Trick Upon Trick, Part 1

Posted on Fri 22nd Jan, 2021 @ 8:50am by Sorra Yarime (Yari) & Lieutenant Commander Kiara Lena & Nicha th'Elex
Edited on on Sat 23rd Jan, 2021 @ 1:48pm

985 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Denouement
Location: Conundrum
Timeline: MD 17, 1840

Two Days ago ....

Dalor Wren was a prominent trader in the sector surrounding SB109, and he dealt with many persons much like Sorra Yarime every day. For him to stoop to Yari's level was beneath him. At least in his mind it was.

He had lost the battle with Yari over just a few strips of latinum. The man drove a hard bargain and was well known for being shrewd. The deal was off, and Dalor had stormed out of Yari's club, but he'd get even with him for lost profits. Wren began to hatch a plan.

Dalor had a few contacts on SB 109 that wouldn't mind the downfall of Sorra Yarime. He had made some enemies in his dealings. One such person informed him that Yari himself would leave the station to make a purchase of 200 metric tons of beryllium, a somewhat rare mineral that usually fetched a high price. The seller insisted on dealing with Yari in person.

Dalor then contacted the Orion Syndicate. He had heard rumors that they tried to recruit Yari into their fold or extort him into working for them as a fencing operation in this part of the sector, but thanks to SB109 they were unsuccessful in digging in their hooks. Knowing that Yari would be away from the station on a certain day, he arranged for the Orion Syndicate to pose as anonymous slave traders to lure Yarime to them, a win-win for the Orion Syndicate and Dalor. Once Wren got to his ship, he began sending out the messages.

Present Day ....

Yari got a message from Dalor Wren. Apparently there were some Orion slave girls for sale and the seller would have them near the Typhon cluster. That was amazingly close to where Yari was going to purchase his beryllium. Normally, he wouldn't leave the station to purchase slaves, but this time, he would already be out and close to the location. He agreed on the meet with the seller to see if they could make a deal.

For his trip he decided to use his own ship. It was a bit more complicated than that, since it already was in use by a bounty hunter which is a story all in itself. The name of the smallish ship was Conundrum. She wasn't really built for cargo but more for speed and maneuverability, with healthy armor and weapons, along with a cloaking device and AI. A perfect ship for bounty hunting. Aezash Yajz, her Captain, was a Breen and former Spetzkar Commando of the Breen Militia. He'd been liberated from that life after Yari arranged for an elaborate death for the former soldier.

For additional muscle, Yari decided to outsource. If things worked out well, he would use them again in the future. He made arrangements for the hired muscle to meet him on Conundrum at 1900 hours.

S'lani arrived five minutes before the hour to have a good look at the meeting place. It wasn't that she mistrusted people, it was more than she knew all too well that you had to constantly watch your back. Especially if you were female. She wore a pair of lose-fitting pants with several pockets, a long-sleeved shirt and a vest that didn't exactly hide her gender, but it didn't flaunt it, either. Her hair was short and curly, yet long enough to cover her ears and forehead. Makeup took care of the greenish tint to her skin. Fortunately, dressed as she was, she appeared more Romulan than Vulcan--if anyone cared to look. Now she waited for the others to arrive.

Standing behind a practical pillar holding docking connections, Nicha th'Elex watched the ship to the left. Someone had appeared, a woman, he thought, though she dressed to conceal certainties. Likely, she was someone his boss had contacted about their upcoming trip, but he mentally gamed taking her down if he had to do it. Meanwhile, his eyes continued to roam the area around Conundrum.

Aboard the Conundrum, Yari and Aezash sat in a small lounge that would fit about 8 people comfortably. Yari sipped on a glass Saurian Brandy and Aezash sipped on a bottle of Altair water through a flexible straw on the front of his face mask. Both seemed to be relaxed, but Aezash was never relaxed, not in the time since he escaped the Breen Confederacy.

Outside, Nicha moved up on the woman at the foot of the ship's ramp. The meeting time was 90 seconds away. "Good evening, Madam," he addressed her. "Nicha th'Elex at your service. I believe you have come to meet my boss, Sorra Yarime. Shall we enter?" he gestured up the ramp.

She'd noticed him watching her, and was tightening her fist when he spoke. "I am not a madam," she practically hissed. Fortunately, he knew the name of the person she was to meet. "I know where and when I need to be, but why the rush? I've got a minute to be there."

He grinned sardonically at her, but didn't choose to push any more of her buttons. "As you say, but it might be farther than you imagine, and being late is really not an option. If you're afraid to have me behind you, I will precede you," Nicha said, probably pushing a button afterall. "The choice is always the lady's."

One side of her mouth quirked up. "Lead on." She was happy to follow him as it gave her a better chance to see what was going on--and to keep an eye on him.

Nicha touched his neck and subvocalized, "Heading your way now, boss. She's a phaser, all right. My advice? Be very careful with this one. Nicha out." In less than a minute, the two wary citizens arrived at the door to Yari's office aboard Conundrum. th'Elex found the door already slid back into the bulkhead and walked in ahead of their guest.

 

RSS Feed