Post #1: Felicitations and Flirtations

Location: Mic Mac's Diner - Starbase Atira
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Once more into the breach – sometimes she wondered why she bothered. Starfleet was the last thing she wanted for a while and finally she decided it was the only way to get out from under her parent’s thumbs. They were good people but Starfleet wasn’t exactly the thing for them. She stopped for a moment to speak to the only friend she had made on board the ship and smiled at the woman that had once been a Borg.

“Well Senna,” she sighed. “This is it. I can’t believe I’m going.”

She smiled, “and I cannot believe they placed you on a starbase.”

Hugging Senna, she sighed, “I’ll keep in touch. I don’t know how often we’ll see each other but I will send letters. I will write them myself.”

“I will hold you to that,” Senna told her. “But please, you should go before you cry.”

Tri grinned and sniffled, “you’re right.” She gave her friend one final and turned to leave.

Tri Alsa Qira had forgotten how much she hated starbases. They seemed to be stuck in one place – all the time and that bothered her greatly. The moment she stepped off the USS Coswell and heaved her duffle over a shoulder while she ran over her orders inside her head. She was to spend a week on board Starbase Atira for her shore leave but she wasn’t to leave. The only reason she was on leave was because she was waiting for the USS Silor to return. A frown crossed her lips as she made her way through the corridor, signed in with security and ducked out into the promenade. The place was like a mad house. It seemed everyone that was on the base was in that exact location. Her stomach growled and she rubbed it with her free hand, pushed some blue hair from her face and looked around to see if she could find some food. Her eyes caught a restaurant and she walked through a group of people, side-stepped two squabbling Ferengis and entered.

She lid into a seat, placing her bag by her feet and picked up the menu. She only did it because it was there but she knew already what she wanted. When the server arrived she grinned up at him, “a plate of fries, don’t scrimp on ‘em. A cheeseburger with everything on it except mushrooms I don’t like those, a serving of hash browns and orange juice.”

The server looked at her as though she was nuts but she simply smiled sweetly and watched him walk off.

Atira - what was he doing here? Oh yes finishing some rather messy business with a handful of Cardassian run-offs. Kaldur was glad that was over. Running his hand over his ridges he stepped out of the shuttle and into the Starbase. Atira, he thought again, it reminded him of some chick he had tried to date several years ago - cold and unforgiving, and wanting him only for money. Kaldur made his way along the walkway, through people, the few things he carried with him fit easy on his body under all the metal and leather he wore, his traditional Klingon military uniform. He kept his face hard, his posture hard. His stomachs growled. He wanted something to eat. He glanced at the name of a restaurant and wondered if they would have anything living or at least raw to eat. With a shrug Kaldur stepped inside. There was only one way to know. He sat at a table and folded his arms, looking around as he waited for someone to bring a menu. When no one did he stood up and let his eyes wander over people. At last, a rather frightened looking young man approached him and offered him a menu. Kaldur took it and flipped through it. He looked up at the human youth before asking in Klingon, "do you have anything that moves?"

The boy didn't seem to understand. Kaldur just shook his head, "never mind," he said, switching to English, "gimme the house special today, that will have to do."

He had no idea what it was but certainly, it could be no worse than the Cardassian's form of food.

When the server finished with the Klingon with the sour disposition – wait, all Klingons had sour dispositions – Tri stopped the shaking young man and gave him a warm smile, “could I have another serving of hash browns while you’re at it. No rush – I want it to take with me once I am finished.”

“Sure, Lt,” he nodded and hurried off again. She stared at the man that sat at table next to hers and wondered why he had that look on his face as though someone peed in his Warnog. “You ordered the house special,” she called to him across the small space. “Care to try mine? You may not like it – it doesn’t wiggle or try to run away when you try to eat it.”

Kaldar looked up when he realised there was a woman talking to him. Her laughing eyes made him want to smile but for the moment he kept it in. Kaldar raised his chin a bit, "but the wiggling is half the fun," he countered, "you know, its all part of the hunt and the chase."

“Uh---huh,” she told him slowly holding out the plate for him to reach for fries should he want to. “After a long day on my feet, dodging phaser fire etcetera the last thing I want to do is go home and chase my food around for a while. I am way too impatient for that.”

Kaldar did raise an eyebrow. Moving around the side of the table he walked over to where she was and picked up one of the fries. He had heard about this food before. With a look at her he said, "I've never understood the need to burn the flavor out of something," still he put the bit of food in his mouth, chewed it and smiled. Kaldar let his eyes dance over hers, "Kaldar," he greeted, "impatience is a klingon specialty," he told her. Kaldar offered her a nod of approval and introduced himself, "Kaldar, KDF Unit 42."

“I see,” she placed her plate back against the table. “Lt. Tri Alsa Qira, currently homeless until the USS Silor gets here then I will be their chief security officer.” She stuffed a couple of fries into her mouth and chewed before picking up a ketchup bottle and drowned half the plate of fries. She let the other side remain without the red glob just in case he wanted some more.

"It is good to meet you," he answered. Then he looked around noticing the server was trying to bring his plate to him but didn't know where to put it. He looked across at the woman, "Lt. Tri Alsa Qira, do you mind if I sit here?"

“Not at all,” she told him. The Server looked at her as though she had just sprouted a second head and she grinned. “It’s alright,” she assured him. He placed the plate of fries and a burger down, along with juice and excused himself. “You scared him half to death. It would help if you smiled more,” she muttered taking large bite from her burger.

"It will help him be a strong warrior one day, to face his fears," Kaldar glanced to where the server had quickly made his retreat. Kaldar looked at her then He looked at her and then poked at the thing of dead cooked meat sitting on a plate, "Klingons don't smile." He said.

She wanted to tell him that Klingons don’t smile mean’s Klingon’s don’t get laid but she gave him a curt smile, “not everyone wants to be warriors, you know,” she explained to him. “Some men just wants to be a good catch for some woman. And besides, warriors are overrated.”

He looked at her, amused now. Reaching for the bottle of -red stuff- he tried to read the label as he asked, "you can back this up, not everyone wanting to be warriors, yes?" He turned the bottle of ketchup over onto his fries. Kaldar shrugged, "at least it makes them look like they are bleeding." He said. Then he set the bottle down.

Tri glanced down at her ketchup smothered fries and frowned at him, “you know, not everyone like their food bleeding. As for not everyone wanting to be warriors I can prove it. I never wanted to be a warrior.” She lifted her burger once more to her lips and took a bite. She chewed and swallowed before reaching for her glass, “I wanted to live on Risa, in the sun and read all day.”

"Everyone is not a Klingon," he answered. He did take a bite of his food then and managed to get it down. He paused a moment and then said, "most people believe in what is stereotypical. It is refreshing," he nodded at her, "that you seem not to be. I've been to Risa," Kaldar announced. He did smile then, showing his teeth, "and there is a lot of sun there, but I would rather spend my time in the sea."

She watched him then smiled, “the sea is fun but nothing beats the sun on your bare flesh,” she spoke without realising it. “It’s the small wonders in the world, Kaldar.”

"Kal," he told her simply. Kaldar took a drink of the orange stuff and found it really wasn't that bad, so he swallowed more of it before setting the glass down and studying her. His tone changed subtly, "Things are not always what they seem, Lt. Qira. Where I live," he didn't mean to but his eyes trailed over her body, the way the leather touched her skin. He snapped his eyes to her face, "there is plenty of water, and sun." He sat back in his chair and added, "you should go there one day and you will see."

“QonoS,” she whispered barely above a whisper. She opened her mouth to tell him the day she went there would be the day pigs flew but said nothing but, “I should. But it is a tad out of the way for my ship. I don’t get much time off as it is.” She studied him for a while then smirked, “why Kalder, are you asking me to come home with you?” she joked.

He sat back and inclined his head at her, "if there is water and sun would it be a terrible invitation - if I were?" He asked back.

She chuckled before picking up her napkin. Reaching over, she wiped a smudge of ketchup from his cheek and placed the napkin back into her lap, “I guess not – I welcome the sun at every chance I get.”

He was startled by her sudden movement and almost drew back. But then, as she sat down he relaxed as he realised what he was doing. Kaldar cleared his throat and looked down at his plate, "this food," he told her, "I truly will starve to death before I do get home again. But the company is pleasant."

“It’s not so bad,” she told him. “I had to get used to it too. But after a while of eating rations and other craps nothing beats a good oily burger enough to clog an artery and fries,” she smiled cheekily. She wondered where she had gotten the courage to speak to a man, especially a Klingon. They were normally such pain in the rear... She breathed and placed the last of her burger into her mouth. She watched him thoughtfully. “Once you get to a replicator you can order something – moving.”

"I've had worse," he answered. Kaldar watched her intently before saying, "replicators cannot produce live food properly, and they always malfunction. But then, that’s nothing new, right?" He looked her up and down before leaning into the table and asking, "so, you coming to Qo'noS? I promise there is plenty of sun."

Tri laughed and shook her head, “that would be considered desertion, Kal,” she told him still chuckling at his brazen question. She pressed a fry into her mouth. “Sun or no. I am waiting for my ship – remember?”

"Hmmm," he said thoughtfully. Kaldar folded his arms and watched her, "you have to have shore leave?" He taunted with a grin. Kaldar studied her expectantly, "chicken?"

“Oh no thank you I don’t want any – Wait, are you calling me a chicken?” she stopped and eyed him.

"You don't want any shore leave?" he asked her. Kaldar raised his brows, "now why would I do something like that? You probably don't even like poultry."

She eyed him suspiciously. If she didn’t know better she would have sworn this man was hitting on her and making a joke. That was something all the other Klingons had never done. They were too busy swigging Warnog and Bloodwine to look at a woman. She cleared her throat and drained her juice before looking at him again, “of course I want shore leave,” she told him. “I just don’t know if I’ll have time to go to QonoS.”

"And if you do?" he asked her, "how about then," he paused again and looked around them, "or now?"

“I would go, I mean it couldn’t hurt. But I don’t know anyone there and all that fun stuff...what is this obsession you have in getting me to QonoS? Want to see me in a swimsuit?”

He did grin now enjoying watching her try to figure this out, "you do know someone," he pointed out, "you know me." Kaldar leaned into the table and motioned for her to come over as though he was going to share with her some great secret, "you can't feel the sun on your skin with a swimsuit on, remember?"

Her cheeks heated up and she pressed back with both hands covering them. With her dark skin he probably couldn’t tell but she couldn’t help herself. “Erm,” she stuttered shyly. “I guess I walked into that one. But a gentleman wouldn’t have remembered what I said earlier.”

"Who said I am a gentleman, besides," he added, taking a drink from his glass, "I bet they would remember alright, they would probably just keep their mouth shut better and try to come up with another way to figure this out. So," he asked again, setting the glass down, "next shore leave, game, or chicken?"

Tri laughed and looked away. The server and a few others were staring at her with shock on their faces. They were probably wondering what a Klingon – that Klingon – could be saying that was so funny. She laughed harder and looked at him again, “I don’t know,” she told him. “There isn’t anything wrong with being a chicken.”

"No," he said. Kaldar paused a moment wondering how he got into such a glorious conversation with such a beautiful woman. All he had wanted was lunch - and this was so much better. He sat back trying to figure out what to say next to keep it from ending. He hand an idea - "except I eat chickens."

“There are so many things I could say in response to that if you were human,” Tri blushed slightly. She bit into one of the hash browns. She was right. There were so many sexual innuendos she could have come up with that. Instead she nodded her head, “fair enough,” she told him. “But seriously, I don’t know if QonoS is the place for me. It’s just...I need a moon.”

"I might know humans," Kaldar said slowly. He kept his voice level but watched the woman across from him, "strip the chicken to its skin and bite?" He winked at her. That said he cleared his throat and added, "and we have a moon. It’s just in pieces, but you should see them lit up across the sky at night with the stars ...well...when we have stars."

With his whole strip the chicken and bite thing, Tri couldn’t help the fact that she bit against her lower lip and her breath quickened slightly. When he pulled back it was as though he was pulling his touch away. She felt slightly disappointed but caught the rest of what he was saying – barely. “Stars are needed too,” Tri inhaled deeply, reminding herself that she was a humanoid specie and needed to breathe. “But I’m not human.”

"No?" He asked. He looked her over. With the sudden intensity in the room he needed a drink, he lifted the orange juice and swallowed it wryly - he needed a real drink. He set the glass down and nodded at her, "neither am I."

Tri nodded at his final statement and wondered if there was any meaning to that. He must have known that she knew he wasn’t human. She wanted to reach over and touch him then but refrained. Her eyes caught the server and she waved him over, “I should get going,” she told Kal while she waited for the server to reach them. “Thank you for a lovely time....”

“Yes Lt?” the server asked.

“Could you tell me how much is my bill?” she asked politely. “I have to get going.”

"I got it," Kaldar interrupted, he had to remember to switch back to Terran standard - since he hadn't spoken it in so long. He stood up and paid before she could argue. Then he asked for a pen and wrote something down on a napkin and slid it across the table to her, "if you are ever in the area." He said.

She grinned and accepted the napkin. She placed it carefully into her carry on bag, a black leather pouch and smiled at him, “I meant it. Thank you for lunch, and thank you for lovely conversation,” she reached onto her tip toes and kissed his cheek, “thanks.”

The brush of her lips startled him into flinching, that hadn't been expected and he found himself only able to nod. His hands moved to take hold of her waist and he stopped himself. Kaldar stood back, "you too," he told her, making sure he put that 'look' into his eyes. Then he nodded at her, turned and left. But as he walked away a grin spread across his face that made other patrons on the base stare. His excitement boiled over and he started kicking at things, to contain it, trashcans fell over or were hurled across the walkway. He grinned. He didn't care - his day had just gotten so much better, he had just picked up on a beautiful woman.

Kaldar glanced back before he turned the corner. He ran his hands through his hair. Now the wait began. He only hoped she would call.

Tri giggled as she continued her way towards her temporary quarters. As the turbo lift rose upward to the 60th deck, she laughed – she had just hit on a Klingon – Booyah!

Lt. Tri Alsa Qira
Chief Security Officer
USS Silor

&

Kaldar
KDF Unit 42


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