| Date & Time: | Day 01, 1349 |
| Location: | Dorian’s Bar & Games |
| Written By: | Dorian Reade Melissa Reade Howard Morgan |
| Post Date: | 03/02/2026 |
| Episode: | Ep. 2 – On Shaky Ground |
Dorian Reade stood behind the bar and continued to wipe the surface until he felt better about the shine that it had. He’d been to Quark’s Bar back on Deep Space Nine when he was younger, though the former journalist never saw this as his future. When he met Melissa it was before all that, they were still back on Earth and in school.
Now, years later with two children behind them the Reade’s were about to start on yet another new adventure. Melissa was no longer in Starfleet, this had been her idea though it was his to name the bar after himself. There were a number of things the Reade couple had come up with for the bar that weren’t at Deep Space Nine, nor at other stations throughout the Federation.
Dorian had liked the idea of having an area for children to be able to play games, and having an entire program catalog for them as well was appealing. Dorian looked up to the third level where the gaming and entertainment center was at. There was seating up there too, and it gave the children of the station something to do.
Melissa came from around the corner and slipped behind the bar, people had already started to filter in when they opened earlier. “I think our hours of operation need adjusted,” She told her husband. Melissa knew they’d probably get more business throughout the day and until around midnight then things would probably die off.
However, Melissa knew this was a Federation station and many of the shops and restaurants would close after regular dinner time hours. The crew that worked on the station at night would need a place to eat and drink. Part of her wanted to make the hours longer, but that required them to add additional staff.
Dorian smiled, “Let’s see how this works first,” He said. The two of them knew nothing about running a bar or restaurant. He knew a lot of this was going to be flying by the seat of their pants, and he knew his wife still had a Starfleet brain. She’d left the service less than a month ago before they made their way here.
Dorian had already reserved the space on the station before the station was ready and once they’d made the decision to do this. It would be two weeks before they moved before Dorian and Melissa told their sons about it. He remembered Trevor being excited and Dillon being a bit nervous. It was already known to him that Dillon had made a quick friend. Trevor was still trying to sort that part out, but he was probably one of the oldest on the station.
Howard Morgan walked into Dorian’s and looked around before sitting down at the bar, he’d never met the Reade family. However, the business mogul had heard of them and found it interesting how easily they’d pulled this off. The thirty-nine year old man looked at the two of them before adjusting in his seat with a grin on his face.
“So this is Dorian’s?” Howard asked, his office was around the corner and underneath the balcony that covered much of the second and third decks. “That must mean you are Dorian and Melissa Reade?” He asked while looking at the two of them.
Dorian looked up as the man started to speak, he didn’t recognize the man right away. Dorian stepped over toward him. He wasn’t sure if the man was speaking from the impressed point of view or if there was some cynicism there, and as such Dorian ignored it. “Yes,” He said. “I’m Dorian and this is Melissa. I didn’t get your name?”
“Howard Morgan sweetheart,” Melissa said to her husband before walking over and standing next to Dorian. She looked across the bar at him, “He’s the man who moved his entire headquarters here because?” She paused at the end while looking at Howard for an answer.
Howard grinned, “Correct,” He replied. “There’s a lot of mineral resources in this system so I had to jump on that contract right away. The station also needed a Strategic Operations Officer and my wife Novra Bostru was chosen. We decided we didn’t want to keep splitting the difference with our daughter Addison.” Now Howard was calm as he spoke.
He looked around, “It’s really a well designed little bar and it seems you have everything here,” He remarked. “What made a former Starfleet officer and former journalist do this? I’d be worried about it being over my head.” Howard had never gone into the services industry he grew up in the mining industry.
“I believe there’s an old Ferengi saying,” Dorian started to say, “The riskier the road?” He looked at Melissa before turning his attention back onto the mining mogul. “I know we’re not Ferengi, but we both wanted something different.” The journalist and bar owner said, “I might still continue writing here and there, but this is the life I want for myself.”
Howard did find it to be quite a big risk, “Well, I hope it works out here for you,” He said then Howard looked up toward the third level. “I’ve never been on a station where the bar owners took younger people into consideration. There’s not a lot for our kids to do on this bicycle wheel, and you both considered that. I’m impressed.”
Melissa began to smile warmly when she realized this man wasn’t trying to attack them personally, in fact he seemed to be doing something entirely different. Perhaps what they said about the Morgan family was wrong. They’d long been considered arrogant for the way they talked, after all this man was a descendant of a powerful family from Earth’s past.
“We have two boys,” She said. Her voice was quite soft as she spoke, “Trevor and Dillon.” She looked at Howard as she reached in behind the bar and grabbed a glass and placed it in front of him before filling it with a caramel colored liquid and sliding it forward.
Howard accepted the drink, “I’m sorry if you thought I was trying to attack your establishment,” He said suddenly. Sometimes his reputation preceded him. “I truly am impressed with your little setup here,” He looked around. There weren’t many people inside Dorian’s Bar just yet, but he had a sense that this was going to eventually change.
Dorian began to relax a little bit, in the past as a journalist he’d written a number of articles on the Morgan family. When the man first came into the bar, and then his wife identified him, Dorian became a little concerned. “I apologize as well,” Dorian said. “We seem to have gotten off on a bad foot,” He looked at Melissa and his shoulders loosened.
Melissa nodded, “No harm done,” She told Howard with a warm smile on her face. She had only recognized the man from an old article she read a while ago. It seemed that both their families had taken a huge risk to be on the station. “Would you like to view our holosuite program catalog?”
Howard nodded, “Oh certainly,” He said and accepted the datapad that had the information on it. After he’d finished browsing it a little bit and picking out a couple programs he was certain his daughter would enjoy he slid it back toward her. He finished the last of his drink and put the empty glass back down onto the surface of the bar.
“My offices are just down the way,” He pointed in the general direction of where he was located. “I’ve never ran a bar before, but if you need anything at all please don’t hesitate to come visit me.” He got up, “It was nice meeting you both.” With that Howard left the bar.
Dorian watched as Howard left before his attention was deviated back upon Melissa just as some more guests started to wander into the bar. It was as if the guests had been waiting for the seal of approval from the Morgan family. Dorian said nothing about his thoughts on that, “Well that was weird,” He said.
“Yeah,” Melissa said before she went to make sure everything was ready to go for what would be their first official day of running the bar. She looked back at her husband a couple times and wondered if her husband had figured out Howard Morgan before she had. Then she shook her head, he’d written articles but he didn’t recognize the man. Melissa realized that perhaps the Morgan family wasn’t what everyone assumed they were.