A good time to take a break

Posted on Wed Aug 26th, 2026 @ 7:15pm by Lieutenant Mira Jayde & Lieutenant JG Mishka Ru'fallo

1,655 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Shore Leave: Earth
Location: Security Office, USS Valiant
Timeline: Day one of Shore Leave on Earth

Mishka hurried through the corridor of the Valiant, going mostly against the stream of personnel who were all heading for the lock and shore leave. As usual, Security was getting the smelly end of the stick and to make matters worse, there had been more adjustments to the Security department.

For some reason, the department went through more Chiefs than people changed underwear.

Those that wore underwear.

Turning again, to let more people past her, she finally slid into the armory slash security office slash anti-chamber to the three coffin sized closets that represented Valiant’s brig cells. Seeing Valiant’s latest victim to take on the Chief of Security’s roll, Mishka grinned, showing her fang jewels and said, “Made it just under the wire. I’ve got the duty for the next twelve hours, Lieutenant Mira and I can stretch that to however long you’d like. I imagine you’re ready to get some shore leave in while the getting is good?”

Not really, but Jayde needed something to help get her mind back into a semblance of Starfleet normal. "Twelve hours should be plenty of time. I plan to do some shopping, but we don't really have much room here, do we?" She really wanted to get some weapons and maybe some clothes. Things that were better purchased than replicated. And she'd stop somewhere for a meal. If she had time, she might find some woods to wander through. "What about you? I can come back early if you need to go somewhere."

Hedging, Mishka shrugged. "This bear doesn't have any plans, Lieutenant. Probably a meal like you. Well, not like you, but like you're planning," she said, smiling and showing off a flash of the jewels in her canines. "There's going to invite for most of the Valiants to some swanky invite at the Presidential palace in Paris toward the end of the two weeks that my parents will kill me if I miss out on. Think there's a chance we'll get an emergency or someone will start a war?"

"The odds are against that," Jayde replied, shaking her head. "But if you want to survive a swank party like that, watch everyone to see if you can tell who is sleeping with whom. There are always tells. It can make the night less stultifying."

Snickering, the bear leaned a shoulder against the bulkhead, getting her posterior in the door just far enough not to have it pinch.

Again.

"Nah. They only wish they could all sleep with one another. Not too many of them have that kind of game and too many people have knives. Could be fun. I hear the Tholians are coming to Earth in person. Shuttle is due in about a week or so. Couple of heavy cruisers escorting their diplomatic mission in. It's pretty hush hush, but my mother blabs," Mishka blabbed.

"I heard rumors of that," Jayde said, "But where I was, only the most senior of the leaders got the real information." She knew her sister managed to get a good chunk of data from the station, but she didn't know if any of it had intel on the Tholians. "Part of me would like to be there to see it. The rest of me would rather see the highlights from a distance."

"Rumor is you'll be able to do both, if you like," Mishka said. "Me, I'm begging off attending any diplomatic function that the President might be attending. He and my folks know one another and I'm sure mother would make a point of me attending. This bear does not need that."

This time she did verbalize the, "Again."

"I don't like ultra formal events, but it's the best place to watch people interact," Jayde said. "How will I be able to do both?"

"The crew invite through the Betezoid mission. Or the Sodeskaian...my parents would love to have me attend. There are supposed to be a couple of diplomatic escort shuttles that will trail the Tholians down. I bet we could get spots on those to watch...they'll be using Marine Pearl drop ships, modified of course. They seat something like four hundred people each. Then we'd have tickets to the Paris event after watching the Tholian shuttle land. Be in the back but with some of the best seats?"

"Now that does sound interesting," Jayde admitted. "Formal dress, I assume?" She didn't have anything, but she could always replicate a gown or two. Or four. You never wear the same dress twice in such a short span of time.

Frowning, the bear flashed her fangs after a couple of beats and nodded. "Heyush, yeah. Of course. But the Missions can help. And Paris is a good place to get a good dress. Something hand finished off what passes as the rack. Get it done easy by the time the event goes off."

Cocking an eye at her new boss she asked tentatively, "Do you...like to shop?"

"No. But I accept the need for having nice things when on assignment." And there had been a time or two when she just wanted to wear leather--usually when she and her sister went out. But now, she wasn't sure who Jayna was at the moment. Married. She didn't see that coming.

"Me too, kinda," the Bear said hesitantly. "It's fun to get pretties, but I hate having too much stuff. So, if you're good with borrowing, I can ask around." Her brain caught up as they shifted through and she looked her new boss over. "So, what about when not on assignment? I kinda get that might be a novel thing when you...what's the term? Come in from the cold? Bears are good with cold." She added the last trying to keep humor into the conversation and hoping she wasn't coming off weird.

Again.

"I'm okay with borrowing. I'm also okay with replicating." She smiled. "One of the perks of working on a starship. On Breyet Nor, we brought it with us or we made do with what was brought in. Only the leaders used the replicators."

"Tailored clothing is more...fun, I'll give my mom that," Mishka said. "Letting them fuss around you...Oh. We could hit a spa my sister sent me a notice on. It's in the middle of someplace called Montana."

"Montana? A spa? Is it somewhere there are a lot of trees?" Jayde spent the first eleven years of her life living in the deep woods. "That might be fun." She glanced at Mishka. "So, are you going to this even with me?"

"Mountain area so it should have trees I'd think," Mishka said turning to a computer access panel on the wall and entering in a few commands. "Some place called the Spanish Peaks area. Horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, even hunting if you're of a mind." Glancing at her new boss, she said, "I wasn't too sure about going solo, but having someone to do things with would be more fun...so. You wanna?"

"Yes." Jayde liked Mishka and this sounded like fun. She spent most of her time on Breyet Nor alone, so having a friend on the Valiant would be nice.

Mishka grinned, the jewels in her teeth flashing as she got excited and the plans jumbled in her head. "Ooo. Shopping. Spa day. Traipsing around Earth a little. Think we should invite Luna? She can be a hoot?"

"Why not? The more the merrier." This was the first time Jayde had actually wanted to do anything that could remotely be called fun and if Mishka wanted to invite Luna, she was all for it.

"A security outing," Mishka enthused. "So. Spa in Montana. Shopping in Paris? We can go there, take a tour of the Presidential Palace early and get an idea of what the Tholian thing is about. Then find something else fun to do." She was scrolling now and said, "We can ask the temporary Yeoman the Betezoid's set to spy on the Captain. That's what she's for." She stopped and jabbed a finger at the screen, grinning. "Here we go." Then she paused and said, "Wait. Do you prefer cold or hot weather.?"

"Vulcans prefer hot, but I've never tried cold," Jayde admitted. The yeoman was here to spy on the captain? For what, she wondered. It was something she would look into later, just out of curiosity.

"Good experience for you then, Lieutenant," Mishka said happily. "Bracing cold. Good food. Better vodka. Sleigh ride in the tundra wrapped in just furs would be fun." She tapped in a few more notes into the PADD idly humming. Then she turned away and said, "But that’s me. Is there any sort of activity you might like that we can dig into? Or...I don't know. Find some good looking company for a little judicial slap and tickle? You were out in the cold for a while?" The Bear stopped, worried she'd said too much and looked at Jayde hesitantly.

"I hear there's a good ropes course. I'd like to try that," Jayde said after a moment. "Or a sleigh ride. But I'd want lots of clothes and furs. Vulcans tend to prefer warmer climates. At least this one does."

"So that's a yes. I like it," Mishka said with a grin as she continued to jab at the panel. "There, set. We can beam out at end of shift and I only need to be back for eight hours in three days for my turn on duty over the cloak."

"Perfect," Jayde replied. "I'm definitely ready to get lost for a while. I'll make sure everything is good here, then pack a few things. See you in the transporter room."

A post by

Lieutenant JG Mishka Ru'fallo
Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Valiant

Lieutenant Mira Jayde
Acting Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Valiant

 

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