R & R - Part - relaxation

Posted on Tue Jul 7th, 2026 @ 4:21am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Remal Kajun & Patin

3,341 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Character Development
Location: Fiji

The days blurred into a relaxing rhythm of sun, breeze, food and sleep. It came without asking, they walked slower, talked slower, allowed things to come and go without bother. The sleepy Island quietly worked it's magic on tired bodies and minds, unravelling the months of tension with the sun and the breeze and hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Remal hadn't realized how tired he had been until he stopped being tired. It hadn't happened all at once. There had been no single morning where he woke feeling restored. Instead, the island had worked patiently, almost imperceptibly, stealing away exhaustion a little at a time. One afternoon became another. Meals stretched into conversations. Walks became destinations in themselves rather than a means of reaching one. Somewhere between the ocean breeze and the endless chorus of waves, the constant vigilance that had accompanied him for months quietly loosened its grip.

Even his body had remembered habits he'd almost forgotten. He still woke before sunrise most mornings, but now it was because he wanted to watch the dawn paint the lagoon in impossible shades of gold while a mug of coffee warmed his hands. More often than not, Rhenora would wander out a few minutes later, her hair still untidy from sleep, smiling before she'd spoken a word. Those few quiet minutes together had become his favorite part of each day.

Patina, on the other hand, had concluded that every body of water on Earth deserved personal inspection. Having thoroughly defeated the splash pool, investigated the lagoon, and marched triumphantly along several kilometers of beach, she now approached each day with slightly less urgency than before. The island had finally discovered a way to slow her down, if only a little. Her afternoons increasingly ended in spectacular naps, usually after recruiting several other children into whatever ambitious construction or exploration project occupied her attention that day.

Remal suspected the child-minding staff would remember their daughter for years. So would the children she had somehow convinced to follow her. By the beginning of their final full day, even Patina's boundless energy had settled into something approaching contentment. She still wandered toward the water at every opportunity, fascinated by every tiny fish, shell, and wave that reached her ankles, but she no longer seemed compelled to conquer the island before lunchtime. Remal considered that a remarkable achievement in and of itself.

There would inevitably come a time when duty called, but this was far from their minds as the sunrises and sunsets created a more natural rhythm of life. Days began to blur together , variations in activities left them tired enough to sleep but not worn out every evening. Even Patina no longer fought the natural cycles. The tropical island indeed had been bliss.

Somewhere on the sixth or seventh day, there was a message waiting for Rhenora when they returned in the evening. Not priority one, but still, business. She drew a breath, knowing that this would shattered the beautiful tranquility they had found in this special place. Avoidance couldn't last forever and she tapped the console.

"Captain Kaylen, you are required to recall your crew within 24 hours and depart for the Badlands, we have intelligence on the ISS Sunfire and her location. Your mission will be to track her down and close the portal they are using. Good hunting"

The message disappeared, replaced with the Starfleet emblem. The tension began to return.

Remal didn't need to hear the message. He saw it in her shoulders, the subtle way in which she sat slightly defeated. The easy rhythm that Fiji had patiently coaxed back into her over the past week tightened almost imperceptibly. Her gaze lingered on the console a fraction too long. The quiet smile that had become so familiar during their holiday faded into thoughtful silence.

Duty had returned.

Without saying anything, he glanced down at Patina, already asleep against his shoulder after another victorious day of beaches, sunshine, and exhausting herself in every conceivable way. She gave a sleepy sigh as he carried her into the second bedroom, tucked her beneath the light blanket, and brushed a gentle kiss across her forehead before quietly pulling the door almost closed.

When he returned to the living area, Rhenora was still standing where he'd left her, looking out through the open doors toward the moonlit lagoon. Remal stepped behind her. His hands settled gently at her waist before slowly drawing her back against his chest. He rested his chin lightly upon her shoulder, saying nothing for several moments while the waves rolled softly beyond the deck.

"Duty calls?" he asked quietly. He felt her give the smallest nod. "It was bound to happen in due time." His thumbs moved in slow circles against her sides, the same comforting rhythm that had eased so many burdens before. "The galaxy has an irritating habit of refusing to pause simply because we've decided to relax."

"And I was JUST starting to consider retirement and staying here forever" Rhenora grumped, trying to let the creeping tension flow over her body then out with the breeze.

A soft sigh escaped him as he looked out across the dark water with her. "But..." He turned his head and kissed her temple. "Look at what this week has given us." His embrace tightened ever so slightly. "You've laughed more in seven days than you had in the previous seven months. Patina has discovered oceans. I've rediscovered sleep." A faint smile touched his lips. "None of that disappears because of Starfleet."

He rested there with her, content simply to share the silence. "Tomorrow," he murmured, "we'll put the uniforms back on." Another kiss brushed her hair. "But tonight..." His eyes drifted toward the moonlit lagoon. "...tonight still belongs to us and Fiji."

"One more night, I'll take it, and we'll come back next time we're here" The warm breeze tangled the hair that hung loosely around her shoulders. She turned and looked at him "And what of you Remal? Retirement? Partial or otherwise? Would you miss counselling?"

Remal smiled to himself, the expression carrying equal parts hope and caution. "I would miss counseling," he admitted after a thoughtful pause. "Helping people through the worst days of their lives... watching them find their way back to themselves... I don't think that part of me ever disappears."

His fingers laced gently with hers as he looked out across the moonlit lagoon. "But as long as I had you and Patina..." A quiet chuckle escaped him. "I think I'd already have everything I'd ever want."

He turned just enough to meet her eyes, studying her with the familiarity that came from years together. "I'm not entirely convinced we're talking about reality though are we?" His smile softened. "I know you, Rhen. This island has given you peace, and for the first time in a long while you've been able to imagine another life. That's a beautiful thing." He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "But I've also seen what happens when you're on that bridge, when your crew needs you. You carry that responsibility because you genuinely love them."

He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.  "So let's make a deal." His voice was warm, almost playful. "Tomorrow, we'll answer Starfleet. We'll chase mirror ships, close portals, save the galaxy... whatever fresh absurdity they're throwing at us this time." A gentle smile returned.

"And when this is all over..." He glanced toward the lagoon one last time. "...we'll have this conversation again somewhere with warm sand, good coffee, and absolutely no comm badges.  For now," he whispered, giving her one last kiss, "I'd rather remember that, for one perfect week, the universe waited for us."

"And so the universe damned well should wait for us occasionally," she laughed, returning the embrace with a relaxed effort. They sat on the wicker couch outside their bungalow, the breeze warm and gentle, a consistency that never shifted. The movement of water, the sand beneath their bare feet, it had been grounding more than she cared to believe they needed. Tomorrow, there would be polished boots and crisp uniforms; for now, bare feet and loose cotton were all they needed.

Remal watched her settle onto the wicker couch, the moonlight painting one side of her face in silver while the nearby fire bowl warmed the other in soft amber. She looked peaceful. Complete. For a long while, he simply admired the woman who had spent a week remembering how to breathe.

Then something mischievous flickered behind his eyes. He glanced toward the lagoon where the water lay perfectly still beneath the stars, warm enough to invite rather than challenge. A memory surfaced of Patina launching herself into every pool, puddle, and wave she'd encountered without a second thought.

He released Rhenora's hand. Without explanation, he stood. She looked up just in time to watch him pull his loose nightshirt over his head and toss it onto the wicker chair. A moment later, his lightweight trunks followed, landing in an untidy heap beside it. He offered her a conspiratorial wink that belonged to a much younger man than the seasoned counselor he'd become.

Then he ran. Bare feet thundered across the polished timber of the private dock, each step a little less dignified and a little more carefree than the last. At the very end, he leapt.

His knees tucked instinctively as he folded into the jump before disappearing beneath the lagoon with an enormous cannonball that shattered the night's perfect reflection. Water erupted skyward in a glittering column before raining back across the dock.

A heartbeat later, Remal surfaced with a triumphant gasp and swept wet hair back from his forehead. "Your turn!" he called toward the bungalow, laughter echoing across the quiet water. "Let's give Fiji one last memory !"

Torn, completely torn between throwing caution to the wind and towing the proper decorum line. There was no rule against skinny dipping; the lagoon was private, so why not? Yet she hesitated for a few moments, rooted to the spot as her heart warred with her brain in a full-on debate. In the end, her dress ended up on top of the pile of clothing, but a towel accompanied her for a tactical retreat should it become necessary.

She slipped into the water, not announcing her entry as Remal had. Was she ashamed of her aging body? No longer toned and firm as it once had been? She was still strong, but her skin showed lines that hadn't been there before, lines of a life that had seen many, many things, not all of them good.

Remal watched her without speaking as she left the towel on the edge of the dock and slipped quietly into the lagoon. She entered the water with the same quiet grace she seemed to bring into every room that was not aboard ship, barely disturbing the glasslike surface before it embraced her completely.

He never saw the things she worried about. He only saw the woman who had stolen his heart years ago. The captain who carried impossible burdens. The mother of his daughter. The person who had laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks only hours before. Time had left its marks on both of them, but to Remal they were not flaws. They were the roadmap of a life they had survived together. His personal star chart.

He crossed the short distance between them with a few easy strokes until the water cradled them both. A gentle splash announced his arrival as his arms slipped comfortably around her waist. "As beautiful as the day we met," he whispered.

He felt her relax against him almost immediately. Together they drifted, the lagoon lifting them with each slow swell. Above them, stars slowly claimed the sky while the moon traced a shimmering path across the water. Neither hurried to speak. There was no need. The ocean rocked them gently, the warmth of the water blurring where one embrace ended, and the lagoon began. For a little while longer, the universe could wait its turn.

"Do you ever wonder what will become of us? Have we achieved what we were destined to do?" She asked idly as the swell rocked them gently. The natural buoyancy made it easy to relax within the water, the high salt content making their bodies float easier.

"I try not to anymore," Remal admitted with a faint smile. "Creates worry lines." The joke lingered for only a moment before his expression softened into quiet reflection. His fingers traced slow circles against the small of her back as they drifted together beneath the stars.

"I've spent most of my life trying to fulfill what I believed was my destiny, what the prophets had shown me." He let out a slow breath. "Life has a habit of taking every plan I ever made, and skewing it sideways."

He looked out across the moonlit lagoon, watching the gentle swells carry them without effort. "So these days..." His gaze returned to hers. "I try to go with the flow instead." A quiet chuckle escaped him. "Actually, I think you taught me that."

"Go with the flow - or fight what we've been told for thousands of years. It's a weird juxtaposition to live," She admitted, letting the water soothe her mind and her body. "The Prophets have always stuck their noses in, and I believe they have a plan. Would be nice if they let us in on the solid detail, though," She snorted.

Remal laughed, the sound rippling through the still water around them. "Have they ever?" he asked, one eyebrow lifting. "Usually it's cryptic riddles, impossible symbolism, or a dream that makes absolutely no sense." He shook his head with affectionate resignation. "Then it's, 'Good luck. Hope you work it out before the universe explodes.'"

His smile broadened as he looked up at the stars. "No pressure." He smiled crookedly before looking back at her. "I've sometimes wondered if they enjoy watching us argue over what they meant. It would explain an awful lot."

"I'm sure they do, although Patin would be in stitches." Her voice faded as she recalled their friend lost back on Bajor. Rhenora's eyes drifted skyward, the moon glinting off her irises as she did so. "I wonder how she's doing up there, and if Marie is keeping her company. The two of them could be thick as thieves by now," her voice was wistful. "I miss them"

"As do I," Remal said quietly. Their words settled over the lagoon until only the gentle lap of water remained beneath the stars.

Somewhere beyond sight, a familiar figure smiled. "Of course you miss me," came the faintest whisper, warm with amusement. "Have you met me? I'm hard to forget." The breeze carried the sound across the water.

Remal frowned slightly and glanced toward the dock. "...Did you hear something?"

Rhenora tilted her head, listening to the quiet night. After a long moment, she smiled to herself. "I don't know," she admitted softly. "Whether I heard it... or simply wanted to."

Neither of them noticed the faint shimmer that lingered for only a heartbeat beside the dock before fading into the night. 

When they looked back, a single glass rested on the weathered timber. A Bajoran Mojito. The tiny paper umbrella turned lazily in the sea breeze, the ice clinking gently against the side of the glass. Neither of them had left it there.

Remal stared at it for several seconds before letting out a slow, defeated chuckle. "...I'm beginning to think the Prophets have a very odd sense of humor."

The lagoon offered no explanation. It simply rocked them gently beneath the stars.

---

The next morning brought them up at a comfortable hour, the breakfast buffet indulging the senses in a way that could easily become routine. Patina was a hurricane of energy but could now find her way to the slightly shorter children's selection and fill her coconut bowl with whatever she liked, leaving Rhenora and Remal to peruse the expansive buffet for the last time.

Returning with fruits, some protein that smelled amazing, and an omelet accompanied by a coffee Rhenora exhaled as she sat at their breakfast table. The sun was shining, the breeze as warm and gentle as always, and the general hubbub of guests at breakfast was comforting. She would miss this place more than she cared to admit.

" I must admit - I almost don't want to go back" She said honestly as the plate of food before her was rapidly eaten. "There's something about this place...."

Remal smiled over the rim of his coffee before setting the mug down beside his plate. Patina was enthusiastically introducing pineapple to what appeared to be scrambled eggs, conducting her own culinary experiments without the slightest concern for convention.

"I know exactly what you mean," he admitted. His eyes wandered out toward the lagoon, sparkling beneath the morning sun. The water looked every bit as inviting as it had the day they arrived. He reached across the table, his fingers finding hers for a moment.

His gaze drifted toward Patina, who proudly held up a coconut bowl. "This place gave us exactly what we came here for. It reminded us how to be a family, and how to relax." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "And one day, we'll come back. But for now..." A crooked smile returned. "Let's go save the galaxy while we're still young enough to make a difference."

They finished their meals and returned to their room, packing away the last-minute things neatly before they would beam out. Rhenora's uniform hung crisply in the wardrobe, a stark contrast to the surrounding sundresses and Remal's loose shirts. She pulled it out and stripped out of her dress, the last vestiges of their time off slipping through her fingers like grains of sand. The uniform was firm, fitted to her figure, and supportive, and the boots she had grown accustomed to over the years. Her feet, however, had been free for the majority of the week and didn't take kindly to socks and boots again.

"How the heck did I wear this every day?" She laughed as she took to her hair with a hairbrush and a handful of pins. The long strands refused to cooperate with the humidity and breeze of the island to the point where she gave up for fear of losing their scheduled beam out allocation.

"Everyone ready?"

Remal tugged absentmindedly at the collar of his freshly pressed uniform. After a week of loose linen shirts, the high neckline suddenly felt far more restrictive than he remembered. "I think I may start wearing those..." He searched for the right word. "...Hawaiian shirts during my off hours. Very comfortable, those."

Patina, already perched in his arms, wrapped both arms around his neck with surprising determination. "No leave!" she protested. "Bad morale!"

Remal laughed. "I couldn't agree more, Lieutenant."

"Leuitenant? When did she get promoted past Toddler?" Rhenora laughed.

As the family stepped toward the transporter pad, one of the resort attendants approached with a warm smile. "We hope you enjoyed your stay. Bula Life, good health and happiness, and please visit us again."

Patina fixed the attendant with a very serious expression, lifted one tiny finger, and pointed decisively toward the lagoon. "Stay!"

The attendant froze for the briefest moment. "...Yes, Little Miss," he replied instinctively, straightening to attention before catching himself. "I mean... We'll certainly do our best, Ma'am."

Remal looked sideways at Rhenora. "She's barely one," he murmured. "And she's already issuing orders to civilians. Effective ones too," he added as the attendant gave Patina an almost imperceptible nod before retreating.

The transporter platform was waiting - their allocated time had come. With one last wistful glance at the tropical paradise the family stepped up, and vanished in a cascade of shimmering light, whisked back to the Starbase and the duty it carried.

TBC

 

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