A stiff drink

Posted on Sun Sep 29th, 2024 @ 6:01pm by Jila Linaar & Ensign Skye Vos

1,339 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 2 - Death is Only the Beginning
Location: Deck 10 | Ten forward | USS Concord

ON:

Letting out a long sigh as she entered the bar, Skye Vos glanced around to see who was in. Not a huge crowd, for the moment at least. She rolled her shoulder, her lips pursed, undeterred all the same. Her gaze fell on the orion red-head behind the bar...who Skye believed to the be manager after a little questioning across the first couple of days. She headed over, hopping up onto a stool and setting clasped hands onto the smooth bar. "What do you have that's real and strong?"

Jila cocked her head slightly and made eye contact with the young lady who had approached the bar "Well Ensign you know we are only supposed to serve synthehol per Federation guidelines."

"Ergh," Skye dramatically dropped her head onto the bar, sighing so deeply her shoulders shifted with it. "Don't these count as special circumstances...?!"

There was a brief moment where Jila didn't say anything and then cracked a smile. "Do you want Earth liquor or Orion" the green skinned woman asked, knowing that the Orion was much stronger.

"Oooo...Orion...." Skye was smiling again as she perked back up, sitting up properly to watch with curiosity. "I'm half Vulcan, I can take it," she assured with a wave of her hand.

"Very well" Jila smiled a flirty smile and went for a special cabinet under the bar. She returned with a green liquid that had a slight shimmer to it "Orion whiskey" she smiled again and poured two glasses.

"That's a new one on me," Skye admitted with a soft chuckle, reaching for one of the glassed. She tapped it to Jila's before taking a decent swig...and immediately coughed. She tried to catch her breath between laughing and coughing, patting her chest firmly. "That's got kick..." she pointed at the glass with approval.

Jila had finished her whiskey and smiled “I didn’t notice” she pours herself another and topped off Skyes glass. “So Ensign having a particular bad day” Jila asked taking only a sip from her glass this time while awaiting the answer.

"Just needed to blow off some steam," Skye admitted with a brisk shake of her head, settling on the stool. "It's not everyday you fly a ship so fast it breaks and end up on the other side of the universe."

“From what I’m hearing it wasn’t any of the crews fault and isn’t that where we knew we were going” Jila raised a brow and put both her hands on the bar.

"True," Skye used her glass to motion an 'affirmative' to her, her eyebrow arching. "I don't think we were meant to break our way home though," she gave a wry smile. "But you're right. This is what we came for. All or nothing, right?"

“It is unfortunate” Jila admitted with a frown on her face. “But this is a Starfleet ship and there isn’t anything y’all can’t seem to figure out or at least it seems that way” the bartended gave a smile and a shrug.

"Let's hope so," Skye nodded all the same, agreeing easily with the sentiment. "I have to leave that to the smart ones. I just fly the lady...they're the ones that have to look after her."

“Well flying her is far more responsibility than I’m willing to take on” Jila said with a smile. “I prefer my little slice of heaven right here listening to folks and trying to make their day a tiny bit better.”

"A comfortable billet," Skye agreed, sipping her drink with a soft sigh as she tried to relax. "How did you get here? I mean...doing this for a living?"

“Kind of a family tradition as humans would say” the Orion woman smiled “my family has been a part of the entertainment industry on Orion for many decades.” There was a brief pause and a smile “I rather enjoy being able to interact with people and get to know them in a causal setting.”

"And you get to see the galaxy into the deal," Skye nodded with consideration before grimacing slightly. "Well, maybe more of it than you bargained for this time, but you know what I mean..."

“I knew what I was signing up for” the bartender admitted with a smile and poured them another drink.

"Hm, just how much did you know? What pies do you have your fingers in?" Skye asked as she leant forward on the bar to be closer, watching her with curiosity.

"A girl has to have her secrets" she smiled "now don't she Ensign?"

"Hm..." Skye narrowed her eyes further with determination for a long moment, burning with curiosity before a little voice inside of her reminded her it was actually none of her business. She sighed as she sat back, lifting her hands up. "Fine, fine," she chuckled.

Jila joined in the laughing before taking a sip of her beverage. “At least we got you to laughing” the bartender shrugged and started doing some of her cleaning tasks but still paying attention to her patrons.

"Part of your job description?" Skye chuckled as she arched an eyebrow at her, sipping the strong liquor. She let out a long, slow breath, her shoulders finally lowering with it as the drink started to mellow her.

"I guess you could say that" Jila smiled and noticed the woman she had been talking to starting to relax a bit. "Besides you Starfleet types always seem to find the answer to the problem" the bartender said optimistically.

"How long have you been around us then?" she asked with curiosity, watching with a warmer smile now she was starting to relax.

“Oh about” Jila paused and thought before replying with a big smile on her face “five years or so.”

"That's a pretty long stint," Skye watched her with surprise, trying to decide if she could do the same job for that long. She doubted it. "I'm guessing running a business on Starfleet vessels is a lot less messy than 'independent' stations..." she chuckled at the idea of it.

“You’ve got that right” Jila let out a chuckle. “What about you? How long have you been wearing the uniform?”

"That's...a little complicated," Skye admitted with a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she thought back on it. "All in? Officer training, and a couple of years service. I...stepped away for a couple of years though, just before the war, not that long after graduating actually."

Jila wondered why but wasn’t sure if she should ask. She offered a concerned smile and added “sometimes you just need a break.”

Skye took a sharp breath as she contemplated the bottom of her glass. Well, rumour was bound to spread, it always did, she may as well be in control of the narrative. "By taking a break....I mean I joined the Maquis."

"Oh I bet you have some stories to tell" Jila said her attention turned to Skye and she gestured toward her glass "another?"

"Yeah, why not," Skye chuckled weakly, shaking her head lightly as she slid the glass closer for her. "Thank you....for not...freaking out."

“Nothing to freak out about” Jila said with a smile as she poured Sky another drink.

Skye searched the other woman's features for a long moment, looking for any sign of fibbing. But there weren't any she could discern. "So...I'm not gonna lie, this mission sounded like something of an adventure."

"Right" Jila smiled "we are in the Delta Quadrant. I mean it sucks we are kind of stuck here now but shit happens and I'm sure you Starfleet folks will figure out how to get us home at some point." The bartender shrugged with a crooked smile "So here's to adventure" she raised her glass after pouring Skye another.

Skye's smile widened to a grin, the weight drifting off of her shoulders as she tapped her glass to hers. "And to what we might find..."

 

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