Bazaar Things Happening

Posted on Tue Nov 7th, 2023 @ 9:26pm by Lieutenant Commander Annalise Faulkner & Lieutenant Marikit "Kit" Urso & Lieutenant Asher Stagg & Lieutenant JG Orion Wolff & Lieutenant JG Jonathan Forrest
Edited on on Tue Nov 7th, 2023 @ 9:28pm

Mission: S1 Episode 6: Joy and Ashes
Location: Alien Outpost
Timeline: Date 2371-09-04 at 1530
6610 words - 13.2 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Life in the Delta Quadrant, isolated from the Empire, wasn’t easy for a well-equipped vessel, let alone a small one meant for short term missions. The Gladius needed a resupply, and the Command team had already decided how to do it. On a small station on the edge of Vidiian Space, a small enclave held a market that was known for its creative collection of useful items. Whether the crew would find what they were looking for there or not was its own mystery, but it seemed like a good place to start. The bustle of the place caught the eye with colorful silks, interesting bobbles, and eccentric alien species in wild clothing. The sounds were of music completely foreign to them.

It was a beautiful place in its own way, and for just a moment Annalise considered how it was reminiscent of the bazaars that would open during Carnivale. She didn’t particularly get a chance to continue that train of thought for more than a second when a large alien bumped into her on its way by and didn’t even look back. She was jarred from her thoughts as she stumbled a bit but immediately found her feet. A wonderful way to start things off. She gave a soft sigh that was drowned out by the strange music and then turned to her people.

“Alright, everyone. We have our lists of what we are after. We are going to split up and search for the needed supplies. Wolff, Forrest you are with me. Stagg, Urso, you will go together. Do not for any reason split up. Teams will check in every thirty minutes. In two hours we will meet back here. Do not purchase anything before we meet up and compare findings. One of these merchants may offer one price while another will offer considerably less for items and we won’t know unless we convene and review. Any questions?”

“Nope.” Kit piped up instantly.

“None at present.” Orion nodded as he focused on Annalise, though he had been examining the numerous aliens around them and while he was fascinated by them he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of scientific results he could achieve by subjecting them to the various pathogens in his admittedly depleted stores given that the power required for his cold storage of live specimens had been something he’d needed to sacrifice for the good of the ship. It was something that caused him a moment of pause since they were examples of his work as a scientist, but he also knew that he could recreate them again as long as the Gladius’ computer cores were intact.

Jonathan had a phaser pistol tucked in a holster in the small of his back. Its concealbilty easily, at least in this situation made up for its limited power. It would do in a pinch and that’s all he was concerned about. He’d seen plenty of aliens growing up on starships as he had, so he was not repulsed by the variety on the planet as he assumed some of his fellow crewmembers felt.

He was more amused thinking of them the same as zoo animals he’d seen over the years. He didn’t bear any animosity. Not as long as they didn’t bother him.

Besides, he had other concerns. He had a list of items he needed in his head, and that was what his focus was as they walked along.

“We’ll see you soon.” Asher said with a neutral affect as he stepped over to Kit and stopped next to her. “I’m assuming you’re a better shopper than me, Kitty.”

Before Kit could answer, Annalise’s voice cut in again. “Stagg.”

She waited for his full attention before she continued. “Don’t be late.”

Her voice was serious this time and her expression reflected it. His predilection for being late simply wouldn’t do in this situation and were he not to obey, she would be quite annoyed.

Already moving away, Asher turned around backward and gave Annalise a look that would signal, loud and clear, that he was of a good humor on the topic. Seeing how serious she was about it only made it funnier for him. His white smile said it all.

“Yes, ma’am. Of course, ma’am. On time, ma’am.” he said, not so much mocking as to try and get a rise out of her. He wasn’t sure if it was work though; she had the command stick up her ass, after all, and the command stick always whispered to its benefactors to hate Asher Stagg, professional fuck up.

“Y’know,” Kit began, her voice only loud enough for Asher to hear as they began to walk away from the group, “she’s not going to fuck you if you keep badgering her. She’s not that type.”

“Kitty, If I wanted to fuck her, I would fuck her.” Asher said with a raise of his brow. “And who said I wanted that anyway? You think I fuck anything that walks? Is that how I got you?”

It was a joke, and obviously so, but it wasn’t a nice one. Some people liked being razzed and some people didn’t. He supposed he would see if he left this market with no friends at all.

“Well you didn’t think it was because of your looks, did you?” Kit returned and grinned, waving a hand at him dismissively. “I know you want to fuck her, Bambi, but you keep playing the deny game all you want.”

“You keep bringing it up, Kitty Cat.” he said, stopping at a stand that was selling some impressive-looking fabrics. Touching one, just to see how it felt, he looked at her, mock sympathy on his face. “Do you think what we have is special? Because I’m just using you for lunchtime fun, so..”

He brought the fabric toward her so she could feel how fine it was, indicating nothing more than a thought she might enjoy the feeling.

“Also, my mommy always told me I was a very handsome boy. And mommy knows.”

“Your mommy is a liar and fuck no its not special.” She said, feeling the fabric with her fingers and making a face that indicated it was nice. “This fabric is prettier than you are.”

“One moment you’re telling me I’m ugly, the next you’re having a shaking orgasm on my desk. Hot and cold, Kitty Cat. Hot and cold.” he said, shaking his head. “Also, for added measure, you’re just like your mother.”

He lifted his PADD and looked down at it, shifting from fun to business in his mind. He started to remind himself of his priorities.

“Gods I hope not, or you’re about to be a daddy in nine months.” Kit noted, putting a hand on her flat abdomen. “Better take it back, Bambi.”

He looked up at her, his smile frozen; his eyes watching. He didn’t ask if she was serious, but seemed to be waiting for her to give some indication on her own. On some level, he doubted she would have let that happen, but on the other hand.

Kit merely matched his smile and the intensity of his eye contact while she gave her lower abdomen a fond little pat. That was the only answer he received and she turned away to look at the fabric again. It really was nice.

“Both you and I need crystals.” he said, moving on quickly from the uncertain moment. She was probably just messing with him. “So that means we need to get out of the silks and threads and move on to the big boy section.”

“Real men know how to use the silk and thread section to their advantage, Bambi, but I understand you’d be more comfortable in the boys’ section. Let’s go then.” Kit rolled her shoulders, abandoning the fabric for now and continuing on through the market to try and find a stall that looked more likely to sell the things they needed.

—

Annalise watched Kit and Asher go, shook her head just a bit and turned to look at Orion and Jonathan. “Shall we then, gentlemen? Do you both have your list of wants?”

“I do,”Jon replied, pointing his left index finger toward his head. “Right here where it’s safe.” He’d been vaguely amused by the flirting that had been going on, but he wasn’t the type that usually joined in. Not unless he was really interested in a woman. Then it would be just with her.

“Made my list and checked it twice, though not sure if I’d count as naughty or nice.” Orion smirked a little as he turned his attention back to Annalise, more or less having ignored the flirty exchange that had taken place, not because of any lack of interest but because it was Asher and Kit, if they weren’t flirting they were fighting. He held an arm out, indicating for their Captain to lead the way as he continued to look about, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the bazaar, reminding him of the time that the Wolff family had taken a trip to the Middle East on Earth and the grand bazaar of Istanbul, it was marvel that it had weathered the destruction of centuries so well. Much of it had been reconstructed but there was much of the old city that had remained mostly intact and the bazaar had been one such place.

“Very well. Let’s get going then.” Annalise said and began to walk forward into the crowd. The second team that had beamed down in a different location had been tasked with gathering supplies that were absolutely necessary for the ship in the way of food and essential materials. Of course, the lists of her senior officers also had some necessities, but they would also be vying for who’s “would be nice” items were most important. She had decided to go with Jon and Orion to keep their desired purchases and items in check; Kit and Asher well… they’d likely spend most of their time arguing, but they’d also likely keep each other in check. If they didn’t, she figured there would be a fight and given the nature of their fights, it wouldn’t be hard to find them and wrangle them in again.

“Which one of you wants to go first?”

“He can,” Jonathan replied, pointing at Orion.

Orion quirked a brow and looked at Jonathan for a moment before pulling out his PADD as he looked over it and then let out a deep breath. “I’m looking for anything that resembles petri dishes or lab equipment as I’ve been having issues with the replicators not producing thick enough glass while I’m trying to apply culture samples in the lab and the ingredients for culture mediums.”

It was all quite orderly and to the point for him, there were other things he would be on the lookout for but those were the things he needed immediate as he led the way with Jonathan and Annalise, looking at the stalls, listening to the hawkers proclaiming the wares of which ever stall owner had hired them.

“I’m not a scientist, my needs are a lot more simple. If they have any firearms here that’s at the top of my list. I know it’s old fashioned, but I’d like to find some books. History mainly, but any technical manuals about their airships, starships, and shuttles.”

“Oh, and I’m not a cook, but I like eating.I know I can’t take it with me, so not really something I’m shopping for. But I do like trying new and exotic foods. So, something to eat would be nice.

“What I can take with me though, and what I am shopping for is good wine, or whiskey I can take either or both.”

Annalise listened to both officers as they gave her their lists. She looked at Orion first. “That’s fine, we can look and see what we can find but if there’s problems with the replicator you need to let Kit know.”

She then looked at Jonathan and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder while offering a small, understanding smile. “Jon, it is fine if you want to look for those things for yourself while we are browsing, but remember our primary goal is supplies for the ship, not personal leisure items. We don’t have the resources to allow for personal purchases, so if you want to acquire those things you will have to make trades with your own belongings.” She paused then added, “Lunch might be on the table at the very least, though.”

“Lunch would be good,” the helmsman said with a smile. “As far as shopping items for the ship is concerned, we could use starcharts for the area if there are any of those we can find.

With their goal in mind, the groups set out to do their own scouting of what was available for their needs. The bazaar was lively and loud and were they not officers in uniform it would have been quite easy for them to slip away unnoticed - or worse, be taken. There was a reason she had insisted that no person was to wander alone while on the station for any purpose at all. Hawkers yelled out their wares, some hard partners who would stand outside of their stalls and randomly try to physically grab people to browse the items being sold or would shove products into hands and try to get unwitting tourists to pay for them. It was barely contained chaos, but the patrolling guards made sure it did indeed remain contained.

They’d been browsing for around an hour with a middling amount of success to show for their efforts. Annalise could only hope the other teams were having more luck, but at least they wouldn’t leave here with nothing. They had made it to a slightly less populated area of the bazaar simply due to the nature of the shops there were set up to display larger wares - fewer shops meant fewer people in general, and not many were after these kinds of components and items for their day to day or indulgence purposes. The trio of officers walked calmly, perusing. It would be time for another check in soon.

“My friends from far away, come closer I have many wares from places near and far!” One of the merchants called out, he was wrapped head to toe in brightly colored robes with only his piercing blue eyes visible from a small opening within his head wrappings. He had a hand raised and they would be able to see the glinting of jewelry made from precious metals hanging from his wrists. “I have many things for sale,”

“Jewelry,” He indicated display cases filled with items of various quality before his arms swept past that to a set back case of weapons, both melee and ranged.

“Weapons for those more interested in making mayhem.”

“And for the truly discerning sort, the finest of slaves for any appetite.” Though they wouldn’t be able to see his face, everyone from the Gladius would be able to hear the oily grin in his words. Stepping forward were a variety of slaves in varying states of dress and cleanliness, both male and female, all wearing restraints on their wrists and ankles, and heavy looking collars.

“Or perhaps you might like to pay for knowledge, the things that I have heard whispers of in my travels?” He finally set his gaze on Annalise and it wasn’t hard to tell that he was leering at her. “Many, many exciting things have been happening, many new visitors from far away, much like you.”

It hadn’t been the first time they’d been accosted by a merchant while walking through the bazaar, but this one was certainly the most flamboyant. She wondered why he was out here in this area rather than where wares more similar to his own were sold. Immediately she was suspicious and it showed on her face to an extent, though not as deeply as she was feeling it. Her eyes moved over the extraneous items he was offering and then to the slaves. Those were a possibility, but seeing their different states gave her pause.

“We have no need for fineries at the moment. Your slaves perhaps, though I have some concerns with the ones you are presenting. Information can be useful depending on what it is, but rather hard to trade for.” She was aware of the way the alien was looking at her but chose to ignore it.

“These are but some of my merchandise, I trade in many things…many things indeed.” The merchant chuckled softly while he looked to the burly guard, who made the slave shuffle back from the merchant and Annalise as Orion stepped forward, curious about the conversation and what the alien man might have to offer. Even if the man made his skin crawl and seemed a little too convenient for them to be meeting like this.

“You are welcome to inspect my slaves, though they may not be pleasing to the eye, they are healthy as I would never sell ailing stock.” The merchant assured Annalise as he snapped his fingers and a slave appeared carrying chairs for them. “Let us sit and talk, like old friends who have not seen one another in a very long time.”

“My information concerns a ship like your own, a ship of Empire who have made their mark already, the hated Ocampans have felt their wrath and there are even rumors that the arrogant Vidiaans have experienced their wrath, led by a man they call the Butcher of Rakal, a name he is making here as well with his ship of Empire.”

The Butcher of Rakal… the moniker sounded vaguely familiar, but Annalise couldn’t place it to any one individual. Still, the fact that this individual knew it to begin with was shocking to say the least. They had thought they were alone out here, that they would never see another Terran again and here this man was with an offer of hope.

For a price.

“Would you be interested in haggling? See if we can come to a deal so that you and the other ship of Empire might find each other again? I have learned their path because I do not wish to be turned to something less than living, I understand how to make friends and that they can be important in business.” The merchant summoned another slave over with a bottle of some dark liquid and set out two glasses, pouring one for himself and Annalise.

Before she sat down, Annalise turned to Orion and spoke quietly enough for only him to hear. “Step over there and hail Stagg. Tell him to get himself and Urso over here now and tell him why.”

Orion nodded as he stepped away so that he could take care of Anna’s request, unsure how he felt about the fact that they weren’t the only Terran ship that had been stolen away to this Emperor forsaken part of the universe. He found a place where he could have a modicum of privacy so that he could contact Stagg, hopefully he wasn’t interrupting anything between him and Kit as he tapped his badge and did his best not to tap his foot or fidget.

“Stagg, this is Wolff.”

Asher and Kit had been doing their jobs, but seemed to be proceeding at a slower and more leisurely pace than the other group. They were prone to distractions, be they pausing to sift through the eye-catching attractions and wares at various stalls or pausing and having fun bantering with each other. Flirtation was a part of nearly all of their interactions, especially when they were being mean to each other. Still, their duty kept them somewhat focused and they had gathered several needed items. When the message came through, Asher turned from a merchant they were haggling with and tapped his badge.

“This is Stagg.” he said simply and gruffly, holding up his finger dismissively to the man across from him.

“The Captain needs you and Urso to meet up with us, there’s a merchant here claiming there is another Imperial vessel in the Delta Quadrant and is trying to sell us the information.” Orion explained in a hushed tone, though the spark of excited hope was evident in his voice as he spoke.

The enthusiasm in Orion’s voice wasn’t reflected in Stagg’s reflection. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow as if he’d just heard something particularly stupid. He seemed determined to keep it to himself for now though. After getting their location from Orion, they ended the conversation and he turned to Kit.

“Some people will say anything for money.” he said simply, gesturing forward for her to walk with him as he set out to meet with the rest of the group.

“Last chance, take it or leave it. No one is going to buy this shit otherwise, buddy!” Kit called to the merchant as she walked backward with Asher.

“Okay! OKAY!” The merchant yelped almost frantically. He’d been looking to offload this particular merchandise anyways, and it seemed seeing the only offers just up and walking away alarmed him greatly.

“Thatta boy.” Kit grinned and tossed a data chip at the merchant, nailing him straight in the forehead with it and laughing. “Sorry. Send it up. Bye.”

She turned to walk properly with Stagg then and looked up at him. “What’s going on? What are you talking about?”

“Orion says they found a merchant who has information on another Imperial ship in the Delta Quadrant.” he answered. “I mean, what are the odds of something like that happening?”

“Better odds winning the lotto back home - and that’s fixed.” Kit’s face scrunched, annoyed and irritated by the notion. “Sounds like someone wants to die today.”

“Well, to be honest, I’m a bit excited to help them.” he said with an aggressive grin. “It’s been too long since I fucked someone up, Kitty. I’m starting to get jumpy.”

“You’re so fucking weird, Bambi.” Kit sighed but smiled, shaking her head.

---

As her science officer stepped away to do as she had asked, Annalise finally took a seat opposite the merchant though she was loath to do so; she knew she needed to play nicely. Crossing her legs, she placed her hands on her top knee and looked at the man. “How do I know the information you offer is genuine?”

The merchant held up a gloved hand and motioned one of the slaves forward, taking the PADD he carried and accessing a file before he handed the device to Annalise. On it she would see a recording of what appeared to be a Terran warship orbiting an alien world that was surrounded by a great deal of space traffic.

“This was taken by a colleague of mine around the resort planet of Anorra, they said that there were people much like yourselves taking advantage of the pleasures the planet had to offer, you are welcome to review the sensor readings and compare them but the design is uniquely of your Empire.”

Annalise took the PADD and studied it, then handed it over to Jon while looking at him. “Tell me what you see, Ensign.”

Jon took the PADD and began examining it. He was Gladius’ chief helmsman, and a damn good one, not techie or in operations But, he wasn’t just one dimensional. And the task was a pretty easy one. “This looks like the genuine thing.”

Nodding, Annalise took the PADD back and looked at it again. The picture was grainy and she couldn’t make out exactly what kind of ship it was, but the glowing blue and red on the nacelles and the soft gray color of the hull were quite distinctive. Could it really be true? She almost didn’t want to dare to hope.

“Sensor logs can be falsified.” She pointed out to the merchant.

“Of course they can, which is why I am willing to let you verify with your ship what I offer is truth,” The merchant replied with a casual gesture, slipping his hand beneath the coverings on his face to sip his drink. “But this humble servant can sense the way the winds of fortune are blowing and they speak the name of Empire. I wish to be helpful so that you might remember fondly what aid I gave to the ships of Empire.”

“Tell me what else you have heard of these people.” She prompted, leaning in closer and maintaining intense eye contact with the man across from her. “A grainy picture is not much to go on. That could be any sort of ship, really.”

Truthfully, she was probing more out of wanting to buy more time for Asher to arrive. If things went south, she wanted him here with her.

“Of course it could, but what benefit do I gain in crossing a ship of Empire and her crew? The tales of Imperial brutality are being shared far and wide, the name of your people on many lips and I wish to be useful, helpful.” The merchant replied, indicating the drink that had been poured for Annalise previously.

“If the amathol is not to your liking, I am certain that there is something else you would enjoy.”

Asher and Kit rounded the corner and saw the group of Terran Officers immediately. The fact they were sitting with the alien merchant who had apparently concocted this scheme meant they were buying it on some level. He wore a combat vest, unlike the others, and the variant of their uniform which allowed his arms to be out. He was aware of his duty to protect everyone and he wanted it known he was perfectly capable of doing so. His hand rested still on the side where his phaser was while the other arm moved back and forth naturally. As they closed the distance he called out in a commanding tone.

“You called, Captain?” he asked, the question sounding more like a statement.

“What kind of gaudy ass space hobo is this guy?” Kit muttered under her breath only loud enough for Stagg to hear.

“I don’t know, but it looks like he has curtains hanging from his nose.” Asher said, the tough guy bravado of his stride remained consistent as he responded quietly to Kit.

Annalise stood when she heard Asher call to her. Putting on her typical kind smile, she nodded and gestured to the merchant.

“This man is claiming to have information on another Imperial ship in the area.” She offered the PADD to Asher for him to look at. “Send that up to your people to see if they can verify it. I thought you might have some questions for this… gentleman.”

Annalise turned then, smile fading. “I must say though, sir, I’m rather put off by the fact I can’t see your face.”

Asher took the PADD from her and activated it, reviewing the information himself with a frown and then, when he saw the image of the ship,

“I can take my dagger and cut those fucking meatflaps off his face if you’d like, Captain.” he said, eyeing the man with an annoyed and hard expression before turning back to the PADD. he moved his fingers quickly and transmitted the information thought the special comm signal that would relay it to the ops console. He sent a message also with orders to share the data with Security. “That’s Intrepid Class. Either the ISS Intrepid or the ISS Vengeance, the only ships in service right now.”

The pair of hulking, gorilla-like guards growled and stepped forward, obviously able to hear Asher’s words, their hands going to the weapons at their sides. The merchant cleared his throat and motioned to the pair as they backed off, still glaring at the Terran man. “It is the tradition of my people that we do not show our faces to outsiders, for we must atone for our ancestor’s transgressions against the gods, only when the gods return and they have spoken that our shame is lifted may we finally reveal our faces once more.”

Kit placed her hand on her phaser as the guards stepped forward. She was decent in a scrap and wasn’t too bad on her marksmanship - though if somebody was bad at it at this range they had other issues. “Just try it and see what happens to you.”

Annalise lifted her hand to stay her officers. Her piercing blue eyes settled on the merchant once more, considerably less warm than they had been previously. “Take it off.”

Orion was keenly watching the exchange, quietly hoping that one of the guards might try their luck against Asher, if for no other reason to be able to take the corpse with them. For scientific purposes, of course. His own hand hovered near his phaser, he wasn’t a fighter like Asher, but he knew how to hold his own since a noble child who didn’t know how to defend themselves was a liability.

The merchant frowned as he watched the Terrans arrayed before him like the ancient destroyers from the stories his grandmother had told him from the times before their world had burned. He held Annalise’s gaze and reached up to take off the mask covering his lower face. It revealed the face of a ruddy skinned man, ridges running down his nose that spread over his cheeks and down the sides of his chin. The slaves immediately hid their faces, some even turning away while the guards were quite careful to only focus on the group of Terrans. “Does this please the mistress of Empire?”

“I preferred when you had it on.” Asher said, his hand still on his weapon. He was ready for a fight, and everything about his posture and expression communicated that.

Orion was intrigued by the man’s appearance, wondering what had caused his people to develop such an appearance, while it was his duty as a Imperial officer to bring the non-Terran species into order with the will of the Throne, he also took it as an opportunity to sate his scientific curiosity however that may have manifested.

Jonathan for his part, was more amused than angry. He wasn’t naive, he knew the situation could escalate so his hand never strayed too far from his weapon. When the two guards looked as if they were making a play, his hand had rested on the butt of his pistol but even then he didn’t draw it.

He wrinkled his nose when he looked at the man. He had to agree with Asher, and could tell the man was not overly bright, he could not have been, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be cunning. And dangerous


For a moment, Annalise studied the man’s face and then waved a hand to give him permission to cover himself again. It wasn’t a species they had encountered before; she had been worried that perhaps it was a ruse by one of the more duplicitous Kazon sects they had run into. She looked at Asher then and spoke. “He knew the name Butcher of Rakal. That is Ivan Petrov who I believe was set to command the Vengeance, last I had heard.”

“I remember that. It was all over the news the day before we left on our assignment.” Stagg said with a nod. “That traitor apparently cozied his way back into the Emperor’s good graces and wound up on the Bridge of a starship again. Somehow this man has access to our records, Anna. There’s no way Vengeance is out here too. What are the odds of that?”

“What are the odds that we are out here ourselves, Asher?” She challenged, though it wasn’t biting. At least at first. Her expression hardened slightly. “Do you truly feel that your security was compromised for someone to get access to our records or for someone on the ship to give such records freely?”

“All I know is this man has the perfect angle on us. It’s too good to be true because he knows exactly what we want.” Asher said, showing obvious restraint as they were around fellow officers and the merchant who had what she seemed to be after. “He shows up telling us exactly what we want to hear: that we’re not alone out here. He offers us hope for a price. Are we really going to take him at face value? I keep my people in line and I’m not known for my humility, but I’m not prideful enough to think that we can’t have made a mistake. Don’t listen to this ugly fuck. He’s manipulating you.”

He paused, his eyes cutting to the other people watching, before looking back at her.

“..ma’am.”

Orion had been listening and even taken a look at the PADD before turning his attention firmly to Asher and Annalise. “To be fair, everything that has happened since we were dropped in this galactic backwater has been a mistake in one form or another,”

“But what does deception gain the merchant? While I believe there’s a possibility of this being too good to be true, there’s information that someone like him isn’t just going to pick up anywhere. How would he know about Captain Petrov or his nickname? Verify the data Stagg, if it's fraudulent then we can toss it on the garbage heap and deal with the merchant after, but what if it's true and we missed an opportunity to join up with another Terran ship?”

The captain listened to both of her officers carefully. Asher was brash about it as he usually was, but she didn’t blame him. It did sound too good to be true… but what if it was? The bottom line that they all knew but didn’t want to acknowledge was the chances of a small ship like the Gladius surviving the journey home… well, they were about the same odds as another Imperial ship being here. She took a slow, deep breath and then looked at the merchant.

“What payment do you want for the information?”


“I am willing to trade in kind, I am certain that a ship of Empire has come across interesting details…though if you have no information, then we could haggle over the price.” The merchant replied as he looked at Annalise and quirked an eyebrow. “You would need to pay in the local currency, denavris.”

“I’m sure we have information that would be useful to you.” Annalise nodded and then smiled. “I insist you join me on my ship; allow me to treat you to a meal and we can talk business in a more comfortable environment.”

Her smile was welcoming. Her eyes communicated it wasn’t optional.

Asher smiled wordlessly. They were getting this information from the merchant at a price Alright, one way or another. He pictured the man in the agonizer for a moment and chuckled softly. He would break so quickly, it probably would still be funny at the end.

“I have offered hospitality and it has been given in return, I accept your offer and as a sign of friendship, you may choose any of my slaves that you desire.” The merchant offered, seemingly accepting that he was walking into the lion’s den and there was a good chance that he wasn’t coming out again.

The man was brave or stupid or both. Either way, Annalise had gotten her way. With the offer of the slave, she turned to look at what was offered and then indicated to one of the men who had very few alien features as to be the least offensive pick. He was clean and looked strong. “That one, then.”

The merchant clapped his hands together and one of the slave handler’s began to process the slave so that it could be transported to the waiting Imperial ship. “Is there anything else that you would like to look at before we visit your ship of Empire?” The merchant asked while holding Annalise’s gaze.

“No, I believe we are done here for now. If you have any additional tribute you would like to bring along, feel free.” She stood then and ran her hands down her abdomen to make sure her uniform jacket was straight. “I will be expecting you in five hours… alone.”

“Of course mistress of Empire.” He bowed his head to her, moving to stand while bowing his head towards her respectfully, waiting for the further instructions from his Terran guests.

With a nod, Annalise motioned for her officers to follow her. She took the lead herself and moved them away from the crowds and away from listening ears. Once they were, she stopped and turned to them, her perfectly sculpted eyebrows lifting in question. She knew they had their own thoughts and opinions and they would know now was the time to air them out to her.

“This merchant wants to turn a profit, so he comes aboard our ship on a suicide mission and gives us a slave for free?” Asher asked with a lift of his brow. “Am I the only one missing something here. Smells like fucking fish. I’ve never been so sure a man was up to something in my life.”

Orion remained quiet for a moment longer, his gaze moving back to where they’d just been standing as he pondered the merchant and the information he was offering. “Colorful as always, though it could be a negotiating tactic on his part thinking he gives us a gift, goes back to where we have the home field advantage…but there is still something that feels set up, like he was waiting for us with this information.”

“I have to agree with Asher,” Jonathan said, “at least to some degree. I have little doubt that he is up to something. But so what? He is obviously an inferior being, but taking advantage of a situation shows a degree of intelligence, not to mention, it’s a very Imperial thing to do.”

“I have some admiration for him. But I don’t by any stretch of the imagination trust him. Let’s see what he wants, what he really wants. If it brings no harm to us then let him have it. If the cost is too much, or if he tries anything funny, just put him in an airlock.”

“Let’s see how accurate his information is before we make a final decision.”

With a nod, Annalise considered the input of her officers and then nodded again. "I will speak with him over a meal... and we will find out what he knows one way or another."

END