The BLTS Archive - Hobras by ILuvKate --- "Captain," Xendra said, "are you prepared to engage in what you may find to be difficult and possibly uncomfortable when you visit Hobras V?" "Explain," Kathryn Janeway said to the Hobrasian woman they had rescued from her damaged ship a week ago. Voyager was returning her to her home colony on Hobras V, a planet which luckily happened to be located along their present course, and which also held the promise of the acquisition of supplies. Xendra was tall and slender, with unusual silvery hair and golden eyes. She was a scientist who had been on an exploration mission when a plasma storm damaged her vessel, killing her crew of three. She'd been injured and near death when Voyager intercepted her distress signal and rescued her. Now Xendra rose and paced the Ready Room, hands clasped behind her back, looking uncomfortable. "Captain," she began, "in the seven days I have been on your vessel, I have observed that the couples I see are mixed." Janeway looked quizzical and the Hobrasian continued. "That is, I see women with men." "Yes," Janeway said. "You find that strange?" Xendra gave a dry laugh. "On my world," she said, "it is considered a perversion." "I see," Janeway said slowly. Well, she thought. This is a problem. Aloud, she said, "And how does this present a problem for us in visiting Hobras?" "Every woman is expected to have a partner," Xendra explained. "No woman is ever alone. If you visit Hobras to negotiate with our ruler for the supplies you need, it will be necessary for you to have a companion, and it will be necessary for you to--ah, how do you say? To act as though--" She faltered, making a helpless gesture. "We must appear to be intimate," Janeway supplied. "To be lovers." Xendra nodded, looking relieved. "In public?" Janeway added. Xendra nodded. "We have no inhibitions about the public display of affection as I have observed among you," she said, looking apologetic. Janeway grinned wryly. "Well," she said, "we do have to get our work done, and our species has rarely mastered the art of combining duty with pleasure in that respect." Now it was she who rose to pace a few steps, standing at the Ready Room window to look out at the passing starscape. "Captain, I realize," Xendra said, "that this poses a major obstacle for you. Am I correct in assuming that this is considered a perversion on your world?" Janeway turned to look at her. "Four hundred and fifty years ago, yes, it was considered a perversion," she said, "but it is no longer viewed as deviant. It is not the norm, precisely. There are still more heterosexual than homosexual couples in our society. It is merely a matter of preference among individuals." Xendra nodded. "I see," she said. Janeway sat down again. "I have had to do many...unusual things...when meeting new species," Janeway said. "I think this will be no more unusual than some. I will consult with one of my female officers, who I think will work with me on this, and then we will talk to you further about this." Xendra nodded. "I will help you in any way I can," she said, and left the Ready Room. Janeway went over to sit at her desk, tapping her fingers ruminatively on the surface. As I see it, she thought, I have two choices, B'Elanna or Kes. I'm not going to order either one of them to do this. If neither feels she can carry this off, we'll forego visiting Hobras completely. She wondered idly if there were any same-sex couples in the crew. It wasn't something she concerned herself with because it was of no importance. Like many people, she'd tried sex with another woman. It had been at the Academy and the brief relationship had been quite satisfactory while it lasted, but they went separate ways after graduation and then she'd become involved with Mark. She tapped her commbadge. "Janeway to Lieutenant Torres," she said. "Torres here, Captain," came her Chief Engineer's voice. "B'Elanna, if you aren't too busy, I need to see you in my Ready Room, please," Janeway said. "On my way, Captain," Torres replied. --- Janeway was quite unprepared for the dark flush that suffused Torres' face when she'd explained what had to be done in order to get supplies on Hobras V. "I'm sorry, B'Elanna," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, and I am not making anything an order. Please understand that. We--" Torres held up a hand. "It's all right, Captain," she said hastily. "I'm not...embarrassed, exactly. Just...surprised. I can do this." She laughed. "I can be a pretty good actress when I want to." Janeway grinned back. "So can I," she agreed. "Thank you, B'Elanna. But you're sure about this?" Torres nodded. "I'm sure," she said. "I--ah, I--while I was at the Academy--" "I know," Janeway put in. "Me, too." Torres nodded. "I think everybody did," she observed. Janeway nodded. "Well, Xendra's going to brief us fully, so have a seat while we wait for her," she said. Torres sat down in one of the chairs by the desk. Janeway called Xendra to the Ready Room. Xendra arrived a couple of minutes later, nodding in greeting to Torres whom she'd met after coming aboard. "B'Elanna has agreed to be my...mate...while on Hobras," Janeway told her. "Now explain to us exactly what we have to do." Xendra nodded and began to speak. --- The next day, Janeway and Torres, dressed in civilian clothes stood on the transporter with Xendra. Janeway glanced at Torres, suppressing a grin. Her Chief Engineer, according to Hobrasian custom was dressed in very tight, very skimpy, and very revealing clothing. Xendra had told them that partners consisted of one dominant partner and one passive. The dominant dressed in ordinary clothing, but the passive dressed so that her body was at all times accessible to her mate's. Some dominants, Xendra told them, dressed like passives, but that was not encouraged, and mature couples rarely did so. Passives could, of course, touch, fondle, whatever, their dominant's body whenever they wished, but custom was that dominants initiated touch. Janeway told Torres to do whatever felt comfortable. She studied B'Elanna's trim, but lush body appreciatively. I've had worse assignments, she reflected. The transporter materialized them in the main courtyard of Hobras' ruler's palace. There to meet them was Tulahna, the ruler of Hobras, and her mate Porsa. Porsa's outfit rivaled B'Elanna's for brevity. They exchanged a glance. A third woman rushed forward to Xendra and they embraced. They did not kiss, Janeway noted. Strange. Perhaps kissing was not something Hobrasians did. Xendra turned to Janeway and Torres. "Captain," she said, her face flushed--Hobrasians flushed yellow, Janeway noted--"May I present my mate, Ausaura." "Ausaura, our pleasure," Janeway said warmly. She had put her arm around B'Elanna's waist and she was suddenly sharply conscious of the feel of her hand on B'Elanna's bare skin. She'd noticed B'Elanna draw a sharp breath. Xendra turned to Tulahna, the ruler. "Highness, this is Kathryn Janeway, captain of the vessel who rescued me and saved my life. Her mate B'Elanna." As Xendra knelt on one knee, along with Ausaura, Janeway and Torres did the same. "We are extremely grateful to you for rescuing Xendra, Captain Janeway," the ruler said, "and bringing her back to Ausaura, who had given her up for dead." All the time Tulahna was saying this, she was fondling Porsa's breasts, and rubbing her hand over the younger woman's belly, sliding her hand into Porsa's trousers. It was mildly disconcerting. Janeway caught Xendra's look and moved her own hand up from where it rested on B'Elanna's hip, to cup B'Elanna's breast. B'Elanna made a barely audible sound deep in her throat. Janeway felt her own heartbeat speed up, and her breathing grow slightly ragged. This was becoming anything but mechanical. "We're glad we found her in time, Ruler Tulahna," Janeway replied to the ruler's words. "Will you join us in the ritual bath to celebrate her return?" Tulahna asked. Xendra had explained to them the custom, so they were prepared. "We would be honored," Janeway said. This, Xendra had told them, was where things became especially intense. "You will be expected to make love, to put it bluntly," she said. "Holding nothing back." Janeway had asked B'Elanna again, if she still wanted to proceed, and B'Elanna had told her yes. Her tone and expression told Janeway to stop belaboring that issue. --- An hour or so later, Porsa, B'Elanna, and--to Janeway's surprise--Xendra, were undressed by their dominants, a slow, lingering process, involving the leisurely removal of the passives' scant clothing, accompanied by considerable caressing, fondling, stroking, and touching. They stood at the side of a steaming pool of hot water, and Janeway wasn't altogether sure that the sweat rolling down B'Elanna's body was entirely from the heat. It was obvious that B'Elanna was aroused. She had to admit that she herself was aroused, bringing back memories of that time at the Academy with Jennifer D'Ellbatto. She and B'Elanna were going to have to talk about this, because their reactions weren't just a physical reaction to stimuli. Now B'Elanna stood completely naked before her and Janeway stood with her hands on the younger woman's shoulders. Their gazes held, and then Janeway drew her close and they kissed. Where the disrobing had been a slow-burning flame, the kiss was an explosion of sensation. For just the barest moment, B'Elanna's lips were closed under her searching ones, and then her mouth opened. Time was forgotten. When, at last, because they had to breathe, they drew apart, they became aware of the astonished faces of the watching Hobrasians. "What," Tulahna was the first to break the startled silence. "What is that, that you do with your mouths?" Janeway glanced at Xendra, but saw no alarm in her face. Good, then they probably hadn't broken some taboo. "It's called 'kissing,' Ruler," Janeway responded. "It is pleasurable?" Tulahna asked curiously. "Very," Janeway and Torres spoke together, and then laughed. "It is, indeed, Ruler," Janeway said. "You should try it." "I wouldn't know how to begin," the Hobrasian ruler said promptly. "Show me." Janeway darted a glance at B'Elanna, whose eyes were bright with laughter which she was trying not to show. She was also having the rather unique experience of seeing Kathryn Janeway blush. "Ah..." Janeway was flustered, her face scarlet. "It's not har--" "Oh, Ca-Kathryn," B'Elanna said wickedly. "Do show her. It isn't something you can explain." Janeway shot her a look that said, you'll pay for this, and turned to Tulahna, who waited. She moved over to the ruler and kissed her. When the Hobrasian did not open her mouth, Janeway explained that there were two basic kisses, and would she like to see the other one? "I want you to show me the way you were kissing your passive," Tulahna responded promptly. Janeway responded by kissing her, forcing her lips open with her tongue. It didn't take the ruler long to catch on, and the kiss became quite lengthy. At last, Janeway drew back. She could feel her face blazing, keenly aware of B'Elanna's amused observation. "Well," she said, trying not to sound as breathless as she felt, "that's kissing. Enjoy it." She moved over to stand with B'Elanna. "How about you, Ausaura?" B'Elanna said, straightfaced to Xendra's dominant, "Would you like Kathryn to show you how to kiss?" "I will get you for this!" Janeway hissed under her breath. Ausaura smiled. "I believe I can figure it out for myself," she said, amused. Tulahna decreed that everyone descend into the steaming water, where the passives scrubbed their dominants with something similar to soap, using scrubbers made from a coarse fibrous material. Kathryn gave herself up to the sensation of being washed by B'Elanna, sitting on a ledge at the edge of the pool, arms out to the sides, head back. She let out an involuntary gasp as B'Elanna quite thoroughly tended to her breasts and then dipped between her legs. "B'Elanna," she said raggedly, her voice low, "are you acting, right now?" B'Elanna was stroking slowly in and out of her with excruciating deliberation. "No," she responded succinctly. She paused. "Are you?" "N-noo," Janeway tried not to moan, but she wasn't in control of herself at all at the moment. "I'm not." She felt B'Elanna move in closer to her, fingers still busy. B'Elanna kissed her hard, deeply, not hiding her hunger. Kathryn responded with equal intensity, bringing her hands into the water, to find B'Elanna. B'Elanna gave a soft grunt as Kathryn's fingers found her, and kissed her harder. They were completely oblivious of the other Hobrasians. Suddenly, B'Elanna put her hands under Kathryn's bottom and lifted her bodily out of the pool, setting her on the edge. She pushed Kathryn back to lie flat and then lavished her breasts with hard sucking kisses that caused Kathryn to moan aloud, arching her back to press her breasts farther into B'Elanna's mouth. B'Elanna laid a trail of fire down her middle, across her belly, and then, reaching her sex, parted her with her fingers and plunged as deeply into her as she could go. On the point of orgasm, before B'Elanna began, Kathryn exploded, writhing under the onslaught of her climax. B'Elanna lifted her head, slid her hands under Kathryn and eased her back into the water. They sat, faces inches apart, staring into each other's eyes. They remembered the others and looked around, but they were engaged in sampling their newfound activity, kissing. B'Elanna settled back against Kathryn contentedly and they both watched unashamedly as the Hobrasians demonstrated that while kissing had been a discovery, the other elements of lovemaking proved to be as old as time itself. Janeway found herself grateful that she apparently wasn't going to be called upon to demonstrate oral sex: it appeared the Hobrasians were quite familiar with it. Her fingers strayed around, over B'Elanna's thigh to dip into her again, massaging gently, bringing her to orgasm. After the last spasm of pleasure had subsided, B'Elanna twisted her head so that their lips met once again. When everyone had been sated, they all left the pool. The dominants now dried their passives off and dressed them in soft flowing robes that caressed their bodies with a soft, silky touch. They then dressed themselves in similar garments and strolled at a leisurely pace toward a dining area. Men served them food and then withdrew. The women fed each other lying in each other's arms. Finished, Kathryn and B'Elanna reclined on their couch, B'Elanna spooned against Kathryn, who wrapped her arms around her. Later, they were shown to their sleeping area, where they shed their robes and slipped in between smooth, cool sheets. They lay on their sides facing each other. "Well," Kathryn Janeway said. "I don't know quite what to say." "Should I say I'm sorry?" B'Elanna asked. Kathryn looked startled. "Are you?" she asked. "No," came the quick response. "Well, then," Kathryn replied. She leaned over and brushed B'Elanna's lips with her own. "How long have you felt this way? And I assume, about me?" B'Elanna sighed. "I don't know. Couple of years, maybe," she said diffidently. "Good heavens!" Kathryn ejaculated. "When were you going to get around to telling me?" "I'm not sure I was," B'Elanna said slowly. "I ought to take you over my knee," Kathryn said with exasperation. Then she laughed. "Hmmm, I bet that would throw Tulahna into a tailspin." B'Elanna laughed, too, not ready, just this moment, to tell her it'd throw her into tailspin also. The image of her lying across Kathryn Janeway's lap caused her breath to grow short for a moment. "Well, it seems that Fate, in the form of Xendra and the Hobrasians has seen fit to reveal things anyway," Kathryn said. "So I forgive you for the moment." "What would you have done if I'd revealed my feelings for you, just out of the blue?" B'Elanna inquired. Kathryn considered a moment. "I don't know. It's hard to say. I would've been surprised," she said slowly. "But not upset. No , I wouldn't have been upset at all, I don't think." B'Elanna moved over to nestle in her embrace and Kathryn accepted her warmly. "No," she whispered, "not upset at all." "What about when we're back on board Voyager?" B'Elanna's voice was sober and Kathryn studied the top of her dark head for a minute. "What, are you going to turn into a pumpkin or something?" she asked, amused. B'Elanna giggled. Then she sat up to look into Kathryn's face. Kathryn stroked a tendril of hair off her cheek. "B'Elanna, I don't see any reason we can't continue this relationship on board the ship," she said seriously. "The crew..." B'Elanna's voice trailed off uncertainly. Kathryn raised her eyebrows. "Surely I have earned the respect of my crew to the point where I can engage in a relationship with whomever I please," she remarked. B'Elanna leaned in and kissed her, and then settled back into her arms. Slowly they drifted off into a contented slumber. --- Copyright 1997 ILuvKate --- The End Like this story? Let the author know by clicking here!