We All Fall Down – A Job's a Job
by Citizen Akamu "Ka'er" Makani & Alderman Dorian Gabriel
Post Details
=^= ON
Dorian sat in his typical booth reviewing the daily communication feed from the local Federation News Network correspondent. Apparently a recently discovered civilizations on planet that was merely designated as planet ZE19AS-003 had just completed its first Warp Drive flight. It was a minor report, but it caught Dorian's attention for the simple fact that civilizations do not typically go from unassuming presences in the galaxy to Warp capable civilization in the span of a decade. . .not without outside assistance.
Dorian reached for his cup and took another sip as he sat back and watched the crowd. It seemed like it had only been yesterday when he lost his rank and position within Starfleet and was drummed out of the service. He did what all lost and wondering souls did when they were deterred from their path in life: Nothing, or at least that's what it felt like. Without the security of a uniform he felt like he was merely a blade of grass merely blowing in the wind onto whatever doorstep would provide him *some* sense of purpose.
As he looked at the passing denizens of the station he wondered how many of them had a true purpose.
Elai pushed his way through the mass of people, his height and regal bearing encouraging the crowd to yield to his presence with ease. He'd opted to wear a loose black tunic and a traditional Aeroem shoulder-cloak rather than his Starfleet uniform. The blue jacket and gold undershirt did nothing but draw attention in a place like this.
It had taken him a few days to track down this rather elusive individual. Dorian's circumstances were interesting, Elai knew, but he honestly couldn't care less. His own situation was less than ideal, and it was quickly deteriorating. Gabriel might just have the talents necessary to help stem the outgoing tide of public opinion and buy Elai a little time.
"Mr. Gabriel," he slid onto the bench across the table from his elusive prey. "You're a hard man to find."
Dorian sat up against the seat and looked at the man sitting across from him. Clearly he wasn't hear to kill him or else he would have already fired his weapon. Most assassins don't waste time with idle discussion if they are on the job. Dorian observed the man wearing a cloak and tunic, civilian attire in a drab place like this was not unusual.
What was unusual was the fact that anybody was looking for him.
"Who are you?" Dorian said, getting straight to the point. "I'm only hard to find to those who have no reason to find me." He added.
"I heard your name in passing some time ago, in relation to a mutual acquaintance of ours - Colonel Akamu Makani. I believe your were just leaving Deep Space Five right as he was coming aboard." Elia shrugged. "As you were no longer a part of my... circle... I allowed myself to lose track of you. It seems that may have been a premature decision."
~Akamu Makani. . .~ Dorian had never heard of the name, or at least not that he could recall, however the pronunciation came all too natural. It was a known fact that the Universal Translator never perfectly translated a language on the first try. It took several times for the translator to understand the various dialects sufficiently to deliver the phonetic pronunciations correctly. But here. . .the name seemed as natural as his own.
"Am I supposed to know who the hell that is?" Dorian replied in typical fashion. "More importantly, who the hell are you and why should I care?" Dorian added, his patience wearing thin.
"Forgive me," Elai said. although he had intentionally committed his name to gauge Dorian's response. "My name is Tevelahim Telenar. Like Colonel Makani, I am a Telian exile." He paused, considering what all to tell Gabriel. "Although, while Makani's return home would be met with skepticism, mine would result in my immediate execution." He shrugged. "But that is beside the point."
"Whoever the hell the Telians are, I figure you and Colonel Makani need to have a "sit down" with them and try to resolve whatever issues you have." Dorian replied flippantly.
"Did you really come all this way just to tell me that you and your friend are persona non gratis from some colony I never heard of?" He asked.
Elai chuckled softly. He liked this man. Straight to the point. "No," he said. "I came to offer you a job." Elai shrugged. "Perhaps the first of many, if you feel up to it."
Now he had Dorian's attention. "I'm listening." He replied. Ever since he had been removed from Starfleet, Dorian had made a living performing odd tasks for anyone willing to pay for his experience and services. He would never cross the line and become a mercenary for hire or even hurt another Federation citizen. However, Dorian's situation had become quite desperate, to the point that he had often times found himself questioning how far he would push his own moral boundaries.
"What services do you need from me that you can't just get through the Federation or some other allied government service?" Dorian said, attempting to gauge just how far into the "gray zone" of the law this person was looking to go.
Clearly, he was not looking for a simple delivery run. There are professional services that would take care of that without any hassle. Nor was he in the market to "locate" someone. With the vast resources available to the Federation, he could have found the person in as much or less time as it took him to track down Dorian.
No, this person wanted something. . .else.
This was Elai's cue to laugh outright. "The Federation?" He said, still chuckling. "No, Mr. Gabriel. If I asked any representative of the Federation - or any government - for help in this matter, other exiles would view it as weakness. Not just on my part, but it would also reflect badly on my family. And if news of my failure got home to the Gamma Quadrant... well, it could spell disaster for the entire Telian Empire."
He paused, reflecting on his options.
"I need to intercept a Ferangi cruiser carrying several illegally obtained Telian artifacts," he said at last. "The value to my people is priceless. The ship is currently at Deep Space Five, but Colonel Makani has indicated that the Ferangi looks about ready to run for it. If this happens, I need someone prepared to stop the ship and recover the artifacts."
~And so we reach the center of the shrubbery maze. . ."
"I can't do it myself, because although I have a ship, I have other obligations." Starfleet obligations, Elai thought to himself. "And I'd like to keep this as quiet as possible, at least until the artifacts have been recovered, so I cannot ask another Telian to do this. Right now, only you, I, and Colonel Makani even know these artifacts are in the Alpha Quadrant."
Dorian looked at the cup in front of him for several moments before responding. He watched as the wisps of steam rose from the pool of the liquid inside of the cup. He then diverted his eyes to the man in front of him before putting the cup down and leaning forward.
"Let me get this straight, you come all the way to find me so that I can use my experience and connections to come onboard Deep Space Five to STOP a Ferengi from stealing a few trinkets that supposedly mean a lot to you and some Gamma Quadrant race?" Dorian asked.
"How the hell did he get a hold of these artifacts if they belong to a Gamma Quadrant race in the first place? The Treaty of Bajor prevented that type of smuggling right after the War ended." Dorian questioned.
"A Karema merchant obtained them from some Telian pirates," Elai said. "I'm sure you've heard how much the Karema and the Ferangi get along."
"How much are we talking?" Dorian asked. While he would love the opportunity to make that pompous kiss-ass, Lieutenant Trellis look stupid, he wasn't willing to put his own neck and freedom on the line for charity.
"I'm willing to pay you one hundred bars of latinum for this job," Elai said. And not much more. He'd been very careful with what he saved of his Honored Father's wealth when he had been brought to the Alpha Quadrant as a boy, but it was a limited pool of money. At least, until he could convince the people back home to honor his right of inheritance.
~100 bars. . .those trinkets must be worth a lot~ Dorian thought. With that type of money he would not have to remain in this dive of a colony for too much longer.
"Fine, but I'll need a vessel that is capable of pursuing the Ferengi's vessel if necessary." Dorian said as he finished the contents of his cup. "What type of personal security does he have?" Dorian further inquired. He knew that this character had to be smart enough to not scheme artifacts across the quadrant without some form of protection. Dorian would much rather deal with him one on one rather than have to deal with any of his "friends".
"More importantly, when is this job supposed to be done?" He concluded.
"I have a ship, the Calan's Arrow, ready in orbit," Elai said. "You can leave as soon as you're ready. As to the Ferangi, he seems to have think that he's slipped under the radar. As far as we can tell, he's armed only with a disruptor, an Orion female with dubious loyalties, and his paranoia." He paused. "But that's only the initial assessment."
"Alright, so how am I supposed to get in contact with you?" Dorian asked as he stood up from the table and prepared to gather his things. ~More importantly, how do I know I will be properly compensated for my services~ he thought.
Elai wasn't yet prepared to tell Gabriel that he was currently serving aboard the USS Antietam. "Colonel Makani will be your contact for now," he said. "He will pay you half your fee when you arrive at Deep Space Five. When the artifacts are in his hands, he will pay you the rest. Safe travels, Lieutenant."
With that, Dorian nodded and began to disappear into the crowd, prepared to take on this next job.
Elai watched him go, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his comm badge. He tapped it gently. "Lt. Telenar to Calan's Arrow. Arri, your new captain is on his way up."
Lt. Tevelahim Telenar(NPC)
Starfleet Officer of curious intent
Dorian Gabriel
Former Starfleet Officer, now Civilian
by Citizen Akamu "Ka'er" Makani & Alderman Dorian Gabriel
Post Details
| Title | A Job's a Job | |
| Mission | We All Fall Down | |
| Author(s) | Citizen Akamu "Ka'er" Makani & Alderman Dorian Gabriel | |
| Posted | Sun Jun 29, 2014 @ 5:25pm | |
| Location | Tarod Colony, near the Typhon Sector | |
| Timeline | WAFD: Prior to Day 1 |
Dorian sat in his typical booth reviewing the daily communication feed from the local Federation News Network correspondent. Apparently a recently discovered civilizations on planet that was merely designated as planet ZE19AS-003 had just completed its first Warp Drive flight. It was a minor report, but it caught Dorian's attention for the simple fact that civilizations do not typically go from unassuming presences in the galaxy to Warp capable civilization in the span of a decade. . .not without outside assistance.
Dorian reached for his cup and took another sip as he sat back and watched the crowd. It seemed like it had only been yesterday when he lost his rank and position within Starfleet and was drummed out of the service. He did what all lost and wondering souls did when they were deterred from their path in life: Nothing, or at least that's what it felt like. Without the security of a uniform he felt like he was merely a blade of grass merely blowing in the wind onto whatever doorstep would provide him *some* sense of purpose.
As he looked at the passing denizens of the station he wondered how many of them had a true purpose.
Elai pushed his way through the mass of people, his height and regal bearing encouraging the crowd to yield to his presence with ease. He'd opted to wear a loose black tunic and a traditional Aeroem shoulder-cloak rather than his Starfleet uniform. The blue jacket and gold undershirt did nothing but draw attention in a place like this.
It had taken him a few days to track down this rather elusive individual. Dorian's circumstances were interesting, Elai knew, but he honestly couldn't care less. His own situation was less than ideal, and it was quickly deteriorating. Gabriel might just have the talents necessary to help stem the outgoing tide of public opinion and buy Elai a little time.
"Mr. Gabriel," he slid onto the bench across the table from his elusive prey. "You're a hard man to find."
Dorian sat up against the seat and looked at the man sitting across from him. Clearly he wasn't hear to kill him or else he would have already fired his weapon. Most assassins don't waste time with idle discussion if they are on the job. Dorian observed the man wearing a cloak and tunic, civilian attire in a drab place like this was not unusual.
What was unusual was the fact that anybody was looking for him.
"Who are you?" Dorian said, getting straight to the point. "I'm only hard to find to those who have no reason to find me." He added.
"I heard your name in passing some time ago, in relation to a mutual acquaintance of ours - Colonel Akamu Makani. I believe your were just leaving Deep Space Five right as he was coming aboard." Elia shrugged. "As you were no longer a part of my... circle... I allowed myself to lose track of you. It seems that may have been a premature decision."
~Akamu Makani. . .~ Dorian had never heard of the name, or at least not that he could recall, however the pronunciation came all too natural. It was a known fact that the Universal Translator never perfectly translated a language on the first try. It took several times for the translator to understand the various dialects sufficiently to deliver the phonetic pronunciations correctly. But here. . .the name seemed as natural as his own.
"Am I supposed to know who the hell that is?" Dorian replied in typical fashion. "More importantly, who the hell are you and why should I care?" Dorian added, his patience wearing thin.
"Forgive me," Elai said. although he had intentionally committed his name to gauge Dorian's response. "My name is Tevelahim Telenar. Like Colonel Makani, I am a Telian exile." He paused, considering what all to tell Gabriel. "Although, while Makani's return home would be met with skepticism, mine would result in my immediate execution." He shrugged. "But that is beside the point."
"Whoever the hell the Telians are, I figure you and Colonel Makani need to have a "sit down" with them and try to resolve whatever issues you have." Dorian replied flippantly.
"Did you really come all this way just to tell me that you and your friend are persona non gratis from some colony I never heard of?" He asked.
Elai chuckled softly. He liked this man. Straight to the point. "No," he said. "I came to offer you a job." Elai shrugged. "Perhaps the first of many, if you feel up to it."
Now he had Dorian's attention. "I'm listening." He replied. Ever since he had been removed from Starfleet, Dorian had made a living performing odd tasks for anyone willing to pay for his experience and services. He would never cross the line and become a mercenary for hire or even hurt another Federation citizen. However, Dorian's situation had become quite desperate, to the point that he had often times found himself questioning how far he would push his own moral boundaries.
"What services do you need from me that you can't just get through the Federation or some other allied government service?" Dorian said, attempting to gauge just how far into the "gray zone" of the law this person was looking to go.
Clearly, he was not looking for a simple delivery run. There are professional services that would take care of that without any hassle. Nor was he in the market to "locate" someone. With the vast resources available to the Federation, he could have found the person in as much or less time as it took him to track down Dorian.
No, this person wanted something. . .else.
This was Elai's cue to laugh outright. "The Federation?" He said, still chuckling. "No, Mr. Gabriel. If I asked any representative of the Federation - or any government - for help in this matter, other exiles would view it as weakness. Not just on my part, but it would also reflect badly on my family. And if news of my failure got home to the Gamma Quadrant... well, it could spell disaster for the entire Telian Empire."
He paused, reflecting on his options.
"I need to intercept a Ferangi cruiser carrying several illegally obtained Telian artifacts," he said at last. "The value to my people is priceless. The ship is currently at Deep Space Five, but Colonel Makani has indicated that the Ferangi looks about ready to run for it. If this happens, I need someone prepared to stop the ship and recover the artifacts."
~And so we reach the center of the shrubbery maze. . ."
"I can't do it myself, because although I have a ship, I have other obligations." Starfleet obligations, Elai thought to himself. "And I'd like to keep this as quiet as possible, at least until the artifacts have been recovered, so I cannot ask another Telian to do this. Right now, only you, I, and Colonel Makani even know these artifacts are in the Alpha Quadrant."
Dorian looked at the cup in front of him for several moments before responding. He watched as the wisps of steam rose from the pool of the liquid inside of the cup. He then diverted his eyes to the man in front of him before putting the cup down and leaning forward.
"Let me get this straight, you come all the way to find me so that I can use my experience and connections to come onboard Deep Space Five to STOP a Ferengi from stealing a few trinkets that supposedly mean a lot to you and some Gamma Quadrant race?" Dorian asked.
"How the hell did he get a hold of these artifacts if they belong to a Gamma Quadrant race in the first place? The Treaty of Bajor prevented that type of smuggling right after the War ended." Dorian questioned.
"A Karema merchant obtained them from some Telian pirates," Elai said. "I'm sure you've heard how much the Karema and the Ferangi get along."
"How much are we talking?" Dorian asked. While he would love the opportunity to make that pompous kiss-ass, Lieutenant Trellis look stupid, he wasn't willing to put his own neck and freedom on the line for charity.
"I'm willing to pay you one hundred bars of latinum for this job," Elai said. And not much more. He'd been very careful with what he saved of his Honored Father's wealth when he had been brought to the Alpha Quadrant as a boy, but it was a limited pool of money. At least, until he could convince the people back home to honor his right of inheritance.
~100 bars. . .those trinkets must be worth a lot~ Dorian thought. With that type of money he would not have to remain in this dive of a colony for too much longer.
"Fine, but I'll need a vessel that is capable of pursuing the Ferengi's vessel if necessary." Dorian said as he finished the contents of his cup. "What type of personal security does he have?" Dorian further inquired. He knew that this character had to be smart enough to not scheme artifacts across the quadrant without some form of protection. Dorian would much rather deal with him one on one rather than have to deal with any of his "friends".
"More importantly, when is this job supposed to be done?" He concluded.
"I have a ship, the Calan's Arrow, ready in orbit," Elai said. "You can leave as soon as you're ready. As to the Ferangi, he seems to have think that he's slipped under the radar. As far as we can tell, he's armed only with a disruptor, an Orion female with dubious loyalties, and his paranoia." He paused. "But that's only the initial assessment."
"Alright, so how am I supposed to get in contact with you?" Dorian asked as he stood up from the table and prepared to gather his things. ~More importantly, how do I know I will be properly compensated for my services~ he thought.
Elai wasn't yet prepared to tell Gabriel that he was currently serving aboard the USS Antietam. "Colonel Makani will be your contact for now," he said. "He will pay you half your fee when you arrive at Deep Space Five. When the artifacts are in his hands, he will pay you the rest. Safe travels, Lieutenant."
With that, Dorian nodded and began to disappear into the crowd, prepared to take on this next job.
Elai watched him go, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his comm badge. He tapped it gently. "Lt. Telenar to Calan's Arrow. Arri, your new captain is on his way up."
Lt. Tevelahim Telenar(NPC)
Starfleet Officer of curious intent
Dorian Gabriel
Former Starfleet Officer, now Civilian