Cascade – Unsolicited Consultations
by Commander Rakka & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin
Post Details
::ON::
Commander Rakka kept to the outskirts as she traversed the busy Promenade, finally coming to a stop in front of the big, noisy bar that seemed to be a destination for many. "Box of Delights".
~Ugh.~
The very name of it made her skin crawl. A den of all sorts of depravity, no doubt. A place like this was about the last place she wanted to be, but she was in uniform and on duty, and it was her responsibility to know the Promenade inside and out. Squaring her shoulders and stretching up to her full height, she stepped in.
A conspicuous Security presence was not well looked upon at the Box of Delights, she could tell very quickly. She didn't let this dissuade her for a moment. Striding slowly but steadily, she threaded her way among the tables and knots of people and made her way toward the main bar to get a look at the staff.
One staff member stood out like a beacon. She was tall, not as tall as the Nausicaan, but taller than many, and she was bright violet. She saw the secuirty officer looking and smiled. "What's your poison," she checked Rakka collar, "Commander?"
"I prefer not to 'poison' myself while on duty," the Nausicaan returned gruffly.
"Ah, I see," The gruff tone did not seem to perturb the barkeeper. "Well I have plenty on non-intoxicants. Juices, milks, waters, soda's. Whatever you fancy."
"I'm not here for refreshments, thank you," Rakka said. She glanced over the purple woman with the oversized bosom and undersized waist, and then down at a PADD in her hand. "You are Ms. Ibalin, I presume."
Yolanthe went from purple to a gritty yellow, her hair a lighter shade of the same. She knew that tone. "Yes, Commander, How can I help you?"
Rakka glanced up from her PADD, momentarily surprised by the colour change. She remembered this peculiarity of the woman's race. ~A woman of many secrets... but none of them emotional.~ "Well... I've just been going over some records... reviewing Security archives so that I can make some... recommendations. I understand there have been some... incidents... here. I'm hoping I can identify any particular... vulnerabilities... in this establishment--either with the place itself or with its administration--that I can... well, let's say, eliminate. After all... public safety is paramount. Agreed?"
Yolanthe shook her head. "Not paramount. Important yes, but not paramount. I offer real, hand brewed, alcohols, and real, grown in mud food. If public safety was paramount, I wouldn't be doing either. People have to take responsibility for their own choices."
Rakka cocked her head, thinking over the woman's statement. "Of course they do," she replied. "But as a proprietor... surely you want people to feel safe walking into your establishment...?"
"What do you want commander?" The yellow had lightened slightly, now almost the same colour as Rakka's uniform.
Rakka put away her PADD and crossed her arms. "The same thing you want, I imagine: to do my job without obstruction. The Box of Delights is the subject of many negative rumours nowadays--if there is anything that can be done to increase local security and reduce the crime rate, I intend to make it happen. I hoped you might be willing to work with me on this."
The bokkai regarded the large security officer cooly, then turned to a young bajorran serving drinks at the other end of the bar. "Pel, if you need me, I'll be in my office." She stepped out from behind the wave shaped bar. "Follow me, commander."
Yolanthe led Rakka through a door marked 'Staff Only' and then down a corrider, through open doors Rakka saw the nubile young things of a dozen species talking, drinking, eating, changing from their regular clothes, into tight, revealing, pulse raising outfits.
Finally she was shown into Yolanthe's inner sanctum, and black and white styled confection of baroque luxury. "Have a seat." she nodded at a deep piled white velvet and ebony couch. Pouring herself a Kanar, the bokkai took a seat in a matching wing chair. "Now, why don't you tell me some of those rumours so I can set the record straight. It might help you fine tune your 'recommendations'."
Her stomach turning, Rakka lowered herself with exceeding awkwardness onto the couch. Never before had she felt more like a bull in a china shop--this place radiated beauty and sexuality, and the Nausicaan felt within herself the polar opposites of both of these concepts. It almost seemed as if she should have been repelled from this place purely by the laws of physics. The sight of the shameless nymphets tossing their clothes around was bad enough, but even sitting on this couch she felt like a bad stain on fine silk.
Running her hands through the short-cropped remains of her hair, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Well... for one..... when murders happen, people obviously get.... nervous."
The bar owner turned a brighter shade of yellow. "If you mean KLia, that matter is closed. IF you mean the poor woman found in my bathrooms last month, then that is an issue that you have failed to clear up. I have given your department every assistance."
"Listen!" Rakka snapped, holding up a hand in defense, than took a moment to calm the snarl from her voice: "Listen. There is no call for finger-pointing here. Those cases have little to do with me as I've only recently arrived here as a consultant. All I am saying is... word of such incidents gets around... and people take that sense of danger and blow it beyond all reasonable proportion. I don't like hearing that the Box of Delights is a great place to get stabbed... as I'm sure you don't. What I want is to establish a visible increase in local surveillance that will not only serve to deter violent offenders in the future... but also to assure your customers that they can feel safe here. Is it possible we can work together... instead of against each other?"
Outwardly the bokkai remained calmer, t=but the yellow of her complexion had lightened again. "My patrons do feel safe, Commander. And one of the reasons they feel safe is that my bar sells discretion and privacy, as well as booze. There are precious few public places that aren't part of the station's panopticon, and sometimes people want to have fun without feeling they are being watched all the time."
Rakka leaned forward. "I understand that you want to respect your customers' privacy... but placing higher priority on that than on reducing the crime rate clearly suggests to me that you are, at minimum, aware of ongoing illegal activity here and choose to tolerate it... or that you are an active participant in such illegal activity. Either way my desire for an increased Security presence here is not exactly reduced by your attitude!"
"If you are going to insult me, and make slanderous accusations, Commander you can leave. Do you have a shred of evidence to back that up, or are you just parroting your predecessors prejudices?"
"I have no obligation or desire to 'parrot' anyone!" Rakka replied vehemently, rubbing at her temples. "I came here to make my own judgment of this place, and if you perceive that other Security staff are 'prejudiced' against you, I am beginning to understand why they might be! You know very well we have the authority to make some sweeping changes here if we deem it necessary, and in light of this, your obstinate commitment to being as uncooperative as possible seems more than a little short-sighted on your part. I have tried to ask politely for your cooperation so that we can come to some mutually agreeable solutions, but since you are putting up your defenses at every attempt, it seems clear that we are indeed finished here." The Nausicaan pulled herself off of the opulent couch with relief.
“I wasn’t aware, Commander. And my reasons for thinking you might be prejudice is that from my opening night, I have faced nothing but accusations and aggression from your department. Time after time I am judged as guilty until proven innocent, despite suffering far more from the criminal element on this station than from contributing to it." Yolanthe hadn't raised her voice, hadn't moved, but she was now a primrose yellow. "And if you are not one of Gabriel's stooges, why don't you suggest an alternative that doesn't run roughshod over my business?"
Rakka let out a sigh and reluctantly returned to the couch. "I would very much like to do that, in fact. And on the subject of Mr. Gabriel, I will admit you and I share a mutual distaste. It might help us get along better if you do not to think of the Security detachment here as 'my department'; I'm more like an independent contractor, trying to set things right where they've gone wrong. I'm not in charge of Security, so I cannot take responsibility for mistakes they may have committed. I do, however, outrank the current Security Chief, but I plan to use that card responsibly. So let's discuss. First of all--do you employ any independent security guards, or are your barely-dressed pleasure-girls left to fend for themselves?"
Yolanthe laughed outloud, and the pale yellow was momentarily replaced with a bright blue. "They're a lot less helpless than you'd think. But, yes I have a doorman. A gorn." She got up from the chair. and moved to the back of her room and her desk.
The lights came up to reveal her 'trophy wall' It was mostly hand to hand weapons, knives, knuckle dusters, saps. but there were a few ranged weapons - phasers, blasters, disrupters - along with more unusual items. Like a pair of skimpy male breifs, made from shiny gold cloth. SHe took a padd from the desk and passed it to Rakka as she sat back down. "A gorn, we all call him Harry, but his real name is Har'silar."
Rakka perused the information, and looked up. "A solid doorman is a good start... but it's only a start," she said, handing the PADD back. "How is access to your back rooms monitored? Is it at all? Would you have a way of knowing immediately if someone, say, wandered into one of your change rooms who wasn't employed by you?"
"We're close knit, and theres always someone back here. Plus each sstaff door has a numeric llock. "
"Your locks should, at the very least, have finger scanners," Rakka replied. "And I really would like you to have proper security patrols. If you don't want Big Brother Starfleet looking over your shoulder, then hire people you know and trust. Your best chance of deterring violent crimes is to make your security staff as visible as possible, but if you refuse to take this action, at least make sure they keep their eyes and ears open while they blend into the crowd. And... I must go on record as saying that, as a sworn officer who upholds Starfleet regulation in all circumstances, I cannot condone the following from an ethical perspective, so consider it an under-the-table suggestion: Certain members of empathic races can make excellent cops, if you can find one that doesn't keep his mind to himself, but knows when to keep his mouth shut. Starfleet can't get away with an 'intent-to-commit-a-crime' conviction, but you're not under the same code, if you understand my meaning."
"I think I can manage that." Yolanthe agreed. some support for Harry would probably be a good start.
Rakka relaxed slightly, relieved that they were finally reaching some common ground. "Excellent. I'm also more than willing to run any of your staff through some of my training courses. A moderate level of self-defense training, with regular refresher courses, could be of sound benefit to all of you."
"I'll see if any of the girls are interested."
"Do," the Nausicaan replied. "And if they aren't interested, encourage them. I understand I am not the most... 'approachable' person... but I can also share some of the training programs I recommend to the Security staff. I'm sure many of your girls are capable, as you say, but any skills unused for too long may weaken."
Sensing the conversation drawing to a close, Rakka stood to leave. "Anyway, thank you for your time."
Yolanthe set her half finished Kanar aside, and escorted Rakka back front of house. "Contrary to what you may have heard, I am not here to make trouble for the station. I just want to make money."
"Of course," the Nausicaan replied. "I never believed it was your intent to be troublesome. And likewise, it is not Security's intention to spoil everyone's good time. We simply need to find our... what is the term... 'common ground'."
"Absolutely," the yellow was darkening again. "And when you do feel like poisoning yourself, Commander, do stop by. The first one is on the house."
"That's very generous of you," Rakka said genuinely. "I might even take you up on that. Maybe some night when it's not quite so... busy. Although I don't suppose you ever have quiet nights...?"
The bokkai laughed. "If I have a quiet night, then something's going wrong."
::OFF::
Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner, The Box of Delights
Commander Rakka
Security Consultant/Trainer
DS5
by Commander Rakka & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin
Post Details
| Title | Unsolicited Consultations | |
| Mission | Cascade | |
| Author(s) | Commander Rakka & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin | |
| Posted | Thu Oct 18, 2012 @ 5:05pm | |
| Location | Box of Delights | |
| Timeline | SD70 0800 |
Commander Rakka kept to the outskirts as she traversed the busy Promenade, finally coming to a stop in front of the big, noisy bar that seemed to be a destination for many. "Box of Delights".
~Ugh.~
The very name of it made her skin crawl. A den of all sorts of depravity, no doubt. A place like this was about the last place she wanted to be, but she was in uniform and on duty, and it was her responsibility to know the Promenade inside and out. Squaring her shoulders and stretching up to her full height, she stepped in.
A conspicuous Security presence was not well looked upon at the Box of Delights, she could tell very quickly. She didn't let this dissuade her for a moment. Striding slowly but steadily, she threaded her way among the tables and knots of people and made her way toward the main bar to get a look at the staff.
One staff member stood out like a beacon. She was tall, not as tall as the Nausicaan, but taller than many, and she was bright violet. She saw the secuirty officer looking and smiled. "What's your poison," she checked Rakka collar, "Commander?"
"I prefer not to 'poison' myself while on duty," the Nausicaan returned gruffly.
"Ah, I see," The gruff tone did not seem to perturb the barkeeper. "Well I have plenty on non-intoxicants. Juices, milks, waters, soda's. Whatever you fancy."
"I'm not here for refreshments, thank you," Rakka said. She glanced over the purple woman with the oversized bosom and undersized waist, and then down at a PADD in her hand. "You are Ms. Ibalin, I presume."
Yolanthe went from purple to a gritty yellow, her hair a lighter shade of the same. She knew that tone. "Yes, Commander, How can I help you?"
Rakka glanced up from her PADD, momentarily surprised by the colour change. She remembered this peculiarity of the woman's race. ~A woman of many secrets... but none of them emotional.~ "Well... I've just been going over some records... reviewing Security archives so that I can make some... recommendations. I understand there have been some... incidents... here. I'm hoping I can identify any particular... vulnerabilities... in this establishment--either with the place itself or with its administration--that I can... well, let's say, eliminate. After all... public safety is paramount. Agreed?"
Yolanthe shook her head. "Not paramount. Important yes, but not paramount. I offer real, hand brewed, alcohols, and real, grown in mud food. If public safety was paramount, I wouldn't be doing either. People have to take responsibility for their own choices."
Rakka cocked her head, thinking over the woman's statement. "Of course they do," she replied. "But as a proprietor... surely you want people to feel safe walking into your establishment...?"
"What do you want commander?" The yellow had lightened slightly, now almost the same colour as Rakka's uniform.
Rakka put away her PADD and crossed her arms. "The same thing you want, I imagine: to do my job without obstruction. The Box of Delights is the subject of many negative rumours nowadays--if there is anything that can be done to increase local security and reduce the crime rate, I intend to make it happen. I hoped you might be willing to work with me on this."
The bokkai regarded the large security officer cooly, then turned to a young bajorran serving drinks at the other end of the bar. "Pel, if you need me, I'll be in my office." She stepped out from behind the wave shaped bar. "Follow me, commander."
Yolanthe led Rakka through a door marked 'Staff Only' and then down a corrider, through open doors Rakka saw the nubile young things of a dozen species talking, drinking, eating, changing from their regular clothes, into tight, revealing, pulse raising outfits.
Finally she was shown into Yolanthe's inner sanctum, and black and white styled confection of baroque luxury. "Have a seat." she nodded at a deep piled white velvet and ebony couch. Pouring herself a Kanar, the bokkai took a seat in a matching wing chair. "Now, why don't you tell me some of those rumours so I can set the record straight. It might help you fine tune your 'recommendations'."
Her stomach turning, Rakka lowered herself with exceeding awkwardness onto the couch. Never before had she felt more like a bull in a china shop--this place radiated beauty and sexuality, and the Nausicaan felt within herself the polar opposites of both of these concepts. It almost seemed as if she should have been repelled from this place purely by the laws of physics. The sight of the shameless nymphets tossing their clothes around was bad enough, but even sitting on this couch she felt like a bad stain on fine silk.
Running her hands through the short-cropped remains of her hair, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Well... for one..... when murders happen, people obviously get.... nervous."
The bar owner turned a brighter shade of yellow. "If you mean KLia, that matter is closed. IF you mean the poor woman found in my bathrooms last month, then that is an issue that you have failed to clear up. I have given your department every assistance."
"Listen!" Rakka snapped, holding up a hand in defense, than took a moment to calm the snarl from her voice: "Listen. There is no call for finger-pointing here. Those cases have little to do with me as I've only recently arrived here as a consultant. All I am saying is... word of such incidents gets around... and people take that sense of danger and blow it beyond all reasonable proportion. I don't like hearing that the Box of Delights is a great place to get stabbed... as I'm sure you don't. What I want is to establish a visible increase in local surveillance that will not only serve to deter violent offenders in the future... but also to assure your customers that they can feel safe here. Is it possible we can work together... instead of against each other?"
Outwardly the bokkai remained calmer, t=but the yellow of her complexion had lightened again. "My patrons do feel safe, Commander. And one of the reasons they feel safe is that my bar sells discretion and privacy, as well as booze. There are precious few public places that aren't part of the station's panopticon, and sometimes people want to have fun without feeling they are being watched all the time."
Rakka leaned forward. "I understand that you want to respect your customers' privacy... but placing higher priority on that than on reducing the crime rate clearly suggests to me that you are, at minimum, aware of ongoing illegal activity here and choose to tolerate it... or that you are an active participant in such illegal activity. Either way my desire for an increased Security presence here is not exactly reduced by your attitude!"
"If you are going to insult me, and make slanderous accusations, Commander you can leave. Do you have a shred of evidence to back that up, or are you just parroting your predecessors prejudices?"
"I have no obligation or desire to 'parrot' anyone!" Rakka replied vehemently, rubbing at her temples. "I came here to make my own judgment of this place, and if you perceive that other Security staff are 'prejudiced' against you, I am beginning to understand why they might be! You know very well we have the authority to make some sweeping changes here if we deem it necessary, and in light of this, your obstinate commitment to being as uncooperative as possible seems more than a little short-sighted on your part. I have tried to ask politely for your cooperation so that we can come to some mutually agreeable solutions, but since you are putting up your defenses at every attempt, it seems clear that we are indeed finished here." The Nausicaan pulled herself off of the opulent couch with relief.
“I wasn’t aware, Commander. And my reasons for thinking you might be prejudice is that from my opening night, I have faced nothing but accusations and aggression from your department. Time after time I am judged as guilty until proven innocent, despite suffering far more from the criminal element on this station than from contributing to it." Yolanthe hadn't raised her voice, hadn't moved, but she was now a primrose yellow. "And if you are not one of Gabriel's stooges, why don't you suggest an alternative that doesn't run roughshod over my business?"
Rakka let out a sigh and reluctantly returned to the couch. "I would very much like to do that, in fact. And on the subject of Mr. Gabriel, I will admit you and I share a mutual distaste. It might help us get along better if you do not to think of the Security detachment here as 'my department'; I'm more like an independent contractor, trying to set things right where they've gone wrong. I'm not in charge of Security, so I cannot take responsibility for mistakes they may have committed. I do, however, outrank the current Security Chief, but I plan to use that card responsibly. So let's discuss. First of all--do you employ any independent security guards, or are your barely-dressed pleasure-girls left to fend for themselves?"
Yolanthe laughed outloud, and the pale yellow was momentarily replaced with a bright blue. "They're a lot less helpless than you'd think. But, yes I have a doorman. A gorn." She got up from the chair. and moved to the back of her room and her desk.
The lights came up to reveal her 'trophy wall' It was mostly hand to hand weapons, knives, knuckle dusters, saps. but there were a few ranged weapons - phasers, blasters, disrupters - along with more unusual items. Like a pair of skimpy male breifs, made from shiny gold cloth. SHe took a padd from the desk and passed it to Rakka as she sat back down. "A gorn, we all call him Harry, but his real name is Har'silar."
Rakka perused the information, and looked up. "A solid doorman is a good start... but it's only a start," she said, handing the PADD back. "How is access to your back rooms monitored? Is it at all? Would you have a way of knowing immediately if someone, say, wandered into one of your change rooms who wasn't employed by you?"
"We're close knit, and theres always someone back here. Plus each sstaff door has a numeric llock. "
"Your locks should, at the very least, have finger scanners," Rakka replied. "And I really would like you to have proper security patrols. If you don't want Big Brother Starfleet looking over your shoulder, then hire people you know and trust. Your best chance of deterring violent crimes is to make your security staff as visible as possible, but if you refuse to take this action, at least make sure they keep their eyes and ears open while they blend into the crowd. And... I must go on record as saying that, as a sworn officer who upholds Starfleet regulation in all circumstances, I cannot condone the following from an ethical perspective, so consider it an under-the-table suggestion: Certain members of empathic races can make excellent cops, if you can find one that doesn't keep his mind to himself, but knows when to keep his mouth shut. Starfleet can't get away with an 'intent-to-commit-a-crime' conviction, but you're not under the same code, if you understand my meaning."
"I think I can manage that." Yolanthe agreed. some support for Harry would probably be a good start.
Rakka relaxed slightly, relieved that they were finally reaching some common ground. "Excellent. I'm also more than willing to run any of your staff through some of my training courses. A moderate level of self-defense training, with regular refresher courses, could be of sound benefit to all of you."
"I'll see if any of the girls are interested."
"Do," the Nausicaan replied. "And if they aren't interested, encourage them. I understand I am not the most... 'approachable' person... but I can also share some of the training programs I recommend to the Security staff. I'm sure many of your girls are capable, as you say, but any skills unused for too long may weaken."
Sensing the conversation drawing to a close, Rakka stood to leave. "Anyway, thank you for your time."
Yolanthe set her half finished Kanar aside, and escorted Rakka back front of house. "Contrary to what you may have heard, I am not here to make trouble for the station. I just want to make money."
"Of course," the Nausicaan replied. "I never believed it was your intent to be troublesome. And likewise, it is not Security's intention to spoil everyone's good time. We simply need to find our... what is the term... 'common ground'."
"Absolutely," the yellow was darkening again. "And when you do feel like poisoning yourself, Commander, do stop by. The first one is on the house."
"That's very generous of you," Rakka said genuinely. "I might even take you up on that. Maybe some night when it's not quite so... busy. Although I don't suppose you ever have quiet nights...?"
The bokkai laughed. "If I have a quiet night, then something's going wrong."
::OFF::
Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner, The Box of Delights
Commander Rakka
Security Consultant/Trainer
DS5