(Shore Leave) Be Careful What You Wish For – 01

Stardate 2403.07.15

The orange glow of the Colludean sky made everything look as if it was sunset instead of only late afternoon. Lounging under a tree in a beachside park, Zach looked up for a moment from idly scrolling his PADD to admire the setting laid out before him: beach and crashing waves and other folks, many of them Starfleet personnel, out enjoying the day. He sighed and set his PADD down on the grass next to him. Shore leave came rarely these days for the crews of Federation starships – there was too much going on in the galaxy that they had to keep under control, and more going on all the time – so it was a very welcome break. This particular shore leave was to celebrate the successful resolution of the situation with the Disappeared, an event many Starfleet personnel were still recovering from. Zach’s ship, the USS Sausalito, had come through just fine, crew and ship alike, for which he was grateful. Nothing like having your Captain vanish during the spacetime anomaly, though, and having to take charge yourself to get them back.

Sighing again, Zach picked up his PADD and resumed scrolling. He couldn’t stop thinking about Captain Mruuras – Prasi, as they permitted him to call them – and the danger they’d been in. The Caitian commanding officer was certainly brave, but that incident was beyond the pale as far as he was concerned. Those Kzinti were vicious – Prasi could have gotten hurt, or worse! But they didn’t, and they were back where they belonged, and was hopefully enjoying their shore leave doing… something enjoyable, hopefully not alone. Unlike him.

The message alert popped up on the screen then. Curious as to who would message him on shore leave, Zach tilted his head and read who the sender was. Prasi! He sat up and tapped the message to open it, wondering what it was the Captain wanted.

Hello, Zach. I’ve been invited to a formal Captain’s Banquet in the city at The Admiralty, which is close to our hotel, and I have been allowed to bring a plus-one. Would you like to go with me? I don’t think I could bear being amongst all that brass by myself, haha. Please let me know as soon as you can, the banquet starts at 1900. ~Prasi

A formal banquet? Should he go? Of course, he thought immediately – he would do anything for his Captain and dear friend! He immediately typed back: Yes, I’d be more than happy to go with you! Thank you for inviting me! Sending the reply on its way, his mind filled with all manner of questions. Would it be proper for a Commander to be seen with a Captain at an event like this? Did he have anything to wear to a formal banquet? He did own a tuxedo….

The message alert popped up again: Thank you so much, Zach! We can meet at The Admiralty, I will wait for you out front. Zach smiled and gazed out at the ocean again. “Be careful what you wish for…” he murmured to himself. Acknowledging the message, he stood and brushed the grass off of his shorts before heading back to the hotel at a trot. He had to get ready for his unexpected evening out!

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Checking himself out in the mirror in his hotel room, Zach grinned. He’d found the tux amongst his clothing, and after a shower and neatening himself up – tying his sun-bleached dreadlocks back, making sure everything was perfect – he decided he cleaned up rather well. Still, he had some reservations about the evening. What did he think he was doing going to a formal Captain’s Banquet? Would he be laughed at or thrown out, would Prasi get reprimanded for bringing her XO? What will all these higher-ranking officers think? He scowled at himself in the mirror. Let them think whatever they want to think! He was invited as a plus-one! It was official and proper!

He felt confident as he left the hotel and trotted to The Admiralty, an ornately-decorated building that looked like the sort of place a formal banquet would be held, with the orange-red evening sun gleaming off the gold-plated rococo gingerbread on the building’s exterior. A number of fancy-looking people were milling about outside, although none of them was Prasi; apparently he was a little bit early, but that was okay. Better early than late!

A tap on his shoulder startled him. Turning around, he saw Prasi looking at him – in their dress whites. He couldn’t help but stare; he’d never seen them in their formal uniform before, but between the cut and the fit and the fact the Caitian was turned out perfectly, they looked amazing. He couldn’t help but smile at them. Who knew he had a thing for female-presenting beings in their dress uniform?

Then Prasi spoke. “Zach,” they hissed, voice low. “What are you doing? This is a Starfleet event! You need to be wearing your dress whites! Go back to the hotel right now and change!”

Zach blinked, the smile wiped right off his face. “Y-yes, Captain,” he stammered before turning and fleeing for the hotel a few blocks away. Chagrined, he could feel his face flushing with embarrassment. How could he have been so stupid? Of course he should have worn his dress whites – it was a Captain’s Banquet! He should have known it was a formal Starfleet event! Reaching his hotel room, he quickly changed and ran back to the banquet hall. The crowd that had been lingering earlier was gone; they must have let them all in. He slowed his breathing down, smoothed the front of his uniform, and strolled in himself.

The host at the door stopped him, looking at him as if expecting some kind of pass or invitation to get in. “You are…?”

“Oh. Commander Zachary Okonkwo of the USS Sausalito.” Looking around, Zach tried to spot Prasi. Where were they?

“I don’t see your name on the list…”

Zach blinked. “Oh right. I’m Captain Prasi Mruuras’s plus-one.”

“Ah. Very well. You’ll find the Captain at table… 17S.”

The host gestured toward the table in question, and Zach made his way through the milling crowd of dignitaries and Starfleet brass until he spotted Prasi, already seated. Letting out a reflexive sigh, he sat down in the seat next to them. “Hi- I mean good evening, Captain,” he started, hoping they weren’t too upset with him. “Sorry I took so long.” Glancing over at them, he picked up the glass of wine that was in front of him and sipped it to calm down; if this hadn’t been a formal banquet, he would have downed the entire glass in one draught. Prasi looked at him in silence, their expression as inscrutable and disapproving as any cat’s. “Um…. You look great, Captain,” he nodded to them.

Prasi finally blinked, and they suddenly appeared a bit flustered (their whiskers twitching was a dead giveaway). They looked down at their plate, at the glass of wine in front of them. “You look great as well, Commander. The dress whites really suit you.” Reaching for the wine, they sniffed it. “You’re allowed to call me by my name, you know, Zach,” they said before taking a sip. “Mmm, a hint of silvervine…”

With a grin, Zach replied, “Yes, Captain. I mean Prasi.” He took another sip of wine, his heart pounding. They thought he looked good! Looking over at the Caitian, he couldn’t help but admire them. They were so… wonderful. Could he be developing a crush on them? Nah, that was absurd… wasn’t it? For one thing, a Captain and a Commander… That was right out, wasn’t it? Still, he couldn’t help how he felt. And it sure felt like a crush….

-[TO BE CONTINUED]-