Setting the Trap

Posted on Sat Jan 16th, 2016 @ 6:43pm by Captain Li Hawke & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin & IKS Ning'Tao
Edited on on Sun Jan 24th, 2016 @ 1:58am

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Saturnalia

* The Cherry Pit *

“I don’t think they bought it.” Kaeli and Isaura had emerged from the turbolift and entered the corridor that would take them to the public square and Saturnalia. “Jarad gets these two little lines between his eye ridges whenever he’s suspicious of anything.”

"They know us; they know we'll be safe. After all, I can talk my way out of trouble and you...," Isa looked Kaeli up and down, debated then finished, "...can ...muscle your way out."

“Well yes, there is that. But they worry anyway and Drekkar would have a fit if he knew. We won’t discuss Ro.” Kaeli smiled a moment as they reached the square. Groups of people were milling about talking, others shopping at the small bazaar. “Where has he been anyway?”

"Hmm? Who? Oh, him?" Isa bought herself a few extra seconds before responding. "I dunno. Local brothel? You know I know the local Madame? Orion named Seyla. We could check in with her; she'd know if he's with one of hers."

“Probably still that redhead,” Kaeli grumbled. “What’s her name? Phoebe? He’s got a weakness, I tell you.” She was scanning the crowd as they went along, but making it look casual. “Interesting crowd, huh?”

"Seems like the usual crowd for this Station. Weird, but usual." She looked around, not bothering to look casual.

Kaeli glanced towards Saturnalia. “Zikar was in there when I saw him and so he knows I frequent the place. If he’s having us watched, they’d likely come there or somewhere close by looking for us. That’s what he’s planning you know.”

“He’s planning to look for us?” Isa gave Kaeli a confused glance before starting off towards Saturnalia’s door. “Come on, let’s get a drink!”

“No, he wants to use us as bait. At least that’s what I got when he grabbed my wrist.” She followed Isaura inside Saturnalia. “He thinks that will be the easy way to our men.” They were greeted by several whistles as they moved towards a table.

Isa flashed a smile towards one male whom she’d caught leering at them. “Well, yeah, our men, as you call them, are a bit impulsive. If Farak comes after us, we’ll be fine - particularly here. Suresh is well known here and... I’m one of his favorites,” now she flashed that same smile at Kaeli.

Kaeli snorted. “Yeah, and I’m his sainted mother.” She grinned at Isa as they took a seat. “Bystanders may help you here but they won’t lift a finger to help me I bet. Romulans are only marginally better tolerated than spoonheads.”

“Oh, well... be careful, then,” she said as she summoned Shelly over and they ordered drinks. Musing idly, not really meaning what she said, she said, “I suppose we should be out actively looking for Farak and Zikar.”

“Well, it’s my theory that they will come to us and this way is far more enjoyable,” Kaeli answered. “You saw Zikar. You know as well as I do that if not for Raf he could’ve taken you out right then.”

“Nooo,” Isa shook her head, making her ponytail wag. “I would have just run from him. Screaming, of course. Security, someone would have heard me. That’s what’s great about being on a Federation station: bunch of Dudley Do-Rights.”

“What the hell is Dudley Do-Right? Thanks Shelly.” She reached for her drink. “Seen any Cardies lately?”

“Just one earlier,” Shelly answered and moved away.

“Well, that was clear as mud.” Kaeli shrugged. “It wasn’t Zikar.”

“Dudley Do-Right? Come on, Kaeli, surely Rommies have a ‘better than...’ Hmm... um, a bumbling idiot whose intentions are good and somehow always ends up saving the girl despite himself? Oh... maybe that’s Ro,” she winked playfully.

A peal of laughter came from Kaeli, drawing a little attention. “You may be more right than you know.” She drained her glass and lowered it. “What do you know of this Farak?”

Blinking blankly, Isa said, “He’s a Cardassian. Tall, dark haired, greyish skin with scaled neck ridges, eye ridges.” She was making motions around her own face, as if tracing out the eye ridges common to most Cardassians. “Um... I think his eyes are dark brown, but maybe I have that impression because he was usually very angry when I saw him and his pupils dilate when they’re mad.” she shrugged. “He gets angry easily, but... that’s sort of all Cardies, isn’t it? I mean, look at Drekkar and how easy he is to bait.” She winced. “I shouldn’t have used that word.”

“He is though. And this Farak - he’s Z’s little henchman I take it? Like any other Cardassian, got his eye on his superior’s position?”

“Yup. He was around when Drekkar was taken down.” Isa looked guiltily shifty as her thoughts turned towards those days when Drekkar’s involvement with her had cost him everything he’d worked for.

“Don’t Isa,” Kaeli admonished. “I know exactly how you feel but like Jarad, Drekkar made his own choices. He’s a big boy and he’s been willing to pay the price for those choices. We both know he wouldn’t have done it any differently if he had it to do over again either. That said, don’t let him guilt you into making choices you wouldn’t normally make.”

“It already has: he’s with us because of our past.” Isa thought about that then amended her statement, “Well, and because that honey-pot planet kept his ship.” Nudging Kaeli, she nodded towards a Cardassian who’d just entered. In a low voice she said, “That’s one of Suresh’s spoonheads: Patch.”

“Good to know,” Kaeli answered as she watched the man. “It would be a bad, bad thing if I skewered one of Suresh’s men thinking it was one of the bad guys. But really? He has a Cardie working for him? Huh.”

“Yup. Has for a while now. He has an Orion, too; name is Farco. Surie has a pretty diverse crew,” she replied, still glancing around. “Here’s something to ponder: will Farak, or Zikar, send a Cardassian to do their dirty work, do it themselves,” (she doubted that), “or get someone else entirely?”

“If they were smart, they’d use someone else entirely because they should realize we are wary of Cardassians.” Kaeli shrugged. “That doesn’t mean they will. There’s a certain amount of job satisfaction involved, you see. That’s why Zikar insisted on interrogating me to begin with instead of sending an underling...at least till he got so frustrated he couldn’t take it anymore.”

“And then he handed you over to Jarad?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “He decided he needed the cruelest one of the bunch, and the most skilled. Those first days with Jarad were….yeah, anyway. I’m going to run to the bar and get another drink. Be right back.” Kaeli hurried from the table, leaving behind her a cloud of angst that lingered around Isa. She really disliked thinking of those early days.

A taste of Kaeli’s pain and hurt made Isa’s stomach clench. When Drekkar had been taken down by his subordinates, Isa had been spared: the Cardassians believed her too stupid to have stolen Drekkar’s knowledge and sent it on to Bajoran teams. She swallowed hard and watched Kaeli at the bar. For a moment, two men blocked her view and when she could see the bar again, Kaeli wasn’t at it. Isa tensed and warily eyed the room.

“Looking for something?” A harsh voice whispered at her ear. A heavy hand dropped to her shoulder from behind, the grip strong enough to keep her still. “Where’s your little friend?”

She jumped at the rough touch, but the hand held her in her seat. “Which little friend? My phaser? that’s ...,” she reached for it, but her holster was empty. Thinking fast, she recalled where it was: on the floor in her guest room, where it’d been knocked when she and Rafe had.... Hoping the man touching her wasn’t a telepath, she blushed before finally looking up at him. “Oh, crud. You. It would have to be you. My companion,” she looked over towards the bar again, “is over there.”

“No, she isn’t,” Farak answered. “By now I believe she is already many decks away from here keeping Zikar company. You’ve also been invited.”

“Oh, well, thanks for the invite, but I’m good here, thanks,” she said, trying to shrug off his hand. He didn’t let go and she sighed, looking up at him again. “No, really, I’m good. Though... what cabin? Maybe I could stop by later.”

“I’ll be sure to let you read the number on the door when we get there,” Farak answered. His grip on her shoulder tightened and then she felt the brief touch of cold metal on her bare midriff and the pinch of a hypospray. “There. That will make you nice and agreeable. We’re going to stroll out of here and you are not going to say a word to anyone. Got it?”

“Ow!” She flinched away but not in time. At first, she resisted his instructions, frowning hard. A moment later, though, her expression evened out and she nodded. “Got it.” She stood and preceded him out of Saturnalia, docile as a Terran cow.

************
Isaura Panossian
Kaeli
Ning'Tao

Farak