Meli and Melee

The bed was far too big. Meli tossed and turned, trying to find a place to get comfortable before sighing and staring at the ceiling. She hadn’t realised just how hard it would be to not share the same sunlight with Dustin - since they’d gotten together, they’d always at least been in the same system, but now she was nearly on the other side of a weave jump and heading for two more on her way to a research outpost. Her own bunk had been cold; she’d not slept in it since the others had joined their group in any case, preferring Rye’s earth-tones on the rare occasion they’d let Dustin be alone with Emely. For a moment, she considered ordering Sola to **** the lock on the Rabyth’s quarters, but decided against it. It’d just be another reminder that her lovers were not present.

The ambassadorial bedroom was out of the question - if Dustin’s bunk was too big, that would be like diving into an ocean of emptiness. It’d be better if she had Trea’k nearby for comfort at least, but at her own order they were taking alternating shifts to ensure one of them would be present in the event of any issues. Glancing at the clock, she groaned and rolled out of bed. She’d tried sleeping for five hours to no avail in the possible bunks - time to give up. A cup of Velcasta and a medspray with a mild energizing chem would get her through her next shift - which would be almost all during another weave jump anyway. By the end of that she’d be so tired she’d crash anywhere - and if not, she’d bust open the sedatives.

Spray applied and drink in hand, she took the lift down to the observation deck. While in weave transit the view was obscured by shutters, it was still a perfect place to contemplate the sort of thoughts she was currently entertaining; soft lighting, without the distractions of nature present in the garden or the bustle of the bridge or galley. It was also usually completely unoccupied during flights which… She paused on the threshold, realizing that for once she would not be the room’s only occupant.

Over by the windows, in a spot where you would best be able to see the twin suns of their next destination if Meli’s quick mental math was correct, someone had stretched a chequered picnic blanket and a handful of cushions - alongside what she was pretty sure was one of the portable box coolers. Lying on the blanket, bare feet kicking idly in the air as she slowly flicked through the pages of a book on a tablet propped up in front of her was the ship’s temporary cook. Meli hesitated before heading in any further, her ears flickering slightly into curiosity before she **** her emotions under control.

She wasn’t sure if the Caenii was versed in reading Velca emotives, but given her own thoughts on the green-skinned woman it was best not to run the risk. Naera and Emely thought they were being very clever with their plotting, but as Dustin’s li’ah’a (a thought which still gave her goosebumps when she dwelt on it, having spent so long thinking she’d be forever alone) she’d made a point of observing anyone who might be a potential partner that came into his orbit rather carefully. Honestly, she rather approved of the way they were going about it - her larger issue was whether or not to let them know that she knew. It’d been easier with the doctor - she’d dropped hints while explaining her personal project; Bleu was surely smart enough to figure it out eventually; she hadn’t been that subtle, right?

As Meli was dwelling on those thoughts, she made a decision and started to move across the room - making sure her footsteps were louder than usual to not startle the ship’s newest officer. As she reached the blanket, Naera looked up and blushed before hastily locking the screen on her tablet. “Meli’a! Didn’t realize it was you. Usually nobody’s down here during jumps so I thought…” The Velca woman sank down onto the blanket beside the guilty-looking Caenii. “Don’t apologize. I came down here for more or less the same reason - I couldn’t sleep and needed something to take my mind off of things.”

Naera nodded. “The captain, right?” and then blushed again. She did that rather a lot whenever Dustin and his relationships were brought up, Meli mused. He was completely oblivious of course, but it was rather amusing - although she did rather worry what might happen if Trea’k cottoned on to the reason too soon. Possibly because she was distracted with thoughts of her Vex’ess lover, the brunette’s lips betrayed her by moving without thinking. “Yes. It’s only been a day and I can’t sleep without him.” Naera bit her lip nervously before replying. “Do you want to talk about it? I’m not good with that kinda thing like Treacl… Trea’k is, but I’ve got better snacks.” At which, she rummaged in the cooler and proffered a box containing some kind of grain and dairy mix. “It’s called Rice Pudding, it’s an Earth recipe. Databanks say it can be served hot and cold, I’m trying to work out which the captain might prefer.”

Meli studiously ignored the quick cover-up of Naera using one of Rye’s pet names and took a bite of the offered dish. “Cold, but with something fruit to blend in.” She mused after a moment. “He likes sweet things - but I’d avoid any Earth fruits. Too much of a risk of hitting an unpleasant memory by accident without knowing more than he’s shared with us. Try something from Feliax, he seemed to enjoy the juices when we added Emely to our group.” Meli focussed for a moment on not letting her ears flicker into mirth at the intended double entendre before glancing up to see that Naera appeared to be taking quick notes on her tablet. “Any other advice?” The green-skinned woman stared intently at her, and it took all of Meli’s self control to keep both ears and mouth from laughing at the woman, so obvious was her intent. “Plenty - but I want to finish this bowl first.” She said, smiling; Naera might or might not become a permanent feature in Dustin’s life, but for now the shorter woman was providing exactly the company she hadn’t known she had needed.

Light-years away, Dustin bit down on the meal bar with distaste. “Remind me again why I decided on us eating these disgusting things for the duration of the tournament instead of bringing our chef here so we can keep having home-cooked meals?” He muttered darkly, chewing the bar (which while not comparable to Naera’s cooking was not actually as bad as he was making out) and gesturing to Rye as he did so. The bunny girl shrugged, already halfway through her own meal. “Because she’s not officially fully a member of the crew, because this means we have a pre-calculated calorie intake, and because you’re an idiot sometimes Dusty. Lucky you’ve got me and Meli to do your thinking for you most of the time.”

He frowned at that sass but decided to ignore it, swallowing another bite of nutrient-rich mush before gesturing at the door. “First battles are in twenty minutes. We’re in separate brackets for melee, so it’s unlikely we’ll end up fighting before the semi-final of this arena, if we get that far. Make sure you kick their asses, but don’t worry if you lose - better to tap out a round or two early and still have some strength for the other activities this afternoon.” Emely and Bleu looked up from where they had been working on re-packing one of the ship’s cool boxes. “Not getting injured at all would be preferable. Don’t assume I want to spend my afternoon patching either of you up.” The doctor’s comment was accepted as a given by both of the aspiring fighters, although Emely’s grin suggested that there was more than a little sarcasm involved in Bleu’s request.

Twenty minutes later, Dustin stepped out onto the warm sands of the arena floor. He’d been genuinely surprised to find that the fights would be held in colosseum-like amphitheatres rather than indoor gyms; even more so when he found the battles were fought on sand and dirt rather than grass (artificial or otherwise). This first fight was an easy enough one; the rules were simple enough. Close to the edge of the arena a large band of what looked like rubber formed a perfect circle in the sand. Once you entered, leaving under any method would count as your loss. Falling **** would also do so. Beyond that, weapons were limited to wooden staves or bamboo-like training swords, although hand-to-hand was also an option.

Dustin had opted for the latter for this first fight. While on-and-off training for exercise aboard ship had gotten him fairly competent in armed fighting, he’d checked the species data on his opponent and it was an easy win for humanity. As he crossed the ring’s border he locked eyes on the other competitor - a wiry looking reptilian alien that put him in mind of a gecko walking on it’s hind-legs. The outside observer might have though the alien the stronger; certainly, it looked the part - with bulging muscles and standing a good third again taller than Dustin - but he knew something they didn’t. In fact, judging by the authorised betting on events, they really didn’t know about it.

A gong sounded, and the figure opposite shifted his grip on the wooden staff in his hands before stepping smoothly forward. Dustin was already moving before that first footstep landed - sprinting forward with his body kept low. The two figures met about a third of the way across the arena from the lizard’s starting point; it swung the staff around, but Dustin ducked neatly, the wood gliding smoothly above his head. Then, with a grunt of effort he pulled himself back upright and stepped closer, dipping inside his foe’s guard. “Sorry about this” he said, hoping the autotranslate earpieces all the contestants were wearing would handle English. With his apologies said, he reached forward, took a firm grip on the giant’s torso and lifted.

To the amazement of the spectators in the arena, the lizard’s body rose slowly from the floor. The staff in it’s hands fell with a clatter as it began to thrash with arms, legs and tail in an effort to get some purchase - but Dustin held firm, and more importantly held it at an angle where it could not grasp anything. With a deep breath to steady himself, he began to walk - slowly at first, and then getting faster - towards the edge of the arena until with a final heave he tossed his unlucky opponent out of the ring to the roar of the crowd. The lizard lay on his back for a moment, before reaching out to take the hand up that Dustin had offered. “I see you why say sorry.” Dustin’s communicator wasn’t perfect, but it got him the gist of what his defeated foe was saying. “Gravity it strong Earth on is? Stronger much than home.” Dustin nodded by way of reply. “Yup. Three times stronger, and my species evolved from endurance hunters not stationary ones. You got beaten by the luck of the draw I’m afraid.”