First Contract Contact
Posted on Sat May 16th, 2015 @ 5:29pm by Samanthia Akiashiro & Enlisted Cadet Jasmine [P: Steiner]
Edited on on Sun Jul 12th, 2015 @ 3:51pm
Mission:
Blooming Friendships
Location: Warp-12
Timeline: Mid-day break
[ON]
Sagely bartenders cultivated watchful eyes into an unconscious effort. They were quick to spot different kinds of potential trouble. Today's centered around a new cadet who visited Warp-12 for the first time on an extended mid-day break. The ingredients for trouble were all there. Her essence appeared to be lovely youth, tender and innocent. This was the kind of girls which had bartenders reaching for the aspirin bottle. Carding her would be of little use. She probably came of legal adult age just yesterday. Yet, maybe there was hope. Perhaps miracle would have it that she was El-Aurian of at least a few decades experience.
Samanthia had watched the Caitain Officer leave the club, taking note of the Cadet entering a few moments later. She watched the youngster enter, taking note of the Cadet's rank that showed what year she was in.
The first sharks to begin circling the luncheoning girl were not would-be Don Juans. Three Ferengi surrounded and began sneaking closer to her. In fact, the little stalkers had followed her into he establishment. There was no question, the locally famous 'aqua velvet man' Choople was the ring leader. Enthusiastic, opportunistic greed burned in their eyes.
Samanthia tilted her head in puzzlement then took notice of where the Ferengi's attention was on. The young female Cadet. She delayed her exit to watch to see what would develop. "Persistant little buggers." Getting a chuckle from the Bartender as he paced a glass of chilled orange juice near her. Lucky this wasn't The Dive or the Cadet would be definitely out of her element. As it was the same for Choople and his cronnies.
Choople had actually been aboard one of his slow, outward bound transports when the news came in over encrypted business channel. The hoomon Steiner had acquired a personal assistant. Now maybe he could weasel in influence over the starbase Chief of Ops via the subordinate back door. The three economic predators met near her table and then passed by 'casually'. "Oh! Goodness! Who do we have here? I don't believe we've met!"
Jasmine's voice was as smooth and lovely as her appearance... well, at least to hoomons. "Hello, my name is Cadet Jasmine."
Choople and company lavished smiles and kindliness, "Welcome! Welcome to our humble starbase! It is such a pleasure to have a radiant female such as yourself grace us with her presence!"
One of the other two whispered, "That's a female?"
The oldest member among them whispered back, "Yes, dummy! It's got bumpies up front."
Choople 'bashfully' asked, "Might I be so bold as to ask if we may join you?"
Jasmine returned an amused smile, "Please feel free." Her apparent lack of alarm or distrust gave the bartender more reason to worry.
"She's naive!" The bartender muttered to Samanthia, then he was swamped by patrons and waitress to fill orders.
Samanthia sighed softly, wondered if the Cadet had any Xeno classes. She debated whether to interfere or not as she sipped her orange juice. An idea sprung forth as she had heard that the USS Wainright was getting ready for departure.
Samanthia grabbed a spare Data PADD from behind the counter and began to program it quickly and looked it over with a nod. At first glance it looked authentic enough to fool a Cadet unused to the shady ways of the criminal element of the Star Base.
Cruising in schmooze, Choople pumped Jasmine for info with pleasantries, "You're working for Chief Steiner? Hey! She's good friend of mine! It's a small quadrant! Do you come from Earth, too?"
Jasmine closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I'm not human."
"Not hooman? Then what are you?"
"Shokirian." Receiving blank stares, she elaborated, "My home is at the Tholian Barrier."
One would thought that the trio had been shot, the way their eyes bugged out. Choople manufactured a smile, "Would you excuse us just for a moment?"
The three Ferengi stepped away from the puzzled girl and circled into a whispering huddle, "New species! We've got first Ferengi contact!"
"I say forget Steiner for now. She's small fry compared to this!"
"Agreed!"
"Gentlemen, warm up your contract pens!"
The three gave a clap, "Break!" They then hurried back into their seats. This was an historic moment. Ferenginarian entrepreneurs now had first shot at monopolizing trade with a new world.
Samanthia stood up and moved gracefully to the table that held Cadet Jasmine and Choople with his gang of Ferengis. If one race or species that needed to be eliminated from the Universe, Ferengis would be near the top after the Borg. If she could refuse service, Ferengis would be above the borg as personae non grata.
Samanthia showed up at the table. "Excuse me folks," in a pleasant voice that hid her prejudice. "Is there a Cadet Jasmine at this table?"
The youngest Ferengi interjected upon the girl, eagerly appealing, "Yes, but she's preoccupied at the moment with veeeery important business!"
Shaking her head in puzzlement, Jasmine was able to get a word in, "I am she."
"One of the Instructors saw you enter the Club. He didn't look too pleased." Samanthia held out the PADD that contained Jasmine's 'Fleet Orders'. Glaring at Choople to keep his mouth shut along with his friends. "Sorry to interrupt your scheme.. I meant business. Have a complimentary drink on the house, Choople."
The three Ferengi nearly panicked.
"Please don't interrupt!"
Their hands grasped frantically at the out of reach Padd as it was passed to the cadet.
Jasmine looked at the readout, "Wow! This comes as a surprise!" She gave a nod of thanks to Samanthia, returning the device as she stood. "I'm sorry, gentlemen, but I must go."
"WE'LL GO WITH YOU!"
"Step aside, Samanthia, we saw her first!"
"Cadet, this is the luckiest day of your life!"
"You're going to need that to get aboard the Wainwright," Samanthia spoke to Jasmine as she turned her attention to Choople and gang. While blocking them from following Jasmine with re-enforcement from the staff. "I think you gentlemen settle down and enjoy the free drinks. You don't want to be the reason why the Cadet was late for her first fleet assignment and get in her bad graces. Do you? If you're that desperate in getting business contracts. I could use another shipment of Ritorian Jelly."
It is said that elephants never forget. Neither do Ferengi. Choople sparked into a wide eyed, tippy toe dance of exasperation. "You never compensated me for the first box!" His compatriots each grabbed an arm until he regained self control. "HMH!!" Turning his nose away, he didn't resist as his friends planted him back into his seat.
"You know well, I gave you the money according to the contact we had." Samanthia turned a she gave a signal to serve the Ferengi.
Poor Choople stared off, scratching his head. He wondered if his 'favor' perhaps had been paid out in cash to his accountant.
The Ferengi all sat down and silently sulked until Samanthia took her leave.
"We can't let that Soki... So..." He scratched his head, "What did that cadet call itself?"
"Shokirian."
"Shokirian! We can't let it get away! This is a once in a career opportunity!"
"I know! I know!"
"Call for a beamout to the ship!"
"Can't. T-Beam can't get through the space dock shell."
"Well we've got to do something! We can't just let a hooman female stand in the way of progress!"
Choople discretely activated his communicator, emergency channel, "Calling all associates... First Contact Alert! Locate female Federation cadet named Jasmine."
One of the others urgently suggested, "The Wainwright! The Wainwright!"
"Yeah... Currently assigned to training ship Oo-S-S Wainwright. This is a Gold Alert!"
At space dock, all crewmen aboard Choople's runabout dropped what they were doing. Purchasing agent, accountant, pilot, cargomaster, everyone deployed immediately.
Dock workers shared a common reaction as the little orange men sprinted by, "Uh oh. That can't be good."
After receiving a confirmation code, Choople sat back, "Gentlemen, never waste a free drink. Bottoms up, and we're out of here as soon as the bar tyrant lets us go!"
Drinks arrived and was served by the waitress. Once done she moved off and rejoining Samanthia at the bar and told what she had heard from the Ferengi.
"Not much we can do once they leave here." Samanthia sighed, finishing up her orange juice. She got that distance look as she remembered the time back aboard the ship her parents served on. Running low on medical supplies, they made a purchase off a Ferengi trader for some medicine which turned out just as deadly as the plague ravishing the ship. If the medicine hadn't been watered down.
Samanthia had succeeded with her delay. Choople and company rendezvoused with the rest of their associates just beyond the docking portal to USS Wainwright. They stared longingly at this ship, their economic quarry having just barely eluded them. Choople would not be dismayed, though. "Men! No obstacle can thwart us from a prize like this!"
"Here here!"
"That's right!"
"Gentlemen, I now institute Operation: Cadette! I want to know everything about that training ship. The crew... it's planned training exercises... which dock maintenance crews are responsible for it! I don't care if we have to bring in a recruit all the way from Ferenginar to join the crew! And Steiner! The original plan was to use the Jasmine to access her? Now it'll work both ways!"
"Double the profit!"
"Ferenginar Forever!"
It was a bit odd, passersby witnessing Ferengi engage in 24th Century WalMart employee cheers. But then again, much of what they did tended to move needles on the weird-meter.
Inside the ship, a puzzled Jasmine shook her head, "No orders, Bos'n? Who gave the Warp Twelve proprietress wrong information?"
The Bos'n was a veteran. Anything involving bars bore patient detailing. As the cadet explained about Choople, he began laughing. "What?"
After settling down and wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, he explained to the neophyte, "Cadet, Samanthia Akiashiro just rescued you from profit jackals. From now on, you are to buddy up with someone else on starbase. See if you can snag St. Cloud or Darhov."
"Aye, Sir."
More laughter overcame him. "I must remember to send her candy and flowers."
"Ooh! Flowers! You too?"
[OFF]
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Samanthia Akiashiro
Cadet Jasmine [P: Steiner]
Starbase 332
Pegasus Fleet
