[snip]

“Hi Joe! You are looking well. I guess being away from Starfleet has been good for your health!” Glen said.

On seeing the Captain, Cross decided let go of Joe’s arm feeling rather embarrassed like a girl who had a crush on her mentor .The female doctor mumbled something about going to the bathroom and made her way there.....maybe a bit embarrassed but still elated at finding Joe again.

“I haven’t had anything to drink yet. Is there something I should try?” Glen asked. “I’ll skip whatever it was Miriam just had!”

Joe smiled and shook his head as Miriam had taken off as soon as the captain had shown up. He looked at Glen and made a welcoming motion. He took Glenn out of the crowd and over to one of the few private booths remaining. He answered Glenn’s question as he and Glenn were sitting down without a moment’s hesitation. “We still haven’t had that drink of Irish whiskey that I offered you when I came aboard captain. I don’t believe you’re on duty now perhaps this would be the time, eh?”

“An Irish whiskey? Yes, please,” Glen replied. “None of that Aldebaran stuff!”

Joe grabbed a waitress as she passed by, and they soon had an unopened bottle and three glasses on the table. ” I have been doing well for myself sir. I’ve always been one for wandering and for wild places. Something tells me that Miri has plans to shanghai me though. And how have you been sir? “

“Not so good!” Glen replied. “I had a relapse again after you left. Memories of the Ancient’s Worm inside my head again, and I passed out. That Major Wong thought that it is all psychosomatic, but I think something physical was left behind. Miriam can’t find anything physical. I doubt you really wanted that answer, but it seems that none of us can ever leave that damn mission behind. I’m surprised to see you drinking again though, but you do look really good. You also seem to have created a nice little oasis of calm for yourself here… What I wanted to say, and sorry to mix business with pleasure… but I had an idea when I walked in here, that there is always a place for a barman aboard the Merrimack. The way my crew seem to be really opening up in here - that’s something that would be good to have on the Merrimack, with a barman who could listen as well as just dispensing drinks. It would fit with Miriam’s idea that we should employ a Counsellor aboard, but on a much more informal basis, and your office would be the Fan Tail Lounge, as it were?”

“Well, no pressure on that account. Except that we are going to be leaving again shortly. I had hoped we’d get a bit of Liberty here, but now I’ve been told to get ready to ship out in the next day or two… So anyway, how did you manage to get in charge of this bar? You must have pulled some strings to do that?” Glen asked.

Joe listened carefully to everything Glen told him. Picking apart each little bit of it and rolling it around as if bit of conversation and he were looking for flaws somewhere.

Finally, Joe grunted and smiled asking, “A counselor, eh? Well considering the fact that if I say no Miri will probably hit me over the head and smuggle me aboard in a gunnysack, I will say my choices are probably a bit limited. ” Joe only then took a drink from the shot in front of him. He took a sigh and then nodded. “Yeah, I could do that for you. I have a barman here I would trust with running this place.

At Glen’s question about the bar Joe laughed raucously and said, “Well let us just say a certain free trader refused to pay me for the job I did for him. I wound up with his ship here and after finding out that the station commander had no love for my former employer, I sued the free trader for twice what he owed me. And when he showed up here, I was awarded the amount I sought and here I am! ” Joe finished as his arms waved around him. “Sometimes the luck of the Irish is a real thing!”

“Well you deserve a little luck, that’s for sure!” Glen told him.

Joe scratched his then and knitted his brow in thought. “So how we going to do this then?” he asked Glenn. Will I be some sort of independent contractor, a member of the fleet somehow or just someone you snuck on board? ” Joe chuckled at the mere thought of the last one. He knew how tidy Glen liked to have things. “I’m pretty much good with anything as long as I get a pittance of some pay and a free ride away from my evil recent past for awhile.”

“Well, something like that.. It’s Starfleet, so I cannot pay you in anything but thanks and appreciation, however, if you do make a difference, then you’ll be richer than any Gold pressed Latinum could make you. I guess I could wangle it for you to receive a small payment, let’s call it pocket money, but that would be all. No need to sneak you aboard, because while you will be an unofficial Counsellor, your title will be just a civilian barman, or a lounge host if you would prefer? You will have total control to run the bar anyway you wish. You’ll have a free room and free board, just as if you were still an officer, but I figured that you weren’t going to sign on again. I’m afraid that I can’t give you back the XO’s room, but you can choose any of the larger Quarters that are free on Deck 3. There’ll be no employment contract, so if you decide to leave there is no problem, but you would have the same protection from your free Trader friends while aboard as any officer. Your outgoings will be negligible, and if you have a barman running this place for you, you’ll still be earning a salary and profits from here. And of course, you’ll be close to Miriam! There, have I sold it yet?”

After taking a sip of whiskey Joe got a twinkle in his eyes and the corner of his mouth was tugging up as he tried to suppress a wide smile. ” Captain you would have made a right evil capitalist. You drive a hard bargain! A deal it is! I’ll be on board tomorrow morning if that’s okay with you!” He reached out to shake Glenn’s hand and said, “No rank or uniforms, I get away from that thieving swine and we both get to keep Miri happy. Color me delighted to be your bar man!

“Great!” Glen replied. “Tomorrow is fine. I thought we would be here for a week or so, but i just got told that we leave in four days. I hope that gives you sufficient time to settle your affairs here.”

• Glen, CO

OOC: The Merrimack not only invented the phrase “Away Teams” and first suggested having a “Ship’s Counsellor” but now we also have a “Guinan” before Guinan too! Next, we’ll be getting a Holodeck and Combadges!

• Dave