Red Handed

Posted on Sun Jan 5th, 2014 @ 8:56pm by Venin & Lieutenant Augustus Deakin & Karx
Edited on on Thu Jan 9th, 2014 @ 10:20am

Mission: Picking Up the Pieces
Location: Cargo Bay 399

[ON]

Gus strode purposefully down the corridor down on deck 1310, flanked by two of his Ops staff and carrying a PADD in a way that made it almost look like he intended to swing it at something. He was still fuming from the earlier encounter with the Starbase's new chief engineer. Gus had taken an instant dislike to the fellow and he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual.

Nevertheless, he had a job to do and he intended to do it. So, now he and his crew were crawling through any cargo bay that was listed as being below forty percent of its capacity. He hoped that by moving cargo around and storing it more efficiently, he could free up some space for that inevitable moment when the engineers needed it. He was looking forward to that day. Sure, it was petty, but he didn't care.

They were approaching the access hatch for their target and Gus quickly checked the PADD to confirm. "This is the one," he said, gesturing with it. "Cargo Bay Three-Ninety-Nine. Listed at thirty-six percent of capacity and there's some things on the manifest that have been there an awful long time. Maybe we can junk some of it as we go."

"Standard cargo triage, sir?" Petty Officer H'Ka asked through the mist of his breathing apparatus.

Gus nodded at the Benzite, "Yep. Anything that's not absolutely essential for rebuilding or maintaining this starbase, you mark as trashable. This is an emergency, there's no time and no room to accommodate other people's rubbish. Got it?"

H'Ka and Crewman Fisher nodded.

"Good," Gus said and entered his access code into the panel. The hatch slid open with a groan and a click.

---

"Brother, I don't think that you're going to find a cache of phasers or anything else of any value in this junk hole." Venin hissed at his brother from the other side of a long-forgotten rack of crates. "I know that Freighter Captain was very convincing but this reminds me of the time that Uncle Lotsk sent you to buy a long stand."

Karx snorted, "Have some faith, Brother," he said, ignoring the unpleasantness of the long stand incident. "Can't you feel it? We're close to something very lucrative. I can almost smell it." He reached back between two containers on a shelf, his arm extending as far as it would go.

"Well, we can keep looking for a while but I don't think there's much latinum to be made if other traders find out that we've been rooting around in other people's trash trying to earn a crust." Venin replied. He wasn't surprised that his brother had been taken in by the freighter captain- he found him passably convincing himself but the chances of there being something of value were slim to none.

Their rummaging suddenly halted as the sound of the large cargo bay door echoed through the largely empty space. Karx froze and looked at his brother, his eyes wide. Maybe it would only be a cleaner?

The cargo bay was a medium-sized one, designed for large containers but was only being used for small crates that could be carried by most humanoids - or maybe two of them. The crates were stacked mostly in racks against the far bulkhead, although some had been left on the deck here and there. Clearly there was an early attempt at order, but it soon gave way to either laziness or haste. It looked pretty much exactly as Gus expected to find it.

Except for the pair of Ferengi who suddenly looked like they'd be caught rummaging through other peoples' property. "Hey!" Gus shouted, his booming voice bouncing around the cargo bay. He tossed his PADD to Fisher and advanced on the pair, his long legs carrying him across the vacant space of the cargo bay quickly. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

Karx froze.

Venin took one quick look at the hulk of human advancing on him and immediately dropped into the traditional bow of greeting for Ferengi businessmen. "Good afternoon, Gentlemen!" He declared, as though he had been expecting them. "My name is Venin, and this is my associate Karx. We are hoping to let out this cargo bay and your Crewman... Smith graciously allowed us to take a look."

Gus squinted. He knew these two, hearing their names confirmed it. How long had been? Three years? Four? Had they recognised him? Looking at Karx, Gus was pretty sure he did. Venin was always better at lying than his brother and Gus couldn't detect the tell of recognition in his face. Regardless, he knew he couldn't have them giving too much away in front of his crew.

"I seriously doubt that," he said in a low voice. He turned his head slightly without taking his eyes off Venin. "Give me a minute here, guys," he said to H'Ka and Fisher.

"Sir, I think we should -" H'Ka protested, but was cut off by Gus holding his hand up.

"That's an order, Petty Officer," he said. "Wait out in the corridor and contact security. We have an eight-oh-three."

The Benzite nodded and grabbed Fisher's arm, leading him out.

When they were gone, Gus spoke again. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"What are we doing here?!" Venin asked, completely flabberghasted by the presumption of the question. It had been three and a half years since they had done business with Deakin's employer and it had not gone exactly to plan. "What are you doing here?! And why are you wearing that ridiculous hewmon uniform?!"

Gus stepped closer, towering over the Ferengi and fixing his face in an expression that showed he was anything but impressed with Venin's attempt at turning things around. "Starfleet Officers usually wear Starfleet Uniforms, Venin," he said, carefully enunciating each word. "Now, security is on the way and, unlike me, they don't know that you and Karx are about as harmless as a pair of duct rats in zero gee. So unless you want to be rummaging through the inside of a holding cell, start talking. What are you doing here?"

"Come now! Mr Deakin!" Venin protested, backing up until he stood on his brother's foot, eliciting a yelp of pain from his sibling. "We're just trying to make an honest day's latinum! There's no need for this hostility, we're old friends!"

Venin didn't know Deakin's first name, one of the first tenets of friendship but the Ferengi knew that any deal which hadn't gone South made all parties friends- at least in his eyes. The Tranja (a coveted liquor which adapts to the tastebuds of the drinker, and imported from a remote distillery deep within Ferengi territory) had made the brothers and Deakin's employer a significant amount of Latinum, and they had gone to signiicant trouble to ensure that it was smuggled into Federation territory, where it was strictly outlawed.

They feared him. Gus had them exactly where he wanted them. A thought occurred to him and he rolled it around his mind for a moment, allowing the silence to linger. The plan coalesced and when the final pieces fell into place, his stern expression softened and he smiled. They were perfect for the job - decent business sense (at least on Venin's part) and, most importantly, he had leverage over them.

"You're right, Venin," he said, laying a friendly yet imposing hand on the Ferengi's right shoulder. "Sorry about the tough guy act; I was just never expecting to run into you guys here. In fact, I may have a business opportunity for you both, if you are interested."

The elongation in single syallble response seemed to echo around the cargo bay. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh?"

It was true what they said: opportunities were found in the most unlikely places. He nudged his brother who remained in stunned silence, save for his pained cry. "Perhaps you could smell a profit, Brother!"

"How would you two feel about managing a bar?"

[OFF]

Lieutenant Augustus Deakin
Chief Operations Officer

Venin & Karx
Ferengi Traders