Orion's Hounds

But then the ship’s other predatory crewmembers, including the Caitian lieutenant Rriarr, the Betelgeusian ensign Kuu’iut, the S’ti’ach counselor Huilan, and the Chelon biologist Kekil, had begun to join Ree, making something of a ritual out of it, and a very messy one at that. Among most predatory species it was not only socially acceptable but virtually obligatory to play with one’s food; not only was there the instinct to play as practice for the real thing, but the metabolism of a hunter was geared toward a period of intense physical activity prior to feeding. (Back on the Enterprise,Data had discovered that playing with his cat Spot before di

Huilan himself, one of Dea

Dea

She wandered the corridors aimlessly for a time, greeting crew members when they went by but not seeking conversation. There were more people out than she was used to seeing on a starship’s “night” shift; but then, there was a greater range of diurnal cycles represented among the crew. Some species slept only every few standard days; aquatics like Ensign Lavena slept infrequently, generally with only half the brain asleep at a time; and several of the predators were adapted for short-burst activity and needed extended sleep periods. It had been a challenge reconciling duty cycles.

From around an intersection just ahead, coincidentally enough, Dea

“Doctor,” she replied, keeping her tone casual.

“I hope you’ll pardon my appearance. Ensign Lavena and I were having the most intriguing…discussions. Selkies have such lovely speech, don’t you think? So musical, so nuanced, much like Efrosian languages. You can’t truly appreciate it out of the water.”

“Yes, so I’ve heard.” She was not that surprised to see him emerging from a female crew member’s quarters; Efrosian sexual ethics did not generally include the concept of monogamy, and he was an attractive, charismatic individual. She was sure that Lavena was not the first to reciprocate his wide-ranging interest in the ship’s female crew members. But she was gratified that Ra-Havreii had demonstrated a tendency to be discreet about his liaisons; if she wished to satisfy her curiosity about how an air-breather could engage in sexual relations with the water-breathing ensign, she could always ask Will. (Well, that wasn’t quite right; Lavena had been in the amphibious phase of her life cycle when Will had known her nearly two decades ago. In a sense, Will had been in a different life stage then as well, and today he was more uneasy about the tryst than Dea

But that was not something she wished to dwell on. “Actually I’m glad I caught you,” she said. “I’d been hoping we could schedule a talk in the near future.”

He spread his hands wide. “I’m at your disposal, Counselor. If you’d like to accompany me back to my quarters, then once I get changed I can offer you a drink and we can discuss whatever you like.”

“That’s very gracious, Doctor, but I was thinking of a discussion along more formal lines.”

Ra-Havreii grimaced, without losing his good humor. “In your office, no doubt. I saw quite enough of counselors’ offices following the Lunaincident, thank you. They’re all so calculatedly nonthreatening, so self-conscious in their attempts to put one at ease that they become oppressive.” Ra-Havreii, Dea

Dea

“A condition which the Betazoids I’ve known have been rather flexible about.”

“Well, I’m not one of them. And you’re not fooling me, you know.”

“Ahh, as perceptive as you are beautiful. What am I not fooling you about, my dear?”

“Efrosian or not, you know better than to seriously try to seduce the wife of your own very human captain. You’re only trying to distract me.”