Hide and Seek

Posted on Fri Nov 1st, 2024 @ 6:15pm by Lieutenant Commander Elena Mao
Edited on on Tue Nov 5th, 2024 @ 7:53pm

1,044 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Lost Out Here in the Stars
Location: Bran's Place, Starbase 129
Timeline: MD001 - 0300

A black cat, one of twelve on the starbase, had been dozing in a shadowed corner of the rafters for some time when a pair of Ferengi entered the office. Her jeweled collar had a diamond shaped tag engraved on one one side with her identification ('if lost, return to Bran') and it bounced against her chest as she crept forward toward a small device sitting a few feet away.

The office was small, bordered on one side by a pile of crates, and on the other by a massive collection of books. The furniture, sized down to fit it's owner's stature, was plain and functional. The value in this room lay within the lobes of its owner; a Ferengi businessman with a knack for acquisition, no one but Bran himself knew the extent of his holdings.

Not that the cat cared particularly. Below her vantage point, two Ferengi were running a scan of the office with an older model scanner. "We're good," he said. "Bran didn't set the secondary security system."

Above them, the cat extended a paw and tapped the device secured to the rafter; a tiny, almost imperceptible red light appeared. She glanced down for a moment and then walked back, confident and graceful, to her perch in the corner, a platform large enough to fit a crouched human and in a moment, it did.

"Of course we're good," the second Ferengi said as he tapped his chest. "We had a good discussion over how much of the profits he keeps to himself. A well-time distraction and a necessary point. He does keep too much to himself."

"And now, that will change," the first Ferengi said. "Delmar created the siphon program. I just have to insert this here ..."

Elena, still wearing the jeweled collar, tapped her com badge and whispered in passable Ferengi, "Now."

Below, the office door burst open and Bran, the owner of the establishment, strode into the room flanked by his personal guards, a pair of Chalnoth that constantly argued with each other. Elena, who had been a cat moments ago, thought of them as Thing 1 and Thing 2.

"A test for you," Bran said as he studied the pair of them. "Rule Number Fifteen."

"Acting stupid is often smart," the first Ferengi answered at once which earned him a glare from his partner. "What? Bran made me memorize them." Shifting nervously, the realization dawned on him. "You knew what he was doing."

"Very good. And Rule Number Forty-Four," Bran asked as he gestured toward the Chalnoth who flanked him. They broke off their argument over who ate the last bit of meat long enough to focus on the intruders. Bran, being Boss, was literally the only one in the system they would listen to about anything. And he was always good for a bit of action.

"Never argue with a phaser," the first Ferengi answered. His partner's response, about idiots who didn't learn, never left his mouth as the Chalnoth, terrifying in their own right, now held phasers pointed directly at them.

"Good, good," Bran said. "We're all on the same page. And you two, were stealing."

"We didn't," the first Ferengi said. "Nothing's missing."

"Not for lack of trying," Elena said as he dropped from the rafters and landed near off to the side. Far enough away from everyone that she didn't run the risk of getting caught up in the drama. "It's all recorded." She bowed theatrically. "As we agreed."

One of the Chalnoth, surprised at her sudden appearance swung his phaser toward her and Elena tensed, ready to drive for cover. Even if futile, she was never going to go down without trying to do something.

"Friend," Bran said. "Remember?"

The Chalnoth nodded, disappointed somewhat, and turned his attention back to the Ferengi brothers who were definitely not friends. Bran had called them thieves and that meant a bit of fun ... once all the talking was done.

"This settles the debt then," Elena asked. "Your money is safe and you know the name of the guy they were working with. Overpaid, I think, given that Lansing was drunk and your Dabo girl wasn't exactly innocent in all of this."

"Agreed," Bran said though nothing about his words or his expression showed anything but satisfaction. As far as he was concerned the entire evening was pure profit. He got the boy's money, took out a problem, got a lead on a bigger problem, and found out something interesting about Elena Mao. No one needed to know that he had a third level of security, one that did passive recordings, certainly not the Starfleet officer in question.

"I'll leave you to it then," Elena said. "Starfleet will know, by the way, if these two turn up dead somewhere. I'll make sure of it."

"Oh, never fear, Commander," Bran said. "I"m not going to kill them. No. I'm going to put them to work. They've a big debt to pay off. My own version of rule twenty if you will."

"Your names," Elena said turning to the brothers.

"I'm Abarr," the first Ferengi said, getting the words out all in a rush, "and that's Yedok, my older brother. We've been living on the starbase for the past five years. Starfleet will know us."

"Okay then. Bran. Abarr. Yedok. Good to know," Elena said. "And all that is recorded as well." She nodded toward Bran. "Pleasure doing business."

Bran nodded and because he had the lobes for business kept the distaste he felt for dealing with a woman off his face. "Until next time."

Elena waved to the thieves and headed out of the office. A copy of the recording would go to the William Dawes, her ship, while the original would go to Bran. She'd done what she could for the brothers but Lansing, well, he was clear and let the money lost be a lesson that boy really needed to learn.

Humming to herself, she headed back toward the Dawes and her cabin. She could have had quarters on the starbase. Could have done a lot of things but for her, home was her ship and the nest she'd built herself there.

A Post By:

Lieutenant Commander Elena Mao
Commanding Officer
USS William Dawes

 

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