An Evening Off - Part One – "You Need a Break"

Posted on 30 Jul 2026 @ 7:14pm by Lieutenant JG Douglas McDougal & Lieutenant JG K'Rin "Tiger" C'Tinu & Ensign Sh'asi M'Rori & Master Chief Petty Officer Harrison Madrie & Master Sergeant Candice Laramie

2,181 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Various
Timeline: 1900 Hours

ON:



The ship never truly slept. Even during Gamma Shift there was a heartbeat to her. The rhythmic pulse of warp engines. The distant hiss of environmental systems. Footsteps echoing through corridors. The soft murmur of conversations between crewmembers finally allowed to breathe after long duty shifts.

Tonight, however... Lieutenant JG Douglas McDougal had decided enough was enough.

He stood outside the recreation lounge holding a PADD against his chest while absentmindedly adjusting the long black hair that normally stayed tucked neatly beneath his duty cap. Off duty, he'd let it down, allowing it to frame the face he'd spent far too many years believing looked too soft for a security officer.

Renny always told him he was being ridiculous. "You look fine." Easy for Renny to say. Douglas sighed.

He looked over the list he'd compiled.

Candice Laramie.
Definitely coming.
She almost never turned down an opportunity to socialize.

Harrison Madrie.
...Probably had to be tricked.

Sh'asi M'Rori.
Already volunteered to help organize the evening.

He smiled. She'd actually become excited when he'd simply mentioned karaoke. That alone was enough to make him optimistic. The doors parted.

"Doug!" Candice practically bounced through the entrance carrying enough enthusiasm for three people. She wore civilian clothes for once—a comfortable dark jacket over a simple blouse and trousers and somehow still managed to look ready to crawl through an access tube if someone asked. "There you are!" she beamed.

Douglas laughed. "I've been here exactly two minutes."

"I know." She grinned wider. "I just wanted to say it."

"You really are incapable of entering a room quietly."

"Nope." She hooked an arm around his. "So who else is coming?"

"Harrison." Douglas said.

Candice's smile somehow became even brighter. "Oh this is going to be fun."

Douglas looked at her suspiciously. "Why do I suddenly feel sorry for Harrison?"

"You should." Candice replied happily. “I have heard stories.”



Elsewhere aboard the Tomcat…

Master Chief Harrison Madrie sat on an overturned cargo container inside Raider Squadron's maintenance bay. One boot rested on the wing of his fighter while a half-disassembled impulse regulator lay in his lap.

"...and if whoever designed this coupling is listening from the afterlife..." He tightened a bolt. "...I hope your coffee is forever lukewarm."

A nearby crewman snorted. "You talk to engines?"

"They listen better than officers." Harrison shot back.

His combadge chirped. =/\= McDougal to Madrie. =/\=

Harrison closed his eyes. "...If this is karaoke..."

=/\= You already know it's karaoke. =/\=

"...I suddenly have an engine emergency."

=/\= I can literally see from the duty roster that your maintenance shift ended twenty minutes ago. =/\=

"...Computer sold me out."

Douglas chuckled over the comm. =/\= Meet us in the recreation lounge. Civilian clothes. That's an order...ish. =/\=

"You can't 'ish' an order."

=/\= See you in fifteen. =/\= The channel closed.

Harrison stared at his combadge. "...Traitor."




Deck Nine:

Sh'asi M'Rori hummed softly to herself while arranging tables inside the recreation lounge. She had somehow convinced the lounge staff to dim the lights just enough to create a warm atmosphere without making it difficult to move around. A small stage sat in one corner. Someone had already wheeled out the karaoke console.

Sh'asi's bright blue eyes lit up. "Oh..." She clasped her hands together. "This is going to be wonderful." She carefully placed bowls of snacks across several tables.

Fresh fruit. Finger foods. A tray of Caitian-inspired pastries she'd convinced the chef to replicate.

Douglas and Candice arrived a few minutes later.

Candice immediately stopped in her tracks. "Oh wow."

Sh'asi turned with a radiant smile. "You made it!" She hurried over and embraced Candice without hesitation.

Candice laughed, happily returning the hug. "I've heard so much about you."

"Only good things, I hope." Sh’asi asked.

"The very best." Candice returned

Douglas smiled quietly as he watched them. Sometimes... Friendships formed in seconds. This looked like one of those times.

Sh'asi looked toward him next. "You must be Douglas."

"I am." He said

She stepped forward and offered both hands instead of one. "It's lovely to finally meet you."

Douglas accepted the greeting warmly. "The pleasure's mine."

"I've heard you're very good at making people feel welcome." Sh'asi said softly.

He blinked. "...Who told you that?"

"Everyone." Sh’asi tilted her head in amusement that he didnt seem to know this.

His cheeks colored slightly.v"Well..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I just like people."

"I know." She said softly her smile softened. "I do too."

For a brief moment they simply smiled at one another. Candice watched the exchange with an amused grin.

The doors opened again. All three looked over simultaneously.

Harrison stepped inside wearing jeans, boots, and a charcoal-gray shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway to
his elbows. His hands were stuffed in his pockets. He surveyed the room. "...This feels suspiciously wholesome."

Candice immediately pointed at him. "There he is!"

"The victim?" Harrison remarked

"No the guest of honor." Candice declared

"I didn't agree to that." Harrison remarked tartly.

Douglas smiled innocently. "You showed up."

Harrison looked between her and Douglas. "I'm already questioning my decision to come."

Douglas chuckled. "That's because you're early enough to still escape."

"I considered it." Harrison confessed

"You made it anyway." Douglas pointed out.

"Curiosity is a terrible survival instinct." Harrison countered.

Before either of them could say another word, a flash of white-and-black striped fur crossed the room. "Harrison!" Sh'asi's bright blue eyes sparkled as she approached. "There you are." She hugged him briefly.

Harrison's deadpan expression softened almost immediately. " Here I am." He agreed though still unsure as to why.

"You actually came." Sh’asi was obviously over the moon at that simple fact.

"I was informed attendance was... 'an order-ish.'" Harrisons eyes found Douglas.

Douglas looked entirely unrepentant. "It was."

Harrison sighed dramatically. "I really need better friends."

"You have excellent friends," Sh'asi corrected warmly, giving his arm an affectionate squeeze. "You simply complain about us constantly."

"I do." Harrison agreed readily with a nod.

"And yet..." She tilted her head with a playful smile. "...you're still here."

"Unfortunately." Harrison stated the word was not as harsh as it might have been if intended for anyone else.

She laughed, having long since learned that with Harrison, unfortunately usually meant I'm actually glad to be here. "You've been working too much again." Sh’asi pointed out.

His shoulders lifted in an almost guilty shrug. "Raiders don't fix themselves."

"No," she replied gently, "but Raider Four isn't going to fly away if you spend one evening eating good food instead of rebuilding her impulse regulators."

Douglas blinked. "...He was rebuilding the fighter, was he?"

Harrison pointed at Sh'asi. "See? This is why she's dangerous."

Candice folded her arms with a grin. "Because she knows you too well?"

"Exactly." Harrison stated.

Sh'asi smiled innocently. "I simply pay attention."

"You remember everything." Harrison accused.

"I do." Sh’asi agreed

Douglas laughed quietly. "That sounds remarkably useful."

"For everyone except Harrison." Sh’asi nodded.

Harrison gave a theatrical sigh. "I liked it better when my bad habits were private."

"Pffft…They never were." Sh’asi said as she reached over and straightened the slightly crooked collar of his shirt with the effortless familiarity of someone who'd done similar things before. "There."

Harrison glanced down. "...I walked all the way here looking like that?"

"You did." Sh’asi said softly. “It’s better now.”

Candice covered her mouth, trying—and failing—not to laugh. The whole scene was so unexpected.

Douglas couldn't help smiling. Watching the exchange, it became immediately obvious there was genuine trust between them.

Sh'asi never tried to fix Harrison. She simply accepted him exactly as he was. And somehow... That made it easier for him to lower the walls he kept around almost everyone else.

Douglas smiled to himself. ‘Good.’ Every group needed someone like that. He clapped his hands together. "So..." He gestured toward the buffet. "Who's hungry?"

Four hands immediately went up. Including Harrison's. "...I can eat." For the first time all week... Master Chief Harrison Madrie smiled without realizing he was doing it.

Douglas had barely finished speaking when the recreation lounge doors parted once again.

A tall Caitian woman strode inside with the easy confidence of someone who never questioned whether she belonged somewhere.

Golden-tan fur caught the warm lighting of the lounge, darker fur framing her mane and the unmistakable scars across one forearm speaking of years spent around cockpits and combat. Her iridescent green eyes swept the room only once before settling on the familiar faces. "There you all are."

Sh'asi's ears immediately perked. "Tiger!" Before anyone else could react, Sh'asi crossed the room and embraced the taller Caitian with obvious affection. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"Neither did I." K'Rin chuckled, returning the hug. "My patrol finished early. I stopped by the quarters and Harrison wasn't there." She looked toward the Harrison with a knowing smirk. "I assumed someone had finally managed to lure him out with food."

Harrison folded his arms. "It was an ambush."

"It usually is." K'Rin turned toward the young Marine, offering a broad, friendly smile. "You must be Candice."

"I am." Candice confirmed sticking out her hand.

"K'Rin C'Tinu." She accepted the offered hand enthusiastically. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard wonderful things."

Candice blinked. "You have?"

"Harrison complains when people interrupt his maintenance." She glanced sideways at him. "He has never once complained about you."

Harrison looked mildly betrayed. "...ugh."

Douglas laughed as he watched Harrison realize he was now outnumbered.

"So," Douglas asked, "how do you know everyone?"

K'Rin rested a relaxed hand on Harrison's shoulder. "We've flown together for years." She gave the pilot's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "I've trusted this idiot with my life more times than I can count."

"I've only crashed that once." Harrison huffed.

"Three times." K’Rin corrected

"Once and it was intentional." Harrison argued.

"That doesn't make it better." K’Rin said dryly

"It solved the problem." He snapped back.

"It created three new ones." K’Rin shook her head and then let it go. “We can debate it later Mandrie”

“Because I was winning.” He muttered under his breath but also let it go.

Candice was already laughing. "Oh, this is going to be a fun evening."

K'Rin nodded toward Sh'asi. "And our favorite morale officer here has spent years making sure neither of us completely loses our minds."

"I only help a little."

"You help a great deal," Harrison corrected quietly.

Sh'asi's smile softened. "Thank you."

Douglas noticed the exchange. There was history there. Not romantic. Not awkward. Just years of shared missions, long conversations, impossible situations, and the kind of trust that couldn't be manufactured overnight. The sort forged one deployment at a time.

K'Rin looked around the table before focusing on Douglas. "I hope you don't mind me crashing your gathering."

Douglas smiled immediately. "Not at all. The more the merrier."

K’Rin asked tilting her head. "Even if I sing?"

Douglas hesitated just long enough to make everyone suspicious. "...How well do you sing?"

K'Rin's whiskers twitched mischievously. "I fly significantly better." A beat of silence.

Then Harrison groaned. "Oh no..."

Sh'asi immediately started giggling.

Candice looked between them. "What?"

Harrison rubbed a hand over his face. "She thinks she's an opera singer."

"I am an opera singer." K’Rin corrected hautly

“Your no more an Opera singer then Maggie is a virgin!” Harrison retorted.

"You are many wonderful things." Sh’asi began

"I detect a 'but' coming." K’Rin said lifting a brow

"...but opera should not require structural reinforcement from Engineering." Harrison replied before Sh’asi could say anything else.

K'Rin gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. "I'll have you know I received applause."

"You also cracked two drinking glasses." Harrison pointed out.

"Well…They were very delicate glasses." K’Rin said evenly.

Douglas burst into laughter. Candice joined him almost immediately. Sh'asi simply smiled, watching her oldest friends fall into the same familiar rhythm they always seemed to find. For the first time in several weeks… Harrison looked completely at ease. No cockpit. No alert klaxons. No tactical reports. Just friends. Exactly where he needed to be. Douglas looked around the growing circle with quiet satisfaction.

This...

This was what life aboard a starship was supposed to look like. Not just officers serving together. Friends choosing to spend their precious free time together.

"Right," Douglas announced with a grin. "Now that our surprise guest has arrived..." He motioned toward the buffet. "I officially declare this evening underway."

K'Rin sniffed the air dramatically. "I smelled replicated lasagna three corridors away."

Harrison pointed toward the buffet. "See?"

Candice raised an eyebrow. "See what?"

"The real reason she came." Harrison smirked.

K'Rin's tail flicked behind her. "I came for my friends." She paused. "...the lasagna was merely a deciding factor."

That earned another round of laughter as the five friends made their way toward the food, already slipping into the easy camaraderie that made the Tomcat feel a little less like a warship...

...and a little more like home.

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