Alright, Just One Though...

Posted on Tue Jun 23rd, 2020 @ 5:15am by Lieutenant Nicholas Boucher
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 5:30pm

Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: Paradise Station
Timeline: After Shop Til You Drop

Nicholas Boucher had been wandering Paradise Station for sometime, trying to find an establishment that suited his purposes. Shopping with Aeryn had been a pleasant break, but he was quickly becoming bored again just wandering by himself. The Entertainment District had many different places on offer, but he couldn't quite pull the trigger on one of them.

The station was unlike any place he'd ever been. During the Dominion War, there hadn't been much time for sight-seeing, aside from the occasional brief shore leave. He hadn't spent very much time outside of the Sol system otherwise. This station was so very alien to him.

That also may be where the root cause of his current indecision lay. He was so unfamiliar with it all, that he didn't know what he wanted. Perhaps he just needed to add some familiarity to the mix. He tapped his commbadge.

"Boucher to Sirht," he started. "Ensign, your presence is requested on Paradise Station. Meet me in the Entertainment District. Wear civilian clothing."

There was a noticeable pause before he received a reply. He could almost hear the sigh and see the headshake he was sure his request had earned. Finally the commbadge spoke up. "Aye, sir."

Nick smiled. Now he had his wingman.

****
The two fighter pilots sat at a high-top table, both thoroughly out of their element, one seeming to take it a little better than the other. The two were physically quite opposite from one another: Nick was tall and slim, Redran short, squat and blue.

Nick had taken Redran under his wing, as it were, at the Academy. At least socially, anyway- Redran hadn't needed any help academically or as a pilot, he was easily better than Nick at both. They had developed an easy friendship, and when Nick had been given his squadron to command, he had put in a request for his friend to transfer in as his wingman.

Redran still wasn't terribly comfortable in social settings such as this, but he was lightyears better than when he'd shown up at the Academy almost 6 years prior, a sheltered young man who had just left home for the first time. He actually enjoyed being out, of it still left him a bit anxious.

"Remember," the Bolian began. "I said one drink. I need to get the maintenance on my fighter done tomorrow morning."

Nick chuckled. "Relax, Red. When have I ever steered you wrong?"

The Bolian gave Nick a glare that made the older man laugh even more. Redran had a point though, Nick had probably been the cause of more than one tight spot the two had been in over the years. The fact that he usually always diffused those situations on his own was no solace to the young Bolian.

A waitress appeared and Nick gave her his.most charming smile. "What will you gentlemen be having tonight?"

Redran furrowed his brow, thinking. "Do you have any synthehol?"

The waitress smiled politely and nodded.

"A synthehol wine for myself then," Redran stated. "White, if possible."

Nick choked down his disapproval. Growing up in France, one of the wine capitals of Earth, even the Federation, in his opinion, he couldn't stand the fake stuff. He wasn't particularly interested in wine tonight, himself, but when he did drink it he preferred the real deal.

"Saurian brandy, neat," he said when the waitress looked over at him. She smiled and sauntered away to get their order.

"You know that stuff used to be illegal for a reason, right?" Redran asked, shaking his head. "I hope you haven't lost your ability to hold your liquor, because I'm not carrying you back to the ship."

Nick gave his friend a grin and a wink. "I'm French, it's genetic, I'll never lose that ability."

It was Redran's turn to laugh. The waitress quickly returned with their drinks. Nick paid with the credit chit he had loaded up earlier and tipped the waitress generously. That was a trick to make them a priority: Tip big early. Redran may claim to have only wanted one, but Nick had been cooped up in a fighter for too many days lately, he needed to stretch his legs.

They had picked a bar on the quiter side, which suited Nick for now. He didn't really know what he wanted out of the night, aside from a chance to relax, anyway. He knew Redran was mostly here as a favour to him, but he appreciated it.

"So how are the kids?" the young man asked.

Nick smiled. "The two youngest are a handful for their mother, as expected being my kids. As for Stephane, he's graduating this coming summer. Told me he wants to apply for the Academy."

He swirled the liquid around in his glass, breathing it in for taking a large sip. Dear lord, that was good stuff.

Redran sipped at his drink and gave Nick a quizzical look. "Is that a good thing, or..?"

"I'm proud of him," Nick replied. "Very much so. With the state the galaxy is in these days, though, I really don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I haven't given it enough thought yet."

He finished his drink and caught the waitress' eye and held up the glass, indicating he'd like another. Redran raised an eyebrow at the move, causing Nick to laugh.

"I said just one," the Bolian said, flatly.

Nick shrugged. "This may be one of the last night's we can enjoy ourselves, Red. The situation we're in here on the Pandora... I have a feeling it's going to get a lot more tense."

Redran nodded in agreement. "I was getting that feeling too. Being out here in the Expanse with the clock ticking... Neither of us has seen combat. I'd kind of like to keep it that way."

"As a pilot, you mean," Nick cut in, as the waitress handed him his next drink. "As someone who has seen combat, moments of quiet like these shouldn't be taken for granted."

He raised the glass and Redran brought his up too. Their glasses clanged. "Cheers."

Nick slammed his glass of brandy as Redran took another sip of his. Nick shuddered his shoulders and squeezed his eyes shit as he shook as the drink flowed down.

"Sacrament, c'est bon," he exclaimed, opening his eyes.

Redran's eyes went wide in mock horror. "Oh no. I've seen this enough to know what happens when the French comes out."

Nick grinned mischievously. "Mon ami, c'est l'heure de s'amuser."

[OFF]