Skimming Stones

Posted on Wed Apr 10th, 2024 @ 2:15pm by Ensign Amanda Turell & Lieutenant JG Ash Rowe

1,394 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Shoreleave
Location: Risa
Timeline: Week one of shoreleave

On one of the less occupied beaches of the many beaches Risa possessed Amanda sat atop a cluster of rocks jutting out from the sand watching the sea come back and forth and the waves break on the rocks, it was serene and she was enjoying the peace and the not entirely quiet sounds of the nature around her.

"Hey!" Ash Rowe gave a slight wave as she spotted the familiar face, making her away across the sand towards her. The other woman looked ready to move if needed, with her leggings and tank top, but still cool. Ash had a similar vibe, in her black shorts and blue vest, and she'd made several passes with the sun screen, just in case. "It's a nice spot you've found...pretty beautiful actually. And not as busy as some of those other beaches. Perfect if you want to get some alone time...which...is...probably...why...ah..." Ash slowed down as that sunk in, clapping her hands in front of herself. "Sorry, I can keep moving if that's the case..."

Amanda looked up, her train of thought broken, she looked over at whom had disturbed her. "I don't mind a little company... lieutenant Rowe."

Ash's smile returned at the words and she head up to join her on the rocks. "You look like a mermaid up here! Thinking of going for a dip?"

"Don't think I have ever been called a mermaid before." Amanda said after a slight chuckle. "I may go in, have to be careful with swimming, plays hell up with my shoulder."

Ash winced at that, looking to the shoulder in question, and the scarring left behind. "It still gives you problems?" she asked quietly.

"Oh yeah, they said it'l never feel right again." Amanda replied, she didn't know if the Lieutenant knew the history of her injury. "My sister fucked it up as a kid, pops out of its socket at the most inopportune times, my other shoulder is going to join it at the rate I'm going. band of pirates shot me in my 'good' shoulder a few months back."

"Oh that sucks," Ash frowned, shaking her head. The words might have been simple, but her tone and expression showed she really felt it. "You're still on active duty though, right?"

"Yeah I'm up and running again, some more aches pains and scars." Amanda chuckled. "They say some people dig scars, they'd be getting an eye full with me."

Ash's smile showed understanding. She could relate way more than maybe Amanda knew. "After my crash, they had to weld me back together. I like to think people don't care about that stuff. And if they do...well...they can take their shallow ass someplace else."

"Scars usually come with a good story behind them, definitely have several of both." Amanda said. "And all of mine are real, no taking on a 8 foot tall Nausicaan with only a spoon."

Ash laughed at that, shaking her head at the prospect, imaging Amanda in such a struggle for a moment. "You've never been tempted to make up a story like that? Not even once?"

"Everyone has made up the odd story here and there when they were younger, or at least exaggerated one of their stories." Amanda replied. "That youthful exuberance usually gets shot out of you during your first serious firefight, I was shaking like a leaf for a good 20 minutes after my first major firefight even after being raised around weapons and military discipline."

Ash watched her with interest at the words. So many of the security types liked to play the hero, and talked like it was their life. What they were born for. She hadn't heard one talk about the reality of their first battle before. "Must have been pretty eye opening," she said softly.

"Definitely eye opening, managed to avoid getting shot in that fire fiight." Amanda said her gaze returning to the sea coming back and forth. "Wasn't so lucky the second time around. Got a good scar from that one."

"You must really love what you do," Ash said absently before chuckling at how contrary that sounded to what Amanda had been talking about. "Not getting hurt, I mean...to keep going back to it, even though you do."

"Only thing I'm really good at." Amanda chuckled about Ash's 'not getting hurt' remark. "I can fly a shuttle quite well, shoot the ears of a Ferengi from over a kilometer away and probably take on that 8 foot tall Nausicaan with only a spoon but ask me to fix a warp core and I'll not have a clue."

"Oh you and me both," Ash rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she laughed softly. "I think the Fleet is the only place where it's not cool to not be a geek," she teased good naturedly.

"Someone needs to protect the geeks when the shooting starts." Amanda remarked. "We're geeks in our own way, just with the sciences of how to protect our friends and kill our enemies."

"Hey, nothing geeky about being a pilot...we're the cool kids..." Ash held a hand out in a flying motion, but it was clear from her grin that she was just playing with her.

"Flying can be fun but I prefer to have my boots on solid ground, has been a while since I've been planet side for anything other than an away team assignment." Amanda picked up a loose rock and flung it into the flowing water. "Made any interesting plans for your time here?"

"Absolutely not," Ash chuckled, shaking her head with a soft sigh as she rolled a shoulder. Having grown up on a leisure planet, she had mixed feelings about Risa. But she wasn't above enjoying the facilities on offer while she had the chance. "But there's no way I'm leaving without competing in the holoring...going skywalking...being massaged from head to toe...and drinking at least ten different cocktails..."

"Sounds like a plan," Amanda chuckled. "Has been a while since I last got proper drunk too."

"How about you? What do you see in your not so distant future?" Ash asked, nudging her shoulder gently to Amanda's in a comradely fashion.

"Not sure, might take a dip." Amanda looked off to the sea before back to Ash. "Though I could be persuaded for a few cocktails."

Ash's grin grew at the words and she adopted a tempting tone to her voice. "Now...how about if they're on me, is that enough persuasion?"

"I'm not going to say no to something I don't have to pay for, you're on." Amanda said as she stood up.

Ash grinned with triumph as she scrambled up onto her feet, picking her way carefully down the rocks, not wanting to slip. "Great! I heard the mai-tais here are something special, but I haven't tried one yet..."

"Definitely the first thing we're drinking then, first of many." Amanda followed Ash down the rocks back to the shore. "Risa has food and drink from all over the galaxy so there is plenty to choose from."

"You've been here often?" Ash asked with genuine curiosity, eager to see if there was a wild side to Amanda that she hadn't seen yet.

Amanda nodded. "My mother took me once after I graduated academy, she'd tried so many times to get my dad to take us here but he never got the chance. Was my first time and it was a very interesting week."

"Interesting....?" Ash arched an eyebrow at the word she'd picked, knowing all too well the various connotations it could have. "Come on now..."

"What can I say, I was in my early 20's, lived a really structured life till my dad died, had spent the last four years cooped up at the academy and it was my first time on Risa...... So I had a lot of fun while I was here." Amanda smiled as happy memories of that time came to the forefront of her mind.

Ash could feel the emotions rolling from her, but even if she hadn't of been a betazoid, it was written all over her features. "Come on, let's see if we can rival some of those memories, hm?"


Off

Ensign Amanda Turell
Sec/Tac Officer
[Npc Taliserra]

Lt. JG Ash Rowe
Chief Flight Control Officer

 

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