Drinks around the Campfire Part I
Posted on Sat Feb 21st, 2026 @ 10:56am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Lieutenant Ja'sol H'ros & Lieutenant Vura & Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble & Major Edmund Merrick & Lieutenant Commander Katherine Malbrooke & Lieutenant Mira Jayna
Edited on on Sat Feb 21st, 2026 @ 11:14am
1,973 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 17 - Going Home
Location: The Malbrooke Ranch - Pawhuska Oklahoma - Earth
Timeline: MD025 2000 hrs
Neil glanced up at the sky, re-orientating himself after recently viewing the stars from Nova Scotia and now those of Oklahoma. The pop and hiss of logs superheating and catching refocused him as he used a pitch fork, or rather a potato fork, to move some of the embers back toward the center of the large fire pit that sat off of Tyler’s main house, protected by both a knee high rock wall and a layer of gravel radiating out. Lounge chairs, benches and canvas covered hay bales offered seating options and people had been ebbing and flowing between activities, the dance floor, the food and now the fire pit.
As darkness crept over the gathering, the fire pit had already been prepared and the fire lit an hour ago. Neil had taken it upon himself to rearrange the coals and add more logs of white oak and osage. He lost himself in the fire, watching the flames curl and warm the latest offerings.
In the distance, the band played a song titled, Fishing in the Dark.
"Sounds like a song your brother would like," Jayna said quietly to Neil. It had been a good day. A memorable day. And she was enjoying the relative peace of the night as much as the company.
"It ain't over yet," Neil remarked to Jayna with a half leer as he joined her on a bale of hay, hobbling slightly and favoring his artificial leg. "But the proprieties..."
"And the public..." she added, chuckling. "Leg bothering you?" she asked, changing the subject for now.
Shrugging, Neil said, "Sort of. The stump still isn't used to getting all of the attention. It'll get better with some medicinal adult beverages."
Footsteps could be heard, then Edmund arrived. Having had an enjoyable meal, plus some good drinks provided by both Ja'sol and Tyler. He was feeling rather relaxed. He smiled seeing Neil and Mira
"Evening Mira, and Neil. This is Paradise." he remarked having a seat upon a log that had the top part flattened. He set down a carrier which held some bottles of alcohol in it.
"Would either of you like one of these?" motioning towards the drinks.
"Yes. I think we would both like one," Jayna replied. "Welcome, Edmund." Neil would likely need two to take the edge off his aching leg.
"I was just about to yell Corpsman...you've got good timing Ed, thanks." Neil said, taking the offered drink and eyeing it. "Though if there's only the one, you have a horrible bedside manner. We might have to get a few buckets of beer like we had at mom's..."
"I'm sure they're around. Save my seat and I'll grab one," Jayna said, getting up to find more drinks. It would also give Neil and Edmund a few moments to talk.
Feeling in a mood, Neil thought about asking Jayna if he was supposed to grab her seat and what he was supposed to save one of, but he missed his chance during the debate. Instead, he drank half of the drink he'd been given, then eyed Merrick and said, "You suppose Tyler has cows. I hear cow tipping is a time honored event. Or maybe a bull. Riding one of those could be a new experience."
As she looked for the drinks, Jayna wondered what was an acceptable time to stay at a party like this before she and Neil could leave. He looked like his leg was bothering him and she would like to go somewhere quiet with him to relax and just be alone.
Jayna leaving the fire in search of more drinks, Edmund picked up the container which held eight in it. moving closer to where Neil was and handed him two more drinks. He popped the lid off of his drink. Taking a swallow of it before he spoke.
"How are things working out for you on shore leave?" Edmund asked looking away and watching the smoke drift away from Neil.
Upending one of the bottles and draining half, Neil cast an eye at the major. Then he glanced after Jayna and at the bottle in his hand and said, "Well. They're looking up." After downing the rest of the bottle, he cracked open the next and said. What? No comment on cow tipping or riding a male bovine that's all testicles and bad attitude? What's going on Ed?"
"Cow tipping nah not gonna be a fun time. Cows don't like to be tipped." Ed commented as he drained his own bottle. "I've worked with cows, and riding a bull, you ought to try riding a mechanical bull. The live ones are a handful as well."
Katherine Malbrooke wasn't sure where Tyler was at the moment. With the crew separating into small groups, she hoped they'd find a bonfire and sit for a while. She'd kept to herself a lot during the past few months, due to the pregnancy, either with morning sickness or needing to nap, and she looked forward to some adult conversation. Not that she didn't enjoy spending time with Ty, but tonight she wanted to chat with some of the crew.
She didn't find her husband, but she did see Jayna. "Hi. Are you looking for something?"
Jayna turned to Kat and smiled. "Hello. Yes. Looking for beer to take back to the bonfire. It's Neil and Edmund right now, but I'm sure more will filter over before long. Do you know where I can find them?"
Looking around, Kat pointed. "Over here." She led Jayna to where drinks, marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars sat waiting for people. She picked up two bags of marshmallows, crackers, chocolate bars, and a dozen skewers for making s'mores. "I'll bring this if you want to fill a crate with beer and ice."
Jayna complied, and soon the two were heading back to the bonfire.
On the stage, the band struck up a song called T-R-O-U-B-L-E
Before they got there, Katherine spotted Vura and stopped. "Counselor, come join us."
Vura strolled up to everyone and said in a cheery voice, "Hello everyone." She smiled at Kat and said, "It is good that I will finally get to talk to you. The Commodore has told me much but I was beginning to believe that he was going to sequester you from me forever!"
Kat rubbed her belly. "Blame it on the baby. But I'm feeling better and I would love a chance to talk with you, too. Besides, we have the makings of s'mores."
Jayna chuckled. "And beer. The bonfire is this way." She led the other two back to Neil and Edmund.
Once she set the crate of beer down, she took two and handed one to Neil before sitting next to him.
At that moment, Vura saw that Edmund was there. She wanted to be with Kat, but she also wanted to be with Edmund. Mentally, she shook her head. Kat had to be first. "The makings of s'mores...?" Vura wondered. "Have I ever had those before? I can't remember. Will you help me out with that, Kat?"
"Of course." Kat set the supplies down and opened a bag of marshmallows to demonstrate the art of making--and eating--s'mores. After she made a sandwich of the graham crackers, chocolate, and toasted marshmallow, she handed Vura a skewer. "Now it's your turn."
Vura repeated the process. "I have a feeling that this is going to get delightfully gooey. However, how does one keep this from falling into the fire?""
"With practice," Kat admitted. "But the gooeyness is part of the fun."
Neil watched the ladies approach shifting on the canvas covered bale and letting his eyes track back to the fire for a few moments. In his mind's eye, he could see Jayna next to Kat and his mind shifted speculatively as he glanced at his itching stump...stump. Thing. He drained the bottle he held, racked it in the crate upside and grabbed another after Jayna brought it over. "Thanks for the reload," he told her with a smile." His gaze had touched on the counselor and then he let it drift back to the fire and his speculations.
Fire was safer.
Jayna toasted two marshmallows, then took them, along with graham crackers and chocolate, over to Neil and sat down. "Care for a s'more?"
Vura noticed the look from Neil but said nothing. He likely was as apprehensive about talking to her as she was to him. However, it was her job and right now, this was a social event. Perhaps tomorrow morning he would call her into his office. She smiled devilishly at the thought. Turnabout is fair play.
With the devilish grin still on her face, she told Kat, "Well, as I said, it sounds delightful. Now teach me how to put this over the fire properly so I don't miss out on too many of these things, er, some mores?"
Kat laughed. "That depends on how you like your marshmallows. Some like them toasted a light brown. Others like to let them catch fire so they're burned on the outside and gooey inside. Try both and see which you prefer. For the rest, you use half a graham cracker for the bottom, put half a bar of chocolate on top, then either the other half of the chocolate and cracker, or just the cracker, and eat it." She toasted her marshmallow so it was a light brown, then, while it cooled a bit, prepared half a graham cracker and half a chocolate bar. She put the marshmallow on top, then put the rest of the bar and cracker on top. "Now you eat it." She proceeded to take a bite.
Vura watched intently as Kat created the s'more. Gingerly, she accepted it from Kat, inspected it, and then took a bite. The moment she did, her eyes rolled upwards and she closed her eyes as she savored the moment. "This is a very interesting creation. I shall have to try it in the other ways that you suggested, Kat."
"Please do. That's part of the fun." Kat made herself another s'more and sat down to rub her belly.
Neil eyed the sweet treat, then his beer. "Thanks," he told Jayna as he bit into the hot treat. "He was moved to set the beer back into the ice. "Now will chocolate and beer be a wise choice."
Jayna just shrugged.
Tyler strolled up to the group with the bottle that Ja'sol had brought with him and a number of glasses. "So, tell me Ja'sol what are we in for?" he asked as he sat down next to his wife with a smile. He poured the beverage for everyone save his wife.
A joint post by:
Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Battalion Commander, The Cure
Lieutenant Mira Jayna
Intelligence Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Katherine Malbrooke
Operational Advisor, USS Pioneer
Major Edmund Merrick
Company Commanding Officer Officer, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Ja'sol H'ros
Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Pioneer
RSS Feed