Red Sands - Part 1

Posted on Tue Sep 1st, 2020 @ 10:47am by Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Lieutenant Tate Sullivan Ph.D.

Mission: Season 3: Episode 4: Cause and Effect
Location: Shib's Quarters - Holodeck
1811 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

S'hib tugged gently at Naxea's hand as the doors to his quarters opened, pulling her inside what felt more like a greenhouse than a living space.

"Computer lock the door..." He snorted before moving towards his bed and lowering himself to the floor, the metal Starfleet storage boxes underneath glistening with mildew as he pulled them out and hastily placed them atop his mattress. "When we leave shortly, just know that I won't be wearing anything on the holodeck..." S'hib said, pausing for a moment with his hands atop a container. "I would like you to join me in doing this," He said nervously, glancing up at the woman he loved. "But you don't have to." He finished as the security locks clicked open and the case opened up.

"Oh, um, sure...I guess I can do that," Naxea replied. She didn't really want to but wanted to give S'hib a chance.

"You sure? I don't want you to be uncomfortable..." S'hib said softly while standing back up onto his hooves, removing several wrapped items from the box while continuing to speak. "I know this is asking a lot of you, but this will help you understand me..." He smiled, a small chuckle leaving his lips. "Think of it as payback for making my mouth burn so much... you left my tongue numb for days."

Naxea chuckled. "I didn't make you eat the Hasperat so it's your own fault. "So what is in the case?"

"I dunno... you did hand it to me all menacingly like," S'hib grinned, his flat tongue stuck between his teeth. "As for the case... well, undress first and you'll see."

Naxea sighed and began to undress. "Why the secrecy?"

"No secrets, just ink... and a brush." He replied, holding up a small ornate brush, its sharp tip of white hair pointed somewhat towards Naxea. "Come, sit and I'll explain... I think I have everything I need." He added, moving the box over to one side before briefly patting his bed.

Naxea finished undressing and sat next to S'hib. "Alright, explain," she said with a slight grin.

Continuing to unwrap his box of antiques S'hib shuffled closer, leaning his head round and catching a sly glimpse of her subtle grin. "Well you remember at the wedding, I put the same braids in your hair as mine... well, what I didn't tell you at the time was the cultural importance of that." He said as he gently unwrapped a small glass pot, the wooden lid still sealed by dark brown wax.

"You see we don't have anything like marriage on my world, but what we do have is a way of communicating how..." S'hib paused as he thought of an appropriate word, tapping the brush against his muzzle. "Available? someone is... I think that makes sense... Anyway, having the same mane style or tail... helps others know that you are together, either as close friends or related as such..." He finished, rummaging briefly for a pot of ink.

"Now this, however..." He said holding up the ink. "Is the closest thing I think we have to a wedding ring... and it will tell everyone on Sequella, that I am yours... and yours only."

"Um, ok," Naxea said, eyeing the ink. "Let's get this over with then. But we are not married."

"Well, I did catch those flowers..." S'hib said with a sly smile, trying to make light of the situation as he moved and to sit more on the bed. "Which I didn't get to eat either..." He complained sarcastically as he broke the wax seal, placing the lid down inside the box to his side before wetting the tip of the brush with his lips.

"Without informing me about your plan and those flowers are for single women only which nulls and voids your interference," Naxea teased back.

"I mean you caught me after I caught them, so technically you caught the flowers too," S'hib said as he planted a kiss on her cheek. "Now hold still or I'll be drawing squiggles instead..." He snorted, dipping the head of the brush into the dark fluid.

--SKIP TIME--

"Sorry for the wait Lieutenant," S'hib called out as he and Naxea turned a corner, both covered in thin white robes instead of their uniforms. "I sometimes forget I'm dating someone who's as stubborn as a Sequus mare." he teased, lightly nudging into Naxea with his arm.

Naxea nudged him back. "Oh, you have no idea," he teased back.

Turning to see the new arrivals, Tate was pleased to see the tension between the two had dissipated. She had wanted to be present just in case S'hib needed support, but now she wondered if she would be intruding. "No problem. I'm glad to see the two of you together looking more relaxed. Would you rather do this without me? I wanted to offer support and facilitate communication if need be, but now that you two are talking more openly, I don't wish to intrude."

"No intrusion, though I must add my planets population won't be wearing anything... and neither will we," S'hib replied, briefly removing one side of his robe, mindful to cover the majority of his body from Tate.

"I wouldn't want either of you to be uncomfortable." He added, padding his way over to the holodeck controls.

Tate was not uncomfortable with the naked form, but she wasn't quite prepared to be going naked herself. "Does this ritual require I be naked with you?"

"It's not a ritual per se, but it will be very warm... Sequella is tropical along the coast, something the holodeck will be replicating in its entirety." S'hib smiled as he activated the program, glancing to his left as the holodeck door opened to a vast stretch of deep red sand.

"It's amazing your people can thrive in this kind of environment," Naxea commented, as she gazed out over the desolate red sands. "Wait...just how hot is that sand? We don't have hooves, S'hib."

"Safeties are still on," S'hib smiled, chuckling slightly to himself as he walked inside. "The sand will be warm, but it won't burn..." He added while padding out further into the haze, gazing up at the clear sky as his robe slipped from his shoulders and onto the sand behind him. "Besides... only a short walk and we will be in the shade." S'hib sighed happily, glancing down at his white coat to examine the dozens of intricate patterns and Sequus words hastily painted onto his body, the inky black handprint on his chest bringing a smile to his broad muzzle.

Naxea shrugged as she entered. She still wasn't one-hundred percent sure about being nude but she also wanted to find out more about S'hib's culture. Taking a moment, she disrobed as well. "Alright, which way?"

"Just follow and you'll see..." S'hib remarked as his hooves clicked over a large white granite slab, it's surface briefly visible as the wind picked up, removing the thin layer of red sand from the path they were on.

"We can visit the cities another time." He added, turning around and pointing at the vast swath of tropical jungle that stretched in either direction behind them, thankful that they hadn't walked the many miles from the trees to the winding dunes he had now taken them too. "I wanted to take you somewhere a bit more meaningful first..." He smiled, his long mane blowing across his face as he watched Naxea approach.

Not wanting to intrude anymore than necessary or welcome, Tate kept up with the two of them but made sure to keep some distance between them so they could talk. She was glad she had not decided to disrobe, but she could appreciate why it would be more comfortable. Reminding herself the safeties would protect her, she focused on exploring the environment around her. "I must say, this is not the type of environment I would've predicted for your people. I am honored you would show it to me."

"If I told you most of my world is covered in water you probably wouldn't believe me..." S'hib snorted loudly as he approached the top of a dune, the rough outline of pillars protruding either side of him indicating the hidden path he had been following, their white surfaces gleaming in the sun.

"You see, unlike most planets... Sequella decided to have all its landmass in one place, so from orbit, she looks very different depending on what side you view... Ah!... we're almost there." S'hib replied excitedly, his large hooves sending thick ripples of sand rolling down the dunes as he climbed over the top.

Ahead of him sat an ancient Sequellian structure, half buried by the surrounding red dunes. At its base sat a vast lake of bluish green water that gleamed almost as bright as the surface of the temple, an imposing white structure that dwarfed the few trees that had taken root along the edge of the water.

nearby, permanent tent fixtures had been erected to offer the many Sequus who were not currently in the lake somewhere cool to dry and sleep, though many still did lay together along the dunes, content with the company and the heat of the sun.

"Long before we became the dominant species on our planet, we dwelled in the deserts just outside the jungles... surviving on what little water and food we could find... it was a fine line, survival... go too close and we risked being eaten, run too far from the maws in the jungle and the red sands would swallow you instead... but this place," S'hib said softly, looking around at his people. "And others like it used to be all we had..."

"Our herds were all we had..." He added quietly.

"Perhaps you can take tent classes from them then," Naxea joked trying to cheer S'hib up some, gesturing a thumb at the resting Sequus under the tents, she recalled his poor attempt at setting up his own tent.

"You see what I have to deal with doc?" S'hib smiled cheekily, his wide tongue settling between his teeth as he lowered his head towards Naxea, teasing her back in an attempt to hide the sting to his pride.

Tate chuckled. It was good to see the two of them laughing and she was pleased after some encouragement, S'hib was opening up without as much hesitation. "In my experience, we only tease the ones we care about, so I'd say you're in good company."

"I must be in good company most of the time then..." S'hib remarked as he guiding himself down the sloping dune, eager to introduce his people to Naxea and Tate.

OFF:

Lieutenant S'hib
Security Officer

Major Azhul Naxea
62nd Marine Detachment CO

Lieutenant Tate Sullivan P.h.D.
Asst. Chief Counselor