Alarm in the communal shower

The glow of the overhead lights in the communal showers reflected from the water-slicked mosaic tiles of the room, creating a soothing ambiance. Sparrow- Hawk cadets' Starla, Arianna, and Lennox stood under the cascading showers, shedding the perspirations of their intense training routine, their slick teen bodies displaying hard-earned spry firmness. They were chatting about the highlights of their next R&R destination.

Starla, her red hair dampened with water droplets slowly making their way down her freckled face, locked her arms behind her head. The eighteen-year-old was unembarrassed by the exposed nakedness of her body. As usual it displayed neither too much fat nor muscle but the perfect balance between both. The pink nipples of her toned breasts were peaked from the shower’s warm spray.

Standing beside Starla beneath her own flow of warm water was her teenage companion and fellow cadet Arianna. The tall blonde was only a few days older than Starla. Her laughter echoing around the room as she lathered her hair with an enriched crystal derived shampoo, "Not just sunsets Starla,” Arianna said, “those black-sand beaches... and, don't even get me started on the night bazaars."

Arianna soaped her voluptuous breasts. The teenage girl had a soft voice and an innocent demeanour, yet there was a worldly and sensual maturity in her full lips and delicate features. An arousing combination for many men.

Lennox, nodded enthusiastically, "I was looking forward to testing my strength in the 'Gravity Gauntlet' at the Starlight Arcade." Dark-skinned, sturdy, and tall, the 19-year-old neo-African beauty was the cadet team's heavy weapons specialist. She was luxuriously working out the knots in her trapezius muscles, formed after a long shift maintaining the ship's combat mechas.

"Me too Lennox!" Starla chirped with a devilish grin, now completely free of soap suds, and running her hands over her newly rinsed smooth and slick body, "My fitness…."

Their chatter about the much-awaited rest and recreation was abruptly cut off by a jarring shudder, the entire room shook violently, sending bottles tumbling off shelves and klaxons starting to blare.

With wide-eyed alarm, Starla clung onto the shower bar while Arianna slipped, only to be caught in Lennox's quick grasp. The glow of the lights was replaced with an urgent pulsating red, the sound of the running water drowned out by the ship-wide alarm system.

“We’re out of FTL phase shift,” Arianna cried, “something hit us.” There were a few moments of confusion and then the cadets began stumbling to their lockers as the deck juddered beneath their bare feet. A minute or two later later their lieutenant addressed them over the intercom.

"This is not a drill. Mobilise, Sparrow-Hawks, mobilise. All Sparrow-Hawks to repel boarders. Repeat. All Sparrow-Hawks mobilise to repel boarders." Meryl's voice resounded over the general system intercom, simultaneously commanding and reassuring. "Suit up and deploy in aft cargo bay. Standard formation. Let's give the bastards a warm welcome."