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

[Buck McNair]

[Bock's Office - Tower of Commerce - Ferenginar]

Ian eyed the hideous green soda bottle with skepticism. He was however, even in his Orion Syndicate disguise, a representative of the Federation and he was Bock's guest, so he took one of the offered drinks. Rather than prolong the experience by smelling the soda before drinking it, he just drank. He managed not to gag...just, or vomit...just. Before setting the soda down.

"U-unique" "Well now Liquidator, we've made our entrance and I'm certain word is already spreadin' that the Syndicate is here. How can we help with your investigation?"

[Bock's Office - Tower of Commerce - Ferenginar]

Buck had to admit that the Captain had one for the theatrics and had half a mind to comment on the impressive display. The robes certainly helped to seal the deal and made Buck rethink his choice in outfit, however, he remained stoic as he allowed the Cap'n to do his thing, making the guards scoff but the timely call of the Liquidator had allowed things to proceed without too many other questions being asked of them. He wondered how many of them knew much of Earth's history and their figures they would form their cover identities over.

Some, perhaps.

But the chances of them knowing nothing was never zero.

So he would only open his mouth when he was required to, and the rest of the time he was keeping a keen eye out for any particular trouble headed their way. But in with a convoy of guards as they were taken to Bock's office, the chances of anyone trying anything was slim.

Walking in and feeling the breeze of the door as the Ferengi escorts had then been dismissed. Buck kept an eye on them as they exited until the doors closed before business could well and truly begin. The bottle had been offered to him, and whilst not keen on trying something that started with 'slug', Buck knew better than to make enemies on his first time on the away team. He had caught the look that the captain had given the bottle and tried to hide his with the attempt at drinking the soda.

Just managing to hide his gag with a 'clearing of the throat'. "Well now, that is a unique drink. Thanks." He managed, giving a thumbs up.

Buck would certainly be sticking with the one.

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

There was little for the crew aboard the Challenger to do while it was in a parking orbit, regardless of which planet they happened to be orbiting. The crew did have daily tasks to complete to ensure the ship was fully prepared to execute a wide variety of actions they could be called on to perform. However, for the moment, the ship circled Ferenginar and the crew continued with their typical business as usual tasks.

On the bridge, Lieutenant Hector Espada at the helm was going over the flight duty roster and a flag on his console reminded him he was falling behind in his crew evaluations reports. He sighed and tapped his combadge.

"Ensign Fisher to the bridge."

The young ensign had come aboard at Starbase 153 and was due for a chance at the helm during Alpha shift. As the ship was in a stable orbit, now was a good time to give him his shot.

[Robert Fisher]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

There was little for the crew aboard the Challenger to do while it was in a parking orbit, regardless of which planet they happened to be orbiting. The crew did have daily tasks to complete to ensure the ship was fully prepared to execute a wide variety of actions they could be called on to perform. However, for the moment, the ship circled Ferenginar and the crew continued with their typical business as usual tasks.

On the bridge, Lieutenant Hector Espada at the helm was going over the flight duty roster and a flag on his console reminded him he was falling behind in his crew evaluations reports. He sighed and tapped his combadge.

"Ensign Fisher to the bridge."

The young ensign had come aboard at Starbase 153 and was due for a chance at the helm during Alpha shift. As the ship was in a stable orbit, now was a good time to give him his shot.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Brief though it was, the turbolift journey offered a chance to curb some of his nervous excitement, and to compose himself in a manner that suggested his reporting to the bridge was routine. Unavoidable as it was, he disliked the idea of being the fresh-faced new transfer.

As the familiar hum of movement ceased and doors parted, Robert couldn't deny himself the sense of accomplishment that followed his first foray into the command hub of the vessel.

"Ensign Fisher reporting for duty, Sir."

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Brief though it was, the turbolift journey offered a chance to curb some of his nervous excitement, and to compose himself in a manner that suggested his reporting to the bridge was routine. Unavoidable as it was, he disliked the idea of being the fresh-faced new transfer.

As the familiar hum of movement ceased and doors parted, Robert couldn't deny himself the sense of accomplishment that followed his first foray into the command hub of the vessel.

"Ensign Fisher reporting for duty, Sir."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Espada stood and stretched when his replacement arrived. He paused to log out of the helm console before updating the eager Ensign.

"Okay Ensign. Get settled in. We are currently in a parking orbit, 10,000 kilometers above the Tower of Commerce. Nothing is happening or planned to happen for the next four hours, so do try not to run into anything. You so much as scratch the paint and the Captain will have you scrubbing the hull with a toothbrush until you retire. Lieutenant Ozoim will relieve you at 1800. Good luck. Oh yeah, don't forget to breathe."

Espada then exited the bridge making no effort to hide his smirk as the doors closed.

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas / Mercenary T'Riss | Streets | Thieves Quarter | Ferenginar]

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Streets >- Multi-Chance Casino | Thieves Quarter | Fereng | Ferenginar]

Nira felt amusement at Zhuk's line in-character: He wants to buy a moon. Really getting into character.

Still, she could feel some critical vibes from Lahr for letting Dokan go. Some part of her did want to follow him, but she remembered that he always had a tendency to disappear. Ferengi authorities have tried to tail him, but he always disappeared no matter what they did. Overall, Nira felt it was pointless to follow him.

"Oh, he's trouble alright," said Nira, and then added to a whisper to both Zhuk and Lahr, "the Ferengi authorities have tried to follow him, but he always disappeared. Much as we could follow him ourselves, it'll be pointless to try without knowing more or determining a pattern."

Then they continued on their way. It wasn't hard to find casinos; she could tell because the people outside were the only ones who looked clean, despite the dirty-looking buildings they guarded. Even the bouncers - big burly Nausicaans - looked clean, their wild hair tied back in ponytails. Finding the right casino, it definitely meant asking for directions.

As it turned out, they didn't have to ask much: The bouncers just simply gave directions. And it turned out to be easier to find, too: Not only was it built into a landfill, but seemed to be built from scraps of D'Kora Marauders and trying to emulate the style of the minarets of the Tower of Commerce. To Nira, it certainly looked more like a minaret completely made of scrap metal, though given the buglike nature of Ferengi ships and the fact that this was made out of D'Koras, the "minaret" certainly looked like a pile of scarabs cramming on top of each other to make an extremely narrow pyramid, extending their wings out often. The part that really looked like a minaret was the top, affording a 360 degree view of the quarter below and even had a view of the Tower of Commerce.

"Here it is," said Nira. "May as well try our luck."

Inside, Nira was surprised. In spite of the hodge podge of scrap metal that consisted of the establishment, the central tower certainly consisted of balcony upon balcony of gambling machines or tables. There were faint puffs of smoke around, so it certainly felt like a sauna, if the sauna blew smoke instead of steam. And Nira could distinctly see extraterrestrial hookahs dotting around, thought he liquid inside looked murky, like sewage...or rather, swamp water.

"Okay, now we need to look for an Eliminator named Bink," said Nira.

"Whoooze aahsking?"

Nira turned and saw a short but burly Ferengi. He was a short man, but not dwarf or midget short. However, he certainly made up for his height with his muscles.

Nira took out a bit of gold-pressed latinum and said, in character, "I was hoping you'd be available for a job."

The Eliminator wheezed in a snort and said, "Sweetheart, unless it's arund heere," and he gestured around the casino to drive the point home, "I'm afraid I can't help you."

Nira took out another slip of latinum and then leaned in. She pinched one of the Ferengi's ear lobes and said, "I could make it worth your while." Then she leaned in and whispered: "Liquidator Bock sent us. It's about the Romulan Dokan."

When Nira withdrew from him, Bink was looking more interested, though his eyes indicated surprise.

"My offyce, if you please," he said, indicating for her, Lahr and Zhuk to follow.

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Ferenginar - Thieves' Quarter]

Lahr's antenna sank back as his whisper to Zhuk obviously was picked up by the Commander.  Ooops!  Either that or she'd been reading his mind.  That troubled him even more.   He kept forgetting she was part Betazoid.  Roozh! That was so damned annoying.  It was going to get him into real trouble one day - thinking or feeling things he shouldn't around her.   From then on, the Andorian tried to keep his attention on his surroundings and nothing else.

[Ferenginar - Thieves' Quarter - Casino]
Lahr followed as directed.  Despite his alertness for trouble, no one seemed willing to even try against the three of them.  He supposed that was a good sign.   When they arrived at the Casino and almost immediately 'bumped' into their contact, Lahr was a bit suspicious.  But it seemed the Commander knew how to handle the Ferengi, even if it was a bit... intimate.

Zhukdra'shar was a bit surprised to have Lieutenant Commander Nira pick up his whispering to Lahr, but he nodded, his eyes showing determination. "Noted, missus."He proceeded to reply in character, not wanting to accidentally bring unwanted attention towards themselves, before glancing at Lahr, wondering if that answer had satisfied him in any way. He certainly felt more confident now that he knew the reason as to avoiding making a scene, yet he still wondered if maybe a more direct approach could be a better option. He never quite had the patience for more detectivesque approaches. But he wasn't about to complain.

At finding the establishment they had been sent to, Zhukdra'shar couldn't help but offer a bit of a disparaging look at the establishment, as he expected something more elegant. Who built their casino within a landfill, from old, scrapped ships? He had to admit, it at least it was unique, maybe even a bit charming. But it gave him no confidence to go and spend his hard-earned latinum there. If he had any through less than legal means.

In any case, he was here to accompany the disguised Nira as his bodyguard, and so he did, remaining wary as he nodded towards her to acknowledge her words. As he entered, he couldn't help but angrily swish away with his hand some of the steam that permeated in the air right in front of him, for added effect.

Liquidator Bink, it seemed, was closer than he expected, appearing after Nira, in character, asked for him. After some convincing, appealing to both the Ferengi's greed and his baser instincts, he told them to follow, something "T'Riss", dutifully did.

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Streets >- Multi-Chance Casino | Thieves Quarter | Fereng | Ferenginar]

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Bink's Office | Multi-Chance Casino | Thieves Quarter | Fereng | Ferenginar]

Inside, Bink certainly became more friendlier.

"Might I offer a drink?" he asked cordially, and then brought out four bottles of what looked like cola...only...

"It's green," said Nira when the contents were poured out.

"It is," Bink said with a grin, turning from bouncer to salesman in an nanosecond. "Sluuug-o-cola, the slimiest cola in the galaxy! With forty-three percent live algae in every bottle!"

Indeed, it looked like cola, but certainly looked like carbonated pond scum, hence why it was green and fizzly. Nira, after looking around at Lahr and Zhuk, replied, "No thank you."

"Suit yoreself," said Bink with a shrug and took a swig.

Determined to change the subject and not feel disgusted, Nira said, "Alright, so my understanding from Bock is that there have been thugs and assassins waiting to get the jump on Dokan the defector?"

"Mostt definitely," Bink said. "It certainly has the locals worried. While we don't mind if even something illegal makes a profit, it depends on how badly illegal it can be. Illicitness is a two-edged sword."

"And you want to keep it contained as much as possible," said Nira with a guess. "Hence why you have this whole section walled off."

"You're corrrrect right there," said Bink with another shrug.

"Considering how many assassins there are," said Nira, "what should happen if Dokan happened to wander in here?"

"Ran into him, I take it?" asked Bink.

When all three nodded, Bink sighed and said, "He does that from time to time. He likes to remind the targeters that the target is virtually untouchable; he knows the Eliminators are watching them, and there are as many Eliminators accumulating here as there are as many accumulating from different criminal or murderous sections in the Galaxy.

"At the same time, he lykes to remind the Eliminators that he can disappear and cannot be catchable at all. We've tryed all the tailing methods. Even sensors aren't able to find him."

Nira looked at Lahr a moment before turning back and saying, "Well, maybe since he's expecting Ferengi sensors, we could set up one of our sensors to track him. In addition, does he have any patterns in his...constitution around the Quarter?"

"Mostt of the time," Bink answered, "he disappears to a different section of the Quarter."

"And that train station, is that the only one in the Quarter?"

When Bink nodded affirmatively, Nira sat back to ponder. "At least this means he has a starting point."

"Unfortunately, he gets off at vary random points in the day and night," said Bink.

"Really?" said Nira with further interest. "Does he have any indication that he looks tired if he's staying up late?"

"Not so muuch as a baggyyy eye. He's practically a machine in his movements, and especially in organization from what I hear back at the Towwwer of Commerce."

Nira stayed silent a moment to ponder. She remembered how emotionless Dokan had been for a Romulan. Maybe he could've been a Romulan from the Reunification Movement who finally embraced repressing emotions like a Vulcan...

"Well, maybe if there is a chance to talk to him," said Nira, "hopefully we can arrange something."

"Well, he does talk randomly to some of our Eliminators from time to time when he does pass through the Quarter," he said. "I'll be sure to let the Eliminators here in the Quarter know that you need a word with him."

"Right," said Nira. "And maybe we can set up sensors in a way that we'll be able to track him."

"You're certainly more inquisitive than usual," said Bink.

"Well, one needs information to get the facts in an investigation," said Nira. "As a fictional Earth detective put it, 'Data, data, data, I cannot make bricks without clay.'"

Bink snorted and replied, "I know that. Holmes is a favorite among some Liquidators, we enjoy a fair bit of hyoomaan literature now and again."

"Anyway, Lahr, Zhuk, what do you think?" Nira asked.

[Ferenginar - Thieves' Quarter - Casino- Bink's Office]
Lahr nodded at Bink's offer of a Slug-o-cola.  The Andorian had tried a bottle once with Lek back when the Ferengi engineer had been assigned to the USS Challenger.  His attempt to appease the Romulan Commander back on Katra Station who'd threaten his enlisted career if he didn't make nice with the Ferengi.   The texture took a little getting used to but it wasn't the worst thing he'd drank in his life.

Lahr checked the seal to be sure it hadn't been tampered with before opening the bottle and raising it in salute.  He offered up the only Aquisition Rule he remembered as a toast.  "Greed is eternal."

The Andorian then half listened to the conversation as he wandered about the room looking over the Ferengi aesthetic when it came to showing off gaudy wealth.

His wandering must have caught the Commander's attention and annoyed her because at one point she gave him a  look.   The Andorian's antennae drifted down as he stopped perusing and returned to his place beside Zhuk.   It was only when she continued speaking to Bink that Lahr realized that maybe she wasn't upset at him but that she was seeking his confirmation of her idea.   "It's possible..." he hedged, figuring she wanted him to support her idea, "There ARE slight differences in how the two sensors work."

However, Lahr didn't want her to get her hopes up.  "However, anything that could fool their sensors would probably do the same to ours... but if you wanna test it.  Sure we can do that."

With him now involved in the conversation, Lahr paid closer attention to what was being said.  He particularly noted Bink's description of the Romulan's movements as mechanical.  Combined with the Commander's comment earlier of the man being void of emotion.  Lahr had an 'out of the box' theory.

"Has anyone considered that maybe he ain't really a Romulan?"

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas / Mercenary T'Riss | Bink's Office | Multi-chance Casino | Thieves Quarter | Ferenginar]

As they walked into Bink's office, he readily offered the trio a set of what he called 'Slug-O-Cola'. Though initially repulsed by the looks of the beverage, Zhuk decided to follow Lahr's example as he took one of the bottles and raised it in a toast-like manner, scooping one of the bottles for himself, opening it with his claw, and then proceeding to chug. It had to add to his 'tough-hombre' persona, right? Though at first he felt himself gagging at the slimy texture against his coarse tongue, there was something that he truly found tasty within the beverage, and after the first sip, he immediately took another swig of the bottle, more eagerly this time.

It was certainly good stuff. He moved back to place himself behind Nira, as a proper bodyguard would.

His ears, though, remained trailed on Bink, listening to the conversation at hand. He was surprised at the comments from Bink that their target was such an illusive man, but he supposed that it made sense now as to why Nira had decided not to pursue him. When he was asked for his opinion, he proceeded to loudly burp, and clean the lips on his snout with the back of his wrist.

"Well missus I-" He stopped, however, blinking a couple of times as he realized he was being called by his own name, and not the one of his persona. "Ah, correct. Well, I ascertain that Chief Petty Officer Shran'Lahr would be quite capable of employing his skills to better our sensors in such a way that would allow us to keep track of our target, though I would consider that having a word would him be my preferred method of determining exactly what is transpiring here." He commented, in his usually verbose, shakespearean way of speaking. After a short pause, he continued, "That said, I would also recommend trying to find some of these so-called 'assassins' looking for him, and trying to determine what they know too, so that we have a fuller picture of the situation."

He shrugged, proceeding to drink some more of the Slug-O'-Cola, before quirking an eyebrow in Lahr's direction. "Pardon? What else may he be, if not Romulan?"

[Robert Fisher]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Espada stood and stretched when his replacement arrived. He paused to log out of the helm console before updating the eager Ensign.

"Okay Ensign. Get settled in. We are currently in a parking orbit, 10,000 kilometers above the Tower of Commerce. Nothing is happening or planned to happen for the next four hours, so do try not to run into anything. You so much as scratch the paint and the Captain will have you scrubbing the hull with a toothbrush until you retire. Lieutenant Ozoim will relieve you at 1800. Good luck. Oh yeah, don't forget to breathe."

Espada then exited the bridge making no effort to hide his smirk as the doors closed.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Not exactly a challenge, but the thrill of being in control of the vessel was more than enough to disguise the menial task for what it was. His own strive for perfection demanded that he put every ounce of professionalism into his duties, not a single button would flash on those multiple panels without him noticing.

"Aye, Sir."

Fisher offered a small nod in acknowledgement with all the precision of a newly graduated cadet but allowed his posture to relax just ever so slightly.

"Thank You, Sir."

Mentally, he cringed at his own eagerness, but nevertheless, turned his attention to the bank of consoles that provided full control over the ship's movements. Gingerly, he took the Helm and began to familiarise himself with every function.

[Nira Said]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Ferenginar - Thieves' Quarter]

Lahr's antenna sank back as his whisper to Zhuk obviously was picked up by the Commander.  Ooops!  Either that or she'd been reading his mind.  That troubled him even more.   He kept forgetting she was part Betazoid.  Roozh! That was so damned annoying.  It was going to get him into real trouble one day - thinking or feeling things he shouldn't around her.   From then on, the Andorian tried to keep his attention on his surroundings and nothing else.

[Ferenginar - Thieves' Quarter - Casino]
Lahr followed as directed.  Despite his alertness for trouble, no one seemed willing to even try against the three of them.  He supposed that was a good sign.   When they arrived at the Casino and almost immediately 'bumped' into their contact, Lahr was a bit suspicious.  But it seemed the Commander knew how to handle the Ferengi, even if it was a bit... intimate.

[Ferenginar - Thieves' Quarter - Casino- Bink's Office]
Lahr nodded at Bink's offer of a Slug-o-cola.  The Andorian had tried a bottle once with Lek back when the Ferengi engineer had been assigned to the USS Challenger.  His attempt to appease the Romulan Commander back on Katra Station who'd threaten his enlisted career if he didn't make nice with the Ferengi.   The texture took a little getting used to but it wasn't the worst thing he'd drank in his life.

Lahr checked the seal to be sure it hadn't been tampered with before opening the bottle and raising it in salute.  He offered up the only Aquisition Rule he remembered as a toast.  "Greed is eternal."

The Andorian then half listened to the conversation as he wandered about the room looking over the Ferengi aesthetic when it came to showing off gaudy wealth.

His wandering must have caught the Commander's attention and annoyed her because at one point she gave him a  look.   The Andorian's antennae drifted down as he stopped perusing and returned to his place beside Zhuk.   It was only when she continued speaking to Bink that Lahr realized that maybe she wasn't upset at him but that she was seeking his confirmation of her idea.   "It's possible..." he hedged, figuring she wanted him to support her idea, "There ARE slight differences in how the two sensors work."

However, Lahr didn't want her to get her hopes up.  "However, anything that could fool their sensors would probably do the same to ours... but if you wanna test it.  Sure we can do that."

With him now involved in the conversation, Lahr paid closer attention to what was being said.  He particularly noted Bink's description of the Romulan's movements as mechanical.  Combined with the Commander's comment earlier of the man being void of emotion.  Lahr had an 'out of the box' theory.

"Has anyone considered that maybe he ain't really a Romulan?"

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas / Mercenary T'Riss | Streets | Thieves Quarter | Ferenginar]

Zhukdra'shar was a bit surprised to have Lieutenant Commander Nira pick up his whispering to Lahr, but he nodded, his eyes showing determination. "Noted, missus."He proceeded to reply in character, not wanting to accidentally bring unwanted attention towards themselves, before glancing at Lahr, wondering if that answer had satisfied him in any way. He certainly felt more confident now that he knew the reason as to avoiding making a scene, yet he still wondered if maybe a more direct approach could be a better option. He never quite had the patience for more detectivesque approaches. But he wasn't about to complain.

At finding the establishment they had been sent to, Zhukdra'shar couldn't help but offer a bit of a disparaging look at the establishment, as he expected something more elegant. Who built their casino within a landfill, from old, scrapped ships? He had to admit, it at least it was unique, maybe even a bit charming. But it gave him no confidence to go and spend his hard-earned latinum there. If he had any through less than legal means.

In any case, he was here to accompany the disguised Nira as his bodyguard, and so he did, remaining wary as he nodded towards her to acknowledge her words. As he entered, he couldn't help but angrily swish away with his hand some of the steam that permeated in the air right in front of him, for added effect.

Liquidator Bink, it seemed, was closer than he expected, appearing after Nira, in character, asked for him. After some convincing, appealing to both the Ferengi's greed and his baser instincts, he told them to follow, something "T'Riss", dutifully did.

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas / Mercenary T'Riss | Bink's Office | Multi-chance Casino | Thieves Quarter | Ferenginar]

As they walked into Bink's office, he readily offered the trio a set of what he called 'Slug-O-Cola'. Though initially repulsed by the looks of the beverage, Zhuk decided to follow Lahr's example as he took one of the bottles and raised it in a toast-like manner, scooping one of the bottles for himself, opening it with his claw, and then proceeding to chug. It had to add to his 'tough-hombre' persona, right? Though at first he felt himself gagging at the slimy texture against his coarse tongue, there was something that he truly found tasty within the beverage, and after the first sip, he immediately took another swig of the bottle, more eagerly this time.

It was certainly good stuff. He moved back to place himself behind Nira, as a proper bodyguard would.

His ears, though, remained trailed on Bink, listening to the conversation at hand. He was surprised at the comments from Bink that their target was such an illusive man, but he supposed that it made sense now as to why Nira had decided not to pursue him. When he was asked for his opinion, he proceeded to loudly burp, and clean the lips on his snout with the back of his wrist.

"Well missus I-" He stopped, however, blinking a couple of times as he realized he was being called by his own name, and not the one of his persona. "Ah, correct. Well, I ascertain that Chief Petty Officer Shran'Lahr would be quite capable of employing his skills to better our sensors in such a way that would allow us to keep track of our target, though I would consider that having a word would him be my preferred method of determining exactly what is transpiring here." He commented, in his usually verbose, shakespearean way of speaking. After a short pause, he continued, "That said, I would also recommend trying to find some of these so-called 'assassins' looking for him, and trying to determine what they know too, so that we have a fuller picture of the situation."

He shrugged, proceeding to drink some more of the Slug-O'-Cola, before quirking an eyebrow in Lahr's direction. "Pardon? What else may he be, if not Romulan?"

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Bink's Office | Multi-Chance Casino | Thieves Quarter | Fereng | Ferenginar]

Nira and Bink took in the comments made by Lahr and Zhuk. Bink nodded thoughtfully and replied, "It has occurred to us many times. It's easy to mistake him to be more of a Vulcan, but Vulcans never behave so Ferengi-like. If he is an actual Ferengi underneath, the surgeon did one hell of a job. I mean, trying to shrink down a Ferengi's ears to a smaller size into like what most other humanoids sport, can you imagine how hard it is?

"Unfortunately, whether or not he's an actual machine or surgically altered," he continued, "again, he's immune to sensors; if we had been able to detect what he is inside, we would've been able to track him with our sensors."

"Well, again, maybe it'll be different with Federation sensors," Nira said. "Let's see if we can try that. I think the best thing we'll need could be a medical scanner, see what he really is inside, and who knows? Maybe we'll be able to make it so we'll track him better. We'll have to bring Doctor Fellows or Nurse Davies down by shuttlecraft later to bring us the device."

"Splendid idea," said Bink. "Until we can contact Dokan again, or rather if Dokan approaches one of our Eliminators, and arrange a meeting, for now, yes, we can provide information about the assassins we're watching."

"Of course," said Nira. "How many are down here in the Thieves Quarter right now?"

"Around a hundred," Bink answered. "Again, we have Eliminators watching them. However, I can provide a list of the ones we are worried about, the most dangerous ones."

He pulled up a holographic display and showed portraits of a handful of assassins, and they certainly looked dangerous. Bink listed the names off.

"First: this is Gath," Bink said, gesturing to a Gorn at the top of the list. "He's one of the more popular picks of the Orion Syndicate. He's got a body count that, if the bones can be stacked, it could reach from a main planet to its moon."

He then pulled up another assassin, and Nira was surprised. "Wait a minute, I met him before, except he was nicer, and a man of science."

"Yes, I know about the brother," Bink said. "It's as easy a mistake to make as mixing up the two sort-of similar Rules of Acquisitions: 'Peace is good for business,' or 'War is good for business.' You may have been thinking of the nice brother, Galen Benev. This is the un-nice one, Galen Mal. His body count is rivaled only by Gath, and they're mostly Cardassian. He's got a reputation for being so bloodthirsty against Cardassians, he's not even allowed anywhere near the Bajor system. Not even the cult of the Pah-Wraiths want him in their ranks."

"So a Bajoran who's got a grudge against Cardassians," said Nira. "And he looks old enough to have endured the Occupation as a young man."

Bink nodded in affirmative and kept on going: Xinor Dralin the Bolian; Caju Killer the Kzinti; Shuuzzgor the Nausicaan; Calud Daaom the Trill; Visa the Orion Animal Woman ("And when they say animal, they mean animal," Bink said, gesturing at her wrist blades that easily look like retractable claws); Niamis Madat the El-Aurian; and Shahl Th'rhehlok the Andorian (Nira especially noted the scar on the side of his face).

"There are a fair share of hyoomaans, too," Bink added, "but we're a lot more worried about these people."

"Well, it shouldn't be hard to get the low-down, the way we are," said Nira. She stood and twirled a little in her robes. "How do I look?" she added, getting a little in character and acting flirtatious.

"Like a walking carpet," Bink said with some slight criticism.

Nira shrugged in understanding; Bink looked middle-aged enough to remember a time before Ferengi women were allowed to be clad.

"Let's see if we can find these assassins, then shall we?" said Nira to Lahr and Zhuk. However, something caught them by surprise as they were heading out. Whole crowds were gathering and paying attention to the Tower of Commerce. Nira looked up and gasped in both surprise and revulsion.

A Ferengi was dangling from the heights of the tower, hung by the neck and obviously dead.

"By the Blessed Exchequer!" Bink squealed in horror.

"Nobody was expecting an execution today, were they?" asked Nira, knowing Ferengi loved to toss criminals from the Tower of Commerce.

"This isn't a normal execution!" Bink continued to squeal. "There hasn't been a hanging in centuries! Not since people were being tossed off; people loved to bet where bodies would land in the Sacred Marketplace so much that they've been discontinued!"

Nira continued to look up. The Captain and his party were up there, they're likely to be surprised as any by the hanging from the tower.

[Kina Nural]

.
"Let's see if we can find these assassins, then shall we?" said Nira to Lahr and Zhuk. However, something caught them by surprise as they were heading out. Whole crowds were gathering and paying attention to the Tower of Commerce. Nira looked up and gasped in both surprise and revulsion.

A Ferengi was dangling from the heights of the tower, hung by the neck and obviously dead.

"By the Blessed Exchequer!" Bink squealed in horror.

"Nobody was expecting an execution today, were they?" asked Nira, knowing Ferengi loved to toss criminals from the Tower of Commerce.

"This isn't a normal execution!" Bink continued to squeal. "There hasn't been a hanging in centuries! Not since people were being tossed off; people loved to bet where bodies would land in the Sacred Marketplace so much that they've been discontinued!"

Nira continued to look up. The Captain and his party were up there, they're likely to be surprised as any by the hanging from the tower.

Kina wondered exactly what they were going to be doing on this mission. She remembered some of the stories her father told her her about fighting with Damar, an exiled Cardassian, and a Bajoran woman. It always seemed to be more"¦..direct. This was more subterfuge and deception. Maybe this wouldn't be too difficult. All she had to do was follow the captains lead and listen to his orders.

Something suddenly caught her attention. A bumping sound, coming from a nearby window. She looked and saw something odd. She slowly made her way toward it and was only a few meters away when she saw exactly what it was. A body hanging from something. She gasped and took a few steps back. "Captain! Something is happening."

She stepped back to the image and started to examine briefly. "Their"¦"¦dead, Captain. I cannot determine the exact cause of death without an autopsy or equipment, but it looks like this was deliberate."

[Ian Galloway]

Kina wondered exactly what they were going to be doing on this mission. She remembered some of the stories her father told her her about fighting with Damar, an exiled Cardassian, and a Bajoran woman. It always seemed to be more"¦..direct. This was more subterfuge and deception. Maybe this wouldn't be too difficult. All she had to do was follow the captains lead and listen to his orders.

Something suddenly caught her attention. A bumping sound, coming from a nearby window. She looked and saw something odd. She slowly made her way toward it and was only a few meters away when she saw exactly what it was. A body hanging from something. She gasped and took a few steps back. "Captain! Something is happening."

She stepped back to the image and started to examine briefly. "Their"¦"¦dead, Captain. I cannot determine the exact cause of death without an autopsy or equipment, but it looks like this was deliberate."

[Bock's Office - Tower of Commerce - Ferenginar]

Ian had caught the motion outside the window, but didn't realize what it was until Ensign Nural called out. He went to the window and was shaken by what he saw.

"Bloody hell! No need for an autopsy Lass, he died from a broken neck, he's been hanged."

Noting the blank expression on the Cardassian's face, he added.

"It's an ancient form of execution, tyin' a rope about the person's neck and droppin' them from a height. When the victim reaches the end of the rope, simple physics breaks their neck and kills them. It was a barbaric form of punishment on Earth some 425 years ago."

He then turned to face Bock.

What is goin' on here Liquidator? There is much more than profit afoot. What do you ken that you haven't told us yet?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As the ship continued it's slow orbit of the planet, the autopilot kept the Challenger in her geosynchronous slot above the Tower of Commerce. This meant there was precious little for Robert to actually do. However, Lieutenant Espada had programmed a proximity scanner into the helm and a yellow light began to flash indicating another ship had closed inside of 20,000 kilometers of the ship.

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Ferenginar - Thieves' Quarter - Casino- Bink's Office]

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas / Mercenary T'Riss | Bink's Office | Multi-chance Casino | Thieves Quarter | Ferenginar]

As they walked into Bink's office, he readily offered the trio a set of what he called 'Slug-O-Cola'. Though initially repulsed by the looks of the beverage, Zhuk decided to follow Lahr's example as he took one of the bottles and raised it in a toast-like manner, scooping one of the bottles for himself, opening it with his claw, and then proceeding to chug. It had to add to his 'tough-hombre' persona, right? Though at first he felt himself gagging at the slimy texture against his coarse tongue, there was something that he truly found tasty within the beverage, and after the first sip, he immediately took another swig of the bottle, more eagerly this time.

It was certainly good stuff. He moved back to place himself behind Nira, as a proper bodyguard would.

His ears, though, remained trailed on Bink, listening to the conversation at hand. He was surprised at the comments from Bink that their target was such an illusive man, but he supposed that it made sense now as to why Nira had decided not to pursue him. When he was asked for his opinion, he proceeded to loudly burp, and clean the lips on his snout with the back of his wrist.

"Well missus I-" He stopped, however, blinking a couple of times as he realized he was being called by his own name, and not the one of his persona. "Ah, correct. Well, I ascertain that Chief Petty Officer Shran'Lahr would be quite capable of employing his skills to better our sensors in such a way that would allow us to keep track of our target, though I would consider that having a word would him be my preferred method of determining exactly what is transpiring here." He commented, in his usually verbose, shakespearean way of speaking. After a short pause, he continued, "That said, I would also recommend trying to find some of these so-called 'assassins' looking for him, and trying to determine what they know too, so that we have a fuller picture of the situation."

He shrugged, proceeding to drink some more of the Slug-O'-Cola, before quirking an eyebrow in Lahr's direction. "Pardon? What else may he be, if not Romulan?"

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Bink's Office | Multi-Chance Casino | Thieves Quarter | Fereng | Ferenginar]

Nira and Bink took in the comments made by Lahr and Zhuk. Bink nodded thoughtfully and replied, "It has occurred to us many times. It's easy to mistake him to be more of a Vulcan, but Vulcans never behave so Ferengi-like. If he is an actual Ferengi underneath, the surgeon did one hell of a job. I mean, trying to shrink down a Ferengi's ears to a smaller size into like what most other humanoids sport, can you imagine how hard it is?

"Unfortunately, whether or not he's an actual machine or surgically altered," he continued, "again, he's immune to sensors; if we had been able to detect what he is inside, we would've been able to track him with our sensors."

Lahr was about to answer the Caitian with his out of the box idea but at the comments from Bink and a complete ignoring of his comment from the Commander who'd asked for his thoughts Lahr's antennae sank.  Why bother.  He gave shrug and looked to the Caitian Security officer.

"Doesn't matter.  It was a stupid idea anyways." he mumbled and moved further from the conversation to lean his back against the wall sullenly until his betters came up with all the answers.

"Well, again, maybe it'll be different with Federation sensors," Nira said. "Let's see if we can try that. I think the best thing we'll need could be a medical scanner, see what he really is inside, and who knows? Maybe we'll be able to make it so we'll track him better. We'll have to bring Doctor Fellows or Nurse Davies down by shuttlecraft later to bring us the device."

"Splendid idea," said Bink. "Until we can contact Dokan again, or rather if Dokan approaches one of our Eliminators, and arrange a meeting, for now, yes, we can provide information about the assassins we're watching."

"Of course," said Nira. "How many are down here in the Thieves Quarter right now?"

"Around a hundred," Bink answered. "Again, we have Eliminators watching them. However, I can provide a list of the ones we are worried about, the most dangerous ones."

He pulled up a holographic display and showed portraits of a handful of assassins, and they certainly looked dangerous. Bink listed the names off.

"First: this is Gath," Bink said, gesturing to a Gorn at the top of the list. "He's one of the more popular picks of the Orion Syndicate. He's got a body count that, if the bones can be stacked, it could reach from a main planet to its moon."

He then pulled up another assassin, and Nira was surprised. "Wait a minute, I met him before, except he was nicer, and a man of science."

"Yes, I know about the brother," Bink said. "It's as easy a mistake to make as mixing up the two sort-of similar Rules of Acquisitions: 'Peace is good for business,' or 'War is good for business.' You may have been thinking of the nice brother, Galen Benev. This is the un-nice one, Galen Mal. His body count is rivaled only by Gath, and they're mostly Cardassian. He's got a reputation for being so bloodthirsty against Cardassians, he's not even allowed anywhere near the Bajor system. Not even the cult of the Pah-Wraiths want him in their ranks."

"So a Bajoran who's got a grudge against Cardassians," said Nira. "And he looks old enough to have endured the Occupation as a young man."

Bink nodded in affirmative and kept on going: Xinor Dralin the Bolian; Caju Killer the Kzinti; Shuuzzgor the Nausicaan; Calud Daaom the Trill; Visa the Orion Animal Woman ("And when they say animal, they mean animal," Bink said, gesturing at her wrist blades that easily look like retractable claws); Niamis Madat the El-Aurian; and Shahl Th'rhehlok the Andorian (Nira especially noted the scar on the side of his face).

"There are a fair share of hyoomaans, too," Bink added, "but we're a lot more worried about these people."

"Well, it shouldn't be hard to get the low-down, the way we are," said Nira. She stood and twirled a little in her robes. "How do I look?" she added, getting a little in character and acting flirtatious.

"Like a walking carpet," Bink said with some slight criticism.

Nira shrugged in understanding; Bink looked middle-aged enough to remember a time before Ferengi women were allowed to be clad.

"Let's see if we can find these assassins, then shall we?" said Nira to Lahr and Zhuk. However, something caught them by surprise as they were heading out. Whole crowds were gathering and paying attention to the Tower of Commerce. Nira looked up and gasped in both surprise and revulsion.

A Ferengi was dangling from the heights of the tower, hung by the neck and obviously dead.

"By the Blessed Exchequer!" Bink squealed in horror.

"Nobody was expecting an execution today, were they?" asked Nira, knowing Ferengi loved to toss criminals from the Tower of Commerce.

"This isn't a normal execution!" Bink continued to squeal. "There hasn't been a hanging in centuries! Not since people were being tossed off; people loved to bet where bodies would land in the Sacred Marketplace so much that they've been discontinued!"

Nira continued to look up. The Captain and his party were up there, they're likely to be surprised as any by the hanging from the tower.

Despite his moodiness, Lahr did listen when Bink offered up the names of the known assassins presently in the Quarter.   He'd obviously been in Starfleet too long because not a single name was even remotely familiar to him, not even the Andorian.   There had been a time when he would've possibly had dealings with folks like that though his family's 'off-the-books' merchandise.   An idea began to form.  If only he could ditch the Commander...

With this in mind as the meeting wrapped up, Lahr spoke again answering the Commander's suggestion to look for assassins.  "I'll head to a less busy place and get a hold of Chloe for that medical scanner first.  But you two go ahead without me."

If he couldn't find the Commander and Zhuk right away afterwards... and happened to bump into an assassin or two... it wasn't his fault, right?

Yet just after he spoke, he heard Bink squeal and followed the horrified Ferengi's gaze up... and noted the body hanging in the distance.    Rather than continue to stare at the body, Lahr checked the crowd to see if there were others, like himself, who were less interested in the dead body than in others around them.   

[Buehler]

She stepped back to the image and started to examine briefly. "They're"¦"¦dead, Captain. I cannot determine the exact cause of death without an autopsy or equipment, but it looks like this was deliberate."

[Bock's Office - Tower of Commerce - Ferenginar]

Ian had caught the motion outside the window, but didn't realize what it was until Ensign Nural called out. He went to the window and was shaken by what he saw.

"Bloody hell! No need for an autopsy Lass, he died from a broken neck, he's been hanged."

Noting the blank expression on the Cardassian's face, he added.

"It's an ancient form of execution, tyin' a rope about the person's neck and droppin' them from a height. When the victim reaches the end of the rope, simple physics breaks their neck and kills them. It was a barbaric form of punishment on Earth some 425 years ago."

He then turned to face Bock.

What is goin' on here Liquidator? There is much more than profit afoot. What do you ken that you haven't told us yet?"

[Tower of Commerce - Brock's Office]

Evan was sipping at his slug-o-cola, trying to pinpoint what the flavor profile reminded him of. T'Ra had probably given him something similar, some kind of Vulcan concoction that was an acquired taste. But the ensign's sudden exclamation pulled him from that train of thought and he was startled by what he saw. Although being a doctor prepared him to deal with death, an unexpected body dangling from a height was... unsettling.

"œDoes that window open?" he asked the ferrengi. "œWe need to get that body down as soon as possible, not just to look for possible motives, but also because it would be wise to get them out of sight before we draw too much attention to our location."

[Nira Said]

The whole shuttle ride down, Kina was nervous. She was a doctor, trained to aid the wounded and heal the sick. Her whole life, that was what she focused on. Medicine. And now here she was, on an away mission not as a doctor, but as a imposter posing as a member of the Obsidian Order from Cardassia. How did someone like that act? She had no idea. In a desperate act, she decided to take on a mesh of one of a character from one of her Cardassian novels, Meditations on a Crimson Shadow, as well as how she portrayed her character in a holodeck program she got in the academy.

Once the doors opened, she looked straight ahead, face completely neutral, shoulders squared, and she tried to glide as she walked. Ferenginar was definitely not like other planets. Murky, damp, it was nothing like Cardassia. Being thrust into this type situation made her miss home. But now wasn't the time to become sentimental. The captain needed her.

She looked around as if she hardly cared about the architecture or decorations that the Ferengi considered good. Keep being mysterious, she told herself. After she followed the guide into Liquidator Bock's office and he welcomed the captain, she finally relaxed, letting out a soft exhale of relaxation. "I"¦"¦have never done anything like that before. And"¦..there's still more to come, right?" she looked over at Bock when he offered them some Slug-o Cola. "Um"¦.you actually wouldn't happen to have some Kanar, would you? I"¦.have a feeling I'm going to need it."

[Bock's Office - Tower of Commerce]

Evan did what he always did upon finding himself in an unfamiliar situation, absolutely nothing, being far too busy processing everything around him. The first thing he noticed upon beaming down to the tower of commerce was the change in atmosphere. A certain dankness clung to the air, even inside. The second thing he noticed was the captain's change of accent, which in addition to the odd outfit, made the man almost unrecognizable. He found himself oddly disturbed by the sound, but not half as much as the Ferrengi, whose voice absolutely grated the ears.

"œI'll try one," Evan laughed, once he realized what Brock has said. He'd never had a slug-o-cola before. Everything was worth trying at least once, and if it was disgusting, he usually had to learn the hard way. Then his new Cardassian colleague inquired about Kanar, something else Evan had never had. "œIf we survive this," he whispered to the young ensign, "œyou'll have to let me try some." He smiled, noting her demeanor, added, "œjust keep breathing. You're in good company."

[Bock's Office - Tower of Commerce - Ferenginar]

Ian eyed the hideous green soda bottle with skepticism. He was however, even in his Orion Syndicate disguise, a representative of the Federation and he was Bock's guest, so he took one of the offered drinks. Rather than prolong the experience by smelling the soda before drinking it, he just drank. He managed not to gag...just, or vomit...just. Before setting the soda down.

"U-unique" "Well now Liquidator, we've made our entrance and I'm certain word is already spreadin' that the Syndicate is here. How can we help with your investigation?"

[Bock's Office - Tower of Commerce - Ferenginar]

Buck had to admit that the Captain had one for the theatrics and had half a mind to comment on the impressive display. The robes certainly helped to seal the deal and made Buck rethink his choice in outfit, however, he remained stoic as he allowed the Cap'n to do his thing, making the guards scoff but the timely call of the Liquidator had allowed things to proceed without too many other questions being asked of them. He wondered how many of them knew much of Earth's history and their figures they would form their cover identities over.

Some, perhaps.

But the chances of them knowing nothing was never zero.

So he would only open his mouth when he was required to, and the rest of the time he was keeping a keen eye out for any particular trouble headed their way. But in with a convoy of guards as they were taken to Bock's office, the chances of anyone trying anything was slim.

Walking in and feeling the breeze of the door as the Ferengi escorts had then been dismissed. Buck kept an eye on them as they exited until the doors closed before business could well and truly begin. The bottle had been offered to him, and whilst not keen on trying something that started with 'slug', Buck knew better than to make enemies on his first time on the away team. He had caught the look that the captain had given the bottle and tried to hide his with the attempt at drinking the soda.

Just managing to hide his gag with a 'clearing of the throat'. "Well now, that is a unique drink. Thanks." He managed, giving a thumbs up.

Buck would certainly be sticking with the one.

[Liquidator Bock | Bock's Office | Ferengi Commerce Authority Offices | Tower of Commerce | Ferenginar]

Once the team had their drinks, Bock proceeded to business, even amidst the varied reactions to Slug-O-Cola.

"Right, down to bushnish," he said. "With you hidden in the crowdssh when the aucshun beginsh, you'll shertainly be in a better posishun to be closh to the defector, whosh name ish Dokan. In thish way, you'll be able to be in a better plash to follow him, better than we can, potenshally. You being here early, you'll be able to get to know the layout of the Tower of Commersh. That way, you'll be able to know which waysh Dokan goesh in and out.

"Addishunally, you'll be in a good posishun to be around Romulansh, and eshpeshially Romulansh who may be in a posishun to pose a threat to Ferenginar. You'll be keeping an eye on them ash well ash Dokan as much ash your firsht offisher will be keeping an eye on the thughs in the Thievesh Quarter. Then again, we have intel that Dokan hash often gone around the Thievesh Quarter. Why, we have no idea. Itsh eashy to ashume he ish taunting either the thugsh there or the Eliminatorsh. Either way, he dishappearsh ash fasht ash he doesh from the Tow..."

Kina wondered exactly what they were going to be doing on this mission. She remembered some of the stories her father told her her about fighting with Damar, an exiled Cardassian, and a Bajoran woman. It always seemed to be more"¦..direct. This was more subterfuge and deception. Maybe this wouldn't be too difficult. All she had to do was follow the captains lead and listen to his orders.

Something suddenly caught her attention. A bumping sound, coming from a nearby window. She looked and saw something odd. She slowly made her way toward it and was only a few meters away when she saw exactly what it was. A body hanging from something. She gasped and took a few steps back. "Captain! Something is happening."

She stepped back to the image and started to examine briefly. "Their"¦"¦dead, Captain. I cannot determine the exact cause of death without an autopsy or equipment, but it looks like this was deliberate."

[Bock's Office - Tower of Commerce - Ferenginar]

Ian had caught the motion outside the window, but didn't realize what it was until Ensign Nural called out. He went to the window and was shaken by what he saw.

"Bloody hell! No need for an autopsy Lass, he died from a broken neck, he's been hanged."

Noting the blank expression on the Cardassian's face, he added.

"It's an ancient form of execution, tyin' a rope about the person's neck and droppin' them from a height. When the victim reaches the end of the rope, simple physics breaks their neck and kills them. It was a barbaric form of punishment on Earth some 425 years ago."

He then turned to face Bock.

What is goin' on here Liquidator? There is much more than profit afoot. What do you ken that you haven't told us yet?"

The shout from the Cardassian caused Bock to whirl around and gape in shock as a fellow Liquidator hit his window and slid down. He looked back at Captain Galloway in horror.

"By the Blesshed Exchequer!" he said in horror. "I don't know how dish happened!!! Nobody'sh been hung from the Tower for centureesh! And that wash Liquidator Gen, and he'sh one of the Liquidatorsh that ansher to the Grand Nagush directly!"

Turning to Doctor Buehler, he nodded, "Oh, definitely, itsh going to create a shtir all over the public! No, it doesh not open, but we'll have to hoisht the body up. I'm heading for the shpire!"

"I'll come along, Liquidator," said T'Kel. "Whoever did it may still be there, and the fact that it stopped its descent at your window could be far from coincidental."

Bock shuddered from a chill at the Vulcan's words.

As he scrambled from the office, he gestured to some of his security people to get the corpse back inside, while he and T'Kel headed for the spire.

They soon got to the spire. There were a series of platforms around the spire. While it looked to have the impression of a gallows, platforms extended out to give more of the impression of walking the plank, and they especially extend out in a way that in any direction, the victim will be sent falling to his or her death to the Sacred Marketplace below.

However, there certainly was a makeshift gallows arranged at one section of the platform. Bock pursed his lips as other security guards appeared to hoist the body up.

When he returned with T'Kel, Bock shook his head with a chill. "I am sho shorry thish had to happen. Nobody hash ever been hung, not shinsh people have been betting where the victim landsh. Thish washn't even an authorished execushun! And if thish ish shumbody closh to the Nagush..."

He let it sink in. He was becoming worried this could be a first step. An execution like this was potentially a show of defiance against the Nagus in some way. How in the Blessed Exchequer's name this was connected to Dokan's presence, he wasn't sure, but something inside him had an inkling it was somehow.

[Kina Nural]

[Liquidator Bock | Bock's Office | Ferengi Commerce Authority Offices | Tower of Commerce | Ferenginar]

Once the team had their drinks, Bock proceeded to business, even amidst the varied reactions to Slug-O-Cola.

"Right, down to bushnish," he said. "With you hidden in the crowdssh when the aucshun beginsh, you'll shertainly be in a better posishun to be closh to the defector, whosh name ish Dokan. In thish way, you'll be able to be in a better plash to follow him, better than we can, potenshally. You being here early, you'll be able to get to know the layout of the Tower of Commersh. That way, you'll be able to know which waysh Dokan goesh in and out.

"Addishunally, you'll be in a good posishun to be around Romulansh, and eshpeshially Romulansh who may be in a posishun to pose a threat to Ferenginar. You'll be keeping an eye on them ash well ash Dokan as much ash your firsht offisher will be keeping an eye on the thughs in the Thievesh Quarter. Then again, we have intel that Dokan hash often gone around the Thievesh Quarter. Why, we have no idea. Itsh eashy to ashume he ish taunting either the thugsh there or the Eliminatorsh. Either way, he dishappearsh ash fasht ash he doesh from the Tow..."The shout from the Cardassian caused Bock to whirl around and gape in shock as a fellow Liquidator hit his window and slid down. He looked back at Captain Galloway in horror.

"By the Blesshed Exchequer!" he said in horror. "I don't know how dish happened!!! Nobody'sh been hung from the Tower for centureesh! And that wash Liquidator Gen, and he'sh one of the Liquidatorsh that ansher to the Grand Nagush directly!"

Turning to Doctor Buehler, he nodded, "Oh, definitely, itsh going to create a shtir all over the public! No, it doesh not open, but we'll have to hoisht the body up. I'm heading for the shpire!"

"I'll come along, Liquidator," said T'Kel. "Whoever did it may still be there, and the fact that it stopped its descent at your window could be far from coincidental."

Bock shuddered from a chill at the Vulcan's words.

As he scrambled from the office, he gestured to some of his security people to get the corpse back inside, while he and T'Kel headed for the spire.

They soon got to the spire. There were a series of platforms around the spire. While it looked to have the impression of a gallows, platforms extended out to give more of the impression of walking the plank, and they especially extend out in a way that in any direction, the victim will be sent falling to his or her death to the Sacred Marketplace below.

However, there certainly was a makeshift gallows arranged at one section of the platform. Bock pursed his lips as other security guards appeared to hoist the body up.

When he returned with T'Kel, Bock shook his head with a chill. "I am sho shorry thish had to happen. Nobody hash ever been hung, not shinsh people have been betting where the victim landsh. Thish washn't even an authorished execushun! And if thish ish shumbody closh to the Nagush..."

He let it sink in. He was becoming worried this could be a first step. An execution like this was potentially a show of defiance against the Nagus in some way. How in the Blessed Exchequer's name this was connected to Dokan's presence, he wasn't sure, but something inside him had an inkling it was somehow.

Kina thought about everything that was happening. The initial shock of seeing a dead body had worn off. It reminded her of some of the literature she read back home. Political intrigue and supposition. There seemed to be more going on here than what they were seeing.

She looked to Galloway. "Captain, if I may. Perhaps either Dr. Buehler or myself should examine the body. Why not just throw this particular Liquidator off the Tower? Someone would only do something like this to make a statement. It's possible that he was killed prior to this"¦"¦display. We may be able to find some form evidence to help determine who was responsible for this."

[Nira Said]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Ferenginar - Thieves' Quarter - Casino- Bink's Office]

Lahr was about to answer the Caitian with his out of the box idea but at the comments from Bink and a complete ignoring of his comment from the Commander who'd asked for his thoughts Lahr's antennae sank.  Why bother.  He gave shrug and looked to the Caitian Security officer.

"Doesn't matter.  It was a stupid idea anyways." he mumbled and moved further from the conversation to lean his back against the wall sullenly until his betters came up with all the answers.

Despite his moodiness, Lahr did listen when Bink offered up the names of the known assassins presently in the Quarter.   He'd obviously been in Starfleet too long because not a single name was even remotely familiar to him, not even the Andorian.   There had been a time when he would've possibly had dealings with folks like that though his family's 'off-the-books' merchandise.   An idea began to form.  If only he could ditch the Commander...

With this in mind as the meeting wrapped up, Lahr spoke again answering the Commander's suggestion to look for assassins.  "I'll head to a less busy place and get a hold of Chloe for that medical scanner first.  But you two go ahead without me."

If he couldn't find the Commander and Zhuk right away afterwards... and happened to bump into an assassin or two... it wasn't his fault, right?

Yet just after he spoke, he heard Bink squeal and followed the horrified Ferengi's gaze up... and noted the body hanging in the distance.    Rather than continue to stare at the body, Lahr checked the crowd to see if there were others, like himself, who were less interested in the dead body than in others around them.

[Lieutenant Commander Nira Said | Multi-Chance Casino | Thieves Quarter | Fereng | Ferenginar]

Nira looked at Lahr when he proposed contacting Nurse Davies. She didn't like the idea of him going off alone in a place like the Thieves Quarter, but she sensed that he could provide a good rendezvous for the Nurse when she arrives with the scanner.

"That's a good idea," she whispered. "We can arrange for a place to meet up once the Nurse gets down here. Have one of the flight officers come down with the Nurse in a shuttle, given the transporter restrictions on Ferenginar at the current time. He'll also be able to provide escort for the Nurse and the scanner when she meets you."

"I got a suite in a hotel near the Quarter," Bink whispered. "That'll be an ideal base and a good place to meet again. Like the other suites for Eliminators, the only place more secure is the Nagus' chambers."

Nira nodded, then back at Lahr and winked a farewell, then turning away so that Lahr can disappear into the crowd. Nira had a feeling he might, and he had blended in before...as for a potential pilot to bring down Nurse Davies, she remembered the new flight officer from the roster, one Robert Fisher. Could be a good opportunity to stretch his wings, to coin the pilot speak.

[Buck McNair]

[Bock's Office - Tower of Commerce - Ferenginar]

Ian had caught the motion outside the window, but didn't realize what it was until Ensign Nural called out. He went to the window and was shaken by what he saw.

"Bloody hell! No need for an autopsy Lass, he died from a broken neck, he's been hanged."

Noting the blank expression on the Cardassian's face, he added.

"It's an ancient form of execution, tyin' a rope about the person's neck and droppin' them from a height. When the victim reaches the end of the rope, simple physics breaks their neck and kills them. It was a barbaric form of punishment on Earth some 425 years ago."

He then turned to face Bock.

What is goin' on here Liquidator? There is much more than profit afoot. What do you ken that you haven't told us yet?"

[Ferenginar - Bock's office]

Whilst Buck did not want or have much to add to the conversation, there was a need to speak for only to get rid of the taste of the Slug-o-cola on his tongue. It was an acquired taste and whilst he would keep a hold of his drink, if only not to appear rude. Motion had seemed to capture Ian's attention, which in turn had captured Buck's as they made their way over to the window at the exclamation of Ensign Nural.

He certainly felt the breath go from his body, if only for a moment as he gazed upon the body. It seemed....unreal, even if his brain knew what was happening - what had happened and the confirmations by the captain, Buck couldn't place the feeling. Buck also assumed by the way the tables had been quickly turned that the hanging had not been expected by any one of the party. It gave him a perfect excuse to 'forget' about the drink in hand and place it down as he turned to the Liquidator as he turned to hurry out the room.

"Aw heck, cap'n," He said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Someone definitely uttered the 'q' word on board the Challenger."

For a moment, Buck lapsed into silence before starting up again. "Bein' that we're posing as the Syndicate, ain't there going to be needing some response to this? Might assist us to get to know our shadier counterparts, who might know somethin' about a lil' something."