror.  Rand had been wearing her hair in longer, softer styles since she and Khobran had been seeing each other, but she frankly didn’t feel very good about the relationship at this moment.  He hadn’t even tried to contact her and apologize for his behavior, or give an explanation for it.  Rand leaned into the dresser mirror and gave her hair another look.

“I think I know what ‘s appropriate for this time,” she said to herself while she pulled out the top drawer and proceeded to take out an arsenal of hair accessories.

*****************************************************

“Good Morning, Yeoman.  It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that hairdo,” said Kirk, smiling at Rand as she stood to the left-hand side of his chair.

Rand acknowledged the captain with a weak smile.  She reached behind her and patted her familiar basket-weave hairdo.

“I missed my old friend,” she said.

As she turned to the large screen in front of her, she could see the planet Adrius IV.  It closely resembled Earth’s moon.  A large expanse of blinking lights on the surface outlined the underground space station of Hades.  The sight was nothing short of awesome, the lights stretching out far and wide.

“You know, a lot of crewmembers have already been beaming down to that space station.  I guess they want to take advantage before they report to work,” Kirk said with enthusiasm. 

Rand, on hearing this, turned to Kirk.  “Really?” she asked sadly.

She turned back to the large viewing screen and bit her lip.  Rand had looked forward, very much so, to spending her free time with Khobran on the space station.  She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to bother going down there anymore.  As she gazed at the space station Hades with surrounding starships hovering over it, Rand felt a dull emptiness in her gut.  For the first time since her peak days of being in love with the captain, she was lonely.

****************************************************************

Rand and Uhura headed down the corridor on their way to the recreation room.  They were deep in conversation, so much so that they were walking at a snail’s pace, much to the annoyance of the passers-by who had to make detours around them.

“I don’t know, Nyota.  I can’t understand his sudden change in behavior,” Rand fretted.

“Janice, have you tried to pin him down on exactly what the problem might be?”

Rand hesitated, teetering her head from side to side.  “Well, no,” she admitted.

“That’s what I’m saying.  Have a talk with him before jumping to conclusions,” Uhura said with emphasis.

Rand threw up her hands and snorted.  “I think my conclusions about men have been pretty accurate in the past…”

“That’s ridiculous, Janice!  You’re letting your past with men cloud your judgment in this particular case!”

Rand sighed raggedly and crossed her arms in defense mode.  “Look, all I know is what’s in front of me!  Khobran has not returned my calls, nor have I been able to reach him!”

“Well, I saw him this morning headed for the transporter room to beam down to Hades.  I’m sure that’s why you haven’t been able to reach him.”

Rand suddenly stopped where she was and uncrossed her arms.  She was clearly stunned as she looked at Uhura, her mouth open and her eyes widened. 

“Uhura, Khobran and I were supposed to go down to Hades together to check it out,” she said in a cracked voice.

“I’m sure you and Khobran will have a great time on Hades together, after he takes care of his business, “ Uhura said simply.

“Business?”

“I think he’s going to Hades to meet someone important, at least that’s what he told Scotty in passing.”

Rand felt numb again, the same feeling that she had yesterday during her argument with Khobran.  She placed her hands on her stomach, feeling a weighted pit deep down.

“Meeting someone?  He tells Scotty and not me?!” 

“He just told Scotty in passing as he was rushing to the transporter room, Janice.  That’s all.”

Rand was seething now.  “I’ll bet it’s a woman!”

“Oh, please, Janice!  You don’t know that!  And even if it is, so what?  Maybe it’s an old instructor, or a relative.  You don’t know!”

Rand rolled her eyes up at the ceiling, feeling the tears brim her eyes.  “Yeah, right!”

She lowered her eyes and wiped at her tears.  When Rand looked up again, her face  was set into a grimace.

“What’s wrong, Janice?  What are you looking at?”  asked Uhura, as she notice the sudden angry shift in her best friend.

Leaning against the rim of the sickbay entrance was Christine Chapel.  She wasn’t looking at Rand or Uhura, but in the opposite direction down the corridor, oblivious to their presence. 

Rand continued to keep her eyes on Chapel, as if waiting for her to push an emotional button.  When Chapel finally turned her head to the two women, her eyes met Rand’s.

“The door seems to be your favorite hangout, especially when I happen to be walking down the hall, right?!”  Rand’s eyes were like daggers bearing into Chapel.

Chapel was visibly startled, pushing herself off the door’s rim and straightening her posture.  She gave Rand a look of genuine surprise and confusion, even resorting to looking both ways before returning to Rand, for verification that the hostility was indeed aimed at her.

Rand continued her tirade.  “What?!  No sexual puns today, lady?!”

“What the hell,” Chapel yelped, placing her hands on her chest.

Rand was suddenly surrounded by onlookers who were murmuring to one another, giving her odd glances.  She became keenly aware of how unhinged she must have appeared, yelling at a woman who, for once, was innocent of any childish, competitive digs.  Rand threw her arms up in the air, helpless, defeated, and embarrassed as she ran away from Uhura, Chapel, and everyone else to escape to her quarters.

*************************************************************************************

Your Enemy is Dead Part VII : The chapter contains sexual content

Your Enemy is Dead

Chapter VII

Rand sat across from Uhura at the table in the cafeteria.  Like the last time they had sat together here, the cafeteria wasn’t very busy.  In this sparsely populated space, the occasional cluster of clicks would get their meals and claim their temporary turfs for their break time.  Rand had a generous smile on her face as she picked through her slightly freezer-burned Almond Chicken Salad.

“Not hungry, are we?” asked Uhura, hardly containing the huge grin of her own.

“No, not really,” sighed Rand, putting down her fork and pushing her tray aside.

“You clearly have something as equally nourishing as food on your mind, but it has absolutely nothing to do with eating,” Uhura teased.

“True, but the mouth has been known to be used in eating things other than food,” quipped Rand.

The two young women giggled while Uhura reached over and took Rand’s hand in both of hers.

“Wow, Janice!  It amazes me all that’s changed for you ever since you’ve met Khobran!  You’re beaming for the first time in a long time.  Frankly, I don’t remember you smiling like this over the captain,” whispered Uhura loudly.

Rand shrugged her shoulders and sighed.  “When I had eyes for the captain there wasn’t much to smile about.”

Uhura took a wisp of golden hair from Rand’s temple and tucked it behind her ear.

“I notice you’ve been wearing your hair differently too.  No more basket-weave, huh?” 

Rand patted the back of her head and gently tugged at the long Dutch braid that reached down to the tip of her buttocks.

“Oh, this,” said Rand, placing her other hand on top of her chest and rolling her eyes up flirtatiously.  “Khobran happens to prefer it long.”

“I’ll just bet he does,” said Uhura.  The two friends laughed again.

“Oh, my God!  Do wonders never cease!  What happened to your Jersey girl hairdo?”

Rand and Uhura looked up to see Nurse Chapel, Nurse Rose, and Nurse Patel surrounding their table, like a triad gang.  As before, the group sat down without an invitation, noisily pulling up chairs and clanking their trays of food on the table.  Uhura and Rand’s laughing subsided while they looked at each other, their earlier exuberant mood replaced by exasperation.  Uhura, who usually got along well with Chapel, looked at the nurses with subdued disappointment.  The two friends rolled their eyes and sighed, their arms crossed over their chests.  When Christine Chapel sat down, she leaned in and laced her hands together as she set her sights on Rand.

“Here it comes,” thought Rand.

“Rumor has it that a certain blonde was sent to her quarters, yet again, for being a very naughty girl,” said Chapel in a slinky voice.

Rand sighed in disgust.  “You know it wasn’t a rumor, genius!”

Chapel eyed Rand, taking a beat before speaking.  “Rumor also has it,” continued Chapel when Rand, on hearing the word ‘rumor’ again, snorted.  “…that a certain alien hunk was also sent to his quarters.  Tell me, honey, did the two of you sneak into one another’s quarters during this time while the captain wasn’t looking?”

The other nurses giggled on cue.  Rand was about to say something biting when her eyes happen to look up towards the cafeteria entrance.

Khobran had entered the cafeteria and stood, scanning the near-empty tables and the scant amount of patrons until he spotted Rand.  When their eyes met, the corners of his lips curled up.  Rand broke into a radiant smile, twisting her braid in her hand and sticking out her chest.  It was as if the two of them were involved in their own secret mating call.  When Uhura, Chapel, and the other two nurses spotted the change in Rand’s demeanor, they turned, almost in sync, to see what it was she was grinning at.  Khobran headed towards Rand, scooting with ease past tables and chairs without once looking whether he was about to bump into anything.  He looked like a man on a mission, a man possessed.  Rand’s tablemates were transfixed as they sat in their chairs, watching this tunnel-vision unfold before them. 

When Khobran reached Rand’s table, he walked to her spot and stood behind her.  He lowered his head to hers, tucked his hand under her chin, lifted it towards him, and gave her a long, lingering kiss.  Rand responded by wrapping her hand around the back of his muscular neck and return the kiss.  Uhura, Chapel, Rose, and Patel looked at the couple while they continued to kiss, never once breaking it.  Uhura beamed.  Rose and Patel sat there, incredulous as Khobran and Rand seemed frozen in time.

“Really, you two!  How about coming up for air.” said Chapel.

There was no response from the couple, as tongues, moans, and nibbling were exchanged. 

“I think this is our cue to leave,” whispered Uhura.  She smiled at her kissing friend, got up, took her tray, and left.  Chapel and the other nurses followed suit.  It wasn’t until they had the table to themselves that the couple came up for air.

“Someone’s apparently very happy to see me,” cooed Rand.

“If you think I’m happy now, wait until this evening,” Khobran cooed back.

“Mmm,” purred Rand as they kissed again.  When they unlocked their lips, Khobran sat down next to Rand and reached out with his hand, gently and playfully tugging at her braid.

“So, tell me,” he started. “What did you do while you were sequestered in your quarters?”

Rand smiled coyly.  “Well, besides some solitary x-rated actions that simply cannot be repeated out loud here, thinking of you,” she whispered.  “What did you do?”

“Well,” whispered Khobran while he leaned in, slipping his hand under Rand’s uniform dress.  “Besides some solitary x-rated actions with a particular member, thinking of you.”

Rand reached in and ran her hand along the bulge between Khobran’s legs.  They kissed.

“Oh, Janice.  I wish we were in my bedroom right now.”

“Ooh, you’re a very horny guy, lover. Is sex the only thing that’s ever on your mind?” 

Khobran reached under Rand’s buttocks, scooping her up easily, and placing her on his lap, facing him.  Rand could feel him hardening under her sweet spot.  Their lips inched closer.

“1900 hours?”  he asked breathlessly, softly pressing his forehead against hers.

“1900 hours it is,” said Rand whispering back.

The two lovers smiled at each other before Khobran reached for Rand’s lips and claimed them again.

*********************************

Janice Rand was very excited as she stood in front of Khobran’s quarters, swaying on her heals and toes, her hands interlaced demurely in front of her.  She was wearing her uniform on this particular date, as Khobran would be wearing his.  They had both decided, since they would be staying in his quarters and not going out in public, that wearing civilian clothes wouldn’t really be necessary.  Rand ran her fingers through her long ponytail, remembering the time when Khobran had pulled the elastic band out of her hair, making it tumble down her back while he took her from behind.  Rand placed her fingers on her parted lips and smiled in anticipation of more aggressive lovemaking to come.  She was lost in her thoughts when suddenly, she heard the door to her lover’s quarters open. 

Khobran stood at the doorway, his large figure leaning against the rim of the door.  He smiled broadly at Rand, his perfect white teeth a beautiful contrast to his emerald skin, which glowed under the soft light emanating from his quarters.  Rand returned his welcoming smile and leaned into his tall, powerful body, wrapping her arms around his waist.  Khobran reached down, taking her lips into his.  During their French kissing, he reached for Rand’s waist and lifted her up, his big protective arms pressing Rand’s body against his.  Rand removed her arms from Khobran’s waist and threw them around his neck.  He carried Rand into his quarters while he released his lips from hers and kissed along her jaw line, her throat. 

“Oh, Khobran,” Rand whispered huskily, feeling his lips and teeth work down her collarbone.  As she peaked over his shoulder, she saw candles placed around various spots in his quarters in the dim light.

“Mmmm, romantic!” 

“The better to get under your panties with, my dear,” said Khobran, his lips brushing the back of Rand’s neck.

“I knew there was a reason why I liked you so much!”  Rand turned to Khobran and kissed his lips.  They stayed like this for quite some time.

“Khobran, honey,” said Rand, her voice muffled through his kisses.

“Yes?”  Khobran asked, continuing to kiss Rand.

“You can put me down, now,” Rand giggled.

“Can I?”

“Yes, you can, lover.”

Khobran released Rand’s lips from his own and gently put her down, kissing her forehead as she descended. 

When Rand was on her feet, she surveyed his quarters.

“Wow, Khobran!  This is so amazing!”

Khobran followed Rand while she walked around his quarters, spotting more of the fat candles and the long, slender flutes that had last made their appearance at the picnic in the solarium.  Rand delicately took one of these flutes and placed it in the palm of her hand, marveling at its exceptional craftsmanship.

“Khobran, you could’ve been an artist by profession.”  Rand turned the flute slowly with her fingers.

“I simply love to create, just like someone I know,” he said with a smile.

As Rand continued to marvel at the pale blue flute, Khobran went to the table in the middle of his quarters, where dinner was set, and picked up a rectangular carafe of wine.  He walked back over to Rand and held out the carafe to her.

“Hold up your glass,” he said, pouring the wine into her flute.

 “Is this more wine from your planet?” 

“Yes, but this is crushed from what we call ‘blood berries.’”

“Oh,” said Rand excitedly, taking a sip of this new sweet wine.  It was thick, warm and bittersweet.  “Khobran, you get me drunk off of this and I’ll be on your mattress in no time!”

“That’s the idea,” he said with a wink of his eye.

He helped himself to a flute and poured himself a glass of the wine.  Rand cruised around the room, checking out the tapestries that depicted the various Orion myths and folklore.  Strange hieroglyhics recounting feats of heroism, magic, and romance, woven intricately into luxurious fabrics.  There were sculptures that were displayed as well, carved out elegantly from alien minerals that Rand had never seen before.

“These are beautiful!”

“These sculptures and tapestries I can’t take credit for.  They’re actually family heirlooms going back around a couple thousand years, give or take a thousand.  The sculptures are from my mother’s side of the family, and the tapestries from my father’s side.”

“Their so well-preserved, Khobran.”  Rand reached out and encircled an arm around her lover’s waist.

“We took good care of them, all right.  However, the glassware, candles, sketches and paintings are all me.”

His demeanor changed, becoming more seductive as he leaned into Rand.  “That offer to pose for you is still open,” he whispered.

“Is it now,” Rand purred while the two of them slowly moved into each other and kissed briefly.

“Let me look at your paintings now.”  Rand took another sip of wine and continued her exploration of the Orion’s quarters.

Khobran was clearly a prolific artist, and his works were displayed throughout the room.  His finished paintings were framed behind decorated burgundy wood, placed strategically on the walls, while his sketches were sprawled in a haphazard fashion around the room, all of them in various stages of completion. 

The first painting that Rand spotted was of a long, graceful hand dipping into transparent water, the hand the same emerald green as Khobran. 

“Your eye for detail is incredible!   Who was your model?”

“My mom,” he said, with a crooked smile on his face and a shrug of his shoulders.

Rand continued to each of the paintings, showing images of the beautiful alien landscape of Orion with family members acting as models against the backdrops. 

The next painting was of his twin sister, her splendid profile a dark outline atop the setting deep purple sun.  The third picture was of his late older brother, Mantis, his handsome chiseled face, neck, and broad shoulders emerging from the clear frothy waters during a swim.  The final painting was of Khobran’s father, lying on a picnic blanket, his head in profile, and shielding his eyes with his arm, protecting it from the sparkling sunlight around him. 

Rand took another sip of wine, captivated by the Orion’s talent.

“More, more!”  Rand cheered as she spotted an easel by the foot of Khobran’s bed, which was covered in a thick beige fabric soiled with paint.  The young lieutenant walked quietly behind Rand, like he has done throughout this whole time, his hands laced behind his back, a faint smile across his lips.

“What is this, I wonder,” Rand taunted, giddy from the warmth of the wine.  Though not drunk, she felt emboldened as she grabbed the bottom of the fabric and flung it off the work in progress.  

It was a detailed sketch of Rand from a rear view, leaning over a table, her uniform skirt hiked up, revealing her shapely naked buttocks.  Her lean slender legs are spread wide, accommodating a magnificent green member.  It is surrounded by and immersed in her blond pubic hair while stretching her vaginal lips wide.  Large green square hands grab her hips, the fingers almost digging into her peaches and cream flesh.  Her hair is loose and long, brushing at the tips of her ass.  Rand’s lovely face is turned to the side, twisted in the throes of ecstasy, her eyes shut tight and her mouth wide open. 

“Talk about attention to detail,” Rand stammered after a moment of utter speechlessness.

“I sketched this by memory,” whispered Khobran, reaching from behind Rand and removing her flute of wine from her hand, placing it on the seat under the easel.

“Do you approve, Janice?  I believe I really captured the moment, especially when you came the same time I did.”

Khobran stood behind Rand, kneading and gripping her shoulders and reaching down to kiss the nape of her neck.  Rand trembled and leaned into his kiss. 

“It’s not fair, I’ve never seen you even partially naked,” she moaned heatedly.

Khobran turned Rand around gently by the shoulders, so that she was facing him.  He looked deeply into Rand’s eyes and drew her up against him.  The contact made Rand tingle as she felt goosebumps form on the top of her skin.  Khobran removed Rand’s gold hoop earrings and placed them on the easel chair, next to the flute.  Then, he reached behind Rand and tugged off her hair band.  Rand closed her eyes, feeling her hair tumble down to her back.  When she opened her eyes, Khobran had placed the band on the chair as well.

“I think that will be remedied soon enough,” he said softly.  They kissed, lips and tongues meeting together while Rand reached down and squeezed Khobran’s hard powerful glutes.  Khobran, without missing a beat, reached behind him and removed Rand’s hands from his buttocks and pulled them over her head.  As he released the kiss, he tugged at the sleeves of her uniform. 

Rand felt the material slide up and over her body, her view temporarily shrouded in a sheet of red.  When Khobran reappeared to her, Rand had on only her flimsy black bra and panties, sheer black pantyhose and boots.  Khobran smiled, slow and sensuous, when he reached down and stroked her flat belly and tiny waist. 

Rand shivered, her eyes never leaving Khobran.  She was heated and vulnerable, standing  almost nude in front of this beautiful imposing Orion man.  He slid his arms under Rand’s armpits, carrying her over to his bed and placing her gently on the mattress’ edge.  He stood at the edge of the bed, in front of Rand, and took off his boots, and then his socks, looking and smiling at Rand the whole time.  Rand, too, removed her boots, and then her stockings.  When she tossed these items on the floor by Khobran’s feet, she hoisted herself to the middle of the bed while he followed suit, climbing onto the bed.  Their eyes were locked in together as they moved in sync, with Khobran moving towards Rand, and she moving in reverse.

When they reached the middle of the bed, they both balanced themselves on their knees and faced each other.  Rand reached down and grabbed the bottom of Khobran’s uniform top, proceeding to pull it off his body.  He accommodated by raising his strong arms as she tugged off his shirt.

 Rand’s eyes swept over Khobran’s torso, savoring how he filled out his black undershirt.  But, she wanted more of him as she pulled this off his body too.  When Rand threw the undershirt over her shoulder, she stared in disbelief at what she saw, her own body even more heated than before.

Khobran was displayed in all his shirtless glory, his magnificent body reminiscent of sculptures of gods and warriors from ancient tales of Homer.  He was not bulky, for there was a grace and sleekness to his muscles; his broad shoulders, chiseled arms, and  sculpted ribcage, which formed a perfect masculine frame.  His stomach was flat and his waist was tapered, but not too narrow.   His skin was taunt as it stretched over his body, making a stunning field of green.  Rand reached out, placing a hand on one of Khobran’s pectorals.  They were shaped and carved to prominence without being over-developed.  She kneaded his pectoral, marveling at its ungodly hardness.  Her hand detoured to his hard olive-green nipple, tugging it and circling around it with her fingertip.  She smiled when a moan came out of Khobran’s throat. 

  

She further explored Khobran as her hand swept over his ribcage, and down his stomach.  Rand’s breathing became rapid while she looked up at him, her eyes wide with wonder and craving.

“You’re beautiful, Khobran.  You even feel beautiful.  I just love touching you.  Your skin is smoother than baby’s skin,” she gasped.

Khobran smiled, taking Rand’s roving hand and placing it on the rim of his uniform pants.  Rand licked her lips and trembled, and gently pulled at his pants.

“Do I please you now?”  he asked in a horse whisper.

Rand was both stunned and pleased with what stood ramrod in front of her.  She giggled nervously as she yanked off Khobran’s pants and tossed them off the bed.  Rand’s hand wondered hungrily onto his robust, sculpted thighs.  She found his member and ran her hand down his long thick shaft, spreading out her fingers while she caressed his large testicles.  Rand couldn’t believe how firm they were to the touch.  She recollected the feel of them pounding against her, and she wanted badly to have that sensation again.  Khobran drew in his breath, his chest heaving as he reached behind Rand and unhooked her bra, allowing it to fall to the bed.  Rand loved the feel of her exposed breasts, round, full, and heavy.  She could feel each nipple become hard from the air in the room.

“Oh, Janice.  Your breasts defy gravity,” Khobran said, in awe of the two mounds being offered to him.

As Rand arched her back, he reached out and grabbed, first one breast, and then the other, hardening Rand’s nipples even more.  Khobran squeezed them firmly, making Rand jolt, but not hurting her.  She reveled in the way his hands felt against the buoyancy of her breasts.  Rand had always been very proud of her breasts, having made a habit of wearing form-fitting sweaters and thermal tops in cool weather, and wraparound halter-tops and spaghetti straps in warm weather.

Khobran leaned in, tracing and tickling her hard nipple with his tongue.  Taunting Rand in this way, he yanked off Rand’s panties and found her clit, rubbing it with his thumb.  Khobran laughed when Rand jumped and gasped under his touch.  He then grabbed her tight little ass and pulled her to him, his tongue tracing over her lips, urging them open.  Rand received his tongue gladly, and she allowed it to plunge into her eager mouth.

When her hands reached down to Khobran’s buttocks, she pulled away from his mouth, a wicked smile on her face. 

“Uh, uh, uh.  You saw my ass, now, I’m gonna see yours,” she teased. 

She ran her hand along Khobran’s taunt hip while she walked on her knees, going around him until she spotted his butt. 

She was in a near trance, running her hands on his stupendous glutes, chiseled and curved in powerful strokes, prominent and masculine.

“God, you could crack a nut with this ass!”  said Rand excitedly.

She ran her hands in every groove, nook, and slope, slapping it and kneading it.

She giggled like a child with a new toy, unable to control her giddiness.  Khobran turned to Rand in a three-quartered turn, his voice rushed and heated.

“You keep doing what you’re doing, I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll be grabbing onto my ass like a lifeboat!”

“Is that a promise, big boy?” asked Rand with equal heat in her voice.

Khobran half-turned and grabbed Rand, throwing her on her back.  She laughed wildly as  he kneeled over her and started to run his hands up and down her lithe body.  His expert hands were large and strong, the strongest hands that Rand has ever had on her.  Rand moaned, giving herself to Khobran’s hands, like an offering.  She looked up at her Orion lover while he massaged her feet, her ankles, the back of her calves, accenting his touching with deep, firm kisses. 

Rand alternated between closing her eyes and opening them during their lovemaking.  She wanted to close her eyes, because the sensations were blissful and intricate.  But, she also wanted to keep her eyes open because she loved looking at Khobran’s beauty, as his hands and lips lavished their attention on her, getting her wet between her legs, her pink bud protruding and sensitive.  Her skin perspired from the continuous heat of her wanting body.  Khobran leaned in and kissed Rand on her belly and between her breasts before running his tongue up the slope of one of her breasts, reaching her pink nipple.  He circled his long tongue around and on her aerola.  He then closed his full lips onto her erect nipple, sucking and biting gently on it.  Rand gasped Khobran’s name while he  moved to the other breast and did the same thing.  He fondled her breasts, her nipples hard while he rolled these between his thumbs and forefingers, tugging and pinching them.

Rand rolled her head from side to side and shut her eyes tight, sucking in her breath between clenched teeth.  Of all the men Rand has ever been intimate with, Khobran was the only one who focused so much attention to her breasts.  In the past, Rand would stick out her breasts for past lovers who, frankly, had treated them either half-heartedly or not at all.  Khobran, on the other hand, treated her breasts like sexual entities in themselves.  In response, Rand gracefully opened her legs and started to rub her clit with her middle finger.  As Rand cooed and giggled, Khobran looked up to see what she was doing.

He reached down between her long, slender legs, gently pushed her manipulating finger aside, and took over with his big, thick middle finger.  The difference jolted Rand when the sensation became firm, intense, aggressive, needy.  Rand hugged herself, sighing like an emptying balloon while her hips responded under Khobran’s touch.

“You’re ready, Janice,” whispered Khobran.  “A woman couldn’t be any more ready than you are right now.” 

Khobran removed his searching finger and picked Rand up so that she sat upright and facing him.  He held her by the waist and lowered Rand onto his large member, slowly.  She could feel herself being stretched wide and filled up as her lover’s member moved up inside of her.  Rand grasped Khobran’s broad shoulders and let out a squeal.

“Oh, Janice, you’re so tight!  Yes, take me in!  That’s it!”  Khobran grunted, wrapping his arms around Rand and holding her against him. 

His muscular hips thrust upward into Rand as she widened her long, elegant legs further, wrapping them around the Orion’s waist and meeting his thrusts with absolute abandon.  Rand basked in the sensation of her walls tightening, suctioning around him.  Her arms reached down to Khobran’s back and raked her fingers along it, digging into his hard flesh, his upper back muscles protruding outward in response to their lovemaking.  Khobran’s large member, with its length and width, gave Rand an exquisite mixture of mounting and pain.  No lover before this man had been able to take her to this place of surrender.  It was like a drug to her, this feeling, as she worked her hips even harder.  She became even wetter and slicker under Khobran’s stabs and strokes, his firm testicles slamming against her.  Rand lowered her head and bit Khobran’s shoulder, muffling her heated screams.

“Like it rough, lady?”  Khobran gave Rand a smack on her sweaty rump.

Rand, startled, released her teeth from the green flesh and squealed.

“Is that the best you can do?”  Rand taunted in his ear.

Khobran gave a throaty laugh and gripped Rand’s ass.  As he pushed Rand down onto his member he simultaneously pushed his pelvis up.  Rand’s walls tightened, becoming more sensitive and lubricated.  She threw back her head and sobbed her lover’s name.  Khobran kissed, sucked, and bit along Rand’s neck until he reached her lips and thrust his tongue in her mouth. 

Rand’s hips moved against Khobran when he suddenly held her hips still, so that she couldn’t move.  Rand pulled her lips away from the Orion’s kiss and gently nipped on his lower lip.  She wiggled against him, her walls throbbing, pulsing from deep inside her. 

Khobran pulled Rand off his member and threw her onto the bed, grabbing her hips and entering her while she was sprawled on her back.  Rand arched her back when she felt his first thrust, desperately grabbing onto the bed sheets and pulling them, twisting them, throaty screams erupting from her as she thrashed her head back and forth.  Rand thrust and pulled her hips, feeling the mounting pleasure sweeping upward into her like a high tide rising to shore.  She opened her legs wider as Khobran slammed into her.  Her body was covered in sweat, and Khobran’s body glistened with wetness in the soft light of his quarters, making him look even more alien. 

Rand, taken by her lover’s beauty, let go of the bed sheets and reached for Khobran. 

“Come to me,” she whispered.

Khobran leaned in so that his powerful arms held him up and suspended over Rand.  She was facing his chest and collarbone, his perspiration dripping on her neck and forehead.  She inhaled the scent of his salt while she reached up to lick the sweat, her tongue tracing along the upper slope of his pectoral muscles.  Rand didn’t think that she could get any more heated, but when she rolled the pungent musk of Khobran’s skin in her mouth, she wanted even more of him.

Rand lowered herself back down and encircled her arms around Khobran’s hips until she found his hard glutes, and dug her fingers into them.  Khobran’s pumps were long, powerful and controlled as Rand’s wall responded by sucking him in deep.  Her tide rose higher, mounting from her opening to all the way deep inside of her.   She could feel his magnificent peaks rise and flex under her palms, fingers and wrists.  Beads of sweat fell from Khobran’s body and landed on Rand’s flushed skin.  Her hips reached up and met her lover’s while she felt the buildup from deep within her, too intense to bear.  Khobran threw back his head and uttered a deep resonant moan, his muscular body rigid and hard.  Rand let out a loud squeal, the orgasm from way deep in back of her leaping forward in waves and throbs.  The walls of her secret grotto squeezed Khobran so tight he couldn’t pump anymore, his ejaculation shooting into Rand thick and precise, intensifying her orgasm.   Rand’s back was arched so far she was nearly propped on her shoulders, her hips raised and glued to Khobran’s pelvis.  Their bodies were still, their releases ebbing away into a whisper.  They both sighed, as Khobran rolled over onto his back, holding Rand close to him.  She was on top of him now, scooting up to his face and kissing his lips gently.  Khobran returned her delicate kiss, the both of them lost in the afterglow of their union.

*********************************************************  

Khobran and Rand laid in bed, the sheets having been tossed, twisted, and moistened from their wild lovemaking. Rand snuggled on top of Khobran, his strong arms wrapped around her protectively and lovingly.  She traced her hand along the side if his body, delicately exploring the grooves and cuts of his chiseled ribcage with the tips of her fingers.

“I’m addicted to touching you,” said Rand.

Khobran sighed and propped himself up against the headboard, with Rand still situated on top of him.  When he was settled, he looked down to her and into her eyes. 

“If there’s any woman in all the universes who I’d want touching me like this, it’s you,” he said, lowering his head and rubbing her nose with his in an Inuit kiss.

Rand laughed, smiling broadly up at her beautiful young lover.

“In all the universes, I beat every woman in existence.  Not too shabby.”

“Oh, Janice, there’s nothing shabby about you, and that’s the truth,” Khobran whispered, holding his girlfriend close.  “You, my dear, blow away all those Celestrial Pets on Pleasure Planet hands down,” he said while he reached down in an attempt to kiss her.  Rand, however, jerked her head away.

“Excuse me, what do you mean by saying ‘Celestrial Pets on Pleasure Planet?”  Rand asked with suspicion. 

“The girls at Pleasure Planet,” said Khobran matter-of-fact.

Rand suddenly sat ramrod straight, her hands on her hip.  “Why are you comparing me to those girls?  Don’t tell me you’ve actually been to Pleasure Planet!”

Khobran shrugged his shoulders and smirked.  “Janice, everyone’s been to Pleasure Planet.”

“Oh, really?” Rand asked indignantly.

“Janice, the people who work there are pleasure units.  They’re not even real,” assured Khobran, throwing up his arms in casual indifference.

“I don’t care about everybody else, I care about those girls getting their hands on you,” she said punching his arm, the heat rising in her cheeks.

Oh, God!  She couldn’t believe that she was suddenly jealous.  Khobran looked at Rand and bit his lip, trying not to laugh.  It was quite obvious that he was enjoying her jealousy.

“Hey, didn’t I just say that they can’t hold a candle to you,” he asked while he sat up and grabbed Rand, pressing her to his body.

“Oh, I know.  It’s just that the thought of some buxom Andorian hottie stradling you just drives me crazy,” she said, sounding like a petulant child.

“Well,” Khobran started.  “She did indeed drive me crazy--but she still couldn’t hold a candle to you.”

Rand opened her mouth, and let out an incredulous laugh.

“Why, you jerk,” she exclaimed, punching Khobran in his chest.

Khobran’s mouth curled into a satisfied grin. He caught hold of Rand’s arms, playfully pinning them behind her.

“Janice, you mean to tell me that you’ve never been to Pleasure Planet during one of the Enterprise’s furloughs.  Really?  You’ve never taken advantage of one of those pretty boy hunks at your disposal.”

Rand looked at Khobran’s teasing expression, biting her lip as she recalled some slap and tickle moments she’d had with some of those male pleasure units.  In spite of herself, she burst into laughter.

“Uh, huh!  I thought so,” said Khobran, releasing his girlfriend’s arms and tickling her.  Rand howled with laughter, falling on the bed and kicking up her legs while Khobran continued his delightful torture.

“Guilty,” she yelped in the same manner that one would say ‘uncle’.

Khobran then replaced his tickling with loving, soft strokes.  Rand relaxed under his touch while he reached over and swept her hair away from her face.

“I wish I was a fly on that wall, watching that guy in bed with you,” Khobran mused with sweetness in his voice.

Rand looked at Khobran, cocking an eyebrow and running her tongue along her lower lip.

“What makes you think it was just one guy in bed with me?”

Khobran’s face feigned shock.  “Oooh, now you’re gonna get it!”  He grabbed Rand and began tickling her again.

Their laughter filled the quarters as the sheets underneath them tossed and twisted again.  While Rand rolled on her lover’s bed, convulsed in laughter, she knew way deep inside of her that this young Orion man was her home.

***************************************

Rand savored the sight of how Khobran’s broad muscular back filled out the red uniform shirt as he slipped it on.  The lovers eyed each other from their reflections in the dresser mirror, while Khobran tugged at the tips of his sleeves, his collar, and the bottom of his shirt.  Rand moved in closer, placing her hands on Khobran’s hips and gently rubbing them along their musculature.  She stepped back and took a look at his incredible ass, and how the black fabric of his uniform pants molded and caressed his glutes. Rand recalled the feel of his buttocks beneath her palms while he had pounded away inside of her, bringing her to orgasm.  Rand closed her eyes and smiled, moving one of her hands from Khobran’s hips and running it along the middle of his buttocks, slapping and squeezing them.

“Janice, stop that,” Khobran warned.

Rand opened her eyes, and looked up at her lover from the reflection of his dresser mirror.

“Do you really want me to stop?” she purred, leaning into his powerful back while her head barely peeked over his shoulder. 

The corner of her lips curled up seductively.  Khobran, without once turning his eyes away from the mirror, looked at Rand and said to her as he reached for his comb,  “If you keep doing that, my dear, you’ll be late for work.”

Rand pressed her chest into Khobran’s back.  “Late for work, huh.” 

She reached in deep inside Khobran’s underpants and ran her hand along his firm testicles, then back up, squeezing his bare cheeks along the way.  Khobran closed his eyes and let out a long, trembling breath.  Then, he put his comb down promptly on the dresser and reached over, catching Rand by the wrist.  He turned from the mirror and looked at Rand, who held up her chin defiantly.  Khobran raised his brow, a slow smile forming on his lips.

“This won’t take too long.”  Khobran grabbed his lover by the waist and tossed her on his made-up bed.  Rand laughed uncontrollably while he flipped her onto her hand and knees and yanked off her hose, shorts and panties in one swoop.  Savoring the sight of her tight little naked rump, Khobran reached for the rim of his pants.

**********************************************************  

Rand rushed down the corridor, fretting aloud to herself about being late as she headed frantically for Captain Kirk’s quarters.   Hurrying along, she noticed passer-bys giving her odd glances.  One young officer in particular even said “Ouch” when she scurried past him.

“What’s his problem?” Rand thought to herself.  

Rand was relieved when she saw the captain’s quarters up ahead, practically sprinting as she picked up her pace even more.  When Rand reached the door, she rushed right in without bothering to ring the buzzer.  She saw the captain turn sharply from where he was standing, a cup of coffee in his hand.

“I’m so sorry for being late, Captain!  I felt kind of queasy this morning, but I’m feeling better now,” she lied.

Rand hoped that this fabricated story sounded as convincing to Kirk as it had to her, as she’d been rehearsing it to herself during her mad dash down the corridor.  Kirk looked at her quizzically, shaking his head.

“You’re not late,” he said.

Rand stopped and took a beat, before realizing what the captain said to her.

“I’m not?” she asked, raising her brows in surprise.

Kirk shook his head again.  “No.  Should you be late?”

Rand blinked.  “Guess not,” she said quickly.

She gave the captain a quick smile before quietly heading to her backroom desk, not saying another word about it.  As Rand unloaded her padd and her recorder onto her desk, she could hardly contain herself.

“Whoa, I can’t believe that one!”  Rand thought, chuckling to herself and settling down in her seat.

“Good news I think you’ll appreciate,” said Kirk, walking over to his desk and grabbing his thermos. 

“Oh, really?  What is it?”  asked Rand, looking up from her desk.

“We’re headed for the planet Adrius IV, which has a huge underground space station  called Hades.  In spite of its name, the station is supposed to be beautiful,” Kirk said, pouring coffee into his cup.

“Why are we going there, sir?”

“It’s a three-fold reason, really.  First off, the Enterprise needs to be present to welcome interplanetary refugees seeking asylum and settlement to various Federation sights.  So, this is partly a diplomatic mission.  Second, this space station has supplies that we’re running low on.  So, we get to take care of that factor.  Then, finally, it’s an opportunity for shore leave--much needed shore leave,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Shore leave!  Really, sir?” asked Rand, unable to contain her enthusiasm.

“That’s right, we all get a break.  This space station is supposed to have restaurants, nightclubs, indoor parks farther than the eye-can-see, bridges and lakes included,” he said, stretching his arms out to either side of him.

Rand got up from her desk, holding her padd in her hands.

“It sounds absolutely amazing, Captain!  Can’t wait to see it!”  She handed the padd to Kirk.

Kirk looked over the contents of the padd before signing his signature on it.  “Well, it should prove to be a fine spot for you and your friend.”

“Friend?”

“Yes,” Kirk said, looking up after he signed the padd.  “That young man you’re dating.”

“Oh, Khobran.”

“Who?”

“You mean Khobran, my boyfriend,” said Rand, a warm richness spreading through her belly.

“It’s boyfriend, huh?  Sounds serious,” said Kirk with a smile.

Rand took a deep breath and tilted head in thought, smiling. 

“Yeah, I guess it is headed in that direction.”

The more Rand thought about Khobran and her as an item, the broader her smile got.  She straightened herself up and nodded with assurance and conviction at the captain.

“Yes, it’s definitely headed in that direction,” she said with a radiant smile on her face.

Kirk nodded his approval and congratulations.  “Good for you, Janice.  I mean that sincerely,” he said softly, handing the padd back to Rand.

“Thank you, sir,” said Rand while she took the padd, turned on her heels and headed back to her desk.

“Janice!”

Rand turned, puzzled by Kirk’s sudden change of tone.

“Sir?”

“What on earth happened to you?  Did you fall or something?”

“Fall?”

“Janice, go to my wall mirror and turn around.  Look at the back of your leg.  I can’t believe you don’t feel that!”

Rand dutifully walked over to the full-length mirror by the captain’s dresser and turned around.  On the back of her thigh, on her upper hamstring, sat a huge jagged rip in her pantyhose.  The hole exposed an angry black and blue bruise, the flesh slightly raised.   Rand, needless to say, was shocked. 

“Talk about leaving a footprint,” she thought mischievously.

“Oh, my.  I didn’t think that I bumped that hard into my dresser,” she said innocently.

“You better go to sickbay to get that checked!”

Rand turned from the mirror to the captain.  “I don’t think that’s necessary, sir…”

“That’s an order, Yeoman.”

“I have a homeopathic ointment…”

“Now, Janice!”

Rand sighed, bowed her head in defeat, and headed for the door.  When the door to the captain’s quarters closed behind her, she placed her fingers to her lips, trying to stifle a laugh.

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