Sand & Service, Part I
Posted on Thu Jul 30th, 2026 @ 10:26pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Vashti Rao & Lieutenant Commander Ryan Keel & Lieutenant Alexandra Blackstone MD/DSAPM & Lieutenant Commander Xalanth & Josef Forstinger
2,368 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Maintenance and Recovery
Location: Amberwash Beach, Southern Continent, Barisa Prime
Timeline: Tournament Day 1 / After "Peril" Mission
The sand had been combed until it looked almost brushed. The fine pale grains stretched between the crisply-drawn white boundary lines, the courts laid-out almost perfectly. The nets were taut against the bright blue sky, their shadows spilling into neat squares that would no doubt shift along with the morning sun.
The tide was out, though it mattered little. They were just under a hundred meters from the waves washing along the sandy shore like it had been for millions of years. A light breeze carried the unmistakable scent of salt and warm ocean water, just enough to stir the coloured pennants that had been fastened atop the net posts.
Master Chief Petty Officer Vashti Rao stood with her hands on her hips and surveyed the courts.
"Perfect."
She said to herself, though there was a noticeable flood of satisfaction behind the word.
With Astrea undergoing repairs and a few system upgrades at Starbase 773, Vashti had taken it upon herself to organize some rest and relaxation for the crew in the form of a beach volleyball tournament. She received Captain Johansen's blessing quite easily--Remy agreeing that the crew needed this.
A few conversations with Barisa Prime's recreation ministry resulted in three volleyball courts prepared with locals even volunteering to assist. Near the far-end of the beach, a series of small kiosks were being constructed where food and other services would be offered. It was all coming along nicely, Vashti thought.
Behind her came the muffled crunching of sandals in sand and the occasional clank of metal bumping metal.
Emiliano Echevarria had accepted the task of transporting the replicated supplies with all the restraint of a man trying to prove he could carry three times his capacity. Two folded holo-emitter scoreboards rested beneath one arm while another stack of poles and brackets balanced across his shoulder. Somehow, he'd managed to hook a bag full of volleyballs around one of his elbows too.
Several paces behind him, Petty Officer 2nd Class Zal Rixi ambled along in oversized reflective sunglasses, carrying a single lightweight support pole no thicker than her wrist.
Emiliano looked sideways at her.
"You know," he said, shifting the growing tower of equipment just enough to keep it from sliding off, "I'm starting to suspect we have very different definitions of helping."
Rixi glanced down at her pole with a hint of exaggerated concern.
"I don't know. This one seems structurally important."
He sighed. "That weighs less than my breakfast did."
"Exactly. I volunteered before someone else could."
Vashti didn't even turn around.
"I noticed that."
"I believe in delegation, Vee."
"You believe in preserving your back."
"That too," Rixi admitted, adjusting the band in her hair.
By the time they reached the equipment area, another pair had appeared over the rise separating the courts from the main concourse of Amberwash Beach.
Ensign Tenzi Sh'reyva carried a large whiteboard tucked beneath one arm, a black marker attached to it by a coiled wire. Beside her walked Josef Forstinger.
Tenzi looked over at him.
"I hope you didn't bring any weapons."
"What, me?" The man beside the Andorian responded at first with a jovial tone in his voice, holding his hand to his chest in mock offense. "I didn't, I can't exactly fit anything into this getup, at least comfortably. Only thing I do have, is sunscreen." For the man was noticeably pale next to the blue woman, clearly built for the more colder alps than tropical beaches. Why did he agree to come here again ? Oh right.
Vashti overheard the exchange and shook her head with a tiny smile. "If anyone draws a weapon during beach volleyball," she called without looking over, "they are hereby removed from this and any future crew-related activities. I'll enforce it with my Chief of the Boat magic."
Rixi brightened and slid her sunglasses down her nose slightly. "Even if they're winning?"
"Especially if they're winning."
"That's harsh, Vee."
Tenzi came to an immediate stop and turned to Josef.
"Where did you get the sunscreen?"
Josef would show off the tube in his right hand. A mixture of white packaging with an orange cap and banner detailing its specifications.
"I replicated it. I had a small tube in my backpack but uh-its just a few centuries past expiration. So i just fiddled with the replicator and told the nice lady what was on the packaging and, bam. Who knows, maybe i figure out how to make fire next ?" he displayed the Tube proudly, as if having solved some difficult puzzle with a grin. "SPF 50+. I'm used to gravel beaches and mountains. And I'd like to not be slow cooked by the sun."
"That makes two of us." Tenzi carefully slid a hand into Josef's and plucked the the sunscreen tube from him with a wink.
"What, you can turn red ? Like fully sunburn ?" Josef asked, to flabbergasted at the moment. Then his brain caught up just as she plucked the sunscreen out of his hand. Opening his mouth to perhaps voice some protest, but instead went quiet at her wink. "Knock yourself out, there's enough in there."
Tenzi smiled and squeezed a walnut-sized amount of the lotion into the palm of her hand. "Andorians are resistant to certain types of ultraviolet light but sensitive to others. I had an anti-UV injection before beaming down but a little coverage wouldn't hurt, Josef." She began to slather the white lotion across her bare arms and shoulders before reaching up and gently touching her antennae.
"That should do it," she said, placing the tube back into Josef's hands.
She reached the table and propped the whiteboard against it. Across the top, written in bold block letters, were the words:
ASTREA BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
TEAM SIGN-UPS
TODAY ONLY
She uncapped the marker with a satisfied click. "There. It's official."
Emiliano finally lowered the mountain of equipment onto the sand with a grateful exhale.
"I have one question, Chief."
Vashti looked over.
"Only one?"
"For now." He nodded toward the empty courts. "Anyone on board actually good at this?"
Tenzi answered before Vashti could.
"Doctors Beckett and Andersen."
Emiliano raised an eyebrow.
"The doctors?"
"They've apparently been playing together for years," Vashti added.
Tenzi adjusted the height of the whiteboard. "There's a rumour they won some trophy at a medical conference on Pacifica last year."
Vashti chuckled. "That's just a rumour. They could be absolute amateurs for all we know--but they're definitely on my watchlist."
Rixi folded her arms as she looked around the empty beach. "I just hope this goes better than your horseshoe tournament."
Emiliano tried to suppress a grin and turned to Vashti. "The what?"
"That wasn't a failure," Vashti protested with a groan.
"It absolutely was!" Tenzi said, flicked sand away from her antennae.
"It was... underattended," Rixi whispered to Josef. "Three people showed up."
"Reaaally ? Hmm. Well better under than un-attended. And, why not just play darts? Its almost the same concept." Josef whispered back to Rixi with a grin of his own.
Rixi poked Josef in the collarbone playfully. "Get this: one of the newer engineering officers only showed up because he had a crush on Vee."
Tenzi laughter turned into a sudden snort. "One of them went to wrong holodeck, too."
The Chief of the Boat shook her head at the digs she was received from her best friends. "I don't know why I put up with you two."
Even Emiliano laughed at that.
Vashti glanced at her wrist chronometer. 1007 hours local time. Right on schedule.
She looked toward the path leading back up through the dunes of Amberwash and then back to the empty whiteboard. She sincerely hoped there'd be a few crew willing to participate--several had indicated their interest since Astrea was temporarily taken out of service for repair.
"Well," she said quietly, "let's see if volleyball proves more popular than horseshoes."
The appearance of a flash of red scales showed that the Xalanth family was the first to arrive. The red lizard was carrying three ice chests, one in each hand, and one on his back. His daughters walked with him, the small hybrids clearly enjoying the heat.
His three mates walked with them, each of them looking as beautiful as ever. Fulvia in a red bikini with a golden trim, whilst T'para and Leilani wore matching swimsuits of Starfleet Medical's synchronised swimming team.
"Hope we're not late." Xalanth said with a grin on his face,
'Heya!' called Keel as he made his way across to the rapidly growing knot of Astrea crewmembers assembled near the pristine volleyball pitches. In one hand he carried his own cooler to the party, the other waving at the crew. The weather had been programmed to be warm, and the Rigelian had dressed appropriately in a loud red Hawaiian-patterned shirt and cream shorts combo. As he neared the crew, he was glad he had chosen to wear his aviator sunglasses once he'd spotted what Xalanth's mates were wearing.
'Seem's a good day for it,' he said, nodding towards the sand.
Alex was only a few paces behind Xalanth and his mates and wearing a sapphire sundress with a cherry blossom branch embroidered across one shoulder and side that seemed to wrap her curves subtly. She came up behind the lizard and offered a smile. "How are you all?"
"We're fine. T'para and Leilani are here to sign up for the tournament, so i thought I'd take the girls to the beach." Xalanth said with a grin. His youngest let out a happy chirp and, using the icebox in one of his hands, used it to climb up her father until she was sitting behind his head her tiny hands gripping his head tightly.
"I can't say that I was ever much for volleyball. I am also terrible at it." Alex chuckled as she came closer still. "I figured I should show my face and not be a recluse; hoping we can get some decent drinks tonight too; would aid in relaxing for everyone."
"Well, many of us are going to be terrible at it. So I'll probably match you in skill." Fulvia added reassuringly. " Our dearest lord and husband is going to whip up some barbecue from his home system, so I'm sure it will be worth the embarrassment though.
Vashti's expression had brightened the moment she saw the first arrivals making their way across the sand.
"You're all early," she said, genuine appreciation piping through her voice. "That's exactly what I like to see."
Her eyes drifted toward the coolers Xalanth had somehow managed to distribute across his impressive frame.
"Xalanth, I see you interpreted bring refreshments as feed a large colony."
"What can I say? I like to make sure everyone gets a share." The lizard said with a grin. "Is there an area I could set up a fire pit in?" He asked.
"What a gentleman!" Tenzi teased.
Vashti pointed to an area just beyond the third court where some large rocks bordered the dunes to the east. "Probably over there, I'd say. The beach officials here are pretty easygoing."
The lizard nodded and headed off for the area beyond the third court. Placing the ice boxes down, he placed Lwiari down on the icebox. "You're in charge of them, little one. " He said, ruffling her red/blond tinted scaley head. She let out a happy chirp along with a " Yes Daddy."
Smiling, the red lizard drew a standard issue emergency shovle from his bag before he started digging.
Josef had finished taking off his other clothes, now just dressed in what seemed to be freshly replicated mens' swim shorts colored in dark blue. He had taken off his wife-beater, revealing even paler yet firm skin, certain spots like shoulder and stomach showing signs of scarring, indents, cuts, and even what seemed to be a vaccine scar from something. He didn't seem too bothered by it though, and after making sure he wouldn't become a rotisserie chicken by being exposed to an alien sun, he approached the red lizard.
"Need any help with that ? I promise I wont dig a trench." he offered, ending it with a joke.
"Sure, can you grab the underlayer and roll it out? It's the black roll in the green cooler." Xalanth said as he finished his digging.
"Roger," the man replied, approaching the green cooler, and finding the black roll after figuring out how to open it. Taking it out, and once Xalanth was out of the hole rolled out the underlayer like one would a carpet. That's the motion he was most used to anyway.
Master Chief Petty Officer Vashti Rao
Chief of the Boat
USS Astrea
(NPC of JB Dorsainvil)
Lt. Commander Xalanth
Chief Security Officer
USS Astrea
Lieutenant Alexandra Blackstone
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Astrea
Lt. Commander Ryan Keel
Chief of Diplomatic Intelligence
USS Astrea
Josef Forstinger
Civillian
USS Astrea
Ensign Tenzi Sh'reyva
Engineering Officer
USS Astrea
(NPC of JB Dorsainvil)
Crewman Emiliano Echevarria
Operations Officer
USS Astrea
(NPC of JB Dorsainvil)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Zal Rixi
Engineering Officer
USS Astrea
(NPC of JB Dorsainvil)
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