---
A Bad
Deal
She held up the crystal to the light and looked at it with her good eye, the other being covered by an eye patch. It was translucent and orange-colored, cut to be shaped into a thick saucer and was about human thumbnail-sized. Kathryn didn’t have a jeweler's eye, yet she felt like she was looking at perfection. The Lobi Crystals were a special currency in the known galaxy to acquire items not on the common market, from exotic food to weapons and even starships. She looked at the cache she just acquired from the Ferengi and surmised she might be able to buy a reclaimed Tholian fighter craft. The difficulty to pirate one was not worth the effort. The Consortium did the work for her (by whatever means they have), all she had to do was buy the ship using these Crystals. It would be a nice addition to her shuttle bay. The Abyssal was not a carrier and if an Empire Captain was to have discretion with her ship, then Kathryn's was to collect shuttles from various races.
Staza Murai sat at the edge of Kathryn's desk and started pouring Saurian Brandy to celebrate. "Well baby, you did it. It was nice to see the Ferengi get ripped off for once."
Kathryn lightly slapped then rubbed Staza's thigh and smiled. "That was negotiation at its finest, and I didn't have to shoot the grubby little Lober either. I'd rather not have to vacuum his ashes from my carpet." She looked into the crystal again. "Still, my trust for Fidas ... only goes ... so ... far." Kathryn pulled the crystal closer to her eye, and then tapped her combadge. "Thel, meet me in Science Lab Two immediately."
+++++
The Andorian Chief Engineer stood from the electroscope and looked to his Captain. "They are fake."
Kathryn's dark demeanor soured. "What."
Thel placed a hand to his chin as he considered his words; Kathryn was not pleasant to be near when she was angry. Yet, he was always direct and factual with Kathryn. He earned her respect and knew that was invaluable social currency on her ship; there was no need to waste it now. "These could pass for real Crystals, but are counterfeit all the same."
Turning on her heels, Kathryn placed both hands on her hips as she paced in front of the console. Thel could not tell if she were deep in thought or trying to stay calm. Stopping, she took a deep breath before responding, "tell me how. Someone is going to pay for this."
+++++
Kathryn stormed onto the bridge. Everyone jumped at her entrance and she marched directly to the helm. The Rigelian helmsman stood to let her sit down and was rewarded with being shoved to the floor. The Captain seemed to stab the console with her fingers as she plotted a course.
"S'Rel, find the ion trails to the Ferengi ship that warped away and give me their heading," she yelled.
"Aye, Captain," was the only response the Vulcan provided as she tapped onto her console.
Three very long seconds passed, then the helm station chirped and Kathryn's jaw clenched. She finished her calculations. Looking to the helmsman on the floor she snarled, "get up."
She moved to her own chair and slammed a fist on the arm rest activating the shipwide channel. "This is the Captain. Prepare for boarding action. We attack within the hour."
The helmsman sat in his chair and reviewed Kathryn's plot, he turned to her anticipating a command. She was already looking at him. He trembled as he spoke, "Captain?"
Calmly, she said, "maximum warp. Get me to that damn ship."
+++++
The D'Kora'class ship burned in space. Scores of blast marks marred the orange-hued hull. A debris field of metal and Ferengi bodies littered the space at every hole made by the Abyssal. It was held in place by a tractor beam from the Terran Empire vessel even though its engines were offline.
On board, Kathryn stomped her way toward the bridge. After shredding the shields, she could have beamed directly to the bridge and settled the score with the Ferengi Captain, but she relished the idea of punishing the crew for following such arrogant stupidity. So Kathryn ordered an assault from shuttles and boarded the D’Kora through its voluminous cargo bays. Her crew would suffer losses, but Kathryn mentally shrugged at the thought. Her crew comprised of well-trained soldiers and warriors from across the Terran Empire and replacements would be drafted as she needed them. Besides, those that fell were either weak or unlucky. Still, the Ferengi were no match. Kathryn did not worry.
Holding a falchion in her left hand and a phaser pistol in her right, she led two other DRACO-clad soldiers through the ship. Both were Gorn and fiercely loyal to her. Srazi and Garzas considered themselves to be her personal guards anyway. Turning a corner toward the doors to the bridge, two Ferengi defenders fired disruptors wildly, missing the three Terrans. Kathryn lifted her pistol and calmly fired twice. Both defenders died in front squealing as they fell to the floor.
The doors swished open and Kathryn swung the falchion at the two dead guards. The upswing lifted a head and propelled it into the room, blood splattering where it landed and rolled away. The bridge crew, except one, cowered as Kathryn strode into the room. The Ferengi Captain stood resolute as she pointed her sword at him.
"Fidas! Did you think you could get away with trading fake Lobi Crystals with the Terran Empire?!"
The Ferengi looked around his crew and frowned. He lowered his head. "It was not my intent to insult the Empire. The negotiation was made in good faith."
"The fact remains the Crystals are worthless." She nodded toward Garzas, who pulled a few crystals from a pouch and crushed them easily with one armored hand. He rolled the fragments in his fingers and they quickly turned to white powder that slipped through his fingers. A distinct aroma filled the air as the powder fell.
Fidas sniffed, and then coughed lightly as the sharp scent pierced his sense of smell. His affect was blank as he said, "spare the rest of my crew."
Kathryn did not expect that response, yet she capitalized on his calm demeanor. "Not surprised, eh? That tells me you knew about the deception. I must admit, using salt was interesting, stupid but interesting. Now, tell me where the Crystals came from."
The Ferengi Captain raised his hands to chest height and shook his head. "We just delivered the -"
A phaser beam blasted a hole through Fidas' left ear lobe and burned a console behind him. Screaming in pain and falling to his knees, blood leaked down his neck. Fidas clutched the wound and writhed in agony. The bridge crew sank to their knees.
Kathryn lowered her pistol. "Who is the first officer of this scow?" No one spoke up, but she could tell who it was from the looks of the others. She pointed her falchion at the quivering Ferengi. "Next time a woman asks a question, you will answer. Tell others what you have seen here. Now go, find an escape pod."
Shuffling past the others quickly and nodding furiously, the Ferengi left the bridge.
Kathryn turned and started walking away from the bridge, the two Gorn following by walking backwards with rifles pointed at the bridge crew. She tapped her combadge and said loud enough to be heard by everyone, "Commander Ythysi, when we return, please destroy Captain Fidas' ship to star dust and take your time doing so." Kathryn turned on her heels and looked back at Fidas sternly. "The Empire doesn't take kindly to bad deals."
The doors to the bridge closed.
She held up the crystal to the light and looked at it with her good eye, the other being covered by an eye patch. It was translucent and orange-colored, cut to be shaped into a thick saucer and was about human thumbnail-sized. Kathryn didn’t have a jeweler's eye, yet she felt like she was looking at perfection. The Lobi Crystals were a special currency in the known galaxy to acquire items not on the common market, from exotic food to weapons and even starships. She looked at the cache she just acquired from the Ferengi and surmised she might be able to buy a reclaimed Tholian fighter craft. The difficulty to pirate one was not worth the effort. The Consortium did the work for her (by whatever means they have), all she had to do was buy the ship using these Crystals. It would be a nice addition to her shuttle bay. The Abyssal was not a carrier and if an Empire Captain was to have discretion with her ship, then Kathryn's was to collect shuttles from various races.
Staza Murai sat at the edge of Kathryn's desk and started pouring Saurian Brandy to celebrate. "Well baby, you did it. It was nice to see the Ferengi get ripped off for once."
Kathryn lightly slapped then rubbed Staza's thigh and smiled. "That was negotiation at its finest, and I didn't have to shoot the grubby little Lober either. I'd rather not have to vacuum his ashes from my carpet." She looked into the crystal again. "Still, my trust for Fidas ... only goes ... so ... far." Kathryn pulled the crystal closer to her eye, and then tapped her combadge. "Thel, meet me in Science Lab Two immediately."
+++++
The Andorian Chief Engineer stood from the electroscope and looked to his Captain. "They are fake."
Kathryn's dark demeanor soured. "What."
Thel placed a hand to his chin as he considered his words; Kathryn was not pleasant to be near when she was angry. Yet, he was always direct and factual with Kathryn. He earned her respect and knew that was invaluable social currency on her ship; there was no need to waste it now. "These could pass for real Crystals, but are counterfeit all the same."
Turning on her heels, Kathryn placed both hands on her hips as she paced in front of the console. Thel could not tell if she were deep in thought or trying to stay calm. Stopping, she took a deep breath before responding, "tell me how. Someone is going to pay for this."
+++++
Kathryn stormed onto the bridge. Everyone jumped at her entrance and she marched directly to the helm. The Rigelian helmsman stood to let her sit down and was rewarded with being shoved to the floor. The Captain seemed to stab the console with her fingers as she plotted a course.
"S'Rel, find the ion trails to the Ferengi ship that warped away and give me their heading," she yelled.
"Aye, Captain," was the only response the Vulcan provided as she tapped onto her console.
Three very long seconds passed, then the helm station chirped and Kathryn's jaw clenched. She finished her calculations. Looking to the helmsman on the floor she snarled, "get up."
She moved to her own chair and slammed a fist on the arm rest activating the shipwide channel. "This is the Captain. Prepare for boarding action. We attack within the hour."
The helmsman sat in his chair and reviewed Kathryn's plot, he turned to her anticipating a command. She was already looking at him. He trembled as he spoke, "Captain?"
Calmly, she said, "maximum warp. Get me to that damn ship."
+++++
The D'Kora'class ship burned in space. Scores of blast marks marred the orange-hued hull. A debris field of metal and Ferengi bodies littered the space at every hole made by the Abyssal. It was held in place by a tractor beam from the Terran Empire vessel even though its engines were offline.
On board, Kathryn stomped her way toward the bridge. After shredding the shields, she could have beamed directly to the bridge and settled the score with the Ferengi Captain, but she relished the idea of punishing the crew for following such arrogant stupidity. So Kathryn ordered an assault from shuttles and boarded the D’Kora through its voluminous cargo bays. Her crew would suffer losses, but Kathryn mentally shrugged at the thought. Her crew comprised of well-trained soldiers and warriors from across the Terran Empire and replacements would be drafted as she needed them. Besides, those that fell were either weak or unlucky. Still, the Ferengi were no match. Kathryn did not worry.
Holding a falchion in her left hand and a phaser pistol in her right, she led two other DRACO-clad soldiers through the ship. Both were Gorn and fiercely loyal to her. Srazi and Garzas considered themselves to be her personal guards anyway. Turning a corner toward the doors to the bridge, two Ferengi defenders fired disruptors wildly, missing the three Terrans. Kathryn lifted her pistol and calmly fired twice. Both defenders died in front squealing as they fell to the floor.
The doors swished open and Kathryn swung the falchion at the two dead guards. The upswing lifted a head and propelled it into the room, blood splattering where it landed and rolled away. The bridge crew, except one, cowered as Kathryn strode into the room. The Ferengi Captain stood resolute as she pointed her sword at him.
"Fidas! Did you think you could get away with trading fake Lobi Crystals with the Terran Empire?!"
The Ferengi looked around his crew and frowned. He lowered his head. "It was not my intent to insult the Empire. The negotiation was made in good faith."
"The fact remains the Crystals are worthless." She nodded toward Garzas, who pulled a few crystals from a pouch and crushed them easily with one armored hand. He rolled the fragments in his fingers and they quickly turned to white powder that slipped through his fingers. A distinct aroma filled the air as the powder fell.
Fidas sniffed, and then coughed lightly as the sharp scent pierced his sense of smell. His affect was blank as he said, "spare the rest of my crew."
Kathryn did not expect that response, yet she capitalized on his calm demeanor. "Not surprised, eh? That tells me you knew about the deception. I must admit, using salt was interesting, stupid but interesting. Now, tell me where the Crystals came from."
The Ferengi Captain raised his hands to chest height and shook his head. "We just delivered the -"
A phaser beam blasted a hole through Fidas' left ear lobe and burned a console behind him. Screaming in pain and falling to his knees, blood leaked down his neck. Fidas clutched the wound and writhed in agony. The bridge crew sank to their knees.
Kathryn lowered her pistol. "Who is the first officer of this scow?" No one spoke up, but she could tell who it was from the looks of the others. She pointed her falchion at the quivering Ferengi. "Next time a woman asks a question, you will answer. Tell others what you have seen here. Now go, find an escape pod."
Shuffling past the others quickly and nodding furiously, the Ferengi left the bridge.
Kathryn turned and started walking away from the bridge, the two Gorn following by walking backwards with rifles pointed at the bridge crew. She tapped her combadge and said loud enough to be heard by everyone, "Commander Ythysi, when we return, please destroy Captain Fidas' ship to star dust and take your time doing so." Kathryn turned on her heels and looked back at Fidas sternly. "The Empire doesn't take kindly to bad deals."
The doors to the bridge closed.
---
Cast for crew:
The Abyssal - Mirror Kathryn's ship, same ship, different name as I wanted the Mirror version to be a reflective opposite.
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
S'Rel - Morena Baccarin
Staza Murai - Sarah Lind
Fidas - Jason Alexander
Ferengi First Officer - Sidewalk Extra 1
Garzaz - Lance Storm
Srazi - Chris Jericho
Rigelian Helmsman - Sidewalk extra 2
Mentioned but not seen:
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
The Abyssal - Mirror Kathryn's ship, same ship, different name as I wanted the Mirror version to be a reflective opposite.
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
S'Rel - Morena Baccarin
Staza Murai - Sarah Lind
Fidas - Jason Alexander
Ferengi First Officer - Sidewalk Extra 1
Garzaz - Lance Storm
Srazi - Chris Jericho
Rigelian Helmsman - Sidewalk extra 2
Mentioned but not seen:
Anthi Ythysi - Katheryn Winnick
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