Having a Drink...with the CO?

Posted on Sunday 6 November 2016 @ 04:18 by Captain John "Apollo" Barstow, M.D. & Commander Cale Llewellyn DSci

Mission: Old, New Ship
Location: Round Table Deck 4
Timeline: MD9
1357 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Cale walked into the lounge a few minutes before the time he was supposed to meet Captain Barstow. He looked around for an empty table. Suddenly he was racked by a terrible headache. But he steeled himself from it and walked further into the lounge and spotted an empty table. He then noticed Ensign T'Lar. He made his way over to her while she sat and drank something blue.

"Ensign, how are you this evening?" he asked.

"I am well, Commander. How are you faring? Do you need another session?" she asked in even tones.

"Not right now, Ensign. Thank you though. I am here to have a drink with the captain actually," he said with a smile and a light laugh. And the Vulcan ensign simply looked at him with a cocked eyebrow.

John walked into the lounge dressed in a pair of black jeans, his boots, white t-shirt and his flight jacket, which dawned the new style comm badge Starfleet had sent the specs for a few hours earlier along with new uniform styles. He had switched his communicator out so quickly just because he felt he should set the example. Barstow had replicated the new uniform as well, but, had not worn it because the drinks with his XO we're about the two getting to know each other better, he felt like her not gotten to know the man as well as her gotten to know the rest of his senior officers, "Cale," the CO greeted with a smile as he sat down next to his exec, "how are things going?"

"They're going well, sir, and you?" Cale said stoically trying not to look any different than normal. He brushed his hair, which he had let get longer than regulation allowed, out his eyes. Cale then looked at his captain and smiled.

"Not to bad, mostly at least," John replied with a chuckle and flagged down the bartender, "and Cale, we're off duty...well, as off duty as the two of us can be, its Apollo or John, you can drop the sir tonight," he said with a chuckle, "so, what are we drinking?"

"I'm glad to hear that, Sir...Apollo. To be honest, I'm not quite sure. It's one of our lounge manager's 'experiments'. I've become one of his guinea pigs," Cale said with a big smile. "What may I ask are you having?"

John chuckled then looked at the bottles, "I'm going to break regs a bit and go for some Saurian brandy, the real stuff not the synthahol," the Commander replied with a grin as the bar tender set a glass with a dark liquid down in front of him, "I may have smuggled a few dozen cases of real alcohol and beer on board when I took command for special occasions," he said with a smirk.

Cale responded with a belly laugh from Hell. "Lucky us I suppose," he said through a Cheshire grin. "I'm not quite finished with my green drink just yet, but thank you."

"You're welcome, just don't tell command I put it on their diamond platinum credit account," Barstow added with a grin then grabbed his drink and motioned to a table near the forward ports, overlooking the front of the saucer, "only better seat in the house is on bridge," the CO commented as he sat down with a content sigh.

"You're so right, Apollo," Cale said with a grin. "So, what's on tap tonight?"

Apollo shrugged and looked back, "outside of a few drinks I'm not sure," he replied and leaned forward on the table, "what do you like to do in your off time?"

"I like to compose music, listen to music...I even have my own marimba and vibraphone for my jazz studies. I also have a holodeck program with one of the greatest pipe organs of the 20th and 21st centuries." Cale said to his captain. "And you?"

Apollo smiled, "well, when I had this mythical free time, I'd fly. Whether on the holodeck or getting some time in my bird," he replied, "feeling the freedom and aloness helps me relax and clear my head. Other than that I try to keep up with my daughter back on Earth."

"I didn't know you were married? Oh I almost forgot...I'm just about done with my dissertation and will be transmitting it in a week," Cale said triumphantly. "I'd been working on it since i graduated from the Academy and am finally finished."

John nodded, "I was, for a short time, to my TIO," he replied then smiled as he took a drink, "that's outstanding, Cale," he replied, genuinely happy for his First Officer, "what was your papers subject?"

"'Locating quantum singularities in subspace using coherent dekyon beams'," Cale answered with a grin.

Barstow blinked for a second before grinning, "yeah, that one's a bit over my head," he replied with a chuckle and a proud nod, "and that's why I made you my exec, you're a hell of a lot smarter than I am when it comes to the scientific aspect of our mission."

Cale couldn't help but laugh at the CO's comment. "You are funny, Apollo. It just so happens that our knowledge bases are different. I'm not actually smarter than you. But thank you. nonetheless."

Apollo chuckled and smiled, "you're welcome," he replied and took a swig of his drink, "I'm proud of you, Cale. Trying to get an advanced degree while still on active duty is difficult, and continuing to do it while exec is harder still. When you graduate we'll find a shore leave planet and break out the rainy day stash," he said with a smile.

"Yea it was difficult but I've got a kick-ass research team back on Earth. If all goes according to plan, I should be submitting my dissertation by the end of the week and I should be hearing back from the panel by the end of the month."

"Well, good luck, Cale," Barstow replied with a smile and raised his glass, "I already know you'll do great and you'll get to join the alphabet soup club soon," he added happily.

Cale laughed at the comment about the alphabet soup club. And he thought about adding his Masters letters to his name. Then he decided not to because he didn't want to flaunt it to the crew. "I'm looking forward to it Sir. I am definitely looking forward to it."

"Good," John replied with a smile, "do you have family back home?" Barstow asked and signaled for another refill, feeling a slight light headedness already from the drink.

"I have my mother though we're not close. I also have a half-sister. But other than that, I don't really have any family to speak of, Apollo. Do you?" the XO asked in return truly interested in hearing the answer. Captains don't usually have immediate families back home much less in space.

"I have a six year old daughter on Earth and an adopted son who is now an infantry Company Commander in the Corps now," the CO replied with a proud smile, "well, more of a god son I guess, my daughter thinks of him as her blood brother though. And my daughters mother, my ex-wife, but that's it as far as family."

"That's amazing. I never knew that about you, Apollo. See it's true what they say; you learn something everyday," Cale responded with a big grin.

Barstow chuckled, "especially out here," he replied with a smile as his comm badge went off, calling him to the bridge. Johns head dropped as he was told it was an Admiral calling, "probably wanting me to explain ditching the Vulcans...." he said before downing the last of his drink and standing up, "alright, Cale, I'll talk to you later, I'm going to go get yelled at now," he said with a smirk before heading off.

"Better you than me, Captain," Cale said with an impish grin.

OFF

A mission post by:

Commander John "Apollo" Barstow, M.D.
Commanding Officer
USS Merlin

Lieutenant Commander Cale Llewellyn
Executive Officer
USS Merlin
NCC-84401