IKC FHew 7C6110
Alligences 1 – Bar-room Ballads
by Soghla' Jared & HoD Ro' Matlh & Ne' Leah Vien
Post Details
The Bar at the Ubatti trading outpost was a chaotic affair. It wasn't exactly rough. It had some rough clientele, but they rubbed shoulders with regular merchants in relative safety.
This was mostly due to the bar's bouncer - a seven foot tall Naussican called Ghorhk, who most of the regulars suspected had been quarried rather than born. Ghorhk had a habit of joining in any fights that happened on his watch, and invariably joining the loosing side, as he loved a challenge. Thus everyone knew - if you were going to start a fight, it was important that you started it with someone tougher than you. It was also important that you lost.
But the bar did have as diverse a clientele as you could possibly want. In any given hour of the day, you could reliably find up to twenty different skin colours and textures among the various patrons. The food was bizarre, the talk was otherworldy, and the company was... well... alien.
It was also not a common forum for public announcement. Which was why Leah found it a little surprising to hear the sound of two glasses clinking together, and to catch sight of a small man standing on one of the tables, clinking glasses to catch people's attention.
The man's species was hard to pick - Leah didn't recognise it. He was small, with a slightly rodenty look about him - including a fine layer of fuzz on his skin, a raised mane of hair down his back, and a moderate sized tail ending in a fuzzy tuft.
"Excuse me! Excuse me everyone! I just wanted to grab your attention for a minute! My new friend the Sihu trader here was just telling me how the vessle I travel in is old and outclassed, and how I'd be far better signing on with a far more high-tech vessle such as a Sihu cruiser, or a Federation vessle."
The trader - a slightly reptilian figure with some kind of heavy duty bionic eye mechanism, nodded.
"I've heard this sort of attitude a few times just recently. Rather than refute him directly, I thought I might share a story with you all for your entertainment and edification. Call it current events, if you will. This is the Ballad of the Broken Ship"
He began to sing.
As unexpected as it was, his voice was exceptionally good. The song wasn't complex, but the tune was contagiously catchy, and Leah had a suspicion it would be running around her head for the next few days. The words quickly began to make people smile:
The battleship Arcadia,
Was sitting dead in space,
And all she had in weaponry,
She sadly lacked in grace.
Her shields were weak, her nacelles smashed,
Her battle ready hull,
Was nothing much to look at now,
And all her paint was dull.
When all at once a blinding flash,
Lit hull up with a glow,
A lone photon torpedo,
That's how Klingons say hello!
The valiant Klingon ship F'Hew,
Her weapons standing by,
Shimmered into sight of all,
It seemed the end was nigh.
The starfleeters all quailed in fear,
As wreathed in shimmering light,
The Klingons beamed onto the bridge,
Armed ready for a fight.
"Are they going to eat us?" squealed,
The ensigns all in fear,
Cowering under desks in fright,
And covering their ears.
The Klingons laughed their hearty laughs,
And put their guns away,
"You all can stop your cowering now,
We're here to save the day"
"While flying past your broken ship,
We heard your feeble cries,
And said 'Let's go and lend a hand,
Before their crew all dies!'"
"We'll tow you back to home and hearth,
To dry your family's tears,
And lengthen all your life-spans from,
Mere hours, back into years.
So poor battered Arcadia,
Was towed by valiant F'Hew,
The Charleston saved by the B'Rel,
A funny tale, but true.
So listen up, my hearty friends,
And careful notice take,
The Starfleet ships may look the part,
But Klingon ships don't break!
As the song ended, there was a laugh and a cheer from the patrons, many who had started beating time with their mugs. The little man took a polite bow as the crowd gave him a brief cheery applause. Then he climbed down, sitting back down next to the Sihu trader, who patted him on the shoulder with a chuckle.
Leah could already hear a few of the patrons starting to hum the turn quietly to themselves.
Leah ran a finger thoughtlessly around the rim of her glass as she leaned to the bar half smiling to herself. It wasn't everyday a poet was found among this sort, she figured he only had a short time before someone had an issue with him, yet according to his story he was with a klingon ship oddly enough.
Leah watched Jared pointedly until getting a moment of eye contact. After a polite yet dismissive smile to the individual next to her who seemed a bit to intense on getting to know her Leah uncrossed her legs and manoeuvred her way to a stand adjacent to Jared. Leaning back slightly to brush her hair back Leah casually glanced back down seeing she had Jared's attention again for the moment.
"Nice story there, I didn't know Klingons had a position for poets." Leah smiled brightly to the Sihu trader beyond Jared "I wouldn't mind hearing more over a few drinks?"
The Sihu Trader grinned to Jared and offered to get another round. After he left the seat Leah smoothly sat down in it and leaned on and elbow. "So you can't be serious about actually being on a klingon ship, I mean..." she trailed off with a light laugh
"Oh yes!" Jared replied cheerily. "You wouldn't be the first person to think it a little bit odd. But my species - the TiQ, they call us - have had good relations with the Klingons for a long time. Our races have a sort of casual arrangement. They fight the wars and win the 'glorious victories', and we tell the tale of it in years to come."
"I'm on the IKC F'Hew at the moment. Chief Science Officer. Although that's not exactly a prestige position amongst the Klingons."
He looked curiously at the drink the barman placed in front of them - a gift from the Sihu. A rich, golden looking liquid.
"Oh thank you!"
He picked up the glass and looked at it with a thoughtful expression.
"Not so sure about this," he said. "A human drink, my Sihu friend tells me. Named after a region on their home world. Somewhere called 'Scotch', apparently."
He sniffed it warily.
"Looks a little potent to be served by the pint, if you ask me."
With a shrug, he drained the glass. Then he sat very still for a moment, his eyes watering slightly. He breathed out slowly.
"I'd say the people of Scotch are probably a very tough breed," he said in a slightly strained voice.
Leah smiled sweetly locking her eyes to Jared, giving little regard for the drink set in front of her and even less attention to the Sihu, who eventually got the hint and moved on to a rather intense card game across the bar.
"Yes Scotts are a very tough warrior breed of humans, I am sure though you can handle more than one pint though, it is rather insulting in human culture to only take one glass when offered."
Leah looked up and nodded to the bartender who prepared another drink.
"So an all male crew I assume, must be hard to find some good company among some rowdy warrior men."
"Oh... it's not all male," Jared replied cheerfully. "There's at least five women aboard. Let me see..."
He counted quickly on his fingers.
"Marla, Marie, Tell and Hay'legh, Cha'a'... I think that's it. Yes, five. My bunkmate is a woman, although I don't know her all that well as yet. Oh... thankyou."
The last comment was to the Barman - placing a second pint of Scotch in front of Jared. He took the glass and raised it to Leah's health - once again draining it in a single draught.
He placed the glass back on the counter and once again breathed out rather slowly.
"A warrior breed, you say," he said breathlessly. "I'm guessing they don't go out directly after drinking this, or I'd wager the battles would be rather... haphazard."
"Speaking of haphazard, I wasn't expecting such a dynamic crew. I wouldn't mind getting to know the one that manages to keep that...classic... starship intact."
"Oh... That'd be Tell or Marla. Marla handles all the.... Klingony bits. Tell sorts out the rest. Except the bits I tinker with from time to time. For example, Klingon ships don't have much in the way of sensors. At least... not of the sort that don't lock on to things."
He stared at his hand, with a curious expression.
"Well... that's... different!"
Leah glances around the place for a moment before continuing in a lower tone.
"Actually.. I have a party I am going to later on tonight, good music, drinks and company. Maybe you could even entertain us with a few stories. At any rate if you and a few of crew mates want to have some fun before you leave I can give you the directions."
The little man seemed only to be half listening at this point. He was starting to have trouble focussing.
"Sure. Anyone you want me to bring? HoS tends to ruin parties - except the Klingon sort, where injuries and breakages are considered part of the fun. And HIchop's anecdotes tend to unsettle people."
"Well as I mentioned bring that engineer, both if you want, I think you said one by the name of Tell though, but limit to many others I am not hosting the party and I don't need anyone crashing it."
Leah whispered the directions to Jared with a smile and slipped her way through the crowds and out of the bar.
by Soghla' Jared & HoD Ro' Matlh & Ne' Leah Vien
Post Details
| Title | Bar-room Ballads | |
| Mission | Alligences 1 | |
| Author(s) | Soghla' Jared & HoD Ro' Matlh & Ne' Leah Vien | |
| Posted | Sun May 23, 2010 @ 5:04am | |
| Location | The Pub/Bar at the Ubatti outpost | |
| Timeline | About half an hour after the F'Hew's arrival | |
| Tag | Leah |
This was mostly due to the bar's bouncer - a seven foot tall Naussican called Ghorhk, who most of the regulars suspected had been quarried rather than born. Ghorhk had a habit of joining in any fights that happened on his watch, and invariably joining the loosing side, as he loved a challenge. Thus everyone knew - if you were going to start a fight, it was important that you started it with someone tougher than you. It was also important that you lost.
But the bar did have as diverse a clientele as you could possibly want. In any given hour of the day, you could reliably find up to twenty different skin colours and textures among the various patrons. The food was bizarre, the talk was otherworldy, and the company was... well... alien.
It was also not a common forum for public announcement. Which was why Leah found it a little surprising to hear the sound of two glasses clinking together, and to catch sight of a small man standing on one of the tables, clinking glasses to catch people's attention.
The man's species was hard to pick - Leah didn't recognise it. He was small, with a slightly rodenty look about him - including a fine layer of fuzz on his skin, a raised mane of hair down his back, and a moderate sized tail ending in a fuzzy tuft.
"Excuse me! Excuse me everyone! I just wanted to grab your attention for a minute! My new friend the Sihu trader here was just telling me how the vessle I travel in is old and outclassed, and how I'd be far better signing on with a far more high-tech vessle such as a Sihu cruiser, or a Federation vessle."
The trader - a slightly reptilian figure with some kind of heavy duty bionic eye mechanism, nodded.
"I've heard this sort of attitude a few times just recently. Rather than refute him directly, I thought I might share a story with you all for your entertainment and edification. Call it current events, if you will. This is the Ballad of the Broken Ship"
He began to sing.
As unexpected as it was, his voice was exceptionally good. The song wasn't complex, but the tune was contagiously catchy, and Leah had a suspicion it would be running around her head for the next few days. The words quickly began to make people smile:
The battleship Arcadia,
Was sitting dead in space,
And all she had in weaponry,
She sadly lacked in grace.
Her shields were weak, her nacelles smashed,
Her battle ready hull,
Was nothing much to look at now,
And all her paint was dull.
When all at once a blinding flash,
Lit hull up with a glow,
A lone photon torpedo,
That's how Klingons say hello!
The valiant Klingon ship F'Hew,
Her weapons standing by,
Shimmered into sight of all,
It seemed the end was nigh.
The starfleeters all quailed in fear,
As wreathed in shimmering light,
The Klingons beamed onto the bridge,
Armed ready for a fight.
"Are they going to eat us?" squealed,
The ensigns all in fear,
Cowering under desks in fright,
And covering their ears.
The Klingons laughed their hearty laughs,
And put their guns away,
"You all can stop your cowering now,
We're here to save the day"
"While flying past your broken ship,
We heard your feeble cries,
And said 'Let's go and lend a hand,
Before their crew all dies!'"
"We'll tow you back to home and hearth,
To dry your family's tears,
And lengthen all your life-spans from,
Mere hours, back into years.
So poor battered Arcadia,
Was towed by valiant F'Hew,
The Charleston saved by the B'Rel,
A funny tale, but true.
So listen up, my hearty friends,
And careful notice take,
The Starfleet ships may look the part,
But Klingon ships don't break!
As the song ended, there was a laugh and a cheer from the patrons, many who had started beating time with their mugs. The little man took a polite bow as the crowd gave him a brief cheery applause. Then he climbed down, sitting back down next to the Sihu trader, who patted him on the shoulder with a chuckle.
Leah could already hear a few of the patrons starting to hum the turn quietly to themselves.
Leah ran a finger thoughtlessly around the rim of her glass as she leaned to the bar half smiling to herself. It wasn't everyday a poet was found among this sort, she figured he only had a short time before someone had an issue with him, yet according to his story he was with a klingon ship oddly enough.
Leah watched Jared pointedly until getting a moment of eye contact. After a polite yet dismissive smile to the individual next to her who seemed a bit to intense on getting to know her Leah uncrossed her legs and manoeuvred her way to a stand adjacent to Jared. Leaning back slightly to brush her hair back Leah casually glanced back down seeing she had Jared's attention again for the moment.
"Nice story there, I didn't know Klingons had a position for poets." Leah smiled brightly to the Sihu trader beyond Jared "I wouldn't mind hearing more over a few drinks?"
The Sihu Trader grinned to Jared and offered to get another round. After he left the seat Leah smoothly sat down in it and leaned on and elbow. "So you can't be serious about actually being on a klingon ship, I mean..." she trailed off with a light laugh
"Oh yes!" Jared replied cheerily. "You wouldn't be the first person to think it a little bit odd. But my species - the TiQ, they call us - have had good relations with the Klingons for a long time. Our races have a sort of casual arrangement. They fight the wars and win the 'glorious victories', and we tell the tale of it in years to come."
"I'm on the IKC F'Hew at the moment. Chief Science Officer. Although that's not exactly a prestige position amongst the Klingons."
He looked curiously at the drink the barman placed in front of them - a gift from the Sihu. A rich, golden looking liquid.
"Oh thank you!"
He picked up the glass and looked at it with a thoughtful expression.
"Not so sure about this," he said. "A human drink, my Sihu friend tells me. Named after a region on their home world. Somewhere called 'Scotch', apparently."
He sniffed it warily.
"Looks a little potent to be served by the pint, if you ask me."
With a shrug, he drained the glass. Then he sat very still for a moment, his eyes watering slightly. He breathed out slowly.
"I'd say the people of Scotch are probably a very tough breed," he said in a slightly strained voice.
Leah smiled sweetly locking her eyes to Jared, giving little regard for the drink set in front of her and even less attention to the Sihu, who eventually got the hint and moved on to a rather intense card game across the bar.
"Yes Scotts are a very tough warrior breed of humans, I am sure though you can handle more than one pint though, it is rather insulting in human culture to only take one glass when offered."
Leah looked up and nodded to the bartender who prepared another drink.
"So an all male crew I assume, must be hard to find some good company among some rowdy warrior men."
"Oh... it's not all male," Jared replied cheerfully. "There's at least five women aboard. Let me see..."
He counted quickly on his fingers.
"Marla, Marie, Tell and Hay'legh, Cha'a'... I think that's it. Yes, five. My bunkmate is a woman, although I don't know her all that well as yet. Oh... thankyou."
The last comment was to the Barman - placing a second pint of Scotch in front of Jared. He took the glass and raised it to Leah's health - once again draining it in a single draught.
He placed the glass back on the counter and once again breathed out rather slowly.
"A warrior breed, you say," he said breathlessly. "I'm guessing they don't go out directly after drinking this, or I'd wager the battles would be rather... haphazard."
"Speaking of haphazard, I wasn't expecting such a dynamic crew. I wouldn't mind getting to know the one that manages to keep that...classic... starship intact."
"Oh... That'd be Tell or Marla. Marla handles all the.... Klingony bits. Tell sorts out the rest. Except the bits I tinker with from time to time. For example, Klingon ships don't have much in the way of sensors. At least... not of the sort that don't lock on to things."
He stared at his hand, with a curious expression.
"Well... that's... different!"
Leah glances around the place for a moment before continuing in a lower tone.
"Actually.. I have a party I am going to later on tonight, good music, drinks and company. Maybe you could even entertain us with a few stories. At any rate if you and a few of crew mates want to have some fun before you leave I can give you the directions."
The little man seemed only to be half listening at this point. He was starting to have trouble focussing.
"Sure. Anyone you want me to bring? HoS tends to ruin parties - except the Klingon sort, where injuries and breakages are considered part of the fun. And HIchop's anecdotes tend to unsettle people."
"Well as I mentioned bring that engineer, both if you want, I think you said one by the name of Tell though, but limit to many others I am not hosting the party and I don't need anyone crashing it."
Leah whispered the directions to Jared with a smile and slipped her way through the crowds and out of the bar.