Karissa had dressed in a short, black satin dress with long sleeves and had put her dark hair up so that she looked nice. She didn't feel that she looked over stated, but she did look good, she thought, as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Images of the recent mission came to mind along with the faces of the people she'd killed . . . She was a counselor and her job description didn't involve taking lives, but it had been necessary each and every time she had. She had been told on more than one occasion security should have been her field, because of her athletic abilities. But she had wanted to help people. Therefore, she had become an unorthodox counselor. She could help or hurt . . . even kill if necessary. With a sigh, her dark eyes met her reflection. Having a night of drinking with the guys was going to be just what she needed. It would give her time to forget the present, at least for a little while.
She walked through DS11 and met Ryan, Will, Sean and Ming at a pub that had been pre-arranged. It was called the Dirty Duck, and had a very British feel to it. The walls were a mixture of green wallpaper and dark oak paneling. The lights were subdued and most of the fixtures were rosewood. The tables and chairs were all wood and traditional English music played in the background. As she walked in, she found them toward the back of the place at a round table. Just a few feet away was an old-style, red, phone booth. As the guys saw her, she sensed their appreciative, but surprised looks. After all, they were use to seeing her in her Starfleet uniform. None of them had seen her in anything else. Her dark eyes sparkled as she enjoyed the attention. She walked right over and sat down in an empty chair.
"Is this seat taken?" she smiled mischievously.
"Welcome, Commander Bentara," Ryan stated, lifting his ale to her in greeting.
"Now I thought we were past that," she snickered. "And especially tonight, I am just Karissa."
"Very well," Ryan said with a smile. "And what will you be drinking?"
"How about an Earth classic. Long Island Iced Tea," she replied.
Her smile was bright as Ryan flagged down a server. Within moments she had a drink. Within five minutes it was gone, and she was on another. The men were surprised, but they only exchanged raised eyebrows and amused grins as they drank their ales. As they were to discover, she could hold her liquor well.
As the night continued on, they stopped at a handful of other bars. The second bar was called the Courtesan's Red Chamber and had an ancient Chinese motif. Ming got especially toasted on rice wine and could barely make it out the door, although he seemed to recover fairly quickly. The third bar was Judge Roy Bean's, a cowboy bar that looked rough but served a beer called Lone Star that had been brewed continuously on Earth for almost 400 years and was reputed to be quite good. It was--and for the price they charged, it should have been! The fourth one was a dance club with wild music. The place was dark except for the circling colored lights. Karissa knew it wasn't what Ryan was use to, but she thought it would be fun to get out on the dance floor for awhile. As they sat down at a black table, they had another round of drinks. No one had been keeping track of how much they had consumed already. But none of them really cared. As she drank another Long Island Iced Tea, a twinkle came into her dark eyes as she surveyed her drinking buddies.
"So who wants to dance with me?" she smiled.
They all exchanged looks with one another, but no one moved. With a gentle shrug of her shoulders, she got to her feet and walked to the dance floor alone. As she moved to the music she felt the men's eyes on her. She couldn't resist throwing in some tantalizing moves to be a tease. After all, it was all in fun. But as she closed her eyes and lost herself in the music, she blocked out the world around her. She was taken by surprise when she felt the presence of Ming and Will suddenly by her. As her eyes opened, seeing them there, she smiled brightly. The dancing then became more suggestive on all their parts. Karissa could feel she was getting flushed. She thought it had been all the alcohol she had consumed already, and continued dancing. She felt Ryan and Sean watching them dance on the floor and she was exhilarated. It wasn't long before Sean joined them. As much as she would have loved Ryan to join in the fun, she knew this wasn't his kind of thing.
Ming felt uncertain of himself. His luck with women--human or other--had never been great. People had been telling him since before the Academy that his approach was too aggressive, so he tried more restraint when he was assigned to the Von Braun. There was an Andorian woman on the Von Braun who had seemed interested in him, but she told Ming later (after she'd gotten engaged) that he hadn't been aggressive enough. It was around that time that Ming decided to spend his Friday nights in the lab.
This occasion was different. The development of the anti-Kira device had proved his worth as a scientist and an officer to the Ronin's officers and crew. And Karissa, though much more human-appearing than his tastes had led him to previously, was somehow very enticing tonight. Still, though....*I'm only a lieutenant junior grade--these are all senior officers! And I'm still new here! I don't have a chance!*
But then Ming remembered what happened aboard the Von Braun with the Andorian woman. *The Captain said this was an informal occasion; Karissa herself said rank doesn't matter tonight--why not?*
Ming got up and started dancing with Karissa--occasionally putting his arm around her shoulder or waist. She didn't seem to mind terribly. In fact, the more he touched, the more she seemed to enjoy it.
*It's working--naah! Couldn't be! It's just the booze!*
As there was finally a break in the music, they stopped to catch their breaths. She met each of their stares with a gentle look and smile, caressing each of their faces in turn.
"I'll be right back," she said.
They watched as Karissa slinked off to the ladies room.
She went to the mirror and gently splashed water on her face. She was hot. Karissa could tell the guys were all attracted to her, but what she was struggling with was the fact that she wanted them . . . She figured it was just the drinks catching up with her. But as she gazed at her image in the mirror, she felt a flush covered her body once more, like it had on the dance floor. Only this time it was stronger and followed by an all too familiar heat rising within her. She moaned as she realized that this was not the affects of the alcohol she had drunk, but of a surge of hormones into her system.
"Oh no!" she cried, "Not now . . ." *damn that feline DNA* she thought as she was hit by intense emotional desire. She was now, technically speaking, in heat . . . which happened to her every three to four months. It had almost been three months since her last cycle. Gently she splashed some more water on her face as thoughts of hands roaming over her body and lips kissing her came crashing into her mind . . . Taking a deep breath, she tried to force the wants and desires away, but she knew it was useless . . . They were overpowering. She was going to simply go out there to the guys and bid them goodnight. The safest place for her was in her quarters. But as she exited the ladies room and saw the men sitting there waiting for her, she could still feel their attraction and desire for her and she couldn't control herself . . . Her desires were growing by each passing second. Then a plan crept into her mind. *After all, why not!* she thought to herself, not thinking about tomorrow. She knew the alcohol had gotten to her a little by now, but it was mostly the surge of hormones. What would it hurt to give into her desires for one night? She thought.
As they saw her, she smiled and raised one finger to let them know she would be a minute. Then she went to a console and reserved the holodeck on the Ronin. She didn't want rumors to spread about them on the station, which would happen if they used the local shop that rented out holosuites. She wasn't going to take any chances. With a seductive smile she went back to the table.
"I have a surprise," she said, the heat rising even further in her body, "I was thinking that we could go back to the Ronin and use the holodeck . . ."
"Why not use the holosuites on the station," Sean asked, already more than a little toasted.
She grinned wickedly, "Because I have a program I want you all to see."
She knew she had peaked their curiosity. Ryan, though smiling, was contemplating this turn of events, while the others were ready to go.
Walking behind him, she placed her hands on his shoulders and whispered into his ear. "What's the matter, Ryan? Are you afraid I'll bite?" Her eyes danced with mischief.
"Very well, let's go," he said, with a smile on his face.
"Computer, run program Bentara2Arabian5.5," Karissa ordered.
< Program running > the computer replied.
She tossed a smile to the guys as the doors opened. As they stepped inside, it was as if they were stepping into a tale of the Arabian Nights. The surroundings were that of a tent . . . one that glowed with richness and warmth, as if it belonged to a Prince of the desert. Floor, ceiling and walls were covered in rich tapestries, drapes or colored silk cloth, and the furniture that was there was of fine grain wood. Light came from open flames. There were also candles lit under spectacularly cut crystal globes that threw exotic diamond lights everywhere.
In the center of the tent, there was a low, rectangular table surrounded by a multitude of colored silk and tapestry cushions. At the table, there were five golden goblets set with several pitchers of drink. In the background, they could hear the haunting music of the Middle East.
"Come on," she beckoned, as they just stood there a bit awestruck.
Will, Sean and Ming went to the table making themselves comfortable among the pillows, but Ryan seemed a bit hesitant. With a sly smile, Karissa gently grabbed his hand and lead him to a bunch of cushions. As she sat, she found herself between Ryan and Ming. She handed Ryan one of the goblets and then looked at Ming. He had hardly taken his eyes off her since the dance club.
With a double clap of her hands, several serving men and women appeared. They carried with them plates of naan, hummus and sweet meats. Nothing fancy. Mostly appetizers. After the food was laid on the table the servers disappeared. Seductively, she picked up a piece of naan, dipped it in the hummus and fed it to a willing Ryan. She then turned and did the same thing for Ming. She could sense Will staring, wishing he were a bit closer. With that, she took a piece of the dipped naan and leaned over the table so that he could nibble it from her fingers. She would have repeated the motion with Sean, only he didn't seem to be up to nibbling on anything. Sitting back down, she gently let a hand run through Ming's hair, and then did the same to Ryan. She had to admit, she knew she was driving them wild and she was loving every minute of it. In fact, she had planned even more!
The sliding, seductive tones of the Arabian music touched a part of Ming that he only barely suspected he had. Almost (?) without thinking, Ming wrapped his arms around Karissa. She slid almost (but not entirely) out of his reach, a sly smile on her face. Likewise, Ryan tried to make a play for her, but she moved out of his reach as well, standing back up. The two men nearly found themselves in each other's arms!
"Come on! Let's dance more!" Karissa said, gesturing to the men. Will and Ming got up to join her. Ryan wanted to, to be near her, but didn't move.
"Come dance with me, Ryan," she said softly.
Unable to resist her outstretched arm, inviting him, he finally stood and went to her. As she swayed to the music, she felt three pairs of hands on her waist, back and face. She was in heaven. How far could she push it without losing herself, she wondered.
Sean stayed seated, looking decidedly green in the gills. No one seemed to notice.
Had this been an actual Arabian prince's tent, the hologram of the huge eunuch guarding the door would have beheaded all three of the men and Karissa immediately. But, thanks to the safety protocols (and Karissa's programming) the guardian looked stonily on, as impassionate as the cigar-store Indian of centuries past.
Sean got up, feeling an urgent need to get out of the tent. He approached the eunuch. "Great party, eh?" he slurred as he reached to put his arm around the hologram. The hologram, being merely decoration (and marking the exit to the holodeck) vanished to reveal a door to the rest of the Ronin. Sean fell forward, hitting the door and sliding to the deck.
Everything about Karissa--her scent, her hair, the unimagined glimpses of flesh that were somehow more erotic than total nudity ever could have been--beckoned to Ming. It wouldn't be long, he figured, before something happened. Just what that would be would depend entirely upon how he negotiated the next few minutes. *Let's hope I don't screw this up,* Ming thought.
After awhile, she pulled herself away from the men as the music ended. Her dark eyes flashing her own desires. She walked to the table and grabbed her goblet taking a deep drink of her pomegranate wine. They watched her every move. Suddenly, she realized that Sean was incapacitated. She clapped her hands again.
"Rashid," she called.
Suddenly a large, muscular man appeared, dressed much like the eunuch.
"Please take my guest into a private portion of the tent where he can rest undisturbed," she said.
With a slight bow to her, he went to Sean and lifted up his unconscious body and carried him beyond a drape wall.
With another smile, she said, "Lets have some entertainment!"
As they joined her back on the cushions around the table, she clapped her hands again. It was obvious by now that she was the Sultana of the program. Suddenly several women appeared. The music changed and the women took this as their cue to start their dance. It was exotic and unusual and managed to hold the men's attention. Even Karissa was engrossed watching the lithe movements though she, herself, had programmed it. With a seductive smile, she realized just what she was going to do next. She waited for the right moment and then slipped away. The girls had been a good distraction.
After several minutes, a new dancer appeared. Instantly, the other girls made a slight bow and vanished from the tent. This dancer was tall, and sleek, with bronze skin and dark eyes that glittered wildly in the light of the flames. She was covered in a top and skirt that seemed to be made of nothing but sheer, colorful veils in shades of red, green, blue and purple, held in place by gold chains. Her face was covered as well, with delicate gold chains accented with jewels holding that veil in place. Around her neck, wrists and ankles were more delicate gold jewelry. As the music began, her bare feet worked their way around the tent before the men in very sensuous fashion, and at certain moments, she would pluck a veil and let it drift gently to the ground.
The men watched in stunned silence. This was obviously an ancient form of a stripe tease, but far more provocative and seductive. Half way through the dance, the table and all the items on it, disappeared and the dancer walked forward. By this time, William had moved next to Ryan to get a better view. They watched intently as the dancer came closer and then weaved between the three of them. As she leaned backward, she was treated to the feel of their hands on her exposed abdomen. They couldn't seem to control their impulses, and in fact, the dancer seemed to smile behind her veil. But she continued her dance until the last veil fell, leaving her in nothing except the gold chains and the one veil covering her face. As the music ended, she was before Ryan. Their eyes met, and he knew. Gently, he reached up, and pulled the veil covering her lower face. It was Karissa. Ming and William seemed a bit surprised. Her breaths were now ragged from the dance and her overwhelming desire, which had reached a point for her that was beyond control.
"Computer," she said, "Seal doors to the holodeck. Open only under command codes from Captain Ryan Evans, Lt. Commander Karissa Bentara, Lt. Ming Wang, Lt. William Hancock or Lt. Sean O'Neil."
The games were over. Ryan sensed this and tenderly pulled her into his lap,
kissing her deeply and letting his hands roam over her. This is what she had
been waiting for. What she had been enticing them into and immediately gave
into the sensation. As he drew away, she moved enough so that she was straddling
him. She also felt Ming's hand on her back. Like a tigress, she leaned over
to him. And as Ryan kissed a path down her neck, she grabbed Ming's shirt and
pulled him to her for a kiss filled with passion. As that kiss broke, she was
met by Ryan's lips once again. Then she felt Will's hand on her thigh. Just
as wantonly, she leaned toward him, and pulled him to her in a kiss. She melted
into the hands that caressed her body and the lips that touched her skin. She
knew this was only beginning of their evening . . .
Consciousness came to her, through a fog. She was laying on her side. One hand was near her head and the other she had stretched out. She could feel the gentle touch of a hand covering hers. As she opened her eyes, she saw Ming, asleep on his stomach. His face turned toward her and his hand holding hers tenderly. She smiled, and felt an arm around her waist. She knew it was Ryan. He was also still asleep. She sighed, enjoying the feel of his hand as his fingers gently touched her abdomen with each breath she took. She also felt soft breath on her hair. Will was laying at an angle from them, but his head was near hers. She could even feel his hand resting on her hair. This was paradise, she thought . . .
But she also realized it was time for the fantasy to come to an end. She knew they were all still too inebriated to notice as she tenderly moved their hands from her body. She got up with feline grace and grabbed her dress where she had placed it the night before. Part of her didn't want to leave. She wanted to wake up and still be surrounded by them. Having them continue to hold her. But she knew better. It was time to go. She slipped into the black dress and let her dark hair cascade around her shoulders. Before she headed to the door, she went to Ryan, Ming and William in turn and kissed their forehead's gently, running a hand through their hair. With one final look, she went to the holodeck door.
"Computer, open holodeck door. Lt. Commander Karissa Bentara - Command Code Bentara-88-Phi-371."
As the door opened, she walked through. As the door slid shut once again, she commanded the computer to seal the deck until the process could be repeated as the others woke up. With a last sigh as the memories of the night before came to her with incredible vividness, she smiled, almost sorry it was over. She then walked away to her quarters, never regretting the evening . . . only reliving it in her mind.
Ryan opened his eyes and brought his hand to his head.
"Boy! what did I drink last night?"
He moaned as he rubbed his forehead. *Better let Kira do all the work today. I don't feel too good* He struggled up and looked about at his surroundings. He was in a tent. It looked like an ancient earthen tent from the middle east. *What could I possibly doing here?* He thought. He caught site of a leg by the side of him. He turned and found Lieutenant Wang and Lieutenant Hancock lying on the floor still asleep *We must have been steaming!* he thought.
He pulled himself to his feet and walked to where there was a mirror in a corner of the tent. He looked at his reflection and he saw an image of himself that he had not seen in a long time. His hair was a mess . . . He badly needed to shave. His shirt was undone and hanging out, and even ripped in one part.
Karissa's face suddenly came to mind. Wearing the veil he was handling.
*Ohh shit!* he thought. *What the hell did we do??*
He sat for a moment, struggling to remember some of the details from the night before. He could remember a lot of the early parts, and then a big dance club. It got hazy from there on, but he could remember being brought here by Karissa.
*Maybe it wasn't all my fault . . . Maybe she wanted it.... Nah! Surely not! But then again... ahh christ! Back on duty after a psych evaluation and the first thing I do is bang up my counselor. This will not look good if ever Admiral Pike finds out.*
He looked down at Will and Ming and
decided that he would let them wake and form their own conclusions of the night.
He hurried to the door. Finding it was locked, he entered his command codes
and headed for his quarters....