Special Delivery

Posted on Sun Sep 2nd, 2012 @ 7:38am by Major Patrick Smith & Captain Li Hawke & Cassidy Wilde & Suresh

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Blackbird

The news of the wine bottle incident had reached Pat rather quickly from several directions. None painted it as terribly pretty and judging by the reports from below Suresh wasn’t terribly happy either which undoubtedly meant that this trip wasn’t going to be one of conversation, not that it would have been very good anyway.

Pat put on the boots he wore for his disguise pulling the laces a bit too tightly taking his annoyance out on them before sighing, knowing little would be gained from stirring a hornet's nest up above when the one below needed doused with bug killer. As he stood he lifted his black sunglasses which as ever completed the outfit and prevented anyone from seeing where he was looking when he wore them.

As he moved to leave his quarters a drawer in his desk beeped at him. Stopping and turning slowly on a heel he wondered had he imagined it, but knowing the contents investigated it. Opening the drawer a small communicator flashed with a message, “On SB900. Will meet in Nexus in 2 days. Have something you need.”

’At last some good news, he thought to himself as he deleted the message and shut the drawer before turning and leaving to head for his ship where he knew Suresh would be appearing shortly.

Upon arrival ‘Nine’ opened the rear compartment doors so that whatever cargo could be loaded into the rather spacious aft quarters for what was after all a combat craft, and assumed his customary position in his chair with his feet up on the console waiting for his boss to arrive.

About a half hour later, Suresh arrived. His expression was stony as he appeared in the doorway of the craft and looked Nine over. A faint, spicy aroma of his usual soap clung to him as he’d taken care so scrub, and scrub thoroughly, so as to remove the traces of Seyla. HIs soap couldn’t remove the faint red bite mark at the base of his throat, revealed in the open neck of his shirt.

“You may close the back, we won’t be loading anything till our first stop.”

Nine swung his legs off the console and not bothering to turn around tapped the console, the door closing upon command. “I daresay this chair will be much more comfortable than whatever is back there. So if you would like to take it it’s yours,” he offered to Suresh indicating to the chair beside him.

Suresh slid into the seat without another word and settled back against it. He gave the panel a quick once over, then nodded to Nine, a sign they could proceed. As he looked at Nine, he recalled that it had been Isha who found him and brought him to Suresh. He had never asked how they knew each other, frankly he hadn’t cared at the time. The man had proven to be a good pilot and he didn’t annoy Suresh with small talk. Now, however, Suresh was curious, starved really for anything related to the woman he’d lost.

Noticing Suresh’s glance over briefly Nine waited before casting his own. Quickly he spotted the red mark on his neck, “Yeno boss if I didn’t know better I’d say you hadn’t had that seen too. Coordinates?” Nine requested as he undocked the fighter.

Suresh immediately reached up to lose the neck of his shirt with his hand. He recited the coordinates, then paused before he continued. “Not another word about this mark. Last night was hell, Nine.”

Nine tapped the coordinates in as Suresh called them out and let the computer take them there before replying, “So I’ve heard. Though personally I think it was merely a jibe to get you irritated.”

“That much was obvious. The thing to remember is this: how did the man know what method was used to kill Isha...” Suresh’s voice cracked as he said the name, “if he was not involved?”

“Well if she went to a Starfleet medical centre then the report probably showed what it was that caused her death. From my experience those at the top hear about everything, especially when a death is involved. No I’d wager it was simply a reminder that he is there watching,” Nine commented wondering himself what the hell the Admiral had been thinking.

“Comforting to know that the Admiral of such a massive station keeps up with me. Not like he bought the woman I loved.” He declined to mention that Isha had agreed.

“For once I don’t know much about that. Lazan said not to try and find out so I haven’t. But never having been in love I doubt there's much I can say to help.” Not strictly true Nine thought but he had definitely not been as fanatical about someone as Suresh had been about Isha.

“Just go.” The words were a growl from Suresh as he turned his attention forward. “And tell me, how did you and Isha meet?”

“Me and Isha?” Nina asked slightly curiously. “Well now, we go back a bit. I tend to meet a lot of people in this line of work and some like to keep me appraised of worthwhile employers. Isha was one of them.”

It was a nice non-answer, Suresh thought. “I just wondered, the two of you seemed rather familiar is all.”

“Nothing happened between us if thats what your wondering. I spend too much time flying about to leave woman hunting after me,” he joked.

“That I know already.” Suresh closed his eyes with a sigh. “This first leg should take no more than an hour. Now that we are underway, I can tell you that this shipment is a load of twenty-five females. They will be picked up and delivered to the buyer’s ship. That part will be close to twelve hours, given the usual speed of this transport.”

Nine nodded as Suresh gave the details of the cargo trying not to show too much concern and check the ship was still on track. “Is it like an auction or is it a straight purchase kind of thing? Done a couple of these jobs before is all and generally it’s an auction.”

“That is up to those taking the delivery. What they do with the goods after we beam them over is not my concern. They will sell them or use them...whatever. We simply have to deliver, get paid and we are done.”

“If only we could do that whole getting paid part without having to do the rest. That’d sure make life simpler for a lot of us,” Nine mused. “But then again then nothing would ever be done.”

Suresh shot him an amused glance. “Be happy, you could be a waiter.” With those words of wisdom, Suresh leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

* * *

As the Blackbird approached the ship for transport Nine took control and moved his own ship into formation with the one they were taking the delivery from. “Alright boss. The comms are yours. After last time though you’ll excuse me if I keep the shields up until transport is ready.”

“Last time was simply a test of you.” Suresh’s smile was brief. He opened a channel and began to speak, the language of choice today was Kazon. The conversation was brief and at the end of it he laughed. “Send the coordinates over. We’ll be out of here in less than five.”

Nine sent over the coordinates to the ‘trading’ ship for the beam in area and tapped a button to one side to activate the force fields. The familiar zapping sound was heard as a box was created by them and finally Nine lowered the shields. “Shields are down. Blackbird ready for transport.”

Suresh gave the order, then one to Nine. “As soon as they are all here, get moving.” He rose and moved through to the cargo area as bodies began to appear within the force field. It was a varied group, conditions and cleanliness mixed. All seemed , not surprisingly, subdued. Suresh did a quick headcount, then called to Nine. “All here.”

Nine nodded as he quickly raised the shields and set the course for the next meeting point, this one a rather long journey compared to the one for the pickup. “We are clear boss. ETA is 12 hours as you guessed.”

“Thank you.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Now that he had more time, he could look them over more closely. After all it would not do for one of them to die en route. That was lost money in his pocket. Most were unremarkable, with a few exceptions. “I’ll be back here for a bit, checking them over, Nine.”

Towards the back, trying to remain unnoticed and out of the way of the majority of the milling females, two brunettes - one dark, one light with blonde highlights - stood together against the far side of the cargo hold. Slender and almost the exact same height, their beautiful and delicate features earned them the ire of some of the other girls, so they kept to themselves.

The darker haired one, a young black-eyed Betazoid woman, caught sight of the man across the hold and shuddered. “Keep your head down, so he doesn’t see you.”

Tugging on the uncomfortable collar around her neck, her bronze-haired companion nodded and attempted to make herself smaller, curling into herself some. Her long hair fell forward to obscure half of her face as she became very interested in her bare feet.

Same old, same old, Suresh thought as he watched them. The same silence, the same haunted look, the same desperation. He wouldn’t have given two latinum for the bunch, to be honest. Luckily, that’s about what he’d paid for them, but the idiots he was delivering to were gullible enough to believe they were getting prime stock. They wouldn’t know any better either. He gave the group one last cursory look. The only one who met his gaze was in the back, but even that didn’t last. He turned away but then caught her bending low to speak to another who seemed to withdraw, hair covering her face. Something about that pair made him curious but he let it go for now as he returned to the cockpit.

“All present and accounted for. What do you think they are worth Nine?”

Nine turned around and had a look at them all before spinning back in his chair. “Haven’t a clue. Never stayed for an auction to find out.”

“It will be worth your while, considering the ones I am selling them to don’t know we were scraping bottom.” Suresh smiled and glanced back at the group. Once more, he noted the two in the corner and now turned his seat to watch.

One of the other women came over, a sneer on her face as she jabbed a finger at the human’s chest. “You and your friend won’t be pretty for long once you’re sold,” she hissed, enjoying intimidating the two against the wall.

In an uncharacteristic flare of temper, Jade’s hand flash out, grabbing the offending finger and wrenching it backwards painfully before shoving the hand away. “Back off Gora...I’ve had about all I can take of your abuse.” She looked up long enough to glare at the Bolian woman. Her name wasn’t really Jade, she couldn’t remember her real one. The slaver had slapped the name on her just to have something to call her by.

Standing next to her, Marina’s eyes widened in surprise. Feeling momentarily brave, she backed her friend up. “Go away Gora, before you get us all in trouble,” she urged the blue-skinned harpy to leave.

The encounter amused Suresh. When it came to the women, there were usually three sorts. The bullies, those who were so withdrawn and out of it they noticed little, and those who were like cornered rats. Curled up, praying not to be noticed, but with a fierce bite should one of the others get too close. Those were generally the dangerous ones. The bullies would do anything they were told if paid enough and treated well as long as they had someone to order around. The withdrawn ones usually had the worst time as they got used for the baser needs, given they rarely objected. The rats, however, always bore watching. That pair interested Suresh now.

“Tell me Nine, do you use Seyla’s girls at all?”

“Not at all,” Nine answered tapping the edge of the console in front of him, “This is my girl. My earnings go on to improving her and making her the best about.”

“I see,” Suresh mused. “How do you feel about brunettes?”

“Easier to handle. In my experience blondes tend to be a lot more energetic. In more ways than one,” he added wide a slight sideways glance. “Honestly with all the activity someone quieter would suit me. Brunettes usually fit that. Why you asking?”

“A little bonus is all.” He hadn’t stopped watching even as he talked with Nine. The fact that he was likely heard apparently didn’t bother him either. “A couple of mice that will be staying aboard ship I think.”

“A little bonus?”

Almost as if she sensed he was speaking about her, despite Marina’s warning to keep her eyes averted, Jade looked up. Long, golden-bronze colored hair framed her face, revealing soulful deep brown eyes and full lips that looked like they could bring a man to his knees. Her beauty wasn’t garish; painted on in layers of hideous make up. It was refined and classic as if she had been pulled from high society. She met Suresh’s dark gaze and went still for an instant.

Next to her, Marina warily watched both men. Her own beauty no less stunning than that of her companion’s. Looking away from the Romulan, she glanced at Nine for a few moments, startled by the pale blue color of his eyes.

Suresh held her gaze, curious as to how long she could look before turning away. His eyes narrowed and the corner of his mouth twitched just a little. “A bedwarmer, if you will. They’ll do.” Pulling out a padd, he tapped a message into it and sent it on to the buyer via subspace.

“Sounds like a bonus a man wouldn’t complain about,” Nine replied wondering how the hell he was going to explain this one to Nita when he gets back to Starbase 900 with a ‘bedwarmer’. “Which one are you thinking of?”

“The two in the back.” He fell silent, looking at his padd as it beeped with an incoming message. “All settled. I informed them that our supplier was two short. They won’t question it, and it’s costing me pocket change. How long till we arrive?”

“Not much longer,” Nine said as he turned to check the sensors and coordinates. “We should be picking them up on sensors shortly. Is this a beam over or are we docking?”

“Beam-out. I don’t trust anyone in this line of work enough to dock anything we travel in on their transports.” He fell silent and catching the darker brunette’s eye as she seemed the more ‘with it’, he crooked a finger at her. “You and your friend. Come here.”

“Shit,” Marina muttered under her breath and shot a look at Jade. They exchanged a look, then pushed away from the bulkhead. The other women, knowing who had called them over, quickly moved out of their way. Dressed in barely-there outfits meant to display as much flesh as possible, it was easy to see both women were in top physical condition.

“Over there.” Suresh nodded to the nearest corner of the containment area. He watched as Marina moved, then looked to Jade. “You. Move.”

Despite her nerves, there was nothing Jade could do to hide the inherent grace in the way she moved. Unless she wanted to take a fall and do a faceplant into the deckplating, which she didn’t, all she could do was minimize the natural sway of her hips as she walked. Long-legged and lithe, she moved like a dancer.

“Nine, isolate them in their own field.” Suresh looked them both up and down, then without another word, turned back to face the front. “They will stay that way till we returned to 900.”

Nine started punching a series of commands into the console to raise the new force fields. Taking slightly longer than before the new fields fizzled to life keeping the two girls separated. “Forcefields up and dampening fields active. Wouldn’t want anyone scanning us now would we?”

“Good man. Let’s get this over with.”

***********
Suresh
Doing Some Unexpected Shopping

Nine
Wondering what to do with his bonus

‘Jade’
Soon To Be Bedwarmer

Marina
Soon To Be Bonus Bedwarmer