Posted by Lieutenant Xam Ra’Ti (Tactical Officer) in Side Sim - They Won’t Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Open to Anyone)

Posted by Captain Rende Asam (Commanding Officer) in Side Sim - They Won’t Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Open to Anyone)

Posted by Lieutenant Xam Ra’Ti (Tactical Officer) in Side Sim - They Won’t Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Open to Anyone)
Posted by… suppressed (16) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Rende continued down the path. “Now, how shall we sneak you past the authorities at the hotel?”

Rende

Xam smiled knowingly. “Oh, I don’t foresee that being an issue. But we shall see, I suppose.”

The walk back was pleasant and filled with small talk and small laughs, and soon the lights from the hotel spilled over them. As they approached, it was oddly calm for there having been a murder there not some few hours prior. However, a single individual- Risian female and definitely law enforcement- approached them and said “Excuse me. You are Captain Rende Asam and Lieutenant Xam Ra’Ti of Star Fleet, are you not? I am Detective Drecul, Risian Police Division. I was hoping I could ask the both of you some questions?”

Rende nodded, “We are.”

Xam smiled and said “Of course, Detective. Should we sit? Or would you prefer to take this upstairs?” She looked at him and said “A table here should be sufficient, sir. I do not want to take up any more of your evening than is necessary.” and she gestured to a nearby table.

Xam

Rende followed Xam toward the table, but very subtly sat just after the detective. She keaned back, slightly at ease, and clasped her hands. “What can we help you with, Detective Drecul?” She asked, initiating the conversation.

Rende

The detective set a PaDD on the table and said “If you don’t mind, I will be taking notes.” more as a statement of fact than asking permission. Ra’Ti smiled and said “Oh, of course. So… what can we do for you, Detective?”

“Please do so,” Rende said.

The Detective read something and then said “You are both guests of the hotel, are you not?” Xam nodded and said “We are, yes.” She nodded and then asked “And what brings you to the resort, may I ask?” Ra’Ti grinned and said “Our starship.” and his eyes gleamed mischievously.

Ra’Ti

If Rende had a drink, she might have spilled it from suppressed laughter. Xam was a firecracker! “Well more specifically our excellent pilot, Lt. Laredo and the transporter. I really wouldn’t want to bring the Sentinel to land here.” Rende said dead-pan. “In all seriousness, Detective, the moon is quieter than Risa itself. Risa is lovely, but I prefer the quieter, more relaxed, and private atmosphere here. Plus most of my crew went planetside. If I am here, they can’t accidently run into me.” She nodded her head at Xam as if to say, ‘See what I mean.’

Cpt. Asam, CO

The Detective looked at Xam and said “But you are here as well.” She looked back and forth between them and then said “Was that planned?” Xam smiled and said “Just a most delightful coincidence.” He leaned forward and said “So can you tell us what all this is about? I mean, I am quite curious; but also wondering if this will take long. We had…” and he gave Rende a look, “… ‘plans’. And I would hate to postpone those because someone lost their favorite earrings somewhere between the pool and the restaurant.” The Detective gave him a glance and said “Actually, sir, we have reports that there was a murder on the premises.”

Rende’s brows went up. “That is most serious. We have been out by the lake and dinning at the restaurant on the far shore. We left about an hour after I checked in, and just returned.”

Xam’s feigned shock was actually close to authentic. “A murder?!” he whispered and looked at Rende. “Then as the most senior officer at the hotel, Captain; I insist that I accompany you to your room when the detective is done ad remain with you for the rest of the evening. For security purposes, of course.” His eyes almost glowed with sarcastic wit and mischief.

Ra’Ti

Rende patted his hand and smirked, “It’s alright, Lt. I’ll protect you. You were told at the Academy space travel was dangerous. I seriously doubt they want anything to do with us.” She looked at the detective, “Unless…?” she left the word hanging, waiting to see what else the woman knew. It sounded more like she was wondering if the perpetrators were after them.

Cpt. Asam, CO

Xam grinned at her and set his hand on hers. “My hero.” and he batted his eyes at her. He then looked back at the Detective and said “Well, while that is most unfortunate, I don’t really see what that has to do with us. Unless you suspect one of us?” and he laughed loudly. “I mean, we’re on vacation. From Star Fleet. It’s not like we have any real say in where we go and when. I mean, it would have to have been the absolute height of coincidence for Star Fleet to send us to Risa and for one of us to forego the pleasures of the planet to come to a secluded and little-known resort on one of the less popular moons just to run into someone one of us wanted to kill.” and he laughed again. “So tell me, Detective. Who was killed? Do they have any connection to either of us?” he asked. The detective shook her head and said “No, sir. At least, not that we are aware of. We don’t actually have a body to confirm that there was indeed any kind of foul play, so all of this is just standard procedure. We are asking all the guests if they saw anything.” Xam smiled and then looked at Rende and gave her a blatant and wholly obvious up and down look. “I haven’t seen anything… yet.” and he winked and then looked back at the Detective. “But I promise you, Detective; if I discover anything amiss in my impending investigations of the Captain, I will contact you immediately.” He looked at Rende and smiled a truly wicked and wholly hilarious smile. “And I will be sure to interrogate the good Captain with both vigor and thoroughness. And I am sure she will reciprocate the due diligence of such an investigatory endeavor with the same… attention to detail… that has garnered her the sterling reputation she currently holds.” and he leaned in and delicately kissed the side of her neck before leaning back and looking at the detective. “Will there be anything else?” he asked innocently.

Ra’Ti

Rende kept his hand, “If we hear or see anything we will certainly let you know. I’m booked for the week if you need anything else.” She stood with Xam, “Butas you can see, I have a protection detail to personally see to. Is there anything else?” She slipped into the curve of Xam’s arm as she waited for the negative answer so they could see to their plans.

Cpt. Asam, CO

The detective stood and said “No Captain. Lieutenant. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. If I have anything further, I will… um… call first.” She inclined her head and turned and walked back towards the main hotel. Sam chuckled and then looked at Rende. “Well… I’m awake. Wanna go and not make a liar out of me? Or we could always just strip down here and go swim in the lake.” and he grinned.

Ra’Ti

Rende looked up at the sky, “Not close to feeding time, so it’s probably safe to go swim. It won’t bother the local wildlife. Your eyes might burn out if your sockets.” She headed toward the lake. The water was gorgeous, deep, and pleasantly warm from thermal vents underneath with a pebbled bottom. Rende tossed her shoes, top, and the rest to the shore and dived in without hesitation

Cpt. Asam, CO

Xam watched her, his Captain, strip down and plunge into the water; and he smiled. He took of his shoes, shirt, pants, and the rest in a slow and deliberate manner; folding all the clothes and setting them on his shoes before walking without embarrassment into the water and then diving in and under the water once he was up to his waist. He surfaced close (but not too close) to Asam and smiled. “Well, my eyes are still intact… and after that sight, I very happy they are.”

Ra’Ti, Tactical

“Jo’naly you are irrepressible,” Rende shook her head with a grin and dancing eyes. She moved through the water with power and grace. She was neither embarrassed nor ashamed. Her body was fit and young, except for the scars. There weren’t many, but they were each significant. Her movements were neither to tempt nor flee, she simply enjoyed being in the water. “If you built your house up there in the woods, you could do this every day.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

He grinned and ducked under the water. The lake went still for a long moment and then he was behind her. He didn’t grab her… didn’t make any movement that was too forward; but his presence next to her was definitely no longer platonic. “I sincerely doubt that I could do this everyday. At least… not exactly this.” His lips brushed her shoulder and his fingers grazed the outside of her thighs, and then he was gone… only to resurface in front of her. The mischief was in his eyes, but for the first time since she had met him, his face was completely sincere. “I learned a long time ago to know when I was being fortunate and not to expect that condituon to be a permanent fixture… so just enjoy it while it lasts.” He moved very close to her, his eyes locked onto hers. “I also know when it’s time to shut up and just be in the moment.” He put his arms around her and pressed himself against her. He smiled and then slowly leaned in and kissed her, careful to make sure the gesture was returned.

Ra’Ti

Ah they had moved from playful semi-undercover banter to something more serious. She liked him. He made her feel young and reckless again. He’d chased away the deep loneliness with his banter and playfulness. Xam was absolutely correct, the moment was all people really had, and it should be experienced fully. Rende pressed closer, putting her arms around him, and freely returned his kiss. She liked him, a lot. It wasn’t unheard of in her species to have multiple liaisons/loves in a lifetime. It had never quite been that way for Rende.

After a long private moment, she sighed, eyes closed, forehead resting against his. She looked femine like that, just a woman and not a star ship captain with a very interesting past. “I’m deeply lonely and being in this place makes me grieve. I respect you too much, Xam, to use you to keep that at bay.” She didn’t make an effort to move away either.

Cpt. Asam, CO

He pulled her closer to him and smiled. “Well I am huge proponent of equality between genders, so allow me to have a say in this. I do not, nor will I ever, feel like you would be disrespecting me if I was able to even temporarily ease some of that grief and loneliness.” He laughed softly. “Well, I wouldn’t feel that way unless you gave me a less than glowing review of my abilities. But that isn’t a possibility.” He lifted her chin so she was looking at him. “I’m not suggesting that we fall in love and become a couple and live happily ever after together. You and I both know that you have commitments like that elsewhere… and I am not the ‘happily ever after’ type anyway. You already saw when we arrived here. My past may be behind me; but it’s not behind a lot of others. And it never will be. I’ve become fine with that… but I would never think about dragging someone else into my s#!t-show of a life.” and he laughed again. “So how about we just enjoy this? Do what we want, no expectations or conditions for the future. Just you and I, nothing else for a few hours? And when it’s over, it’s over. Or… it’s over until you need some respite again.” He grinned. “I’m telling you that… for you, at least… I don’t mind being used.” He pushed away from her but kept her hands in his as they tread the water slowly. “After all, more than once I have been called a tool.” and he winked at her.

Ra’Ti

Rende laughed, “Oh, I bet you have. I very seriously doubt I will.” They had led very similar lives, and she was self-aware enough to know that sometimes having someone who understood even briefly, was a gift. However that gift manifested itself. Her eyes glittered wickeldy with a hint of gratitude, “In that case,” Rende tugged until they were pressed back closely together. “It’s mutual you know… for you I don’t mind being used either.” Her hands slid up and over his shoulders as she kissed him with exquisite delight.

Cpt. Asam, CO

He kissed her back for a long time before pulling away and saying “And they say ‘used’ with such disdain. A good ‘used’ is worth it’s weight in dilithium.” He grinned and ducked beneath the dark water. Several intimate touches and few playful pinches later, he surfaced a few meters form her, closer to the shore. “Well? What are you waiting for? A gold-inlayed invitation? Let’s go!” and he turned and began swimming back to shore; taking great pains to ‘moon’ Rende on his way.

Ra’Ti

Rende was skilled and comfortable in the water. She was also lazily relaxed as he went about his antics, giving as much as receiving. “You swam away, I thought you changed your mind. I know some people can be intimidated by the experience of the ‘used’.” Rende floated, watching him for a moment before cutting powerfully and lithely through the water to the shore. She walked onto the lake shore, obviously comfortable in her own skin, and unconcerned with the few knowing glances they were getting. It was Risa after all. She ruffled her hair to shake the water out before slipping the shirt and pants on over her damp skin. The rest she simply held in her hand.

Cpt. Asam, CO