Post by Captain_Quintus on Apr 4, 2016 6:27:52 GMT
Postby Jocelyn Nidari » Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:42 pm
"Just a Little Sidetracked - Part II"
LtCdr Atton Jetrel & Doctor Jocelyn Nidari
"No way you could explain what, exactly?" A dangerous voice asked from the doorway.
The man strolled inside, inspecting the room with interest before turning his attention to Atton and Batan. An imposing figure, he was completely bald with skin as dark as the night, though his eyes were a reddish hue. Two other men entered along with him, both of them broad of shoulder and muscular, with angry expressions and cold eyes. All three were visibly armed, though none had drawn their weapons.
"Batan, how wonderful to see you again, though I did not expect you would have a friend with you. And you haven't even introduced us." His piercing gaze shifted to Atton.
"Atton..." Batan let out a audible gulp. "This is Shaz'Rahn, sector boss of the Orion Syndicate..." Atton glanced back at his long time associate. Batan stood as straight as a board, every single muscle in his body tense. Atton could feel him...like a rat trapped in a cage, with the walls closing in. He looked back to the crime boss, he needed no introduction. Though he'd been lucky never to meet, he knew Shaz'Rhan by reputation. Atton's eyes locked with his hellish gaze.
Shaz'Rahn smiled. All of his teeth had been filed down to sharp points. "Atton... Atton...," he said, repeating the name. "I know that name from somewhere." He turned to one of his associates, holding his hand for the storage device the man carried. Inspecting it, he smiled and then glanced back up to Atton. "Atton Jetrel, correct? Starfleet officer. Chief of Security aboard the USS Aquarius. I had you identified shortly after you entered these quarters. We monitor Batan's activities, you see. He is sometimes not at all trustworthy. But then, who is these days?"
His attention shifted back to Batan. "I understand you had a small amount of trouble, Batan. Do not bother explaining. I have the footage, though the thief hid his identity well, so I am in somewhat of a difficult spot, as you well know. I expected the shipment to be here and hold you responsible for it. You let him leave and did not contact me. Instead, you thought to run. I am very disappointed in you, Batan. It appears our working relationship is nearing the end. I suppose I must have you killed. And your friend here as he is a witness. Oh, and incidentally, is that pretty thing in the corridor waiting for one of you?" She would make a fine addition to my collection. The two men he had with him both drew wicked looking blades from their belts.
"Now wait just a minute!" Atton took a defiant step forward, angry at Shaz'Rahn's lurid thoughts. "She doesn't have anything to do with this, and neither do I! I just buy weed from Batan. I could care less what else he's gotten himself into." He glanced back at Batan, whose mouth hung open in shock. "Sorry man," Atton shrugged. "You're really just my dealer."
"It is always interesting to find out who your true friends are. Is that not so, Batan? I find you useless in this matter. You could not keep him from stealing my product and I doubt you could find him even if you wanted." He gestured to one of his men who suddenly grabbed Batan from behind and slit his throat. Batan gurgled and hit the ground, choking on his own blood. He was dead in moments.
Shaz'Rahn turned his evil gaze back to Atton. "I can see how you might have come in at the wrong time, but that really cannot be helped. However, I am more hesitant to outright kill you. Batan was scum and will not be missed. You, however, are an officer. Inquiries would be made. Difficulties would be caused. Those can be worked around, but at a cost. I am more of a mind to leave you alive if... if you are able to perform a small favor for me."
"Don't say it." Atton scowled. He sighed deeply, looking around the room. A pool of Batan's blood slowly crept towards his right boot. "Fine. The girl stays with me though. I know syndicate hostage handling policies. Yours in particular."
He walked over to a nearby end table, picking up a pad, and began typing into it. "I'll need a list of needs to be recovered, and any information you have on the break in, and the thief, since you apparently kept such impressive track of our mutual friend here. Have the information delivered to this location in one hour." He walked to arms distance of Shaz'Rahn, extending the pad for him to take.
Shaz'Rahn laughed, genuinely amused. "You just watched a man die at my order and you did not flinch. Most men would be begging for their lives and soiling their pants." He took the data padd and handed it to one of his associates -- the one not cleaning his knife on Batan's shirt. "You shall have what you ask, save for the girl. I think I will keep her as additional incentive for you to complete the task with a reasonable amount of time." He flicked a hand and one of the men started for the door.
"No!" Atton took another defiant step, this time prompting the attention of both guards. The one who had just previously murdered Batan quickly closed the gap between the Betazoid and the Syndicate Boss, his wicked blade stopping Atton in his tracks. The second man turned and waited by the door, in case the officer would be stupid enough to make some sort of a move his way. "The girl stays with me. That's not negotiable." He gritted his teeth, practically growling the words. "You can try to kill me now if you'd like, but I guarantee you it's going to ruin your day."
"You have more balls than I thought a member of the peace-loving Betazed could ever have." Shaz'Rahn smiled again, regarding Atton thoughtfully. "Alright. I suppose you could use some assistance. It is in my best interest to see that you succeed after all. But I will tell you... should you fail... you will soon find death a preferable option. Your female will beg me to kill her before I am through with her. I know that you will not seek out the authorities in this matter, for it would be quite damaging for Starfleet to receive footage of you visiting a notorious criminal suspected in the dealing of illegal items and stolen property, not to mention how you stood by and let him be murdered. The loss of your career would be the least of your worries."
Atton sighed, and looked down at Batan again. They had him by the balls on that one. Granted he didn't care much for Batan, but if he had to choose Jocelyn over him, he'd do it every time. Besides, he wasn't exactly the type of guy you missed. He frowned slightly, realizing he was getting distracted. "And if I recover your shipment..." He regarded Shaz'Rahn again. "You give me your surveillance footage of me entering this room. Original master copy, no duplicate so you can come along again later on. We have a deal?"
"Of course." Shaz'Rahn nodded, though his expression was still one of amusement. "I am nothing if not a man of my word." He glanced to his associates who were having difficult stifling their laughter. Shaz'Rahn smirked. "You will have your information as requested, Mister Jetrel. I suggest you take your leave before I change my mind about you."
He didn't need to be told twice. He briskly walked past Shaz'Rahn and out into the corridor. For a brief second, it all felt like a bad drug induced hallucination, until he glanced to the left, to find Jocelyn staring at him not far away. Atton walked directly to her, grabbed her arm and dragged her along. "Walk. Don't look back."
Though tempted, Jocelyn didn't glance back. Her attention was all for Atton as she stumbled along beside him, eventually pulling her arm free so that she could walk unhindered. Her eyes were full of concern. "Atton? Are you alright?"
"I have a bit of a...situation on my hands." He didn't stop walking, but he finally turned to look at her. "My old friend was just robbed. I owed him a little too much already, even more now. He had some very valuable merchandise on him. To wipe the slate clean I need to recover this merchandise for him."
He let out a deep sigh, finally stopping as they reached a path back to the promenade. "If I don't do this, he can make life very difficult for me. I need your help, Jocelyn...please." He locked eyes with her, giving her the most genuine look he'd ever mustered. He'd just talked a syndicate boss out of killing him and kidnapping the dear doctor. Now he just had to hit the grand slam and convince her that this was truth.
"I'm not sure I understand, Atton." Caught for a moment in his gaze, she stared. "His goods were stolen and he asked you to recover them for him? Why can't he just go to the station authorities? Surely they would be able to help him locate the thief on the station better than you could. I don't know what I could do to help you, either. Were they some sort of medical supplies or equipment?"
"Well...these goods aren't exactly...how do I say...legal." He shrugged uncomfortably. "As for why I need you...I can't really say. I just do. You won't get into any trouble though, I can promise you that. He needs discretion as much as we do. If I play this right, we can do this and still have time to get to your lecture."
Her brow furrowed as she frowned. "I'm not liking the sound of this. The goods aren't exactly legal and yet I won't get into any trouble? That sounds like a contradiction in terms. I'm sorry, Atton. Unless you tell me exactly how I can help, I don't feel comfortable getting involved." What is it that has him so scared? Is he afraid he's going to get hurt in some way?
Gods he loved being a telepath. "Look, I'm not going to lie. This thief isn't going to want to give up the goods. I should be able to take him...but I need you around in case something...goes wrong. I go to anyone else on Aquarius and questions will be asked. I need you because you're the only one I can trust."
"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Of course. I... I don't know what to say. I suppose I'm flattered that you would trust me to such a degree. Alright. If you think we can make it back by the next session, then I don't mind helping you out. I don't want to let you walk into a dangerous situation alone, anyhow. Where are we heading first?"
"There's a bar on the other side of the station where I can get some information, but we've got a little bit of time. Bistro?"
Jocelyn shook her head, touched that he would still offer to go to lunch. "If your friend is in trouble, we shouldn't waste any time. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to find this thief of his and track him down. Let's go. We've already wasted fifteen minutes. Perhaps we can have dinner after the conference instead."
"Alright," Atton said, inwardly relieved. "If you insist."
"Just a Little Sidetracked - Part II"
LtCdr Atton Jetrel & Doctor Jocelyn Nidari
"No way you could explain what, exactly?" A dangerous voice asked from the doorway.
The man strolled inside, inspecting the room with interest before turning his attention to Atton and Batan. An imposing figure, he was completely bald with skin as dark as the night, though his eyes were a reddish hue. Two other men entered along with him, both of them broad of shoulder and muscular, with angry expressions and cold eyes. All three were visibly armed, though none had drawn their weapons.
"Batan, how wonderful to see you again, though I did not expect you would have a friend with you. And you haven't even introduced us." His piercing gaze shifted to Atton.
"Atton..." Batan let out a audible gulp. "This is Shaz'Rahn, sector boss of the Orion Syndicate..." Atton glanced back at his long time associate. Batan stood as straight as a board, every single muscle in his body tense. Atton could feel him...like a rat trapped in a cage, with the walls closing in. He looked back to the crime boss, he needed no introduction. Though he'd been lucky never to meet, he knew Shaz'Rhan by reputation. Atton's eyes locked with his hellish gaze.
Shaz'Rahn smiled. All of his teeth had been filed down to sharp points. "Atton... Atton...," he said, repeating the name. "I know that name from somewhere." He turned to one of his associates, holding his hand for the storage device the man carried. Inspecting it, he smiled and then glanced back up to Atton. "Atton Jetrel, correct? Starfleet officer. Chief of Security aboard the USS Aquarius. I had you identified shortly after you entered these quarters. We monitor Batan's activities, you see. He is sometimes not at all trustworthy. But then, who is these days?"
His attention shifted back to Batan. "I understand you had a small amount of trouble, Batan. Do not bother explaining. I have the footage, though the thief hid his identity well, so I am in somewhat of a difficult spot, as you well know. I expected the shipment to be here and hold you responsible for it. You let him leave and did not contact me. Instead, you thought to run. I am very disappointed in you, Batan. It appears our working relationship is nearing the end. I suppose I must have you killed. And your friend here as he is a witness. Oh, and incidentally, is that pretty thing in the corridor waiting for one of you?" She would make a fine addition to my collection. The two men he had with him both drew wicked looking blades from their belts.
"Now wait just a minute!" Atton took a defiant step forward, angry at Shaz'Rahn's lurid thoughts. "She doesn't have anything to do with this, and neither do I! I just buy weed from Batan. I could care less what else he's gotten himself into." He glanced back at Batan, whose mouth hung open in shock. "Sorry man," Atton shrugged. "You're really just my dealer."
"It is always interesting to find out who your true friends are. Is that not so, Batan? I find you useless in this matter. You could not keep him from stealing my product and I doubt you could find him even if you wanted." He gestured to one of his men who suddenly grabbed Batan from behind and slit his throat. Batan gurgled and hit the ground, choking on his own blood. He was dead in moments.
Shaz'Rahn turned his evil gaze back to Atton. "I can see how you might have come in at the wrong time, but that really cannot be helped. However, I am more hesitant to outright kill you. Batan was scum and will not be missed. You, however, are an officer. Inquiries would be made. Difficulties would be caused. Those can be worked around, but at a cost. I am more of a mind to leave you alive if... if you are able to perform a small favor for me."
"Don't say it." Atton scowled. He sighed deeply, looking around the room. A pool of Batan's blood slowly crept towards his right boot. "Fine. The girl stays with me though. I know syndicate hostage handling policies. Yours in particular."
He walked over to a nearby end table, picking up a pad, and began typing into it. "I'll need a list of needs to be recovered, and any information you have on the break in, and the thief, since you apparently kept such impressive track of our mutual friend here. Have the information delivered to this location in one hour." He walked to arms distance of Shaz'Rahn, extending the pad for him to take.
Shaz'Rahn laughed, genuinely amused. "You just watched a man die at my order and you did not flinch. Most men would be begging for their lives and soiling their pants." He took the data padd and handed it to one of his associates -- the one not cleaning his knife on Batan's shirt. "You shall have what you ask, save for the girl. I think I will keep her as additional incentive for you to complete the task with a reasonable amount of time." He flicked a hand and one of the men started for the door.
"No!" Atton took another defiant step, this time prompting the attention of both guards. The one who had just previously murdered Batan quickly closed the gap between the Betazoid and the Syndicate Boss, his wicked blade stopping Atton in his tracks. The second man turned and waited by the door, in case the officer would be stupid enough to make some sort of a move his way. "The girl stays with me. That's not negotiable." He gritted his teeth, practically growling the words. "You can try to kill me now if you'd like, but I guarantee you it's going to ruin your day."
"You have more balls than I thought a member of the peace-loving Betazed could ever have." Shaz'Rahn smiled again, regarding Atton thoughtfully. "Alright. I suppose you could use some assistance. It is in my best interest to see that you succeed after all. But I will tell you... should you fail... you will soon find death a preferable option. Your female will beg me to kill her before I am through with her. I know that you will not seek out the authorities in this matter, for it would be quite damaging for Starfleet to receive footage of you visiting a notorious criminal suspected in the dealing of illegal items and stolen property, not to mention how you stood by and let him be murdered. The loss of your career would be the least of your worries."
Atton sighed, and looked down at Batan again. They had him by the balls on that one. Granted he didn't care much for Batan, but if he had to choose Jocelyn over him, he'd do it every time. Besides, he wasn't exactly the type of guy you missed. He frowned slightly, realizing he was getting distracted. "And if I recover your shipment..." He regarded Shaz'Rahn again. "You give me your surveillance footage of me entering this room. Original master copy, no duplicate so you can come along again later on. We have a deal?"
"Of course." Shaz'Rahn nodded, though his expression was still one of amusement. "I am nothing if not a man of my word." He glanced to his associates who were having difficult stifling their laughter. Shaz'Rahn smirked. "You will have your information as requested, Mister Jetrel. I suggest you take your leave before I change my mind about you."
He didn't need to be told twice. He briskly walked past Shaz'Rahn and out into the corridor. For a brief second, it all felt like a bad drug induced hallucination, until he glanced to the left, to find Jocelyn staring at him not far away. Atton walked directly to her, grabbed her arm and dragged her along. "Walk. Don't look back."
Though tempted, Jocelyn didn't glance back. Her attention was all for Atton as she stumbled along beside him, eventually pulling her arm free so that she could walk unhindered. Her eyes were full of concern. "Atton? Are you alright?"
"I have a bit of a...situation on my hands." He didn't stop walking, but he finally turned to look at her. "My old friend was just robbed. I owed him a little too much already, even more now. He had some very valuable merchandise on him. To wipe the slate clean I need to recover this merchandise for him."
He let out a deep sigh, finally stopping as they reached a path back to the promenade. "If I don't do this, he can make life very difficult for me. I need your help, Jocelyn...please." He locked eyes with her, giving her the most genuine look he'd ever mustered. He'd just talked a syndicate boss out of killing him and kidnapping the dear doctor. Now he just had to hit the grand slam and convince her that this was truth.
"I'm not sure I understand, Atton." Caught for a moment in his gaze, she stared. "His goods were stolen and he asked you to recover them for him? Why can't he just go to the station authorities? Surely they would be able to help him locate the thief on the station better than you could. I don't know what I could do to help you, either. Were they some sort of medical supplies or equipment?"
"Well...these goods aren't exactly...how do I say...legal." He shrugged uncomfortably. "As for why I need you...I can't really say. I just do. You won't get into any trouble though, I can promise you that. He needs discretion as much as we do. If I play this right, we can do this and still have time to get to your lecture."
Her brow furrowed as she frowned. "I'm not liking the sound of this. The goods aren't exactly legal and yet I won't get into any trouble? That sounds like a contradiction in terms. I'm sorry, Atton. Unless you tell me exactly how I can help, I don't feel comfortable getting involved." What is it that has him so scared? Is he afraid he's going to get hurt in some way?
Gods he loved being a telepath. "Look, I'm not going to lie. This thief isn't going to want to give up the goods. I should be able to take him...but I need you around in case something...goes wrong. I go to anyone else on Aquarius and questions will be asked. I need you because you're the only one I can trust."
"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Of course. I... I don't know what to say. I suppose I'm flattered that you would trust me to such a degree. Alright. If you think we can make it back by the next session, then I don't mind helping you out. I don't want to let you walk into a dangerous situation alone, anyhow. Where are we heading first?"
"There's a bar on the other side of the station where I can get some information, but we've got a little bit of time. Bistro?"
Jocelyn shook her head, touched that he would still offer to go to lunch. "If your friend is in trouble, we shouldn't waste any time. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to find this thief of his and track him down. Let's go. We've already wasted fifteen minutes. Perhaps we can have dinner after the conference instead."
"Alright," Atton said, inwardly relieved. "If you insist."