Side Quest Ep. 4: Not quite a clean break

Posted on Mon Jan 13th, 2025 @ 2:25am by Lieutenant JG T'lenn & Lieutenant Commander Nash Winters & Lieutenant Phaedrae Cyn

1,968 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Gone, Without Ever Knowing the Way
Location: Freecloud
Timeline: Md 0, 1800 Hours (After Part 3)

The hum of engines filled the air as ships of various sizes arrived and departed from the bustling docking bay. Their hulls flashed in the neon glow of the planet's advertisement barrage. The air smelled faintly of ozone and spilled drink as Cyn scurried towards the ship that waited for the small team. Her boots clicked on the metallic floor as she slowed to glance around, checking her surroundings, assessing the shrinking crowd.

Her mission to retrieve critical data before it fell into the wrong hands had seemed simple when she left the Astrea. But as she moved toward a secluded corner of the bay, her instincts screamed that something was off while she approached their docked ship.

A voice with a thick, guttural accent called from behind her. “Well, well, well, look who we have here. A Starfleet officer on Freecloud? My, my, what a surprise.” His large smile competed for attention with his large ears.

Cyn turned; her hand instinctively brushed the concealed phaser under her uniform. Though she suspected it had long since been deactivated from one of the many safety checkpoints of The Lost Planet. Her fingers continued, checking for the dagger next.

“Kachia... I didn’t expect to run into you here,” Sh’Tag added as he recognized the woman from past dealings. He rubbed his cheek, massaging his smile, remembering the feel of her right hook. “I thought I’d be running into Megan Willis when the whispers started... You know how she draws an audience.”

Cyn motioned for the others to hurry back to the ship as her attention returned to dealing with Sh’Tag. He was a well-known Ferengi trader with a reputation for bending the rules. He stepped closer now, his eyes gleaming with the opportunity. He gestured broadly to the docking bay as if to show off his turf. “You others, stop,” he instructed with a pointed finger and enough power in his voice that he was obeyed.

“Oh, you Hoomans always think you're so clever,” Sh’Tag continued, addressing Cyn once more. “But let me tell you something, Kachia, there are no rules here on Freecloud. Everything has a price. Everything.”

Cyn narrowed her eyes, unamused. “I’m not here to play games. Sh’Tag. We’ll be on our way now.”

Before Sh'Tag could respond, the sound of heavy boot thuds against the floor announced a new presence. A towering Klingon stepped into the bay. His ridged forehead and intimidating posture announced him as an instant threat. His reputation preceded him—a mercenary known for working in the most dangerous corners of the galaxy.

“A Trill intelligence officer on Freecloud? How fortunate. I was hoping to have a conversation with you, Officer.”

“Trill?” Sh’Tag blanched, “She’s a Hooman, you dolt.”

Not interested in debating with the Ferengi, Korrath ignored both the correction and the insult.

Cyn didn’t flinch but felt the weight of both their eyes on her. She, at once, understood the situation. She was surrounded. Her pulse quickened but her demeanor remained calm.

“You’re wasting your time, Korrath. I’m not interested in negotiating with criminals.”

Sh'Tag laughed, the sound was sharp and shrill. “Oh, but that's where you're wrong, my dear officer. I don’t negotiate, I trade. And right now, you and I have a very interesting trade on our hands.”

Korrath stepped forward, his eyes gleamed with a battle-ready fire. “The Ferengi is right about one thing—everything has a price. But unlike him, I prefer to do my deals with honor. You’re here for information, and I think we could help each other.”

Cyn stood tall, not giving an inch. Silently, she weighed her options—she could fight, but both of the men before her were dangerous—Korrath with his combat prowess, and Sh'Tag with his endless tricks.

A curious smile rose, “Help each other? With what, exactly?”

Sh'Tag’s grin widened. “Well, you see, I have certain contacts on this planet—informants, if you will. And they’ve told me a little something about your mission. The data you're after? It’s already gone. Sold. And I know exactly who bought it.”

Cyn’s curiosity suddenly peaked. “Indeed?” she asked while successfully avoiding a glance at Nor.

Korrath folded his arms, eyes narrowed. “Of course, that information doesn’t come free. And if you want it back, you’ll need to negotiate with me... personally.”

Cyn understood exactly how it worked—a Ferengi offering information and a Klingon demanding something in return. Their methods might be different, but their goal was the same: to extract something from her. They were using her need to get what they wanted, and both knew she was boxed in.

She stepped forward slowly to change the shape of that box. Her voice was measured but cool as she responded to the threats and promises. “I didn’t come here to haggle with you two. If the data is gone, then it’s gone. I’ll get it back my way.”

Korrath snarled, “You’d be foolish to think that. You might be a trained officer, but this is Freecloud—the rules are different here.”

Sh'Tag stepped forward also, “And if you’re smart, you’ll listen to me.” His voice lowered in confidentiality, “I could offer you a deal, a better deal than whatever this Klingon is selling.”

Cyn looked from Sh'Tag to Korrath, calculating the situation. The Ferengi might have a plan to sell information for profit, but the Klingon was more dangerous—he would take what he wanted by force if necessary. She needed to think fast. “You both think you can manipulate me. But I’m not here to play your games.

“Here’s my offer: stay out of my way, and you’ll leave this docking bay in one piece. Or… we can see just how well a Starfleet officer does when she’s pushed.”

For a moment, all is silent. Sh'Tag seemed to weigh the offer, but Korrath laughed first. “Bold words, little officer. I respect that. Perhaps I’ll take your offer—for now.”

Sh'Tag frowned but seemed to understand the situation. He was too crafty to make a move too quickly. “Very well, Hooman. But remember, everything has a price. I’ll be seeing you again.”

With a last, meaningful look, both men turned and stepped back, melting into the passing crowd. Cyn stood still, keeping her composure, but her mind was racing—she may have gotten out of this confrontation unscathed, but she understood the stakes were higher than ever. On Freecloud, trust was a rare commodity, and even rarer when it comes to Ferengi and Klingons.

She looked back to Nor and the other Starfleet officers, then continued to the ship. “Let’s get out of here. They won’t be the last people looking for Starfleet now.”

Nash talked as he walked. “So, what’s the next move? Are we actually going home empty handed or coming up with a new strategy?”

"Perhaps we should get to our ship, and regroup," T'lenn said to Nash under her breath. "We cannot talk out here," she reminded him. She knew he was trying to help, but humans had a tendency to underestimate how loudly they were speaking, and who or what might be listening nearby. Nash had been told multiple times now to be cautious about what he said and where, but he was impatient. Cyn and Siv obviously had more information than she and Nash were aware of, but they couldn't exactly debrief until they were in a secure location.

“Get the ship ready for departure,” Cyn instructed without boarding. She needed to take a visual inspection first, concerned over whether trackers had been attached while she was away. She seethed inside, not sure of what the scientist and engineer had been doing while they were separated. One thing she was sure of, she wouldn’t be returning to Freecloud any time soon now that the entire planet recognized her as a Starfleet officer.

Nash followed T’Lenn and boarded the ship without saying a word or making eye contact with anyone. He was tired, frustrated, and just wanted to go home to Astrea. He missed his wife and kids. Nash didn’t know the future of this mission, but he was a Starfleet officer and would follow through on his commitment. The quicker this part of the assignment came to an end, the more time the crew could devote to looking for his friend from USS Dalton.

T'lenn obediently entered the vessel and began turning on computer systems and running systems diagnostics. "Commander, would you like for me to prepare engines as well?" She asked looked over at Nash.

Nash nodded in silence as he assisted T’Lenn with system pre-checks. He abruptly stopped working and looked at her. “I know that Cyn blames me for what happened here. I think she’s exaggerating, but….I also hope that you don’t blame me. I was careful, mindful of our surroundings, and I know I didn’t endanger this mission.”

"The individuals who approached us before boarding, appeared to have recognized her from prior contacts, it is unlikely that anything you said is what drew their attention to the Lieutenant," T'lenn responded. "I would not be so confident as to be certain that you were not overheard as there are many races - Vulcans and Ferengi for example, that can hear a human whisper from a significant distance."

Once everyone was safely on board the ship was undocked from its port, and Nash plotted a somewhat indirect course back to Astrea in order to avoid being tracked.

"Friends of yours?" Nor asked Cyn somewhat cheekily as she settled into her seat.

Nash overheard the question and piped in with a laugh. “Oh, we’re all bosom buddies, here, Mr. Nor.” He cast a glance at Cyn to gauge a reaction.

"Past accomplices, actually," Cyn answered Nor while ignoring the comment from the peanut gallery. "Sh'Tag was bluffing." The view on the main screen changed as the ship began its ascent from the Freecloud dock, but Cyn turned her own screen back to the dock to watch the vacated berth. As if on cue, three large flash-bangs cast a momentary white-out across her monitor and four Naussicaans were left in the bay, stunned but unharmed and rubbing their eyes and ears.

"I'm not sure about Korrath, though.

“Let me scan your bag,” Cyn said, producing a small instrument. “I want to make sure no one can follow you,” she explained.

Nor stood up slowly from his seat and his gray skin turned pale in shock at the sight of the Nausicaans on the viewscreen. He'd had a feeling, but did not realize how close they were. He took his bag off of his shoulder and dropped it to the floor without a word.

Cyn leaned down, her scanner ran over the bag with a few chirps and beeps. She pulled the zipper back on a side pocket and reached in to pull out a pair of thermal socks. With a confused look, she handled the socks further before picking out a thin wire which had blended into the weave of the material. It wasn't something that could be tracked off planet, but she neutralized it regardless. "Friends of yours?" She returned Nor's question, with one of her own. She indicated her screen where the Nausicaans were too small to see any longer.

"I should say not." Nor sat back down. "My debt to you is greater than I realized. I suppose Wryn isn't your real name."

"It is not," she confirmed. "Neither is Kachia." She turned toward Nor, leaning in her seat with a dash of swager. "Phaedrae Cyn..."

RSS Feed