S:5 E:11 - He Who Dies Pays All Debts

[Buehler]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck Seven - Sickbay] (earlier that morning)

Lahr gave a half shrug after the doctor spoke.  His antennae had bobbed in amusement at being reminded of his many missed counseling appointments.  "Things got busy.  What with Ruth's wedding and then her sisters getting abducted and then us taking down Leyton and ending the war.  So yeah... counseling got forgotten."

The fact that the doctor wasn't making the counseling sessions mandatory - something he knew was a thing from Chief tr'Lhoell's bitter comments in the past - just proved that his case wasn't all that serious anymore.   The occasional nightmare and the odd panic-attack if assigned to an away-mission.  No big....

Roohz! Who was he trying to kid?  He was a mess and the Doc was only trying to help.  But talking hadn't helped in the past.  The counselors he'd met with in the past had no appreciation for what a day in the life of Lahr was like.

"What would a counseling session with you entail?  The other Docs were useless.  They didn't understand me at all.  So before I even  consider talking to you about my problems, how about you shadow me for a shift?"

[Sickbay - CMO's Office]

Evan listened patiently to the andorian's response, just as focused on his antennae as the words coming out his mouth, perhaps more so. Body language was far less likely to lie. "œWell," Evan began, "œit would just be an informal conversation between two men. I'm a doctor, yes, but not a counselor. I can't pretend to understand what goes on in other people's minds. I have enough trouble with my own. But I am good at listening. I can't promise I'll be any help, but I tend to find it's better to let it out than keep it all bottled up. I technically could make you see someone, but I'd rather not. It's not very effective to make someone do something they don't want to. I just wanted to let you know it was an option."

When Lahr presented the opportunity to shadow him for a shift, Evan was all too happy to oblige. He liked seeing what other people did, understanding how things worked, to be a jack of all trades. How he ever settled on a profession was beyond him. "œLead the way, Lahr," he said with a smile. He got to his feet, eager to see where this adventure would lead him.

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck One - Bridge] (later that day)

Lahr hadn't expected his idea of shadowing to be taken up so quickly.   Nor had he realized that on receiving Lahr's Return to Work, that Commander Tharn would assign him to work Second Engineer on the bridge.   The perk of being a Chief Petty, apparently.

"And this is the Bridge..." Lahr commented as he stepped out of the turbolift escorting Dr. Buehler as if he were some newbie visitor.  His antennae were upright and perked, showing his amusement.  His first glance about had him spotting the Captain, Commander and their Ferengi guests heading into the Conference Room

"The bridge is the brains of the ship.  Whereas the engines are its heart." he explained to the Doc.   He paused to give nod to the security personnel stationed at the turbolift doors.  They were enlisted crewmen much like himself 6 years earlier.

While the crewman checked for their authorization to be there, Lahr gave an up-nod towards those he knew well, like Lt Catalan, Buck and Zhuk.  And T'Prith as well though she was a quiet one.   He was a bit disappointed that his Ruth wasn't at a Science console, but then she was usually busy in either her lab, or her office.

Lahr then headed for his station up by where the ship's dedication plaque hung.   He glanced it a moment in remembrance of all those who'd gone before, then sat his station.   In his ears, those observant folks would note, Lahr had in the earbuds he'd been gifted just yesterday.  Time to put them to the test.

He looked over to the doctor.  "Make yourself comfortable, we could be here a while."

It was then that Lahr paid attention to what was showing on the viewscreen. The barricade of Ferengi ships.  The Andorian gave a low whistle.  "You don't see that everyday."

[Bridge]

Evan felt like a fish out of water on the bridge. Even when his wife was a command officer in red, he seldom found himself in that part of the ship. There was little need for medicine on the bridge. But there he was. He looked to Lahr, observing what role the Andorian played, quite amused by the medical analogies made by the engineer. "œI guess in that regard I'm like a white blood cell, fighting infection to keep the other body parts healthy."

At Lahr's whistle, Evan turned to see what he was looking at and raised a brow. "œAgreed. A mass of ships seldom means peaceful intentions..."

[Kina Nural]

[Sickbay - CMO's Office]

Evan listened patiently to the andorian's response, just as focused on his antennae as the words coming out his mouth, perhaps more so. Body language was far less likely to lie. "œWell," Evan began, "œit would just be an informal conversation between two men. I'm a doctor, yes, but not a counselor. I can't pretend to understand what goes on in other people's minds. I have enough trouble with my own. But I am good at listening. I can't promise I'll be any help, but I tend to find it's better to let it out than keep it all bottled up. I technically could make you see someone, but I'd rather not. It's not very effective to make someone do something they don't want to. I just wanted to let you know it was an option."

When Lahr presented the opportunity to shadow him for a shift, Evan was all too happy to oblige. He liked seeing what other people did, understanding how things worked, to be a jack of all trades. How he ever settled on a profession was beyond him. "œLead the way, Lahr," he said with a smile. He got to his feet, eager to see where this adventure would lead him.
[Bridge]

Evan felt like a fish out of water on the bridge. Even when his wife was a command officer in red, he seldom found himself in that part of the ship. There was little need for medicine on the bridge. But there he was. He looked to Lahr, observing what role the Andorian played, quite amused by the medical analogies made by the engineer. "œI guess in that regard I'm like a white blood cell, fighting infection to keep the other body parts healthy."

At Lahr's whistle, Evan turned to see what he was looking at and raised a brow. "œAgreed. A mass of ships seldom means peaceful intentions..."

Corridor B, USS Challenger

It was hard to believe. It seemed that only a few days ago, Kina was leaving her home on Cardassia Prime. And only yesterday she was graduating from Starfleet Medical. And now here she was on her first assignment. The USS Challenger. To say that she was nervous was an understatement. She was so far from her home, from her father. Her classmates were not here. She was alone now. All these new faces, and nobody knew her.

She shook off the nervousness. As her father would say, never let them see you shaken, Kina. Stay strong. Confidence must always be projected, no matter the situation. Kina nodded and looked up ahead, squaring her shoulders and holding herself strong. She walked ahead, ready to find who she was to report to. She checked her PADD for the name of her orientation liaison, one Lieutenant Buehler. She spent a few weeks on Starbase 153 waiting for the Challenger to arrive. Most of the people she met seemed interested in her.

She assumed it must be that there were not that many Cardassians in Starfleet, or the entire Federation for that matter. But the fact was she was here now. She had to make due. After a while of walking through corridors, it was clear to Kina that she was lost. Sheepishly, she walked over to a computer terminal that was available. "Um, computer? Hello. Um"¦..could you tell me"¦.where Lieutenant Buehler is located?" After a few short beeps, the computer informed her that Lieutenant Buehler was on the bridge.

The bridge? Was he an officer there? Was she allowed to go there? Maybe she should wait until he got off duty. But her orders were to report immediately to her orientation liaison. She walked over to the nearest turbo lift and went directly to the bridge.

Bridge, USS Challenger

As soon as the doors opened, she just stared out. She took a few nervous steps forward, looking at what she believed were very high ranking officers. She noticed the view screen, completely full of alien ships. After looking at them, she remembered that they were Ferengi ships. What was going on?

This was definitely not the best place for her to be right now. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she walked over to who she hoped was Lieutenant Buehler. "Um"¦.ex"¦..excuse me. I'm Ensign Nural. A"¦.are you Lieutenant Buehler? Y"¦.your supposed to be my orientation liaison."

[Ian Galloway]

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Briefing Room | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

"Be it aysh it may," the Liquidator replied to Captain Galloway, "the man hash rearly made appearances at all since he showed up. I can shay hish informashun ish genuine. Shurishingly, heesh found time to both organishe the aucshun while allowing ush to verify the informashun. Right now, high represhentativesh are on their way to Ferenginar to reply to the aucshun."

Nira narrowed her eyes. "Incredible. A Romulan defector who's called for auctions of sensitive secrets? It smells so strongly suspicious."

"Oh, very," Hock pointed out. "It's stinks worse than the whole damn Mayak Swamp, garbage and all."

"Then why are you letting it go ahead?"

"Unfortunately, the desire for profit was so strong, we couldn't resist," Tragg said with a shrug. "It was only after a few days that suspicions and fear of Romulans coming began rising, that we stopped to think that this is going to be bigger than the robbery on the Bank of Bolias."

Nira pursed her lips. In many ways, the Ferengi represented the exact opposite of the Federation's driving force. The acquisition of wealth drove the Ferengi as strongly as pre-First Contact times in the early twenty-first century; it was amazing how the Ferengi maintained this level of greed well into the twenty-fifth century.

"Okay, so I gather the auction's allowed to proceed so you all can see what will unfold," Nira said.

"Shmart hyoomaan," Bock said, giving a beaverlike grin.

"Betazoid, actually," corrected Nira.

Bock wheezed a chuckle and then said, "I sheem to have that trouble. Honeshtly, a while ago, I thought I wash talking to a Trill before I realished it wash a hyoomaan with elaborate tattoosh."

"But the matter is, if representatives to participate in the auction are on their way, we may have gotten here first," said Nira. "But if it was announced in advance...are you keeping an eye out for suspicious peoples? I mean, there would've been enough people to have been able to infiltrate Ferenginar."

"That wash the firsht order of bushnish we looked into after the defector arrived," said Bock. "We keep a very closh eye on the Thieves Quarter of the capital - the mosht bushling plashe for criminalsh to come on Ferenginar - even more sho shinshe Shzek's retirement."

"But, within a fortnight of the news of the auction," Tragg continued on, "we've been getting an unusual amount of the usual goons, thugs and overall criminals, Orion Syndicate or otherwise, arriving at the Thieves Quarter. No Romulans," he added hastily, "mostly from more around the Commerce borders. We've got Liquidators and Eliminators keeping an eye on them while our Daimons have the space around the planet."

"Figures," said Nira. "Potentially the biggest extortion or blackmail auction to come to Ferenginar, of course such people would be showing up."

"Well," said Hock, "Luckily, they haven't been stirring themselves, rather making themselves well at home. Nope, I have a feeling they're waiting for clients to show up with the potential auctioneers. It's another reason why the defector hasn't been killed off yet."

"And as to seeing him," said Tragg, "he's extremely elusive, as opposed to the potential assassins overbooking in the Thieves Quarter. We've tried to tail him, we've tried to tag him with sensors...he always disappears. He certainly shows up to certain people in the Tower of Commerce when it suits him; if we didn't devote so much manpower protecting orbit and watching the steady flow of potential assassins, we'd have just as many people tailing him."

Nira looked at Captain Galloway, clearly perplexed. A man who can disappear and not even show up on sensors? With him organizing an auction either to blackmail Romulans into getting their secrets back for a fee, or to extort them for hush money, it was one thing, but a Romulan like him? And thinking like a Ferengi?

Nira's mind was already whirring gears. A good team would be handy in taking better track of the defector as he goes around, or they could find something the Ferengi couldn't.

"What do you think, Captain?" said Nira. "Who will we need from the ship to help us with helping them?"

"Well, that'll be one reason why you're here from the Federation," said Tragg. "And not just because of your dealings with Romulans. You Federation types are resourceful and are full of surprises. You may likely be able to uncover what we could not about the defector."

[Conference Room - USS Challenger]

Ian paused before replying as there were so many thoughts running his head he needed a beat to be able to sort them.

"There is a lot ta nae like about all of this. I admit I'm only familiar with the Rules of Acquisition in passin', but I do understand number 62. 'The riskier the road, the greater the profit', but this defector's game is skirtin' the bad side of balmy.

"You say you've confirmed his information is good, but if'n the goal is ta damage the Romulan government or any of the factions, the average Romulan would just openly broadcast the information or give it ta a known rival. It's the profit angle that bothers me the most as it's so un-Romulan.

Ian paused to pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to work through what was actually going on here, but whatever it was, it was still too complex for him to crack... for now.

"Okay, since there are so many things we don't ken, let's focus on what we do. First, an elusive defector who seems ta be able ta come and go undetected at will has a confirmed dossier of Romulan secrets.

"Second, despite the risk, the Ferengi government is allowin' an auction of said dossier ta happen in spite of that risk.

"Third, there has been an influx of assassins and goons all likely either already contracted ta cause trouble or lookin' ta get contracted ta do so.

"All this tells us is there's a storm brewin', but we don't ken enough ta even know from which bloody direction it's comin' from.

"Thank you for your kind words Daimon Tragg. We'll do what we can ta help. The problem we'll have sendin' down an away team is we'll stand out like a pile of coal on a ballroom floor if'n we try doin' investigations in the city. That leaves us as tryin' ta pose as bidders in the auction or as more goons in the Thieves' Quarter.

"I think Lahr and Zhuk would make fine ne'er-do-wells for the Thieves' Quarter. I am however, strugglin' who would make a believable Robber Baron. Any idea Nira?"

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck One - Bridge] (later that day)

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Buck spared a glance at Ensign T'Prith and gave her a nod, hoping that nothing was troubling her - and if there was - she would mention it to him. He continued to watch Commander Catalan hard at work, ordering and organising things even whilst still multitasking on prior objectives.

He was trying to ease the workload for the commander as he pulled up a screen on the PADD and checked in on the updates regarding the transporter rooms he requested checking. They seemed to be wavering in the orange zone for the time being, but he also assumed that repairs would take a while and Buck did not want to become one of those leaders who micro-managed. It was not going to be his style, so he would take his hands off and trust his colleagues to complete the tasks set to them.

Buck glanced up as the doors of the bridge slid open and revealed Lahr with Doctor Buehler. He offered a smile of acknowledgement towards Lahr's nod and watched the CPO approach his station with the Doctor. "Makes you wonder what they're talkin' bout in the briefing room, right?" He eyed up the viewing screen, watching what Lahr and a couple of others were on the bridge. "Has to be a reason."

[Bridge]

Evan felt like a fish out of water on the bridge. Even when his wife was a command officer in red, he seldom found himself in that part of the ship. There was little need for medicine on the bridge. But there he was. He looked to Lahr, observing what role the Andorian played, quite amused by the medical analogies made by the engineer. "œI guess in that regard I'm like a white blood cell, fighting infection to keep the other body parts healthy."

At Lahr's whistle, Evan turned to see what he was looking at and raised a brow. "œAgreed. A mass of ships seldom means peaceful intentions..."

Lahr looked over to the Ops personnel sitting in front of the command chairs.  "Yo McNair..." he waited until the man looked over towards him.    "Do we have clue as to what that blockade is for?"

Bridge, USS Challenger

As soon as the doors opened, she just stared out. She took a few nervous steps forward, looking at what she believed were very high ranking officers. She noticed the view screen, completely full of alien ships. After looking at them, she remembered that they were Ferengi ships. What was going on?

This was definitely not the best place for her to be right now. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she walked over to who she hoped was Lieutenant Buehler. "Um"¦.ex"¦..excuse me. I'm Ensign Nural. A"¦.are you Lieutenant Buehler? Y"¦.your supposed to be my orientation liaison."

As he was querying the new junior grade Lieutenant, the Andorian noticed a gorgeous looking Cardassian approach the doctor.   Lahr gave the unknown medical ensign a charming smile.

Maybe it was a good thing Ruth wasn't at her station.  Despite the Viking red-head's repeated comments that she was understanding of his looking at other women (and men), Lahr didn't want to chance the science officer making threats with her axes to the newbie.

He'd wait until Buehler replied before offering his introduction to the young doctor.

[Conference Room - USS Challenger]

"Thank you for your kind words Daimon Tragg. We'll do what we can ta help. The problem we'll have sendin' down an away team is we'll stand out like a pile of coal on a ballroom floor if'n we try doin' investigations in the city. That leaves us as tryin' ta pose as bidders in the auction or as more goons in the Thieves' Quarter.

"I think Lahr and Zhuk would make fine ne'er-do-wells for the Thieves' Quarter. I am however, strugglin' who would make a believable Robber Baron. Any idea Nira?"[/b]

Lahr suddenly sneezed - loudly.  So forceful was his sneeze that it sent shivers up along his antennae -making them wave about like he was drunk.  It was very disorienting.

[Nira Said]

[Conference Room - USS Challenger]

Ian paused before replying as there were so many thoughts running his head he needed a beat to be able to sort them.

"There is a lot ta nae like about all of this. I admit I'm only familiar with the Rules of Acquisition in passin', but I do understand number 62. 'The riskier the road, the greater the profit', but this defector's game is skirtin' the bad side of balmy.

"You say you've confirmed his information is good, but if'n the goal is ta damage the Romulan government or any of the factions, the average Romulan would just openly broadcast the information or give it ta a known rival. It's the profit angle that bothers me the most as it's so un-Romulan.

Ian paused to pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to work through what was actually going on here, but whatever it was, it was still too complex for him to crack... for now.

"Okay, since there are so many things we don't ken, let's focus on what we do. First, an elusive defector who seems ta be able ta come and go undetected at will has a confirmed dossier of Romulan secrets.

"Second, despite the risk, the Ferengi government is allowin' an auction of said dossier ta happen in spite of that risk.

"Third, there has been an influx of assassins and goons all likely either already contracted ta cause trouble or lookin' ta get contracted ta do so.

"All this tells us is there's a storm brewin', but we don't ken enough ta even know from which bloody direction it's comin' from.

"Thank you for your kind words Daimon Tragg. We'll do what we can ta help. The problem we'll have sendin' down an away team is we'll stand out like a pile of coal on a ballroom floor if'n we try doin' investigations in the city. That leaves us as tryin' ta pose as bidders in the auction or as more goons in the Thieves' Quarter.

"I think Lahr and Zhuk would make fine ne'er-do-wells for the Thieves' Quarter. I am however, strugglin' who would make a believable Robber Baron. Any idea Nira?"

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Briefing Room | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

The two Daimons nodded as Captain Galloway pointed out Rule of Acquisition Sixty-Two. "You have a valid point," Tragg said. "In this case, though, it can be switched around: 'The greater the profit, the riskier the road.' But then, me personally, I say it as a ranking military officer who's as worried about the security of Ferenginar as he is excited about the potential profit."

As Nira listened, she had to agree about the storm brewing, and she had to agree about not knowing which way to look for it.

"I agree with the Captain," she said, "although I'm more inclined to think: I don't know which way to look for the explosion."

And to business with the away missions: One team disguised as criminals to infiltrate the Thieves Quarter, while another group to go disguised as bidders.

"I could say Doctor Buehler and Lieutenant McNair would be handy as the 'robber barons,'" said Nira. "We can even include Nurse Davies and even one of our new medical hands, Nural. Probably even you as well, Captain; if you have to come along, the auction may be more safer for you than the Thieves Quarter. IF you come along," she added, knowing the mandate of captains staying on the ship for the most part.

"I'd also recommend T'Kel and even T'Lara to join the team of bidders," she continued, "disguised as Romulans; T'Lara and I infiltrated a Romulan underground disguised as Romulans one time, she'll be handy at it again. Me, I can come along with Lahr and Zhuk as part of the infiltrators of the Thieves Quarter, I can blend in with a crowd and keep my eyes out. And we can also take Doctor Fellows and Ensign T'Prith, also disguised as a Romulan."

"That could work," Daimon Hock said. "We get variety in the Thieves Quarter. Lots of variety. Even Federation types, especially hyoomaans."

"However, letssh not put in too many at a time," Liquidator Bock pointed out. "Shomtymsh, lessh ish more."

"Less is more," said Nira in agreement. "You have a point."

Nira looked at Captain Galloway in more the realization: If need be, T'Lara can be left in charge of the ship while the command staff lead two different infiltration teams below.

"Well, we sheem to have the makingsh of a good plan," Bock said. "Shall we meet again down on the planet, in my offish in the Tower of Commersh, in an hour or two? No transhportersh, I'm afraid, transhportersh are limited around the capital at the moment, a day passh of for transhportersh ish coshting a whole bar of gold-presshed latinum. However, we can resherve a landing pad for you."

"Of course," said Nira. "The Captain and I will need to discuss our infiltration teams further. We'll all be glad to see you then."

[Lieutenant Commander T'Kel | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

T'Kel looked up to see the Liquidator and the two Daimons exit the briefing room. She looked at her new deputy and said, "Lieutenant Mrekrerhas, I believe our guests are leaving. Can you escort them to their shuttles, please?"

[Buehler]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck One - Bridge] (later that day)

Lahr looked over to the Ops personnel sitting in front of the command chairs.  "Yo McNair..." he waited until the man looked over towards him.   "Do we have clue as to what that blockade is for?"

Bridge, USS Challenger

As soon as the doors opened, she just stared out. She took a few nervous steps forward, looking at what she believed were very high ranking officers. She noticed the view screen, completely full of alien ships. After looking at them, she remembered that they were Ferengi ships. What was going on?

This was definitely not the best place for her to be right now. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she walked over to who she hoped was Lieutenant Buehler. "Um"¦.ex"¦..excuse me. I'm Ensign Nural. A"¦.are you Lieutenant Buehler? Y"¦.your supposed to be my orientation liaison."

[Bridge]

As the Andorian called out to his friend to see what all the commotion was about, Evan took the chance to roll his shoulders to release the tension that had built up since he stepped foot on the bridge. He was eager to learn what was going on, but he would just as soon be off and back in his natural habitat. It was only his great desire to gain Lahr's trust and to show genuine compassion that kept him where he was.

Every little noise drew Evan's attention, so many sounds that would be foreign in sickbay. But the sound of doors hissing open and shut invariably made him turn his head to see who had walked in. It was a young Cardassian ensign. If he had to guess, she was freshly commissioned, going by her general demeanor. What was she doing up on the bridge? Had she gotten lost? The moment she spoke, he realized just how wrong he was.

"œSchiesse," he muttered. "œI knew I was forgetting something." Smoothing out his tunic with a quick tug at the hem, Evan turned to address the young woman. "œIndeed I am," he replied with a smile. "œDoctor Buehler at your service. My apologies for not meeting with you sooner." Evan wasn't sure if a handshake was in order; he wasn't terribly familiar with Cardassian customs. Instead, he simply said, "œWelcome to the Challenger!"

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck One - Bridge] (later that day)

Lahr suddenly sneezed - loudly.  So forceful was his sneeze that it sent shivers up along his antennae -making them wave about like he was drunk.  It was very disorienting.

A sudden sneeze broke any hold Evan had on his train of thought. "œAre you ok, Lahr?" he asked. "œYou haven't cracked a rib, have you?" Just the idea made him grimace, memories of his own recent injury springing to mind.

[Kina Nural]

Every little noise drew Evan's attention, so many sounds that would be foreign in sickbay. But the sound of doors hissing open and shut invariably made him turn his head to see who had walked in. It was a young Cardassian ensign. If he had to guess, she was freshly commissioned, going by her general demeanor. What was she doing up on the bridge? Had she gotten lost? The moment she spoke, he realized just how wrong he was.

"œSchiesse," he muttered. "œI knew I was forgetting something." Smoothing out his tunic with a quick tug at the hem, Evan turned to address the young woman. "œIndeed I am," he replied with a smile. "œDoctor Buehler at your service. My apologies for not meeting with you sooner." Evan wasn't sure if a handshake was in order; he wasn't terribly familiar with Cardassian customs. Instead, he simply said, "œWelcome to the Challenger!"

Bridge, USS Challenger

Kina was nervous. Was she going to be yelled at? Was she going to be kicked out of Starfleet? She only just graduated from Starfleet Medical. A wave of relief washed over her when he acknowledged that he was who she was supposed to meet and even offered his hand. What was even better was that he was a fellow doctor.

She smiled and straightened up, grasping his hand and shaking it. "œThank you very much. It's so nice to meet a fellow doctor. I just graduated from Starfleet Medical. I'm very happy to be here." Kina felt that this was going to be a good experience for her, and her father would be happy for her.

Lahr suddenly sneezed - loudly.  So forceful was his sneeze that it sent shivers up along his antennae -making them wave about like he was drunk.  It was very disorienting.

A sudden sneeze broke any hold Evan had on his train of thought. "œAre you ok, Lahr?" he asked. "œYou haven't cracked a rib, have you?" Just the idea made him grimace, memories of his own recent injury springing to mind.

Kina was surprised by the sneeze. She jumped back slightly and looked at the Andorian with some concern. "œMy goodness. Are you okay?" when she heard Lieutenant Buehler ask if he cracked a rib, her face became worried. "œOh my. Is"¦.is that possible? I'm sorry, I'm still not all that familiar with Andorian physiology. Is there anything I can do to help?"

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck One - Bridge]

[Bridge]

As the Andorian called out to his friend to see what all the commotion was about, Evan took the chance to roll his shoulders to release the tension that had built up since he stepped foot on the bridge. He was eager to learn what was going on, but he would just as soon be off and back in his natural habitat. It was only his great desire to gain Lahr's trust and to show genuine compassion that kept him where he was.

Every little noise drew Evan's attention, so many sounds that would be foreign in sickbay. But the sound of doors hissing open and shut invariably made him turn his head to see who had walked in. It was a young Cardassian ensign. If he had to guess, she was freshly commissioned, going by her general demeanor. What was she doing up on the bridge? Had she gotten lost? The moment she spoke, he realized just how wrong he was.

"œSchiesse," he muttered. "œI knew I was forgetting something." Smoothing out his tunic with a quick tug at the hem, Evan turned to address the young woman. "œIndeed I am," he replied with a smile. "œDoctor Buehler at your service. My apologies for not meeting with you sooner." Evan wasn't sure if a handshake was in order; he wasn't terribly familiar with Cardassian customs. Instead, he simply said, "œWelcome to the Challenger!"

A sudden sneeze broke any hold Evan had on his train of thought. "œAre you ok, Lahr?" he asked. "œYou haven't cracked a rib, have you?" Just the idea made him grimace, memories of his own recent injury springing to mind.

The Andorian's antennae twitched and swiveled towards the German doctor at his quiet mutter - Andorian hearing being better than human but not as sensitive as Vulcan or Caitian.  Based on the situational context, Lahr suspected he'd just learned a new Human cuss word.  Nice!  The Andorian liked to impress his friends amid Security with this fluency in swear words.  As it was Lahr could cuss in 12 different languages: Andorian, Bajoran, Klingon, Orion, Romulan (in two dialects), Tellerite,  as well as Federation Standard, French, Icelandic (courtesy of Fells), Norse (courtesy Ruth), and the odd Scottish or Gaelic swear care of Captain Galloway himself.   He kept pestering Grelek to teach him any Vulcan cuss words but the man would only blandly respond saying that swearing was not logical.

After his sneeze, Lahr deflated a bit and looked over towards the doc in amusement.  "Nah, I'm fine.  Hey, I thought the proper response for a sneeze was a German word?"  Lahr tried to recall the word Ruth had used the last time he'd sneezed around her.

Bridge, USS Challenger

Kina was nervous. Was she going to be yelled at? Was she going to be kicked out of Starfleet? She only just graduated from Starfleet Medical. A wave of relief washed over her when he acknowledged that he was who she was supposed to meet and even offered his hand. What was even better was that he was a fellow doctor.

She smiled and straightened up, grasping his hand and shaking it. "œThank you very much. It's so nice to meet a fellow doctor. I just graduated from Starfleet Medical. I'm very happy to be here." Kina felt that this was going to be a good experience for her, and her father would be happy for her.

Kina was surprised by the sneeze. She jumped back slightly and looked at the Andorian with some concern. "œMy goodness. Are you okay?" when she heard Lieutenant Buehler ask if he cracked a rib, her face became worried. "œOh my. Is"¦.is that possible? I'm sorry, I'm still not all that familiar with Andorian physiology. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Before Lahr could recall the word, the pretty medical officer looked at him in concern, drawing his attention away from the linguistic subject.  At her offered help the Andorian smiled and shook his head.  "As I told him... I'm fine. We Andorians are a tough breed."

He offered out a hand while introducing himself, since she seemed to follow Earth traditions.  "Chief Petty Officer." the rank was spoken with an inordinate amount of pride, "ShranLahr ch'Verret. Engineering.  Though most just call me Lahr.   DJ Lahr.. you may have heard of me?"

It was shortly after this that the door to the conference room opened.

[Lieutenant Commander T'Kel | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

T'Kel looked up to see the Liquidator and the two Daimons exit the briefing room. She looked at her new deputy and said, "Lieutenant Mrekrerhas, I believe our guests are leaving. Can you escort them to their shuttles, please?"

Lahr looked over towards the three Ferengi.  They didn't seem overly upset so he supposed that was a good sign that the blockage of ships wasn't about to open fire on them.

Lahr gave a parting up-nod towards the Caitian then turned back to his console to at least appear busy for when the Captain and Commander came out.

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Once the three Ferengi had been successfully escorted to the Briefing Room, Zhukdra'shar returned with Lieutenant Commander T'Kel to the Tactical Console, in order to monitor the current situation with the amassed ships. In the meanwhile, he made sure to remain attentive to any piece of interesting information within the bridge, his ears sharp and sensitive as always. Fortunately, not much transpired when it came to the Security of the USS Challenger, or the general blockade, except perhaps the fact that one of the smaller mercantile vessels, apparently had lost slight control, almost crashing towards one of the D'Kora class ships.

An almost regrettable circumstance, but thankfully, Zhuk could breathe safe knowing that it just had been a scare.

Bridge, USS Challenger

As soon as the doors opened, she just stared out. She took a few nervous steps forward, looking at what she believed were very high ranking officers. She noticed the view screen, completely full of alien ships. After looking at them, she remembered that they were Ferengi ships. What was going on?

This was definitely not the best place for her to be right now. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she walked over to who she hoped was Lieutenant Buehler. "Um"¦.ex"¦..excuse me. I'm Ensign Nural. A"¦.are you Lieutenant Buehler? Y"¦.your supposed to be my orientation liaison."

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck One - Bridge] (later that day)

Lahr suddenly sneezed - loudly.  So forceful was his sneeze that it sent shivers up along his antennae -making them wave about like he was drunk.  It was very disorienting.

While Zhuk waited on new orders, he overheard Lahr ask Buck about the reason the blockade was here, wondering if he should respond about what he knew about, based on the scans. He decided against it, considering that he couldn't give him a straight answer, though. What had been more interesting, however, had been the new arrival of what looked to be a female medical ensign to the bridge, who introduced herself as Ensign Nural, to Lieutenant Evan Buehler, a Medical Officer he hadn't interacted that much with before.

Something seemed peculiar about her voice, and so he lightly turned to glance at her. He was quite surprised to notice that she was a Cardassian. His previous history, being close to one in his captivity, almost being raised by her, had made him appreciate them to an extent. Still, he made sure to keep his feelings in check to instead focus back on the console. Maybe there would be a time to introduce himself later. _{It didn't help that she was quite pretty, either.}

At Lahr's sneeze, Zhuk jumped up, his fur straightening up for a moment, tail puffing up. After a moment, though, he regained his neutral stance, brushing his uniform. "Bless you, ShranLahr" He commented, after he overheard Evan ask if he was alright after the sneeze.

[Lieutenant Commander T'Kel | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

T'Kel looked up to see the Liquidator and the two Daimons exit the briefing room. She looked at her new deputy and said, "Lieutenant Mrekrerhas, I believe our guests are leaving. Can you escort them to their shuttles, please?"

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck One - Bridge]

Lahr gave a parting up-nod towards the Caitian then turned back to his console to at least appear busy for when the Captain and Commander came out.

At this moment, the Liquidator and the two DaiMons of the Ferengi exited the briefing room, causing T'kel to petition Zhuk to accompany them. He nodded. "Of course, Lieutenant Commander." Taking a pause to catch up with the Ferengi, he graciously offered a soft bow towards them, "Please, accompany me. I'll be glad to escort you fine gentlemen back to your shuttle."

As he was about to take his leave, he noticed Lahr's nod, causing him to reply with a thumbs up and a small side smile, before regaining a more proper stance, hands behind his back, leaving the bridge.

"By the by... I must admit, I cannot hold myself back from inquiring... what are the tasks a Liquidator must carry forth? If you do not mind my questioning, that is."

[Ian Galloway]

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Briefing Room | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

The two Daimons nodded as Captain Galloway pointed out Rule of Acquisition Sixty-Two. "You have a valid point," Tragg said. "In this case, though, it can be switched around: 'The greater the profit, the riskier the road.' But then, me personally, I say it as a ranking military officer who's as worried about the security of Ferenginar as he is excited about the potential profit."

As Nira listened, she had to agree about the storm brewing, and she had to agree about not knowing which way to look for it.

"I agree with the Captain," she said, "although I'm more inclined to think: I don't know which way to look for the explosion."

And to business with the away missions: One team disguised as criminals to infiltrate the Thieves Quarter, while another group to go disguised as bidders.

"I could say Doctor Buehler and Lieutenant McNair would be handy as the 'robber barons,'" said Nira. "We can even include Nurse Davies and even one of our new medical hands, Nural. Probably even you as well, Captain; if you have to come along, the auction may be more safer for you than the Thieves Quarter. IF you come along," she added, knowing the mandate of captains staying on the ship for the most part.

"I'd also recommend T'Kel and even T'Lara to join the team of bidders," she continued, "disguised as Romulans; T'Lara and I infiltrated a Romulan underground disguised as Romulans one time, she'll be handy at it again. Me, I can come along with Lahr and Zhuk as part of the infiltrators of the Thieves Quarter, I can blend in with a crowd and keep my eyes out. And we can also take Doctor Fellows and Ensign T'Prith, also disguised as a Romulan."

"That could work," Daimon Hock said. "We get variety in the Thieves Quarter. Lots of variety. Even Federation types, especially hyoomaans."

"However, letssh not put in too many at a time," Liquidator Bock pointed out. "Shomtymsh, lessh ish more."

"Less is more," said Nira in agreement. "You have a point."

Nira looked at Captain Galloway in more the realization: If need be, T'Lara can be left in charge of the ship while the command staff lead two different infiltration teams below.

"Well, we sheem to have the makingsh of a good plan," Bock said. "Shall we meet again down on the planet, in my offish in the Tower of Commersh, in an hour or two? No transhportersh, I'm afraid, transhportersh are limited around the capital at the moment, a day passh of for transhportersh ish coshting a whole bar of gold-presshed latinum. However, we can resherve a landing pad for you."

"Of course," said Nira. "The Captain and I will need to discuss our infiltration teams further. We'll all be glad to see you then."

[Lieutenant Commander T'Kel | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

T'Kel looked up to see the Liquidator and the two Daimons exit the briefing room. She looked at her new deputy and said, "Lieutenant Mrekrerhas, I believe our guests are leaving. Can you escort them to their shuttles, please?"

[Conference Room - USS Challenger]

Ian thought over the options and replied after a moment.

"I have ta concur with Liquidator Bock, less is more. I'm okay with you joining Lahr and Zhuk, but nae more than that. Too many cooks in that pot would spoil more than the broth.

"As for the biddin' team, I have ta admit, I rather like the idea of myself in the role of Robber Baron. Doctor Buehler, Lieutenant McNair, Commander T'Kel, and a Cardassian is a natural fit for anything underhanded, so I'll add Ensign Nural. Small teams will be far better than a large entourage. Commander CatalÁ¡n will have the bridge while we are gone. We'll need a bit ta make one of our shuttles less conspicuous Liquidator, so we take you up on the offer of a landin' pad and be down in an hour. Good day Gentlemen."

As the Ferengi left, Ian rose and headed for the bridge. There, he found every member he'd planned to take on the away teams.

"Bloody convenient."

He muttered before saying.

"Seems serendipity has given us her blessin's ta our endeavor. Chief ch'Verret, Lieutenant Mrekrerhas, Doctor Buehler, Lieutenant McNair, Commander T'Kel, and Doctor Nural. You are ta prepare for an away team. You will be in civilian clothes and will nae carry any Starfleet equipment as you will joinin' Commander Said and myself on an undercover operation.

"Lahr and Zhuk, you are now hard on your luck mercenaries lookin' for work, no questions asked and will be infiltratin' the Ferengi Thieves Quarter. The rest of us will be very respectable lookin', but of questionable morality bidders goin' after a cache of Romulan secrets up for auction soon.

"Seems there is a Romulan defector with a confirmed dossier of things some of the factions of the remnants of the Empire either want or want ta keep secret for sale. Our job is ta locate this defector, get the information, and find out what lies beneath this hold plot because it bloody isn't latinum. Questions?"

[Kina Nural]

Before Lahr could recall the word, the pretty medical officer looked at him in concern, drawing his attention away from the linguistic subject.  At her offered help the Andorian smiled and shook his head.  "As I told him... I'm fine. We Andorians are a tough breed."

He offered out a hand while introducing himself, since she seemed to follow Earth traditions.  "Chief Petty Officer." the rank was spoken with an inordinate amount of pride, "ShranLahr ch'Verret. Engineering.  Though most just call me Lahr.   DJ Lahr.. you may have heard of me?"

Kina smiled, happy to see that Lahr was alright. When he offered his hand to her, she took it with the same enthusiasm as she did Buehler. "œVery nice to meet you. I'm happy to be on the ship   I look forward to getting to know all of you." She was excited. This was her first assignment and she was eager to prove to everyone she had what it took to be in Starfleet.

As the Ferengi left, Ian rose and headed for the bridge. There, he found every member he'd planned to take on the away teams.

"Bloody convenient."

He muttered before saying.

"Seems serendipity has given us her blessin's ta our endeavor. Chief ch'Verret, Lieutenant Mrekrerhas, Doctor Buehler, Lieutenant McNair, Commander T'Kel, and Doctor Nural. You are ta prepare for an away team. You will be in civilian clothes and will nae carry any Starfleet equipment as you will joinin' Commander Said and myself on an undercover operation.

"Lahr and Zhuk, you are now hard on your luck mercenaries lookin' for work, no questions asked and will be infiltratin' the Ferengi Thieves Quarter. The rest of us will be very respectable lookin', but of questionable morality bidders goin' after a cache of Romulan secrets up for auction soon.

"Seems there is a Romulan defector with a confirmed dossier of things some of the factions of the remnants of the Empire either want or want ta keep secret for sale. Our job is ta locate this defector, get the information, and find out what lies beneath this hold plot because it bloody isn't latinum. Questions?"

Just as she was getting used to meeting people, she watched some Ferengi leave for the turbolift. That was very odd. Why would Ferengi be on this ship? What exactly was going on? Her questions were answered when the captain came out and addressed them. He even included her, a freshly minted ensign to prepare for an away mission.

Her? Civilian clothes? No Starfleet equipment? Romulan defector? This was all so fast. Could she really do this? When he asked if there were questions, she raised her hand out of habit. "œUm"¦.Captain"¦.sir"¦.I"¦.I don't want to sound disrespectful or insubordinate. But"¦.why me? I"¦.I'm a doctor, not a spy. If I may ask"¦..what use could I be for?"

[Buehler]

Bridge, USS Challenger

Kina was nervous. Was she going to be yelled at? Was she going to be kicked out of Starfleet? She only just graduated from Starfleet Medical. A wave of relief washed over her when he acknowledged that he was who she was supposed to meet and even offered his hand. What was even better was that he was a fellow doctor.

She smiled and straightened up, grasping his hand and shaking it. "œThank you very much. It's so nice to meet a fellow doctor. I just graduated from Starfleet Medical. I'm very happy to be here." Kina felt that this was going to be a good experience for her, and her father would be happy for her.

Kina was surprised by the sneeze. She jumped back slightly and looked at the Andorian with some concern. "œMy goodness. Are you okay?" when she heard Lieutenant Buehler ask if he cracked a rib, her face became worried. "œOh my. Is"¦.is that possible? I'm sorry, I'm still not all that familiar with Andorian physiology. Is there anything I can do to help?"

[Bridge]

The young ensign seemed to relax a bit once Evan confirmed he was just the person she was looking for. Evan was impressed with the concern she expressed for Lahr when he sneezed and couldn't help but chuckle at her comment about Andorian anatomy. "œYou may want to brush up on that, Ensign," he joked. "œThis guy has a propensity for getting into trouble. I'd rather you not have to scramble for that kind of data like I did when he decided to get himself electrocuted."

After his sneeze, Lahr deflated a bit and looked over towards the doc in amusement.  "Nah, I'm fine.  Hey, I thought the proper response for a sneeze was a German word?"  Lahr tried to recall the word Ruth had used the last time he'd sneezed around her.

"œÁ,,hmmmmm, I think you mean "˜Gesundheit'?" Evan replied, figuring that's what the Andorian was getting at.

"Bloody convenient." He muttered before saying.

"Seems serendipity has given us her blessin's ta our endeavor. Chief ch'Verret, Lieutenant Mrekrerhas, Doctor Buehler, Lieutenant McNair, Commander T'Kel, and Doctor Nural. You are ta prepare for an away team. You will be in civilian clothes and will nae carry any Starfleet equipment as you will joinin' Commander Said and myself on an undercover operation.

"Lahr and Zhuk, you are now hard on your luck mercenaries lookin' for work, no questions asked and will be infiltratin' the Ferengi Thieves Quarter. The rest of us will be very respectable lookin', but of questionable morality bidders goin' after a cache of Romulan secrets up for auction soon.

"Seems there is a Romulan defector with a confirmed dossier of things some of the factions of the remnants of the Empire either want or want ta keep secret for sale. Our job is ta locate this defector, get the information, and find out what lies beneath this hold plot because it bloody isn't latinum. Questions?"

As doors once again parted, Evan turned his head in the direction of the sound; this time it was the conference room. And while he had learned to expect the unexpected with this captain, he still wouldn't have imagined the words about to come out of the Scotsman's mouth.

"œShiyau thol'es k'thorai ri k'ahm, as my wife would say," he whispered to Lahr. "œMy Vulcan isn't as robust as it should be, but the phrase seems apt."

Kina smiled, happy to see that Lahr was alright. When he offered his hand to her, she took it with the same enthusiasm as she did Buehler. "œVery nice to meet you. I'm happy to be on the ship   I look forward to getting to know all of you." She was excited. This was her first assignment and she was eager to prove to everyone she had what it took to be in Starfleet.

Just as she was getting used to meeting people, she watched some Ferengi leave for the turbolift. That was very odd. Why would Ferengi be on this ship? What exactly was going on? Her questions were answered when the captain came out and addressed them. He even included her, a freshly minted ensign to prepare for an away mission.

Her? Civilian clothes? No Starfleet equipment? Romulan defector? This was all so fast. Could she really do this? When he asked if there were questions, she raised her hand out of habit. "œUm"¦.Captain"¦.sir"¦.I"¦.I don't want to sound disrespectful or insubordinate. But"¦.why me? I"¦.I'm a doctor, not a spy. If I may ask"¦..what use could I be for?"

"If nothing else," Evan told the young doctor, "we'll be on hand should things get out of hand. It would be good to have medics present if someone gets hurt."

[Buck McNair]

[Conference Room - USS Challenger]

Ian thought over the options and replied after a moment.

"I have ta concur with Liquidator Bock, less is more. I'm okay with you joining Lahr and Zhuk, but nae more than that. Too many cooks in that pot would spoil more than the broth.

"As for the biddin' team, I have ta admit, I rather like the idea of myself in the role of Robber Baron. Doctor Buehler, Lieutenant McNair, Commander T'Kel, and a Cardassian is a natural fit for anything underhanded, so I'll add Ensign Nural. Small teams will be far better than a large entourage. Commander CatalÁ¡n will have the bridge while we are gone. We'll need a bit ta make one of our shuttles less conspicuous Liquidator, so we take you up on the offer of a landin' pad and be down in an hour. Good day Gentlemen."

As the Ferengi left, Ian rose and headed for the bridge. There, he found every member he'd planned to take on the away teams.

"Bloody convenient."

He muttered before saying.

"Seems serendipity has given us her blessin's ta our endeavor. Chief ch'Verret, Lieutenant Mrekrerhas, Doctor Buehler, Lieutenant McNair, Commander T'Kel, and Doctor Nural. You are ta prepare for an away team. You will be in civilian clothes and will nae carry any Starfleet equipment as you will joinin' Commander Said and myself on an undercover operation.

"Lahr and Zhuk, you are now hard on your luck mercenaries lookin' for work, no questions asked and will be infiltratin' the Ferengi Thieves Quarter. The rest of us will be very respectable lookin', but of questionable morality bidders goin' after a cache of Romulan secrets up for auction soon.

"Seems there is a Romulan defector with a confirmed dossier of things some of the factions of the remnants of the Empire either want or want ta keep secret for sale. Our job is ta locate this defector, get the information, and find out what lies beneath this hold plot because it bloody isn't latinum. Questions?"

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

"Admittedly, got not a clue, Lahr. None what so ever." Buck glanced out at the view screen once more, noting the fact that there were a lot of the ships and it felt like there was certainly more afoot than a simple dignitary visit. "Maybe the Brass will tell us more about it--"

A jolt went up his spine as Lahr sneezed, much to his own char grin being that he was looking directly at the Andorian. It had caused others much the same reaction it seemed too. "Bless you." He responded after collecting himself. Buck glanced over at the newcomer who had entered the bridge, a new ensign who had joined the team recently it seemed - and held the same enthusiasm that he had when he had first stepped on board the Challenger. He made a mental reminder to ensure that he spoke with her just to get to know her once they had the chance and opportunity.

His attention turned to the opening doors of the conference room, his initial reaction to begin the process of standing up at the sight of the Captain re-entering. Even more intriguing was the idea that he was going to be a part of the away team, which excited him and caused him to hold back a grin.

"Cap'n, we at liberty to ask what the dress code for civilian attire's gonna be? Or is that down to our own devices?" He decided that leaning against the chair might make it look as if he were meaning to be standing at the time of the captain happening to walk into the room.

[Ian Galloway]

Kina smiled, happy to see that Lahr was alright. When he offered his hand to her, she took it with the same enthusiasm as she did Buehler. "œVery nice to meet you. I'm happy to be on the ship   I look forward to getting to know all of you." She was excited. This was her first assignment and she was eager to prove to everyone she had what it took to be in Starfleet.

Just as she was getting used to meeting people, she watched some Ferengi leave for the turbolift. That was very odd. Why would Ferengi be on this ship? What exactly was going on? Her questions were answered when the captain came out and addressed them. He even included her, a freshly minted ensign to prepare for an away mission.

Her? Civilian clothes? No Starfleet equipment? Romulan defector? This was all so fast. Could she really do this? When he asked if there were questions, she raised her hand out of habit. "œUm"¦.Captain"¦.sir"¦.I"¦.I don't want to sound disrespectful or insubordinate. But"¦.why me? I"¦.I'm a doctor, not a spy. If I may ask"¦..what use could I be for?"

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

"Admittedly, got not a clue, Lahr. None what so ever." Buck glanced out at the view screen once more, noting the fact that there were a lot of the ships and it felt like there was certainly more afoot than a simple dignitary visit. "Maybe the Brass will tell us more about it--"

A jolt went up his spine as Lahr sneezed, much to his own char grin being that he was looking directly at the Andorian. It had caused others much the same reaction it seemed too. "Bless you." He responded after collecting himself. Buck glanced over at the newcomer who had entered the bridge, a new ensign who had joined the team recently it seemed - and held the same enthusiasm that he had when he had first stepped on board the Challenger. He made a mental reminder to ensure that he spoke with her just to get to know her once they had the chance and opportunity.

His attention turned to the opening doors of the conference room, his initial reaction to begin the process of standing up at the sight of the Captain re-entering. Even more intriguing was the idea that he was going to be a part of the away team, which excited him and caused him to hold back a grin.

"Cap'n, we at liberty to ask what the dress code for civilian attire's gonna be? Or is that down to our own devices?" He decided that leaning against the chair might make it look as if he were meaning to be standing at the time of the captain happening to walk into the room.

[Bridge --> Captain's Quarters --> Shuttlebay - USS Challenger]

Ian smiled at the questions as he could well imagine how he'd have felt if he'd been asked to join such a mission when he first reported aboard the USS Tempest forever ago.

"At the risk of brandin' you with a stereotype Ensign, Cardassians, as a species, are well known for their skills in subterfuge and intelligence. Even if'n you do not have specific experience in such things, they are encoded in your DNA and will likely be very useful and as the good doctor says, tis always good ta have a healer about.

"As for dress code, we are goin' in as bidders for a dossier of secrets. We're goin' ta have ta be over the top as we're ta be seen as successful and more than a wee bit amoral. I won't ask if'n you have summat that fits that bill in your wardrobe already, I'm just goin' ta assume we'll have ta get the replicators hummin' ta whip up a few suitable outfits. We meet in shuttlebay one in 45 minutes. I suggest you get ta movin' as I about ta."

Ian then turned and added.

"Commander CatalÁ¡n, you have the bridge."

He then headed to the turbolift and to his quarters. There he quickly ordered the replicator to begin making the wardrobe he would need as he changed out of his uniform. He packed quickly and as a final touch, he replicated a gaudy staff of two meters in length. He figured that the FCA would have a tight fist on weapons during the run up to the auction, but no one would keep a merchant prince from carrying his symbol of office to such a prestigious event.

He grabbed his travel case and headed for the shuttlebay, arriving with eight minutes to spare. Out of sheer habit, since he had the time, he began his pre-flight checks of the Mjolnir, which had been cosmetically altered to disguise her Starfleet roots. Fortunately, The Delta-Flyer was now an old design that had long since entered the civilian market, so it wouldn't stand out in a crowd. When he boarded and after stowing his kit, he found the wags in Engineering had changed the shuttle's registration to SS Harmsway which made him roll his eyes at the pun.

"For Maker's sake, Harmsway? As if'n we're goin' into 'harm's way'. Droll, very droll."

He began powering up the shuttle and made a note to himself to figure out who the joker was when he got back.

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger-A - Deck One - Bridge]

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

At Lahr's sneeze, Zhuk jumped up, his fur straightening up for a moment, tail puffing up. After a moment, though, he regained his neutral stance, brushing his uniform.[/color] "Bless you, ShranLahr" He commented, after he overheard Evan ask if he was alright after the sneeze.

At this moment, the Liquidator and the two DaiMons of the Ferengi exited the briefing room, causing T'kel to petition Zhuk to accompany them. He nodded. "Of course, Lieutenant Commander." Taking a pause to catch up with the Ferengi, he graciously offered a soft bow towards them, "Please, accompany me. I'll be glad to escort you fine gentlemen back to your shuttle."

As he was about to take his leave, he noticed Lahr's nod, causing him to reply with a thumbs up and a small side smile, before regaining a more proper stance, hands behind his back, leaving the bridge.

[Bridge]

The young ensign seemed to relax a bit once Evan confirmed he was just the person she was looking for. Evan was impressed with the concern she expressed for Lahr when he sneezed and couldn't help but chuckle at her comment about Andorian anatomy. "œYou may want to brush up on that, Ensign," he joked. "œThis guy has a propensity for getting into trouble. I'd rather you not have to scramble for that kind of data like I did when he decided to get himself electrocuted."

"œÁ,,hmmmmm, I think you mean "˜Gesundheit'?" Evan replied, figuring that's what the Andorian was getting at.

Kina smiled, happy to see that Lahr was alright. When he offered his hand to her, she took it with the same enthusiasm as she did Buehler. "œVery nice to meet you. I'm happy to be on the ship   I look forward to getting to know all of you." She was excited. This was her first assignment and she was eager to prove to everyone she had what it took to be in Starfleet.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

"Admittedly, got not a clue, Lahr. None what so ever." Buck glanced out at the view screen once more, noting the fact that there were a lot of the ships and it felt like there was certainly more afoot than a simple dignitary visit. "Maybe the Brass will tell us more about it--"

A jolt went up his spine as Lahr sneezed, much to his own char grin being that he was looking directly at the Andorian. It had caused others much the same reaction it seemed too. "Bless you." He responded after collecting himself. Buck glanced over at the newcomer who had entered the bridge, a new ensign who had joined the team recently it seemed - and held the same enthusiasm that he had when he had first stepped on board the Challenger. He made a mental reminder to ensure that he spoke with her just to get to know her once they had the chance and opportunity.

Lahr grinned in amusement having caught the 'tail-end' of Zhuk's reaction to his sneeze.  The Andorian couldn't help but chuckle slightly to himself.  Even the patches that had just begun to grow back in had puffed up.  Lahr might have commented on it but others spoke up offering their blesses or other and as that was wrapping up, suddenly there were visitors and even the jokester in him knew that wasn't an appropriate time to ruffle the Caitian with his comments.  Besides which his attention was drawn to the Doc and his wholly unfair assessment of Lahr and how often he frequented Sickbay.

Again, Lahr would have liked to comment back - to both the Doc and the new Cardassian medical officer, but it was then that the Captain returned to the Bridge.  Lahr flicked his antennae toward the senior officer but didn't rise from his station.

[Conference Room - USS Challenger]

As the Ferengi left, Ian rose and headed for the bridge. There, he found every member he'd planned to take on the away teams.

"Bloody convenient."

He muttered before saying.

"Seems serendipity has given us her blessin's ta our endeavor. Chief ch'Verret, Lieutenant Mrekrerhas, Doctor Buehler, Lieutenant McNair, Commander T'Kel, and Doctor Nural. You are ta prepare for an away team. You will be in civilian clothes and will nae carry any Starfleet equipment as you will joinin' Commander Said and myself on an undercover operation.

"Lahr and Zhuk, you are now hard on your luck mercenaries lookin' for work, no questions asked and will be infiltratin' the Ferengi Thieves Quarter. The rest of us will be very respectable lookin', but of questionable morality bidders goin' after a cache of Romulan secrets up for auction soon.

"Seems there is a Romulan defector with a confirmed dossier of things some of the factions of the remnants of the Empire either want or want ta keep secret for sale. Our job is ta locate this defector, get the information, and find out what lies beneath this hold plot because it bloody isn't latinum. Questions?"

Just as she was getting used to meeting people, she watched some Ferengi leave for the turbolift. That was very odd. Why would Ferengi be on this ship? What exactly was going on? Her questions were answered when the captain came out and addressed them. He even included her, a freshly minted ensign to prepare for an away mission.

Her? Civilian clothes? No Starfleet equipment? Romulan defector? This was all so fast. Could she really do this? When he asked if there were questions, she raised her hand out of habit. "œUm"¦.Captain"¦.sir"¦.I"¦.I don't want to sound disrespectful or insubordinate. But"¦.why me? I"¦.I'm a doctor, not a spy. If I may ask"¦..what use could I be for?"

As doors once again parted, Evan turned his head in the direction of the sound; this time it was the conference room. And while he had learned to expect the unexpected with this captain, he still wouldn't have imagined the words about to come out of the Scotsman's mouth.

"œShiyau thol'es k'thorai ri k'ahm, as my wife would say," he whispered to Lahr. "œMy Vulcan isn't as robust as it should be, but the phrase seems apt."
"If nothing else," Evan told the young doctor, "we'll be on hand should things get out of hand. It would be good to have medics present if someone gets hurt."

His attention turned to the opening doors of the conference room, his initial reaction to begin the process of standing up at the sight of the Captain re-entering. Even more intriguing was the idea that he was going to be a part of the away team, which excited him and caused him to hold back a grin.

"Cap'n, we at liberty to ask what the dress code for civilian attire's gonna be? Or is that down to our own devices?" He decided that leaning against the chair might make it look as if he were meaning to be standing at the time of the captain happening to walk into the room.

Lahr blinked as he got called on to go on an away mission in civilian clothes.   What?!  The Andorian's antenna shot straight up in surprise as he swiveled his seat to face the Captain as the human went on to explain what Lahr's role would be.   A mercenary huh? Well, at least this time he wasn't a drug-dealer...  and his persona as a mercenary would at least give him the option of fighting back if anyone tried to use him as a punching bag.

For a moment, he wondered at the Captain's reasoning for assigning him, an engineer, to the task, but then figured that his successful undercover mission to root out intel on the Romulan smuggler Hecate was probably in his file.

In answer to the Captain's orders, Lahr gave a single nod.  "Aye sir."

He glanced then to the German doctor as he whispered to Lahr in a language the Andorian didn't know but recognized immediately.  Vulcan.   Lahr knew a phrase or two in Vulcan - the basics...  "Hello."  "My name is.."  stuff like that.   That phrase however he didn't know.  Thankfully the Universal Translator program was part and parcel of the Starfleet commbadge so he go the gist of the man's comment and nodded his agreement.  Yeah, they would certainly look outwardly suspicious despite being noble of reason.  That was just part of being undercover.

When asked for questions, Lahr listened as both Ensign Nural and Lieutenant McNair spoke up.  Lahr had his own question but rather than address it to the Captain, Lahr looked to Commander Said since she was going to be the lead of his 'mercenary' away team.   "Commander, are we going undercover individually or as a group? Also, I might suggest going two or more shuttles, arriving at different times and landing in different ports.   There will be a lot of people looking at the comings and goings of ships looking for said Romulan.  Don't want us all arriving together - would look suspicious the mercs arriving with the bidders.  Also ma'am, given the potential for aggression, I'm assuming we'll be given permission to replicate non-Starfleet issue weapons. Yes?"

[Bridge --> Captain's Quarters --> Shuttlebay - USS Challenger]

Ian smiled at the questions as he could well imagine how he'd have felt if he'd been asked to join such a mission when he first reported aboard the USS Tempest forever ago.

"At the risk of brandin' you with a stereotype Ensign, Cardassians, as a species, are well known for their skills in subterfuge and intelligence. Even if'n you do not have specific experience in such things, they are encoded in your DNA and will likely be very useful and as the good doctor says, tis always good ta have a healer about.

"As for dress code, we are goin' in as bidders for a dossier of secrets. We're goin' ta have ta be over the top as we're ta be seen as successful and more than a wee bit amoral. I won't ask if'n you have summat that fits that bill in your wardrobe already, I'm just goin' ta assume we'll have ta get the replicators hummin' ta whip up a few suitable outfits. We meet in shuttlebay one in 45 minutes. I suggest you get ta movin' as I about ta."

Ian then turned and added.

"Commander CatalÁ¡n, you have the bridge."

After the on the bridge meeting, the Andorian engineer called his superior to arrange for a replacement officer for on the Bridge then hurried off to develop his costume as it were.  Lahr's antennae surprisingly alert and upright in anticipation for this mission.  He would thought the idea of the away, since it was dangerous, would have sent him into panic-mode but it hadn't... at least not yet.   He was actually looking forward to this.

In his shared quarters with Grelek, (he hadn't yet moved out to his new accomodations that were assigned him when he got promoted because honestly he spent most of his nights in Ruth's quarters when she wasn't working late), Lahr picked out an outfit of his own. Nothing too rough-looking  - that would just draw additional attention from the other mercs tagging him as a threat to their profits.  Casual was what Lahr was going for so that the others underestimated him.

Lahr then dug through this footlocker and retrieved his Andorian dagger.  It wasn't a permissable weapon for him to carry on him during his day-to-day duties on a Starship and he'd gotten used to that, but he'd be looked at suspiciouslly if as a mercenary he didn't carry it openly.   Given it's cultural significance, most Customs would permit the weapon to be carried but with a tracker to be certain it wasn't used in any criminal activity; however wasn't concerned about that, he knew of ways to circumvent the tracker easily if needed.

Once dressed and geared up - the Andorian had even packed a small toolbag (Roozh! He really was becoming an engineer to think of bringing such!), Lahr headed to the shuttlebay one to meet up with Zhuk and Nira.

There he found the Captain already in one shuttle renamed the USS Harmsway.  The Andorian chuckled, then looked about to see if another of the shuttles had been prepared for the mercenary team.