A hard drink after a long day

The comments about the Blood Wine made Tal'Ara chuckle before taking another sip of her Romulan Ale.

Tal'Ara considered Falten's offer. "I am friends with a man named D'Imus, perhaps the finest distiller of Romulan Ale alive today... I could put you in contact with him, and see if we can all work out some sort of arrangement."

She paused for a moment to listen to Faltan and T'Pren talk, until Faltan asked about the tattoo.

Tal'Ara blinked and every so carefully readjusted her glass, as if to make it have a more ascetically pleasing position on the bar.  

Her mind flashed back to when she was in her 20s, a fresh new recruit of the Tal Shiar on assignment in Klingon space. She had just completed a mission and was on her way back to Romulus, when she got the call. Her father, Koval, one of the heads of the Continuing Committee and a former member of the Tal Shair himself, had been assassinated. There was to be an investigation, but as Tal'Ara well knew, the kind of people who are capable of pulling off a job like this are not likely to be found...

She adjusted her drink again - almost perfect.

...After doing some digging, she was able to discern that her father had become a target of a small resistance faction located in Ra'tleihfi, a former capitol of Romulus. She infiltrated their brotherhood, and for over a year, lived among them, worked with them, and helped them conspire against the Romulan government. But before she located her father's assassin, she had to prove her loyalty...

After a moment of thought, Tal'Ara looked up from her glass and said wistfully, "Oh, I was young... just trying to fit in, I suppose."

She took another drink.

"Yours are quite lovely. Any more you'd care to show me?" she said in a somewhat lower voice.

"D'Imus sounds like a gentleman I'd like to get to know better." She smiled, eyeing the glass of blue in the Romulan's hand. "We'll talk."

Falten's antennae lifted towards the Romulan. Memories that were not hidden well. Violence, betrayal, Romulans, conspiracy, revenge. Her eyes traced the dark patterns on the woman's face.

She made conversational laughter, though her eyes remained distant. "I'm not even sure I know your name, honey, at least buy me dinner before I show off my ink." Her sarcastic humor layered deftly over her caution.

This made her laugh out loud, perhaps the first genuine laugh in a long while.

"Lieutenant Commander Tal'Ara," she said, casually. "But as you are not a part of my staff, I welcome you to drop the title."

Tal'Ara lifted her drink up to her eye, gazed through the blue liquid at Falten, and smiled.

"And what would your name happen to be?"

"Lieutenant Commander Tal'Ara," Falten gave a courteous nod. "I'm bad at identifying Federation officers when they're nose first into their drinks, it seems," She gave a quick smile at Inabnet. "And my name happens to be Falten, keeper of the booze." She gave a small smile, but it still didn't reach her greyish eyes.

Tal'Ara put her glass down and beamed pleasantly at the Andorian bartender.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Falten, keeper of the booze."

Her fingers then returned to the familiar tapping on the bar.

"I believe I am supposed to head off for my physical examination soon. Cant say I am too excited," said Tal'Ara, looking at her glass, "Though, this should help a little."

She finished off the last of her drink.

Akhil sat awkwardly, trying not to watch the aggressive flirting like a sparring match. He glanced sideways at T'Pren.

T'Pren was in much the same situation as Akhil, although she was enjoying the fact that she wasn't the awkward center of attention anymore. The look she exchanged with the Klingon was helpless and amused and she threw in a shrug for good measure. Romulans. What are you gonna do?

She drew a very long drink from her newly stronger tea and was visibly pleased with the result. "How is Lucy Rainar?" she wondered of the counselor.

"Much better," the Counselor replied, grateful for the distraction and change of topic. "She has been sleeping better, and performed excellently today in her mok'bara sparring group," he added proudly.

"Hazards of living on a station," Falten shrugged and gestured to Tal'Ara's glass, questioning a refill.

Falten's antennae leaned towards the counselor and Inabnet, and she let a small smile linger on her face. Flirting was a hazard of the occupation, but she could hold her own. She could tell the Romulan's advances were distancing to her other guests, so she looked their way.

"I don't believe we've met," Falten turned to the Klingon. "nuq 'oH ponglIj'e'?" She had liked the vibes she read off of him the first time he appeared in her bar, and Inabnet seemed infinitely comfortable with him around.

Akhil turned his attention back to the bartender, curious and pleased. "Akhil 'oH pongwIj'e'. Son of Sitris, of the House of Mnemon," he replied, and lifted his glass, "QaqIHmo' jIQuch. 'IwlIj jachjaj!"

Falten smiled, giving a welcoming nod. "IwlIj jachjaj! My Klingon is pretty rusty, so don't be asking for a dissertation." She grinned. "You're the counselor on board, I take it?"

"Yes," Akhil replied, happy to switch back from Klingon, since he did not wish to make T'Pren feel left out just as she was beginning to relax again. "And I must commend you on the quality of the Blood wine you keep. It is a pleasure to find non-Klingons with an appreciation for our spirits."

"Good," Pren declared of Lucy's progress. "Are you no longer working the night shift then?"

She spent the Klingon exchange studying the two speakers with interest and sipping her tea. She spoke Vulcan, English, and Cardassian, but she suddenly really wanted to add another language to her skillset.

"Not at the moment," Akhil replied, then clarified for Falten's benefit, "One of the children on the station has been having nightmares. I have been helping her sleep by standing guard."

"I think I will have to pass. Can't be too inebriated when I visit the good doctor," she responded to Falten's offer.

Tal'Ara stood up and peered into the faces of her fellow officers. She could knew that she had put them somewhat on edge - which was the point.

"Counselor, Lieutenant," she nodded at each of them, respectively. "I will see you at our staff briefing tomorrow. I believe Commander Rai said 0600?"

She then turned her attention back to Falten and said, "I will get you in touch with D'Imus as soon as I get settled in. Have a pleasant evening."

Tal'Ara smiled and began to walk away.

But before she made her exit, she turned around and coldly said, "Oh, so you know, the surface of the bar is rather sticky."

And with that, she was gone.

"0600," agreed the young half-Vulcan with a diplomatic smile.

And as the Romulan left the room, she gave Akhil a very pronounced Look with the remains of her earlier amusement. "Well," T'Pren decided out loud, "this is going to be fun."

"Manners are not what Romulans are best known for," the Counselor said gruffly to Falten and T'Pren and downed the last liter of his bloodwine.

"So far so good then," T'Pren replied wryly.