Three hundred and Eighty Six Toasts

Posted on Fri Feb 26th, 2021 @ 11:17am by Lieutenant Xavier Leiko

Mission: Character Development
Location: Risa
Timeline: Shoreleave
1153 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

"Here's to Xav's promotion," the slender red headed man said as he raised his half filled tankard in the air.

"No," Xavier groaned. The sound was echoed around the table as the other three people protested simultaneously.

"Oh. Really? Why?" The red headed man asked, looking visibly upset, as though he had just received the worst news imaginable.

Xavier almost felt sorry for him, it was hard to resist those wide green puppy dog eyes, but seriously enough was enough. "Because Matty," he said exasperated. "We've all been together for four days and you have toasted me no less than three hundred and eighty six times."

"But..." Matt continued, in his usual optimistic way.

"And... if we're all being honest, KoKo should have been promoted a long time ago, and would have been too, if he wasn't dragging his feet."

Xavier shot a glare at the Andorian sitting to his right, however he was met with the smiling blue cheek and an antenna that he could have sworn was trying to give him the finger.

"But..." Matt continued to protest. "I'm really proud of him."

"Shut up Matthew and sit down," Kala said in that tone she had. Matt's puppy dog eyes didn't work on her, in fact they never had and Xavier couldn't help wondering for the millionth time what the two of them were like when no one else was around. Matt sat down sulkily as Xavier finished the last of his drink.

"Your round Xav," Tey said before Xavier's empty glass had hit the table.

"Did the Ensign just give me an order?" Xavier asked in mock horror.

"I believe he did," Ari said as his blue antennas danced gleefully. "Better do as ordered."

Xavier signalled to the waiter to bring them another round of drinks and Tey grinned, triumphantly. Xavier couldn't help but return the smile, it was hard not to. There was something about Kateyo which allowed him to get away with anything with anyone, especially with Xavier. The Trill was trouble, but that hadn't stopped the two of them being friends since Xavier's second year at the Academy. Even now, Xavier had the sense that he was up to something, and his suspicions were usually right.

"No, no, not for us. We have an early shuttle tomorrow," Kala protested as she watched the waiter preparing their order.

Tey rolled his eyes. "You're getting a transport, you make it sound like your piloting the ship yourself."

"One more can't hurt," Matt added pleadingly.

"Fine," Kala finally said. "But if I hear one word about you being hungover tomorrow on the way back to the Kingston you'll be sorry." Everyone laughed, Matt reached over and kissed her on the cheek, and Kala wrinkled her nose that made her nose ridges look like tiny little daggers. She turned to Tey, "why are you such an instigator?"

Tey pretended to look offended. "Me?" He asked as he put his hand on his chest. "I'm the moral compass for this group." Everyone broke out into fits of laughter, including Tey.

"Remember when you convinced me to miss my Zero-G training in second year?" Matt asked as he he wiped his eyes.

"Well who needs Zero-G training when we have artificial gravity, really?" Tey responded, still laughing.

"And remember when you convinced me to miss my parents' Tk-tK-kOr ceremony?" Ari chirped in.

"You had way more fun with us at the Tenaran Ice Cliffs on Trill," Tey said as he finished the last of his drink.

"And you got my brother more drunk than he's ever been in his entire life," Xavier added.

"No offense Xav, but Edan is the most boring person I have ever met. It was either get him blind drunk or stab him," Tey said matter-of-factly. Everyone around the table nodded, including Xavier.

"Do you remember convincing us to steal that shuttle in our final year?" Kala asked, her eyes twinkling.

"Firstly, we borrowed the shuttle, there is a difference," Tey corrected, puffing out his chest. He was clearly still proud of this incident.

"Commander Johnson didn't agree," Ari said with a chuckle. "She was so mad, she turned redder than Matty did when you transported him naked in front of the entire ethics class."

"That wasn't funny," Matt said sulkily. Everyone laughed.

The waiter appeared with a tray carrying their drinks. "Here you are folks," he said in the usual Risian exuberant manner. He placed a tankard of beer in front of Matt and another one in front of Tey. He then handed Xavier and Ari a Saurian Brandy each, and finally he, nervously, handed a glass of Kanar to Kala. This was their sixth round of drinks and still the waiter seemed uncomfortable handing a Cardassian drink to a Bajoran.

"Nearly thirty years since the occupation ended and I still get that look when I order a Cardassian drink," Kala said, as though reading Xavier's mind.

"You only order Kanar so you can get that look," Xavier said back to his best friend. She flipped him off.

Before anyone could take a sip of their drink, Matt stood up and raised his glass in the air. Everyone turned to stare at him, open-mouthed, their drinks all but forgotten. He stood there for a second before he broke out into a wide toothed grin. "Only messing," he declared as he sat back down. They all laughed.

"To Matty," Xavier said as he raised his drink above his head. "The dopiest guy in Starfleet."

"Here, here," they chorused.

"I still don't understand, why we weren't expelled?" Kala said.

"We weren't that bad," Ari said as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"No I mean with the shuttle," Kala continued. "Commander Johnson was furious, we broke several regulations, and put ourselves in danger..."

"Especially with KoKo's piloting," Ari said with a chuckle. Xavier playfully hit him with the back of his hand.

"...and we got off pretty lightly," Kala continued, as though she hadn't been interrupted. "I was expecting a court martial, or at least a formal reprimand."

"I sorted it," Tey said mysteriously.

"What? How?" Xavier asked, this was the first time he had heard anything about this, despite this being one of their favourite memories.

"In the usual way I sort things."

Everyone looked puzzled for a moment, until Ari clued on and groaned. "You didn't?" The Andorian asked, but already knowing the answer.

"I did," Tey said, unable to keep the smile from his dark face.

"Didn't what?" Matt asked, clearly a step behind everyone else.

"Kateyo bedded an academy instructor so that we could avoid punishment," Xavier stated, not sure if he was disturbed or impressed.

Everyone sat in stunned silence for a moment, trying to process this new piece of information.

"You're welcome," Tey eventually said. They all laughed.