Meeting a king and a tyrant

Posted on Tue Feb 7th, 2023 @ 11:33am by Consul Andrinn Orin

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Tantok Nor, Kelrabi IX
Timeline: 2360
1190 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

On:

Walking through the promenade onboard Tantok Nor, Andrinn couldn't help but feel a little bit queasy. Whatever was being made throughout the entire place was causing smells to waft down towards the various shops onboard, which didn't quite agree with Andrinn's stomach. So, Andrinn decided to head over to one shop that didn't have a strong odor of various cuisine causing him to throw up and potentially cause a diplomatic issue with the Cardassians.

Entering the establishment and looking around for a place to sit in a corner, Andrinn couldn't help but realize that he was standing out like a sore thumb. Most of the crowd within the bar-like establishment were Cardassians and Andrinn was visiting with the Federation Envoy trying to open up diplomatic negations regarding the Bajoran people.

Looking around and finding a spot that was tucked away in the corner, Andrinn made his way over and took a seat. A bartender came over and offered him a Cardassian PADD, showing the various things on the menu. She offered him some water to start, as well as a glass of Kanar. Andrinn took the Kanar and drank the entire thing down in one fowl swoop.

As the bartender took a few steps away to tend to some other customers, Andrinn could hear someone behind him say, "I've never met anyone that could drink a glass of Kanar like that. At least, nobody that wasn't a Cardassian. What's your name, Trill?"

Turning around to see who was talking to him, Andrinn could see that a Cardassian was speaking to him and he was holding the rank of Gul. But, he couldn't quite make out who it was at the distance they were sitting across from one another in the dimmed bar.

Taking the glass of water that was sitting next to him, Andrinn took a few sips of the water, which was at room temperature, and replied to the Cardassian, "Well, I haven't met many Cardassians that could drink me down with Romulan Ale until I lost that bet to Gul Tarheel back on Emok Nor. Never trust someone's drinking ability until you've seen them actually drink, companion."

The unnamed Cardassian let out a hearty laugh, one from the stomach, as he said, "Well, Gul Tarheel doesn't know the difference between water and food coloring. Now, if you can drink the real stuff, that's something I'd love to see one day. Care to test that wager out?"

Andrinn tried to think of a million different excused to try and get out of the drinking competition, but everything was blank at that moment. He knew that was due in at a diplomatic conference in the morning and the Romulan Ale would make him hungover, but he couldn't pass up a chance to take on a Gul for the chance to add another person to his list of whom he had beaten within the Cardassian Union.

Looking the gentleman in the eyes, a small smile creased the tips of his lips as Andrinn replied, "Sure, I'd love to take you on that bet. The first person to swallow down five glasses of Romulan Ale wins and gets the five pieces of gold pressed Latinum. How does that sound?"

The Gul looked equally sure of his might and skilled, agreeing to the terms of the bet. He walked over to Orin's table and sat down on the other side of him, ordering the ten glasses of Romulan Ale from the bartender as she walked by. Coming back a few moments later, there took ten glasses of Romulan Ale sitting on the table, ready for consumption.

The Gul looked Andrinn in the eyes and said, "On the count of three, we begin. Understood?" Andrinn simply shook his head as the man began counting down from three. Once he got to one and grabbed for his first drink, Andrinn grabbed for his own and began taking each one of his five glasses like he was drinking the water from earlier. The more that he drunk of the Ale, the quicker and easier it made for Andrinn because he was becoming more and more drunk with each passing sip.

Before too long, Andrinn and his companion were on their last drinks, nearly neck to neck with how quickly they were drinking. However, in a power through, Andrinn managed to get the final few drops of his own drink down before the Gul could. The bartender and several patrons were watching as Andrinn was taking on this challenge and the bartender called it for Andrinn.

Putting his final glass down onto the table, the companion looked over at Andrinn and wiped the last few drops of his drink away from his chin without saying a single word, as though he was thinking about the perfect thing to say without knowing what to say. As he finally began speaking, he smiled and said, "That was definitely a good round. I'll have to owe you a few bars of latinum when you come around the station again or whenever you're back in Cardassian territory. You'll have to let me know whenever you decide to come back for that money."

Wiping away the last few drops from his own brow, Andrinn smiled and replied, "Yeah, I'll have to do that. It definitely has been an interesting experience while I've been here with the DIplomatic Corp."

The Gul's eyes got wide for a moment as he asked Andrinn, "You're here with the Diplomatic Corp? I didn't think that a diplomat could have an iron stomach or the balls to even try to drink that much. Where do you get it from? The Klingons?"

Shaking his head, Andrinn replied, "No, the Vulcans."

Both men just laughed before the Gul looked back over Andrinn's shoulders, where two junior officers from the Cardassian Guard had walked in. They appeared to be waiting for the Gul as he stood up and extended his hand to Andrinn. Andrinn extended his own hand and shook the Gul's as he stood up from his own seat. As they shook hands, the Gul said, "I do hope to meet you again one day. Maybe, I would be able to pick your brains about much. What's your name?"

Andrinn let out of the handshake after a few moments as he replied to the inquiry, "Well, my name is Andrinn Orin. What's yours?"

As the man was turning to walk out of the establishment, the Gul looked back and said, "My name? My name is Evek. Aman Evek. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Orin. Lets meet again some day."

With that, Evek walked out of the bar and straight into the hussle and bussle of the station. Andrinn grabbed ahold of the seat as he realized that he would have to follow out there to get back to his quarters on the station. "God, why'd I have to drink so much?" Andrinn thought to himself, as he began the journey back to his quarters, made worse by the smells of the station he was trying to avoid earlier on.

Off:

Consul Andrinn Orin
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Elysium