âI canât believe it!â
A man in a green, houndstooth-patterned jumpsuit stood behind a bar. A glass was in his hand, but it was empty. A rag was in his other hand, but it was not being used. His sepia skin appeared darker in the recessed lighting of Ten Forward, but his narrowed eyes made their dark brown seem almost black. âYour first day on the bridge and you already got assigned to an away mission?âÂ
âSure did,â the young man idly brushed the shoulder of his red and black uniform. âAnd itâs to go to a poker tournament.â
âA poker tournament??â The man leaned over the bar with a sneer. âSo all those ads really were true: Starfleet can help you fulfill your wildest dreams.â
âYou can take the entrance exam again, you know.â
âPff,â the waiter turned aside. âFlunking it once was enough.â
âAw, come on, Elliot,â Ace ribbed him.
âYou know Iâll never be able to pass the psych test.â Elliot said somewhat dully. âBesidesâI was lucky enough to get assigned to the same ship as you even as a civilian. Iâve been a waiter and a barkeep all my lifeâmight as well do it in space, too.â
âAnd isnât he doing an incredible job,â a woman with a large, disc-like hat and matching purple dress was suddenly standing at Elliotâs sideâeffectively startling him as she clasped his shoulders.

âHi, Ms. Guinan,â Ace grinned as Elliot rolled his eyes and exhaled.
âHello, Mr. Gallagher. And congratulations on your first away mission,â she released Elliot and scooted around him. âWhoâs going with you?â
âJust Gemini. Sheâs going to fly the shuttle and wait for me since we wonât have comms.â
âOh, that will be fun: a little Aravasti bonding time,â her smile widened.
âI can learn more about the heritage I now have,â he smirked.
âItâs a shame Starfleet wouldnât let you go back to your home planet,â she laid her arms on the bar, âbut I suppose that has allowed us all to get to know you.â
âYeah, as much as I still want to be annoyed at the councilâs decision⊠I am grateful to be here.â
âStillâyouâll never really have closure,â Elliot leaned backward. âYouâll never know what your friends and family think happened to you, and theyâll never know youâre alive and well out here. Meanwhile, they were going to let me go back to Barea, but I have zero interest and not a single person left whoâd care if I never went back.â
âNot to mention theyâd probably pick you up for treason since you were helping me,â Ace offered dully.
âI suppose that was why you were listed as a resident of Starbase 1 on your application,â Guinan mused.
âYes, maâam; I was living there while Ace was at the Academyâand before I got this job,â Elliot was still frowning when he turned back to Ace. âItâs dumb they wonât even let you go back to see them or tell them goodbye.â
âThatâs the beauty, and the curse, of the Prime Directive,â Guinan offered wistfully, âItâs supposed to protect lesser-developed civilizations from interacting with technology theyâve not yet discovered, but if it is ever exploited to this degree⊠someone has to uphold it.â
âAnd that someone might as well be Starfleet,â Ace shrugged. âIâm here now, and thatâs what matters.â He turned to Elliott. âAnd now I get to go on an away mission to play poker.â
âYeah, rub it in,â Elliot scooted past Guinan and met Geordi at the other side of the bar. âCan I help you, Commander?â
âI wanted to order a round for our table,â he threw back a thumb to the center-most table where Gemini, Hudson, and Data were waiting. âThe usual, if you please.â
âAbsolutely; Iâll be right over.â The waiter turned to one of the replicators on the back wall behind the bar and adeptly explained each drink with its own unique blend. In a matter of moments, he had all three drinksâand one empty glass for Data so he wouldnât feel left outâon a tray.
âHey, let me bring it over,â Ace tried to intercept him.
Elliot narrowed his eyes again. âYou trying to take my job?â
âNoâbut I want to borrow it to bother to Gemini!â
âCanât you just⊠bother Gemini without commandeering my tray?â
âI need a good reason to initiate the bothering!â
âInitiate theâyou know what, nevermindâhere you go.â
The waiter rolled his eyes and handed over the tray, and Ace bounded off toward their table.
âJust donât spill them!â
Guinan was grinning with her eyebrows peaked when Elliot turned around.
âWhat?â He crouched in defense, âI choose which battles to fight with him.â
The matron of Ten Forward laughed. âUnderstood.â
The two turned and surveyed the Enterpriseâs popular gathering place; groups of friends huddled together, couples lounging in corners, and a few individuals settling in with a tablet near the windows. Pieces of conversations blended into a dull blanket of sound, interspersed with clinking glasses or silverware and the occasional bout of laughter. And beyond it all, the wide windows looked out into the glittering starfield of space.
âNot a bad place to work, is it,â Guinanâs lips were pulled in a taught smile.
âNot at all, maâam.â
âHm,â she tilted her head after a moment. âIs that Ensign Davis sitting with Maddox?â
âMaddox,â Elliot leaned back to join her line of sight. âHe was in here just last night with a blond⊠Officer Hawthorne, I thought.â
âOh,â the woman beside him hummed again. âWell, itâs best to stay out of crewmember relationships. It never ends well.â
Elliotâs troubled expression remained on his face as Guinan turned around. âUnderstood.â
â
Across the room, Ace approached the table with the tray of drinks adeptly balanced on his palm.
âAnd, I actually got to sit in his chair,â Gemini was starry-eyed as she spoke, half leaning on Hudson beside her. âI was literally commander of the bridge for that moment. If anything happenedâŠâ
âYou were there for five minutes tops.â
The four pulled back as Ace lowered the tray of drinks into the middle of the table, and Gemini found herself face to face with the sarcasm in his cockeyed expression.
The Aravasti narrowed her eyes. âAnd I was still in command of the bridge for those five minutes.â
âThatâs still mighty impressive!â Hudson, on the other hand, was beaming at the news. âIâm so proud of how far youâre gettinâ in your service.â
Despite her usual defenses, Gemini melted under the warmth of his smile and laid her head on his chest. âThanks, love,â she said softly.
âIâd say âget a room,â but Iâve seen worse in here,â Ace chuckled and sat Hudsonâs juice in front of him.
Hudson simply shook his head as Gemini returned to her own chair. âThank you, sir.â
âGood evening, Ace,â Data accepted his empty glass as the ensign handed the rest out. âI see you got our orders correct.â
âHe hangs out with Elliot enough,â Geordi laughed and tipped his glass toward him. âSo, what brings you over to the cool table?â
âHeâs just here to bother me,â Gemini returned the sarcastic expression as she accepted her multi-colored lemonade from Aceâs fingers.
âI had a good excuse.â
âAnd whatâs that?â
âKeeping you humble.â He grinned.
She rolled her eyes and went to drink from her empty glass. She sighed and looked up to find her lemonade now floating overhead. âYeah, and one of these days Iâll find a way to keep you and your water powers humble,â she sneered.
The visible veins in Aceâs hands and neck were glowing with blue-white light as he summoned his Aravasti power. With a wave of his hand, he returned the drink to Geminiâs glass. âIâm sorry; I know you donât get to use your powers as freely as I do,â he offered a mild apology.
She cocked an eyebrow and took a sip.
âHow come, you think, the captain set you as commandinâ officer this time?â Hudson asked his wife. âYou think it has somethinâ to do with your promotion?â
âPromotion?â Geordi straightened up.
âWorf and I have been discussing it,â Gemini fingered the edge of her glass. âHe wants to set me as the Deputy Chief of Security, and he thinks promoting me to Lieutenant Commander will help with that. He was going to discuss it with Riker soon.â
âThat could be a very good reason as to why the captain chose you as the commanding officer,â Data commented, âthough, admittedly, you and Counselor Troi were the highest ranking officers present once he called the meeting. He could have chosen either of you for temporary command.â
âThe second option makes way more sense,â Ace shrugged.
Gemini leaned around Hudson. âYouâre still here?â
âWell, I think youâre a shoe-in for Lieutenant Commander,â Geordi regained her attention. âYouâve more than proven yourself in other command situations, and I can only imagine youâll pass the bridge officer tests with flying colors.â
âThereâs tests?â Gemini winced.
âThereâs always tests; itâs Starfleet,â Ace glanced at the ceiling.
âAnd the hardest one is Commander Rikerâs holodeck simulation.â Geordi lifted his glass.
âYeah? What do you have to do?â
Geordi swallowed a sip. âStop the Enterprise from blowing up while youâre in command.â
Gemini frowned. âOh.â
âOh, bring it on!â Ace leaned heavily on the table.
An eyebrow raised high over Geordiâs VISOR. âYou think youâre ready for command?â
âHeck, yeah!â
âOne day on the bridge and you already think you can command everyone?â Gemini smirked.
âFive minutes in the captainâs chair and you think you can?â Aceâs grin stretched wide.
Her smile turned sarcastic. âIâm a lot closer to promotion than you are, doofus.â
âI think youâll pass it easy,â Hudson offered gently from his place between the two Aravasti.
âI think youâll be fine, too,â Geordi nodded as he set down his glass. âJust be prepared to make⊠some serious decisions.â
Gemini nodded and glanced at her lemonade. âWell, thank youâmost of you,â she shot Ace a glance, âfor your confidence in me.â
Ace playfully nudged her shoulder as he stepped around the table. âI have confidence in you, too,â he offered with a much more genuine tone.Â
Her smirk dulled to a smile. âI know.â
He held out his fist toward her, and she reached out and bumped it with her own. âAnd Iâll leave you alone now.â
Geordi waved his hand. âAw, just pull up a chair and stay with us!â
Gemini looked at him incredulously. âYouâre going to let this kid sit with us?â
Ace, however, had already tugged a chair over beside Geordi. âWho was just telling me this morning Iâm only two years younger than you?â
âYeah, yeah,â she picked up her lemonade and took a sip.
Hudson was grinning the whole time. âI really like having another of Geminiâs kind on the ship,â he spoke through a laugh. âIt sure makes things more entertaininâ!â
Â
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Scene Notes
- Ace and Gem really are friends, they just often show it by bothering each other (and considering they're both "me" characters, they're also very similar)