Feather Rustling
Posted on Wed Feb 18th, 2015 @ 10:46am by Captain Liarra Von & Commander Jordan Gunning & Samanthia Akiashiro
Mission:
Vagrants, Vagabonds, and Thieves
Location: Outside Warp 12
The small column of men walked through the corridors of Starbase 332 with a seeming lack of purpose. They were among the latest group of refugees from Sojourner raids hoping to call the Starbase home. Their long robes dragged slightly behind each one as they reached the wide opening into the section containing the well-known nightspot, Warp 12.
Their purpose suddenly became clear as the men, numbering around fifty in total, broke ranks and began to spread out among the people around the entrance.
Their numbers seemed to grow and grow as suddenly their guttural humming became a clear chant, indecipherable to the Universal Translator. They formed a semi-circular ring around the outside of the entrance and continued their chant. One shouted something which the translator managed to pick up for those around.
A few ears pricked up as the syntax seemed out of place. "Down with this sort of thing!" They seemed to be shouting, led in chorus by the tall man in the deep purple robes.
Samanthia looked up from her textbooks at the growing assemblage of persons in robes. At first she didn't pay much attention till a few patrons of recently cleared out Warp-12 from refugees and business had resumed with gusto while she was away on Archia IV for her continued studies in Archeology, became nervous about the those chanting outside her place of business. When she looked up the second time, they had the entrance blocked. Imprisoning those inside the place and preventing new patrons from entering.
Samanthia stood up, leaving her textbooks behind and moving towards the entrance. She paused to stop a waitress carrying an order to one of the many patrons. "Once finished serving, have the Bartender alert Security of both Akiashiro's and Starfleet that there maybe trouble brewing."
Waitress nodded and spoke. "One of the more wealthy refugees said those people are nothing but trouble makers. They impede a lot of places such as these." Seeing Samanthia nod, she scurried off to finish serving a patron and to follow her employer's wishes.
Samanthia then proceeded towards the entrance to face the leader of the newly formed blockade to her establishment. She wished Sivity was still here on the station. She would've loved to be involved in this. She loved the saucy little Andorian Security Officer. Maybe she should've offered her a job in Akiashiro's security forces. She focused herself when she came a few feet from the Leader in Purple. "Greetings, Gentle Being. Could you have your followers move off to the side to allow my guests entrance to the place and to leave?" While she kept her voice calm and pleasant, yet she was ready for any unwanted hostilities.
The Shoka parted slightly, allowing a two-person wide gap through which people could come and go from Warp 12 but did little else. The man in purple nodded gently before speaking softly in non-translated Federation Standard. "I am sorry, but my people must protest the... moral bankruptcy present on this station. I hope this causes you minimal inconvenience."
His words seemed genuine but his people's desire to protest seemed unnecessarily countered by the man in purple's desire to facilitate Samanthia's request.
Samanthia looked at the narrow gap in the blockade to allow passage through, whether leaving or coming into the place. It still created hardship for those that wanted to leave and those to enter at the same time. She stood there in silent contemplation at the two groups with a gap in between them and the Leader in purple before her. Eyes darting briefly over the situation. "Could you have the opening widen a bit more? I hope you know that you and your assemblage is creating more of a hazard than you realize." Now focused her harden gaze upon him. Eyes losing their warmth from the initial greeting.
Several of the more muscular male employees moved a discrete distance away from the Leader and Samanthia. Several yards separated them, yet close enough to respond if needed.
The man in purple shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry, this is all we are able to accommodate."
He walked away from her, returning to the focal point of his group and stepping up onto a box which one of his people had placed before him. "Friends! We represent The Honoured Callar- the righteous leader of Shokaal! The moral bankruptcy which we see in the United Federation of Planets must stop! Our people have suffered long enough as part of an unrepresentative system! Join us in the service of the Honoured Callar!"
Samanthia seethed inside at his antics. For they was outside the threshold of the her establishment and in the public area where Starfleet reigned. Then she just shook her head as she moved to the side of the doorway and inserted commands. They could protest all they want as there was a route to lower level Promenade through the Lounge as the restaurant was on the balcony that ringed the lounge below. The door slid shut as a sign came to life directing the patrons to use the lower Promenade entrance. They could protest to the closed doors all they wanted. She gleefully smiled at them before the doors shut fully.
Akiashiro Security Chief looked at the call and frowned as this was off the Akiashiro Deck and didn't like to interfere with Fleet Security. But one of Akiashiro business concerns was in trouble and he responded with a team of men to assist with the problem.
Upon arriving, the Team leader looked over the assembled blocking one of the main entrance to the establishment of Warp-12. The current business of the favored daughter of Tamarue. He lined his men up in typical Riot Control fashion and began to advance upon the Assembled Shoka Protesters to move them by invading their space and with just enough force to shove them off to the side of the entrance way.
"Hey, hey!" One of the Shoka shouted as he was jostled off his feet by one Akiashiro's men. He lunged out, trying to keep himself upright and knocked into another of the security men, crashing against his shield with an almighty thud.
A sudden voice shouted out above the commotion. "That's enough!" Lieutenant Virrak and several members of Starfleet security starting attempting to separate bodies, putting themselves between the protestors and the Akiashiro police. They had been called to the scene by the staff at Warp 12, just as Samanthia had asked, but they were only told about protesters. Virrak wasn't expecting to see a civilian security force in riot gear bringing force to an otherwise peaceful protest. While his officers tried to break of the fight, he raised his voice towards whoever would step forward representing the two parties. "Now someone better speak up and tell me what's going on. I'm not about to have fighting on the promenade!"
Akiashiro Security Team Leader, Hyru Long eyes gleaming behind his riot helmet visor that shown a lot of scratches of previous violent duty in quelling riots and forced removal of unwanted protesters from Akiashiro's Business and Interests. He spoke up while having one of the protesters in a full nelson. "Just doing what needed to be done. And be done with it. Showing these riff-raff where they can stand and protest all they want. Since Fleet has a bleeding heart take hours to get this trash to move on!" Giving the Protester the ole heave-to off to the growing pile of Brown Robes (Shoka). "While Miss Akiashiro, Favored Daughter of the First Wife Tamarue of Clan Elder Akiashiro, loses valuable revenue and the patrons... I remind you, are both Fleeters and their families; civilian contractors, and now peaceful people that have gathered from their troubled planets... suffer from intimidation from these outsiders."
"We are exercising our right as Federation citizens to demonstrate!" One of the Shoka protestors cried out.
Virrak raised his hands to chest level and shook his head as he interrupted the action in front of him. "That's enough, both of you." He turned to Shoka first. "We allow peaceful protest in common areas, but you physically block any passages or business entrances. If you do, you would be asked to leave or made to disperse. And if those protests turn violent, you could all find yourselves in holding cells, where you are welcome to protest against a forcefield for as long as you'd like."
Next Virrak turned to Long, ready to wipe the smug look off his face. "As for you, I don't care if Miss Akiashiro is the Favored Daughter of Captain Von, you can't start policing the promenade yourself. We allow the Akiashiro's to maintain their own security within their private areas, but I'm not about to have you storming the Promenade sporting riot gear. No one is going to suffer from intimidation by the Akiashiro's either. Otherwise you'll be sitting in the holding cells listening to their protests. Are we all in agreement?"
"Definitely! We've been policing this station since Fleet had contracted Akiashiro Interstellar moved this station in here. And they was blocking one of the entrance to This establishment which is part of the Akiashiro Merchant Consortium. Which according Akiashiro and Fleet Contract which allows us to respond to safety of personnel that use our business in which we can use just enough force to ensure that our patrons remain safe and secure in good health." Hyru Long spoke with confidence. "If you wasn't so slow in responding and beat us here first to handle the situation. We, of course, would have let you handle it while those inside the establishment feel like prisoners, instead of going out and having good time. You should be thanking us for doing the rough stuff for you." He gave a hand signal for his team of Security Troops to let go of the Shokaal Protesters and fall in a line along wall that held the entrance to Warp-12.
"I don't care what kind of contract you think you have with Starfleet, but making sure that everyone on the station is safe is our responsibility. Not yours." Virrak pointed directly at Long. "I'm not going to have you using force on the Promenade. If you want to continue to handle private matters within your establishments, that's one thing. But as soon as it involves the public, you have to back off. Got it?"
The Shoka had all fallen silent as they took keen note of the exchange between the two security people. The man in purple began shouting something about one hand not knowing what the other was doing but it was lost among the scuffles and other noise.
Hyru Long wasn't here to debate who had what rights, But he had a job to do, "Well..." Eyeing the Shoka mob, ".. That's what our bosses are for, to argue out the finer points." As he turned his attention to the Man in Purple. "Better get on it in then and clear out this riff-raff. Starting with that one!" Pointing his finger at the Man in Purple. "I believe that's criminal offense to be inciting a riot? Or you prefer to let us handle it and throw them off the station, like we did back in 2386. When there was nothing but a skeleton Fleet crew?"
"From what I saw on my way here, there wasn't a riot until you and your boys showed up and started to force them away," Virrak replied, not letting himself be swayed by the words of the Akiashiro security guard. "We'll handle things from here. Now you need to take your SWAT team off the Promenade." He turned to the Shoka. "And you," Virrak said as he pointed his own finger at the man in purple. "You need to disperse. Federation law gives you the right to protest, but you have to have a permit first. You can get the necessary applications from the security office." Now he focused on both leaders. "Now, do you think we can all walk away from this, or do I need to make room in the holding cells?"
The Man in Purple looked defeated and wiped dirt from his hand where he had fallen over into a potted plant. "We do not need a permit to do His work."
"You do if you're doing His work on my Promenade," Virrak replied bluntly.
Samanthia had opened the doors to her establishment and was leaning on the door jam to watch the interplay between the Man in Purple, Akiashiro Security and Fleet Security. Her Bouncers stood nearby to make sure none of the Brown Robed Protesters made a break for the restaurant portion of Warp 12 the upper deck of the two floor establishment.
Some of the protestors gave The Man in Purple counsel as he stood defiantly in the face of Virrak. He sighed and relented.
Akiashiro Security team leader Hyru Long watched the brief display of defiance of the Man in Purple and then nodded to his team to secure what gear they dropped or misplaced. He turn to Samanthia, moving to her. "I can leave a few of my men here to make sure this doesn't repeat itself."
Samanthia gave a nod as she relaxed. She gave Lieutenant Virrak a smile and nod for their quick response and also to Hyru Long. "I think it would be wise." She spoke just loud enough that if anyone was focused on them could overhear, yet lost in the murmurings of others.
With the situation seemingly resolved, Virrak's officers started to shoo away the crowds. He made his way to Samanthia. "Ms. Akiashiro, if you have any more problems from the Shoka protestors, let me know and we'll take care of it. Your men don't have authorization to make arrests; mine do. But I'll keep a couple of officers on patrol to keep an eye on things."
"Please do, Lieutenant." Some of the Akiashiro haughtiness towards Fleeters had rubbed off on her even though Samanthia was courteous and polite to the Security Officer along with a pleasant smile tinged with a bit of coldness. "Please do come by when you're off shift to enjoy some music and relaxation." Giving a glare at the Shoka that they are not included in the invite to the place as she spun on heels to depart.
Virrak sighed as he watched her walk away. It seemed that there was never dull moment, though ever since these refugees had arrived, Harris had been needing one. He told a couple of his officers to stay nearby to make sure the Shoka dispersed before heading off to the next challenge.
Lieutenant JG Harris Virrak (played by Liarra Von)
Acting Chief of Security
Starbase 332
Samanthia Akiashiro
Owner/Proprietor - Warp 12
Hyru Long (played by Samanthia Akiashiro)
Akiashiro Private Security
Shoka Protestors (played by Jordan Gunnin)
