Most legendary posts have been from a while ago (the good old time) :-) But this month, it is more recent. The last mission on the Odyssey featured a pirate crew. Captain Lewis in the Celestial Dagger (not Dragon) had stolen information from Andor. The USS Odyssey asked a captain of a small vessel (Montgomery) for the whereabouts of Lewis. He answered that he had once met her. In the following post you can read how that happened. My attention was drawn to this post because of its length. It's 8 pages, 4135 words or 22367 characters!! It might be the longest post in Frontier Fleet history. Let me know if there has been a longer post on other dutystations.
That reminds me: for the legendary posts in the newspaper I need *your* help!! If you spot great posts on your dutystation, or you remember that legendary post two years ago: *let me know*. I'm not reading all posts in the fleet, if you want a post featured here, mail me. You find my address in the members section.
Subject line: Captains Lewis and Montgomery
(Rigel X - Trade complex, a bar - 2390.06.20, 1430)
Krang entered the establishment at the Rigelian trade complex where he had agreed to meet an Earth woman called Sarah Lewis. She had been looking for a buyer for some goods she had recently acquired.
Sarah had been sitting at one of the tables not far from the bar, she was enjoying herself the rowdiness of the bar and the lively music that was coming from what could be best described a musical box, it wasn't all that loud so it would seem had degraded over the years which suited her fine as she didn't have to shout to be heard.
She was enjoying one of her favourite drinks from Earth that was kind of easy to find in these establishments as it was one of more popular drinks, bringing the tankard to her lips the foam of her root beer kissed her lips first before the fine cool liquid which was eagerly accepted. She was waiting for an esteemed patron of this bar, who she had struck a deal with and today was payment day all though she was quite a few tons short of what he wanted it was hard to get self stealing stem bolts, well in the quantity the Klingon wanted, but get them she had... the Dagger was on the docking pad with his shipment.
Checking her chronowatch he was late, why did they have to be late? There were far better things she could be doing than hanging around bars waiting for people to do business, looking around she spotted him coming into the bar and then acted if she hadn't seen him, but he made his way to where she was seated.
"Captain Lewis," Krang said by way of greeting. "Before you offer me a drink, like you humans often do during this kind of thing, I have to inform you that I chose this place for its lack of Starfleet customers, not for the quality of its drinks."
Well if she was here for the drinks she wouldn't be here at all, they were expensive and she knew better places in where to get cheaper drinks as these were not that bad, but not worth the latinum she had paid for her two tankards... she was now on her third as she had arrived early to scope out the scene as she had not frequented this bar and wanted to get a scope of the bar so if the deal went wrong she could get out easily.
Krang sat down opposite the woman. "Nor do I like the smell of this place, so let's get this over with. I am looking for self-sealing stembolts, and you have self-sealing stembolts, correct?"
"I have them yes." Came back her simple reply, there was no point to go into any major details as they were here to do business not have small talk or a lengthy conversation, it was an in and out job as usual.
"How many are we talking about?" Krang asked. "I am looking to buy quite a considerable amount."
"I have three tons, and let me tell you they were not easy to get." She and the crew of the Dagger had made a run against a Starship graveyard as she had received a tip off that one of the ships hauled in had a shipment of self-sealing stem bolts it had been easy getting in, but getting out was the hard problem... as being gunned down by a Galaxy cruiser hadn't been one of her ideal escapes, but luckily for them she had used a nearby nebula to escape.
Krang looked at the woman. "That is only half of what I was looking for, but it will have to do. What's your price?"
"My price is fair... 800 strips of latinum." She removed a PADD from her pocket and pushed it across the table at him, showing what she wanted for them and also where and when the payment was to be received, as she didn't want anyone else to know what they were doing or that she wanted others to know when and where they would be meeting as in places such as this you couldn't tell who was or wasn't really listening.
The Klingon laughed. "Very funny, Ms. Lewis. Now what is your *real* asking price for those stembolts?"
She easily smiled and looked down into her tankard of root beer before taking another drink, not once did she look at him but replied coolly. "That *is* the asking price." Putting down the tankard that was now empty, she stared hard at the Klingon.
"What? I know Ferengi petaQ who would ask less," Krang said loudly while he slammed his fist on the table. "I suggest you stop wasting my time and lower your price drastically, or you spend an eternity searching the quadrant to find an idiot who would want to pay what you're asking."
"My price will remain unchanged Krang, I have a ship to repair and a crew to feed." The situation was changing and she couldn't have that, plus people from around the bar were now looking in there direction. Reaching under the table, where she had kept her left hand for most of their conversation she gripped hold of her weapon and now aimed it under the table at the Klingon.
Krang jumped up from his chair and unsheathed a small dagger. He pointed the blade at the woman. "When I said 'drastically', I meant drastically, Ms. Lewis. What you are asking is ridiculous." He growled. "You're not even worth killing..." He jammed the dagger into the table in front of Lewis and turned away. A moment later he had left the bar.
Sarah eyed the dagger as it still wobbled a little then snapped at the bar patrons who were staring at here. "What are you lot staring at? Can't I enjoy a drink in peace?" She lifted the empty tankard in front of her to simulate her taking another drink, she felt silly but it had the desired effect as they stopped looking and returned to there own conversations.
Not many in the bar seemed to have paid much attention to the argument between the Klingon and the human, but one older man now approached the woman's table. "Nice dagger you got there," he said, gesturing at the weapon that was stuck in the table's surface.
Looking up at him she smiled, and replied. "I thought it made an interesting table decoration."
"I wouldn't worry about that Krang too much," the man said. "He's like a Klingon glob fly. A lot of irritating noise, but no sting. He's not very smart either, most of his business deals end up like this." He gestured at the dagger again before pulling it out of the table.
"You seem to know him well, but before you seat yourself at my table... I like to know whom I am drinking with?" Bringing her left hand up from underneath the table, she still clasped the weapon she had been prepared to fire at Klang and placed it on the table right in front of her, just to make her point she wasn't in the best of moods.
"Ah yes, where are my manners," the man said with a smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Leonard Montgomery." He put the dagger on the table and extended his hand toward the woman.
Thinking about it for a second she took his hand in a firm grasp, "pleasured I am sure... Captain Sarah Lewis, at your services." She wasn't sure what he wanted but it didn't hurt to see if he knew anyone who wanted to buy any freshly acquired stem bolts, as he seemed like a seasoned fellow who knew his way around these parts.
"Would you mind if I joined you?" Lenny asked. "I couldn't help but overhearing you are selling some self-sealing stembolts."
Had they been louder than she wanted? How many other people had overheard their conversation? "No you can join me..." She gestured with her hand for Leonard to take the seat that Krang had vacated not moment's ago, and while her hand was outstretched she picked up the knife and pocketed the weapon. "...you wanting to buy them are you?"
"Well, I wasn't actually looking to buy them..." Lenny said and he paused a moment, before he continued, "but that last price you suggested to Krang sounded reasonable."
"It was indeed a reasonable price I could of asked far more, so by sitting here at my table... I assumed you're interested in my wares?" She looked over at him, not entirely sure what he wanted if he wasn't looking to buy them why had he come to her.
"Tell you what, I will not only buy those stembolts for that price, I'll even buy you a drink," Lenny said with a smile.
His answer satisfied her, all though she had learnt a while ago... not to accept drinks from strangers. "No thanks... no offence of course, I just doesn't know you."
"All right, no drinks then," Lenny said, "Just the stembolts."
"Then it's a done deal Leonard... you wouldn't know of any other business transactions would you?" The Celestial Dagger and crew had been looking for business near Rigel, and had failed to establish any real contacts so asking the man seated before her if he knew of anything was a wise decision.
Lenny grinned. "Around here a lot of people are looking for business transactions, but it can be hard to find the right ones. Some are just greedy idiots like that Krang, there are others who wouldn't hesitate to swindle you out of everything you own without you even noticing it. That doesn't mean it is impossible to find anyone it is safe and profitable to deal with."
"Really? And you would know how to contact them?" It would seem he was far more upcoming with his information far too easily, there had to be something he wanted in exchange for the information he was providing her with.
Lenny nodded. "I might be able to give you some directions to some people I know," he said.
"Actually I will take you up on that drink, my treat?" She reached into her coat pocket and threw three pieces of latinum onto the tabletop, "That should be more than enough to pay for what you want and myself I will have another root beer."
"One root beer," Lenny repeated and took the pieces of latinum. On his way to the bar he slipped them into his pocket. "Jarek, one more root beer for the lady," he said to the barkeep, "And for me a Saurian brandy. Put it on my tab."
She watched him leave the table and make his way to the bar, she still didn't trust him so kept her eye on him as he purchased the drinks so he couldn't slip anything into her drink as this was one of those places she didn't want to become the prey. In the time it took him to collect the drinks and make his way back to their table he had not put anything into her new tankard filled to the brim with root beer.
Lenny returned to the table with the tankard of root beer for Sarah and the glass of Saurian brandy for himself. "Here you go," he said and he put the tankard on the table.
"Thank you, so you were saying?" Sarah didn't really want to be in the bar for much longer as staying in one place for too long as that usually brought more trouble than it was worth and Sarah was short handed as she preferred to make deals by herself and that sometimes gave other the advantage.
"Ah yes," Lenny said after taking a swig from his glass. "Well, I know tgis Tarkalean at a colony on a moon in a nearby system. He's always looking for all kinds of stuff to buy. I'm not sure what he does with it, but that doesn't really matter. He pays well." The Tarkalean paid very well indeed, but that didn't really make up for the fact that it was an arrogant clodhopper who acted as if he owned the colony (which in fact he actually did). Lenny might miss the money, but he certainly wasn't going to miss having to deal with this guy.
"He does, does he?" Now that wasn't something she could easily turn down, a job was a job after all... "Where abouts can this Tarkalean be found?" She took a drink from her tankard.
"It's about halfway between here and Deneva," Lenny said, taking another swig from his glass. "If you want the exact coordinates, I'd have to ask Ecci," he said, before adding, "My ship's computer."
She was about to ask who Ecci was, but he answered the question himself. Lenny's presence at the table was hardly noticeable if she hadn't been talking to him she wouldn't of noticed him, he seemed quiet and at a distance, she didn't see him as the type to be a pirate but yet he was. "So back to the stem bolts, where and when do you want them?" Sarah was mostly about business, as if things were for her gain she couldn't complain she just had to offload these stembolts onto someone else so if she was colored by Starfleet she could claim she was innocent.
"My ship, on the docking pad just around the corner," Lenny said. "How about tomorrow morning?"
"Sounds reasonable enough, but would today be better? I mean we're both here and the cargo is on board my ship." The quicker the better, besides they were both here so why not.
"Today's fine too, but I haven't finished unloading my current cargo yet. I had just come here for a quick drink. I hadn't really expected to run into business here."
"Good... then I guess once we have finished these we will part our separate ways." Their ships weren't that far away so it would be a simple matter of beaming the stem bolts to Lenny's ship and the Dagger could be on their merry way like they weren't even here.
"I'm going to need about half an hour to unload," Lenny said. "For one item I haven't found a buyer yet." He drank the last bit of brandy. "I don't suppose you are interested in a pair of Tesnian parrots? They're like their Earth cousins, except a bit smaller, and instead of talk, they just screech loudly and a lot. Sometimes even in their sleep. Their eggs are supposed to be a delicacy however."
Sarah wasn't an animal type person and if he was having bother selling them on then Sarah would most certainly have that very same problem.
"Sorry, I'm not into livestock running around my ship."
"Oh well, I'll just have to find someone else then. Shouldn't be too hard to sell a pair of screeching birds, if they'd keep their beaks shut for at least five minutes." He grinned. "My first mate suggested we turn them into parrot stew. If I really can't find a buyer, that's always a solution I suppose."
"You could always let them go on a planet..." Letting them go also meant he would be free of them and they would become someone else's problem, besides if he was desperate to get rid of them then surely he wouldn't eat them? Or would he.
"That's an option too, I suppose," Lenny said, "But I think my first mate really seems to be in favour of eating them. He can be very stubborn once he has made up his mind about something, especially if that something kept him from sleeping the last two weeks."
Before Sarah knew it the two of them had finished their drinks and were both getting up to leave to return to their respective ships. "Well it was interesting meeting you Lenny..." she spoke a little louder, "...but I best be going."
"Oh, alright," Lenny said.
Sarah fished in her pocket and palmed a small tablet, holding her hand out she wanted to shake Lenny's hand and at the same time giving him the information he would need on where to find the Dagger if and when he came looking for them. Taking his hand she passed the tablet onto him and broke their handshake and then walked from him and head to the Dagger and prepare the cargo for transport.
As she reached the entrance she turned back once and nodded at him and then turned corner and towards the docking platforms that weren't far.
(Rigel X - Eccentrica Gallumbits, Cargo hold - 2390.06.20, 1515)
Lenny turned toward his first mate while he pocketed a small data padd. "I'm going over to Lewis's ship now. Let me know when the goods have been transported aboard."
The tall man nodded and walked toward the ship's small bridge, while Lenny turned around, picked up a briefcase and exited the vessel. After a short walk he arrived at the dock where Lewis's ship was.
(Rigel X - Celestial Dagger docking pad - 2390.06.20, 1519)
The hangar doors to the Transport vessel were open and Sarah was standing in the entrance hands on her hips and relaxed, she had received word that Lenny was on his way and she wanted to meet him the second he walked into view. Sure enough she spotted him as he wandered up to the Dagger and stood down the bottom of the ramp.
"Captain Lewis, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too much," Lenny said when he arrived.
Sarah smiled and shook her head before she answered, "No, you most certainly did not, so right down to business." Sarah walked down the ramp to where Lenny stood, she didn't want to seem threatening and besides Lenny had done nothing thus far for her not to distrust him.
Lenny showed her a data padd. "The coordinates of my ship," he said, "And of course, the latinum." He held up a small briefcase and opened the lid. "800 strips of gold-pressed latinum. You can count them and scan them to see if they're real, but you are not going to get them in your hands before I hear from my first mate that the cargo has arrived at my ship of course." Lenny smiled. "That's not because I don't trust you, captain Lewis, that's just how I deal with everyone, even the ones I have known all my life."
Sarah checked the padd after taking it from him, his ship wasn't that far away from them there transporters should be able to handle the distance. "I wouldn't expect anything less Captain Montgomery... if you would like to step into my office." She gestured up the ramp and walked away from him up to one the crates that was full of self-sealing stembolts.
Lenny followed the other captain and then looked at the crate. "I suppose those are the cargo?"
"This is them yes." Pressing a numberlock on the side of the crate, it opened with a hiss to reveal the stembolts neatly packed and organised. "They are the genuine article." Lifting one of the bolts out she held opened her palm for him to take. "All the crates are locked and you will be given the codes to the crates in just a second."
Examining the stembolt, he asked, "Precautions, I presume?"
"I have to take my precautions just like yourself, Lenny as there is nothing stopping you from taking the stembolts..." Sarah stepped over to the wall and pressed a panel and opened a channel to the Engineer that was stationed at there transporter that was shoved in the corner of one the corridors. "Akenliz, send our crates to the co-ordinates of Captain Montgomery's ship... the co-ordinates are 92.15.132, his ship should be just on the edge of our full range."
The crates disappeared from view and hopefully to where Lenny's vessel was waiting, "Well captain it would seem our business transaction is almost complete." She took the few steps over to him crossing their cargo hold with ease as it was considerably empty.
"Yes yes," Lenny said, replacing the communicator in his pocket with the single stembolt that had not been among those beamed over to his ship. As he did so, it chirped and he flipped it open. =/\=Captain, this is Smith. The cargo has arrived,=/\= a rather distorted voice said.
Lenny frowned. "That's good to hear, but what's up with the comm system, Mr. Smith? I thought you fixed it."
=/\=So did I, captain, but it seems it still needs some more work.=/\=
"Then get to work, Mr. Smith," Lenny said. "Montgomery out." He closed the communicator and put it back in his pocket. "Well, captain Lewis, it would seem the stembolts have arrived at my ship. Here's the payment." He lifted the suitcase with latinum and held it toward her. "The codes, captain?"
Sarah grinned from ear to ear, he was not as foolish or as quiet as she had originally thought he was in fact quite the opposite. Fishing in the inside of her pocket of her trenchcoat she pulled out an Isolinear chip, it was old technology but it was reliable she tossed the chip at him. "All you need do is scan it with a scanner and the codes will be revealed, not everyone still uses Isolinear chips." The Dagger was old and Isolinear chips were still embedded in most of her systems and it was getting harder and harder every year to replace the chips that broke or needed replacing.
"Thanks, Ms. Lewis," Lenny said with a smile as he handed the suitcase with the latinum to Captain Lewis. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
She took the case and put it straight down on the floor by her feet, "It has been a smooth transaction, if all of them were like that then it would be an easy life." Looking around the docking platforms there were a few people moving around, no one was really paying attention to them.
"I agree," Lenny said with a nod and a smile.
"So where you headed now?" She asked, it wasn't all that often she had a chance to talk with a fellow captain as normally when they conducted business it was either on bad or very bad terms, so this was a rarity if it was one.
"I'm not sure yet, maybe to Pandora Station, in the Pandora sector," Lenny said. "Although I've heard Starfleet has increased security there because they're building one of their fancy new super-fast ships at that station now. That might make my job a bit more interesting..." He sighed. "Ah well, I'll just see where I go next. What about you?"
"Me? Heading to see that contact of yours see if we can get some more business." If she could secure some contacts in this area and they gave her new contacts then the crew and her could develop quite a good run and build a name for themselves in this sector of course they would have to avoid the Starfleet vessels that traversed this area but that was easy enough.
"I'm sure you will find he always has something," Lenny said. ~Even if it involves smelly and noisy livestock most of the time.~ "Bon voyage, captain."
Captain Lewis then stepped back into her ship and closed the ramp behind her. When the other captain was out of view, Lenny grinned and began the trip back to his own vessel.
(Rigel X - Eccentrica Gallumbits, Bridge - 2390.06.20, 1535)
"Well, Mr. Smith, how's the comm system?" Lenny asked after manoeuvring his way to the bridge through a rather full cargobay.
"I'd say that voice scrambler is working fine," his First Mate said and the man turned around in the pilot's chair.
"I've heard only an idiot would pay that price she was asking," Lenny said to the man with a grin. "I guess that makes the pair of us a pair of idiots then." He paused. "Are we cleared for departure? Our client is waiting for those bolts." Lenny gestured in the direction of the cargo bay.
The First Mate nodded. "We've been cleared for lift-off by traffic control, and I already programmed our course. We are ready to go."
"Excellent," Lenny said and sat down in the other chair on the bridge. "Let's get off this planet then, Krang."
The Klingon turned to face his station and pushing several controls he powered up the ship's engines. "I'm going to need a new dagger," he said, "Again."
