Posted by Ensign Jhalae Ynuchausti (Acting Chief Engineer) in Wandering Around

Posted by Civilian Kasper Brown (Adventurer) in Wandering Around

Snip

Kasper was a smooth talker, a trait that was no doubt a result of his profession, but Jhalae liked it. He didn’t seem to be shy or afraid of women of different species as most Human men were, but then again he wasn’t all human. “Well I can’t have what I prefer,” she cautiously looked around then leaned and whispered, “A good Romulan Ale Fizz. I don’t know why Romulan Ale is illegal. It’s stupid. I think it’s because of the whole Romulan conflict that happened back in the day or whatever.” Kasper could discern that Jhalae had general intelligence and was unpretentious. She’d never attempted to appear smarter than she was.

“Yeah I agree. I think it might be because since that conflict, and with the Romulan planet going, you know,” he put both his hands up in front of him and made them into fists, then pushed them together. Mouthing a silent ‘boom’ and exaggerating opening his eyes wide, he slowly parted his hands while spreading the fists out into flat palms with fingers wide, mimicking an explosion. “The Federation probably considers Romulan Ale a no touch thing now that the Romulan Empire is scattered. Personally, I think if the Romulans licensed a Federation manufacturer to produce Romulan Ale and sell it under license, they could use the royalties to pay for rebuilding many Romulan colonies that have fallen into hard times.” He shrugged, “But what do I know, I’m just a courier.”

“What do you mean you never worked someone’s schedule have you been a smuggler all your life?”

“Woah with the harsh words,” Kasper laughed, “I prefer the term, ‘freelance courier,’ although I did manage to get the Serenity registered as a Diplomatic Courier. That means its’ illegal for Federation law enforcement or any allied species or a species with a Federation treaty to scan the contents of the ship. That helps with the, you know, discreet delivery service.”

Jhalae smiled and said, “Well Mr. Kasper, isn’t that the same difference? I, as an Orion, know how important a good play on words is. And thank goodness for loopholes.

“Yay for loopholes,” he laughed. “Without them my life would be far more interesting, in a stressful way.”

Leaning back in his chair Kasper placed one ankle onto one knee and relaxed. “And ‘never’ might have been not quite accurate in working to someone else’s schedule,” he admitted. “I studied for a few years at various universities when I was younger, got some qualifications behind me, earned my flight credentials. But after that, I found I was much better at giving myself direction than I was at taking direction from someone else, so, I went solo. Working as a courier, scouting unexplored systems privately, investigating places where old civilizations used to live. I keep busy and it’s an interesting life, always seeing something, somewhere and somebody new.”

This made Jhalae a little jealous. She’d only gone into Starfleet because she thought it would provide an interesting life. It had on some level but it was not what she expected. What Kasper was doing was more intriguing.
She looked at the waiter then at Kasper and said, “Hmm I probably should not be drinking while I am technically on duty but hey, if you haven’t noticed by now I am kind of a rule breaker.” Addressing the waiter again she said, “I will take an Aldebaran whiskey. I am sure you have had it, Mr. Kasper. It is my favorite drink because it’s green.” she said with a smile.

Ynuchausti, Engineer

“Green is good, I like green.” He nodded and raised an eyebrow along with the corner of his mouth in a grin, then looked at the waiter and signaled for two of the drinks. Leaning forward slightly, he picked up one of the forks lying beside the plate and delicately speared several pieces of the Jalapenos onto the forks from the top of the nacho dish. “Like these little green spicy pieces of adventure,” he held up the fork to show the overloaded contents. “everybody thinks they can handle them but, now and then, you find one that has just a little extra spice than you expect.”

“You are absolutely correct,” she said with a laugh. “However…” just then the waiter came and brought their drinks.

The two drinks were placed on the table in front of each of them and Kasper slid a slip of Latinum towards the server as a tip. He didn’t seem to reach into his pocket anywhere, but it was suddenly there on the table with Kasper pushing it towards the waiter with his fingers. “Thank you, quick service.” Kasper smiled and turned back to Jhalae.

“You know, seeing as you haven’t checked in with medical yet, they haven’t technically cleared you for duty so, feel free to enjoy the drink without any guilt. As long as you check in before you are due to officially start work, you got time.” While the Ktarian had never said he had been part of Starfleet, he certainly seemed to know the protocols well enough.

“Good point. You sure know your loopholes, don’t you?”

“Yay for loopholes,” Kasper said again, winked and raised his glass in a light toast towards Jhalae. “They come in handy when your a smuggler.”

“So what happens after you do get cleared for duty?” He asked her, looking at the whiskey with an appreciative eye. “Going to keep your head down and work for that promotion? Try to get selected for all the away missions? Or, I hear the lower decks is the place to be on the off-hours, complete with a secret Still hidden away making bootleg vodka to the CMO’s own private recipe.”

Kasper

“Nah, to the promotion and yes to the way missions!” she said as she took a sip of her drink. Then she placed it on the table and explained, “See don’t think I am not ambitious. I am, but not in that way. I don’t think there is a rush to be a department head or anything like that. I just want to be where the action is and live in the moment.”

Kasper nodded and sipped at his drink. Jhalae was easy going and unhurried, and he liked that. He had the feeling that she was a more than competent engineer and despite the rebellious streak she claimed to have, he was pretty confident she was good at being Starfleet. She knew what she liked and wasn’t afraid to pursue it, which to him hinted at the right amount of spontaneity and desire for adventure. He felt like that was a good part of the both of them.

Jhalae raised an eyebrow, “The CMO? Are you sure? The Captain’s wife involved in unseemly activities?” She smiled and said, “Maybe I will like it on this ship after all. I was afraid everyone on here were typical square Starfleet personnel. You know the type to try to excel beyond all measures and they always have their eye on the Captain’s chair? Nothing wrong with that but…boring! That is so so so boring.” She laughed, “If the first thing that comes out of man’s mouth is *Someday I want my own Starship”, I will immediately get up and walk away.”

Ynuchausti, Engineer

“Thank the stars I already have my own then,” Kasper said out the side of his mouth as if he was talking to someone beside him, then grinned.

“To be honest I don’t think the Captain is the type to entertain by-the-book Officers. By all accounts, his own adventures when he was a Cadet got him into plenty of trouble, but his methods worked well enough that he graduated and was fast tracked into Command positions, usually on ships that did things less by the book or that were in locations that needed a little, cowboy flair or crossing of arms and saying ‘no’. I think you might be in the right place for those adventures.”

Looking down, he picked up the fork loaded with jalapeno’s he had filled earlier and slid it into his mouth, taking the fork out and spinning it around his fingers gently and chewing for a moment while he looked at Jhalae. “There is something about that Captains chair that some people just can’t resist you know. For me, on my small ship, it’s the freedom I get from going where I like. Its’ kinda intoxicating. Like you and this whiskey both.” Kasper threw out the light flirt casually, put down the fork and picked up his drink again. “I think you are going to be just fine on this ship, Jhalae. I think you know exactly what you want to achieve and how to get there, on your own terms.”

Kasper

Jhalae smiled, appreciating Kasper’s words. She took a sip of her whiskey, savoring its warmth before responding.
“I appreciate your confidence in me, Kasper. It’s true, I’ve always had a desire for adventure and a drive to make my own path. The idea of being on a ship with a Captain who values unorthodox methods and a little rebellion certainly piques my interest. It’s refreshing to know that someone like him has made it to a position of command.”
She leaned back in her chair, contemplating the allure of the Captain’s chair that Kasper mentioned. “Freedom and the ability to chart one’s own course are powerful motivators. I can understand why it’s intoxicating for you on your small ship. And just like the allure of the Captain’s chair, I believe it’s essential to pursue what we desire on our own terms, to stay true to ourselves.”
Jhalae’s gaze met Kasper’s, a playful glimmer in her eyes. The light flirt was a welcomed compliment. “You seem to know the Captain well. Are you two close? Like best friends or something?”

Ynuchausti, Engineer

“Not in the least,” Kasper smiled but immediately leant forward and began carving out a decent helping of the nachoes for himself. “First time I met him was today in fact, but the two of us do have some mutual friends so he’s not unknown to me, and if you do your research before meeting someone important its’ surprising what comes to light. Believe me I’ve said nothing that isn’t known or talked about on the ship already, aside from delivering something for him on the quiet. That one was privileged information for you.” Kasper grinned at her as he shoved a selection of still crispy nachoes into his mouth.

“Which reminds me, actually,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small card, looking at it for a moment before sliding it across the table to Jhalae. “If you ever want something, delivered or, sourced, that’s where you can find me.”

The card wasn’t fancy or eye-catching, it simply held a communications address alongside his name and Kasper went back to the drink as if he hadn’t just given her a way to contact him at any time. “Freedom and charting your own course, staying true to yourself, is a definite upside of the business,” he leaned back in the chair and looked Jhalae directly in the eyes as he spoke. The Ktarian yellow iris’ and horizontally slit pupils maybe slightly at odds with his human features. “But the life isn’t without its’ drawbacks. No job security for one thing and no certainty I’ll pass somewhere again. You leave a lot of people you meet behind. For a person that enjoys people, that’s not so great at times. Sometimes I think that serving on a ship like this has more upsides than downsides. It’s easy to romanticize what I do and ignore what you lose. Sometimes I envy people like yourself in Starfleet.”

Kasper