Catching up

Posted on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 @ 6:18am by Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Gunnery Sergeant Luxa Gami [Naxea] & Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Lieutenant Commander Rin & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Marine Country; MCO's Office
Timeline: MD 01 1530 Hours
2377 words - 4.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Gami entered the office at a brisk pace, catching Naxea by surprise as she looked up quickly from her terminal at her desk, with every intention to tell the trespasser to get the hell out of her sight. She hated going over the requisition forms for the Detachment. She let out a sigh, seeing that it was her friend Gami.

"Hey Luxa," she called the woman by her first name since nobody else was in earshot. "What can I do for you?"

Gami chuckled and grinned at her old friend, leaning against the bulkhead. She recalled when she had first met the colonel as a new Platoon CO. The two had bonded over their similar history of dealing with foreign occupations of their home worlds. "So what are you working on at this hour? Shouldn't you be home, getting fucked by that fiancé of yours or something?" she asked.

"Detachment Requisitions," Naxea replied with a chuckle at Gami's lack of tact. It was something she let slide as Gami was one hell of a Marine and fighter. Not to mention a good friend. "And S'hib is busy with work at the moment."

"Too busy for his pregnant fiancé?" Gami asked, pushing herself off the bulkhead. "Come on, you need to get out, Nax. When is the last time you just took time to enjoy yourself? How about we go and find some guys to flirt with."

"You are one horny woman," Naxea commented with a grin as she leaned back in her chair, looking at her friend.

"Guilty as charged," she answered with a huge smile, causing Naxea to laugh.

"I'm engaged, remember," Naxea held up her ring hand for emphasis.

"More for me then," Gami replied with a smile and shrug. "Come on, let's get out of here and hit the station promenade. "I want to find a newly commissioned ensign and make him my bitch for the night."

The comment caused Naxea to roar with laughter. "And most likely scar him for life."

"That's what makes it so fun," she commented with a devilish grin. "Besides, we never did get to throw you a proper Bachelorette Party."

"No," she waved a finger at Gami. "I remember when you threw Lieutenant O'Malley her bachelorette party."

Gami shrugged, smiling. "What was so bad about that?"

"She ended up passed out drunk on a Ferengi freighter bound for Kronos!"

"She made it back alright," Gami chuckled. "Come on. You need a break and I need a break. Besides, I already put out a call to several people aboard the ship who have accepted."

Naxea's eyes widened. "You what? Who?"

"Oh, you know, barefoot woman who flies the ship--Ensign Derani I think her name is, that former Borg woman from the Science Department, and the Captain."

Naxea let out a sigh as she shook her head. "You're going to be the death of me someday....fine, I'll go."

"Good, and change please? No need for the uniform tonight...you do have something other than your uniform to wear don't you?" Gami asked, grinning.

Naxea gave her a look causing Gami to laugh in response. "Ok, ok! I'll get going. Meet you at 1700 at your quarters."


---Naxea's Quarters 1700 Hours---

Naxea looked at herself in the mirror as she wore a white V-neck blouse with the sleeves partially rolled up as it hung loosely along with tan casual pants when the chime to her door sounded. "Enter."

Rin's gait was regimented and measured as she entered, her posture formal, as usual. Unlike her normal self, however, she was dressed in a close fitting ice blue and burgundy dress with a hem just above the knee.

"Evening, Colonel," she said. "Sergeant Gami said this was the place to meet?"

Miraj nipped in behind Rin in a flurry of eye-gouging colours. "Hope I'm not late?"

"Right on time," Rin assured her.

"Unlike me" Came a voice as a figure hurried around the corner looking back over her shoulder, before skidding to a stop on low silver heels. Phoenix Lalor, in her favourite dark blue knee length dress shot the group a grin. "Had to escape the kids."

Gami entered next, dressed in a purple and black above the knee-length dress. "And me. Sorry for being late--had to show Ensign Selek from Security, um some self defense moves. Are we ready?"

'You are incorrigible,' Naxea thought, hoping Gami could read it as she stared at Gami for a moment, giving her a knowingly look before grinning at the others. "Hi everyone. I'll apologize if Gami was a bother or came off too forward with her invitation. I had no idea she had planned this."

Phoenix grinned. "Oh? Even better." She linked her arm through Gami's. "Share Gami, what else do you have planned?"

Gami grinned at the captain. "Well, I figured we would hit the Starlight Lounge on the station first and then off to Dale's," she winked at Naxea who blushed red at the mention of Dale's--a provocative male dance club.

"Sounds interesting" Phoenix laughed.

"Who's Dale?" Miraj asked, wondering if that was a friend of the marines's.

Gami chuckled at the question as Naxea grinned at Miraj. "It's a club," Naxea spoke.

"Come on. Let's get out of here," Gami suggested as she turned to head out the door with Lalor still on her arm. Naxea let out a sigh as she followed suit.

Phoenix laughed and grabbed Miraj as she passed her. "Grab Rin" she said to the pink haired woman.

Miraj followed orders, grabbing Rin's hand and pulling the former drone after the senior officers. "Come on, I used to be wingman for my brother. I'm pretty good at it."

"Woah, wut?" Rin squeaked as she got pulled along. "I'm here to hang out. I'm not looking for a date."

"Who said anything about dates? Mostly he just wanted to dance with people. I bet I could find plenty of people who would dance with you."

----------------

The music of the Starlight Lounge was lively as Gami downed a shot of Terran Whiskey. Several people danced to the music on the dance floor on the floor below. "So Nax, what made you fall for that big lug of a Sequus?" she asked.

"He's charming," she replied with a grin.

"He is good with children." Phoenix said sipping her own drink.

"He lets me dress him up, and didn't fuss at all." Miraj offered. "Wore the stays and everything."

"Wait," Naxea began, looking at Miraj with an amused grin. "You dressed S'hib up?"

"He played one of my pirate games with me. Our characters had to go to a fancy ball. So he had to dress up. I was playing the cabin boy, so he had to be pretend to be Lady Margot."

Naxea couldn't help but laugh. "Oh please tell me you got a holo-picture of him in that."

Miraj shook her head. "I didn't think of that." She gave a bright smile, "He was very pretty though. Magenta suits him."

She continued to chuckle at the image in her mind of S'hib in a dress as she took a drink of her Sumerian Sunrise before looking at Rin. "So, enjoying yourself? If not, then Gami here will have you hooked up with someone before the night is out," Naxea stated with a grin.

"Please, give me some credit," Gami spoke up immediately. "I'd have her fixed up in under an hour. You too," she nodded at Miraj, smiling

Rin nodded and sipped her drink. "Not looking for a hookup. Just want to get to know people better. Anyone else interested in dancing?"

"I'll dance." Miraj said. "Unless you're expecting me to be good at it. Two left feet."

Gami raised and eyebrow and looked at Naxea and then then Lalor. "You'd think someone who pilots a starship would be a great dancer. You know, great coordination and reflexes and all that..." she commented before taking another shot of whiskey.

Naxea only shook her head in response. "Sure, I'm up for some dancing as well."

"Hell, someone has to show you ladies how to move," Gami laughed, hopping off the bar stool.

Miraj gestured to the dance floor, suggesting that Gami should lead the way.

Rin bound off her seat and headed for the dancefloor, taking a few moments to feel the beat, tapping one foot to it before diving into dancing. One wouldn't describe it as particularly good, but it wasn't half bad either. At the very least, she was in time with the music. Gracefully even. She looked remarkably at home, her normal stiff formalness melting away as she moved with the tune.

Miraj didn't even try anything as coordinated dancing. even trying to step in time to the beat she wasn't quite managing to stay in time. But she wasn't really trying, she was watching the crowd around her. Eventually, she leaned into Rin and asked, "Boy, girl or no preferences?"

"Never quite figured that out," Rin replied. "So I guess put me down for 'no preference.'"

"Okay then..." Miraj had seen plenty of people lusting for her brother and she knew the signs. it didn;'t take long before she wiggled closer to Rin ike an unco-ordinatd octopus to speak close to her ear. "Hot Efrosian man, at my six: cute ktarian girl at nine. Both looking at you. Which one do I go for.?"

Rin paused in her dancing, glaring. "I have said I am not interested in a wingman. I'm not into sizing people up like they're meat. And if someone wants to dance with me but doesn't have the guts to approach, that's not really a turn on. It's hard enough for me to get out with this little group we're with. You are not making it easier. Stop it."

The younger girl looked like a kicked puppy for an instant, and then hastily schooled her face into something more neutral. "Yeah, sure, of course, okay. If you really don't want to. I'll just go and. Go and get out of your hair." She bobbed away, just out of time with the music, heading towards Naxea

Gami glided across the dance floor, sensing the frustrations coming from Rin. "Hey there," she greeted as she gracefully stepped beside Rin. Ms. Mirani means well. We're all here to have fun. Besides, we still need to find someone for Ms. Derani--it's only right. There's a hot half human, half vulcan medical officer that I know from the Elysium, ok, not know personally but I've seen him."

Naxea was nearby, actually taking the rare chance to enjoy herself as she danced to the music. Miraj slid up to her. "So, how are you feeling?" she shouted over the music. "With the..." she waved a hand in the direction of the colonel's abdomen.

"Oh, I'm fine," she smiled, enjoying herself for the first time in a long time. "I'm just hating the bouts of sneezing that I get in the mornings," she replied. "I'm just dreading when she decides to start kicking. Thanks for asking."

Miraj thought about what a half horse baby would be like kicking. "yeah, don't envy you that."

The pounding music died away to merely loud and abombastic voice cut over the sound. "Ladies, Gentlemen, and every sensible sentient being in-between! its time for the Starlight Lounge Shimmy & Shake Show-Down! Grab your partners! And come on up for the chance to win this lovely trophy!" A spotlight swept across the dance floor to where one of the club dancers was holding up a suitably tacky trophy with a pair of golden dancers ontop.

"Don't be shy, show us what you're made of, you!" the announcer pointed and the spotlight swept over to a group of cadets, "Come an show the rest of us how it's done." After a moment of laughing and looking embarrassed, three of them sheepishly moved onto the raised stage in front of the main speakers. The spotlight moved again, to a couple, that they vaguely recalled might have been in operations. The bajoran offered his risian partner a hand, who took it with a smile, and the two men moved forward, obviously determined to win.

Then the spotlight took in Luxa, Rin and the captain. "Ladies! Come and make it look easy."

Luxa looked at the other two women, smiling. "Shall we?"

Rin shrugged. "That is what we're here for, right? Following your lead."

Luxa led the women to the dance floor, grabbing Rin by the hand and twirled her as they moved forward.

"Up first!" bellowed the MC, "Can? You? Do? The? Twwwiiiiiisssssttt!" Immediately the speakers started pumping out a fast and jaunting tune and The the dance floor was quickly filled with competitors confidently, if not competently in all cases, turning their hips back and forth. After a minute, the spotlight swept to the groups of competitors, giving them a moment to highlight their moves.

The audience showing their judgement with louder or quieter cheering. When it hit the cadets, they bobbed up and door as they moved obviously trying not to tip over. There were several whoops and clapping, mostly from other rather tipsy cadets. And then the spotlight hit Rin, Gami & Phoenix.

Luxa stepped confidently forward onto the floor, shaking her hips in rythum to the music.

Phoenix stared "Um... I am not good at dancing.." she said as she tried and failed.

It didn't seem to deter the audience, who whistled and cheered their captain regardless in a racket of approval.

Rin swayed for a few beats to get the rhythm, swaying her hips back and forth like the others. More confident, she started mixing it up a bit, not particularly in the style of the 20th century Twist, but not unflattering either.

"I hear you're a good fighter, dancing is kind of like fighting, Captain," Luxa said as she moved and twisted to the music.

"I think we have our winners!" the MC called and the music faded out, the lights going down to leave Pheonix, Luxa, and Rin in a halo of light. "Give up for the Twist champions!"

Luxa raised her arms in victory. You're better than you think, Captain," she laughed as the women headed back to their table.

 

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