Cat and Moose, Part 1

Posted on Tue Dec 16th, 2025 @ 2:23pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer C'Hira Summers & Lieutenant Commander David Erickson

1,258 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X04: All the Friends We Can Get
Location: Kannok
Timeline: Shortly after "A Message of Peace and Friendship."

ON

David had returned to the ship and changed out of his dress uniform. Nothing bad had happened while he was down on the planet, but something was bothering him, and he decided he was going to head back down and have another look around in a more informal style.

As he approached the transporter room, he saw a familiar figure approaching and smiled. "Hey there," he said, looking her up and down, rapidly. "Are you planning to head down to the planet?"

“Good meowrning, Mr. Erickson!” C’Hira said happily. She was dressed down in a black short-sleeved shirt and matching pants. Not a fashion statement so much as a desire to remain professional whilst not violating the rule about being in a uniform while off-duty. The handles from a few cloth bags were sticking out of a satchel she wore on her shoulder. “Yes, I am, nya! Gonna explore the shopping district, nya.”

"Well, as it so happens, I'm heading the same way," he said. "And given Starfleet's rules for landing parties and shore leave, we really should stick together."

“Starfleet landing party and shore leave rules, nya?” C’Hira asked. “I can’t think of a rule that would apply here, nya. Not anyone they taught in Enlisted Training, nya.”

"Oh it's pretty much Rule One. First lesson they teach us," he said. "All young, vulnerable, attractive members of the crew should be escorted at all times on new planets, in case the locals take too much interest." He gave her a wink and a grin. "But worry not. I have every confidence you will be able to protect me." He gestured to the door, letting her enter first.

The part-Caitian snickered and followed his gesture through the door into the transporter room. “Meow’ll need to keep an eye on you, nya.” She looked to the transporter chief. “Two to beam meown to Sector Three,” she instructed as she walked first onto the pad. “Find a square about a kilometre from Sector Four, nya.”

"Energize when ready," David said, stepping up next to her on the transporter pad.

The familiar chimes of a Federation transporter sounded, and a few moments later, they were breathing fresh air. He looked around them at the market area ahead of them. He scanned the streets and watched the people going about their business. Again something wasn't quite right about it, but no one seemed particularly upset or in a hurry. "Well," he said, "where are we 'window shopping' first?" he said.

"I have a list, nya!" C'Hira said cheerily. She pulled it from her satchel and read through it. "First, restock food for the ship, nya. Meowstly staples and common agrarian supplies that won't be too different from what we normally eat. Fruit, grains, eggs, nya. Meowby a few delicacies and a Drenkul recipe or two for the kitchen to try mew.”

"Very practical," David said. "Although, I'd tread carefully on the recipe front. They're particular about traditional preparations. What else?"

"Second, something for the ship, nya," C'Hira said. "They make beautiful glassware on Kannok, nya. Something that can be displayed in one of the lounges as a keepsake. Captain's orders, nya. Meowmeries of our visit. To do that though, we'll need to go into Sector Four, which means we also need to buy outfits, nya!"

"Here's hoping they have my size," David said, glad he hadn't worn too many layers. "Well, food shopping first, and once that's aboard, we'll see about knick-knacks." He looked around spotting a stall with several piles of grains. "Shall we begin?"

“We shall, nya!” C’Hira took him by the arm and they walked in the direction of the Sector 4 boundary, where there were food vendors on both sides of the street.

David walked beside her, arm in arm, but his eyes weren't on his pretty companion. Instead, he was watching the people...and they were watching the two of them.

“Nya?” C’Hira said in surprise and confusion as she approached one of the doors only for it to close in front of her and the lights in the shop to go off. “Huh. I guess it’s someone’s break time.”

"Possibly, David said. "Let's try a location down the street."

But it happened with the next one too.

"This is not giving me a comforting feeling," David said. He looked around again, this time paying attention to not only the regular citizens but the vendors. They were staring with...it wasn't hatred...fear? Worry? Panic? He wasn't sure, but that uneasy feeling he'd had earlier was intensifying.

"Where is....everyone?" he said.

"There are people, nya," C'Hira observed. "A mew of the shops are open. Meowbe it's bad luck."

"There are some vendors standing out, and some milling around, and there are some customers but....not nearly enough for a market this size. And to shut down in the middle of the day?" He nodded towards the closed shops near them. He turned and made eye contact with another vendor who immediately stepped inside his shop, his hand on the door.

"We....may want to find another market...." he said, slowly. "I don't know what it is we're missing about the situation, but these people don't want us here." He put his arm protectively around her waist and tried to steer her around back to where they'd beamed down.

"Nyo, nyo, nyo," C'Hira insisted, exasperated already by this treatment by the Drenkul. "This is a market, and they sell things, nya! It's how these things work, nya!" She reached into her satchel and pulled out a thick stack of small, flexible polymer sheets and fanned it for all to see. The pinkish-purple colour and Drenkul writing made clear to the shopkeepers what it was. "Benefit of a crime-free society, nya. No one to catch us by the tail and mug us."

David kept his arm around her and leaned down as if to whisper something cute in her ear. "That's one," he said under his breath, his voice stern. Before he could elaborate, motion in his periphery caught his eye and he stood up.

One of the shopkeepers from a bit further up the road greeted the pair. "Welcome, newcomers!" he bellowed gregariously, gesturing for them to approach. "You'll need to forgive my most ignorant of competitors!" He grinned at C'Hira. "They don't know how to handle a being quite as lovely as your self, my dear!"

"Heehee, nya!" C'Hira giggled, grinning. "I like this guy, nya," she said to David.

David's eyes raked over him, and he looked at C'Hira, then back at the shopkeeper. "Finally," he said, breaking into a grin. "A friendly face." He walked up, still with his arm around C'Hira and gave a friendly salute and a nod of his head. "Thank you for the kind greeting, friend," he said. "My name is David, and this vision of beauty is my lovely wife, C'Hira. We're here to procure some supplies for our ship, and possibly a few mementos of our visit. Perhaps you can help us with some of it."

C’Hira gave David a quick glance but then leaned into his arm. “I want to remeowmber this visit. Our first visit to a mew planet as husband and wife, nya. But we also have responsibilities, nya. Food in particular.”

The shopkeeper gestured to follow him. “Let it not be said that Sutep Lam-Kannok never helped a beautiful lady and her charming husband,” he bellowed. “This way, this way!”


To be continued...

 

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