"Cat and Mouse"
(previous post the dark "Other Side Of Intel")
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Stardate: 60320.2020
Setting: TANGIERS ORBITAL, Main Level, "The Astral Lounge, Dance Floor"
The last thing Susan expected when Matt talked about 'clubbing' was
hitting the dance floor of TANGIERS ORBITAL's most popular club. Now she
thought of it, however, it was the perfect place to have a really private
conversation without running the risk of anyone overhearing... or actually being interested at all. The way Matt pulled Susan - or Sol - towards him
when a slow song started playing, though, made Susan suspect that he had more
than a simple business interest in dancing with her.
"So what's the deal?" Susan asked, cutting to the chase. "You said
something about Bajoran artifacts."
Matt smiled slyly, "aren't we all business?"
Susan glared at him. She was getting tired of the cat-and-mouse game
and was starting to doubt that there actually was any business at all.
"Yes. We *are* all business. If you think I came here to renew some romance..."
"I would never be so presumptuous."
She doubted that, but she let it go, "Well, then, please explain to me
why I am here."
Yes, please do. The Susan part of her mind pleaded.
Matt sighed heavily, "You used to be such fun..."
"That Sol doesn't exist anymore."
For all Susan knew, that was true. Matt's reaction was not what she
would have expected. He pulled her closer and looked deeply into her eyes.
Susan had the horrible feeling of being searched... and she didn't like it at
all. Surely he would be able to tell - even with the dark contacts - that
she wasn't Sol? Eventually he said quietly, "Yes, I see that."
Just as Susan's blood ran cold, Matt looked at his feet, "I really hurt
you, didn't I?"
Susan remembered his previous apology. She said nothing. Hoping he
would simply ramble on by himself if left uninterrupted. Sure enough, he spoke again, "What can I say, Sol? I'm sorry. I got scared."
This was sounding more and more intersting. "scared?" Susan repeated.
"Yes," Matt said, "It's not good to get too close... not in our line of
business. You understand that, don't you?"
Susan took the opportunity to push him away from her, "perfectly." she
said coldly. "and what exactly is 'our line of business' today?"
Matt gave a wry smile. "Alright. Alright. No games."
The song changed and they moved together again, giving Matt the chance
to whisper in Susan's ear.
"When I said Bajoran artifacts, I lied. I knew that would catch your
attention. Now you're here... I'm taking the chance that you'll here me
out."
"A big chance." Susan said to keep in character while her mind raced.
"You're still listening."
"The song's not finished. It's rude to leave the dance floor in the
middle of a song. By my calculations, you have about 30 seconds to impress
me."
Matt grinned, "Never been a problem before..."
"You're wasting time."
"Right."
There was a moment of silence from Matt as he collected his thoughts.
Then he gave Susan what she'd come to TANGIERS ORBITAL for.
"You remember back when we were on the FLYING DUCHESS and we got
into... a sticky spot with the Romulans?"
"mmm hmm." Susan lied.
"Well, I don't know if you remember... but they were pretty unhappy
about us crossing the neutral zone. Even though we weren't Starfleet, they said I was human and that was enough."
Susan wanted more details she knew she should have let him finish what
he was saying, but as usual her curiosity got the better of her. Instead
of asking how long ago this had been, she decided to appear knowledgeable
and asked instead, "This was... a while ago. Two years?"
"Three."
"My, how time flies. You sure it was three years ago?"
"Positive. It was the year that we were on the DUCHESS. The year that
you decided to go onto that Cardassian ship and sabotage the systems to
gain the favour of the Kohn-Ma..."
The Kohn-Ma? Now Susan knew that whatever 'business' Matt had in mind,
it wasn't going to be innocent. The Kohn-Ma were a terrorist organization
on Bajor *very* against any outside interference from the Federation. She
laughed as if this brought back amusing memories.
"You can laugh." Matt said in mock chagrin. "It was me who had to go
running in to save you when your elaborate half-witted scheme failed and we
ended up enemies of the Cardassians *and* the Kohn-Ma!" He was smiling.
"Half-witted!" Susan said, playing along with the mock-argument. "At
least I was brave enough to attempt it!"
"So this is a question of bravery is it?" Matt raised his eyebrows.
"You seem to have forgotten that *I* was the one who got us out of that
trouble... and still managed to get work for us after that."
Susan knew that now was the time to catch Matt off his guard, "Huh. You
call that work? What work?"
Matt laughed, "Yeah, what work? Oh, I dunno! Trying to take over the Federation from behind a computer terminal, setting up war with the Klingon empire by stealing parts from a warbird... and then leading them to the
Borg."
"Not to forget that trouble with the Romulans..." Susan jumped in while
her mind was still spinning at Matt's admissions.
"Which *I* got us out of, thank you very much." Matt laughed and Susan
joined him, leaning against his chest so that he couldn't see her face
- and any look of less-than-genuine humour that crossed it.
They lapsed into silence, the previous song had stopped and another
slow song had taken its place. It seemed that the club played calmer music
late at night. Matt sighed nostalgically, "Good times."
Susan nodded, but didn't look up. Who was this man? Who was Sol? She
certainly wasn't the person that Susan had learned about. Had she been
given some sort of elaborate alias used for the Starfleet files? And what is
it that they had done upon the ship called the FLYING DUCHESS? Had they
been mercenaries? Pirates? Or just general trouble-makers?
Matt broke the silence with another sigh, "Yes, I saved us from the Romulans. I talked us out of that situation and now it's pay-back time."
Susan looked up suddenly at that. Not sure whether he was referring to
her or the Romulans. "What do you mean, 'payback time'?"
They were swaying gently to the music, and Matt moved closer so that he
could whisper in her ear again, "That Romulan who let us go, T'Preel,
has called in the favour."
Susan pulled away slightly so she could meet his eyes, "After all this
time?"
Matt nodded, "He's after some Starfleet captain. Apparently he has
orders to capture him and take him back to the Romulans for questioning."
Susan's mind was going at overdrive. "wha- what do we have to do with
this? I mean... what does this have to do with us."
Matt gave a lopsided grin, "well... This is why I told you we were going to be dealing with artifacts. It sounds a lot more appealing than dealing with a Starfleet captain. Apparently T'Preel prefers to spend his time gambling and having fun. He wants us to do the dirty work."
Susan gulped despite herself, "Dirty work?"
"Yeah, track down the Captain, set up a trap and then deliver him to
T'Preel."
"And if we don't go along with it?"
Matt made a slicing motion with his hand across his throat.
Susan stared at him in disbelief before asking tentatively "Which
Starfleet Captain?"
"His name is James Simmons... Sol? Sol, are you alright? You look
pale."
Susan grabbed his arm for support, "I'm fine. This dancing has made me
feel slightly lightheaded. Could we sit down?"
Matt nodded, "Of course." and led her to one of the small tables that
surrounded the dancefloor.
Susan quickly got herself back into character, "So... that seems like
something you'd be able to pull off on your own." when in doubt, use
flattery, "why do you need me?"
Matt leaned across the table, "Well, I've come up with a plan. It's in
the rough stages..."
"The half-witted stages?"
Matt smiled, "Yeah. But it could work... remember when we found that
ship that seemed as if she was dead in the water and moved in for the kill
just as Starfleet arrived in answer to a distress signal?"
Susan nodded slowly. She wished Matt would stop asking her if she
remembered stuff.
"Remember how we beamed aboard the ship and found that the crew were
still alive after all and they turned weapons on us and started firing?"
"We went from the frying pan into the fire. How could I forget that?"
Sol's life sounded incredibly interesting, if nothing else.
"Well, you know what we did then? When we played both sides against the
other? Told the crew of the ship that we were from Starfleet and they
let us get at the controls, then we started firing at Starfleet and neither
side knew what'd hit them?"
Susan smiled out of wonder but Matt mistook it for recognition and
leaned even closer, "Well, we could do the same thing here... only I need your
help."
"You mean we'll try and get Starfleet to help us?" Susan said
hopefully. If that was the case then it would be easy to make sure that Starfleet triumphed in this situation.
But Matt shook his head, "No, of course not. I'm suggesting that we do
a little gamble of our own. Like beaming aboard that ship. I'm suggesting
that we go with this T'Preel's idea... until we get the Captain. Then we
decide what we do with him."
Susan smiled. A genuine smile this time. Matt saw this, "You like the
idea?"
"It has a certain appeal."
Of course it did. It meant that, if she helped Matt get to James first,
he would not get carted off to the Romulans, but rather her and SFI would
have the opportunity to learn every little detail of Matt and Griko's
undertakings... With the Federation, Borg, computers, Cardassians, the
Kohn-Ma and whatever other enemies they had made.
--------------- 2005 post #178
Tallulah Habib {thabib@eject.co.za}
Ensign Susan Mei
Head Counselor
USS ANUBIS
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"Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own." - Adam Lindsay Gordon
