Connecting

Posted on Sunday February 16th, 2020 @ 23:31 hours by Mayterial Droz & Kenzia Nemet

Mission: Hot Couture
Location: Captain's Quarters, Deck 1, S.S. Fawkes
Timeline: MD06 - 1330
1922 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON]

The sound of the chime had taken her a off guard. It shouldn't have, she had asked Kenzia to come over after all, "Come in." She just hadn't expected her to be so fast. She used her knee to swiftly close the desk drawer that she had opened only moments ago. Just one more meeting to get through, "Thank you for joining me on such short notice," she motioned for the Cardassian signaller to take a seat on the couch, "can I get you something to drink?"

"Kanar is too strong for this time of the day - so to speak -" Of course day and night were an artificial construct here but Cardassian precision lead her to be overly precise, "- I have developed a taste for that Terran coffee, no matter how vile the smell it does keep your mind sharp. So if you have some, then yes a drink would be good." Nemet was curious as to the purpose of this meeting but supposed it was to let her know where she would be dropped off. Most people would not risk keeping a Cardassian onboard.

She made her way to the ageing replicator in the corner of her room and ordered two coffee. Perhaps it was a good idea for her to take some caffeine. With deft fingers, she was able to add a bit of Irishness to it from the flask in her jacket pocket. A twinge of guilt, but she was sure she'd been able to do so without too much of a delay. Using her sleight of hand to put alcohol in her drink, how the mighty had fallen. "We're heading further into Federation space. I want to make sure you're comfortable with that." She didn't give her long enough to answer that as she turned to give her the plain black coffee, "And if you are, I'm going to need you to do your best to fill our guest rooms with passengers and the cargo bays with goods."

"Interesting. I do not have a problem with the Federation...I do not know if the feeling is mutual." Kenzia took the coffee, it always tasted far better than it smelled, "Any chance that replicator can produce some creamer? I prefer it that way even if it is a luxury."

Right before Mayterial could sit down she made her way back over to the replicator and ordered up a small cup of creamer for the Cardassian signaller, "We had to leave our last port in a hurry, so we're basically losing money every hour we're in warp. I've taken a look at the nearby locations and found some viable ports with Alexandria. Be sure to check up with her, and set a new destination after as to maximise our income."

Taking the cream gratefully Kenzia added it, the smell became better, "I have a question of course...this sounds like a job offer as the humans would say. I would have thought you would ditch me somewhere as soon as possible so can I assume you actually have need of my services?"

"Yes. Sorry. Getting ahead of myself." Mayterial took a sip from her coffee and let the fluids work for a moment, "My signaller bailed on me, seeing your skills and connection I feel like you would make a great fit for the position."

"Well I must say this ship is more comfortable than my last hiding place...that was rather dank and full of vermin." Nemet said, quite honestly, "I would caution you - I am not inclined to follow orders, at least not if it involves some ridiculous Federation ethical code. If I think someone deserves elimination are you going to try to stop me?"

"Ehm. Yeah. We don't generally kill people. Let's avoid it." May felt the headache come back and wondered if it would help to take another sip, "Look I can't have the ship be connected to a trail of bodies. It's bad enough that we got involved with the Syndicate back in Rangalor. We need to lay low. Otherwise I can't guarantee that you don't end up in a dank place full of vermin again."

Kenzia thought for a moment, tried the coffee which was quite good actually, "Fair point. I can avoid anything messy if required and it is much more interesting to use covert strategies after all." She gave the captain a slight smile, "What about voles? Any problems with occasionally acquiring live ones...or at least fresh ones. Nothing better than roasted vole bellies but some people are far too squeamish."

"Try as we might, there always seem to be a few hiding in nooks and crannies," Mayterial wasn't one to tell anyone what they could and couldn't eat, "do you have any good recipes? We normally just throw them in the reclamator." She'd have to address the insistence on killing people.

"Fresh voles! Why you have a paradise here, my captain." Kenzia grinned, "They may be a pest but breed quickly and are very tasty...so yes I have many recipes. If I can get a good supply of spices and yarmok sauce I may be able to win over a few people, Cardassians take pride in our cooking among other things." Having another sip of coffee she decided, "Very well you may have found yourself a signaller...and I am not just thinking with my stomach."

"That's good to know, I need my Signaller for their brain, mostly." Mayterial was familliar with what the Cardassians considered delicacies, so she wasn't really enthused about the idea of yarmok drenched vole bellies, "So do you have any solid contacts out here in core fed space?"

"Hah. I may no longer be part of the Obsidian Order -" At least officially, Nemet thought to herself, "- but I still have connections and people who I can use. It depends what exactly you are looking for, of course, some people I know are simply useful sauces for spice pudding."

"Let's keep it at people that would be willing to make use of our services." Mayterial leaned back in her seat, "We really need to get people in the cabins and goods in the cargo holds. All above board." She closed her eyes a moment as she took a sip from her coffee, savouring the bitter taste of the coffee mixed with the burnt aroma of the whiskey.

"Do you have any problems with Ferengi? I can think of one who could use someone to transport cargo...poor fellow somehow lost profit - and no, I was not personally responsible - but being a good Ferengi he is desperate to claw his way back and buy himself a place in the Great Treasury. So he would gladly ship his goods with someone reliable even a lowly female....you would not even need to offer oomox." Kenzia offered, knowing that poor Groud would do anything and use anyone to restore his lost profit.

A cold shiver shot down her spine at the mention of Oomox. It wasn't so much that it was sexual, more that the Ferengi always seemed so insistent on making it gross and creepy. "That might actually work out really well. We can always offer up pretty competitive rates, and a steady income is always nice." She took a second to think it over, "Do you have any experience vetting Ferengi contracts? I could ask Lorpax, but I have the sense that he might be a doctor for a reason."

"By vetting do you mean examining them and looking for anything sneaky? Or something more hands on?" Nemet noticed signs of a certain reluctance on Mayterial's part to encourage more forceful methods, such as jabbing someone with a blade, "I am no lawyer but I am very detail-oriented and good at identifying traps."

"I think that'll do for now. It never hurts to get a second pair of eyes on a Ferengi contract." Mayterial finished her coffee, "we'll visit your Ferengi friend once we get to the station." she put the empty cup on the table, "is there something you'd like to ask me?"

For a moment she almost gave a glib answer then caught herself, "Something you can do for me actually. If I am to stay I will need access to your systems the same as other crew. I suppose that is dependant on whether you trust me enough, of course."

"If you're part of the crew I trust you to not bite the hand that feeds you," Mayterial started to wonder if she was right in trusting the Cardassian signaller, "talk to the quartermaster to set you up. He'll assign you quarters and provide you with the necessary access codes."

"That will be acceptable." Nemet bowed her head a little out of politeness, then said with rare honesty, "I am actually surprised...my people are not trusted as a rule. I cannot think why -" She laughed at her own joke, "- but I half expected to need to set up my own access using less orthodox methods."

Mayterial cocked an eyebrow, "If you're part of my crew, you have full access." She wondered what kind of people she had dealt with in the past to have become so jaded, "Look. Everyone has their reservations. Their own history and ghosts." She certainly had about a cargo bay full of skeletons herself, "Out here that doesn't matter. On this boat you're expected to pull your weight. So long as you do that, there's nothing to worry about." She then leaned forward, "cross me, harm one of my crew." A single shake of the head, "you better run."

Kenzia cocked her head slightly to study Mayterial, and for once couldn't come up with a cutting response, "I have never gone against authority and as to the crew they are safe." She shrugged a little and said honestly, "But many would keep me on a tight leash...until they worked out if I was dangerous. Cardassians are suspect I suppose."

While it was always difficult to read a Cardassian, even as an Empath, she always came from a place of trust, until crossed. Though that only applied for her crew, anyone outside of that got a healthy dose of scepticism, "Well we've already established that you're dangerous," She gave a smile to the Cardassian woman, "So we have a deal then? No killing people, getting cargo and passengers for reasonable pay and a commission, you get a nice bed to sleep in and a steady supply of fresh voles."

"Hah...well I suppose I can avoid killing in exchange for a place to stay. It is certainly more comfortable here than back in that stinking pile of festering zabu crap I used to call home." Nemet snorted a little, the last world she would have used for that planet was 'home' but there was not a good way to express her sentiments in Federation Standard, "That is my way of saying we have a deal."

"Good." May put out a hand to shake on it, a tactile connection really cemented trust in people.

Startled Nemet hesitated then extended a hand. The custom still was strange to her and she combined it with a slight bow of politeness. Still when she was offered a safe place, a warm bed and all the voles you can eat, Nemet was not about to be rude: so she shook on it.

[OFF]

Mayterial Droz
Captain

&

Kenzia Nemet
Signaller

S.S. Fawkes