S6 E6 - What's in it for Me?

[Alhanjhu]

[ACEO Lt. Neva Cordon/Aya Talos|Calindra's Dream->Bathân]

After the "lovely" inspection/confrontation, Neva quickly finished her work on the scrap. She headed for detox and then a blessedly wonderful shower.

Once primped enough for her "character," Aya met up with her counterpart. Upon seeing him, however, she bit both of her lips to stop the smirk. Swallowing it down, she walked up and nodded to him in greeting.

"'Allo me fren'!" Aya said in her new accent. "Ya reddy t' git th' show goin'? This scrap aint sellin' isself!"

In a low tone, she added normally. "I'll take care of the negotiations on selling the scrap once we do it, but I'll need your help with language." She gave a embarrassed smile.

[Ensign Alhanjhu Jei'Jendak\Talik | Cargo Bay >- Docking Pad | Calindra's Dream >- Bathân]

"Willing and able, good missstress," Alhanjhu said in his emphasized accent, sly, oily and charming. He then took in her lower tone and added, "Good idea. I learned plenty of Rhisannu after I was civilized, so I can get by."

He proceeded to get the salvage out and ready for potential customers..and for Aya to negotiate. He worried about Cali a little, and he made another prayer for her safety.

He managed to get his shirt on, out in public as he is, and all the same, his appearance naturally got attention. A few passing females, from Orions to other Romulans, took notice of Alhanjhu and couldn't help but turn their eyes at him, only to break off when they left past the pad.

[Gero Priidik]

[USS Challenger]

Working with the team in Engineering was a novel experience for Gero. The exact details of how the technology worked that was to hide them from enemy sensors and how it didn't violate the Treaty of Algeron was beyond him, but also not for him to worry about. His just would just be to pilot the ship this thing would be installed on.

Guiding the others through the minor modifications he had made to the energy systems and their controls while on the Test flight proved easy enough and he really hoped he at least aided them a little bit in working out the bugs of the prototype by doing so.

[...]
[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As the work party made adjustments and wondered idly who would be piloting the shuttles, Ian sat with a PADD on each arm of the command chair trying to answer that same question in earnest.

"Looks like I'm buggered on options with Ardy off the ship. I'll keep Ozoim and Priidik on the Onizuka. I'll add Lieutenant jg Zanut and the Master Chief ta give them some punch should things go pear shaped..."

He paused for a moment work a kink out of his neck and continued.

"I will have Ensign Norann and Petty Officer 2 Rinix pilot White, while Ensign Schlemann and Petty Officer 1 Kelsey take Cutty Sark. Entering Autonomy space will be a true test of these pilots, hopefully, they are flyers, Bloody hell I wish I had time ta take them all through the Flyin' Tigers program, that would truly answer my questions."

The Toren Autonomy consisted of four planets and three moons in three star systems. The one that mattered most was Felnarik based on the lead they'd gotten from the Ferengi smuggler. Challenger was still at station keeping 500,000 kilometers from the Toren border. Ian had yet to finalize the exact approach method to maximize their odds of success. He looked up at the Andorian woman covering for Randall who was still in the main shuttlebay.

"Lieutenant Sh'vhaorhath, based on our current positions, how far are we from Felnarik?"

"We are .92 of a lightyear from the planet at the moment Sir."

"If'n we creep ahead at warp 5, assumin' the boffins are havin' a good day, we should be able ta close until we are .46 of a lightyear from the planet and remain undetected. Let's see, a Type-9 is capable of cruising at Warp 5 and can sprint at Warp 6 for 12 hours. That's..."

Ian did some calculations and continued.

"Eighteen point five ta reach the planet. If'n they get in trouble, at maximum warp of 9.88, we can cover that distance in one point four hours. That's a long time ta hang on if'n they get in trouble before we can arrive ta save the day, but I don't see any other options. The Onizuka is goin' ta have ta go it alone with us as distant cover."

Ian then issued the orders to those chosen for the mission and hoped he wouldn't have any letters to write.

[USS Challenger | Deck 20 | Shuttlebay]

Getting barely enough of a break to damp a bit of water onto his face to remove the unclean feeling his sweet from the work in Impulse thruster control had left him with, he already received the next set of orders. Another flight.

Given he had been part of the test flight, it seemed logical that the Captain would send him on the next trip too. At least he knew the basics of how it operated in flight.

As he prepared the shuttle and went through the pre-flight check list for dangerous missions, multiple Officers arrived at the shuttle and took their places in the seating area, behind the seats reserved for the pilots. Their golden uniforms, a stark contrast to the grey panels of the surrounding walls.

Finishing the last of the pre-flight checks, they started up the engines and left the shuttlebay through the main door, the passing forcefield leaving a slight tingle at Geros Neck. Then they were out into open space and activated the shroud.

[Calindra Hejaran]

[Bathân, Landing pad > Market]

"If you would be so kind..." Calindra snapped Malik's nose back into position in a swift motion, the pain was extreme but quickly ebbed away.

"Nice timing both of you. Alright, no sign of local law enforcement. Let's continue with the mission."

The three teams began their previously assigned tasks. Malik took a moment to retrieve the medical kit from the Dream to quickly fix himself up, before he and Calindra set off into the city proper.

"Seems to me we need to get ourselves some new weaponry. A fine martial artist like yourself deserves a weapon worthy of her skill?"

The pair spotted a shop that had various blades and pistols in the window. Perhaps it would be a good place to enquire about smuggling to.

"Let's try in there."

[Kelly Oren - Landing Pad - Bathân]

'Oh my god, this is gonna hurt him so much,' she thought with some mild apprehension, but with Malik's approval, Calindra took a steadying breath and reached for his nose. Her fingers hovered briefly, the sight of the bruised and crooked cartilage making her wince inwardly, but she pressed forward. Gripping firmly but carefully, she started counting down from three.

At two, she repositioned his nose in one swift motion, drawing a painful cry from the man, followed by a faint, sickening crack, drawing a sharp intake of breath from them both.

Calindra grimaced but didn't falter, quickly checking the alignment before letting go. "There," she murmured, her voice steady despite the knot of unease in her stomach. "Thank Ice -- their codename for Autumn -- she thought of packing the bone knitter and a dermal mender, you might just avoid most of the swelling and bruising..."

[Kelly Oren - Market Curio Shop - Bathân]

Less than thirty minutes later, Calindra and Malik were passing by a curio shop, when Malik suggested getting her a weapon worthy of her skill.

Calindra looked at him puzzled by the the offer, but softened into a genuine smile, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "A fine martial artist, huh? You really know how to make a girl feel special, Cap." Her tone was warm, her usual sharp wit tempered by the unexpected compliment.

Malik stepped into a dimly lit curio shop with Calindra following on his heels, excited and curious at the prospect of finding a good quality blade. The faint chime of a bell announced their arrival.

The air inside was thick and musty, with the scent of dust and incense clinging to every surface. Shelves teetered under the weight of strange artifacts—some glowing faintly, others cloaked in shadow—but the room's oppressive silence made even the hum of a glowing crystal feel out of place.

Behind the counter, a gaunt figure sat in a rickety chair, their sharp, sunken eyes narrowing the moment the pair entered. The shopkeeper's lips pressed into a thin line, and they made no move to stand. Instead, their hands rested conspicuously close to a large ledger—its corner folded back to reveal the unmistakable gleam of a concealed blade beneath.

"We don't take kindly to gawkers," the shopkeeper muttered, voice low and gravelly. Their gaze flicked from Calindra to Malik, lingering on the bruising around Malik's nose with a frown that wasn't exactly sympathy. "If you're not buying, best keep walking."

Calindra raised an eyebrow but kept her tone measured. "We're here to do business." Her eyes focusing on his blade, "do you have more of those?"

"Weapons, huh?" The shopkeeper's laugh was dry, a sound more like rusted gears grinding together. "Let's hope you've got credits to match your big talk. Otherwise, you'll find the door works just fine going out as it does coming in."

[Malik Grippen]

[Kelly Oren - Landing Pad - Bathân]

'Oh my god, this is gonna hurt him so much,' she thought with some mild apprehension, but with Malik's approval, Calindra took a steadying breath and reached for his nose. Her fingers hovered briefly, the sight of the bruised and crooked cartilage making her wince inwardly, but she pressed forward. Gripping firmly but carefully, she started counting down from three.

At two, she repositioned his nose in one swift motion, drawing a painful cry from the man, followed by a faint, sickening crack, drawing a sharp intake of breath from them both.

Calindra grimaced but didn't falter, quickly checking the alignment before letting go. "There," she murmured, her voice steady despite the knot of unease in her stomach. "Thank Ice -- their codename for Autumn -- she thought of packing the bone knitter and a dermal mender, you might just avoid most of the swelling and bruising..."

[Kelly Oren - Market Curio Shop - Bathân]

Less than thirty minutes later, Calindra and Malik were passing by a curio shop, when Malik suggested getting her a weapon worthy of her skill.

Calindra looked at him puzzled by the the offer, but softened into a genuine smile, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "A fine martial artist, huh? You really know how to make a girl feel special, Cap." Her tone was warm, her usual sharp wit tempered by the unexpected compliment.

Malik stepped into a dimly lit curio shop with Calindra following on his heels, excited and curious at the prospect of finding a good quality blade. The faint chime of a bell announced their arrival.

The air inside was thick and musty, with the scent of dust and incense clinging to every surface. Shelves teetered under the weight of strange artifacts—some glowing faintly, others cloaked in shadow—but the room's oppressive silence made even the hum of a glowing crystal feel out of place.

Behind the counter, a gaunt figure sat in a rickety chair, their sharp, sunken eyes narrowing the moment the pair entered. The shopkeeper's lips pressed into a thin line, and they made no move to stand. Instead, their hands rested conspicuously close to a large ledger—its corner folded back to reveal the unmistakable gleam of a concealed blade beneath.

"We don't take kindly to gawkers," the shopkeeper muttered, voice low and gravelly. Their gaze flicked from Calindra to Malik, lingering on the bruising around Malik's nose with a frown that wasn't exactly sympathy. "If you're not buying, best keep walking."

Calindra raised an eyebrow but kept her tone measured. "We're here to do business." Her eyes focusing on his blade, "do you have more of those?"

"Weapons, huh?" The shopkeeper's laugh was dry, a sound more like rusted gears grinding together. "Let's hope you've got credits to match your big talk. Otherwise, you'll find the door works just fine going out as it does coming in."

[Bathân, Curio shop]

Malik reached into his jacket and pulled out a handful of latinum strips. Fortunately command had sent them a bunch of latinum to assist with their mission, funds recovered from anti-smuggling operations along the border.

"Show us the good stuff. Not the crap you have here for the tourists and thugs. I mean the real weapons, for true warriors."

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up with greed at the shining latinum in Malik's hand. He stood shakily to his feet, how long he'd been sat there who knew. He pressed a hidden button under the counter and a side door opened. At the same time the entrance sign changed from 'Open' to 'Closed'.

"Follow me."

The trio entered the side door and descended a flight of steps into a basement. It was a small, square room with illuminated display cabinets on every wall containing all sorts of melee and ranged weaponry.

Malik gave a low whistle. "Impressive selection. Is that a Varon-T disruptor? Oh and a thalaron radiation grenade?"

Malik recalled an old Starfleet report from admiral Picard, when a Romulan usurper nearly wiped out the Enterprise-E using a thalaron weapon.

"Maybe. Have a look around, I've got anything you want from across the quadrant. Real rare stuff."

[Calindra Hejaran]

[Bathân, Curio shop]

Malik reached into his jacket and pulled out a handful of latinum strips. Fortunately command had sent them a bunch of latinum to assist with their mission, funds recovered from anti-smuggling operations along the border.

"Show us the good stuff. Not the crap you have here for the tourists and thugs. I mean the real weapons, for true warriors."

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up with greed at the shining latinum in Malik's hand. He stood shakily to his feet, how long he'd been sat there who knew. He pressed a hidden button under the counter and a side door opened. At the same time the entrance sign changed from 'Open' to 'Closed'.

"Follow me."

The trio entered the side door and descended a flight of steps into a basement. It was a small, square room with illuminated display cabinets on every wall containing all sorts of melee and ranged weaponry.

Malik gave a low whistle. "Impressive selection. Is that a Varon-T disruptor? Oh and a thalaron radiation grenade?"

Malik recalled an old Starfleet report from admiral Picard, when a Romulan usurper nearly wiped out the Enterprise-E using a thalaron weapon.

"Maybe. Have a look around, I've got anything you want from across the quadrant. Real rare stuff."

[Kelly Oren - Market Curio Shop - Bathân]

"Lovely collection," she said dryly, her tone masking the undercurrent of disapproval. "I can see why you keep this little treasure trove off the books."

She moved toward one of the cases, her hands clasped loosely behind her back, giving the impression of casual curiosity. A beautifully crafted katana caught her eye, its hilt adorned with intricate designs that hinted at a culture far removed from Bathân's grime. The blade was pristine, its edge whispering promises of lethality even behind the display glass.

"Now this," she said softly, tilting her head to examine the weapon more closely, "isn't just for killing. This is art."

The shopkeeper's attention shifted to her, his greed momentarily tempered by pride. "Ah, you've got an eye, miss. That one's genuine—hand-forged from a high-density duranium alloy. Folded a thousand times, they say, just like the ancient techniques."

Calindra raised an eyebrow, her fingers tapping lightly on the glass. "It's not the metal that makes it lethal," she replied, her voice quiet but firm. "It's the discipline behind it. A blade like this doesn't belong to just anyone. Mind if I test its balance?"

The shopkeeper hesitated, glancing at Malik, who was busy inspecting a disruptor rifle with feigned disinterest.

[Malik Grippen]

[Kelly Oren - Market Curio Shop - Bathân]

"Lovely collection," she said dryly, her tone masking the undercurrent of disapproval. "I can see why you keep this little treasure trove off the books."

She moved toward one of the cases, her hands clasped loosely behind her back, giving the impression of casual curiosity. A beautifully crafted katana caught her eye, its hilt adorned with intricate designs that hinted at a culture far removed from Bathân's grime. The blade was pristine, its edge whispering promises of lethality even behind the display glass.

"Now this," she said softly, tilting her head to examine the weapon more closely, "isn't just for killing. This is art."

The shopkeeper's attention shifted to her, his greed momentarily tempered by pride. "Ah, you've got an eye, miss. That one's genuine—hand-forged from a high-density duranium alloy. Folded a thousand times, they say, just like the ancient techniques."

Calindra raised an eyebrow, her fingers tapping lightly on the glass. "It's not the metal that makes it lethal," she replied, her voice quiet but firm. "It's the discipline behind it. A blade like this doesn't belong to just anyone. Mind if I test its balance?"

The shopkeeper hesitated, glancing at Malik, who was busy inspecting a disruptor rifle with feigned disinterest.

[Bathân, Curio shop]

Malik came over and looked at the blade. He didn't really know anything about swords, but the way Calindra was staring at it meant it must be special.

"Lets take a look then." He shook his pocket jingling the latinum inside, a reminder that they could afford it.

"How does something like that end up here?"

The shopkeeper unlocked the case and reverently handed the sheathed dura-katana to Calindra.

"The people I work for come into possession of all types of valuable items. This blade was the property of a powerful noble family, House Atreides from a planet long forgotten. It's priceless."

"I see. And what of this?" Malik pointed to an old plasma pistol with a worn United Earth logo on its hilt.

"That's a EM-33 plasma pistol. Still in perfectly functional order. It's hundreds of years old from pre-Federation times."

"We'll take it." Malik looked to Calindra to see what she thought of the sword.

[Azsayak]

[Ensign Lira • USS Challenger • Main Shuttlebay]

Meval watched attentively as the shuttle returned to the hangar, smiling at Azsayak's comment and nodding in agreement with Lieutenant Randell's response. "I agree... Without your help in engineering, we wouldn't have pulled this off! But let's celebrate this success later with a drink." She added with a friendly invitation, flashing a small smile.

When Priidik mentioned the energy drop, Meval picked up her PADD and began running simulations to identify the potential cause. "If there was an energy drop in the intermix, it's possible the matter-antimatter core's containment field suffered secondary interference due to the phase resonance generated by the shroud matrix. The system might be causing harmonic fluctuations that destabilize the main plasma flow."

After reflecting on the issue, she turned to Azsayak. "Do you think it's simple to fix?" she asked, already considering that if this was happening on the shuttle, it might also occur on the Challenger, which could pose a significant problem if it wasn't easily resolved.

Azsayak would think a few. " It should be easy enough to install We could use a plasma Motor Protection Circuit Breaker. Easy enough to install and it will self-regulate the flow and counter act any spikes. That and doing a Parallel circuit with plasma MPCB on each parrel flows of plasma giving us the ability to regular and power spikes induced by the resonant frequency of the cloaking device It should not take anyore then hour time to install the needed Plasma MPCBs on the shuttles and the challenger. The challenger will need less attention than the shuttles as the Challenger can handle such things on its own with the Ships computer itself. I think it mainly the shuttles that will need it being overall simpler designs.  "
Aszayak would rumble out and look at lira waiting to see what she thought of the solution. Then looking to the LT randall.

[Ian Galloway]

[USS Challenger]

Working with the team in Engineering was a novel experience for Gero. The exact details of how the technology worked that was to hide them from enemy sensors and how it didn't violate the Treaty of Algeron was beyond him, but also not for him to worry about. His just would just be to pilot the ship this thing would be installed on.

Guiding the others through the minor modifications he had made to the energy systems and their controls while on the Test flight proved easy enough and he really hoped he at least aided them a little bit in working out the bugs of the prototype by doing so.

[USS Challenger | Deck 20 | Shuttlebay]

Getting barely enough of a break to damp a bit of water onto his face to remove the unclean feeling his sweet from the work in Impulse thruster control had left him with, he already received the next set of orders. Another flight.

Given he had been part of the test flight, it seemed logical that the Captain would send him on the next trip too. At least he knew the basics of how it operated in flight.

As he prepared the shuttle and went through the pre-flight check list for dangerous missions, multiple Officers arrived at the shuttle and took their places in the seating area, behind the seats reserved for the pilots. Their golden uniforms, a stark contrast to the grey panels of the surrounding walls.

Finishing the last of the pre-flight checks, they started up the engines and left the shuttlebay through the main door, the passing forcefield leaving a slight tingle at Geros Neck. Then they were out into open space and activated the shroud.

Azsayak would think a few. " It should be easy enough to install We could use a plasma Motor Protection Circuit Breaker. Easy enough to install and it will self-regulate the flow and counter act any spikes. That and doing a parrel circuit with plasma MPCB on each parrel flows of plasma giving us the ability to regular and power spikes induced by the resonant frequency of the cloaking device It should not take anyore then hour time to install the needed Plasma MPCBs on the shuttles and the challenger. The challenger will need less attention than the shuttles as the Challenger can handle such things on its own with the Ships computer itself. I think it mainly the shuttles that will need it being overall simpler designs.  "

Aszayak would rumble out and look at lira waiting to see what she thought of the solution. Then looking to the LT randall.

[Main Shuttlebay - USS Challenger]

After the addition of the Motor Protection Circuit Breakers, the final piece of the masking puzzle was in place, the mission to enter Toren Autonomy space was now ready. The assigned crews boarded the Onizuka, the White, and the Cutty Sark, the crews made their final checks and launched in sequence.

Once they reached the border, Ian give the order for Challenger to follow. The group crossed the border at one half impulse and halted 1,000,000 kilometers inside Toren space.

"What have we got Evan?"

"All systems nominal Captain. Mask is working as per our shuttle test."

"Good work Lieutenant. Ops, signal the squadron, Warp three. We'll hold at this speed and if all goes well, we'll take it up ta warp 5."

The three shuttles and the Challenger flickered with pseudo-motion and were enveloped in their individual warp bubbles that took them out of Einsteinian space and into the realm of faster than light travel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Bridge - TAS Dominator]

Captain Halak Scornar sat on his throne-like chair and observed his minions. They worked diligently because they knew the consequences of failing to perform their duty at that level.

"Amazing thing the pain stick. It's probably the only worthwhile contribution the Klingon species will ever make to society."

He thought with a feral grin.

"Observer, report!"

"No observed anomalies Great Leader."

"Acceptable Lesser Minion. Steerage, change course to coreward plus ten degrees, we must make a demonstration over Felnarik."

"As you demand, Great Leader."

The Dominator turned onto the designated course, that coincidentally, put her on an intercept course with the Challenger.

[Lira Meval]

[Main Shuttlebay - USS Challenger]
With the initial report from the test flight logged, the team assigned to the masking project got to work to figure out a workaround for the phase resonance issue. It ended up being a simple fix, the harmonics of the shuttle's warp coils had to be adjusted to stop the feedback loop and that was a trivial task. Now that the test had proved the concept, it was time to adjust the modifications to include Challenger herself. Based on the test flight, whether the original plan would have worked, but with the addition of the White and the Cutty Sark, projections showed a very high possibility of the new plan working. The crew only had to make the adjustments to Challenger and figure out who was going to be flying the two extra shuttles.

[USS Challenger]

Working with the team in Engineering was a novel experience for Gero. The exact details of how the technology worked that was to hide them from enemy sensors and how it didn't violate the Treaty of Algeron was beyond him, but also not for him to worry about. His just would just be to pilot the ship this thing would be installed on.

Guiding the others through the minor modifications he had made to the energy systems and their controls while on the Test flight proved easy enough and he really hoped he at least aided them a little bit in working out the bugs of the prototype by doing so.

[USS Challenger | Deck 20 | Shuttlebay]

Getting barely enough of a break to damp a bit of water onto his face to remove the unclean feeling his sweet from the work in Impulse thruster control had left him with, he already received the next set of orders. Another flight.

Given he had been part of the test flight, it seemed logical that the Captain would send him on the next trip too. At least he knew the basics of how it operated in flight.

As he prepared the shuttle and went through the pre-flight check list for dangerous missions, multiple Officers arrived at the shuttle and took their places in the seating area, behind the seats reserved for the pilots. Their golden uniforms, a stark contrast to the grey panels of the surrounding walls.

Finishing the last of the pre-flight checks, they started up the engines and left the shuttlebay through the main door, the passing forcefield leaving a slight tingle at Geros Neck. Then they were out into open space and activated the shroud.

Azsayak would think a few. " It should be easy enough to install We could use a plasma Motor Protection Circuit Breaker. Easy enough to install and it will self-regulate the flow and counter act any spikes. That and doing a Parallel circuit with plasma MPCB on each parrel flows of plasma giving us the ability to regular and power spikes induced by the resonant frequency of the cloaking device It should not take anyore then hour time to install the needed Plasma MPCBs on the shuttles and the challenger. The challenger will need less attention than the shuttles as the Challenger can handle such things on its own with the Ships computer itself. I think it mainly the shuttles that will need it being overall simpler designs.  "

Aszayak would rumble out and look at lira waiting to see what she thought of the solution. Then looking to the LT randall.

[Main Shuttlebay - USS Challenger]
After the addition of the Motor Protection Circuit Breakers, the final piece of the masking puzzle was in place, the mission to enter Toren Autonomy space was now ready. The assigned crews boarded the Onizuka, the White, and the Cutty Sark, the crews made their final checks and launched in sequence.
Once they reached the border, Ian give the order for Challenger to follow. The group crossed the border at one half impulse and halted 1,000,000 kilometers inside Toren space.
"What have we got Evan?"
"All systems nominal Captain. Mask is working as per our shuttle test."
"Good work Lieutenant. Ops, signal the squadron, Warp three. We'll hold at this speed and if all goes well, we'll take it up ta warp 5."
The three shuttles and the Challenger flickered with pseudo-motion and were enveloped in their individual warp bubbles that took them out of Einsteinian space and into the realm of faster than light travel.

[Ensign Lira • USS Challenger • Main Shuttlebay]

The changes were not as significant as expected; a few small adjustments were enough to resolve the issue of the power drop. At least, they weren't major for the shuttles. Working on the Challenger, however, would take a bit more time, as the ship was larger, and the adjustments needed to be more extensive.

Even so, it didn't take long for everything to be ready—or at least theoretically ready. They would only know for sure when everything was put to the test. That moment came quickly. After receiving the captain's order, all the mission's ships were launched. Meval closely monitored the readings, focusing on the Challenger, but occasionally glanced at the readings from his colleagues to ensure everything was going smoothly.

"Everything is fine so far," he said aloud, referring to the Challenger's readings. At that moment, the others confirmed that their own readings also showed no issues.

[Calindra Hejaran]

[Bathân, Curio shop]

Malik came over and looked at the blade. He didn't really know anything about swords, but the way Calindra was staring at it meant it must be special.

"Lets take a look then." He shook his pocket jingling the latinum inside, a reminder that they could afford it.

"How does something like that end up here?"

The shopkeeper unlocked the case and reverently handed the sheathed dura-katana to Calindra.

"The people I work for come into possession of all types of valuable items. This blade was the property of a powerful noble family, House Atreides from a planet long forgotten. It's priceless."

"I see. And what of this?" Malik pointed to an old plasma pistol with a worn United Earth logo on its hilt.

"That's a EM-33 plasma pistol. Still in perfectly functional order. It's hundreds of years old from pre-Federation times."

"We'll take it." Malik looked to Calindra to see what she thought of the sword.

[Kelly Oren - Market Curio Shop - Bathân]

Calindra took the blade with practiced ease, her grip sure but not rigid. She stepped back to create space and raised the katana, her movements precise and deliberate. The weight of the weapon settled naturally in her hands, and she turned it slightly, watching the dim light catch the edge.

Her grip shifted subtly as she brought the blade into a ready position. With a fluid motion, she cut through the air, the katana singing softly as it moved. The balance was impeccable, the blade responding to her intent as if it were an extension of her will.

"A masterpiece," she murmured, lowering the weapon and turning it carefully to examine the hilt. "The artisan knew their craft."

The shopkeeper looked both relieved and impressed. "That they did. Now, if you're serious about buying—"

She handed the katana back to him with a graceful bow of her head, interrupting his pitch.

"And yet it's gathering dust in a basement on Bathân, how do I know it's not a cheap replica that you're trying to pass off? Rare or not, your clientele is limited to tourists looking for trophies and thugs who don't care about quality."

The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed to slits, his thin lips pressing into a hard line. His fingers fidgeted nervously against the display case before he crossed his arms in an attempt to regain some composure.

"You question my reputation?" he hissed, his voice low and venomous. "I've been dealing in weapons longer than you've been alive. That blade is as genuine as they come, and if you don't believe me, maybe you're not the right kind of buyer for it."

Calindra harumphed softly, crossing her arms as she fixed the shopkeeper with a pointed look.

"A clean cut is impressive," she said, her tone dry, "but anyone can sharpen a blade to make it seem authentic. Show me the artisan's mark. If this is as genuine as you claim, you shouldn't have anything to hide."

The shopkeeper's face twitched, his smugness giving way to a flicker of uncertainty. He glanced down at the katana, his fingers tightening on the hilt. Finally, the shopkeeper let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine," he grumbled. Setting the blade down on the counter with care, "I can't confirm it's authenticity, but I know who can. 12 bars, and the blade is yours."

Calindra's eyes narrowed, a faint snort escaping her. "Twelve bars?" she repeated, her tone dripping with disbelief. "I can get one forged to my exact specifications for that much. Without an artisan's mark to back up your claim, you'd be lucky to fetch even one bar—and you know it."

The shopkeeper's lips thinned further, and his gaze darted toward Malik, who had been silently observing his manicured nails with a blank look on his face. Realizing he wouldn't find support there, the shopkeeper threw up his hands in mock defeat.

"Alright, alright," he said grudgingly. "Six bars. And that's cutting my own throat."

Calindra raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Three," she countered flatly. "And I'm being generous, considering you can't even verify its provenance."

The shopkeeper opened his mouth to argue, but the steel in her gaze made him think better of it. He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in resignation.

"Fine," he muttered, "four bars, and I'll include extra metal spacers and collars so you can adjust it, as well as a cleaning kit. Final offer."

[Alexander Wu]

[Bathân, Landing pad > Market]

"If you would be so kind..." Calindra snapped Malik's nose back into position in a swift motion, the pain was extreme but quickly ebbed away.

"Nice timing both of you. Alright, no sign of local law enforcement. Let's continue with the mission."

The three teams began their previously assigned tasks.

[Bathân - Landing pad > Trading Centre]

The confrontation seemed to dissipate as rapidly as it had begun, leaving nothing behind but a dead body and green blood trails. It took Alex far longer to get his heartrate and breathing back down to normal, the adrenaline still pumping through him. "Right. Autumn, help me with this." Together, they carried the body up the ramp and out of view into the Dream's cargo bay. Even though Alex did his best not to get bodily fluids everywhere, drops of blood dripping onto the deck were unavoidable. "Sorry Neva, we'll have to worry about where to deposit him after. Do you have a body bag or container we can keep him in till then?"

Kneeling next to the recently deceased, Alex efficiently went through the clothing, looking for anything which may be of value, moreso intelligence-wise than monetary. Noting a strange tattoo on the Romulan's neck but finding nothing else of interest, he returned a few slips of latinum into the corpse's pocket. "We're too new here not to attract more attention. Stay frosty. Come on, Autumn."

Heading back out onto the landing platform, they quickly caught up to Ardyn who was speaking with some of the locals. Unsurprisingly, most seemed warily unhelpful after the lightshow they'd just witnessed. Eventually, they did manage to get directions towards the nearest trading forum, and Alex led the way down one of the busier concourses. "Finding the big fish in a place like this won't be easy...maybe the best place to start would be to keep working on the 'Dream. Call out any vendors you'd like to check out, Rynn. Autumn, any chance you're able to scan for traces of energy readings without making it too obvious? Radiation that might be connected to banned weaponry or equipment?"

[Ardyn Jaeger - Wu]

[Bathân - Landing pad > Trading Centre]

The confrontation seemed to dissipate as rapidly as it had begun, leaving nothing behind but a dead body and green blood trails. It took Alex far longer to get his heartrate and breathing back down to normal, the adrenaline still pumping through him. "Right. Autumn, help me with this." Together, they carried the body up the ramp and out of view into the Dream's cargo bay. Even though Alex did his best not to get bodily fluids everywhere, drops of blood dripping onto the deck were unavoidable. "Sorry Neva, we'll have to worry about where to deposit him after. Do you have a body bag or container we can keep him in till then?"

Kneeling next to the recently deceased, Alex efficiently went through the clothing, looking for anything which may be of value, moreso intelligence-wise than monetary. Noting a strange tattoo on the Romulan's neck but finding nothing else of interest, he returned a few slips of latinum into the corpse's pocket. "We're too new here not to attract more attention. Stay frosty. Come on, Autumn."

Heading back out onto the landing platform, they quickly caught up to Ardyn who was speaking with some of the locals. Unsurprisingly, most seemed warily unhelpful after the lightshow they'd just witnessed. Eventually, they did manage to get directions towards the nearest trading forum, and Alex led the way down one of the busier concourses. "Finding the big fish in a place like this won't be easy...maybe the best place to start would be to keep working on the 'Dream. Call out any vendors you'd like to check out, Rynn. Autumn, any chance you're able to scan for traces of energy readings without making it too obvious? Radiation that might be connected to banned weaponry or equipment?"

[Marketplace - Actan's Gear and Rare Goods]

With their  reputation for shooting first and  asking questions later now well-established, they were back to getting information.  And in the bustling hive of people and merchants, there was lots.

Surreptitiously squeezing Alex's hand in reassurance, Ardy perused a shop. "I think this one might be worth looking, Eh?" she asked, getting back in her Rynn persona. She figured she  could get away with it since some lovely ops officer made their dossiers connected.

She casually peeked at the scanner she turned on. There was definitely traces of some sorts of radiation here A lot actually . Maybe enough to triangulate where if they got enough readings.

Coming into the stand full of different metals she peered around the stands. This guy seemed to be like he knew something. He had one eye and everything.  One mental read of him seemed to confirm her suspicions that he'd like what they would have, maybe enough to get some info from him. She nodded to "Cheng" and "Ice" I think  he's worth asking around." she whispered.

[Neva Cordon]

[Ensign Alhanjhu Jei'Jendak\Talik | Cargo Bay >- Docking Pad | Calindra's Dream >- Bathân]

"Willing and able, good missstress," Alhanjhu said in his emphasized accent, sly, oily and charming. He then took in her lower tone and added, "Good idea. I learned plenty of Rhisannu after I was civilized, so I can get by."

He proceeded to get the salvage out and ready for potential customers..and for Aya to negotiate. He worried about Cali a little, and he made another prayer for her safety.

He managed to get his shirt on, out in public as he is, and all the same, his appearance naturally got attention. A few passing females, from Orions to other Romulans, took notice of Alhanjhu and couldn't help but turn their eyes at him, only to break off when they left past the pad.

[ACEO Lt. Neva Cordon|Bathân|Calindra's Dream->Docking Pad]

Neva nodded and started smiling until she saw what Takil the Shirtless was doing. A string of expletives erupted from her as she grabbed his shirt and yanked it down to be eye to eye with her 5'2" stature.

"By all ya hol' deer, boy, wha' got inta yer heed?!?" Aya yelled in that accent of hers. "An' wend I tell ya t' heng our booty fer all t'see?? Mays well gif'em all we got this rate!" She pushed him away then and stomped over to start yanking the cargo back in.

Shooting him a dark look as she got near him again, she hissed low for only him to hear. "What happened? We've gotta get to a shop to negotiate, remember? Show & Tell like this will get us killed!"

[Malik Grippen]

[Bathân, Curio shop]

Four bars of gold pressed latinum for such a weapon was surely a bargain. Calindra had secured herself the deal of a lifetime. Malik would need to put this down to 'intelligence gathering expenses' on his mission report.

Malik stepped forward and placed five bars of latinum on the counter. More than what most folk made here in a year.

"Here's five. We'll take the sword, the EM-33 and everything you know about smuggling activities here on Bathân."

The shopkeeper appeared confused. "Smuggling? I don't know anything about that, I'm but a humble antiques dealer."

Malik placed a further 10 slips down on the counter.

"Now that you mention it. This didn't come from me, but I heard all smuggling activities are run through one gang. The Rihannsu gang. Former imperialists. They're cutthroat and have a tight leash on pretty much every criminal enterprise here."

Malik took the pistol and holstered it. A fine relic from Captain Archer's time. They had their first lead.

"Alright let's go. A pleasure doing business with you."

The pair left the shop and entered the street once again with their new toys.

Wu, Ardyn, Autumn
Bathân, Trading Centre

'Actan' was an overweight Bolian sporting a nasty looking facial scar that went through one eye. The eye had been replaced with a bionic replacement that doubled as a scanner. He was boisterous and loud, conversing with the locals and potential customers as to deals to be done.

Actan was the owner of Actan's Gear and Rare Goods shop. A popular destination for traders of all types. Perhaps he would be interested in purchasing some of the Dream's cargo.

Neva, AJ
Bathân, Metal Recycling Centre

Having convinced AJ to leave the scrap behind before negotiations, Neva led the way to the nearest metal recycling centre. Here the air was particularly thick with industrial pollutants and smog from nearby magnasite refineries.

Approaching the yard they saw a trade booth manned by a Romulan worker. A long line of people were standing at the booth waiting to be seen. The recycling prices of various metals were presented on a large display board. The prices were low, even by scrap standards.

[Calindra Hejaran]

[Bathân, Curio shop]
Four bars of gold pressed latinum for such a weapon was surely a bargain. Calindra had secured herself the deal of a lifetime. Malik would need to put this down to 'intelligence gathering expenses' on his mission report.
Malik stepped forward and placed five bars of latinum on the counter. More than what most folk made here in a year.
"Here's five. We'll take the sword, the EM-33 and everything you know about smuggling activities here on Bathân."
The shopkeeper appeared confused. "Smuggling? I don't know anything about that, I'm but a humble antiques dealer."
Malik placed a further 10 slips down on the counter.
"Now that you mention it. This didn't come from me, but I heard all smuggling activities are run through one gang. The Rihannsu gang. Former imperialists. They're cutthroat and have a tight leash on pretty much every criminal enterprise here."
Malik took the pistol and holstered it. A fine relic from Captain Archer's time. They had their first lead.
"Alright let's go. A pleasure doing business with you."
The pair left the shop and entered the street once again with their new toys.

[Kelly Oren - Outside the Curio Shop - Bathân]

The door slammed shut behind them with a metallic finality, the rapid clatter of locks snapping into place a clear signal that their welcome had ended. Calindra's fingers tightened briefly on the strap of the katana's carrying case as the "Open" sign flipped to "Closed."

She didn't turn around fully, only glancing over her shoulder with a faint smirk. Not exactly the warmest send-off.

The alley beyond the shop stretched ahead, dim and crowded with shadows that shifted too easily. She let her eyes scan their surroundings, as she placed the blade through a sash on her left hip. The blade sat snugly against her hip, its polished sheath reflecting the faint light filtering through the grimy streets.

She stored the rest of her new gear in its carrying case, which she slung over her shoulder and secured to her right hip. Once in place, her fingers brushed the katana's hilt in an almost unconscious gesture of readiness. Bathân had a way of making you feel like prey if you weren't being careful.

"So, the Rihannsu? Where do you suppose we'll find them? Local watering hole?"