Another Round
Posted on Sun Jul 31st, 2011 @ 6:39am by Captain Li Hawke & Commander Patrick Leroy
Mission:
In Our Time of Need
Location: The Wormhole Bar, SB900
Ring entered the dark confines of The Wormhole bar, making his way casually through the tables. The mingled noises of talk, laughter, and a few arguments swelled around him as he reached a corner table bathed in shadows. Thumb waited, a drink before him. Ring slipped into the chair opposite him an smiled, waiting for questions.
"What news?" asked Thumb without raising his eyes from the drink.
"Fingers almost placed." Answered Ring promptly "Index got the package our contact was sound."
"One slight change. When I ran into the Betazoid, the Vulcan was not with her. From what I picked up, he is off the station. Another was, a Trill and his assistant, and I asked Middle to make contact. He has done so. That is all of them." Ring snagged a drink from the tray of a passing waitress. "How was your brush with the Klingon?"
"It was... Interesting," Thumb responded, a soft smile lining his lips with the memory. "One of those encounters guided by destiny you could read in romantic books... Shouldn't our goal here be quite different."
Thumb rotated the glass in his hand and with a swift move gulped the last of it. "Isn't that odd?" he asked addressing Ring. "A Klingon taking care of this delicate situation... Maybe we're doing a great favour speeding up things here." He ended with a coarse laugh.
"Aye. We can't really do more damage than her." Responded Ring joining the joke.
"Don't be so hasty, my friend. She wasn't given her position for her looks. Underestimating her could be fatal to us all, same as your Betazoid. Be careful with her."
Ring nodded. "Should I send Pinky to retrieve the other piece?"
"I think so." Thumb agreed. "The sooner we get our job done the better."
"It is hidden in a concealed compartment inside an uninhabited lodging in the civilian sector. It will be a cakewalk to retrieve it. Pinky's darn lucky always gets the easier jobs." Ring stated bluntly "When Index got his piece he had a strange feeling for our contact seemed less than motivated."
"I'm confident that Index has reminded him of the possible unpleasant consequences for a sudden defection... I think the guy still cares for his family doesn't he?" Thumb replied as a hideous grin distorted his expression.
"No doubt, though I won't be surprised if he closed up shop and disappeared in the next few days. I think it's worth a visit when I leave here to do a little housecleaning. He can't reveal what he does not remember, if he does take off." Ring lifted his glass and drained it, leaving it on yet another passing tray.
"Good idea," Thumb responded. "And what about our biggest problem? The defensive barrier around our target? We have to get some info on the Security commander of the base. Another woman, would you have guessed it? Zephrane, Zephyr, Zef-something... and a hot-tempered one as per rumors around."
Ring smiled. "Why worry, women's necks are so delicate, easier to wring than male ones."
Thumbs expression darkened "You're getting overconfident. This mission has no error margin and everything has to go by the numbers. Am I understood?"
"Aye." Responded Ring losing suddenly his pranking mood. "Speak to PInky, he made contact." He paused, studying Thumb intently, reaching out with his thoughts. "By the numbers, so don't let a certain Klingon turn your head."
"Don't worry, there's no need to engage the head for what I think to do with her." Replied Thumb coldly. "Another round?."
"By all means." Ring snatched an entire tray full of drinks from the waitress. She opened her mouth to object, but one glance from Thumb sent her scurrying away.
*********
Thumb & Ring
The Hand OF Fate
