Redhanded

Posted on Sun Jan 24th, 2016 @ 6:14pm by Suresh & Indra Nyyar & Eldren Tohr

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Saturnalia / Eldren's Quarters

* Saturnalia *

The message from Patch had come in and thought it was early, Suresh had pulled himself out of bed and was now sitting at his usual table. He had a large mug of coffee before him and it wasn’t long before Patch came and leaned in close, speaking in a low voice at his ear. His news brought a frown to Suresh’s face, but he nodded.

“I see. Alert Farco. I want that area watched. If they return, it’s off limits to them. If they press the issue, do what is necessary.”

Patch smiled, patted Suresh on the shoulder and hurried off. Suresh returned to his coffee and pondered what Patch had just brought him. When Shelly arrived at the table, it took him a few seconds to notice her.

“Shelly, how are you?”

“Doing good, honey.” She refilled his coffee from the pot she carried, then lingered. She needed to give him a message but this was Suresh and he still, even after all this time, made her a little nervous.

“Thank you.” Suresh sipped his coffee, then lowered the mug. He watched her a moment, then smiled. “What is it?”

“I got a message for your boy Eldren,” she replied. “I haven’t seen him in here in a couple of days so I thought maybe you could…”

Suresh nodded. “Certainly.”

Shelly looked around, then leaned closer. “From a Cardassian named Farak. He said only that it might be time to hide someone. He didn’t say who but he was in here a few hours ago. Didn’t stay after either.”

Given what Patch had just told him, Suresh had a pretty good idea who that ‘someone’ was. “Thank you Shelly. I’ll see Eldren is told.”

He sipped his coffee once more as she hurried off, thoughts of two female pirates running through his head. Their problem was fast becoming one of his own. He finished his coffee and rose. It was time to deliver a message.

* Eldren’s Quarters *

Eldren suddenly opened his eyes. How much time had passed? His first instinct being that of getting up and get ready before the inevitable. The entire starbase could have been on alert now searching for their guest.

Turning his head, though, he saw Nyyar still asleep, her breath slow and quiet. The reality was that he would have gladly avoided to accompany her back where she belonged. He wondered if her sleep in these last days had been so peaceful as it seemed now.

Breathing deeply he decided that was pointless to delay the inevitable and as quietly as he could he left the covers and reached for his clothes on a chair across the room.

She stirred only slightly, as if sensing the distance between them, then grew still once more. As Eldren dressed, the ring of the door chime came once, then repeated.

With a muffled curse, Eldren walked to the small living room, mindful of what happened with Nyyar’s appearance at his door, he retrieved the disruptor from the shelf and then leaned on the entrance door.

“Who’s there?” he asked aloud.

“Suresh,” came the muffled reply. “There’s something we need to discuss.”

Damn. This thing’s so bad already?

Tucking away the weapon Eldren released the door. “This is somewhat… Unexpected.” He said as Suresh walked in.

Suresh gave a short laugh as the doors closed behind him. “You’re telling me?” he asked. He moved over to sit in one of the chairs and relaxed. “It seems there have been some interesting developments down here last night.”

“Uhm… Like what?” Eldren replied evasively, maybe there was still margin. He hoped Nyyar kept sleeping until Suresh was gone.

Suresh studied Eldren a moment, his eyes narrowing. He was no telepath but he was very good at reading people. “Well, Patch summoned me to report that there had been several Cardassians moving all through the Pit. One in particular was seen chasing a woman - the woman who seems to be rather involved with a certain Legate who’s stirring up trouble for some associates of mine. Did you see any of this last evening?”

“What if I did?” The fencing game was definitely spiraling down to a crisis point Eldren thought.

Suresh shrugged. “This particular Legate is beginning to be a pain in my ass,” Suresh commented. “A fellow who works for him was seen taking one of my associates out of Saturnalia, and the other associate seemed to vanish from sight. I’m still looking for them. Such trouble will cause too close an eye on things down here so I intend to stop it. Patch and Farco are already on watch.” He didn’t say where or what they were watching just yet. Eldren’s evasiveness was becoming more noticeable and Suresh was drawing this out just a little, wanting to see what was what. “You should be on alert as well.”

“I always am. Especially where Cardassians are concerned,” Eldren replied without effort this time. “And yes, one of them came down here yesterday. I made a serious thought about relieving him of the burden of life. But that would have attracted unwanted attention below the Equator. Hounds sniffing around and all that… So I stayed my hand. I’m sure you’ll appreciate that.”

Suresh nodded. “I do. Very much.” Eldren’s admission squared perfectly with what Patch had said. “That’s why I have Patch and Farco on watch in this section since it seemed to be of particular interest. I also have a message from Shelly. I offered to deliver it since I was coming this way.”

“A message? From whom?” This thing sounded strange to him. He hadn’t all that social life to have people sending messages to him and through Suresh besides… from time to time people just issued threats to him. Only to come to regret later.

“From a Cardassian, actually, so imagine my surprise when she said that.” Suresh laughed briefly. “A man named Farak. According to Shelly, all he said was that it was time to hide someone. No name, no other details. That was all.”

“Mhm… I met him in Saturnalia, he wanted to have a talk with me. He thought I was the one Bajoran he was after, but he was mistaken… He is the right-hand man for this Zikar who came here. Well, he is as long as the odds turn favourably for him for a change of rank. This is how it works in Cardassian culture.”

“So, a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Working against his superior behind the scenes? I get it.” Something Eldren said caught his attention. “What Bajoran was he looking for?”

“He mumbled something about someone who helped Zikar’s wife to scuttle away from Cardassia Prime. They’re actively searching for this man, for obvious reasons. Even if, it seemed to me, Farak wanted just to contact him rather than capture him. Surely he’s got something to gain by having this man still around for a while.”

“Which brings up my next questions. “Why would he leave a message for you, and who is it you are supposed to hide?”

The sound of the bedroom door sliding open cut Suresh off and he turned to look, expecting to see one of Seyla’s women. The woman who appeared, however, was a surprise. He knew she didn’t belong to Seyla. She stood in the doorway, dressed in an oversized shirt that was obviously Eldren’s, and Suresh could tell in an instant she wasn’t a professional.

“Tohr?” She glanced quickly at Suresh, then back. “My apologies. I hadn’t expected company.”

Suresh bit back a smile and turned to Eldren. “Introduce us, Eldren?”

Scratching his brow Eldren looked at Nyyar “Uhm… Nyyar meet Suresh. Suresh… This is Indra Nyyar.”

Suresh? Here? Nyyar’s eyebrows shot up but she moved across to Suresh and offered her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said. “I must apologize, I don’t normally run around in just a shirt.”

Suresh took her hand in both of his and smiled. “The pleasure is mine. I understand that you had a rather difficult evening.” He glanced past her to Eldren. He hadn’t missed her use of Eldren’s first name, and it was obvious what the situation was here, which raised a host of questions. “You’ll forgive me if I am a little curious.”

Nyyar withdrew her hand and moved back, settling on the sofa by Eldren. “So you know who I am.” When Suresh nodded, she sighed aloud. “I’m not exactly sure whether to be relieved or worried.”

“You’ve nothing to be afraid of,” Eldren said in an attempt to ease her mind, then turned to Suresh. “She came down here because she was scared. I know Security will have risen a ruckus about this by now… But I was about to accompany her back when you arrived here. She’ll be safe and sound in the hands of her bodyguards in a few, everything will settle… Without consequences down here.” He ended in an attempt to ease his mind.

“What I am curious about is why here, and you? Given…..” Suresh was about to say ‘how you feel about Cardassians’ but decided better of it. He had the feeling that there was a lot going on here that he didn’t know, and said so. “ As for returning her, I should think that would be up to her. Is it absolutely necessary yet? You are under my men’s watch here. No one is getting in that shouldn’t be.”

“Of course that’s up to Nyyar.” Eldren responded casting a glance at her, relieved by Suresh’ reaction or seemingly lack of. “But she’s officially under Federation protection and, in my opinion, the more she stays vanishing the more they will press her with questions and, perhaps, try to have her more under control… For her own safety, that’s how the formula goes.”

“Nice sidestep there, Eldren.” Suresh smiled at Nyyar, hoping to put her at ease, at least a little. “First, rest assured that neither Zikar nor any of his people will find you here. No one not associated with me will set foot in here and only I know you are here. Patch and Farco do not, they simply think they are guarding Eldren’s area. No offense to Security but I think you are safer here. A friend of mine says you have been granted asylum?” At Nyyar’s surprised look, he explained. “Telepath. She ran into your...to Zikar. One of his victims years ago. Long story. Anyway, if you are under the watch of the ambassadors, you should let them know you are safe so they can call off the search and not think you’re dead or snatched by Zikar. Then, if you two think it necessary, I can get you off the station for a few days.”

Nyyar nodded and looked up at Eldren. “What do you think?”

“That would be… A fine thing.” Eldren answered his eyes focused on Suresh, wondering. Suresh wasn’t a man known for generosity or forgiving in regards with tampering with his authority or business below the Equator. For once Eldren accepted what was being offered and silenced his doubts.


“Thank you.” Nyyar’s smile was more relaxed now. “I appreciate you efforts more than you know. I’ll just...leave you two to your business. Excuse me.” She rose and hurried off to the bedroom, closing the door once more.

Once she was gone, Suresh turned back to Eldren. “I’ll make the arrangements down on Archadia. I’ll send you to one of the houses that has private quarters if that is acceptable? I think it best that you get her out of the way while we deal with Zikar. Stay with her if you like but I’ll need you back here tomorrow for a time.”

“I could not ask for more… And I’ll be back when you need me.”

“Good. I don’t know the full story with those two but I know who and what he is and she needs to be far away from him for good. Maybe soon you’ll enlighten me as to how…” he motioned from Eldren to the bedroom door, “how you know her and how this happened. But I have arrangements to make. I’ll send word when it’s time to go.”

“She’ll never be repaid in full for what’s been taken from her...” Was Eldren’s first response looking at the bedroom door. “May it be the Prophets’ will that I’ll be able to tell you this tale one day. I’ll be waiting for news from you.”

“Good enough.” Suresh departed and once he was gone, Nyyar stepped out of the bedroom.

“What did he say? Are you in trouble?” She frowned and shook her head. “Never mind, that was a silly question.”

“I’m not,” he responded still confused by Suresh’s behavior. “And it seems we’ll have a carriage, drawn by white horses,” he cited thinking of something he’d read somewhere perhaps a fable “...Until midnight.”

“Explain?” She sat down beside Eldren and took his hand in hers. “I need to call Kh’ali too. Should I tell her where I will be?”

“Oh… Nothing. A legend or something I’ve read here not even from our culture. about Kh’ali? Tell her if you wish, even if I’m not sure she’ll feel reassured by naming these decks to her. I’m sure she would be more at ease if she could see you in person, unharmed.”

“The terminal will have to do. I don’t think it’s wise right now to go to my quarters or anywhere else. I’ll just tell her I am with….with an old friend from my village. That will have to do for her. I will see if she can have some clothes sent down. I don’t think I should be moving through the Pit in nothing but your shirt.” She smiled finally. “This may be more than you bargained for, Tohr.”

“Anything you wish. Kh’ali can wait some minutes longer and regarding my bargains… I’m in deep credit with the Prophets.” He smiled drawing her closer then to cuddle her gently.

*****************
Suresh
Finding a Very Tangled Web Indeed

Shelly
Pulling The Strands

Tohr
Entangled By The Second

Indra Nyyar
The Center Of The Web