Two Guys and a Drink

Posted on Fri Apr 19th, 2019 @ 4:24pm by Brigadier General Kaden Ross & Liam O'Connor

2,216 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 97 - Cultural Exchange
Location: SB400, Promenade
Timeline: MD8

Kaden entered a bar and looked around taking note at the number of patrons inside as he looked for a place to sit. Seeing a nice spot at the bar it'self he walked over unzipped his uniform jacket to show off his baggy Batman Tee Shirt and tree trunk size bare arms before taking a seat. The barkeeper seeing him sit down approached him. "One Saurian Brandy, and I hope you fellas know how to make a proper Midnight Mint Mocha Frappuccino here."

The man behind the bar had the good grace to simply smile, “been a while but I remember how,” he said, getting to work.

“Good choice,” Liam complimented as he approached the bar, sliding into a bar stool just a little ways up the bar. His uncle would be angry at him being here but he was in a mood to drink free of judging eyes. But then, so did most people.

“Liam,” he offered by way of introduction before ordering his own drink.

Kaden waited for the bartender to give him his drink as he raised it to Liam. “Kaden, what drink you referring to the brandy or the frappuccino?” He asked as he took a sip of his brandy.

“Brandy,” Liam clarified as his own drink arrived, “although more partial to a single malt whisky myself. And Guinness. Hey, I’m actually not that fussy.”

Kaden shook his head as he took another sip of his drink pausing to take care of an itch showing off his muscled tree trunk for an arm. “I don’t drink much promised the wife I lay off the booze after the last time I got drunk with a rather interesting choice of a drinking buddy.”

"Ah, the old ball and chain, eh?" Liam grinned. "I for one am more of a free spirit. But you are hardly drunk so I don't think you need to worry."

“Hey I happen to love that ball and chain thank you very much...” Kaden said resting his arms on the edge of the bar.

"I should hope so," Liam agreed with a nod, gesturing for a refill. He shot a glance in Kaden's direction. "Another?"

Kaden shook his head as he lifted his still full glass of Brandy. “Pass, but a Frappucino sounds good right now after I finish this.” He took a drink. “So what brings you this far out into the great void of space?”

"I'd love to be able to say something peotic like, but I cam out to help my aunt and uncle. They have a bar here and he wants to do some work to it. And he's getting a bit old to manage it by himself. I was kicking about back on Earth, no real clue what to do with myself. So I figured, why not?"

Kaden had respect him for the need to help in the family business especially since his family ran a huge antigrav car manufacturing empire that he wasn’t too keen on others knowing about so had to choose his next words carefully. “Well, thats very noble of you to come this far out and help I myself wouldn’t of exactly done anything of that sort but that is why I am a Marine I prefer to keep all the yahoos out here in line.”

"Ah, that was my former life," Liam lamented wistfully, downing the rest of his second drink but waving away the barman when he moved in to refill it.

Kaden took another sip of his brandy. “I couldn’t see myself doing anything but this, my counselor had suggested to join in a effort to try and feel more confident about myself it’s worked to a degree. My parents well they prefer I stay home and follow suit in the family,” He paused catching himself from blurting the family business revealing he was a rich kid. “The...family tradition started by my great great grandfather to tell the Federation to kiss our asses since they disbanded MACO. Not implying we hate the Federation just the fact they never really kept a devoted military branch like they should of.”

"Well, it was a life I didn't want to leave behind," he confessed. "But you can't always pick what life throws your way I guess. And at least this is more productive than sleeping on my brother's couch."

Kaden pick up his glass of brandy swirling the contents inside as he looked at Liam. “You could always rejoin the Marines if you want to, I guess I am have some of my great great grandfather’s stubbornness when I say if it wasn’t for the Military might as well sit on a couch and get drunk cause I sure as shit am no god damn explorer.” He smiled slightly before taking a sip of his drink finally.

“One day, maybe. Picking up a pint is one thing but it’d be a lot of physio to get rid of the aches in my bones. And I may have had a few disagreements with how our CO dealt with the fallout of the last mission I was on so probably not top of any recruitment lists,” Liam admitted. “For now I am a barman, builder, bouncer or whatever else Kitty needs me to do.”

Kaden raised an eyebrow setting his drink back down on the counter top of the bar. “Kitty? I am sorry I am still new here I don’t know all the folks on this station still well, least the ones I will be dealing with mostly if I am not out on a mission on a starship that is.” He confessed.

“New here myself, but Kitty is my aunt and the bar my uncle owns is named after her. But they were discussing colour schemes and then it got into a fight about potatoes... I figured I’d give them some space.”

Kaden laughed as he took a drink from his brandy. “Potatoes? That is new I never heard of anyone argue over Potatoes.” He leaned forward towards Liam. “My wife and I we have crazy arguments over odd things but I assure you the make up sex after is totally worth it. I bet you right now that is what they are doing at this very moment so it is already blown over.”

“Now I do need another drink,” Liam laughed, feigning a horrified look.

Kaden couldn’t help but grin as he took another drink of his brandy. “You’ll live,” He set his glass down on the counter again there was maybe enough for one last drink much as he was tempted to order another round.

"Is your wife a marine too?" Liam asked, trying to make conversation. Since he had mentioned having a wife - albeit in the capacity of make up sex - he thought it only polite to ask about her.

“Combat Medic and Counselor very talented one to boot I might add.” Replied Kaden.

You could hear the pride in his voice as he said it. “Then you are a lucky man,” Liam told him.

Kaden lifted his glass as stared at last of the contents as he could feel all of his good emotions suddenly deflate as a feeling of depression crept up from no where. “Yeah...lucky...” He said in a very sad tone as he finished his brandy placing the empty glass against the side of his head.

“Hey, now a man with an amazing wife shouldn’t have too many reasons to look so sad,” Liam commented, gesturing for the barman to bring them another round.

Kaden watched the bartender pour them another round normally he stop at just one but he instead decided to do one more but made a mental note to quit after this drink. But grabbing his glass and his uniform jacket the Marine sat up and over to a empty stool next to Liam. “Look, I know we just met, but let me ask you a hypothetical question if I may.”

In his experience ‘hypothetical’ questions were anything but hypothetical but he nodded anyway, “shoot.”

Kaden took a moment to word this carefully not wanting to mention his wife had someone forced themselves on her years ago. “What if you had a lady friend who just discovered she had been sexually assaulted years ago? Would you report it to security at least or would it be a waste of time?” He asked.

"Well now that depends," Liam said as he took a long drink. "In this hypothetical scenario, is murdering the the son of a -" he raised his hand in apology as the barman gave him a hard look. "Sorry, sorry. I personally, would probably end up the one in the brig in that situation and being carted off to a penal colony. But I'd happily do time for that.

"But see now, if that wasn't on the cards, then yeah, probably report it. Maybe they can find out who. If your lady friend didn't know. Sorry man, it's not a situation you wanna be in."

Kaden lowered his head clearly Liam wasn’t aware he was in that position and it was better he didn’t know. He took a drink of his Brandy he didn’t want to wind up on a penal colony but he sure as hell wanted to kill the bastard that harmed his wife. “Perhaps, it is worth letting Security know at least.” He replied.

"Assuming that's what she wants to do, yeah," Liam agreed. "Sometimes people don't like talking about things like that."

Kaden wasn’t sure if Freya wanted to talk to Security about her assault. “I believe her if that is what you are referring to.” Kaden said bluntly Freya was no damn liar he sure as hell didn’t think that Dr. Corrigan was a moron.

“God, no, not what I meant at all. It’s just you hear about people not wanting to come forward because it’s personal things you’d never dream of talking about to a security guard you’ve never met before,” Liam explained.

Kaden nodded feeling better now that Liam explained himself although he was not one to get angry so easily. However not much could be said about the Individual that bumped into him just as he was about to take a drink of his Brandy spilling half the glass over his shirt. “Hey!” Kaden shouted. He turned to a fellow who seemed to be arguing with a woman that strangely resembled Freya.

The fellow looked at Kaden snorted and returned back to arguing with the woman clearly not caring he had just ruined a nice chat over drink. The woman trying to get around him but he was not allowing her to.

“Excuse me, but there is a problem?” Kaden asked.

Annoyed the man turned to Kaden and shoved him. “Fuck off, mind your own business will you?”

Liam shook his head, amazed at the levels of stupidity one person could reach. “Well, we can see why you want to be anywhere but with him,”he told the woman.

“I am sorry honestly I just met him not long ago,” She looked at the man she was with. “He didn’t mean to ruin your your drinks as he is upset that I AM JUST LEAVING.”

Kaden watch the man ball his hands into a fist ready to put all this skills in Jujitsu and Jeet Kune Do on display if need be although he rather not. However the man actually did a smart thing for once and backed off allowing the woman to leave without further incident. Watching her go Kaden sighed relieved he wasn’t going to possibly wind up in the brig for fighting but the man furious looked at him.

“Thanks a lot, assholes!” He said before storming off.

Kaden watched him leave before looking down at his shirt batman tee shirt sighing as he loved this shirt plus wondering if Freya was going to be demanding why smells like booze assuming he was getting drunk. “Great, guy ruined my favorite shirt and the wife is going to assume I am drunk.”

“I’d write you a reference but since I work in a bar, it might not help,” Liam told him.

Kaden smiled as he grabbed his jacket downing what was left of his drink. “Hey, I appericate it but don’t worry the wife is a Betazoid she will know I am telling the truth.” He set the empty glass on the table. “So what is the place called again? Kitty’s?”

“Kitty O’Shea’s,” he confirmed with a nod.

Kaden looked at the mess on his shirt before offering Liam a smile. “In that case, I will be sure to swing on by,” He started for the door. “Thanks for the chat.” But before leaving Kaden turned to face Liam one last time. “Oh for the record if your aunt and uncle wish to argue over potatoes take it from a Idaho boy such as myself, Idaho Russet potatoes are the best.” The Marine offered him slight friendly grin as he then gave Liam a quick salute with his index and middle fingers before heading off.

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