38 Drop off

Posted on Wed Apr 20th, 2016 @ 6:24am by Commander Bertrand Cuprum & Captain Elijah Michaels & Commander Cor Cordale

Mission: Vipers and Scoundrels
Location: Pirate Station

The ship was docked directly to the Station, but the mass of the Latinum/Gold in the hold meant it needed to be beamed across. Cor, or 38 as he was being called, had the activator in his hand, and stood with the three Ambassador's in an empty cargo hold. Collins was sweating and wringing his hands. Ulan was scowling at the empty walls, no doubt uncomfortable at how exposed they were.

Retak however seemed quite at home, though this may simply be bluff and bravado.

"I find the ambient temperature here so much more comfortable than on a Federation facility," he observed.

"At least the Federation provide chairs," Ulan glowered.

"Says the man without a tail." Thirty-Eight countered. "If I ever get my hands on the smooth-skin that designs a universal chair using his own ass as the base model..." he just shook his head.

"Can't we just hurry this up?" Collins interjected, the Ambassador wiping sweat from his brow. "What is taking so long?" He asked nervously towards Cor.

As if in answer to the query they hear the large interior door open and a group of ten men and women entered, all heavily armed. The woman at the front stepped forward.

"You have a lot of nerve coming back here, Ulan."

"I hardly had a choice, as your Commodore pointed out," the Romulan spat back.

"Do you have the payment or not," she asked eyeing the empty warehouse as her men spread out to cover the smaller group from various angles. Cor noticed they were carrying Federation Type III Phaser Rifles.

"One moment," Retak interjected, "please. I believe we should be assured that our purchases are undamaged."

"They are," the woman responded with a leer, "Though the Commodore was looking forward to an excuse to try them out himself."

Collins went pale, while the Romulan said something the UT didn't quite translate.

"The payment?" the woman repeated.

With a nod, the Thux hit the switch on the activator to initiate the transfer, as it were, of funds. "Now, about their exchange? Unless you expect us to wait here while you count it all."

The blue glow around the crates had barely dissipated before one of the men had clambered up and was checking the contents.

"Oh, I'm sure it is all there. We know where to find you if it isn't."

She nodded to a couple of goons toward the back who stepped back through the door and returned a moment later with three people. The youngest, a Cardassian girl of not much more than 12 ran straight to Retak who grabbed her into a hug. An older woman, trying to carry herself with dignity moved next to Collins and hissed, "You took your time."

The last was a Romulan male who's face was bruised and limped as he moved next to Ulan. He saw his brother's expression and simply mumbled about falling down.

There was an orange glow of Cardassian transporter and the three giant crates vanished again. The woman turned to address the group.

"Now that our business is concluded, feel free to stay and enjoy the station. The Commodore wants you to understand that he appreciates your continued business and hopes we can all put this unpleasantness behind us when next he calls on you for aide."

With that the group turned and began to file out.

"Of course." Thirty-Eight replied. "It's just business, after all." and the Thux turned with the group to head out. The exchange was done and the hostages were rescued. Sure, they paid a king's ransom and probably financed a few small warlords, but the important part was everyone was safe.

As the group trooped back towards the Trafalgar's gangway, Retak and his daughter moved close to Cor and spoke quietly so other would not hear, "While I cannot speak for my esteemed colleagues' motives, I do not intend to honour this deal and allow those funds to be used to propagate further injustices of this kind. I have planted on my shipment a small transponder that should allow your ship to locate them. No doubt the crates will have been placed within some area of high security to avoid them being beamed out, but my crates are equipped with pattern boosters that should overcome any such issue on this station."

"I'll tell the Cap'n. It's his call." Thirty-Eight muttered. "Just be prepared to catch hell if they find that pattern booster before we do." the Thux pointed out. It's not that he didn't care. It's that it was stupid to think that they weren't being monitored at practically all times.

"Perhaps, if you are unwilling to simply reclaim the crates, it would be possible to beam a Quantum torpedo into the location to cause it to rupture the hull and vent the crates into space?"

"I read on a fortune cookie once. When we guess other's motives, we often reveal our own." a pause from the Thux, "You let us worry about those crates. Let us worry about those pirates, you just enjoy your time reunited with your daughter."

"Of course," Retak responded, his arm around the young woman. "I just want to make sure we stay reunited for as long as possible."