Star Trek: Eleventh Fleet

Chapter 7: Brothers

Ashi left a turbolift with a cadet next to him, a young male Bolian.

"This is the Mall Level of the station. Lots of shopping and places to eat. The replimat is just around that corner."

Ashi looked around for a moment. "It's quiet here. More than I expected."

"Were you expecting a noisy station?"

Ashi nodded. "My human friends told me that Federation Space Stations were always busy with activity, especially where the merchants worked. This place is calm."

"Tarven Four doesn't get as much civilian traffic as other stations. I still haven't learned why a station this size is out this far. But we get enough traffic to keep the merchants busy." The cadet led him toward the replicators. "Would you like something to eat?"

"I am hungry, but I think I'd like to try one of these restaurants." Ashi sniffed the air. He smiled at some girls who walked by, giving him long looks. He even flexed up his chest, which made them giggle and blush.

The cadet saw this and frowned. "Did you just... flirt with them?"

"What humans call flirting, maybe. I just like the way they stare."

The Cadet said, "I think they are looking at the way you are... um... not dressed."

"I know."

This caught the cadet by surprise. "You... know."

Ashi laughed, "You think I don't know that I am what many races in this galaxy call naked? I know, I just don't care. That clothed people seem to think they need to hide parts of their bodies makes no sense to me. It's not like it's not there just because you cover it in layers of clothing."

"Fascinating." The cadet said and then asked, "I don't want to be too forward, really, but I have a minor in anthropology and I'm highly curious about this facet of Hakashans. Have you always been naked?"

"Yes. Until the first alien races made contact, we didn't even have words for clothing, or naked, or nude, or... a lot of other words used by clothed peoples."

"Interesting. Do you ever get too cold?"

"Yes, we get cold and we get hot. But our bodies regulate temperatures better than most mammalian humanoids. Also, our native climate is cooler than most, and so we find ourselves warm in places like this."

"This is really interesting. Uh, what about fashion? I mean, most humanoids peoples don't just throw clothing on, it is specific with ornaments to make us look better. At least in our own eyes."

Ashi smiled and brushed his hand down his chest. "We understand that more than outsiders believe. While your people put on different colors or styles of cloth, we perfect our bodies."

"You mean your musculature being more defined is part of your fashion?"

"Yes. When we left our world and went to Stillwater Colony, I was surprised to see that many of the men and women paid little attention to their physiques. It's a common part of our daily lives. Building muscles, brushing our fur, keeping our manes looking big. Our bodies are what you might call our fashion."

"I never thought of that. I need to write this down. Uh, if you would excuse me." The cadet rushed off and then rushed right back, "Hey, uh, if you would like to come and give a full interview, I have more questions. This would be for an informal anthropology paper I would write up. If you don't mind."

Ashi shook his head. "I don't mind. However, I have a few friends here who might be more helpful. There is an elder Hakashan who knows more of our history than I. He won't mind being interviewed."