Business as Usual

Posted on Mon Sep 21st, 2015 @ 8:20pm by Robart
Edited on on Tue Sep 22nd, 2015 @ 10:54pm

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: OSN Kyllini

Back on the Bridge of the Kyllini, Robart lightly thumped the arm of his captain's chair with a fist. "The Fisheries crew is ready? How many did Sedrick bring over?"

Rekkar nodded, "They are. They're secured in Cargo Six. That ship was running a bare minimum crew. We found only four: a Kazon, an Orion, two Cardassians."

Robart sighed. “I’ll talk with the four, see if any deserved to be saved. Has Larn finished with the cargo?”

“He has. Twenty-eight bins of various items. The most valuable are four bins of Alsatian silk, five bins of Krenim spices, packed as home cooking kits, not in bulk,” he listed off several other items. “Should be easy enough to get rid of.”

“Have him pull the bins with the silk. I want to see it,” Robart stood. “And then I’ll talk to the crew.”

"Sure," Rekkar nodded and contacted Larn as Robart left the Bridge.

* Cargo Two *

"It's a good haul, Ro," Larn grinned. "All legal stuff, packaged and ready for distributors. Looks like Fisher didn't want to draw attention; the live cargo would have been easy to pass off, since he wasn't trading in bulk."

"His mistake was thinking that Cyllene is cargo," Robart commented as Larn pulled the silk out for him. He touched it, examining the quality and feel of it.

The Romulan, watching Robart, asked, "But there was another woman on the ship. Why'd we let her go?"

"It was the wise thing to do, considering our Starfleet passengers and that Cyllene likely would not have allowed us to keep the woman. She has not been raised in our ways, Larn. This is good silk. Only the one color?"

"No, there are other colors and one or two bolts of a different weight," Larn pulled a few more bolts of the fabric out.

Assessing several of the bolts, Robart signalled to Larn to pull certain ones. "Take these to Cyllene's quarters." He then left Larn to the inanimate cargo.

* Cargo Six *

Four naked men hung from the overhead catwalk, strung up by their wrists, dangling so that their outstretched toes just barely brushed the deck plating. Robart strolled in front of each, assessing them much like a buyer might assess livestock. To him, that's what they were.

He stopped in front of the Orion. "What's your name?"

"Hidar of the Ushara clan," the Orion answered, straining to hold himself up by the chains.

"What were you on the Fisheries?"

"Strongarm. I did whatever Keval and Pash ordered done," he choked out.

"Did you have any interaction with the female Orion?"

"Wha.. This last one? N-n-no. None!"

"Do you have lingering loyalty to anyone?"

"No, and I'll swear fealty to you as your crew," Hidar looked at Robart, pleadingly.

"Good." Robart nodded and glanced toward Sedrick. "Let him down and get him acclimated." He stepped along the line and looked the two Cardassians over. Passing them by, he did the same to the Kazon.

"You are Pash, second in command, Kazon? Tell me, why should I let you live?", Robart challenged the man.

“Because with Keval dead, and his partner, I am the only one who knows all his contacts. They already dealt more often with me than him. You want to take over his business, I can make that happen,” Pash answered. “I had no loyalty to Keval. I had plans to get rid of him. He was losing his grip and endangering us by making strong enemies in this quadrant. We are better off without him.”

Robart considered his answer while strolling back to look at the Cardassians. Making it clear he was still addressing the Kazon, he asked, “What involvement did you have with the female Orion?”

“None,” Pash answered. “Keval was obsessed and kept her in his sight most of the time. I had my own and a ship to run while he fed his obsession.”

“Your own? That would have been the shifter, Desta?”

Pash nodded. “Yes. She was removed by one of those Fleet officers.” The bitterness in his tone was unmistakable.

“I know,” Robart nodded, frowning but otherwise unreadable. The man’s knowledge of Fisher’s contacts would prove useful; Robart wasn’t aware of any other Orions who had set up out this way. “Will you swear fealty and use those contacts to benefit this ship and its crew?”

“They are a valuable commodity.” While Pash may be strung up in a cargo bay, he knew very well that his knowledge was a good bargaining chip.

“Perhaps. If this crew were here solely to engage in the type of business Fisher engaged in. We are not; therefore, I will offer you your life. If the contacts prove workable, then there may be a shifter in your future.” Robart’s crew, those who had already proven their loyalty, were paid by Europa’s coffers. It meant that Robart didn’t need to have the crew pirating off of other ships.

The mention of the shifter as part of the bargain brought a smile to Pash’s face. “Agreed. You will have my loyalty and soon, new areas of business.” And he would have Desta back. One of her species was worth loyalty in his book.

“One thing to note: the female Orion? Harm her and you will die slowly.” Robart nodded to Sedrick, who let the Kazon down as he had Hidar. He again moved towards the Cardassians. “I am unsure what to do with you two. Fisher, a Cardassian, harmed Cyllene.”

“I had nothing to do with that!” Daleek shouted and kicked, making himself swing on the chains. He grimaced in pain.

Robart caught Daleek by the shoulder and spun him. “Don’t speak till you’re asked a question.” He looked at the other one. “Your name?”

“Almans. Engineer.”

“I’m the engineer!” Daleek yelled, still spinning.

Robart turned an irritated look towards the man. “And you, Almans? Fealty?”

Almans nodded. “Without a doubt.”

“Is this one any good as an engineer?” Robart gestured at Daleek and grunted when Almans nodded. “Sedrick, let them both down. Almans, you’re in charge of this one. Don’t let him screw up.”

Once Almans was free, he waited until Daleek was down, then pulled him over close. “You’re going to have to watch that mouth of yours,” he hissed. “I will not let you take me down with you.”

Pash chuckled aloud. “Good luck with that, Almans. Might I suggest a muzzle?”

“Shut up!” Daleek huffed. “Can’t believe you’re my boss now.”

Frowning, Robart snapped, “Stop. You three will bunk in the tenth room,” he saw Sedrick cough to cover a laugh. “Sed, if you need anything with these four, let me know.” Sedrick nodded.

****************
Robart
Rekkar
Larn
Sedrick
Old Crew

Pash
Hidar
Almans
Daleek
New Crew