A Little Intermingling...

Posted on Fri Sep 7th, 2012 @ 6:50am by Captain Tobias Naros & Petty Officer 3rd Class Christian Bates & Yuris Eldar & Lieutenant Commander Joseph Thompson & Lieutenant Torin Drell
Edited on on Fri Sep 21st, 2012 @ 11:01am

Mission: Episode 1.0 - "Enduring Legacy"
Location: Midway Lounge, USS Yorktown
Timeline: Mission Day 07, 1904 Hours

ON: [[Midway Lounge, USS Yorktown, Mission Day 07, 1904 Hours]]

Christian (PNPC) made his way along the short stretch of corridor which separated the Midway Lounge from the nearest turbolift access, well aware he would be walking into perhaps the busiest location aboard ship at that very moment. Having the opportunity to take time for himself and finally relax was something the young yeoman was most certainly looking forward to. He had spent a good majority of the day sorting through reports of ship's business and attending to errands on Captain Naros' behalf and he might have tried to squeeze in a few last minute errands had it not been for the captain's insistence any other tasks could wait until morning.

Passing through the large, wooden doors of the lounge, Christian found himself surrounded by the sound of at least a dozen different conversations taking place just in his immediate surroundings. He briefly surveyed the tables crowded with patrons before slowly making his way toward an open stool along the bar. No sooner had he taken his first steps than a voice from across the room called out his name. Christian turned to see someone on the far side of the room waving at him, motioning for him to come over.

Christian did his best to weave through the seating area without disturbing too many people as he made his way toward the small table. When he finally drew close to the small table, he quickly realized the person who'd flagged him down was not alone.

===============

From across the room, Yuris (PNPC) couldn't help but smile as he watched the young petty officer being welcomed into the small group. It was the little social gestures like this which often made managing a ship's lounge during the evening rush so worthwhile. There were those who came to the lounge in search of social interaction with shipmates or even strangers and then there were those who came to the lounge in hopes of disappearing from the world...at least for a little while. The fact such complicated social dynamics were already taking place so soon after having officially opened their doors for business was, in a word, promising.

It had been quite some time since Torin had found the time to visit an establishment such as the Midway Lounge and never had he witnessed a scene so busy aboard a Starship. He had heard that the place had only recently opened and perhaps that accounted for the lively crowd, he thought. As he expected a quick survey of them room didn't reveal any immediately recognizable faces and so he chose to make his way to the nearly packed bar.

Sitting down in an empty seat he studied the man behind the counter as he went about serving the customers that arrived first. There was something strangely familiar about him to Torin but the Trill couldn't quite place the face with a name, perhaps it wasn't his face that was familiar at all he wondered. As the man neared Torin realized that he would have to make an order but he hadn't really given it much thought, the activity in the room had him quite distracted after all. It didn't much matter at any rate, Torin was sure that the barkeep would have a few suggestions anyway.

"So I thought she did pretty well," Joe was saying to the lounge host as he cradled his own drink in his hands. "I was even thinking of doing it again sometime, just to see how she reacts to something she knows is coming." He most likely wouldn't, of course, but the thought had crossed his mind.

"Careful there, commander," Yuris said with a slight chuckle as he placed a coaster down on the bar in front of the Trill, "There is a certain measure of truth to the old saying and you've already fooled her once. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned..."

Torin looked from the Bartender to another officer in services gold sitting a couple stools down, undoubtedly another of the Yorktown's senior officers. He didn't have the usual appearance of the tech services officers and if Torin had to wager he would guess that the man was Security. Turning back to the bartender he smiled, "sounds like there's a story in there somewhere?"

"His assistant chief, actually," the El-Aurian clarified for the lieutenant's benefit, "though I think the story would sound better coming from Mister Thompson, myself. What can I get you?"

"I'm sure it would," Torin replied after glancing back at the Commander again. "As for the drink, I'm not really sure to be honest. Whats good?"

Yuris tilted his head and studied the Trill for a moment before reaching under the counter with one hand. He withdrew an empty glass and a small bottle of bright golden liquid that almost seemed to glow in the ambient lighting of the room. "Ever tried ambrosia nectar," he asked as he uncorked the bottle.

Torin shifted and leaned forward to put his elbows on the bar, he eyed the bottle curiously before replying, "can't say that I have. Sounds... Sweet? What world is it from?"

The El-Aurian glanced first one direction and then the other before leaning in close as if about to divulge the galaxy's deepest secret. "If I told you," he whispered, "I'd have to kill you." He proceeded to let out another hearty chuckle as leaned back again and held up the bottle. "Care to give it a shot," Yuris asked.

Torin laughed in kind as he nodded his approval, "sure, you have me curious now." He had already decided that he liked the bartender though he wasn't certain that the mans good natured humor was the reason for it.

"Now, now," Joe said mock-seriously to Yuris. "There'll be no death threats while I'm on watch." He held out his hand to the new arrival. "Lieutenant Commander Joseph Thompson...but you can call me Joe."

Torrin reached around the man on the stool beside him to shake the Commander's hand, "Lieutenant Torin Drell, Chief Ops. You're... Security?"

"Yep, the Chief," Joe replied. "I was just talking to Yuris here about my new assistant. She's fairly exciteable, but she's got what it takes; in our first joint training op with the Marines she handled a bit of deception fairly well. How have you been settling in to your department?"

"I see," Torin replied with a knowing smile. He hadn't been aware that a Marine detachment had been assigned to the Yorktown but in the end it didn't surprise him. He would make sure to steer clear of them when possible, Marines had always unnerved the Trill. "As well as a few hours permit, I only just arrived this afternoon. Aside from a few minutes in my quarters, a meeting with the Captain and a brief meeting with Ensign Doering, you and Yuris here are the only others I've actually spoken with thus far."

The El-Aurian's face seemed to light up at the mention of Doering's name and his eyes quickly flicked to one corner of the room before returning to his immediate guests. "Lucky to have that one, lieutenant," Yuris said with a twinkle in his eye, "if I may be so bold. Quite a few bright young men and women aboard this ship."

"Yeah, I noticed," Torin replied before he took another drink from his glass. He turned slightly and followed Yuris' gaze to a table on the far side of the room, it seemed that Ensign Doering and a few others were having an evening together. "Who are the others Yuris?"

"Hmm," Yuris mused aloud as he wiped his hands on the towel at his waist, "Quite the interesting little group. I don't think I've really seen any of them in here without at least one or two of the others. Second or third assignment for most of them if I remember correctly...couple of pilots, a counselor, Mister Doering...and the captain's yeoman, if I'm not mistaken."

"You tend to get a lot of closely-knit groups like that on a starship like this," Joe remarked. "I've been fortunate enough, however, to be on ships where even closely-knit groups are open and inviting to strangers, even if those strangers don't share the same common background."

TO BE CONTINUED...

A Joint Mission Post by:

Lieutenant Commander Joseph Thompson
Chief Security/Tactical Officer & Second Officer
USS Yorktown

Lieutenant Torin Drell
Chief Operations Officer
USS Yorktown

Petty Officer 3rd Class Christian Bates (PNPC)
Captain's Yeoman
USS Yorktown
Played by: Capt Naros

and

Yuris Eldar (PNPC)
Midway Lounge Owner & Host
USS Yorktown
Played by: Capt Naros