Topic: Daggers in the Night

[Andromeda]

Yea!  Let's here it for the girls!

[kadh2000]

You know, I've posted scenes that are that short.  I get in trouble for them when everyone asks for more. 


More!

[Scottish Andy]

Though I didn't want to come right out and say it in the story, I wanted Leral to do something stereotypically feminine.

However, that is exactly what I thought when reading that line. "It's because she's the girl." Even though she's a Klingon girl. I honestly cannot see her wandering around in a pinny and bunny sllippers with a feather-duster and can of Pledge.

Not much to chew on here, but hey... at last you're posting.

[Governor Ronjar]

Hey, guys...remember...

...it took Larry over a YEAR to post all of his last project...

 

--thu guv!

[Commander La'ra]

I honestly cannot see her wandering around in a pinny and bunny sllippers with a feather-duster and can of Pledge.

She'd probably shoot you for suggesting such, but somehow, in that scene, it just seemed to fit.

[kadh2000]

It is said that Paladins and Lawful Good clerics get to tell one joke per year.  Perhaps it can also be said that Klingon women get to do one stereotypically female thing per year.

[Governor Ronjar]

Kadh must meet Derek...the Paladin Brawler...

--guv!!

[Commander La'ra]

Another little bitty bit, but progress is still progress.

--------------------


Any Marines not on watch were quickly conscripted by the science officer.  Debris was cleared out of what was fast becoming the living area.  The more offensive trash was vaporized with low-yield disruptor fire, an inefficient if satisfying process. 

La'ra thought he heard K'tal mutter something about 'woman's work'.  He let it slide.  The Marines weren't too enthusiastic about housecleaning, but when, after a few minutes effort, they had a clean place to lay their bedrolls, frowns were replaced with their usual wary expressions.  Minor housecleaning was still taking place when the rooftop lookout announced that Klas had returned.  The warehouse's huge vehicle door was opened.  Two vehicles slid in;  a boxy cargo carrier and a smaller passenger conveyance.  They settled to the floor, the low hum of their engines dying.

"Who should I thank?"  La'ra asked as Klas emerged from the truck.

"I'm not sure."  The Marine admitted.  "Left it parked in a blind alley, so they were probably up to no good."

The vehicles doors ground shut.  La'ra punched Khlas lightly in the shoulder.

"Good work.  Should we do something about their appearance?"  He could certainly recognize the Hiv'laposh even when she was floating next to another D-6.  Someone might be similarly attached to the panel truck.

"To be safe. Shouldn't take long."  Khlas agreed.  He glanced about the warehouse, smiled slightly.  "Place does look better now."

Another Marine cursed.  Somewhere close, Leral laughed loudly.

"And you missed it."  La'ra grinned.

"My duties were elsewhere."  Khlas claimed as formally as possible.  Formal from Khlas was ever a ruse.

La'ra chuckled, and left the Marine to his work.

In his corner of the warehouse, Woram was still busy.  His com gear could communicate with things other than the ship.  La'ra leaned over the makeshift workstation.
"Several possibilities, Commander."  The Petty Officer reported.  Wandering about the city asking about Shax or his daughter would only make someone suspicious.  It didn't really matter who.  There were other ways to find someone, especially on Korsham, which did put up the front of being a Federation colony. 

"Why these places?"  La'ra asked, looking at the coordinates, the addresses, on Woram's screen.

"Andorians living in each one."  Woram explained.  "Or at least someone who likes Andorian food and uses Andorian medicine and buys it locally.  Couldn't get into the colony's financial records, but these all have...murky ownership.  And I ruled out the hovels."

La'ra nodded.  It was as good a place to start as any.  He looked over his shoulder.  Khlas was burning the paint off the hover truck.  Another use for a disruptor set lower than usual.  A helper was cutting on it, changing the profile.  They were working quickly.

"Let's get started."  The Commander snarled.

[kadh2000]

lookout announced that Klas had returned. 
 Khlas I suppose.
He could certainly recognize the Hiv'laposh even when she was floating next to another D-6.  Someone might be similarly attached to the panel truck.
Nice attention to detail by these guys
Another use for a disruptor set lower than usual.
The Disrupter is the Klingon version of the Swiss Army Knife

Little bits can be very precise just because they are so small.

[Grim Reaper]

all these alternate uses for the disruptor makes me think of that "Setting disruptors to stun" story. I laughed my ass of.

@Larry: I'm liking it so far and the lack of action doesn't bother me yet. Nice find, looking for the andorian via a hacker. But some comic relief via a guy/gal with Andor-philia.

[Hstaphath_XC]

BUMP!

Still waiting for more of this... or very bad embarassing things might happen to La'ra at the Battle of Five Armies.

Hmmm... has this been done before?  Story plot blackmail?   

[Commander La'ra]

....

Now that's incentive.  Gimme a week.

[Hstaphath_XC]

Now that's incentive.  Gimme a week.

Qapla'!!!

[Commander La'ra]

Short, but I'm pretty proud of this sequence...

-----------------

The smaller vehicle turned easier, went faster, and the controls weren't too unlike a shuttlecraft.  After some clumsy familiarization, La'ra chose it over the panel truck.

"The Marines are armor trained."  Leral pointed out.  "They'll feel more at home with it."

La'ra nodded, pressing his right foot down.  That made the vehicle go faster.  Most Klingon designs had the throttle as a hand control.  They also used a control stick;  the wheel the Commander gripped tightly seemed an odd way of doing things.  The skimmer eased it's way between old warehouses and bare stretches of concrete.

"Lonely world."  The Science Officer observed.

"We've yet to reach the city."  La'ra reminded.  His voice had a distracted quality, his eyes dividing their time between unfamiliar displays and the thankfully empty road.

"Still doesn't seem like we're in Federation territory."

"We're not.  Not really.  Intelligence hasn't seen a Starfleet ship here in years."

"Plenty of pirates."

"After the mining efforts moved elsewhere the governor opened the repair docks to anyone who could pay."

"Mining efforts?"

"These warehouses used to be full."  The Commander stated.  Some of the buildings bore the faded logos of Federation firms.  "Not everyone wanted to leave."

"So their ruler let in criminals."

"For a percentage.  And for defense.  I doubt Starfleet would respond quickly if this place were attacked."

"That could be something to think about."  Leral smiled her predator's smile.  La'ra chuckled.

"It could be."  He admitted.  The buildings about them seemed more used now, but newer even if they were not.  There was no dividing line between barren and populated.  Civilization faded in, like a warship emerging from cloak.

"Turn left at the next opportunity."  advised Turg, the Marine in the back seat with the tricorder.  He was studying maps, directions.  La'ra turned.

There were people on the streets now.  It was midday.  Vendors shouted, people of various races headed to and fro, and for the first time, there was other traffic to think about.  La'ra exhaled and sped up;  the other transports were all moving faster than his.

"How far?"  He asked.

"Three kellicams."  Turg reported.  The Marine's rifle lay on the seat beside him.  "Turn right."

The next turn revealed a strip of bars, clubs, brothels, all lit with garish light despite it being midday.  Domed cities had no real day or night.  Obvious prostitutes prowled their corners.

"Hard to believe we're in the Federation."  Leral reiterated.

"No more human propoganda films for you."  La'ra chuckled.

“Right.”  Turg grunted.  La’ra could see only one place to turn that direction, a narrow side street not far ahead.

“Thirty meters…”  Turg informed.  La’ra frowned.  He’d hoped to approach his enemy’s lair more cautiously.  If this was the place, the street led right past it.

“I don’t think this is it.”  Leral mused.  La’ra glanced out the window.  The building was a bar.  Bright neon announced that it featured a troupe of Andorian dancers.  Bare, Blue, and Beautiful.

“It could still be worth investigating.”  Turg chortled.

“Later.”  La’ra advised.  Leral snorted in mock offense and grinned.

[Scottish Andy]

A nice little segment. Lines I like:

...the wheel the Commander gripped tightly seemed an odd way of doing things.

Good alien perspective!

Civilization faded in, like a warship emerging from cloak.

Nice descriptive licence!

La'ra exhaled and sped up;  the other transports were all moving faster than his.

Making fun of the 7-foot Klingon's nervousness; no doubt he'd call it "commendable caution in an unfamiliar vehicle". 

"Hard to believe we're in the Federation."  Leral reiterated.

"No more human propoganda films for you."  La'ra chuckled.

 

And finally, I like the 'Bare, Blue and Beautiful' banter with Turg, La'ra and Leral.

[GFLGeeman]

<S>

Scottish Andy, nice to see another scot around.

Let me introduce myself - I am GFLGeeman, Praetor of The Romulan Star Empire.Galactic Foreign Legion.

I'm from Edinburgh,but now live in Kirkcaldy  and you?

<S>

[Hstaphath_XC]

Short, but I'm pretty proud of this sequence...

Hmmm... is this an "it's not the size, it's how I use it" comment?   

First rate work, MORE PLEASE!

To be fair, I will try to post my next scene today.

[Governor Ronjar]

Ah...even La'ra admits in his own fiction that he drives slowly...

Need more updates, though I am somewhat fond of these short tidbits.

--thu guv!

[Scottish Andy]

Hello Gleeman, I'm  an Edinburgher too, but I now live in Toronto. IM or email me if you like, so we don't hijack La'ra's story thread.

[Commander La'ra]

No.  I didn't forget about it.

-----

The next two locations were equally fruitless. 

“How many more on the list?”  La’ra rumbled.

“Around twelve.”  said Turg.

La’ra shook his head.  The locations Woram had found were scattered widely, and there was no way to know which were real possibilities and which were strip clubs or simple residences.

The Commander eyes a person strolling down the road.  A Klingon, one of several he’s seen.  He hadn’t expected that on an ostensibly Federation world, but then, it was a pirate haven and plenty of battle seeking warriors had signed up raiding crews.  Could he risk talking to one of them?

No;  if they were pirate crew, their first loyalty would be to their compatriots -- which was as it should be, really -- and if they weren’t they’d chosen to live here for a reason.  There were few reasons to live on Khorsham for those who were trustworthy, Klingon or no.

Patience, he told himself.

Three more potential locales also offered nothing.  One was, amazingly enough, a florist.

“I thought Andoria was frozen.”  Turg grunted, staring at the sign offering native blooms.

“I’m sure parts of it are,” replied Leral.  The Marine shook his head and gave more directions.  La’ra found that his surroundings were becoming a bit more upscale.  Businesses that were obviously doing well.  Homes, once they passed into residential territory, that didn’t involve floors upon floor of closet-sized sleeping quarters.

“That place is guarded…”  Leral said, pointing to a large home.  Two humans lingered near it’s gates, with rifles and armor.  They were obvious, but the cameras and sensor modules scattered around weren’t.

“So is the next one…”  Turg growled. 

“How far to the next prospect?”

“A minute at most.”  The Marine replied.

“I think we’ve found it.”  La’ra grumbled.  “How close to the port facilities are we?”

“Running distance.”  Leral frowns, consulting her own tricorder.  “And very close to the governor’s residence.”

La’ra nods.  These would be the captain’s homes, the residences of the more respected privateers that the governor wanted to keep happy, and wanted to keep an eye on.  The Andorian wasn’t a typical thug.  He would qualify for such accommodations. 

“The next house.”  Turg warned.

“Passive sweep.”  La’ra barked.  Leral hastily adjusted her tricorder.  There were plenty of cars passing through, but La’ra has no doubt that a unfamiliar skimmer passing by more than once would be noted.

The home wasn’t palatial, but it was far from squalor, especially for a domed colony world.  There were guards, two of them, at the front gate with rifles, plus the usual accessories.

“They’ve got a lot of defensive sweeps running.”  Leral informed.  “Transporter screen, active life form searches, EM signature from several kinds of weapons…”

La’ra grinned, slightly.  He kept driving, past the captain’s homes.  He was near the edge of city dome, where the smaller environmental bubble that housed the port joined to the main enclosure.  He could see shuttles lifting off through thick transparisteel.

“Do we check the others?”  Turg asked.

“Yes,”  La’ra chuckled.

“How do we know she lives with him?”  Leral asked, then paused.  “Wait…you weren’t expecting him to have a setup like this, were you? ”

“I’d feared he would be less obvious.”  La’ra admitted.  “Of course now we have a different problem.”

“How to get in?”

“No…how to watch without them knowing.”  La’ra smiled.