Lieutenant's Night
Posted on Sat Nov 30th, 2024 @ 5:10pm by Lieutenant Alice Zuberg MD & Lieutenant JG Daphne Crenshaw & Lieutenant JG Kas Th'shrytrir
Edited on on Sat Nov 30th, 2024 @ 5:11pm
1,564 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Season 1, Episode 3: Trespassing
Location: USS Tigerfish Senior Officer's Lounge
Timeline: Before encounter with Klingons
Folding his arms across his chest, the blue-skinned Andorian considered his efforts with a critical eye. Acting on Alice's advice that they should get to know one another better, the Chief Helmsman for the Tigerfish had waited until they were all aboard, and had arrange a Lieutenant's Night.
His idea was that the Lieutenant's across the ship - whether Lieutenant Commanders, Lieutenants, or the Junior Grades, could meet and socialise and create stronger bonds. He knew from experience the Lower Deckers would have the same gatherings, and much as they were the rock on which a successful ship was run, the Lieutenants were the pillars that supported the roof.
Or whatever. I'm not good at analogies, he conceded with a smile. Antennae undulating in satsifaction he walked round one of the tables he had set up. Everyone would have the chance to play a card game of their choice, be that poker, Denobulan Ten Draw, or even the simple, childish Tellarite card game Gizzards.
He had also ensured there would be ample synthehol available for their downtime via a chit he had been owed by one of the Operations officers aboard DSK9.
Now all he needed to do was to wait for the arrivals.
Daphne arrived first. She was still dressed in her uniform, her boots polished, her hose smooth. She had double-checked. She smiled as she came in, her face lighting up. She headed straight for Kas. "Thank you for putting this together."
'Not a problem,' Kas replied with a wide smile, 'Daphne right? I hope you have an enjoyable evening. There's a selection of drinks behind the bar for us.'
"Daphne, yeah," she said, turning to the drinks. She helped herself to a beer.
Next in the door was Alice. She took a moment to stop at her quarters to change out of her uniform and into a blue top and black miniskirt that in a lot of ways didn't look much different from her uniform.
"Kas! Daphne!" she called out to her colleagues/friends as she found her way to the drinks table and mixed a synthehol-rum and cola. It was common knowledge at this point that the machine of a woman nicknamed Alice Synthesis-Thirty ran on a fuel of caffeine, and cola was as good a source as any.
"Alice!" Daphne said back. "How are you?"
"Doing well here," Alice replied. "Eager to get underway. Yourself?"
"Ready to go," Daphne said. "I love your outfit by the way!"
"Thanks!" said Alice, grinning and happy to be among friends. "So what's the plan tonight?"
'Fancy any cards?' Kas called out from one of the tables, an Andorian mushroom beer in hand. 'I promise not to beat any of you too hard!'
"Cards sound fun," said Alice. "Don't hold back on our account, Kas. If you're going to show us up, show us up all the way," she added, laughing.
He smirked, 'All right,' the Andorian grabbed, and cut, a standard deck of French cards. 'I learned a lot at the Academy. Shall we play some Poker? Omaha. Hi-lo. If you care?'
"Omaha Hold'em was my game of choice at the Academy," Alice said. "You might eat your words from earlier, Kas. But don't worry. I've got something to help you digest them."
'Oh?' Kas flashed her another smile, 'I hope it's not got caffeine in it - can't stand the stuff, personally.' He began dealing out four cards to each of the players.
"Omaha Hold'Em?" Daphne asks. "I know Texas Hold'Em."
"In Omaha you get four cards instead of two," Alice explained. "And there are still five community cards. You make your hand with two of the cards in your hand and three from the community. It changes the odds a little bit but isn't exactly easier. You have a slightly bigger pool to pick from but that's it. If Kas deals you four Kings, it's not like he's given you four of a kind, since you can only use two of them. If anything you're in a worse position, since there's no chance for a three or four of a kind. Only two pair or maybe a decently high full house." She peered at her cards and tried to keep a stoic face. The eye patch helped in that regard.
"I see," Daphne said, looking at her own cards thoughtfully.
'It's a simple game really,' Kas said a little smugly, picking three cards and dealing them in to the center of the table. 'Alright, there's the initial community pot.' He picked his own cards up, a four of hearts and a Jack of Spades. Hardly promising he thought, antennae growing rigid in agitation momentarily.
'This is the first round,' he said, wiping the corner of his eye with a finger, 'the pre-flop. Does anyone care to place a bet at this stage?'
Feeling silly for being late, Arak rushed to the Rec Room from his quarters. He’d been tied up making some last-minute changes to the duty roster for the Navigation department and had lost track of the time.
Arak pulled up short of the automatic doors into the Rec Room, tugging the hem of his tunic into place. After a quick breath to calm his nerves, Arak stepped into the sensor’s path and waited for the door to open. He saw a card game had already started, so he stepped over to the bar and grabbed a fruity, synthehol cocktail that had a large garnish and made his way to a seat near the card game.
Raising a hand, Kas waved at the new arrival, 'hey, you're Arak, right? Wanna get dealed in?' He looked around the card table for dissent. 'We haven't started yet,' he called as he swivelled his head in the direction of the new guy.
Arak dodged the fruit garnish on his drink as he gave a little wave back to Kas.
”Oh, no thanks. I don’t even know how to play…” Arak said, his orange complexion deepening slightly with embarrassment.
'We can teach you?' Kas offered, 'not all of us have played before either!'
Arak nodded at the prospect and took another sip of his drink before sitting down in an empty chair. He glanced around the table and noticed that everyone was using two hands for their cards. He shifted his cup to his third hand and made ready to join the game.
“I must confess: I’m not sure I understand the objective of this…game,” Arak told the group as he looked around nervously.
"To get the most chips at the end," Daphne said. "Superficially. It also teaches a lot of skills important in tactics, diplomacy, politics, security, any sort of potentially adversarial situation."
“And how to read your opponents,” Alice said, happy with her two red eights but hiding her expression.
"That was my point," Daphne said.
"Ah, but was it?" Alice teased. "I've heard some people describe certain games and sports as being about grandiose things like family and drama and politics." She threw some chips into the middle when it was her turn to call. "I once read a story of a blind empath who played this game without knowing what his cards were. He was just an expert at sensing whether his opponents were lying or not."
"It was," Daphne affirmed confidently. "Your blind empath friend had an advantage. That's far more important information than the cards in your hand. Of course, we do all have to play the hands we're dealt." She winked.
"That we do," Alice agreed, raising the bet when it came to her turn.
Daphne studied Alice, trying to get a read on the other woman. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to stay in.
"How about you Kas? Arak?" asked Alice.
"I suppose I could stand to learn a little more about the... intricacies" of this game," the Triexian admitted. "Count me in."
Taking a look at his cards, Kas shrugged, stalks twitching slightly, 'still in ...' he said nonchalantly.
Alice smiled. "Then let's flip some more cards."
One player had many chips. The others had few to none. But drinks and snacks were had, games were played, and most importantly the Lieutenants of the USS Tigerfish had fun.
Alice was tidying up empty cups. "Good game, everyone."
'Better company than game,' Kas piped up grumpily as he collected the cards to be replaced in their storage container. He had thoroughly embarrassed himself, bluffing one too many times.
"I had fun," Daphne said, smiling.
'That was the original aim,' Kas replied, flashing a smile, 'I think I got carried away with the attempting to win part, to be honest.'
Seeing that everything was tidied away, Kas gave a wave to the other Lieutenants. 'I'll take your money during the next game,' he declared with a cocky smile and glint in his eye. 'Catch you on duty til then!' With exaggerated swagger he made for the Rec Room door and headed to find his bunk
END
Lieutenant JG Kas Th’Shrytrir
Chief Helmsman
Lieutenant Alice Zuberg
Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant JG Daphne Crenshaw
Chief Security Officer
Lieutenant Kris McIntyre
Chief Communications Officer
Lieutenant JG Arak Bir
Chief Navigator (at time of writing)
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