Post by thevidiot on Nov 23, 2016 11:59:41 GMT -5
Nate strolled into the Dark Angel’s lounge, it had colloquially become known as the ‘Misfits lounge’. T’lok had taken to stationing two members of the security team at the lounge full time knowing that the majority of the crew had a propensity for violence when partaking upon bar like activities. Unlike most vessels this one served real alcohol more often than not. Though restrictions were put on how much could be given out at any given time. Duty rosters were made available to Kitty to help prevent members of the crew from drinking on duty. She didn’t have much to do but it was nice to have a place to call home considering she’d lost hers on the station.
“Well look at who the cat dragged in. Thought I might never see you.” She said as he came to settle on a barstool. She had been bartering with whomever she could to secure enough supplies to retrofit the bar to look a specific way. They kept it dark in half the place, walled off part of the lounge to accommodate some private party rooms to help the rowdier guests not to disrupt the more family oriented environment.
Nate smiled as he set his hat aside. The lounge was a ghost town as most of the crew was either on duty or rotated ashore. “Sorry, it’s been busy.” He said.
“Busy?” she eyed him. “You actually working?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“You sick?” she asked.
He shook his head, “No, why?”
“I’ve not known you to be so serious about a job in a long, long time.” She said leaning back while retrieving a glass. She set it down in front of him and pulled out an unmarked bottle.
“This is different.” He said.
“What do you mean?” she poured him a glass of the strong smelling liquid.
He shrugged. “I’m not sure, but something is just different. You ever been in a place that just felt right but you couldn’t explain it?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“You don’t feel it here?” he asked. “How different it is, the people, the environment. This guy seems to really care about his crew. Think about it, when’s the last time you knew a Starfleet Captain who didn’t throw his junk around and expect people to just jump to it regardless of how they feel? I mean he came out and flat told the entire crew were underdogs, that to survive this were going to have to work together and then he proved it.” He took the drink and emptied the glass.
She poured him another. “Yeah, I guess I did notice that.”
“He gave you a job with very little restrictions here on the ship.” He lifted the glass again. “This is different.” He said, and took a smaller drink from the glass.
“You like this guy?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, I think I could do a lot of good here.”
“Or a lot of bad.” She said flatly. “Especially if your brother shows up.”
Nate’s attitude suddenly shifted and his voice took on a more somber tone. “Yeah. But I think that they could handle it.”
“Let’s just hope he stays out of everyone’s hair. That bastard is always popping up when you least expect it.” She said.
Nate nodded knowingly. “Yes he does.”
“You going to tell him?” Kitty asked.
He seemed to ponder that for a long moment. “Yes.”
“When?” she asked.
“When the time is right of course. Just not right now. He’s got enough on his mind. Though I might talk to him about PS5 a bit more in detail.” Nate said leaning forward he took another drink from the glass.
“You sure he won’t give that up?” she asked.
“As far as Starfleet is concerned PS4 is gone, PS5 no one knows about. Well accept for him. I kind of let that out of the bag in a conversation earlier. But at some point when it’s necessary I’ll avail him of its resources. I want to see if this plays out how I expect.” He shifted on his stool. “Wouldn’t be the first time a Commanding Officer lost my trust.”
She nodded. “Well I’m content with my little watering hole. He’s given me pretty much run of the mill aside from specific rules which are practical.”
“Place is looking nice. I like how you’ve got the whole light side, dark side thing going.” He said gesturing with his glass. “Fitting for this crew.”
She nodded. “Yeah I’m starting to get that. A lot of people living on both sides or toeing the line. Where do you suppose he sits?” she asked.
“Pretty sure he’s on the line, part of that grey which means this could be a place I can thrive and do the best. Better than being stuffed away in a subspace relay station for all eternity. Or whatever eternity is to most humans. How about you, you going to tell him about you?”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t want him getting any ideas either way.”
He nodded. “He will figure it out.”
She gave him one of those ‘Oh really’ looks and smiled. “Ok, put your money where your mouth is.” She said.
He leaned back in his chair again. “Alright, what do you want?” he asked.
“One of those cases of that crazy plumb tasting stuff.” She said.
He nodded. “A case of Shiskey!”
She blinked. “Really? An entire case? You know how hard that stuff is to make?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Nope. Do you know how hard it is to make that plumb tasting stuff?”
She smiled. “Deal!” she held a hand out and they shook. She pointed at him. “You cannot tell him, or hint at it!”
He laughed. “I would never!”
“Yes you would!” she said sternly and headed off into the back of the bar to pull something.
Nate grinned to himself. He was certain his intuition about So’koth was right, he would be a case richer, and she would still get her case of plumb because that was the kind of guy he was. He pulled back his sleeve and tapped into his write computer the order to have it sent. Later that evening he would have the case sitting in his quarters.
“Well look at who the cat dragged in. Thought I might never see you.” She said as he came to settle on a barstool. She had been bartering with whomever she could to secure enough supplies to retrofit the bar to look a specific way. They kept it dark in half the place, walled off part of the lounge to accommodate some private party rooms to help the rowdier guests not to disrupt the more family oriented environment.
Nate smiled as he set his hat aside. The lounge was a ghost town as most of the crew was either on duty or rotated ashore. “Sorry, it’s been busy.” He said.
“Busy?” she eyed him. “You actually working?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“You sick?” she asked.
He shook his head, “No, why?”
“I’ve not known you to be so serious about a job in a long, long time.” She said leaning back while retrieving a glass. She set it down in front of him and pulled out an unmarked bottle.
“This is different.” He said.
“What do you mean?” she poured him a glass of the strong smelling liquid.
He shrugged. “I’m not sure, but something is just different. You ever been in a place that just felt right but you couldn’t explain it?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“You don’t feel it here?” he asked. “How different it is, the people, the environment. This guy seems to really care about his crew. Think about it, when’s the last time you knew a Starfleet Captain who didn’t throw his junk around and expect people to just jump to it regardless of how they feel? I mean he came out and flat told the entire crew were underdogs, that to survive this were going to have to work together and then he proved it.” He took the drink and emptied the glass.
She poured him another. “Yeah, I guess I did notice that.”
“He gave you a job with very little restrictions here on the ship.” He lifted the glass again. “This is different.” He said, and took a smaller drink from the glass.
“You like this guy?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, I think I could do a lot of good here.”
“Or a lot of bad.” She said flatly. “Especially if your brother shows up.”
Nate’s attitude suddenly shifted and his voice took on a more somber tone. “Yeah. But I think that they could handle it.”
“Let’s just hope he stays out of everyone’s hair. That bastard is always popping up when you least expect it.” She said.
Nate nodded knowingly. “Yes he does.”
“You going to tell him?” Kitty asked.
He seemed to ponder that for a long moment. “Yes.”
“When?” she asked.
“When the time is right of course. Just not right now. He’s got enough on his mind. Though I might talk to him about PS5 a bit more in detail.” Nate said leaning forward he took another drink from the glass.
“You sure he won’t give that up?” she asked.
“As far as Starfleet is concerned PS4 is gone, PS5 no one knows about. Well accept for him. I kind of let that out of the bag in a conversation earlier. But at some point when it’s necessary I’ll avail him of its resources. I want to see if this plays out how I expect.” He shifted on his stool. “Wouldn’t be the first time a Commanding Officer lost my trust.”
She nodded. “Well I’m content with my little watering hole. He’s given me pretty much run of the mill aside from specific rules which are practical.”
“Place is looking nice. I like how you’ve got the whole light side, dark side thing going.” He said gesturing with his glass. “Fitting for this crew.”
She nodded. “Yeah I’m starting to get that. A lot of people living on both sides or toeing the line. Where do you suppose he sits?” she asked.
“Pretty sure he’s on the line, part of that grey which means this could be a place I can thrive and do the best. Better than being stuffed away in a subspace relay station for all eternity. Or whatever eternity is to most humans. How about you, you going to tell him about you?”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t want him getting any ideas either way.”
He nodded. “He will figure it out.”
She gave him one of those ‘Oh really’ looks and smiled. “Ok, put your money where your mouth is.” She said.
He leaned back in his chair again. “Alright, what do you want?” he asked.
“One of those cases of that crazy plumb tasting stuff.” She said.
He nodded. “A case of Shiskey!”
She blinked. “Really? An entire case? You know how hard that stuff is to make?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Nope. Do you know how hard it is to make that plumb tasting stuff?”
She smiled. “Deal!” she held a hand out and they shook. She pointed at him. “You cannot tell him, or hint at it!”
He laughed. “I would never!”
“Yes you would!” she said sternly and headed off into the back of the bar to pull something.
Nate grinned to himself. He was certain his intuition about So’koth was right, he would be a case richer, and she would still get her case of plumb because that was the kind of guy he was. He pulled back his sleeve and tapped into his write computer the order to have it sent. Later that evening he would have the case sitting in his quarters.