Yo Ho Mop & Go

Posted on Sun Mar 30th, 2025 @ 3:55pm by Lieutenant Betaras K'ner
Edited on on Sun Mar 30th, 2025 @ 3:56pm

1,512 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The days of our lives
Location: SB24 / IKS Slivin
Timeline: Current

{ SB24}

K'ner was confident Awal would have the Captain's back without her team close at hand... Now keeping her out of trouble could be a tall order most days, especially now, whereas the Chief of Security could keep the chaos to a low boil until the cav arrived.

Stopping at a couple of shops along the way, she placed some surreptitious orders, then a couple more obvious ones with delivery instructions that would lead any interested parties in the wrong direction.

A bit later she found herself in a small alcove of specialty shops, all the fronts lit up in neon glam, but shadowing an entirely different operation beyond. Observing just a short bit confirmed her suspicions and she shifted her appearance as she passed some large potted plants in a makeshift garden, an attempt at softening the hard edges of metal alloy construction of the station she assumed.

Stepping along a maintenance corridor she paused at a nondescript side door. Passing her hand over the mechanism the suit's electronics made short work of the software and the door clicked and slid to the side. Stepping inside quietly she moved slow but with a purpose, stopping next to a curtained doorway within. Listening she could make out two voices but her scan depicted three bodies... two small, plus one more that was human-sized that likely held the familiar voice she was looking for.

Again, patience fed her some interesting details of a transaction she was about to interrupt, which would put her target further into bad odds with the others present she was sure were he to escape. The front room of the 'store' only held one body, likely whatever clerk was posted there.

She stuck a small device on the wall that should prevent any signals from coming in or going out, mess up any surveillance, then stepped through the curtain, she paused to give the room time to adjust to her entrance.

The Ferengi were startled but held their seats, instantly thinking of odds changing the leverage of the transaction. The man they were dealing with took on a look of rage, sneering since he didn't recognize K'ner in her current appearance.

"Just who are you huh? Wait," he said, holding up a hand. "I don't care. You are too stupid for me to know and you just made the last mistake of your now short-termed life." He sat back but K'ner didn't miss his hand sliding subtly to the side of his leg.

K'ner looked partially at the Ferengi, never really letting the Terk out of her focus. "Raki, you may leave. You," she pointed at the other one, "may stay if you wish."

Raki squinted as he tried to connect the voice. Only a few knew that old nickname, and fewer used it. The odds flashed across his mind almost immediately and he knew it was time to wash his hands of this deal if he wanted to avoid a significant loss. His companion was figuring the odds as well, especially since he saw Raki carefully standing, obviously about to depart, and calculating a profit margin he didn't need to split.

Before the smile could leak onto his face, he looked up as Raki never took his eyes off the newcomer. "He won't be staying, we have other deals, more important deals, to attend to... right now..." He flashed an urgent look at his companion but didn't wait to see his reaction as he made a beeline for the door to the front section. A short series of notes indicated his exit through the front door.

K'ner's scan confirmed the Ferengi's commitment to his exit as she remained silent while the other one looked at the two remaining occupants of the room, confused. He was young still, waffling on the line between risk and reward and the odds in his favor. Deciding he didn't have enough information to properly move forward with a lucrative deal, or whatever was going on, he slowly stood.

"Catch ya later blessed Deniora. May we strike a profitable deal again in the future."

He glanced over at the still figure by the curtain, certain he'd never seen the bland-faced man before, not sure if he wanted to see him again in the future. He kept his eye on the two as he carefully made his exit as well, hoping Raki hadn't gotten too far ahead as the size of the crowds in the main thoroughfare made his nervous, even if it was easier to move around unseen.

Once the tiny notes sounded, K'ner fully focused on the man on the other side of the curved couch. He tried to appear nonchalant, and tried to hide his hand movement as he was undoubtedly reaching for something.

The man's voice projected a false bravado. "You may have just cost me a deal that was to be quite advantageous to me. That alone spells bad things for you."

K'ner was feeling positive since she'd kept her anger in check thus far. Amazing, considering what she'd learned after they'd left SB24 the last time. Never too late to right a wrong...

"You keep moving that hand, and you'll lose it." He wouldn't stop, she knew, but she made the attempt anyway. Reaching out with a hand to her side, slowly, so as not to startle the nervous man, she tossed a small object toward the door leading to the front. The 'clerk' wouldn't be disturbing them if they attempted to come back here.

With a thought, her disguise faded, and with it, the couched man's face blanched white, which was saying something for someone with such dark green skin!

"You have wronged my friend, her family, and a Cherlurian temple. Did you not believe me when last we spoke?"

The man laughed nervously. "Surely you were bluffing. They weren't important. No one will even miss them really..."

K'ner felt her control slipping as she'd subtly been moving closer. "I. Don't. Bluff." Her hand reached out to lock his in place, a mere fingers' width away from whatever device he'd been reaching for. His other hand came up to push her away but she trapped that one too, getting up close, face to face.

"You have been found guilty, and spared to serve. You have refused this blessing and egregiously continued your old ways. Your time is done here."

The tentacles on her face were waving about now as a hiss caused the man to jerk, feeling a numbness spread through his body, panic in his eyes.

K'ner leaned back on her knees, appreciating the lack of emotion that now washed over her. Centering herself, she breathed evenly, then carefully went through the man's clothing, setting the small, oblong box aside.

When she finished, she looked over at the box. It was some kind of dense metal, so whatever was inside needed shielding. The button looked like it opened the container since she detected no real electronics. Pulling out a small bag that would block communications, she extracted a small tool from her belt to open it from within the bag. As a precaution she activated her helm.

Not particularly complicated, the lid slid free. K'ner adjusted her vision and the dark recess became clear. 'WHA?!' She thought suddenly, then just as quickly willed herself to calm, center, focus, breathe, sequence, balance, light to shadow.

There was movement in the box, tentative at first as K'ner held herself still. The bag blocked signals, but it was no cage if this creature were to become upset... not to mention her hands were inside.

A small elongated head rose from the box, tongue testing the air. It looked around, then up through the bag at K'ner. She shook her head slightly as she breathed, "I can't believe he kept a dolumai in a box. My apologies for your discomfort, he will be dealt with, has already been judged." She paused, checking her HUD scan.

"You cannot stay here, but you should never again be contained against your will. I can get you somewhere you can be free again, if you will trust me."

K'ner waited. She had never seen one herself but was absolutely sure what it was, and equally amazed that this trash had one, though it appalled her that it had been contained like it was. She would make some quiet queries to see who he might have gotten it from. They needed a visit...


{ Lower Dock, Second Ring, Umbilical 12 }

The Klingon merc sneered down at the bag K'ner had dropped with a thud on the metal-screened flooring. "I'll take care of this chief. Your worries end for this one."

K'ner just nodded sternly, knowing there would be no mercy after she'd told him what was up. Now, glad to be done with that mpa-n-go, she turned to head for the restaurant the team were about to arrive to. She'd be last, but she was planning to hang back anyway, just in case...




OFF:

Lt Betaras K'ner
Hazard Team Combat Medic TL-B / CMO
USS Chuck Norris



:o)

 

RSS Feed