The sun rose slowly, suffusing the morning in a pale orange glow that reflected off of waves on an ocean the color of the purest blue sapphire that then lapped on shores of pristine white sand.  The vista was idyllic, an opinion clearly shared by a number of those staying at the resort, as even at sunrise there were a number of people out and about, basking in the morning ambiance.  In the room that he shared with his partner, Commander K’lev began to stir as the morning light passing through the curtains began to dapple the chamber in that orange aura.  Rolling over with a faint groan – one of the beams of light, unfortunately, had found its way onto his face – his mismatched eyes scrunched closed before opening.

His movement must have woken her, for as he opened his eyes he saw the green eyes of Lieutenant Commander Lotharys – also his first officer, but on leave just his partner – looking back at him as she blinked off the last vestiges of slumber.  “Mornin’,” he said with a smile.

“Hey yourself,” she replied, the two sharing a tender kiss before breaking apart.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

“Mmm, yeah…  You?”

K’lev nodded.  “Definitely,” he replied, still trying to wake the rest of the way up.  “Any plans for the day?”

Lotharys shrugged with a laugh.  “No plans, remember?” she teasingly reminded him; it was something they’d discussed on the first night.  “We’re on leave; let’s see what the day brings.”

K’lev chuckled, a playful twinkle in his eyes.  “Sounds like a plan to me,” he teased back, drawing a groan from his partner and taking a playful shove for the bad joke.

Over the next few minutes, the two slowly got out of bed and began getting ready for the day.  If they were on Appalachia, this would mean a quick sonic shower and replicated breakfast before pulling on a uniform and heading for the bridge, but they were not on Appalachia.  There was a replicator in the room, yes, but with actual cooked food readily accessible around the resort – and in the surrounding area – far better options existed for breakfast, and actual water options for cleanliness.  The most significant difference, though, was that neither had to wear their uniform; they were on leave, after all.

Soon, the two emerged from their room, dressed and ready for the day; K’lev had donned a light short-sleeved shirt and shorts with a long flowing vest over top (his combadge worn behind the vest, in case anyone needed to reach him), while Lotharys had opted for a two-piece swimsuit with a gauzy long skirt and a sun hat.  The couple casually made their way to the entrance and concierge area, there seeing a number of familiar faces.  “Hey, everyone!” K’lev called as they began to approach, waving a hand in greeting.

The rest of the group – Appalachia’s other senior officers – had been in the middle of an animated conversation when they heard his voice.  As they turned, Lieutenant Ghimir broke into a grin, waving back.  “Hey!  Hope you’re both doing well?”

K’lev nodded as Lotharys replied, speaking for both.  “We are!  How about you all?” she asked the group.

A series of nods made their way around the group, paired with general sentiments of feeling much more relaxed already.  Some – Ghimir and Sigurdsson in particular – were more enthusiastic, while others were more reserved, but K’lev and Lotharys could easily tell that all were doing better now, the stress of their last assignments already beginning to wash away.  “We were just talking about what we might try to do while we’re here!” Lieutenant Hilava said.

“Oh?  What’cha got in mind?” K’lev asked.

“Well, I’d heard that some of the nearby islands have some beautiful vistas,” she replied; she didn’t get to dabble very often, with how frequently Appalachia was sent racing from place to place, but Hilava did like to paint.

Lieutenant Tiza spoke next.  “Erik’s been telling me about some ancient Earth sailing ships, and it sounds fun; I think I saw an offering for sailing lessons?”

Lieutenant Sigurdsson nodded.  “We ran into a few others earlier who were looking to sign up for the lessons as well, so we might try to put a group together.”

Lieutenant Phillips chuckled.  “Well, while you all do that, Pelix and I were planning to scope out the gaming.”

Lieutenant Commander Pelix huffed.  “Yeah, then you’ll lose all your latinum,” he ribbed Phillips, who laughed in reply.

“Sounds like you’ve all got some fun planned,” K’lev said with a smile.

“What about you?” Ghimir asked.

K’lev and Lotharys exchanged a look and a smile, all the answer that needed to be given.  “Well, let’s at least make sure we get together for dinner or something sometime?”  K’lev said after a moment.

The others nodded.  “Absolutely,” Ghimir replied.

“See you all around!”  With that, the little group broke up, everyone beginning to go about their day’s plans, or lack thereof as may have been the case.

K’lev and Lotharys, hand in hand, left the resort, heading for a nearby sidewalk cafe.  There they took a leisurely breakfast, watching the tide come in on the nearby shore as people – families living in the area and guests of the resort alike – moved here and there, talking and laughing and generally enjoying the morning.  As people used to eating a quick breakfast in quarters before going on duty, the chance to actually sit and savor the meal alone was a pleasant change, made all the better by the lives going on around them.

By the time they were done eating, the sun was truly up, and the beach was becoming more lively.  The pair began a meandering stroll down the boardwalk, wandering more or less aimlessly until they found a space in the sand; borrowing a beach towel from a nearby kiosk that offered towels and umbrellas and the like to those who wanted them, they laid it out and settled down, letting their meals settle as they chatted and watched vibrant life at play.  Soon enough, though, the call of the ocean became irresistible; stripping down to their swimsuits, the two officers, much like some of the playing children around them but just older and perhaps with a little more dignity, ran for the water’s edge and waded in.

The water was cold at first, as all water is when first one enters it, but their bodies quickly acclimated, a process made simpler as the sun’s rays heated the water.  The tides were strong, but fortunately swimming was part of Starfleet standard wilderness survival training, and they were not so strong that they had trouble managing them.  This close to shore, there was no major fauna to be found, other than the odd crablike creatures and birds, and so there were no random encounters with fish or the like, though they did see evidence of larger sea life – some possibly indigenous, some possibly members of Starfleet’s Cetacean Ops department – further out to sea.

After an hour or so, they waded back ashore, returning to their beach towel to dry off in the sun and rest.  At one point, a soccer ball came rolling over, bouncing gently off of Lotharys’s hip; with a smile, she rolled it back towards the group – possibly a few lower-deck Starfleet officers, though neither she nor K’lev recognized them as being from Appalachia’s 120-person complement – so they could return to their game.  K’lev, meanwhile, laid back, head resting on his hands, watching the clouds drift across the sky.  I could get used to this, he thought to himself.

A little past midday – and now tanned in the sunlight, with fingers and toes turned raisin-y by the seawater – K’lev and Lotharys slowly dressed and packed up, returning the rented towel and availing themselves of nearby sonic shower stalls to clean the sand and saltwater off of themselves, before heading out into the community for the afternoon.  A nice light lunch was followed, in turn, by a stroll to a small cultural district near the resort.  There they toured a small museum and historic site, learning a little about Colludia II’s past, before poking their noses into a nearby avenue of shops.  Many of these were closer to tourist traps, but Lotharys was able to find a place that offered at least some more intriguing wares, and they each left with their accounts a little lighter and small bags hanging from their hands.

Checking a chronometer on a sign, they were surprised to see that the afternoon itself was past half-gone.  They returned to their room at the resort, taking an hour or two to rest before re-emerging, changed into fresh clothing – shirt and pants with his long vest for K’lev, and for Lotharys a light blouse and slitted skirt – and ready for dinner.  On their explorations earlier in the day, they had passed a beachside restaurant that advertised fresh-caught seafood, and both were curious to see what Colludia II’s cuisine had to offer.

The meal, in a word, was excellent, and well worth the short wait for a table.  The seafood was unquestionably fresh, having only been caught perhaps two or three hours earlier, and the kitchen staff had taken this remarkable bounty and turned it into works of art, without falling into the trap of some fancy restaurants that traded meal size for quality and presentation.  Watching the sun set as they ate, it was truly a romantic scene, a perfect end to a very good day, and as they returned to their room for the night it was with full hearts and bellies, and excited for what the next day’s adventures might bring.