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Varnom III
Delasian Trading Spine
Lamenda System
January 2376
“Rough translation, she just called you an asshole sir,” Lt. Commander Erik Rydell said with mock solemnity, a devilish gleam in his eye.
“Are you sure that’s what she said,” Captain Terrence Glover looked skeptical as the blue-skinned, glittery exotic dancer stared at him, licking her ridiculously long tongue at him before resuming her dance. “Whatever,” Glover shrugged. “If she thought I was going to spend all of these credits on her, she better continue smoking whatever she inhales.”
“Well, we are supposed to play the part of shady traders,” Rydell replied, leaning close enough to Glover so that only he could hear. “And criminal entrepreneurs are known for their lavish, extravagant ways.”
“I guess I’m the first miserly mobster then,” Glover joked.
“Actually that would be incorrect,” Ensign Lomar began. Glover quieted the Kelvan with a sharp hand gesture, rolling his eyes afterward.
“Remind me why I let you accompany us again?” The captain asked, only half jokingly.
“Comic relief,” Dr. Rieta Cole quipped, the vocoder attached to her larynx not quite masking her British accent; which was at odds with her harsh Antican guise. Glover wore a similar disguise. So shortly after the war, he was afraid his face might be too known in this part of space based on his actions at the Cardassian world Loval, in addition to his heroics at the Battle of Cardassia Prime, which had received Federation News Service mention. Lomar’s bland human appearance was already a change from his natural tentacled form. Only Rydell was sans makeup. He looked shifty enough to fit in.
“That’s what I brought you along for,” Glover shot back, with a grin. He was actually glad to have both Cole and Lomar with him. Their expertise would be needed. However, he was concerned about them both. Cole was a doctor, she saved lives, but this mission might require her to take a life.
Lomar, despite being older than Glover and perhaps everyone aboard their starship, was still green when it came to Starfleet procedure. And a misapplication of procedure in a deteriorating situation could get someone killed. Rydell, Aegis’s Operations Officer could handle himself in a fire fight.
But following Starfleet regulations and adhering to Federation principles was the bigger hurdle for the former Maquis. He had been released early from prison and his status reactivated due to the massive loss of Starfleet officers during the Dominion War. Rydell had served with distinction on the Mashuda and Glover couldn’t find fault with that, though he still didn’t quite trust the man. He had hoped that his wife Jasmine would take the Ops seat, but she had refused, and Rydell had been the most qualified person on his list.
“Are you sure your contact was correct about this guy?” Glover asked, his fake canines uncomfortable.
“Sure I am,” Rydell replied smoothly. “He wouldn’t lie about these things.”
“He’s a criminal,” the captain retorted.
“He was a patriot,” Rydell shot back. “But his patriotism didn’t stop him from making a profit every now and then. And that pursuit allowed him to meet all types of traders and brokers. Renk was one of those. My friend assures me that if those eggs passed through this system, Renk hand his hands on the transaction or knew someone who did.” While he was talking, the Ops Officer constantly shifted his eyes around the room. Glover thought it was a good practice. He definitely didn’t want to be taken by surprise in this dump.
For the most part, the denizens of the bar were paying more attention to their drinks or the dancers gyrating on several stages than their motley band. Glover hoped it stayed that way.
“Remind me why we’re doing this again?” Cole asked, sidling up to Glover. Terrence wanted to pull away, but thought that might attract the wrong attention. The closeness and warmth of Rieta’s body was making him feel things he shouldn’t as a married man, especially, when his marriage was on the rocks.
“You know why,” the captain replied more harshly than the question warranted. But he wanted to send a message to the doctor that their relationship was platonic, despite the mutual attraction. “I don’t need to repeat it.”
“Of course sir,” she curtly replied, stepping away from him. Glover was both relieved and ashamed.
“Don’t call him sir,” Rydell hissed, prompting a glare from the medic. Rydell ignored her as he made his way to the back of the club. In a large booth, with a long, curving seat sat Renk. The corpulent Varno was surrounded by several nubile, half-naked dancers of different species. Two vicious looking bodyguards, a Varno and a Phalkerian, aimed their shoulder-strapped weapons at the approaching group.
Rydell held up his hands. “Renk,” he smiled, “Pierson sent me.” Renk grunted. The men didn’t lower their weapons, but they did step aside. Renk gestured Rydell forward. The human took the proffered seat. Glover, Lomar, and Dr. Cole remained standing. Renk didn’t make a similar gesture to them. The captain preferred to be on his feet anyway.
“So, you’re looking for the eggs huh?” He said, pausing to snort what appeared to be some purplish powder spread across one of the dancer’s ample chest. Maraji crystals, Terrence realized. The Aegis had been assigned to the Lamenda System in large part to help shut down the trade in the illegal narcotic. It was helping to fund the raging Cardassian insurgency, not to mention ruining hundreds of thousands of lives across both the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Renk looked up, a smile on his face, but his reddened eyes were impatient.
“Yeah, Pierson confirmed that you would be able to supply us with the eggs,” Rydell said.
“For once, Lynn was wrong,” Renk sneered. “I didn’t pilfer those things. I merely fenced them.” Rydell frowned.
“So, you’ve already gotten rid of them?”
“Didn’t I just say that?” Renk grated, causing the dancers and his henchmen to laugh. Glover tensed, expecting trouble any second.
“Who did you sell them to?” Rydell asked.
“That’s none of your business,” Renk replied.
“Perhaps I can make it my business,” Rydell reached inside his jacket, prompting the bodyguards to aim their weapons at him. “I’m not carrying any weapon,” Erik said, with practiced nervousness. Renk regarded him for a few seconds, and then grunted again. The guards turned their weapons back toward Glover, Lomar, and Cole.
Rydell took out the datapad. He tapped it several times and then handed it to the Varno. Renk swiped it, his eyes bulging seconds later. “I’m sorry; I can’t renege on a deal even for this amount.”
“I’m not asking you to,” Rydell’s smile was almost as sleazy as the Varno’s. “I’m willing to pay this amount for the name of the person who purchased the eggs and for your discretion of course.”
“Of course,” Renk said, though his eyes were still on the monetary figure displayed on the datapad. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“All right!” A voice boomed over the din. “Everyone freeze!” Glover, along with everyone else in the bar, looked toward the bar’s entrance. A formidable dark-skinned human male, dressed in a Starfleet issue parka, stood in the doorway, a phaser held high in the air. Flanking him were a red-skinned Orion and several more nondescript Starfleet officers. “I’m Captain Akinola of the Starship Bluefin. We’re looking for Danthro Renk,” he said. “If everyone cooperates, we’ll get out of your hair shortly.”
“Damn,” Glover said. “Starfleet Border Patrol.”
“Fire, you goons,” Renk hissed. He was already slowly pushing the girls out of the seat, his eyes locked on the rear exit. Rydell grabbed the Varno’s wrist.
“What about the deal?”
“Some other time,” Renk said, yanking his arm away.
“Not good enough,” Rydell said. “Tell me or I alert those border dogs.” The threat prompted the previously frozen bodyguards to turn their weapons back on Rydell.
“Don’t worry about this human,” Renk rasped. “I’ll take care of him. You create a diversion and we’ll meet at the safe house.” The two turned back toward the Border Patrol officers. Captain Akinola was methodically making his way through the bar, checking every denizen. The goons took aim, and Glover took action. He drove into the bodyguard nearest him, pushing the man into his partner. The three men fell into a heap. Lomar immediately splashed onto the grappling trio. Cole pulled her Talarian-made disruptor, but the woman wasn’t quite sure who to aim it at, so she kept turning back and forth.
“What are your people doing?” Renk gasped. The girls began to dash from the table, drawing the attention of Akinola and his team.
“Damn,” Rydell said. He flipped his wrist, and a fold-out blaster emerged. He aimed it at the Varno.
“I thought you said you were unarmed,” Renk sniffed.
“I lied,” Rydell shrugged. “But you better not lie to me if you want to continue breathing.”
“Drop your weapons,” Akinola bellowed. Rydell ignored him.
“A name,” he said.
“Why should I tell you anything,” Renk said. “I’m about to be arrested anyway.”
“What if I told you we could get you out of here?”
“If you can do that, you’ll get a name.”
“This is your final warning,” Akinola said. The man and his team were almost on them. Rydell sighed, aiming his weapon at the starship captain. Glover was too preoccupied to protest. He aimed at Akinola’s shoulder, getting off a shot before a volley flew at him.
“Rydell, five to beam up,” he shouted, dissolving mere seconds before the phaser fire punched into the wall behind the booth.
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I have plans for the Delta Simms character you introduced - she'll be getting a more prominent role in future Bluefin tales.
