No Laughing Matter

Posted on Mon Jan 23rd, 2012 @ 1:33pm by Captain Li Hawke & Commander Oralia Zeferino & Major Patrick Smith & Tog
Edited on on Tue Sep 22nd, 2015 @ 10:28pm

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Saturnalia, The Cherry Pit

Patrick's terminal beeped, carrying a message from Lazan's code name. It appeared to be an invitation to dinner from a girl, much as the usual summons were. It was relatively short notice, and read as follows:

It's been a little while since our last evening together. I miss you and would love to see you for dinner tonight, say in an hour? Don't keep me waiting darling...

Pat replied with his own message indicating to his 'darling' that he would see her at dinner. Next he sent a message up to the intel offices so they knew where he was going in case he disappeared. He got himself changed into his usual civvie attire and picking up the black sunglasses he slid them on and left early to get a look in one or two of the less legal part shops for his ship.

When the time came Nine headed to the usual spot and walked in and sat in the corner table beside Lazan without a word waiting for him to speak first.

Lazan finished his whiskey without a sideways glance. Finally he lowered the glass and turned to Patrick, now Nine. "Good timing. Fair warning though, he's in a foul mood."

Pat grinned slightly. "Yea. I'd imagine I would be as well. He choose the wrong person to kidnap." Pat rubbed his chest, "And I choose the wrong weapon to get stunned by. Anyway any idea what he is planning?"

"And warning number two, don't say that around him. He did not kidnap anyone, remember that. His attorney was most adamant on that point. As for his mood? Well, they shaved his head which started it. and he's not seen Isha since they were arrested. Jonesing, big time." He raised his glass and a waitress hurried over. Bending down to refill the glass, she gave Lazan a clear view of her assets, then treated Patrick to the same as she set a drink before him. "Shoo." Lazan waved her off.

"Yea I really don't mind what he wants to call it. But I'll add that to my list of things to piss him off. Honestly I'm surprised he doesn't try and strike back in some way if he is that annoyed," Nine commented as the waitress came back swiftly with their drinks giving them another eyeful in the process.

"Who says he isn't? That's where you come in, though. You need to convince him that would be a bad idea right now. Too many eyes looking at him. He needs to get a grip and lay low for a bit or he'll be locked up for a long time. Where's Isha?" Surprisingly, Lazan had no idea what Li was up to or why she had not been down to visit.

"I plan to. Maybe I could suggest taking him on vacation," he said wondering to himself if Suresh took vacations. He paused for a moment before answering his questions on Li. "From what I gather Isha has a few kinks to work out with her other half. When does the boss want to see me?"

"He should be along....right about now." Lazan took another sip and indeed, the talk in the bar seemed to have died down some. Suresh's appearance at the bar had much to do with that. He took a drink and made his way across the room in their direction. The missing long hair certainly was a stark change.

"Lazan. Nine." The greeting was little more than a growl.

Nine nodded and took a sip from his own drink. "What can I do for you boss? Something that gets me up flying again I hope. I'm going to have to do an overhaul at this rate to test everything."

"I have something for both of you." Suresh looked to Nine/Patrick first. "We have a little trip to go on, a delivery, and I am going with you. I need some time off this station, however brief. As for you Lazan, find Isha. I want to know why the hell she has not been down here, and get her here before we go. That is not open to debate."

"I'll need a few more details than that. Mostly timings so I can make sure I'm where I need to be." He looked around at Lazan and back up again. "Any reason why you're going? Or do you just want off this base?"

"We have something to take to an associate and that is all you need to know." Suresh's black eyes seemed to bore into Patrick. "We go tomorrow. After I've seen Isha."

"Ok then. I guess I'll just fill the tank up and fork the bill to you for it. I'll have my ship in the bay around from here. Her name is 'Blackbird'. Coincidentally she is black so even your goons could find her," his voice showing some slight annoyance. As usual people expect craft to turn up when asked for. Unfortunately you had to tell the Base's staff when you were leaving or else an unidentified launch would be taken as suspicious.

"Good. Tog should be here anytime now too. That is someone you need to meet Nine." Suresh held out his glass to the waitress who took it, then slipped a full one in his hand.

Pat merely raised an eyebrow and took a further swig of his drink, curious as to who Tog was. He rather hoped it would be another pilot so at least he would have company on the trip should this new name accompany them.

The noise level in the bar rose slightly as a newcomer made his way through the tables to where Nine, Lazan and Suresh were. The newcomer was causing the noise: he greeted nearly every person from the entrance to the table next to Suresh's, all with a big smile, a wave, and either a congratulations for having avoided Brig time or a reminder to call him. Finally arriving at Suresh's table, he looked his client up and down, then did the same to his client's company men. "Well, a better band of miscreants can't be found, I suppose," the Ferengi commented and waited a moment for Suresh to introduce him.

The comment got a glare from the already-pissed-off Suresh. "Tog, if you weren't so good at what you do, you'd be smashed against a wall right now," he growled. "Tog, this is Nine. Lazan you know. Nine, my attorney and non-stop talker, Tog."

"Ah, but it is because I'm so good at what I do that you not only don't physically threaten me but you pay me a rather handsome amount," Tog sat, still looking Nine up and down. "But... really? Nine? What, have you given up on naming your minions at all, Su? Now they're just numbers? Speaking of numbers, should I know what has happened to Seven and Eight? At least for them, you did have names - stupid as they were, Frick and Frack." Without giving Su time to answer him, he kept chattering and watching 'Nine', "Unless 'Nine' is a descriptive name... do you have only nine digits? Nine toes? Nine wives?"

Pat grinned at the Ferengi before him. "Ahh so it's you who got our dear boss..." He paused and looked at Suresh's head. "Well most of him out of that sticky spot. Good job." He crossed his legs and took a drink. "The name Nine is a pilots nickname. Comes from a few years ago when I was getting attacked by 9 pirate fighters trying to steal a particularly valuable cargo I was carrying."

The reference to his hair was too much for Suresh. His hand snaked out, taking hold of Nine's collar and with a tug, popped the man's forehead against the table. "You may want to hope it stands for nine lives."

Nine pulled Suresh's hand off his collar and glared at him. "Let me make one thing clear Baldy," he said with venom in his voice and emphasis on the bald part. "If you so much as touch me again. I'll throw you out an airlock. You need me a lot more than I need you and last I checked I'm your pilot. So behave."

"Now, now, you might want to stop that, Nine, before your name becomes Three: the number of limbs you have left," the attorney admonished the pilot, wagging a scolding finger at him. He turned his attention to Suresh, "You should be somewhat mollified to know that the hair thing... I asked about it... protocol to prevent the spread of bugs. Apparently Chief Zeferino put it in place before you were arrested."

"You might want to ask Lazan what happened to numbers seven and eight," Suresh snarled to Patrick. He then turned to the attorney. "Oh I"m sure she did. And Tog, I think it's in Nine's best interest if you come with us on this little jaunt."

"Go with you?" Tog turned an incredulous stare on Suresh. "I have a witness to debrief, a judge to have dinner with...." He saw his other appointments would get him nowhere with Suresh so he stopped trying. Instead, he went his most favorite direction: "Fine, but this'll cost you. And if he's the pilot," he gestured at Nine, "My fee's double."

Pat laughed. "Yea I'm the pilot. So just be careful what you say," he said with a wink. "Aerobatics at mach 8.5 leave most people puking their guts up."


"Done. I am well aware of how you debrief your witnesses, Tog. She'll still be tied to the bed when you return."

Frowning, Tog sighed. Suresh was right; she'd still be there.

Suresh turned to Lazan now. "Any updates?" He was purposely vague but Lazan knew very well what he meant. The man shook his head.

"No, Suresh. I have several of my best seaching for her, however. We'll find her."

"Yes, you will." Those three simple words were nothing less than an implied threat. "How soon can we leave, Nine?"

Nine looked into the air doing a few mental calculations. "Time to refuel and get you two on an hour if you're ready to leave now."

Tog also did some mental gymnastics then announced, "I'm sure I can push my hairstylist's appointment back a bit." He fluffed non-existent hair. "I'm ready."

"We are, get moving." Suresh stood, and looked from Nine to Tog Nine. "No more hair jokes.

"If you say so. I'll see you down in the nearby hanger. Remember she's black. Can't miss her," Nine smiled as he stood to leave.


*********
Suresh
No Sense Of Humour That He's Aware Of

Tog
Good Sense of the Size of His Wallet

Nine
Got a sense of humor and now a sore head