Chapter Text
Afterward, Mariner never actually remembered stepping into the bounds of the circle, or stripping off her uniform top and fighting a dozen or so Orion cutthroats and warriors, tits out and blood pumping.
What she remembered was the silence, the eerie beautiful silence as she stood victorious among her fallen foes, and a soft hum in the back of her mind, like a gentle hand guiding her with a tender touch.
What now? Mariner didn't have to wonder. She knew. She turned and walked towards Tendi, and when she reached the edge of the rough circle marked by stones, she stopped and took off the rest of her clothes. The breeze felt good on her sensitive skin.
Tendi was standing in the center of the circle, framed by the great stone arch with the notch in the top. Behind her, the sunset was melting into shades of turquoise and purple and royal blue, with occasional streaks of pink and gold revealed as the clouds roiled above the arena. Fiery backlit clouds outlined Tendi in golden and crimson light, like a halo around her whole body.
Her short hair was wild and disarrayed, topped with a reddish, coppery circlet studded with smaller collections and bursts of jewels and filigree, as if half a dozen other crowns, necklaces and bracelets had been torn apart and reformed into this single crown, worth a galaxy's ransom. She was wearing twisted hoop earrings dripping with thin green glasslike beads that caught the light and sent green spots of light dancing over her face. Someone had painted her eyelashes with something that lengthened and thickened them, and also given her some truly impressive dark green eyeliner wings, accented with speckles of gold glitter. Her mouth was painted a deep, lush, oceanic green that made Mariner thirsty just to look at.
She was wearing a metallic bikini made of gold wire and delicate chains, limned with more of those green beads, and knotted, beaded tassels falling from the upper curve of each hip to brush over the outside of her legs. The purple sash fell to the ground behind her like a bridal train. More green beaded chains hung from a sort of starburst-like necklace, falling over her breasts. Every bead was gleaming and glittering individually in the changing, colorful light of the sunset. Mariner inhaled deeply. Tendi was a galaxy, glittering with stars; she'd never been more beautiful.
They stood and looked at each other.
"D'Vana Tendi," came the voice of the elder Orion, from the edges of the circle. "Will you choose your champion?"
"As it was when the first sunrise lit our homeworld, as it is today, and as it will be until stars burn cold, I make my choice," Tendi said. She raised her arm slowly.
She and Mariner were both breathing hard; Tendi's chest was heaving, the sun gleaming green off the sweaty curves of her breasts. And Mariner realized, in the silence that seemed to have captured the whole world, that she and Tendi were breathing in unison— every breath in and out, locked into sync with each other. She stared, heart pounding, blood tingling in her fingertip, and wondered if their heartbeats were matching too.
Tendi pointed directly at her, and Mariner's knees wobbled, just a little. "This one."
Mariner closed her eyes and walked forward. She stopped when Tendi wanted her to stop. She heard the soft pad of Tendi's bare feet coming closer, the brush of beads moving over Tendi's skin and shifting against each other. Mariner moved her hands behind her back, then frowned— that wasn't quite right— Oh. She lifted her arms up instead, bending her elbows so that her wrists were crossed behind her head.
Carefully, gentle hands looped a rope around her wrists, binding them. She listened as the tail end of the rope was thrown over the arch, dropping into the notch so that it wouldn't slip off the top and fall to one side. With a tug, Mariner's hands were raised over her head. The rope pulled slightly, not lifting Mariner off her feet but taut enough so that she couldn't quite relax. The rope trembled as the other end was pulled tight and tied off.
Tendi came closer, laying a shaking hand against Mariner's bare back.
"I think we both know you could get out of this if you wanted to," she said, and Mariner flexed her wrists thoughtfully. As the sun sank lower in the sky, it was shining a little awkwardly into her eyes. Instead of squinting, she just closed her eyes, letting the sun paint colorful streaks on the inside of her eyelids. Sure, she could get out of this if she needed to, but why would she?
"Oh," Tendi whispered, something deep and almost awed in her voice. "You really don't want to. You want—"
Mariner let her mouth fall open. Tendi's touch was like the sun, wherever she moved her hand— up, to playfully brush her fingertips over the back of Mariner's neck, sweaty under her hair. Down, to run the heel of her hand firmly down Mariner's spine, stopping just at the curve of her ass. Intense, burning primary colors lit up under Mariner's skin. She was a living stained-glass window, and Tendi was her light. She was here for Tendi, to allow Tendi to create beauty through her, from her. To glow with Tendi's glory.
She could hear Tendi circling around in front of her, could see the shape of her even with her eyes closed, the sun behind her. Tendi wanted her to open her eyes, so she opened her eyes.
"You want to give yourself to me," Tendi said, still sounding awed, surprised, disbelieving. Mariner breathed deeply. She didn't need to speak. That would be beside the point of the rite. Her body was responding, her heart racing and her arousal rising, fresh sweat sweetening the air between them. All Tendi needed to do was breathe her in.
Tendi reached up, and pulled Mariner down, kissing her deeply. Her mouth was cool and sweet, and Mariner wanted to chase the sweetness with her tongue, wanted to fall back into it and drown. Blinking hard, she found herself grateful for the rope at her wrists; at least she wouldn't fall over.
When Tendi pulled back from the kiss, she looked into Mariner's eyes. What did she want? She wanted what Tendi wanted to give her. What did Tendi want to give her?
"Oh," Mariner said, and writhed, instinctively pulling against the ropes, giving way to Human panic for a single blink. It was too much, to be known so deeply and so intimately— nobody could know you like that and truly accept you, could they? No one could get so close and not be turned off, and most people weren't even as fucked up as Mariner was, most people didn't have a heart that was basically a fucking junk-shop, full of anger and lies—
"Look at me," Tendi said, and Mariner flinched out of her spiral. There were tears in her eyes; there were tears in Tendi's eyes. "I shouldn't have to tell you," she said. "I won't tell you again." Yeah, Mariner was starting to get it now. Back home nobody would dream of playing this kind of sex game without days of prep and discussion first— check-ins, safewords, ground rules— but this wasn't a game, and Tendi didn't need those things. She was an Orion empress in full control of her power. She could read the subtlest variations of Mariner's desire, every reluctant fear and every trembling lust— and even beyond that, Mariner was safe in her hands. She had never been more sure of anything; she knew it like she knew the laws of physics. Tendi would never do anything that Mariner didn't truly want— not because that would ruin the ancient ritual, but because she was Tendi, lovely kind sweet darling Tendi—
Beautiful Tendi, painted and adorned. She drew her hand back in a theatrical sweep, and heat pulsed between Mariner's legs as helpless gratitude and sweet shame rolled over her in equal measure.
Tendi slapped her hard across the face, and Mariner gasped as the hot shock rolled through her, her face heating beautifully where Tendi had made contact. Tendi gasped too, sweet and shocked, her own arousal surging; Mariner could feel it.
"Oh, oh, please please please—" Mariner blurted before she could stop herself. But apparently just flat begging didn't count as disrupting the ritual, because Tendi just smiled.
Unexpectedly, she turned and walked away, circling within the interior of the stone ring. Mariner let herself drink in the sight.
As Tendi circled the perimeter of the ring, Mariner realized that she was looking out, at the Orions gathered to observe the rite. The idea that they were all watching didn't bother her. She almost wished there were more— Tendi should have more people appreciating her, seeing her for the glorious being that she was. It was like when people gathered to watch a starship launch from the shipyards. It wasn't the thing itself; it was the power and precision it represented. The greatness of a whole society, narrowed to a single point, to create beauty and strength that would go on and on, an expression of their truest self, their yearnings and their drives.
Somewhere in the back of Mariner's mind, some tiny insecure part of her wondered why she wasn't straining against her bonds, wasn't sassing Tendi to get her to come back and do more: pay attention to me, don't leave me alone—
Something lashed at her delicately, a faint sting like an insect-bite landing on the back of her upper thigh, and Mariner tipped her head back, blinking up at the swirling colors of the fading sunset. She could hear the faint whirling of something moving through the air, could see it out of the corner of her eye. She didn't move her head to look, just waited, and Tendi gave her exactly what she wanted, unpredictable and perfect, lashing her again and again with a beautiful beaded whip, landing sweet luxurious stings like biting kisses on Mariner's calves, her thighs, her unprotected ribs, the undersides of her bare arms. She circled further, stinging the sides of her breasts and her tender belly, carefully letting the lash curl around and slap the back of Mariner's knees as Mariner winced and moaned.
"You're so beautiful," Tendi said. She almost sounded as if she were going to cry again. "Oh, Mariner!"
Delicately, she tossed the lash aside, and continued to circle. She stepped behind Mariner, and someone else handed her something. Some kind of small container, maybe? Mariner could hear her twisting off the lid. She was finding it easier and easier not to be curious; easier and easier to wait. When Tendi came back into view, she was holding a small round jar that looked like it had been carved from a single fire opal. She was holding it in her right hand, rubbing the thumb of her left hand into the slick pink substance; reaching out, she brushed her thumb over Mariner's top lip, leaving a generous smear there, then caught Mariner's bottom lip and dragged her thumb more slowly over its lush surface as well. Mariner's mouth immediately started to burn and tingle, the sensation intense— it was something like spice and something like a hot salve. Her mouth felt like it had a million nerve endings, like every molecule of air was a caress, a torture, both at once.
"Oh no please," Mariner breathed, and Tendi reached for her breasts, catching her as her body trembled, catching Mariner's breast in her hand and rubbing her thumb firmly over one nipple, then giving the same treatment to the other. "Oh god—!"
Her nipples were sparking, burning. She tried to twist away, but there was nothing to twist away from. She couldn't lick her lips, couldn't press them together to stop the scream building in her throat; she knew without trying that it would just make it worse. All she could do now was moan, open-mouthed, as the fiery sensation built and sparkled. Tendi leaned in close, hooking an arm around Mariner's neck. She looked dreamy as she nestled between Mariner's breasts, laying her head against Mariner's shoulder and breathing across her throat, swaying with her as she trembled.
"You want more," Tendi said, "I don't believe it, I never thought... oh, Mariner!" She sounded so gentle, so happy, and Mariner's body clenched as she felt Tendi smile against her skin. She knew even before Tendi's hand moved what she was going to do. Her internal muscles fluttered in pleasure and terror as Tendi pressed her left thumb to Mariner's belly, a few inches above her navel, and slowly dragged a stripe of prickling, agonized pleasure down, down, down. She dipped her thumb deeply into Mariner's belly-button, pressing the slickness deep inside and twisting, and Mariner gritted her teeth, trying to keep her lips apart even as her jaw locked. She panted hotly through her teeth, suddenly seconds from coming.
Tendi didn't want her to come yet. It was hard, so hard to draw back from that edge, but Mariner knew that Tendi didn't want her to come. But Tendi didn't want her to flinch, either; all Mariner could do was let her head fall back and keen helplessly, enduring Tendi's gentle touches. The suggestive, rhythmic push of her thumb.
She didn't know how much of this she could take.
She knew exactly how much of this she was going to take— exactly as much as Tendi wanted to give her. Exactly as much as Mariner wanted to take.
"Tendi," she said, almost voiceless, "Tendi, Tendi—"
Tendi licked sweat from Mariner's throat as her hand slowly, inexorably crept down towards Mariner's aching cunt.
"Oh," Mariner said, as she realized, and gave Tendi what she wanted. "Empress D'Vana, Empress, oh, please, Empress!"
She knew she'd gotten it right as Tendi's hand slipped down. She showed mercy and sadism at once, moving past the place where Mariner most wanted to be touched and smearing the last of the salve in thick stripes onto Mariner's inner thighs. Mariner bucked, keening. God, how much longer could this go on, how much more perfect could it be? In another five minutes, Mariner was just going to weep, or maybe evolve into an enlightened energy being and go live in a nebula— but no! She hadn't even gotten to touch Tendi yet! It would be a shame to leave mortality behind before she got to—
"Oh," Tendi said, "oh, oh, oh—" and Mariner slipped her hands out of the looped rope, because Tendi wanted her to, because Tendi wanted to be touched and she wanted Mariner to do it—
She tumbled Tendi down onto the soft, powdery dirt. She was going to make Tendi come. She was going to make Tendi scream, she was going to make her cry with pleasure, while the whole Orion outpost watched her do it. And then after that, Mariner would have earned it, she thought. After that, she'd get to come— She saw Tendi's eyes widen, her pupils expanding in shocked delight.
"You want me," Mariner said, almost a plea, half an explanation.
"I want you," Tendi said, sounding almost startled, and a huge smile spread across her face. "Oh, Mariner, I really do!" She lifted her arms up like vines to wrap around Mariner and drag her down.
Six hours later, the Orions beamed them back up to Mariner's mom's yacht.
Their uniforms had been pressed and cleaned. Tendi had brushed her hair and washed off her makeup. They both looked like the pinnacle of respectability; just two tidy, well-scrubbed Starfleet ensigns. Mariner still felt a little itchy though. They'd only had an old-fashioned water shower down at the outpost. Even though she knew it was a really Human-centric judgement, she couldn't help but think it was a weird misuse of natural resources to actually use water to clean off, when sonics worked just fine. She'd scrubbed herself down with the most scentless soap the Orions had been able to provide, but as she surreptitiously sniffed herself, she still smelled a bit like a Risian beach towel. At least they'd been able to dig up a wrap so she didn't have to get her hair wet.
"Well," Tendi said brightly, clapping her hands together as they headed for the cockpit, "there can be no excuse for the crime of which I'm guilty, and I intend to offer no defense!"
"Oh, come on, it's going to be fine." Mariner dropped into the chair at the navigation console and threw her leg up over one of the arms, letting her head loll back against the seat. She paused. "Hey, how come Starfleet hasn't shown up here yet?"
"Oh," Tendi said, "well, uh, while I was getting my hair and makeup done I had the local Syndicate smuggling operation plant some false sensor readings along the warp trail between Altair Six and here and uh... Well, basically I asked them to fake our deaths?"
"You did WHAT?" Mariner flailed, almost tipping over as her leg slipped off the arm of the chair.
"I mean, not convincingly! There were tons of anomalies in the data! I'm sure the Cerritos caught on right away that it was a hoax— I just needed them to go looking somewhere else for a while. It seemed like a good idea at the time!" she said defensively. "When we get back we can just explain that, uh..." She stopped and thought. Mariner could almost see reality sinking back in. "Uh..."
"...that we were real stressed out and needed some good old-fashioned traditional shore leave?"
"I don't know," Tendi said, sinking down into the command chair. "I don't think good old-fashioned traditional shore leave involves hijacking a ship, beaming down to a dangerous planet, and actively participating in ancient violent sacred sex rituals."
"Incorrect on so many levels. You need to read more old mission reports," Mariner said, then moved closer. "Hey, what's the matter?"
Tendi wrung her hands, hunching forward. "Am I going to get kicked out of Starfleet?"
"For what?" Mariner said in disbelief.
"Uh... kidnapping? Hijacking? Faking your death? We didn't fill out the change of relationship status form before we had intimate contact! I threw soup at Rutherford!"
"They don't kick you out of Starfleet for ANY of that," Mariner said firmly, "and especially not if it's because you had to go home to participate in some culturally significant kinky sex thing that's supposed to be a secret! God, look at Vulcans, we've all been pretending we don't know about their weird secret sex stuff for like hundreds of years!"
"Vulcans have weird secret sex stuff?"
"Oh my god, where have you even been! Yes! It's a whole thing!" Mariner leaned forward and took Tendi's hands in hers, pulling her forward so that she leaned her head on Mariner's shoulder. "You really need to read more old mission logs," she murmured into Tendi's hair. "Especially if you're going to be a Captain someday."
Tendi blinked up at her. "You really think I could be? I mean... still?"
"I really do. Also, there is some real sexy stuff in those old reports, I'm telling you. Now come on, quit worrying," Mariner said. She pushed Tendi back into the command chair and sat back down at the navigation console, spinning her chair around so that she could tip her head back and look upside-down at Tendi, grinning.
After a moment, Tendi couldn't help but smile back, just a little. "Well... all right."
"Give the order, Empress," said Mariner teasingly. Tendi shivered, exhaling gustily. Just the faintest hint of her warm breath on Mariner's cheek sent pleasure rolling and jolting through her body.
"Okay. Yes," Tendi said firmly. "Lay in a course for Altair Six... and Mariner?"
"Yeah?"
"Call me Captain," Tendi said, propping her ankle on her knee and leaning back, shoulders back and chin high.
"Aye, Captain," Mariner said. "Laying in a course for Altair Six."
Tendi sat back in the command chair and beamed. "Let's go mind the store."