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(3BSP - 2398) Alhena Bounty--PG-13
#1
Jada woke up in shackles; the steel bindings held her arms above her head, attaching her to the wall in a purposefully uncomfortable position while the dim light of the holding cell gave minimal definition to the situation she found herself in.  The last thing she remembered was the cage fight Shavi managed to get them into.  Her bruised knuckles and bloody lip proved she made it through in mostly one piece, and now that she thought about it, the unconscious Klingon did shock the entire audience when she was slated to lose in the second round.  The more she thought, the more her captors could have been anyone, no one in the Klingon empire seemed to enjoy losing.

                The money was good, mostly because no one thought an Orion and a Trill could stand up to even humans in direct combat. Shavi was much faster than she first appeared. Jada was keenly aware of enough to use every advantage her adopted sister gave her, allowing them to drop Nausicans, Klingons, Gorn, and Ferasan alike. It didn’t hurt that Huzo and Thraak, two of the largest Gorn most would ever encounter, had been their teachers.  In the three years since Shavi had joined the crew, neither of the girls could remember a time where some muscle hadn’t hurt, or some superficial wound didn’t need attention.
 
              Shavi was an assassin traditionally trained by the Orion sisterhood, her body was a weapon in more ways than one and she was beginning to feel more confident of her extensions as tools instead of something that made her vulnerable.  Combat had been her life for ten years even before she met up with Maru, but taking a Gorn to his knees of knocking the wind out of a Nausican in public wasn’t exactly in the Orion curriculum.
 
              Jada didn’t have the sunny upbringing many assumed of her at first either. A trill slave in an Orion house, so she didn’t have the benefit of traditional education as her sister had, but it wasn’t uncommon for an alien to be part of the harem.  Jada was essentially matroned by a Romulan woman and her adoptive family, to give her the tools to survive.  The matron Ja’lirn directed that she be taught ‘Kormerak’, the Romulan assassin art, some of which was more about controlling the situation, than ending it.  After ten years she was her own woman lethal and hardened, but like most assassins had come to learn, Gorn hide and Nausican lean muscle was well beyond the ken of a traditional target.

                Huzo and Thraak were students of the Gorn style “H,aakt” traditionally used for hunting it had been adapted to use against larger creatures than even the Gorn, it utilized momentum and balance as the way to get the upper hand.  Some of the masters in this style could stop a rampaging war torg in its tracks with a single hand, or dominate the will of a Wurm of 20 meters lulling it to sleep with sheer control.  Huzo and Thraak were not masters but few outside of the homeworld had bothered to assume Gorn were capable of much more than smashing through whatever was in their way, art and culture had their way of making even the brutish, civil, and controlled.  This is what gave Shavi and Jada their edge.

              This time, however, it seemed perhaps they pushed their luck too much.

“Shay!” Jada spat out, looking for her sister in the dark.

                “Jade! I was wondering when you were going to wake up. I didn’t know you snored like a drunk Ferengi when you’re tied up.” Shavi sniped from her equally bound position on the other side of the room.

“I don’t kno- what in Grethor happened! But I’m sure it’s your fault!” Jada growled, warning her teasing sib.

                “I was at Quark’s. I managed to figure out how the table worked and switched the randomizer; I had almost twenty-four strips before security came in.” She continued like she was gossiping around the well.  “You were upstairs trying to get the codes to open one of the cargo bays and- hey! It wasn’t me who threw that punch, and I’m still mad that you wouldn’t let me punch out that Romulan p’tagh for throwing the drink in my face.” Shavi boasted.  “They took us both in for fixing the fight, and I think someone has a remarkably different meaning of federation hospitality this time.” She jested.  “I don’t exactly remember getting to the brig. The promenade was dark for some reason, and- wait, this doesn’t even smell like the station.” Shavi finally clued in. “What the hells, Jade! What did you get us into!” She struggled against her chains in the almost complete darkness.

                Jada was double-jointed and stronger than her size would have suggested. She pulled herself up by her shoulders and painfully contortioned her body to push against her restraints using all her body weight.  There wasn’t any give to the wall, almost like the wall mounts were attached to something that wasn’t natural. 

               Patience and experience ignoring her sister allowed her to hear the rhythmic thrum of a power conduit about a quarter meter behind the wall. They were on a ship!  Her experience as a skate operator had her next to hundreds of different makes and models of alien craft.  Her alien mind gave her almost perfect recall of those sounds, now that Shavi wasn’t as distracting.   She was keeping time with the sound and her breathing. She smiled when she realized they were on a Bajoran freighter. She could tell it was Bajoran because she could hear the inefficiency of the plasma relay as they routed power during warp travel. Cardassian tech was so pervasive in Bajoran ships it would take three or four generations before the Bajoran tech was unique again.
 
               She heard what resembled a puc’rat chewing into a plasma manifold for the last time and then a thump in the darkness. A light grew quickly in the room as Shavi’s arm lit up with a computer readout and haptic fields covering the pale green of her skin with a red and blue overtone from the computer Shavi had installed in her arm.  Jada was against the idea of cybernetics across any spectrum. Body purity was almost a religion on the trill homeworld, so when Shavi showed off her modifications six months ago, Jada was furious, but now she was beginning to see the appeal of her sister’s irreverence.

“How long have you been waiting to turn that stupid thing on?” Jada asked a little put off by the fact she had purposefully dislocated her shoulders to try and free herself, and she may not have had to.

              “I couldn’t get to the relay on my hip, Jade!” Shavi responded as she pulled a microplasma lance from the storage pouch in the arm and cleanly cut the bindings that held her sister so firmly against the bulkhead. “There, that’s four you owe me.” Shavi teased as Jade dropped to the floor, grunting as she forced her shoulders back into their sockets.

“More like seven, you still owe me, little sister,” Jada smirked as she stood up from the scum laden deck below them.

                Shavi was trying to keep an accounting in her head, but eventually, she shrugged and tapped a few commands on the interface.  “We are on a Bajoran assault vessel, or… well, it used to be,” She guessed. “Now, it’s a decommissioned Janitza class freighter, with twenty-eight life signs, and a huge cargo hold.” Her instruments read off technical specifications of the ship and any relevant information on the public history of the vessel.
“I think a history of our captors isn’t nearly as important as escaping our captors, we can drool over the cargo after we introduce ourselves properly, could you... like, open the door, Shay?”
 
                Shavi smirked as a small microdrone left its housing in the implant and went to work on the door while at the same time her interface hacked the ship’s security feed and she marked the positions of everyone on board as well as what they could see of them.

                The microdrone was only about 13 centimeters across, it was originally designed to be used in emergency surgery but when an enterprising Orion got ahold of it, the sophisticated drone became almost like a second skin extending her reach or seeing inside the smallest of spaces.  Shavi clicked the lock and quickly recalled the drone to her arm as the haptics and lights disengaged returning her arm to the supple green cream-colored skin that drove many a Klingon and Federation idiot wild.

                “After you sis.” She chirped.

                Jada rolled her eyes at her sister showing off and moved out into the hall looking for anything she could easily use as a weapon.  The corridor was circular in dimension about wide enough for three people to walk down without bumping into each other.  She noticed a ship layout and located what she thought used to be the armory, Shavi walked behind almost glib, like she was paying attention, but not taking anything too seriously.

                They finally reached what was at least on record as being the armory.  Shavi checked the security feed and nodded as Jada forced the door open with a loud creak, both were sure could be heard across half the ship.

                Inside was a stock of federation phaser rifles and several unmarked cargo containers, phasers outside of the federation were considered contraband and at the very least could warrant a federation inspection in any port if the power signatures were ever turned on.

                Shavi was opening other boxes and found what appeared to be puzzle cubes.  Shavi would spend hours figuring them out in her spare time but this wasn’t exactly free or her time. Someone would be checking up on them soon, so she took the two small boxes and a bag to store them in, a rifle and a few federation rations, Malor they were bad, no flavor at all.

                Jada grabbed a box and opened it discovering a smoothbore phaser lance weapon.  It was shaped like a rifle, but it was designed to emit a continuous beam perhaps for welding at range. A black federation insignia was marked on the side with about a third of it highlighted in silver, was this a prototype?

                “Dibs on the next toy, Jade! That one’s gonna make Pauc even greener than me.”  She was affectionately referring to the former federation security officer that now served with Maru and his crew as master armorer.  He wasn’t much to look at for a half Romulan with the physical scarring 20 years of federation slipshod combat duty invariably gives you. He was a remarkably proficient officer, but Starfleet always seemed to put him in situations he was sure they expected him to die in.  After being left to die yet again he finally abandoned the fleet and has been on the Jetyl ever since.  His history aside, given Jada and Shavi’s past he was a true friend, and better yet his aim was true, and he was always looking for the best tech in the galaxy. 

               Jada set herself up in a defensive position hoping the crew would haphazardly wander in one at a time, but Shavi was watching the feeds and it appeared only one member of the crew was coming this way. 

               “Down girl, I think we can handle the sole guard, I’ll let you know when the rest of them come around…” she gently pushed the muzzle of her sister’s new weapon and unclasped her form-fitting vest just enough to let her ample cleavage accentuate her point of view on anyone that might disagree.

               Trained Orion girls knew how to weaponize their pheromones and had an almost prescient ability to know exactly what others wanted out of them.  Shavi took a deep breath and filled her mouth with the musk her species was known for, while sweat consciously formed over her brow and exposed skin giving her a wet appearance, she smiled looking back at her sister and, kept her advantages from going much further than that allowing the vents of the ship to carry it into the hall.  The unsuspecting guard noticed the open detention cell and was just about to call it in when he could smell the sweet musk of something in the air that made him smile and forget what he was doing.  Shavi nodded to Jade and walked out of the armory 60 meters from the cell and casually let her controlling weave lull the man into a more pliable, and therefore useful pawn in her plan.  Jada walked behind trying not to get too close as the smell could nearly incapacitate her if Shavi were to use it on her.  Either way, it made Jada feel nauseous and it made heterosexual men and some more open-minded women quite the opposite.

               “I was wondering when I was going to have visitors…” she smiled as she walked slowly into the detention cell trapping the guard in there with her.  He was a Bajoran armed with a disruptor rifle and little else, his eyes widened when she interrupted him, he turned to raise the weapon at her, but his body certainly wasn’t his own anymore.
 
“I… uh… I… Uh… How…” He stammered as copious saliva gathered in his mouth and shaking in his hands and legs prevented any meaningful defense against her wiles.

                “The how isn’t important…” Her voice got lower, hypnotic, and controlling, as his eyes glazed over in complete surrender to her. She was seventeen centimeters taller than he was, but it might as well have been two meters with the sexual intimidation she had over him, he actually whimpered at her moving closer to him. “Now… let’s talk about who you are, and where you were planning on taking us?” Shavi responded with a deliciously evil smile on her lips.

“The… the…” He shook his head trying to regain his composure as sweat beaded down his brow. “Hartin said to shoot you…  uh… shoot… shoo” his mind was betraying him.

                “There, there…” Shavi moved closer moving her delicate soft fingers through his hair as she pulled his head against her exotic and intoxicating chest, allowing her control over him to become unbreakable. “We, wouldn’t want to disappoint Hartin, now would we…” She lifted his head and looked into his eyes as her mouth opened and that alluring musk was reapplied into his nostrils biting down gently on the tip of his nose as she giggled gently holding him as putty in her hands.

                “Where, are we going my love?” She whispered. Smiling as she held him close to her, he was so lost in her embrace the disruptor fell absently to the ground.  Shavi looked over at her sister and winked as Jada rolled her eyes yet again smirking a little herself at how simple men were to control.

“A… Alh… Alhena station… Bounty…” He whispered, breathing into her chest.

                Shavi smiled and gently ran her fingers through his hair, when she was particularly motivated her pheromone control could cause a target to have a heart attack or aneurysm, she looked back at her sister with worry in her eyes, as the man slipped further and further into the dream he thought he was having.

                “There, there my pet,” she continued stroking his air and almost nursing him with her weaponized odor.  She bit her lip and broke a nano-capsule with a powerful sedative passively growing across her lips making them a more pronounced dark green, she of course was immune to its effects but many never woke without medical intervention.  She lifted his head and smiled. “You have been a dream my dear… I will remember you as I drift off to sleep tonight.” Her words had been purposeful and enticing as she drew his lips to hers biting down on his lips just enough to draw blood, he gasped gently as the throws of passion ripped through his body, but after a few moments his body slowed, he went limp, and finally collapsed with a shallow weak breath escaping him into the dust of the detention cell.

                “Ghuy’cha!” Shavi swore, as her skin color seemed to lighten and the color of her lips and cheeks reddened with the news.
“Bad news I take it?” Jada replied, not hearing the whispers a moment ago.
 
                “They’re bounty hunters.” She growled as her skin had absorbed most of the sweat on her chest and she appeared composed again. “They’re headed towards Alhena station, I killed an engineer there, and given all sorts of inventive things they did there I am sure they have fun plans for me.” she looked worried for perhaps the first time since she was saved by Maru.

“Well then, let’s hope the Bajoran there doesn’t have famous parents, or this will have been for nothing…” Jada pulled the hammer back on the rifle and charged it as she moved out into the hall.

                Shavi followed leaving the man unconscious, in the most beautiful dream he had perhaps ever thought he could have, even if it would likely be his last. She charged the rifle and pulled up the security feed for directions.  “twenty-one in the cargo hold, seemingly unaware of our freedom and two on the bridge, with four others in quarters or the mess.  No indication anything is wrong, we are 40 hours from Alhena station at present course and speed.

“The bridge it is then…” Jada replied and moved down the corridor to the turbo lift.
 
                The bridge doors opened with Jada and Shavi moving with trained precision to flanking positions before the captain and helmsman turned to face them.

                He certainly looked shocked, but not entirely without any contingencies.

“Shavi Nomada… you’re famous…” His eyes glared at them both as though he were attempting to subdue them with just a glance.  His eyes met Jada as she held the rifle expertly aimed at his chest, it was evident he didn’t know what the weapon was capable of but it would do something if he weren’t careful.  “let’s talk about this, we have almost two days for you to make me a better offer?” he smugly asked.

                “Hartin… right?” Shavi, lowered her weapon slightly to meet his eyes.  On the way to the bridge, she had had an opportunity to pull up any public information about him.  His name was Gorun’ Hartin, a Bajoran Pirate responsible for petty thefts and smuggling throughout the alpha quadrant, he had a long rap sheet, and he was wanted on both sides of the fence.  It was probably the only reason Shavi hadn’t already pulled the trigger, Maru could benefit from his capture.  “I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you thought I was an easy payday, “She nodded to Jada as she lowered the weapon. “Kill the pilot, sis’, it’s going to be a long two days, and we can’t have them fighting back.” 

                Before either of them could react, Jada fired stun bolts at both of them leaving them both free-falling to the carpet.
 
“A little harsh Shay” Jada responded as she pushed the helmsman out of his seat and took control of the ship's course and heading.  “Lock the turbo-lift, we don’t need interruptions as we turn this bucket around” Jada added with trained experience on the bridge.

                Shavi hopped over the security console and dragged the captain off his chair slumping them both in a corner as she hoped he hadn’t reengaged the safeties yet to cut her off from the ship's master control.

                Pirates were lazy and repetitive, even if they had been effectively trained in their past it wasn’t likely most of those time-consuming measures would have been lapsed or lacking altogether, as such there was no master control lock and within a few moments, she had locked down the turbo-lift and the doors to the cargo bay.

                Jada changed course to rendezvous with the Jetyl just outside of the badlands, in 29 hours, the federation would certainly know by then but it wouldn’t make much of a difference if there was no legal reason to give chase and no actual proof anything illegal had occurred.
“This is the last time I get drunk anywhere near you at quark’s” Jada warned with a chuckle, as she looked at the two bodies lying senseless on the carpeted deck plate.

                “We gambled Jade! And it looks like GPL wasn’t the only thing we’re going to have to show for it this time.” Shavi Laughed as a comm request came from the cargo hold.  “ooo’ it’s time for act II, reinforcements…!” She seemed to be feeling better about the price on her head now, maybe this would make it even higher.  She cheerfully answered to comm on speaker. “This is Captain Nodama speaking to whom are you trying to reach?” she lightly replied.

“By Kahless! Who is this? And Where is that petaQ Hartin?” a gruff Klingon returned the call.

                “This is your delightful captain, of course, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?” Shavi returned suppressing a giggle.
“Open the hu’tegh door to the cargo hold and maybe we won’t jettison your taHqeq into space with the rest of the garbage.”

                “Flattery is the tool of a romantic, you must have the soul of a poet.” She giggled lightly into the comm, quite intent on what she was doing while she looked up his name in the crew manifest.  Aha! Kloth was his name, she thought to herself. “I’ll tell you what Kloth, son of Nomoc, I’ll give you a head start reaching the bridge, but I won’t start that until I’ve shut down life support first.” She shut down the atmospheric generators in the cargo bay.  “Now, if you were to say please, and show some semblance of honor, I might turn it back on by the time we get to where we are going, I would love to see the words you write when your life is in danger, I’ve been told the inspiration flows much more clearly when you know you’re going to die.”
                The comms were silent for a long while Jada moved the unconscious bodies of the captain and the helmsman to the ready room and locked the door before shutting off power to the command console.
                When they crackled back to life again a different voice came through on the speaker. “This is J’ula Metch, we know you’ve taken Hartin prisoner and you have us at a significant disadvantage. “There was arguing on the other side of the comms but Shavi couldn’t make it out “We are happy to hear your terms.”

                Shavi’s eyes flashed with anger and her skin-brightened with the gold hue in her veins, after a moment she took a deep breath and smiled through her teeth, and responded. “You were going to sell me, and my sister to Federation Dogs, warmongers at that.” Her voice got more aggressive. “You left us in a cell with no obvious way out, and stole us from our friends and family, for profit.” She smiled and held her sister’s outstretched hand as she passed. “Since you have less honor than the federation and less tact than a Ferengi pirate, my terms are to wait until you are unconscious and then to feed you to our community of Gorn that have been looking for live prey to keep them busy.” She growled in return.  “You have 28 hours and 41 minutes to convince me you are better than stew meat, I wager you have just under 11 hours of air where you’re at.  Then you’ll have to retreat to the shuttle, which I have already disabled, if you take short breaths and you can keep the five Klingons down there under control maybe… you get out with only minor hypoxia if you continue to think you have cards to play I will open the cargo bay to space and disengage the safety field.” she sneered and deactivated the comm line.

                Jada could see the mean streak in Shavi’s demeanor, she knew that her sister came from a violent past where aliens treated her worse than prisoners of war, where her body was violated simply because she couldn’t fight back.  Shavi was no longer an innocent flower, and she held a grudge against anyone who thought they had earned her respect without doing anything.  Children deserve the benefit of the doubt, but pirates had already shown their spine.

                Eight hours later they got a communication from the Jetyl.

                Jada turned the viewscreen on and smiled seeing her uncle on the other end. “Uncle! She smiled and stood from her spot at the helm, bowing to him respectfully”

“Jada my dear, Shavi, my pet, I see you’ve managed to bite off a bit more than usual, Huzo tells me you’re supposed to be on DS9, the afterparty must have been a hell of a bender to take you forty light-years away.” Maru teased.

                “Uncle... Shavi has a price on her head and someone came to collect.” Jada responded plainly.  “but we have the situation well under our control and we’re heading to you now” Shavi added.

“I see… well, I guess we’ll have to revisit this when we rendezvous in the trill sector” Maru replied with a smile. “We show you are seventeen hours out, and I would certainly like to discuss your treatment with whatever captain was foolish enough to take my girls anywhere without their permission.” Maru spoke with pride as Huzo grunted in laughter in the background.”

                “We’ve taken control of a Bajoran pirate vessel, twenty-one are trapped in the cargo hold, two are trapped in their quarters, and one is in the mess, I’ve cut off life support to those areas until they calm down, so far it isn’t working, but they only have three hours of air left.” Shavi reported. “I’ve reapplied stuns to the two we got resting comfortably in the captain’s ready room, but it could have turned out a lot different if they really knew who we were.” Jada chimed in.

“And to think just four short years ago, neither of you knew how to hold a disruptor, and here you are committing piracy all on your own, makes a man so proud of his girls” He chuckled.  “We’re picking up the pace, I’ll be meeting you in 9 hours, it might be worth seeing if  your ship is worth anything before we scuttle it.” Maru commented knowing that his girls didn’t want command of a ship, he had offered it once already, but the option was always open.

                “Sounds good uncle, I’ll keep our guests alive for the rest of the trip, just make sure Toi’ has enough beds for folks with a rather significant case of ox dep” Jada responded referring to the chief medical officer on the Jetyl. 

                Toi'Lynn was a Trill like herself but with almost 40 years more experience. Toi’ was perhaps the closest thing Jada could call a mother in nearly 20 years, Shavi never warmed up to her but “Toi’” was kind and caring none the less.

“Huzo sends his regards, see you soon girls, Maru out.” The viewscreen went back to space at warp as Shavi reactivated the atmosphere controls, at this point, there wouldn’t be any fight left in the cargo hold this level of stale air would keep them docile for the remainder of the trip or so she hoped.  She applied an anesthetic to the vents to keep the crewmen outside the cargo hold peacefully slumbering the trip away.  Maru had a way of getting Shavi to soften her touch and he never looked forward to seeing her kill anything, but he was quite aware of her aggressive temper and even excused it as the product of a disrupted youth, but even when she was at her worst, all it took was his stern face to keep her in line.

                Shavi and Jada took turns at the helm, the cargo bay was beginning to show activity, even the Klingons were more passive than usual, the shuttle in the bay was disabled to apparent outsiders, but the computer core and technical specifications were online and transmitting.  Jada looked closer at the modified shuttle and recognized Federation and Cardassian in the power readouts, she only glanced at each frame as she could recall anything she had seen in a moment.  In thirty minutes she could have rebuilt the ship from scratch even if something happened to this model. She noticed two of the Bajoran trying to open the rear hatch, trying and failing, they just weren’t strong enough to trigger the manual overrides and given the stress in the bay  they were in no shape to try and convince the Klingons to help.
 
                Jada nodded off at the science station towards the rear of the bridge, she hadn’t slept normally in what seemed like weeks, but the truth was she was tired of watching over her own shoulder.  she loved Shavi, she loved the Jetyl, and her uncle, but she had nothing she could really call her own.  She dreamt of something more to this life, as great as it was, she was ready for more.

                Shavi woke her six hours later as they were entering the Trill sector, the Jetyl was on medium sensors and there were nine escorts and a flight deck carrier alongside it as well as several trading vessels, in all sixty-one vessels made up the fleet and they hadn’t been expecting any trouble, but the warships were not there just for show.  It appeared that Maru was having an impromptu festival.  As they continued at warp there must have been forty-nine ships moving in and out of the sector headed to the Jetyl, it was time to get everyone ready for the transfer.

                “Attention, Gentlemen and ladies, we have arrived at the Jetyl flotilla, you will disarm yourself and submit to the security personnel that will be escorting you to your new home. If you decide to fight I would like to remind you there are currently three thousand six hundred and seven Klingon military personnel enjoying their time at one of the many festivities the flotilla offers, if you would like to test their honor, I am sure slavery at their hands is worse than prison in more traditional penal colonies., you have two minutes to decide your own fate.” Shavi informed them as pleasantly as her first exchange some 14 hours earlier.

                Jada was identifying the ship and its crew for the eventual exchange. Captain Hartin and Cl’ary Wright were both in restraints sitting peacefully on the deck with their backs to one another.  When the ship finally came upon the flotilla, they were immediately met with a border check, Maru had enough influence to make this part of the sector his temporary domain and with as many ships he had at his disposal there wasn’t much anyone else could do to inform him otherwise.

“Jada Natl, of the ship designation ‘Jetyl’ cruiser requesting entrance to the flotilla with salvage and prisoner exchange.” She replied expectantly to the two heavy escorts monitoring their movements.

               “Ka’ Pla! Jada, your uncle will be pleased for your safe return, security personnel are being arranged for you at docking bay gamma on the carrier M’klah. Then your uncle has made arrangements to meet you and discuss your recent acquisition.   Federation couriers are prepared to accept your bounties and will remit payment as soon as they are in custody, this is a neutral area of exchange, welcome home.”

“Thank you border control, proceeding to dock coordinates” Jada responded taking control of the helm and activating the impulse drives piloting expertly through the hundreds of personal crafts and shuttle moving in and out of trading lanes.  She moved to dock with the carrier in twenty minutes remitting docking authorization as instructed.

              “Jada, I’m going to wake the others and get them all in the cargo bay, I’ll meet you on the carrier” Shavi comm’d in as Jada could see her on the security monitors, the captain and helmsmen were getting restless but Jada had proven herself more than once to the two of them, and her rifle was extensively convincing.

                Four security teams beamed aboard, escorting the prisoners to a waiting security force entering from the cargo bay, it is an honor to die in battle may be the Klingon slogan but it’s always better if things went as expected.
 
                Maru greeted his girls warmly and went over the specifics of their find, it turned out they just made nearly forty million in energy credits, translated to more than 400 cases of Latinum.  It was enough to make Shavi and Jada ill with shock, but after the initial information was agreed upon Maru set them up with private accounts with his company Dorance Holdings Limited. Both girls could have purchased a moon with how much they had come away with.  They didn’t choose the adventure but the twenty-four slips Shavi was overjoyed she walked away with from quark’s seemed almost trivial in comparison.

                Shavi had never really understood the concept of money, she just knew it was important.  Winning a slip in a bar was exciting, while managing wealth was incredibly tedious, she wanted for nothing at the moment and that was rich enough for her.   she signed her name on the account and smiled innocently knowing little if anything about how much that was.  She looked up at her uncle and asked if she go back to the party, she wanted to show Pauc’ what she found.  Maru nodded with a smile and stood to embrace her, she greedily hugged her uncle and touched her sister’s arm and shoulder affectionately, and left his office to party with the rest of the crew.  Jada sat at the table lost in thought, her perfect memory going over everything she had read about the contents of the ship, the shuttle was more than a little consuming but she could hardly put it into words her delightful sister could understand.

“Uncle,” she started after putting down the stylus for her share of the accounts. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding ungrateful-“ she continued carefully considering her words.

                “You want your own ship, and you’re concerned that your sister might not, you don’t know how to ask me without sounding like you don’t like it here but you need your own space and you haven’t ever been able to find it on this ship,” Maru responded as though he could read her mind.
“I love Huzo, and Thraak, Pauc’, Toi’, and everyone else and I couldn’t ask for a better family but there just isn’t a place where I can call entirely my own, where it’s my choice to do what I want to do without argument.” Jada smiled appreciatively though still conflicted.

                “Your sister decided long ago that the moment mattered far more than where she was when she was enjoying it, it’s not a bad thing to like different things than those you care about.  If I did what I was expected to, I’d still be on Trill feeding the baths of Marmic, nearly six hundred years and I’ve never forgotten what others wanted for me.” He reached out for and clasped Jada’s hands. “I think we both know when I found you, you were escaping the worst example of life a girl could hope for, today you have literally taken on a full crew of pirates with you best friend in the galaxy, it’s the stuff holo-novels can’t make up, but it doesn’t mean your good fortune has given you everything you need to feel complete.” Maru smiled and nodded to one of his legal aides that took the contract and left the room with a nod. “I left Trill without knowing where I would end up but somehow I always felt you were in my future.”

Maru stood, as the buzz from earlier drinking was beginning to wear off. “My dear, sometimes, it’s good to want things always a little out of reach, sometimes it’s important to have them.  When you figure out what you want, I’ll be there to help you with the details.  I think everyone here knows you don’t think you fit in and that you need your own space, I can’t think of a soul that would want anything different for you, but we can’t tell you what that space looks like until you make a decision we’ll always be here for you girl.”

“An industrial replicator and an entire cargo bay, to work,” she called after him and smiled.

                Maru turned back with a smile and nodded. “I’ll get started on that as soon as the hangover goes away.” He chuckled and made his way back to his guests.

                Jada sat at the table with her mind on fire with ideas, she grinned and saw her sister on a balcony doing shots of Saurian whiskey out of a Bajoran worker’s belly button.  she laughed and gathered her thoughts before joining in the fun herself.
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