First Steps In A Deadly Dance

Posted on Tue Jan 12th, 2016 @ 9:18pm by Indra Nyyar & Eldren Tohr

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Saturnalia

* Saturnalia - The Cherry Pit *

Following his visit with Amoja Paz, Farak set out to cover all the bases before he reported in to Zikar. What that meant was a visit down below to Saturnalia in hopes of finding Nyyar’s mysterious Bajoran friend. He patted the pocket of his robe to make sure the padd with the images of Paz and Nyyar were still there. They would come in handy if he did find the other Bajoran. Farak was definitely a man to hedge his bets. Zikar wanted a Bajoran to vent his rage and jealousy on and he’d get one...or the other. It didn’t much matter to Farak and in fact, Paz was more convenient. Turning over Paz would also save him a great deal of latinum. But he’d just have to see how things played out. Either way, his plans were progressing nicely. He hoped this visit might also turn up the two women who would lure in Jarad and Drekkar. He was feeling rather lucky at the moment.

As usual, he drew quite a few curious and hostile looks as he entered Saturnalia but he ignored them. Making his way over to an empty table, he settled in and began a casual perusal of the assembled company. That nice waitress approached and he scrambled to recall her name. Shara...Sheena...no... Shelly. That was it. She reached him and asked what he’d like to have.

“Hello Shelly.” He looked her up and down and decided that what he’d like to have, she likely wouldn’t agree to. “Andorian ale. Thanks.”

“Sure thing,” Shelly answered, then paused. “I saw your friend in here the other day. Older fellow? Was having a drink with a Rommie woman. Nice fellow, very polite unlike some down here.”

Farak flashed her a smile, knowing exactly who she meant - Zikar. “Good. I’d hate to hear that one of my kind was causing trouble. Why don’t you make that drink a double?”

“Gotcha. I’ll be right back.” She hurried away, leaving Farak to his people-watching.

In a far shadowed corner a glass returned to the table and a padd was brought close to be perused. Eldren typed some commands on it and started scrolling the info on the screen thinking of poor Shelly, icon of Saturnalia eager to please to the point of ending in the wrong hands time and again. He shook his head at the thought while waiting the response from the padd. The set of images came up rather quickly and he shuffled them quickly constantly eyeing the Cardassian seating across the locale. None of the pictures matched with him and indeed he seemed a bit young to have actively partaken of the Bajor occupation.

Eldren snorted in disappointment as he couldn’t find him guilty of anything, even if he had to admit with himself the list was far from complete. It seemed that this Cardassian had to be weighed only for what he could do if left alone and, honestly speaking, this didn’t steer Eldren’s judgment by a single notch.

Farak’s drink arrived and after a few pleasant words with Shelly, he took a sip. His gaze drifted towards the back now, checking the out-of-the-way sections and fate rewarded him. Seated there was the man he sought and, after another sip of his ale, he rose and strolled back to that corner table.

“Mind some company?”

Eldren tucked his padd away and looked up to the Cardassian. “I don’t mind. Albeit you seem to be quite apart of your kind in choosing company.”.

“You might be surprised,” Farak answered as he sat down across from Eldren. “I have my reasons, mostly because you and I have a mutual friend.”

“And who might he be?” Eldren asked through his teeth even if his curiosity was now piqued.

Farak laughed briefly. “Not a he...a she. Nyyar. Fascinating woman, don’t you think?”

Any pretense at irony or good humour instantly left Eldren’s face turning it into an icy mask. “What’s your business with her?”

“That depends,” Farak answered. “On what your business with her is. She is in a very vulnerable position at the moment, which might make one wonder what you want with her. Her husband is especially curious.”

Eldren stood silent for some instants his eyes scanning the locale… No way. Too many witnesses. Indulging in the impulse to break the glass on the table and thrust its jagged remnants into into the Cardassian’s neck would have aroused too many questions and put him at odds with Suresh, a thing to be avoided in his current condition.

Making a monumental effort to control his rage, he kept a straight face and simply said, “That’s no business of yours, if you like to play with words…”

Farak shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t much care, but that will remain between us. He’s on a rapid boil and about to lose his mind because he can’t talk her into coming home. A friendly word of advice here...if you value her at all, you should know he’s about two seconds from tossing her in a crate and running back home, whether she wants to go or not. Which is where you come in.”

“You seem to be too sure of yourself. I don’t think your legate is able to play that trick on this starbase, let aside the incident it would start right now…” While Eldren didn’t trust too much the Federation goons on protecting Nyyar, that was not a thing he wanted this Cardassian to come to know. The part on the incident remained true however. He was curious to see where this thing was leading though and made a mental note to himself to ask for some help of a better skilled professional if need be… like Leto.

“Trust me, if he decides to take her, no one will know she’s gone till it’s too late.” Farak took a sip of the bright blue ale in his glass and lowered it back to the table. “Which is what brings me here. He knows she’s gotten...close to you shall we say? He’s anxious to find you. Actually I was told to find you and kill you but I have no time for such nonsense. I’d prefer to make a deal with you.”

“Do you think I’m gonna buy that? From a Cardassian?” Eldren asked with a chuckle. “And what that deal would be? Just for curiosity’s sake…”

“He has no idea what you look like. That knowledge rests solely with me, because I happened to see you two at the Bajoran place. However, there’s another Bajoran male on this station that she knows - the one who got her off Cardassia. It’s a lucky thing that Zikar doesn’t know what he looks like either.” He pulled out a small padd, pressed the surface, then passed it to Eldren. Visible on the screen was the image of Nyyar and Paz at Cravings.

Eldren looked down at the screen his eyes narrowing to a slit. Nyyar had told him about the friend who helped her in her flight and seemingly holding him in high regard, while he nurtured the worst of suspects on the subject. He memorized his features for future reference then pushed back the padd to the Cardassian.

“Still there’s something terribly amiss in the whole thing…” Eldren addressed him “There’s no shred of proof of you speaking the truth. All of this reeks of double-crossing; let me tell you something…” He leaned then closer to the Cardassian “You and your legate walk around here perhaps thinking things are like on Terok Nor during the occupation… But you’re very far from home and this is No Man’s Land for the likes of you. Perhaps you think you’re going to be protected by Federation’s weak goodwill but the only thing you have to set in your mind is that they seldom come in the nick of time…” He paused then leaning even closer “Do you catch my meaning?”

Farak smiled once more and shrugged. “You haven’t heard my proposal yet. Zikar isn’t going to rest until he has a Bajoran male in hand to blame for Nyyar’s continued refusal to come back to him. The question is...which one? I hear you spent a lot of time back then watching her without her knowing. Some might find that a little creepy. She seems to trust you, however. So I ask you - which Bajoran would you rather Zikar blame? You care about Nyyar? Take her off this station tomorrow.”

“That’s not possible. She’s under protection and I can’t come and go, seeing her as I please,” Eldren responded wondering about the inner purposes of this Cardassian. Power-struggle between their ranks was a thing known to him but this one was quite stretching things. “But having you be so generous to bring up the matter I would suggest you take the other one for your legate’s jaws… For what I care…”

“On that we agree, and it will save me a small fortune in what I won’t have to pay him.” A low chuckle escaped Farak. “You don’t seem to trust this one so it might interest you to know he’s on my payroll.” He left it at that and reached for his glass.

Eldren grinned uneasily at the Cardassian’s words as he realized with loathing that Nyyar was being used as pawn in a greater ploy. At the same time his resolve to have her safe out of the clutches of these hyurin strengthened as a great sense of urgency took over him.

Farak studied Eldren’s face a moment, then began to laugh. “I see we suddenly agree on something. I bet you thought that would never happen. You have two days before Zikar erupts is my best guess.”

Eldren greatly desired to have for the both of them, Zikar and this one, far less than two days’ worth of life but that had to wait a better opportunity. “Distract your legate with this dummy… And I’ll take care of Nyyar, for something tells me her failed return will be his undoing… A thing someone is ready to take advantage of.”

“Which someone? If you mean me, then yes, you are correct.” Farak nodded. “Very well. I’ll need a way to contact you in case a warning is necessary.”

“Leave a word with Shelly. She’ll know how to get the message to me.”

“Fair enough. And good luck. Perhaps Nyyar has chosen better this time around.” Farak stood and motioned to Shelly. “Enjoy your evening and drinks are on me.” He left the table, stopped to speak to Shelly briefly, then departed.

She reached the table and eyed Eldren. “I am not gonna ask, but he’s paying for your drinks. He left enough that if you drink through it you’ll be pickled.”

“Leave it for Suresh’s guys here.” he responded standing from the seat “I’ve something urgent to take care of.” He lined her cheek with a finger then. “And watch out for your acquaintances, cutey. A big deal of bad guys happen about this place.”

“So what else is new?” Shelly laughed as she watched Eldren depart, then cleared away the dirty glasses.

*****************
Farak
Up To Even Less Good

Eldren Tohr
Growing A Sense Of Urgency