<div class="floatleft">(https://i.pinimg.com/236x/11/b3/3d/11b33dc90c919a498dfc1340801c0bd5.jpg)</div><strong>Name/Rank:</strong>Captain Nathan Barnes<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Deep Space 9/ Prominade<br/><strong>Activity:</strong>Eating<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Any<br/><br/><hr/>Even starship captains need time off and shore leave, though few ever take the opportunity.  Nathan would be the first to admit he feel into the category where he let his strong sense of duty and being in "the chair" drive most of his life.  With the taking on new equipment and refitting one squadron to handle the new long range exploration and reconnaissance configuration.  Once the refit had finished the<em>Hornet</em>had received its new orders for an extended tour out in the Gamma Quadrant.   The<em>Hornet</em>was at Deep Space Nine for some shore leave due to a conference being held at the station.  Nathan was one of the captains asked to attend as the<em>Hornet</em>had some recent engagements with some unknown alien race and as well as ships which have appeared from the so called "Mirror Universe".  All of it was causing unrest in the Alpha and Beta quadrants, eve skirmishes with the Klingon Empire who had withdrawn from the Khitomir  Accords.  It was not full scale war, but tensions were high.<br/><br/>All of it was in the back of his mind however as he sat down to enjoy his meal.  He never had a chance during the Dominion War to spend any down time before at Deep Space Nine or Bajor, and he was going to use the time to rectify it.  He was killing some time right now, waiting for the<em>McCoy</em>to arrive and Alexis to join him on the shore leave to Bajor itself.  It would be the first time since the end of the war they had any time off together.  They tried to invite James, but his work on Orion was keeping him there, which Nathan could understand.  Open diplomatic dialog with any planet with close ties to the Klingon Empire was important at this time.  Still he and Alexis would have time to themselves and have a nice two days free rock climbing in the Kola Mountains.<br/><br/>Nathan set down the plate and closed his eyes, breathing in the heady scent of the food.  The restaurant was one of the few on the station which served fresh and not replicated food.  While scientists swore up and down replicated food was the same, Nathan always though differently.  He knew it was mental, but some mental ticks were hard to overcome.  Good food was his one weakness, something he paid for with punishing hours in the gym, but as vices go, there were worse.  For now he looked down and nearly drooled at his tradition hasperat served with a side of batbird stew.  His drink however was a traditional Earth peach ice tea since he was on duty.  He had time, ad he intended to enjoy his meal, even if the hasperat made his eyes water and his small intestines curse his name later.