Clue hunting.

Posted on Fri Jun 27th, 2025 @ 3:05am by Ensign Dani Harper & Lieutenant Ryan Keel & Lieutenant JG Fulvia

1,468 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Bombs or Bombshells
Location: Freecloud, the outskirts of Rag City
Timeline: While Astrea is in the Typhon Expanse

The sound of music that one could feel in your bones echoed around the neon-lit room as the busy club went about another night as a meeting ground for a city of vice. Alein from far across deep space mingles with residents from the federation as they went about their dark desires.

The perfect place to gather intel on the local underground world's activity.

Fortunately, for Fulvia, she'd gotten a job that wouldn't require her to get her breasts out for every drunken lout in this city. Her current identity of Faacha yixea was currently working as one of the bar's many bartenders. No one batted an eye at another Bajorian out here. Though she'd gotten plenty of information, none related to the weapons deal.

Bolians were known the galaxy over for being cheerful social sorts. As Adoran Trass lived up to that stereotype, he was dying inside. Nothing could be further from his personality and outlook on life. A normally taciturn and quiet individual, drawn to the unobtrusive work of intelligence gathering, he hated putting on a performance that encouraged that stereotype.

But needs must, he thought to himself bitterly, laughing at the inane comment his current companion whisper-shouted into his ear over the pounding music of the club as he flicked a glance this way and that. Trass was dressed as a local boy-done-good, fine threads, and a penchant for buying the most expensive drinks going. It had already attracted a bunch of hangers on, allowing him to blend in as he surreptitiously glanced around the space.

Dani walked into the bar wearing her 'costume' for the mission. It had been suggested that she lean into her Orion genetics, and dress the part, black leather pants, black boots, and a crop top with metallic gold detailing. Over that she wore a short sleeve shrug with a stole collar made of red fur. Dani walked up to the bar and waited to be served.

When Fulvia made her way over, Dani placed a few coins of local currency on the bar. "I'll take a beer. Whatever is on tap is fine."

Fulvia nooded, making sure she gave nothing away that she knew the ensign. " One starfighter coming up. " She said politely as she took the cash and poured out the foaming blue drink. Passing it over, she made sure to slip in the anti-alcohol pill from the bracelet on her arm. " Haven't seen you around here before." she asked.

"Haven't been here long. Still deciding if I am going to stick around the area or not." Dani shrugged as she took the drink and the pill. "Heard business here can be good."

" Oh, plenty of business, but none that would interest me." Fulvia replied as she went back to wiping the bar top. " Mostly small scale. All the big ones are quiet these days."

"I see. So not really worth a mingle?" Dani asked.

" Oh, this is the place to mingle. If anything's going to happen, it's here. " Fulvia replied. As if the universe could hear her, a tired and very jumpy-looking naussican entered his eyes, darting around the room before he slipped into the crowd. Now he looked like one of the ones on Xalanths cam footage, thought the manga roman.

"I'll see about making some friends then. Pour me another." Dani waited until Fulvia slid the drink across the counter and then she picked it up and walked over the jumpy Nausicaan and handed him the fresh drink.

"You look like you could use one of these," Dani said coolly.

The Nausicaan eyes darted around the room before focusing on the Orion. Despite clearly being on something, its mouth curled into what looked like a smile. " Thanks, it's been a long day. "

From her place at the bar, Fulvia kept her eyes fixed. If this was the guy he may have been trying to shift the weapons quickly.

From his vantage point, Trass saw the Nausicaan sidle up to the bar, and watched Fulvia's stare grow fixed. Keying his subdermal communicator, he listened with rapt attention to the conversation that would unfold. Glancing about, he saw several other Nausicaans idling about the place as well. 'Your guy might have back-up,' he murmured, knowing the communicator would pick up his words.

Dani looked at the Nausicaan with a bit playful mock skepticism. "A long day, you say. Why do you say that? You seem like you could handle most things that come your way."

" Oh, I can handle anything this place throws at me." The Nausicann replied, fooling no one but himself. " I just have a great deal to work out just need to meet the buyer."

Fulvia was still in her normal position and was doing her best not to roll her eyes. Who was this fool trying to sell the weapons to?

"The buyer? What are you selling? I know some buyers..." Dani stepped a little closer to the Nausicaan and tried to swallow the current disgust she was feeling.

" Oh, something that's going to make me and my boys rich..." The Naussican gleemed he clearly couldn't hold his alcohol.

" Try slipping in the word swordfish into a sentence," Fulvia suggested to the coms in Dani ear as an idea popped into her head.

Dani tried not to choke on her drink when she heard the suggestion made by Fulvia. How did Fulvia think she was going to work that into a sentence organically?

"Oh yeah, is this happening tonight? Or are you out having a good time for a while?" Dani asked

" Tonight. " He replied, swinging yet another shot. " Just need to wait for are contact and then we're rich enough TO LEAVE THIS DUMP. " he yelled the last part loud enough to be heard over the music and cause a few heads to turn in their direction.

"How about we do a shot then, to celebrate?" Dani said in a moment of panic. "They have one here called the swordfish. It'll make you feel like you're swimming in the ocean."

" Yeah, that......" Replied the Naussician before he paused, looking over Dani a few times as if trying to process what he had just heard. Evently after another shot from his drink, he tried to straighten himself out, letting out a weak " Why didn't you just say you were here to buy?"

From her place at the bar Fulvia internally smirked to herself. Just like she'd been told at the academy. For some reason every lowlife who thought he was a genius used swordfish as a password.

Dani blinked, trying to quickly recover from what Fulvia had walked her into. She could do this.

"Yeah, well that was my next step. You know, if you weren't picking up my hints. It's safe to talk here?" She asked, looking around.

Tensing as he heard the question being asked, Trass looked around. The other Nausicaans that had come in with the oaf at the bar were otherwise engaged at this point, but you could never rule out a trap. Praying that it wouldn't be a room with one way in and out, he readied himself to move within support's distance.

"Trass keep an eye out for other Orions. I think these idiots may have been trying to sell the weapons to a syndicate." Fulvia said quietly into the coms as she kept her eyes scanning the room. " Dani just breathe and act confident." She said to the Orion hybrid on the dance floor. The Roman knew she could handle it if it was her out there but she wasn't sure about her crewmate.

Meanwhile, back on the floor, the Naussician was continuing to talk to Trass and drinking. " Yeah, yeah, it's safe here. I got a jammer and everything." He said, opening his jacket to show the cheap-of-the-shelf product that clearly wasn't working.

Nodding at the Nausicaan he leaned in to pretend to have a closer looked, and rubbed his hand across his jaw, double-tapping the subdermal comm implant to send to clicks across the line in acknowledgement of Fulvia's orders. 'Looks like a nice unit,' he said with a wide smile, 'top of the range kit, eh?' Trass's eyes looked around the Nausicaan's head to see if there were in fact Orions around at the moment.

"After a proper inspection of course," Dani confirmed. "How can my associate and I get in on the bidding. I promise we can make it worth your time."

"Tomorrow at twelve standard time zanrdha warehouse. " The Nausicann managed to whisper despite his clear intoxication.

Trass glanced over to Dani, then back to the Nausicaan. 'We'll be there,' he replied with a nod and a smile. 'We're looking forward to some bangs for our bucks,' he chuckled at the ugly being.


~tbc~

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