"The Engineers"

Posted on Thu Feb 8th, 2018 @ 7:25am by MERCHANT RANKS Fala Gaz (NPC) & Second Mate Quinton Beck
Edited on on Thu Feb 8th, 2018 @ 7:56am

2,788 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: From Within...
Location: Boarding the Second Star
Timeline: Before Departure

-ON-

{Second Star Lounge/Fala's Office}

Avor was providing the daily brief to Fala via the side panel of her office. She had minimized his face to study the reports, gleaning details silently as he continued

"...Talloc reported there was another attempt on the main vault last night. Judah recognized forged biometrics and denied entry."

"And? Was Mr. Sudor unable to find the person who tried?"

"No traces. We also don't have a suitable analysis suite for Forensic purposes, and another point is that Talloc has only his personal sidearms. his staff of four cannot be everywhere."

"The hoarde has weapons, where is our armory?"

"Captain says that the vault stays buried in the sensor blind panels off the old ship. We don't have much else beyond our sidearms, and can't plunder the vault surrounded and under scrutiny as we are. Sensor blinds are barely effective as is."

Fala considered this, "and the Federation will not allow us to use their replicators freely for anything, much less weapons."

She ran through her contacts for the hundredth time, desperate for a way to recover their losses and protect themselves. She owed favors now, and had recalled all favors owed, it was what she needed to keep the ship and it wasn't enough. She couldn't afford to install weaponry and stock an armory, even staff and deploy trained security staff. She had contracts with her recovery fleet to pay that had gone overdue, though the Daimon agreed to forbearance at twelve percent interest, the criminal.

They were being whittled to nothing and bled dry. Feeling it was time for desperate measure she authorized a message long since composed but unsent. "Buy Real Estate on board the Second Star!"

The message went far and wide in her imagination, but reality was, it never left the Starbase.

Her eyes glanced at several screens simultaneously, the ears of Ferengi repute taking in all the data being broadcast. Within her brain was a marvelous well spring of capability when applied to any project, sadly fate compelled it to profit. At this time she was split into three separate mental states, one tracking incoming data, the others reacting and communicating at insane speeds. She was practiced in this wizardry, but her magic was faltering.

"Where is Quinton? We have to have assets in play, I'm toothless out here, in more ways than one!"

"Captain Beck is currently in session with the JAG, your advocates are there as well."

"Still?"

"I'm sure he is trying to get back as soon as possible."

"Kas?"

Avor turned sour, "Not available." Inia, their wife, had given Kas hell upon their reunion over the death of Dure, Nobody had seen her for several days though orders still came from her office. Kas could turn invisible when she wanted.

Two tones interrupted a series of other shrill beeps relaying its own data, each tone significant. It was a counter signal, a response to a leasing offer for a mercenary outfit. She motioned her screens to silent, interrupting Avor for a moment, and focused on the one in front of her. Avor shook his head at the dismissal and left.

A thousand filters and barriers sprang into place masking her identity when she replied back. She stared at the onyx oval, half dreading the reply. She needed cut throat, but she didn't have to like it. She needed money more than anything.

With a void as her background and only slight illumination the smile wasn't at all a pleasant one. No happiness at all, despite the smile. It was a greeting and a warning, to be visible meant she was known, a reputation for deadly cunning and uncanny results that she used as offensively as any other weapon.

There was no emotion in her gruff voice, she stared back at Fala and spoke plainly, "Rohbards Rounders here; Forego the reasons and get to the offer and payment details."

Fala appreciated the brisk nature of the exchange to be frank, they weren't discussing anything outside of business so there was no need for pleasantries.

"Pleasure. 50,000 GPL lease per year, 2 year up front leasing. Payouts upon successful completion of a series of objectives over two year terms. Standard pay for all crew is 250 sgpl weekly with relevant skills and positions in organization offering additional earning incentive. Standard security and recovery work, with a great deal of wet work and silent treading expected. Stipends, and Collateral risk opportunity pay on a case by case basis. Three people is all I will pay for if you have a team larger than that you can pay them yourself."

The mysterious woman shook her head, by this point in the conversation the other side had to bluff and act strong. When they were weak it was just a matter of gauging how brazenly they behaved to assess their desperation. This was a call of desperation, Roh didn't intend to take a first offer at any rate. Starfleet Intelligence employed her off the books

"Let's set numbers aside, I prefer shares of the take. Your 50,000 GPL for one years lease will be paid up front, my team is my choosing based on the specs you will be sending. I have a business to run so I will be leasing your shuttle bays and several decks, in this agreement this will benefit you greatly as my armory far outstripes yours. On any business I am running I will be the sole recipient of its payout unless I need the ferrying services of your vessel and I expect total autonomy in my movement and operation-

Fala had to stop her, the pushback was coming on too strong, undiplomatic and very out of character for a business discussion.

"No... you misunderstand, we will only be needing a small team for the occasional problem we can't solve any other way. Half up front to get you here, but you earn the rest, If I am paying for quality I demand results. 250 sgpl per day... of active service... hazard pay incentive, will all be included in the contract, but if you bring business or can find it while serving with us, we expect a fair sharing. Payroll will be consolidated into a vested account-"

Roh raised and eyebrow, "Fair, a Ferengi demanding a fair sharing is curious, what do you deem fair?"

"Ship gets a cut, crew gets a cut. some of these crew will wash dishes the whole time, but they'll do it gleefully for the 5% profit share we add to their check. 5% shared amongst full time crew, but the ship gets a cut first, right off the top."

"I have a market manager who will go over the details from here, I will have my team there shortly, along with my couriers and materiel I have on hand for long voyages." Roh had no intention of agreeing to five percent tribute tax on her income, but those were money matters and they resolved themselves. This was not how she operated, it was penny ante. However it was important she was on board that ship. She had been waiting for Quinton Beck to rear his head, had cleared the path to make sure she was in it.

"Expect to receive us shortly then."

{Starbase 42- Command level}

Sheila Rohbards then turned from her console as Fala disappeared. She opened her comm to Starfleet.

"I got the contract, already got a few people smuggled aboard so I'll bring a few more and we will have a good presence there."

Black screen mirroring her faintly was all she saw until the Starfleet Delta appeared in the center. A voice issued, mechanical and disguised,

"The "Engineers" are hereby activated to complete mission objectives to the "Rising Star" program."

Sheila smiled looking over at her Starfleet uniform laying over her bed, it would stay unused for the foreseeable future.

{Collapsed Decks 27-29}

~Now~

Sheila Rohbards was given a mission, to outfit this tugboat with a secret outfit that would carry out missions wherever it went. It had been surprisingly easy, the all levels authorization and clearance helped. Her team had snuck on board scattered among a crowd, and arranged through various means joint duty assignments. The Captain and his Andorian second were truly veteran spacers and ran a tight ship. They had two telepaths screening all who passed the single airlock entrance, filtering a staggering majority of problems out from the start.

Whispering to her fellow Marine, "Tell me what I want to hear Kaela."

Kaela had let several drones map the collapsed decks, now pressurized and safe to travel in. the map revealed the trauma of the ages but the worst of it had been done already and all the remained was that which was resilient enough to last.

Kaela was smiling, "Total destruction. They can't afford to replace this... it would be sealed and foamed over. I think you have a good offer." She sent the drones map to Sheila, who reviewed it for herself.

"Good, we need a solid footing. How about our other installations?"

"Well, surprisingly enough they have holemitters installed all over, they are occupied by a program I cant ID, some form of biological interface clone program of a human brain. A holographic entity is also used and seems to be their interface to a computer system we have yet to ID as well."

Sheila grimaced, multiple points of failure on this.

"I'll tell you how I feel about that after you finish briefing me on our progress."

Kaela understood the tone, she bravely continued in a steady cadence.

"Anti Borg nodes are in place in critical areas, but the Engineering staff are raising a problem when we install them outside of the work order zone."

"They know the nodes are very useful in repelling drones right? What could possibly be their objection?"

Kaela didnt waver, "They feel the only involvement with the Borg we should have is to run in the opposite direction. The presence of a Borg countermeasure seems to harken imagery of Borg take over with many of them being dragged unwillingly into conflict with them."

"Get them installed. I'll get us on the same page. Do not take take no for an answer."

Sheila went to the bridge hailing the conn for the captains attention as she left.

=0= Rohbards to Captain Beck, I need to see you right away, are you available?


{Bridge- Fala's office Deck 2}

Beck had a fearsome countenance, he wanted to jump straight to the report he got from Chief Callahan and N'tach. Borg repulsion weaponry.

"So, we have a lot to discuss. Start with an idea of where we stand ok? Are your people on board?"

Sheila Rohbards glared at him subtly, she had no place to sit, so he had made a pun.
"My team is on board and installing their materials and outfitting the Garrison."

Quinton stood at the window staring at the reflection of the ship in the starbase windows. The ship mesmerized him still, he couldn't believe it was his to command. At least for now, The sound of things had Sheila posing herself as the armed party in charge. Fala had signed a deal with some warband. The same group who had inexplicably gained port authority from Captain Douglas to outfit a garrison. In short, they were Starfleet operatives bending the law. They had played very dirty to make themselves the only viable option, now it was time to confront her, but she brought gifts and he wanted them all.

Fala pressed her, "And the decks we leased..."

Sheila continued, "Your outer hull has been completed, thanks to the materials i provided, though large portions of several decks have been sealed off and filled in. Areas that are deemed critical are being internally plated with anti boarding measures as we speak. Cargo from the first transporter has been unloaded, and stored in the primary cargo hold securely."

Quinton approved of all of that, she had omitted strong arming his engineering staff, and installing advanced tech without asking first. He didnt care about her orders approving the install.

"Othor has given me a list here of oddities, a few things we dont know how to store or are illegal in Federation space. Luckily we have a sensor blind on our cargo hold, but I'd rather not court fines or sanctions on our operations. We are grandfathered in under salvage laws but obligated to report it. Dominion tech is still considered Federation Level Four materials, we are licensed for up to Level Three cargo containment. No weapons allowed beyond our armory and personal stocks, which have to fit regulations and dock standard for the UFP.

Sheila furrowed her brow, "That's some of my more impressive pieces left behind."

Fala interjected, "We need to avoid arming like a pirate outfit with high level tech and weaponry, it makes us a target."

Quinton nodded in agreement, adding his other point. "Also, I thought I made it clear we weren't to be installing the anti Borg measures. For one, it's only making our value increase to would be intruders who want to take the ship from us, and two I was very clear we are not to make this ship an instrument of war."

Sheila had no patience for this,

"I've already stated that we're doing nothing but upping the safety level for both ship and crew. We'll remove the items you have problems with." Sheila stated this like it was a favor she granted, not an order being followed.

"Hell yes you are! Those anti-Borg nodes have swarm nanites in them, we don't need that, none of us are qualified or willing to handle something so dangerous-!"

"Starfleet has already been told exactly what is going on and have agreed it does nothing more than secure the safety of said ship and crew. I requested these from my contacts at fleet since you hired me to secure this ship, and it is within my ability to do so is it not? "

Quinton certainly didnt realize the thread he was picking at would unravel so dramatically, he tried good natured disarmament. Speaking with a smile and gentle hand movement over the table to show he wanted to stay her anger,

"No, I see you got your shipments from Fleet, and I wasn't suggesting anything untoward. I just want to be clear, we cant have the ship armored or armed, there will be traders terrified of us as is, not to mention if we wanted a warship we'd spend our money on a warship. This is a place for families and people looking to make a life in space, between ports and out in the wilderness."

Fala was agreeing with a gentle nod, she added ,"We are a prototype here, and the regulations we set will affect every vessel to follow. We won't all have the grace of your company's outfitting so we need to know what our realistic abilities are. Not to mention, how do you plan on removing these items at the end of your tour? I'm not looking to have a bitter break up arguing over priceless materials. You have your areas to worry about, but when you get to the non leased decks I will need to approve any ship changes under fleet charter."

Quinton stood up, ending the meeting, "Excellent idea, I've got places to be, anything further?"

"Yes." Sheila boldly defied social cues to continue. "If left to your repair budget you'd opt to seal decks 27-29 Alpha up to Theta. I propose we use my outfits funds to build our offices there. It will be contingent on lease and added to payout structure but we are willing to front the cost."

Quinton looked to Fala, "I think we can consider that offer, certainly. Let's review the contracts and meet again tomorrow to see where we can move you in."

Fala wanted to ask about the upgrades, many of them were out her league. After the conversation with Chris showing her Borg technology she knew she had to do something. Her investigators had turned up nothing on Sheila, the mysterious woman had swept away all their problems in a flush of endless resources.

"Okay, so let's call it. See you at staff briefing tonight ,thanks.

She should say something. Sheila was bad news, she was... Fala ran through the options, knowing her merc band was bad but having nothing to say about it with Sheila here now.

Who had she hired?"

Quinton left without further comment, Sheila following shortly thereafter.

Fala was left wondering what in the hell she should do. Sheila at best worked for a Intel outfit, at worst... what could she be?

-End-

Austen

Shane

 

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