[Shadowdancer] Always Read the Fine Print
- From: Jet <offerings_burnt@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Shadowdancer <shadowdancer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 15:20:09 -0700 (PDT)
Always Read the Fine Print
Nathan Farris, Dan Manson, Isabella Valentine, Ashari, Eislin Rissa, Caitlenn
Ross, Colin Matheson, Christopher Kitson, and Oridian Starfire
Featuring Amibka Farren, as well as Caitlenn Ross as the unnamed Ferengi
"Trace that transporter signal."
"I can't, the network has scrambled the tracers into at least four hundred
different locations. Sianar could be anywhere."
Shaking his head in clear frustration, Nate began picking at the Alliance
Network system. But it was becoming increasingly harder as each point led to
too many other places that would've lost him to find Sianar. "Raise the
shields, tell Unk he doesn't get the remaining cargo until we're done with ship
business."
The doors wisped open and Nate looked up to see who had entered.
Bella was the first to leave the turbo lift. "What's going on?" she asked,
sliding into the Ops console as Dan shifted over to the Helm.
"Sianar has been taken and we can't trace the transporter. The Alliance Network
has scrambled it and sent us in hundreds of different locations."
Ashari entered the bridge just in time to catch Nate's update. He went straight
to his console and brought up the tactical status display. "Shields are at full
strength," he reported. "I'm not picking up any ships approaching. The only
sensors on us are Ferengi Orbital Control and civilian navigation scans. I'm
not picking up any further transport beams directed at us." He paused to
re-check his read-outs before concluding, "We don't seem to be in any immediate
danger."
Rissa sat at one of the auxiliary consoles, arms crossed over his chest. This
stunk to the mountains of a plot, not something accidental. Touching his
earring, He knew that Sianar had to have enemies on her home world, chief among
them her father. "While we're doing all of this, might I suggest we ask the
little trolls midgets directly?"
Bella smirked and tapped in some codes. Tipping her head backwards, she looked
at Nate standing behind her and said, "I got a channel open whenever you want."
Nate quickly keyed in a few commands, and the face of an unknown Ferengi
appeared on the viewscreen. "Put me through to Unk."
The little rat sneered. "You have gotten through to the FCA main offices, how
may I..." he coughed with amusement (or it could just have been a grub worm
caught in his throat), "help you?"
"A member of my crew has been abducted, and the Alliance Network has scrambled
the trace. Why?" Nate responded flatly.
"Well, that is a most unfortunate event, we at the FCA commiserate with you and
the rest of your crew." His beady eyes flicked over the console in front of
him. "And what is the name of the missing person?"
"Sianar."
"Hmm, now that is an unusual name for a Ferengi. Do you happen to know which
province he was from?"
"I wouldn't know. But considering the what the FCA stands for, I would assume
you track these sort of events. Unauthorised transport and access to the
Network?"
"Hmm..." The Ferengi tapped a few buttons and then sneered back up. "There was
no unauthorised transport from your ship. Our records indicate that cargo was
scheduled to be transported from your ship and into the holdings of a trader."
He raised his hands as if that explained everything.
"That would only mean the abduction was authorised," Nate gave a very unhappy
smile, "now tell me why you've abducted Sianar."
"Pardon?" The shock on the little man's face was evident. "Did you or did you
not have cargo transported off of your ship?"
"That's besides the point. You knew that I have cargo to transport. Part of the
contract orbiting Ferenginar is that FCA tracks all events. You obviously did,
that also means you know something about the unauthorised transport that took
my crew member."
Sighing heavily, the clerk eye-balled the human. Speaking very slowly, so that
the man on the other end of the view screen would get his full meaning, he
said, "You were paid to bring a particular piece of cargo into this system,
Captain. Did you never stop to consider what the cargo actually was?"
"Cut to the point."
If the human had been in front of him, he'd have bashed him around the head
with his chair. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Read the small print of your
contract, Captain," and then cut the link, leaving the Shadowdancer seeing
static.
He didn't have to as Dan pointed it out, "Sianar is convicted of the crime of
conducting business before the sweeping business policies the current Nagus is
implementing. Apparently no time limit on these warrants."
"What the hell does that mean? Are you saying we were stupidly hired to bring
one of our crewman here for arrest?" Isabella turned and looked at Nate with
eyes of accusation. Had they all been duped again? 'Dancer was going to get a
reputation as the most gullible ship in the galaxy!
"We haven't been 'stupidly hired'," Dan responded, "it means that the FCA put a
contract out and specifically made to get Sianar. Which means she's been a
target for quite some time and hadn't bothered to tell us." Nate looked at him,
surprised by his defense.
But Nate got back to attention, "I'm tired of having people around here with
some fucking back story that's putting this crew in danger." He looked at Cait,
"You were the captain, how come you didn't tell me then?"
"Don't you dare for one instant lay the blame for this on my door. You had
within your crew one of the finest business minds in the quadrant and yet you
were arrogant and sure enough in your own abilities that you didn't even
consider asking her to look over the contract. And now that you've fucked it
all up AGAIN, you are looking for someone else to blame?" Cait balled her hands
into fists. She wanted to hit something, or someone, she thought as she
envisioned taking Nate's head and smashing it into the ground over and over. Si
was lost, stolen, and there was nothing she could do about it. Frustration
pumped through her and she all but screamed with it.
Bella stood up instantly. She may talk to Nate that way or think those things,
but she'd be damned if anyone else did. "Hey! What is your fucking problem? You
don't stand here and talk to the captain like that. Ever. You hear me?" Though
Cait was taller than her, Bella stood right in front of her with eyes blazing a
righteous indignation.
Cait advanced on her, suddenly no longer seeing her friend but someone between
her and the one person who was responsible for this mess. "I will talk to a
fool the way a fool deserves. He is an arse and incompetent to boot. This is
the man we trust with our lives? You're all idiots and so am I for staying this
long."
Bella refused to back down. "Then get the hell off our ship," she said,
stepping up in return. "You brought the fucking psycho aboard this ship! You're
the one responsible. So why don't you just blow yourself up in some hotel room
on Rahm Izad!"
"Enough!" Nate shouted as Bella and Cait turned their attention on him. Both
eyes were hot enough to put holes in his head. He glared at both, "You know
what, right about now I don?t give a shit who's at fault. But if one more crew
member has some fucking outstanding crime, warrant, or pervert after them that
was part of your crew, you had better let me know." He exhaled, this wasn't
going to get anywhere, and tensions were rising too high.
Two strides and Cait was directly in front of Nate. The knuckles in her right
hand crunched as they connected with his jaw. Her scream of rage made Colin
shudder. The only person that could bring her down from this level of pure,
white anger was currently being held on the planet somewhere. Why weren't they
doing more to find Si? Colin started to fidget with his console, anything he
could think to do, he did. It was his friend, his best friend and all they were
doing was behaving like school children. "Real crack-shot crew, this is."
Bella lunged for Cait, but Dan grabbed her around the waist. He knew her too
well. And she knew better than to fight back. Her chest heaved as she calmed
down and watched Nate handle the situation.
Nate turned back to look at Cait, half a mind to actually throw her out of the
bridge and send her body flying right into the turbolift. The pain stung his
jaw and Cait's arms were itching for another swing. "I'm going to let that one
go."
"Really? Well isn't that fucking big of you. Go stick a finger up your arse and
pretend you're a lollipop," Cait said as she stalked off the Bridge and back to
Main Engineering, her mind already calculating new ways to scan for Si.
Nate shook his head he looked around watching the crew on the bridge while
ignoring the pain. Eyes stared back as they waited for him to make decisions.
"Okay, listen up."
Looking at Oridian and Bella, "You two hack into the Alliance Network, try and
narrow down the list of possible locations to where Sianar would be. Hell, I
want an exact location." Turning to Ashari and Eislin, "I want you two to form
a plan up in case we're unsuccessful with negotiating for Sianar's release.
Make a team for it."
The lists were running thin, and Nate glanced at Bella as his thoughts were
running about, "I want Micah, Audra, Ambika to follow me. We'll negotiate for
her. Dan and Cait will watch the ship, and keep the shields up but isolate the
cargo area for the remaining transport. In fact," he looked at Dan, "since Unk
still wants his cargo, stall for time while Bella and Oridian track the signal.
Also have the Network constantly running by us, I want to see if anyone would
mention about Sianar.
"That leaves Jawi, Sean, Molly, Kitson, Hyter, Bill, and Colin. Any concerns
and thoughts I need to know now?"
"You might want to not think of the poor girl as a 'thing' to be negotiated
over," Rissa grumbled.
Nate looked at the older man, "I'm not. But tell that to the Ferengi. All they
care about is money. And so we'll play that game. For awhile." That brought him
an idea, "Actually, I need Kitson with me..." Nate's thinking had trailed off
and he went back to looking at them, "Any questions? Concerns?"
"Uh, yeah," Bella said, finally having slid back into her seat. "Jawi's report
says that Micah, Molly, Sean, and Audra are stable, but stuck in sickbay. Same
as the new guy, Varon. May wanna count them out for now." Her voice was barely
a whisper, the turmoil of emotions swirling inside her. Some first day back on
the job.
Bursting from the turbolift with Ambika, Christopher was amazed to see so many
people in one place, "Kidnapping? What?s going on? This something to do with
the explosion or your last cargo run?" He leveled his gaze on the Captain, who
was tenderly touching his jaw. Missed some fun already. I wonder who clocked
him one.
Rissa hadn't said anything else but he was still shaking his head. "And just
how did that little troll know Sianar is Ferengi? You never said anything,
Nate," he finally said.
"Unk, FCA, scanning my ship: pick one Rissa," Nate responded as he saw Dan
quietly updating Kitson and Ambika about the kidnapping. "Kitson, Ambika, I
need to talk to both of you, the rest of you have your assignments. Ashari, let
me know who will be on your team."
Oridian had just sat there quietly watching everything unfold in front of him.
He was completely new to the ship and its crew and had no reason to stick his
nose into what was going on, at least not until he was given orders. Looking
over at Ashari he spoke quietly. "If your forming an infiltration team, I'll
just tell ya now I was trained as a marine with tech-specialization."
Getting up quietly he walked over to Bella at Ops. "Well, if everyone's done
yelling and such, we have a crew member who probably would like us to reroute
our time." He began tapping the console and looking over readouts.
Cold glares and stares were exchanged all around as everyone broke into their
own little groups to begin discussions. Isabella knew that they were going to
put their all into finding Sianar and most people didn?t even know her that
well. No matter how much they all hated each other, they were still united on
this one front. I guess that really does make us family, she thought.
---------------------------------
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