The Third Wheel

Posted on Mon Nov 14th, 2022 @ 7:22am by Ensign Mrera Sr’au & Lieutenant Vira Vemre [Whavi]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Ten Forward - Then Holodeck 10-C
Timeline: Current Time
1943 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Ensign Sr’au was already sitting at the bar sipping on a virgin frozen strawberry/lime drink. She was waiting on Napoleon, who promised to meet her hear after his shift. She had a long day on her shift and could wait to get back to her quart…, well Napoleon’s quarters so she could strip off her uniform and put on an oversized t-shirt. It was less constricting for her. Her fur was screaming for freedom.

Chief Petty Officer Sean Conner O’Keefe entered and, seeing Mrera at the bar, he sauntered up and sat next to her. “Hello, Kitty! I ‘aven’ see ye inna while!”

“Hello Ssean,” Sr’au responded. “I’ve been keeping mysself bussy.”

“I see,” O’Keefe responded. “Ye mus’ be pulling double shifts. I stopped by yer quarters and ye weren’t there. Checkin’ on me Lil’ Sis.”

“I appreciate you checking on me, Sean,” Mrera responded. “Im doing well. Great, ass a matter of fact. Thingss couldn’t be more purrfect.”

“Good!” Sean affirmed with a nod of the head. Spotting the little blond-haired bartender, with hazel eyes and dark skin (she was a lady, so O’Keefe was sure to take in all the details), the CPO nodded her way and ordered a drink. “I’ll ‘ave a vin’age Jameson, ma’e it a double.”

Vira raised a brow at the irishman but turned to retrieve his requested beverage. She wasn't sure his presence was wanted but the look on the caitians face told her he wasnt. She kept an ear open and planned to interject if it got out of hand. She wasn't going to tolerate a muck while she was on shift.

“Thank ye, dearie!” Sean appreciatively responded to Vira. “An’ migh’ I say, a fine dearie indeed!”

Vira gave the man a scowl. It was almost as if he was oblivious to the reactions of others around him. "Uh huh" Was her response after she set his drink infront of him, she turned and picked up a rag and whipped down the counter Infront of the female to make contact with her.

Mrera glanced at Vira. “Believe me, he’ss harrmlesss. A bit crasss, but a good hearrt.”

Vira side eyed the irishman. "If you say so..." She wasn't reassured in the least. "I'll be close by if you need anything. Just wave." She held eye contact with the Caitain for a long moment before walking away.

Napoleon walked in as he felt lucky because instead of looking around the place, there she was. Napoleon came up to Sr’rau, “Hope I am not interrupting anything?”

“Oo the hell are ye?” O’Keefe asked Napoleon.

“Ssean!” Mrera hissed in warning that O’Keefe was going too far. “It matterss not who he iss! He’ss an offiscer.”

Calming herself, Mrera purred an introduction . “Lieutenant Napoleon Bond, thiss iss Chief Petty Offiscer Ssean O’Keefe. Nap iss why I’m not at my qurrters.”

“Ya mean ‘im?” Sean said, leaning over and whispering in Mrera’s ear, still loud enough for Bond and Vemre to hear. “Kitty, ‘ee’s ‘bout as bent as a nine bob note!”

Napoleon fade palms himself as kept silent. He was too much of a gentleman to cause a scene.

“I’m not ssure what that meanss,” Ensign Sr’au admitted, “but I’m sserrtain it wassn’t good.” She turned to Napoleon and continued. “Nappy hass been kind to me from the moment we met.”

“Nobby, ye say,” O’Keefe pried.

“Nappy!” Mrera responded.

“Nobby ta me,” the Irishman insisted as he finished his drink. Standing he turned to Napoleon. “Ifin ye ‘urt ‘er, I ‘urt you!” With that said, Sean trounced out of the lounge.

After a short time of silence, Mrera turned to Napoleon. “I’m sorry, Nap.”

Napoleon felt very uncomfortable about what just happened. “He should not have said that. If what we have will grow, it has to grow naturally as in we have free will. Now I feel …..” Napoleon paused for a brief moment so he could weigh on what he was about to say, “We need set on our own course and not let anyone else steer our happiness.”

“I purrfectly agree, Nap!” Mrera responded with an excited smile. “ I have a surrpurrise for you!” He tail was bobbing as Ensign Sr’au bounced in her seat.

Napoleon was delighted by her charm. “Surprise for me? What pray tell could it be?”

Mrera actually giggled as she held out her left paw. “Come with me,” she insisted.

Napoleon felt intrigued, so he complied willingly.

Ensign Sr’au led Napoleon to the holodeck she had reserved. She led him inside once the door had opened for them. When the door swished shut, Mrera firmly stated, “Computer! Begin program Ssrurr’au Beta Beta.”

When the program began, the two found themselves in the midst of a crowd inside a baseball stadium. On the field before them, the two teams were inside their dugouts.

“I assked the computerr to sselect a random basseball game from hisstory,” Ensign Sr’au explained. “I thought you would enjoy teaching the asspectss of the game to me while watching one!!”

Instead of the public address announcer, the computer mimicked the voice of Vin Scully. “It’s time for Dodgers baseball! Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the first game of the 1988 World Series between your Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics.”

Napoleon thought for a moment that something climatic was going to happen in this specific game. “I like your surprise Mrera. So you want to learn about the game. Pitcher throws to the batter. A strike can happen if he swings and misses, he forgets to swing and it is in the strike zone and he does not swing or he hits a foul ball and he has less than two strikes. If he does not swing and it is not in the strike zone, he gets a ball. Three strikes and you are out, four balls means you get to go to first base.”

Mrera took on a look of confusion. Holding a finger up to his lips, to quiet him, she then gave him a quick kiss. “Explain ass the game iss played,” she requested. “I learn better that way. I’m going to enjoy thiss with you. You ssee to like the game.”

“That I do,” Napoleon replied with a kiss.

The first inning, Mickey Hatcher hit a two run homer for the Dodgers. The second inning, Jose Canseco hit a grand slam for the Oakland Athletics.

Mrera felt the excitement in the stadium wane after the grand slam. However, she was caught up in the energy of the moment. She could sense the people around her were completely enthralled.

“I rrememberr you talking about a grand sslam,” Ensign Sr’au recollected from their previous conversation. “This iss exciting!”

“Nae!” Came a voice with an Irish accent from behind them. “Cricket be more excitin’.”

Mrera cringed a but, realizing who was behind them. “Sean?”

“I though’ I’d keep an eye on things,” he said with a grin.

“Really. I’m fine,” she insisted.

O’Keefe eyed Bond suspiciously. He didn’t trust just any man with his “Lil Sis.”

Napoleon face palms himself as he felt uneasy by the vibes O’Keefe was projecting. “Cricket? Baseball has more excitement. It is the best team sport. Lacrosse is another great team sport.”

“An’ I suppose ye say football, which is not really football, because real football is wha’ ye woul’ call soccer, is bet’er than rugby?” O’Keefe pressed.

“Ssshsssh!” Mrera hissed with her finger to her lips. “Nappy iss teaching me the asspectss of the game. “How’d you get in here anyway?”

“Because we do not have it on privacy setting,” Napoleon answered. “Rugby is a fun sport. Rugby players have been known to finish off a keg of beer.”

The Dodgers catcher Michael Sciosia hits an RBI single in the sixth inning.

“Are you enjoying the game Mrera and Sean?” Napoleon asked.

“Yess!” Mrera responded. “I’m enjoying it Nappy!”

“An’ I suppose ye call this a beer, Nobby?” Sean asked holding up a Budweiser. “Where’s the black stuff?”

Mrera grimaced. She had wanted this time to be special for Napoleon. “His name is Napoleon, Sean.”

Sean had to give the guy credit. No matter how much he had tried to push Napoleon’s buttons, he remained calm. Of course, not many of his real Lil’ Sis’ guys ever gave him much gruff. They knew Sean was strong and was a brawler. They would tuck their tail and leave, leaving Megs steaming in anger at Sean. Maybe he was getting off on the wrong foot with Kitty too. He seemed to be irritating her more than Napoleon. He didn’t even seem ready to tuck his tail.

“This is an authentic as close as he could come to the what was being served that day,” Napoleon responded. “I will go get you a beer. You want anything dear?”

“I think I hearrd ssomeone ssay ssomething about a Dodgerr Dog,” Mrera answered Napoleon. “And a lemonade!”

“Do not worry,” Napoleon answered. He left as he had take care of business first.

“Look,” Mrera turned an angry face toward O’Keefe, her tail pointing accusatory at him, “you’rr rruining my time alone with Nappy!”

Sean’s face then transformed to sadness, remembering his night alone with Etrara and how grand that made him feel. He just didn’t want to be alone.

“I understan’,” was all Sean could muster. “I gi’e ‘im credit. ‘E’s ‘angin’ in there wit all me slaggin’ ‘im. ‘E mus’ re’lly li’e ye.”

“I would ssay sso,” Mrera responded. “Arr you alrright? You sseem ssuddenly ssad.”

“I’m grand,” O’Keefe lied. “I’ll be leavin’ ye two lo’ebirds alone da res’ o’ the nigh’.” Sean got up to leave, spotting Napoleon returning with the snacks.

“See ya ‘round’, Nobby!” Sean chuckled as he departed the holodeck.

Few innings later, Kirk Gibson did his walk off home run. After the game was over, Napoleon said and asked, “I really enjoyed that. Hope you did as well. How about we go back to our quarters and do our own scoring?”

The announcer had said this Gibson was the Dodgers best player. For the life of Ensign Sr’au, she didn’t realize why he didn’t play until the end of the game. Then she saw the man could barely walk; he was badly hurting.

When he hit the home run, the crowd went wild. It was easy to get caught up in such enthusiasm. Afterwards, seeing the enjoyment upon Napoleon’s face capped the whole evening off, despite Sean’s best efforts to ruin things.

Hopping up and down while clapping her paws, Mrera shouted over the crowd, “I’m sso glad you enjoyed it! I loved it, esspecially sseeing it with you.”

She hugged Napoleon, “Let’s go to ourr quarrterrs,” Mrera purred into his ear.

No sooner had Sr’au said this, the two were thrown violently against the wall of the holodeck as the scenery program abruptly came to an end. She help tight to Napoleon, as they were flung, not knowing what was happening.

The back of her head slammed into the wall. Things became blurry and soon turned to darkness as Mrera lost consciousness.

Napoleon cut a back flip as he caught her tightly. The room went dark but soon it was replaced with foggy scenery. “Sweetheart? Are you okay?”


TBC