A voice called out. "Mariner! Hey Mariner!"
It was Jennifer Sh'reyan, the blue-skinned Andorian ensign who worked on Gamma Shift, former member of the Red Shirts, and Mariner's former paramour. Like the others, she was also in a swimsuit, a classy two-piece bikini bottom and tube top, both a shade of blue slightly darker than her natural cyan skin tone. She wasn't alone either. Her own small group consisted of Jet Manhaver, a towering mass of muscle and dark skin, outfitted in dark yellow swim trunks with black lines running vertically along the sides. With them was the Trill ensign Barnes, a young woman with short black hair and spots that indeed went all the way down, who was wearing a frilly pink bikini. She was holding a beach volleyball under her arm. Rounding out their party was the Kzinti ensign, the furry alien wearing a very old-fashioned, full body swimsuit that looked like the sort worn by human males during the 1920s, in dull red and white stripes.
"Hey, uh... babe, how's it going?" Mariner replied amicably.
"Great, we just rented this nearby volleyball net. We were gonna go two for two, but now we have enough for a full game."
A grin stretched across Mariner's face. "Oho, Beta Shift vs Gamma Shift? Is that how this is gonna be?"
The Kzinti ensign opened his mouth to protest, but then shrugged, deciding semantics wasn't worth it at this time.
"Why not? Guys, you game?"
"Sure!" said Tendi.
"You know it!" Rutherford added.
Only Boimler looked reluctant, but eventually shrugged. "Oh what the hell, I'm in. This is the game with the rackets, right?"
Mariner winced, praying that Bradward was joking. She realized a short while later he wasn't, and he wasn't even talking about tennis either, which might have made a small inkling of sense. No, he was talking about badminton. "Good sufficiently advanced extraterrestrial species," Mariner muttered to herself. "I really need to introduce Boimler to more interesting activities."
None the less, the young Human ensign picked up the rules quick enough when they were explained, as did Tendi and Barnes, who were also new to the sport. It didn't help Boimler's coordination much, which was a key aspect of the game. Speed, agility, and flexibility were key, allowing Mariner, Tendi, and Jennifer to quickly dominate on their respective sides. Jet was also no slouch, though he mainly played defensive, batting the ball to his teammates rather than serve it back whenever the chance came up.
"Serve!" called Rutherford, batting the ball into the air.
Jennifer was quick on the offense, jumping up and slapping the ball down hard, hoping to hit the sand. Mariner deflected with her hands together, but the angle was all wrong to send it back. "Tendi!"
"On it!"
Displaying incredible dexterity, the Orion ensign did a full backflip, kicking the ball with her foot as it arced towards her, and knocking it towards the Gamma Shift side of the net.
"I got it!" shouted Barnes and Kzinti ensign, both rushing towards it. But both ended up missing, and it impacted the ground, kicking up more sand.
"Woohoo! Point Beta!" Mariner crowed.
Jennifer picked up the ball, dusting the sand off of it. "Yeah, yeah, game's just getting started," she said. Then, greatly daring, she turned her back to the net and served the ball for the next round by tossing it over her shoulder. Mariner was almost caught off-guard by her technique, but quickly batted the ball back. Barnes caught it easily enough, batting it upwards before sending it back to Beta's side of the net.
Diving forward, Rutherford tried to catch the ball, but managed only to keep it in the air a little longer. Tendi swiftly came to his aid, slapping the ball back across the net, but by then the other side was ready, and Jet quickly rebounded the ball back. A little harder than was necessary.
"I got it!" yelled Boimler, sprinting into position.
"No wait!" Mariner warned, trying to stop him. The ball would be landing outside of the lines if it was uninterrupted. But, unable to alter his course in time, Boimler slapped at the ball at an awkward angle, losing his balance and flopping backwards into the sand. Even then, the volleyball didn't quite make it back over the net, and instead landed in front of Tendi despite her efforts to catch it.
Point Gamma.
Boimler picked himself up out of the sand, spitting out some that had found its way into his mouth.
"Ugh, that's gonna leave a rash..."
His cyborg compatriot reached down to help him back up. "You okay, man?"
"I've had worse," Boimler replied. The two took up positions again, ready for the next serve.
The game continued.
A short while later, the scores were a resounding fourteen to nineteen in Beta shifts favor. Two more points would seal the deal for them and conclude the game.
"Whoo! Let's do this! Go Beta!" cheered Rutherford, getting into the spirit of the game. He and Boimler shared a macho chest-bump, as Mariner just rolled her eyes at their competitiveness.
"Serve!" she announced, batting the ball up into the air. On the other side, Jennifer put her hands together to lightly bop the ball back into the air, and the Kzinti ensign leapt up and completed the serve, smacking the ball forward onto beta's side of the court. Boimler leapt up, ready to deflect, but he mis-timed his swing, and the ball sailed past him. Thankfully, Mariner had been covering his side, and whacked the ball over to Rutherford, who knocked it back onto Gamma's side. Now it was their turn to deflect, Jet smacking the ball back, but unfortunately he clipped the net, and the balls momentum was lost, causing it to fall into the sands on their side.
"Ha! Point! One more and it's curtains for you guys!" Mariner crowed.
Unamused, Barnes picked up the ball and tossed it back.
"Serve!"
Caught up in the enthusiasm, Mariner next hit was a little too forceful, and the ball sailed over the net and to the other side. Grimacing, she began whispering to herself "block it block it block it blockitblockitblockit…!" but to her dismay, the other team didn't take the bait, and the ball sailed past without touching any of them, hitting the other side well outside of the line. Grimacing, she readied herself for another round of play.
Rotating their teammates, gamma's side was now on Jet to serve, and the beta shifters prepared themselves, the athletic ensign was easily capable of knocking their heads off if he'd set his volleyball to kill instead of stun. As it is, he had impeccable aim, always concentrating on wherever Boimler or Rutherford were at their weakest. His serve went speeding through the air towards Boimler, who had the good grace to at least have the ball bounce off of his arm. Mariner, moving swiftly, batted his counter over to Tendi, and the Orion girl grinned as she slapped the ball, sending it over the net and back onto gamma's side, where it impacted against the Kzinti ensigns chest. The furry alien couldn't catch it in time, however, fumbling, desperately trying to keep it in the air until he dropped it back into the sands.
"WHOO! That's game, baby!"
Accepting defeat gracefully, Jennifer strode under the net to offer a hand, which Mariner shook. "Good Game" was exchanged all around by the ensigns, none of whom were the sort to hold a grudge. Volleyball concluded, the Cerritos crew retired to their beach blankets, pulling up the cooler that the Kzinti ensign had been carrying earlier.
"Two margaritas, chilled," Mariner said. The cooler, in actuality a small portable replicator, obliged, constructing the appropriate beverages out of thin air. Mariner grabbed them up and offered one to Jennifer, tapping her glass against the Andorian's. "Good game," she repeated.
"Sure it was. I'm sure you'll do better next time," Jennifer teased, swirling her margarita around in the glass.
Mariner barked a laugh, finishing her own drink in record time. "What are you talking about, we won!"
"Yeah, but you usually do a lot better at physical activities," Jennifer said, her eyelids half-lowered as her voice took on a seductive timber. "Now, you weren't going easy on us out there, were you Beckett?"
Uh-oh, first name. Red Alert, Mariner thought. She swallowed nervously, well aware of just how close the gorgeous blue-skinned girl was, to say nothing of how much of that beautiful cyan skin was on display thanks to her very revealing bathing suit. "N-no! That's ridiculous!"
Ever since getting back, Jennifer had been almost painfully over-compensating for what had happened with that FNN report. Trying to make up for her supposed betrayal and break-up. Mariner wasn't honestly sure what to make of it, one way or another. And her acting like this, dressed like this, was most definitely not helping.
Sitting down beside them, Boimler ordered the cooler to provide him a "Bottled Water, Cool." A swirl of light later and he was uncapping the bottle, drinking greedily the H2O encased within. He'd been working harder to ensure he stayed hydrated lately, and on a planet like Risa, that wasn't always as easily said as done. Still, now that he had a routine down, he was managing.
Tendi and Rutherford likewise went for water, needing the cool refreshment after the strenuous physical activities. But everyone was in high spirits. The sun was shining, the breeze was cooling, and the waves softly crashed against the shore, like a rhythmic background music. Truly, Risa was indeed a paradise planet that all (well, most) humanoid species could enjoy to its fullest.
The Kzinti ensign, drink finished, took a moment to crack his back as he straightened his spine. "Well, I do not know about the rest of you, but I require a lengthy nap... enjoy your vacation," he said, setting off immediately. Moans of disappointment came from his friends but ultimately they told him to enjoy his rest, with the hopes to see him again soon.
"I'm off too," Barnes said, standing. "I wanted to go check out those Eluvian Mud Baths they have on the east side of the resort. They're said to help with your complexion and make you look at least ten years younger. May even bring out my spots a bit."
Jet was climbing to his feet. "I'll come with," he said, escorting the young Trill ensign from the beach.
"Have fun you two!"
Mariner arched an eyebrow as she spotted just how close the two were walking, very companionably. Jet said something out of earshot, and Barnes seemed to find it amusing, laughing.
"Huh... since when have those two been a thing?" she asked Jennifer, as the two settled onto a pair of beach towels side-by-side.
"Who, Jet and Barnes? Eh, I think it started up about a month ago?" the Andorian shrugged. "Maybe they're just good friends. I don't keep a flowchart of all the couples on the Cerritos... unlike some people I could mention."
The human girl beside her blushed darkly. "That was checking for infiltrating Changelings and you know it!"
Jennifer giggled.
"Beckett?"
Oh no. No-no-no-no. Mariner's eyes widened as her pupils shrunk. She knew that voice. It didn't come as a huge shock to her when she slowly turned her head, finding Captain Carol Freeman standing there in her own beach attire, a severe two-piece in a shade of red the same as Mariner's own. Nor was it a surprise to see her surrounded by some of the command staff. Commander Jack Ransom, in white trunks and a red button-up shirt (which, she noted, he was already taking off to show off his admittedly muscular physique), and Chief Engineer Billups in a black wetsuit with a few yellow vertical lines. More surprising was their fourth, the Tamaranian Kayshon, their tactical officer. He wore some sort of odd wraparound that must have been the current beach fashion back on his home planet.
"Ugh, hey mom... what brings you by?" Mariner asked, trying to sound casual.
"Just figured we'd hit the beach today," Captain Freeman replied. "I have to cut some of my vacation time short so I can go over some reports tomorrow."
"Ugh, seriously? Starfleet is torturing you, giving you paperwork at a time like this. Why can't they let you enjoy your vacation?!"
"I am enjoying my vacation," Freeman replied. "But my work is important too, you know this."
Mariner snorted but wisely said nothing further that might incriminate her.
Tendi hopped over to Kayshon. "This place is amazing, isn't it? They don't have beaches like this on Orion."
"I admit I was curious when they said it was a tropical environment," her fellow alien replied. "Getting good the path to Kamata in spring vibes," he stated. Whatever that meant, it seemed to indicate good times, as the Tamaran officer had never looked more relaxed. And given his default demeanor tended to be calm to begin with, now he looked positively zen. Tendi would have to look up what Kamata meant later, maybe it was a popular vacation spot for Tamaranians.
"So, playing volleyball?" Ransom asked.
"We just finished up a game, sir," Boimler reported. "But the courts all set up if you want to play next."
He laughed at that. "Please, ensign, it's just Jack, we're all on vacation. But a game sounds like fun... what do you say?"
Mariner's eyes widened, but before she could come up with a suitable excuse, Boimler shrugged and nodded his head. "Yeah, sure, that sounds like fun."
You idiot, she thought, projecting with her mind so loudly a nearby Betazoid on vacation reached up to rub his temple in mild pain.
"I guess we've got a team of four here... Carol, you in?" asked Jack. "Andy? Kayshon?"
All three quickly accepted, while Mariner wished she could be sucked into a black hole or a mirror dimension or be anywhere but grimly accepting the offer to play. She almost tried to bail out by suggesting Jennifer take her place on the ensigns team, but the blue-skinned little tart just whispered "Good luck," and took off down the beach. Mariner fumed, wishing she could chase after her (and not just because she wanted to get out of this game with her mom, they had a lot to talk about and unpack). But no, she was stuck, and stuck good. She might as well have been trying to escape the singularity of a black hole with impulse engines.
Again.
The four officers huddled up for a quick conference on strategy, and Mariner grabbed Rutherford, Tendi, and Boimler to do the same.
"Okay look, we do this, we're doing this to win. We've got the advantage here, we're warmed up from the last game, and we know the rules better. So no more holding back."
"Aren't we also tired from the last game?" asked Boimler.
"What? No! Who gets tired after one game of volleyball, don't be stupid," she shot back. Oh good grief, Mariner thought, Boimler was already winded? Honestly, he had last stamina than a narcoleptic tribble. She'd have to fix that once they got back to the Cerritos, but for now... "Whatever, we'll be fine. Tendi, you and I are corners, keep Rutherford and Boims here between us. We can cover their flanks."
"Right."
"Rutherford, Boims, you two play defense only. You get anything, knock it to one of us, we'll send it over the net. Got it?"
"Roger,"
"Okeydokey."
"Good," she said, holding out her hand. The other three ensigns slapped theirs atop of it, and as one they yelled "Break!"
Meanwhile, the officers were doing much the same, planning their strategy.
"If I know Mariner, she's going to try and hog all the glory for herself, so watch out for her, and try to go for shots that are close to the line... she'll lunge even if they're out of bounds, which will be to our advantage," Ransom explained.
"Sounds like a good idea," Freeman agreed. Billups concurred.
"Sokath, his eyes uncovered," nodded their Tamaranian Kayshon. That one, at least, the command staff had picked up on early. It meant he understood their strategy.
"So let's get out there, still loose, keep your eyes open, and let's have a good time." Like the ensigns, the four officers then stacked their hands atop of one anothers and yelled out before breaking to take up their positions. "Cerritos strong!"
Mariner rolled her eyes at her moms attempt at a rallying cry. Honestly, it was not going to catch on no matter how much she tried to shove it down their throats.
"Serve!" she announced, tossing up the ball and smacking it with her fist, officially starting the game.
The game started out with some gentle probing of the other sides. Searching for exploitable weak points and testing defenses. The volleyball sailed through the air over the net, back and forth, many times. It was a bit before the first point was scored.
"Timba!" Kayshon cried, smacking the ball into the air. It flew across the net and bounced off of Boimler's shoulder, the young ensign unable to catch it, and no one able to help him before it flew out of the lines and landed on the beach outside of them. Since it had still touched one of them, it counted.
Officers 1, Ensigns 0.
Mariner grumbled, jumping up and down lightly, throwing shadow punches to limber herself up. She wanted to be ready for the next one. No more playing around.
Billups served, knocking the volleyball over the net. Tendi batted it back. Kayshon smacked it towards Boimler, who awkwardly deflected it into the air. Mariner sent it careening across the net, but her own mom stopped it cold, giving it a little bounce before sending it right back at them.
All the while, Rutherford was tracking the ball's movement with his cybernetic implant. Calculations flew past his eye as he watched the ball arc back to his side of the court, and in moment... his body moved... and he swung out, batting the ball. If his calculations were correct, there was no way to properly stop this next point. The ball arced through the air. Reacting purely on instinct, Ransom brought his hands together into a double fist and swung hard, batting the ball back into the air with the speed of a photon torpedo. It sailed off into the air, nearly impacting a pair of beach-goers heading down to the waters.
The big Tamarian grimaced. "Shaka, when the walls fell," he remarked.
Captain Freeman sighed, holding her head in exasperation. "Jack, loving the enthusiasm, really... but rein it in a bit?"
"Right, sorry cap," he replied, jogging past his teammates to retrieve their volleyball.
He returned a moment later, and wasted no time lobbing it to Tendi, who bopped it back into the air with the next serve and back into play. From there it was pandemonium, the ball knocked back and forth between several players, fast and hard. Boimler jogged from one side of the net to the next to try and anticipate where it was going next, only to have someone else catch it and repel it before he could. By now a small crowd was gathering to observe, not only fellow Starfleet but also a number of civilians and aliens from numerous other worlds, vacationing on Risa.
The ball was batted back and forth again a few more times. A few points accumulated on either side, nothing significant. Until they were staring down the net mesh at the final play. Twenty for the Officers, Nineteen for the Ensigns.
Captain Carol Freeman smirked, spinning the ball along the palm of her hand. "Serve!" she declared, tossing up the volleyball and knocking it towards the Beta Shifters. Mariner grinned, foot sliding back as the ball sped towards her... and then sidestepped!
The ball missed the outermost line by a dragonflies wingspan, bounced, and then landed... on a sharp piece of asphalt that separated the beach from a section of pavement. The ball popped instantly, deflating in a matter of seconds until it was just a sad, limp little puddle of its former glory. Boimler stepped over to it, nudging it with his foot.
"Looks like that's game over..." remarked Billups. "Unless someone has a spare ball?"
When everyone shook their heads, that seemed that was that.
"Well, I'd say we're all winners," Freeman suggested, trying to be diplomatic.
"Literally impossible," Mariner snarked, none the less taking her mom's hand and shaking, signifying a good game. The others on both teams quickly did the same, some with more resentment than others.
Authors Notes:
Lower Decks is a show rife with potential shipping, which I try to play to here of course. The only couple from amongst the core ensigns I hardcore ship is Tendi and Rutherford, which will play into the final chapter of the story. The rest I could see beginning or ending in a variety of ways, including the Mariner/Jennifer. Except T'Ana and Shax. Them I just find hilarious.
Originally intended to have the two games run about the same length of time, but there's only so much you can really describe for a small game of volleyball, so I let the two lower deck teams have the majority of it, and kinda cut the officers short. Eh, it's not their show, deal with it.