Side Quest Ep. 2: An asset named Nor
Posted on Tue Dec 17th, 2024 @ 1:36pm by Lieutenant JG T'lenn & Lieutenant Commander Nash Winters & Lieutenant Phaedrae Cyn
1,678 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Gone, Without Ever Knowing the Way
Location: Far Reach Saloon, Freecloud
Timeline: MD 0 1300 Hours, After Part 1
When the thief was out of sight, Wryn finally responded to the pulsation at her wrist. “The Far Reach Saloon?” she said into the charm. The tiniest, “Yep,” could be heard answering. “If you’re done looking,” Wryn said to Adri, “I could use a drink.”
Adri was admittedly surprised by the interaction. She didn't see the Kzinti approach her, nor did she feel the hand roaming around the pockets of her attire until Wryn snatched it away. There was no response to the apology as they accepted the stolen item from the clearly in-pain thief, and watched as he scampered away.
Wryn's voice pulled Adri's attention as she was returning the item to her pocket. Was this one of those secret message things? "Sure, I could use one, too," they responded, making sure their pockets were less likely to be snooped around in.
T'lenn and Nash couldn't be seen in the immediate vicinity. At this point they had hurried back to the ship to send a message to the Captain, hoping that they would be back into the market before their absence was noticed. It was a short trip back and forth and they could have ran or transported in, but they were trying to not be noticed and were still on their way back.
Wryn smiled broadly and guided Adri back in the direction which they had come from. Being short, it was difficult to see through the throng of people at times as she scanned the crowd for Nash and T'Lenn - Thomas and Ael... She steepled her fingers together in frustration when she couldn't find them within the agreed upon zone. She shouldn't have agreed to split the party and Wryn scolded herself silently. "We can't wait for them," she decided as she guided Adri once more towards The Far Reach Saloon.
The doors opened, as its namesake suggested, with a swinging motion. The wood alternative hung on hinges which squeaked as they moved. Within, the atmosphere also felt authentic with tables that wobbled on uneven legs and an unmanned player piano plinking away a jaunty tune. It was moderately populated and Wryn scanned the room, looking for her teammates least they had continued on ahead of them. But they weren't there either.
She flashed a smile to the attentive bartender and walked in that direction. She pulled a set of chits from her pocket and dropped them in his expectant hand. He interpreted their meaning and asked, "What can I get for you to drink?"
"A Tiny Tessie," Wryn answered and directed her look to Adri to let them choose their drink.
A drink shouldn't be a hard choice, right? Adri thought for a second before asking for a Dirty Shirley.
The bartender pointed to an obscured hallway as he set down two drinks. Wryn scooped the orange, triangular cup into her non-dominate hand. She took an appreciative sip and nodded her approval. She pulled local currency from her pocket, the amount paid for both drinks and a handsome tip. "Thanks," she said.
To Adri, she said, "This way." She checked the entrance one more time for good measure. A folding screen distracted other saloon patrons from noticing the narrow hallway. The flickering yellow lights were less than 200 lumens in intensity. Wryn slowed their momentum in order to adjust to the dim lighting. She counted the door frames and entered the third door to the left, following the silent directions the bartender gave her while he served the drinks.
And in the room, a lanky hybrid of a Bajoran mixed with a Cardassian waited, his back against the far corner. He seemed serene, but he was quite alert, his Cardassian features were emphasized by the cross of the genetics of the Bajoran race. "Hello," Wryn greeted.
The doctor-slash-chemist followed Wryn, eating the cherry that came with her drink as she followed Wryn, keeping an eye out just as her companion had. They let Wryn do the talking, instead taking up a position where they could keep an eye out for any additional company.
"How nice of you to join me. Please, have a seat," the hybrid half-stood and gestured to the chairs at his table. "I see you brought your own refreshments. Had I known, I would have sprung for the Kanar. I picked up this Ktaran brandy to offer you, thinking it might be more acceptable for alien palates."
"Please, please, sit." His voice hovered somewhere between driveling and charming, and even the most skilled intelligence agent would have trouble picking up which he was going for.
"How thoughtful," Wryn stepped over to pull a seat out for Adri while checking out the the label on the bottle of brandy. "I could go back for the Kanar, if you would like," she offered and waved a hand back in the direction from which she had come.
"Nonsense. This brandy is top shelf. We can't let it go to waste, now can we," Nor responded with a guarded smile.
"Good point," Wryn took a seat, setting her mixed drink to the side on the table. She reached for the bottle once more, along with a snifter "Neat or on the rocks?" she asked, aiming to serve for Nor first.
Nor shifted his head slightly giving Wryn a sideways glance. "Neat. I never have understood ice in a beverage."
She gave a nod in agreement over the ice. Holding the snifter, she warmed the glass in the palm of her hand momentarily before tilting it on its side. She poured the liquor into the bowl of the glass with an expert flair for presentation. She handed the glass to Nor before repeating a second pour and offering it to Adri.
"I like it here in the city. As you can imagine, someone of my heritage doesn't fit in most places. In this place, no one really does." Nor raised his glass to Wryn and Adri. "Though anonymity can get a bit lonely at times. It is nice to have someone to share a drink with."
Wryn brought her glass up as well, "May you never steal, lie or cheat, but if you must, then steal sorrows, lie with one you love and cheat death."
"Clever words. Definitely not Cardassian," Nor stated pulling his glass back and taking a drink.
"You're right on that count. I think if I tried it in Cardassian, it might sound more like, 'Hope for the best, expect the worst.'" Wryn tipped her cup to Nor before she swirled the brandy and took a taste. "Which, I suppose, brings us to some rumors you might have heard?"
"Oh, they are more than rumors. I'm not so lonely as to have Starfleet send out officers - and likely at least a small ship I presume, for mere rumors," Nor stated a somber expression on his face. "There are many looking to take advantage of the precarious state of the balance of power right now. The Federation particularly. Those who have wanted to see it fall for a long time now, believe they finally have a chance."
"How many of those people have you already met with?" Wryn asked. She set her glass down and steepled her hands in front of her as she assessed the man's level of honesty.
"I'm no double agent, if that's your implication. I'll admit, in my opinion Starfleet's history begs more questions than answers. But, I know as well as anyone else born of the Occupation would - there are far worse powers that could come into play if the Federation can't hold its place." The hybrid took a sip of his brandy as his eyes met Wryn's.
"What do you need from us?" she asked, cutting straight to the point.
Nor put his glass down, and set it aside. "Not much at all," he stated seriously. "First, obtaining this information has more than likely burned my usefulness to the Federation. While I truly do enjoy the lifestyle here, I require safe passage off of the planet and into Federation Space. Witness protection, possibly a new name and face."
"And?" Wryn asked. His cost sounded minimal and that raised her suspicion.
Nor put both palms on the table and leaned forward. "For Starfleet to win. These weapons are very dangerous, and the balance of power is extremely precarious right now. If the Federation doesn't go on the offense, we all could very well find ourselves under the ruling authority of a power that would make the Bajoran Occupation look like the Cardassians stepped in as benevolent caretakers."
"Then time is of the essence. Your request is not unreasonable and I can make those arrangements." Wryn brought her drink back for another sip. "Is a signed contract acceptable?"
"In a little over 26 hours there will be a transaction between Nausicaan traders and the Breen. The Breen have yet to set a location. Two Breen officers were here making arrangements. They don't show up here often, so naturally I was suspicious." Nor passed a small box across the table.
"After following them and tracing their transporter signatures I was able to locate their vessel. This is the information I was able to obtain from the Breen ship, the Nausicaan traders they were speaking with, and copies of communications I was able to intercept before the Breen left orbit." Nor looked at Adri for a moment as a final plea, then deciding that Wryn seemed to be the one to call the shots he looked back to her.
"The legalities can be worked out later. I would like to be escorted back to your ship before the Breen return. I will comply with any security measures you require. I don't intend to bring much with me."
"Let's get packing," Wryn agreed sensing the urgency. She silently cursed at the fact she also lost two of her team members within ten minutes of their arrival. Hopefully, she could locate them on the way out. "Where's your stuff?"
Nor sat up straighter, seemingly surprised. "I have a bag upstairs."
~tbc~