To Family and Friends

Posted on Sat Jan 20th, 2024 @ 1:56am by Keira McLachlan & Lieutenant JG René Rouen

1,784 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Prelude: Getting Ready to Depart
Location: Ship's Lounge
Timeline: TBD

René entered the lounge and walked straight to the bar. He took a seat and waited for service as he tried to process everything he had learned a few minutes ago. He was having a difficult time trying to figure out everything in his head and his emotional state had simply gone numb. He needed time to think things through.

Another quiet evening, so far. Surprising, really. Then again, maybe people still weren't in the mood for a drink yet. Most of Keira's customers seemed to be the newbies. Faith had yet to keep her promise of coming for a drink. In fact, Faith seemed to be avoiding her altogether. Keira knew why, but that was between the two sisters for another time. With a patron to serve, the bar manager held the thought. "What can I get you?" asked Keira.

René looked up at Keira and blinked several times before realizing what she said. "Oh...uh." A glass of French wine was not going to cut it. "Tequila if you could and not that vile Synthehol stuff."

"Coming up." Keira collected an empty glass, turned around to her mixing area and then prepared the tequila. She'd made a lot of these since joining Britannic. A cherry and slice of orange garnished the drink, which was handed to Rene. "One tequila." said Keira, with a smile.

René took the pieces of garnish out and ate them separately. He hadn't really wanted the garnish, but he had not specified and he was not one to waste resources. He picked up the shot glass and tossed back the liquid fire. He coughed into his elbow and set the shot glass back down. He gestured to one of the larger glass tumblers. "A double this time, you can hold the garnish this time."

Keira looked at Rene, hiding how unimpressed she was over the disapproval of her tequila garnish. She removed the empty glass, replaced it with a larger one. "You're not getting another one until you tell me what's up." she said, firmly. Keira then went to serve another customer. Two pinacoladas.

Rene gave the comment some thought as she served another couple sitting further down the bar. He gave a sigh. "Well, I just found out that the woman I loved a long time ago is also serving aboard this ship and...we have a three year old daughter together. I felt the need for a drink or three before turning in."

The pinacoladas served, Keira walked back towards Rene. "I can imagine it's a lot to process," she began, "but I can tell you now, drinking isn't the answer." she paused, briefly. "Especially not something which will leave you feeling worse in the morning."

René nodded in agreement, his expression thoughtful. "You're right. How about a chamomile tea instead?"

Keira was pleased her advice had been taken. She began to brew the chamomile tea, keeping an eye out for patrons waiting at the bar. Another brief lull, it seemed. "Here." said Keira, placing the steaming, warm beverage on the bar. "I'd advise not drinking this as quickly as the tequila."

"Noted" René sighed as his thought of Toareth and Gabrielle. He opened his mouth to speak, but was at a loss for words, especially to a stranger.

"I have two daughters, Heidi is six, Lydia is four." said Keira, slightly leaning on the bar. Hopefully, she could try and help improve Rene's mood. "I have a niece and a nephew, too. My niece is here on Britannic. My younger sister is the chief engineer." Keira then decided to make herself a drink. Regular tea took her fancy.

Rene looked up from his cup of chamomile tea. He reached across the bar. "René Rouen and I met your sister earlier today. She is...a very dedicated Starfleet officer."

Yep. That sounded like Faith, alright. "Yeah, Faith can be a bit of a stickler at times. She's a big softie really." replied Keira. Faith had clammed up a lot since the war. Keira understood why, but it didn't stop her worrying about her sister. "She probably just needs time." The barmaid poured the hot water over her tea bag, then turned around while it stewed. Keira didn't like having her back to people for too long. Or at all, really. "I'm Keira, by the way."

"Enchanté Mademoiselle Keira." René took a sip of her his tea. "So, where do you come from?"

Keira tried not to blush. This side to Rene was rather charming, that she would admit. "England." she confirmed. Keira then turned back to her stewing cup of tea. Tea bag removed, deposited in the recepticle. "You, I'll say France?"

Rene gave a single nod of his head with a friendly smile on his face. "Oui. Paris actually. My father teaches fencing and my mother is a music professor at university. I also have siblings, an older brother, Jaques, who works at the Palais de Concordia and a younger sister who just received a direct commission after serving as a Hospital Corpsman."

"Ah, cool." Keira added a dash of milk to her tea, carried it over to the bar. "Dad is an engineer, starship design. Mum is a teacher. My older brother, Joseph, flies orbital transports."

René sat quietly for a moment. "You said your sister and niece are aboard. What of your own children?" He paused a moment and added, "Sorry, I wasn't trying to pry."

"Heidi and Lydia are here, too." confirmed Keira. They were in the care of Alice, her best friend who had joined Britannic as a teacher. "My friend Alice looks after them when I'm here." a pause, a sip of her tea. "She's one of the teachers. And my best friend in the entire galaxy."

René smiled at the news Keira had her family close and friends to support her here on the ship. He was about to say something when an emblem on one of the bottles caught his eye. "I see you carry the Norman Late Harvest. It's one of the rarest wines produced at the Rouen vineyard. May I see the bottle for a moment?"

That must have slipped through Keira's careful scrutineering. She usually kept her rarer, more expensive wines, spirits somewhere else. For special occasions. Obviously. "Sure." she said, handing the bottle to Rene. "I have a couple more in my special reserve. That should be with them, actually."

René looked at the year and nodded appreciatively. He handed the bottle back to Keira. "That's the 2364. Very rare. Only twenty-five bottles were produced. It was one of the sweetest wines produced in France that year. Actually most of Europe I should say."

"Yes, that's definitely going into the special reserve." confirmed Keira, taking a slow sip of her tea. Both hands held the cup, its warmth radiating into them. "I picked that up when I ran a bar back home." she said. Reminiscing. "Got a few rare ones that day. Cost me a pretty penny." That it did.

René gestured to the bottle. "Best to store it at seven and a half degrees Celsius. Serve only about two to two and a half fingers. It's actually quite potent for a wine."

"Well, aren't you the wine connossieur?" she replied, eyeing the bottle. Now she knew that, the bottle would be going into permanent storage. Keira knew it was of high value, but not that high. Nope. That was never being opened. Not on her watch, anyway.

René shrugged. "I know so much," he gave Keira a knowing smile, "because my family is owns Rouen Vineyard and Winery. I actually helped harvest the grapes used to produce that particular vintage."

Keira nodded. What were the odds of that? A happy coincidence, she thought. "In that case, could you get it signed for me?" she said, grinning.

René glanced at the bottle for a moment before shaking his head. "Probably not, but...I can see if my Grand-Pere (grandfather) could send up a case of signed bottles for you. I can have him even sign the crate itself if you like."

"I was joking, Rene." replied Keira, with a smile. Eager to retake possession of the prized bottle. Although...it did sound like an opportunity worth taking up. Especially if the price was right. "...actually...maybe I'm not joking. What sort of price are we talking about?" she concluded, holding a hand out to indicate she'd like her bottle of wine back.

René returned the bottle to Keira. He took out his PADD and typed a short message to his Grand-Pere and hit send. He looked back at Keira for a moment and then used his PADD to create an invoice and pay for it from his own account. He then created a second invoice with him as supplier and Keira as recipient and annotated the invoice as paid in full with an open ear and a bit of good advice on moderation. He presented his PADD to her. "I just need a thumb print."

Keira watched, eyebrow raised. The PADD was passed to her. She accepted, read it briefly. Just a thumb print? Surely not. "Before I do that...what's the catch?" she asked. The PADD in her right hand, gently patting it against her left. "There's always a catch."

René shrugged. "There's no catch, no special conditions and I have no hidden agenda. You were kind, listened and offered sound advice to me. If anything this is my way of saying thank you."

"I don't do it for reward, Rene." said Keira, with a smile, touched somewhat by the kind gesture. "However, it would be rude of me to decline your generosity. Thank you." she concluded, placing her thumb print on the PADD. Keira hoped an opportunity to share one of the bottles with Rene would present itself. As friends, of course. In her mind, it only seemed fair.

René finished his chamomile and set the cup back on the saucer. He took a deep breath and stifled a yawn. "Have a pleasant evening Keira. I believe it is time I turn in."

With a nod, Keira collected the used cup and saucer. "You too, Rene." she replied, a pause. "If you ever need a listening ear, you know where I am."

René gave Keira a friendly smile and appreciative nod as he rose from his seat. "Thank you, I will probably take you up on that offer from time to time. Perhaps over a glass of wine next time." He settled up his tab and gave a gentle wave before turning to go. "Have a good night Keira."

"Bonne nuit, Rene." replied the bartender.

 

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