Girls Gone Wild Workout

Posted on Wed Jul 15th, 2020 @ 7:07pm by Lieutenant Kara Danvers & Commodore Mardel Shayron-Connor & Lieutenant Flowerpetal Sheme
Edited on on Thu Jul 16th, 2020 @ 10:27am

6,509 words; about a 33 minute read

Mission: Going Home
Location: Holodeck 3

BEGIN JOINT LOG: Mardel, Flower, and Kara

Mardel stood at the entrance to the holodeck, deciding how many enemies she wanted this time. Then she smiled and set the planet to her home, Orion, with the jungles and marshes and cliffs and bluffs. Now she would have to battle nature as well as enemies. She set the terms of the program and then waited for her workout partner for the day, Lt Flower Sheme. It would be nice to work out with someone who understood the more animal side of her nature and her need to hunt.

Flower walks over to the holodeck, after getting the Captains invitation to work out with her. Flower didn`t know what to expect, since she has never been invited by the Captain to work out with. She just finished helping Ensign Darnell with some repairs and working on how to make the ship look more like a rock.
Smiling, Mardel looked at the uniform in question. "Do you feel comfortable climbing and crouching and wiggling through swamps in your uniform? Or would you rather change into something that you don't mind getting dirty or ripping?”

"I just came from Engineering. When we did the false core breach, someone’s calculations were off and it caused more damage all over the ship. I take full responsibility for the miscalculation," Flower explained.

Mardel nodded. "Everyone makes mistakes, Flower. We are all mortal, not gods, and making mistakes is part of the description. Just try to do better next time is all I ask of any of my officers. If you want to change, I will wait. There is no rush."

Flower nodded, "Okay." Flower stepped aside to get into her workout attire, which consisted of shorts and tank top, her tail swishing easily. As she returned, she looked more like a Tiger then an officer. This was a side of her that she rarely showed to anyone but her partners.

"Now that looks better for this. Once we are inside, I'm going to change into my furs. I don't feel comfortable wearing them in the corridors, too many people stare at me. We will be hunting Slave Hunters on Orion. Prepare for jungles, water ways, cliffs and extremely tall grassy bluffs. I made sure that none of the plants would harm us like they would at home if you didn't know which plants to avoid. I also made it so the only beings we will encounter will be the hunters, so you don't have to worry about wild life either or civilians. This is a very physical course, even more so when you add the stealth factor. Are you ready?”

"Back home, we trained in forests to work on our stamina. We climb trees to also sharpen our claws. I will have to show you my planet soon. Yes I am, Sir."

"You see, I knew I picked the right partner. You understand the need to be animalistic at times. I can go back to what feels natural to me around you and not have to worry that you will think I'm bonkers." Mardel opened the holodeck and waited for the doors to close. Then she changed into her furs and left her uniform in a locker by the door. Then she started the program. The black and yellow grid vanished and a thick jungle appeared. Mardel fell to her haunches and smelled the air, a feral grin on her lips.

Flower fell down to her all fours, to get a better scent too. "This is the first time you invited me, can I ask why?"

"Honestly, I thought you were afraid of me at first. I wanted to give you time to find your footing on the ship before the pressure of being the Captain's workout partner fell on your shoulders. I mean, even if we just do it once, it will get around the ship that we worked out together. Of course, that will also give you a certain mystic that could be used to take you far that you survived a workout with the captain." Mardel laughed.

"You have to also remember, my dear Captain, I went through the Academy and faced things that have shaken me to my very core. But I believe I can handle anything."

"Then let's hunt. I programmed in about a dozen hunters apiece. That way we both get enough of a work out to really enjoy it. Then we can cool off in the ocean if you want. Do you want to work as a team or go it solo?" Mardel said with another grin.

"I think we should stay together, work faster that way. By the way, the scent to coming from the southwest of where we are now,:"

Lifting her head and sniffing the air again, Mardel nodded. "Yes, the closest group is to the southwest, near the echo pool. But there is also a group over by the giant mating tree and another behind us on the rainbow bluffs. I will let you lead the way, if you wish."

Flower shook her head, she didn’t know her way around these woods, "We are on your turf, your planet, you know your way better than I, Sir."

"Okay, on one condition, while we are working out, it's Mardel." Heads off in an easy lope, until the trees start to thin. Then slows down and starts to slowly and silently creep through the underbrush. The smell of water mixing with the smell of their prey.

Kara happened to slip in, and since she was off duty she was not in her Starfleet uniform. She was in her 'other uniform' Though seeing the two there she just settled to lean again the arch.

"Yes, Mardel," Flower followed on all fours silently.

Stopping, Mardel sniffed the air again. "Kara is in the holodeck with us. We can wait for her, if you want."

Flower also stopped, "Okay Mardel."

Mardel threw a handful of some purple thorns in the air towards the hunting party and they burst in the air like a flare, but didn't give away their position to the hunters. Mardel knew that Kara would see it as well and know to come join them.

"I'm just watching," motioning with a hand, "Do whatever you were going to do,” Reaches up to scratch her nose. "Not fair." Mostly to her self. "I'll just wait here."

Mardel softly called for an arch and froze the program. She stood up and turned to look at Kara across the room. "We aren't working out for observers. You are welcome to join us and I can add more hunters to hunt. But, sorry, if you are just wanting to watch, I'm going to ask you to leave."

Kara was already still at the arch. "Really? Ask me to leave. What if I am doing a tactical evaluation of not only our Captain but Flower."

"Permission to speak Mardel?"

Turning to look at Flower. "Of course. In here, right now, we are equals. Just two women working out." She turned and looked at Kara. "Three women working out." Then she turned back to Kara. "And if you are doing an eval, being up close and personal is much more effective than watching from a distance."

"Kara please don’t take this the wrong way, but having the Captain ask me for the first time to workout with her, is a little intimidating. I rather not be distracted and make another mistake!" She hissed the last part mostly to herself, for she was still yelling at herself about the explosion.

"I respectfully decline. You can't do this with the safeties off and at a level of 312. Particularly, you ma'am." Looking at Mardel but not specifying. "You don't get this opportunity often, Flower. I'm not trying to impede on it."

"Actually, I can, Kara. I grew up here. And I believe the wilds of Orion are classified at the academy at 521. To me, it's just another day. But I will let Flower decide." She nodded to Flower to make the final decision.

"Please Kara. I cant make another mistake... not after the mistake that almost cost the ship..."

Mardel put her hand lightly on the Catonian's woman's arm. "Flower, you didn't cost the ship, or even close. Some of the outer hull did get some radiation and some plasma burns, but only Starfleet personnel. Civilians don't have clearance for the outer hull for this very reason. So please, stop beating yourself up over something that can happen on a daily bases for those areas."

Flower looked at the hand and felt a boulder being lifted off her shoulders, "Okay, Mardel"

Mardel smiled. "The only mistake you can make while working out is trying to do too much with an injury. Otherwise, it's all good."

Flower purred,” I think you should make the final call, you know these woods."

Mardel looked at Kara. "You can either join, or leave. I'm okay with either. But no observers. This is girls gone wild workout, not centerfold peepshow."

"That wasn`t' your fault, Flower, and you know it." Giving a sigh. "This still isn't going to be fair. Fine. You two have a five minute head start."

"You aren't hunting us. We are hunting Slavers. And you are right, it isn't fair for them. And I don't care, they shouldn't be hunting my people on our own home world." Mardel said and doubled the number of hunters in the program. She waited for Kara to get to their position before starting it.

Mardel nodded as Kara joined them and restarted the program, the jungle again surrounded all three of them. Scenting the air again, Mardel held up 7 fingers so show how many where ahead of them. In the dirt, she drew a short strip of undergrowth, then some tall grasses and then the lake with a waterfall from higher up. When she saw that both Flower and Kara had seen it, she carefully wiped away the makeshift map and nodded for them to flank the hunters.

Flower starts to climb a tree to get a more surprised attack on her prey, She was fully aware that Kara was watching her and now saw her in her natural environment, and looking more like a wild tiger than an officer.

Mardel seemed to slither across the ground, barely disturbing the tall grasses, moving around the clumps as a child would move through a pile of toys to get a favorite toy and not disturb others already playing. She waited until the others got into position before flushing the prey.

Flower used her tail to signal Mardel that was ready.

Sensing more than anything that Kara was in position, Mardel stood up and sliced the throat of the hunter she was behind with her knife as easily as she would slice butter with a hot knife.

Flower jumped down from the trees, claws out and pounced on two of the hunters. Flower grinned as the others started to rush her, She wasn’t at all worried about the odds, she trained with multiple opponents back at the academy and even on her planet, when she would sneak away from Healer class, She would train with the other Defenders and Protectors. Of course, she was never yelled at by her father for doing something dangerous, because the teacher never told the leader that Flower was joining them. Using her tail, she trips one, that it turn caused another to trip over their fallen comrade, she then quickly wrapped her tail around her waist.

Kara sighed. This still wasn't particularly fair in her opinion. She was in position then gave a light push and floated up in the air above the tree canopy. Giving a look at the situation that way.

Mardel sprang with an animalistic growl and drove her blade through the spine of one of those attacking Flower and then spun to stab the one creeping up behind her in the throat and ripping it out. She grinned and even laughed as the hunters fell victim to one they had hoped to capture.

"You have done this before!" Flower was impressed, then sliced at the face of another Hunter coming after her. Flower pounces on one that was creeping up behind Mardel, "Not today pal!".

Mardel laughed. "All my life, Flower. This is how I was raised. Fun isn't it? Hunting the hunters." There were only two left. Mardel called out. "Kara, either join the hunt or get out. No observers."

"Shhh. I'm listening."

Flower let out a growl after pouncing on the one Hunter, "No one harms my friend!". Mardel now didn’t see Flower as an officer, but as a wild Tiger that would always have her back, no matter what.
"One left, Mardel."

"You mean this one?" Still floating a little bit above the ground and holding the Orion Hunter up like a rag doll.

With a disgusted look at Kara, Mardel swung her knife and took out the remaining hunter who looked shocked that their entire hunting party was so easily dispatched. Then Mardel moved to the water and cleaned up some. "Okay, next nearest pack is about three miles to the west, over by the giant mating tree." She said, pointing through the jungle to deeper in the jungle.

Flower drops to all four to follow, keeping up with the captain easily. "After this, remind me to show you my planet, and how we keep our stamina .

Actually, the knife was stopped and Kara moved back a little. "Uh huh. See unlike my cousin." Tilting her head a little bit. Letting go and reaching up in the blink of an eye and snapping the man's head a full 920, yes, a 920 and letting the body drop to the ground. "I'm not beneath killing."

Mardel laughed silently. "When we are done here, I’ll take you to pick paua fruit. The trees are 30 meters tall and the fruit grows at the very top, no branches, like palm trees, and they only grow on the top of cliffs. So you have to climb the cliff and then the tree. And you have to be careful because the paua fruit will attack you if you hold it wrong." Running with Flower. Mardel looked at Kara, "A little more action and less hovering, if you please. This is supposed to be active."

Flower let out a growl as she sniffed their prey, "They are close Mardel, just one more jump and we will be near them. Same tactic as before?”

"There isn't any more, I just killed the last one. Unless you made a new spawn point."
Shaking her head, she stopped and knelt down. "No, there is no water here, just the trees and a large clearing. On the far side, there is a small stream, but it runs silently here. It's clear on the other side of the brush wall, so it's a good place for mating, but not for hiding. However, there will be some up in the trees here as well as on the ground. And there are some boulders around the outside of the clearing. So we need to take a multiple level attack positions. And there are 15 in this group, so it will be harder. Kara, this time, you better have more than one kill. I’ll take the forest floor. Flower, take the midway branches, and Kara, take the top of the trees. I'll give you one minute to get into position and then I’ll spring. They will focus on me, so you should get all the high targets without them seeing you. Good luck and have fun."

Flower nods and finds the nearest tree to start climbing, very quietly. She wasn’t even breaking a sweat or feeling exhausted yet. "there are 2 more groups, that was just the first one."

"There are two more groups. One to the north and one further west. We will take out the one to the north next, and end up with the furthest west group because it's by the ocean and then we can swim to cool down and wash up."

Flower stops climbing she senses 5 in the trees. "so Level two, not impossible, just harder"

"Fine. I warned you." Giving a sigh and didn't fly off actually. Tapped down on the forest floor. She gave a look and started towards the third group then stopped. "Captain. I need to know something before I proceed."
Mardel nodded and moved to the ground and then looked at Kara. "What is that?"

"Did you, which you shouldn't even know about. Reprogram these with the thing?" If Mardel didn't know what the 'thing' was then all good.

Mardel looked confused for a moment and then shook her head. "No, they are programmed with normal hunter weapons and items." Then she carefully made her way to the edge of the clearing and counted five on the ground, meaning there were ten in the twin trees. In the clearing were two very large, tall trees that were almost woven together to be a single tree. The ground was covered with soft moss and such. Boulders were on the edges sparsely and a sliver of a stream ran on the far side of the clearing with more boulders on either bank. The trees had many branches and climbing was easy all the way to the top. And the leaves fell around the branches like concealing curtains.

Flower growls again, and jumps into action. Jumping between the branches as she attacks the more challenging ones. Flower was actually starting to look like an agile ballerina as she jumps so flawlessly between the tall trees.

Mardel sprang up and rushed those on the ground, slices several tendons so they couldn't run away and she could play with them a little before ending their miserable existence.
Four bodies land on the ground next to Mardel group, with claw marks all over their faces and throats. Now only 6 remained in the trees, but Flower miscalculated one of her jumps, and she also came down, landing on all fours. "I took out 4 so far. Man they are tougher than the first group!”

Which was a relief then. No one knew. That made the spoils that much sweeter then. Still walking and shrugging off a few phaser shots, which were, actually nothing. Truth be told, she could be put down, even by conventional means....if you shot her with a quantum torpedo maybe.

Giving a look a moment to beg out what she could see then it was on. Giving a leap and before the first two in the trees. All that was heard was two scrams then a blood curtling sound as they were thrown off. If looked at. Where did their chest go? Oh right. In Kara's hand.

The other three tried to scramble down and get away but not happening. One of the bodies that were ripped literally in half landed right in front of Flower.

"Okay five down."

Mardel cut open the final one on the ground from neck to crotch and yelled. "This is for every scar you put on my sister's body, you ruthless turd!"

"I don’t know how many of left in the trees. Should we wait?"
Mardel looked up and then grinned ferally again. "No, I think Kara has it under control. Are we ready to head to the next group?"

Flower stood on all fours, shaking off the dirt, and stands by Mardel to protect her.

Kara kinda of had it all kinds of under control. In fact, that last one she nearly missed was done with and flung again. This time it actually did hit Flower right in the face. Not just a top or lower half. The whole body, knocking her over. It was crispy, like completely burnt.

Flower let out a growl and a hiss, showing her more dangerous side,

Mardel looked impressed. "Nice control, Kara, but try not to hit us when you throw away the refuse." She moved over to the stream and cleaned her weapons.

"Then learn to move faster."

Flower stayed at Mardel’s side and lapped some water in the stream.

"Having fun, Flower? I mean, when Kara isn't trying to make you play tag with the dead?" Mardel asked.

"I am. I needed to let out some anger that has been bottled up. its already been a year since a certain Cadets death and it still hurts!"

"So did I. And I am still not happy. Also, Flower I told you, you have got to let that go. If this is how then fine, but afterwards. Let it go."

"And before you ask no I don’t need to take a break from my duties". "That is easy for you say! You didn’t know him! Dint train with him side by side!" Flower ran off on all fours, now more dangerous than ever as she wasn’t thinking straight.

"This is your knife right, Mardel?" She caught the just call her that. Leaning down to pick it up and pull it out of a body. Giving a side glance to Flower. "Do we really need to go into whom had it worse, Flower? Suck it up."

Nodding. "I understand. It does help to work out emotions doing something familiar. I'm glad we can do this together." She then looked up. "Kara, this next one is going to be tricky." She used her finger again to draw a map. "They are hunting on the bluffs. The grass stands a good four to five meters and grows in clumps. The soil is hard packed and there is no cover from above. So it's all ground work this time." She held up her blade and looked at Kara. "Not my blade, I know better than to leave a weapon behind." She gave the poorly made blade a disgusted look. "Leave it, it's a piece of crap." "Go after her Kara and stop mocking her." Mardel said and took off after Flower on foot so she wouldn't run off a cliff or something.

"Well then, I don't have to ask anyone to use it." Giving it a flip in her hands a few times then threw it over her shoulder. The dagger, it wasn't a knife after all, whizzed past Flower's left ear and kept going. It continued and went through every tree trunk, brush, rocks in the way. There was the sound of someone dying and falling. "One."
Flower continues to run on all fours, and finds a tree to climb up fast.
Mardel scented Flower and then climbed the tree with her and sat on a branch opposite of her. "Flower, next time Kara says something that insensitive to you, you have my permission to stun her and let her sleep it off in the brig. Do you want to continue with the hunt, or call it now?"

"Mardel... How could she say that, when she knew very well that still hurts me to this day! He was my partner and best friend!"

"I heard that." Considering she was specifically listening more around for the tribe groups, she heard every word. Kara went and did her own thing and there was lots of screams and body parts flying in the air, some hitting

Mardel and Flower from miles away.

"And I didn’t bring my phaser."

"Everyone grieves in their own way and their own time. She lost everyone but her cousin when her world exploded. Her parents, her family, her friends. She grieves in her way and you grieve in yours. And both ways are perfectly fine. But no one has the right to tell another person how to grieve, so Kara was wrong there." Mardel said simply and offered her shoulder should Flower need it for a time.

Flower claws at the tree, not sure if she’s safe to continue or stop. Flower just didn’t know what to do now, "its hard to let go, and I am sure she understands that. I don’t know if I can ever let this go.”

"Then don't let it go, Flower. Keep it in your heart and treasure the good times and learn from the bad times. I am not going to tell you what to do with your memories and feelings. That isn't my place. My place is just to give orders from Starfleet to my crew to better the Federation. As a friend, I am always here if you need to talk and I won't judge you on what you do with your memories or feelings."

Flower nodded, "okay. How many are left?"

"Each group is larger than the last. This one has 25 hunters, but they are in five different camps along the bluffs. They are always idiots when hunting on the bluffs, it will be like picking berries from a garden taking them all out." She grinned. "You know how those not used to working with tall grasses are idiots."

"So climb higher and jump between the trees?"

Shaking her head. "No trees on the bluff, just the tall grasses. We all have to go in on ground attacks. It's fun to make them kill each other thinking they are killing us." Mardel said.

Flower climbed down, waiting for Mardel to return by her side, "Okay."

Mardel swung down easily and looked for Kara. "Kara, are you ready? Remember, we are hunting as a team."
"Its not the cadets death anniversary that got me so angry. I read reports that those monsters also attacked the Everest, where my sister and her family is at!"

"Damn, that is hard. I am sorry, Flower. Let's go and work out some aggression on these poachers." She started to make her way through the trees and then slowly and carefully climbing with the ground to the top of the bluff. Miles of tall grasses were all that was there and then five spirals of smoke from campfires drifted lazily toward the sky. "See what I mean? Idiots."

"I see that. This time, lets not split up," she suggested.

"Okay. Then let's get between those three on the right and the two on the left and use decoy noises to make them fire at each other. We will have to stay low to avoid the crossfire. Sound like fun?"

Flower crouched as low as she could go and still move quietly, "You can count on me. "we should use a noise they wouldn’t expect, When one of my kind are grieving, they let out sorrowful meows"

"I know I can, Flower. Let's do this." Mardel got down on her belly and carefully moved along the floor of the bluff, carefully navigating the clumps of grass so there would be no movement of the grassed to alert them. "They might think it's one of the young of the predators here on Orion. They try to capture the young predators as much as the people because of their beautiful pelts and they are trainable when they are young. The best noise is breaking a branch or flushing out some of the birds that nest here." She pointed out the nests in the center of several of the clumps of grass so Flower could see them and understand.

Flower nodded and went over to the nest and steps on a branch purposely then falls flat to the ground as the birds were alarmed and started to fly around.

Mardel dropped flat as the camps came to life and they started shooting at each other over their heads. She had to stifle her giggles so they wouldn't hear her, especially when they started cursing as they were hit by "Friendly" fire.

Flower made sure to not move her tail to even curl up fast in laughter.

When the shooting quieted down, Mardel sniffed the air and only a few were left awake, but none were dead. She whispered to Flower, "this will be a coup de grace, so kill those who are unconscious and those who are still awake. Okay?"

'Okay, but don’t leave my side," Flower stood up

"Okay, but it will be trickier as we move from one camp to another. But it isn't impossible." She grinned. "Let's go." She motioned for Flower to pick the first camp.

Flower picked the first camp and with one swipe of her paw, killed the first camp of 5

Mardel stalked into the second camp and quickly dispatched those five without even blinking between kills. She was grinning with each kill. It always felt good to get rid of such scum.

Flower walks further and as she did in the first camp, took care of the 3rd camp, letting out more anger.

Mardel waved Flower forward, letting her clean up the last two camps as well. She understood all to well the rage that could only be slacked with a killing spree. Each time she had been called back to Orion to save her little sister's life, tore through her like a phaser through tissue paper. She was just glad that Larie was with Sherlock now, safe at last, on a Federation Star Fleet vessel with a warrior to protect her.

Flower started to move to the next camp, and all she could think of were those black monsters that attacked her sister! Flower made quick work with the final two camps,, as she stood licking her paws from blood.

Mardel watched all this and nodded. She cancelled the final group. "Well, Flower, shall we go swimming in the ocean for a time now to clean up and cool down?"

Flower looked at Mardel, "Sure," then walked by her side. "Now this isn’t quite how I train on my planet, or in any obstacle course you can try at the academy."

"Oh, wait. See those cliffs there? And the trees at the top? Those are paua fruit trees. Think of paua fruit like a cross between watermelon, peaches, and cherries. We can get one to take with us to the ocean and enjoy it after the swim, if you want." Mardel smiled. "Well, this is how I grew up. By five I was out hunting the hunters, it was part of our training. I'm glad you had more of a normal childhood than I did."

"I wish! my father tried to push me onto a Path that wasn’t meant for me. He knew I was meant for Defender and Protector, just like my mother but because of what happened the night of my birth he pushed me into Healer,"

Flower purred, "lead the way."

"I'm sorry for that as well, Flower. So do we pick fruit first or go swimming and skip the fruit? I will warn you, the husks of paua fruit are deadly, spikes and thorns rip at your skin and you can bleed to death if you hold it wrong before you ever got out of the tree." Mardel warned.

Flower looked a little scared, she didn’t want to be in danger, or leave her captain defenseless, but she was also hungry, "does the ocean have any salmon?"

"No, not salmon, but a different kind of fish. I wouldn't recommend it for catching it can be deadly as well. But there is a clam like organisms on the beach we can dig up and eat either raw or cooked. And there is a low growing fruit called ginjan, it looks like a berry sized coconut and has a mild pleasant flavor that is hard to describe." Mardel said, understanding Flower's fear of harvesting paua fruit.

"lead the way, Mardel. and if you are about to ask if my mother is still alive, she died as I was born."

Mardel nodded and led the way to the beach. She stopped within sight of the beach in a thicket of ginjan fruit bushes and started to gather some in her furs. "We never know who our mothers or fathers are. We are taken at birth from our mothers and raised communally by special women who only care for infants. When we are three and can eat on our own and no longer need swaddling for the bathroom, then we move into classes to learn all about Orion and her history and peoples and surviving our home world's natural death traps as well as slave hunters and we learn to harvest food from our planet without dying. So I can understand that." She held up one of the ginjan fruits. "To me it tastes like a Pina colada. Try it."

Flower tastes it, "Hey! it almost tastes like a treat we have on Catonia, Juniperberry pudding." "Next time, we go to my planet." she offered, indicating that she really enjoyed the time to get to know her captain better.

"I told you it was good." She then showed Flower how to pick them and helped her fill her t-shirt with the fruit.

Then they walked to the beach and put the fruit into a hollowed out rock to stay cool and found a patch of the shellfish and used her blade to dig up a large pile of them. She opened one and handed it Flower to try raw, showing her how to just let the meat slip into her mouth and then swallow it. "Let me know if you want to cook them. Or eat them raw. And I would love to go to your planet."

Flower gently held the shellfish and ate the meat, "Salmon is better."

"The only fish that is edible on the planet swim in the middle of the great current and you have to drown them to kill them so they don't poison their flesh, so are fighting a fish the size of a shuttle in the strongest current on the planet. Not a lot can do it successfully, and not a few have died trying. In order to even be allowed to learn how, you have to prove you can swim the great current easily." Mardel explained. She steamed some of the shellfish, changing their taste from oceany to gamey. "These are considered a delicacy because you can't dig them year round, only in certain seasons."

"we also have certain meals for special occasions. You know, its really easy to meow with you," Flower purred. and enjoyed another Ginjan fruit.

"Thank you, Flower. That means a lot to me. I don't have many I can call friend for various reasons, but the biggest is fear. I'm afraid my race doesn't have the best of reputations, especially the women." She handed one of the cooked ones to Sheme to try, this one tasting more like a very tender venison rather than crab or shrimp or lobster. "So, do you like them more cooked or raw?"

Flower tried it cooked, 'Different. our kind eat fish raw."

"Okay then. Did you even want any of the shellfish or just the fruit?" Mardel asked, noticing that most of the picked fruit was already gone. She smiled, knowing that picking more was simple.

"I like the fruit," Flower purred, then relaxed on the beach, "Not many have seen my wild side. Kara got the worse of it."

"Daniel and Camia are the only ones on the ship who have seen this side of me. Camia because I helped train her. And Daniel because I've brought him here a few times so he could know what he was getting into with me."
Mardel said and finished off the shellfish she had dug up and then moved to a thicket of fruit bushes just off the beach, where Flower could see her and filled another hollowed out rock with the fruit then went to sit by Flower.
"If you ever need to get wild, let me know and I'll get wild with you."

Flower purred louder, enjoying that invitation. "When I mentioned my sisters family, I didn’t mention that she took in a Furless one into her family." "I think that what made me so angry, my niece`s home was attacked!:

"I can understand that. If anything happened to Daniel's family, I would probably kill half the universe to exact revenge and justice. His family is Betazoid and Human, neither one really equipped to fight some of the monsters that inhabit the universe." Mardel said simply. "I'm just glad his brother is here on the Aldrin, where I can keep him safe. My sister is on the Excelsior, she's protected there as well. No one would survive if anyone harmed her. I have no mercy when it comes to those who hunt her and would harm her." Her voice hardened and became deadly even thinking of Larie in harm's way. Thank goodness that Sherlock felt the same way as she did, so Larie was protected on two fronts. "She's married to a good man who is just as protective as I am of Larie."

Flower felt the same for Talia, Tigers adopted daughter. "So, who had the most victims?"

Mardel shrugged. "Who cares. We were just blowing off steam and having fun while getting exercise. Are we ready to head out and join the real world again?"

"I guess we both have to return to duty at some point"

"I know. This is always the hardest part, leaving Orion for the Aldrin." She looked at her comfortable furs and sighed. "Time to get back into the uniform. I do have bridge duty soon. Thank you, Flower, for working out with me."

"Thank you for the chance to."

"Any time." She smiled at Flower and called for the arch and the grid came back. She reached into the locker and pulled out her uniform and put it on, putting her furs into the locker and then closing it again, locking it. "Now you can play this up and get treated special by the crew for surviving working out with me." She giggled before the door opened and then she sobered again.

"Was I too harsh with Kara? Running off like I did?"

Mardel shrugged. "I don't know. I can't read minds, just hearts. Kara cares about you and wouldn't hurt you on purpose. But she also won't wear her heart on her sleeve and let you in to her pain. I think that is something you and Kara need to work out, maybe over ice cream on Boardwalk."

Flower nodded, "Okay, Captain,” her tail curled up fast, "You are back in uniform, back to being my captain."
"I know, Sheme." She winked, hiding the gesture from those walking by. "We will have to work out together again, soon. I'll see you on the bridge." Back in her captain's mode, she nodded to Flower and to the other crew she passed as she went to the bridge and her duty.
Flower quickly changed her clothes, and caught up with the captain, as both women walked side by side, having found a deep respect for each other.

END LOG

 

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