Establish Camp

The security team moved with the efficiency of men who had clearly set up temporary camps on hostile alien worlds before. I hoped that us dedicating more time to prep may help more of these red shirts survive the mission. Within twenty minutes, the empty stretch of beach had acquired three shelters, a portable sensor mast, supply crates, a mini bar and a defensive perimeter marked by blinking posts in the sand.

I contributed by standing with my hands behind my back and trying to look like a Lieutenant who knew exactly what everyone was doing. So far, nobody had asked me anything complicated.

Beyond the camp, the jungle rose like a green wall. Somewhere beneath that canopy, a Federation distress beacon continued transmitting at regular intervals. Our sensors put it several kilometers inland, but the vegetation was dense enough that the shuttle couldn’t safely land any closer.

“We’ll move out once the camp is secure,” I told Lily. “You and I will take the lead. Get some rest while you can.”

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

She gave me that bright angelic smile of hers and disappeared into one of the tents.

I turned back toward the jungle. This was good. Establish a base camp. Rest the team. Scout the terrain. I was starting to feel like a real Federation officer. Maybe I was actually getting the hang of this.

“Sir?” One of the security officers was staring past me. I turned my head and followed his gaze.

Lily had emerged from the shelter having slipped into a swimsuit. The little one-piece she wore was a deep Federation blue, it hugged her curvy figure like it had been designed specifically to sabotage officer discipline, high at the hips and cut low across her back, with a silver insignia resting innocently over her chest. Her ample breasts, narrow waist, and generous curves left little to the imagination. Her long blonde hair fell loose and wavy, and the halo above her head glowed softly in the sunlight. The sun bathed her flawless skin as she stretched, arching her back with an innocence that was anything but innocent.

For a few seconds, the entire security team seemingly forgot where they were. A crate slipped from someone's hands. Another man walked straight into the perimeter fence and suffered a mild shock. If they slapped her ass on a calendar it’d triple Federation recruitment overnight.

Lily noticed, of course. Her smile widened as she caught my eye. "I thought you said to rest," she said, tilting her head, blue eyes sparkling.

"Inside the tent," I managed.

She gave me a confused look before marching back into the tent. With the turn of her body the men got a full unobstructed view of her ass. A tent pole slipped out of someone’s hands and onto their foot but I’m not even sure he noticed.

I heard another security officer mutter, “Oh, come on.”

Lily looked around innocently. “What?”

She knew. Of course she knew.

The moment Lily stepped back inside the tent, I pulled the flap closed behind us.

“Am I in trouble?”

“No but you can’t go walking around the camp like that.”

She glanced down at herself. “We’re on an island. It’s a swimsuit.”

“I noticed.”

“I suspected you might have.” She gave me a coy smile.

“More importantly the men noticed and you need them to respect you and follow your lead.” I was trying really hard to sound like an actual officer.

Lily folded her arms beneath her chest. “So this is about the security team?”

“Yes.”

“Not you?”

I turned toward the equipment table. I couldn’t say this while looking at her. It was taking everything I had to look her in the eyes and not her perfectly round tits. “I’m your commanding officer. I’m perfectly capable of maintaining professional discipline. Especially with my trainee.” I looked back. Lily had one hand covering her mouth. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re laughing.”

“I’m sorry.” She composed herself with tremendous effort. “Please continue explaining how unaffected you are.”

I stared at her. She pointed at my belt.

“I think there’s someone else you need to discipline more than me.” She giggled. I looked down to find my body had undermined my words. Against the thin fabric of my federation issued pants, I had pitched a horizontal tent pointed right at my trainee.”

She continued looking at it, blue eyes sparkling beneath that ridiculous glowing halo. I pointed toward the changing partition. “Uniform. Boots. Field equipment. We roll in Five minutes.”

Lily glanced down at her swimsuit, then back at me with a devious little smile. “If you’re in that much of a hurry, Lieutenant, you could always help me get undressed first.”

My brain stalled.

“I could really use some hands on training, Lieutenant…”