A New Kid In Town
Posted on Wed Sep 10th, 2014 @ 8:10pm by Dahleya
Mission:
The Art of the Hunt [Incomplete]
Location: Security Checkpoint
Dahleya hated checkpoints. So far, in all of her travels, she had never been through a checkpoint that she felt was necessary. Spaceports on Andoria usually had you waiting in the cold for who knows what reason. Ferenginar was not only wet, but you had to pay a toll to land. Betazed wasn't too bad since they could usually tell your intentions without much hassle. But Starfleet installations were the worst, especially ones run by security officers who would rather be doing anything else.
There was certainly glamor in being a Starfleet officer. Engineers were known for being able to make something out of nothing. Their scientists and doctors discovered new phenomena and cured diseases. Even the pilots were considered to be top notch. But then there was security. Security is where officers and enlisted go when they just can't cut it anywhere else. At least that was Dahleya's theory. Some of them went on to have successful careers, learning tactics and moving into command. But those were a select few. The rest of them either died horribly, or amounted to nothing, spending their careers checking passports and luggage. The pinheads manning this checkpoint seemed to fall in that last group.
Her only consolation for waiting through this mess was that Dahleya could sense her quarry. He was close. She could practically smell him. But it wasn't just the quarry or the love of the hunt that drove her. It was the money. Finding the castoffs and degenerates of the Federation was her career. She took on the jobs that Starfleet security and the Federation Marshals failed to do. There was good money to be made too, but there was a lot of money to risk too. This was one of those missions. Her prey had a big price on his head, but it cost her half the bounty just to get down to the Galactic South. This Archa IV was so far down in the sticks on the back end of Federation space that it cost her a small fortune just to pay for fuel to get down here.
Finally it was her turn at the front of the queue. The 36 year old Denobulan woman wasn't carrying and luggage beyond a small satchel slung over her long black coat. Any other changes of clothing that she would need would stay on her ship, which had already been cleared through customs. In the satchel was just a few essentials: PADDs, scanners, manacles, and a few other odds and ends. She placed the bag on the checkpoint sensors and approached the guard checking IDs.
"Name and purpose of visit," the security officer stated rather uninterestedly. It was not really a question.
"My name is Dahleya, and I'm here looking for someone," the woman replied, a grin on her face.
"Do you mind telling me who you are looking for?" This time it was more of a question.
"Yes, I do mind, thank you."
That answer didn't really satisfy the officer. "Excuse me? Why's that?"
The Denobulan handed over her credentials. "I'm a bounty hunter, registered under Federation law. My license and identification is right there. I don't want to tell you who I'm looking for because as soon as I do, some hotshot security officer is going to find out how much he's worth and try to bring him in himself. It will either get said security officer killed, or it will keep me from collecting. Either way, it's bad for someone. I had a run in with an Orion several weeks ago and my port stabilizer has not been quite right since. I need to get paid." She lifted her eyebrows for emphasis.
The officer looked over her identification. "This looks to be in order."
"I would certainly hope so," she retorted. She handed him another set of credentials. "I am also obligated to inform you that I have a concealed carry permit and I am armed." She pulled aside her jacket to show him the phaser pistol holstered at her hip.
The officer looked at her carefully and read over her permit. He didn't really like the idea of her being armed, but she did have a permit. "I have to check this first to verify."
"Naturally," Dahleya replied. There was a hint of smugness, in her voice, but she knew that the permit would go through. It was valid and approved by the Federation Marshal service.
The security officer typed the registration numbers into his computer. After a moment he handed both permits back to her, a look of disappointment on his face. "It looks like everything checks out. You're free to go."
"Thank you," Dahleya replied with a smile. She put away her permits and took the satchel from the other guard before going on her way. She always loved the feeling of starting a new hunt, and this one would prove to be rather challenging, to say the least. But she already knew the first step; she had to pay a visit to an old friend, who once again had failed to do his job.
Dahleya
Bounty Hunter
