"Change of Plans"
(previous post the imaginative "Foolish Dreams of a Dreamer")
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Stardate: 60321.0945
Setting: TANGIERS ORBITAL, 1st Floor
Susan and David walked out of the room in silence... or what appeared
to be silence. It didn't look to any outsiders as if they were talking, but
Susan was actually in the process of explaining the plans she'd made with
Matt to David.
" I told him that I'd meet him at the bar by the poker tables, but
he knows where I was dining so chances are he'll intercept us."
=/\= I see =/\= was all David said as they wound their way around a
group of excited Bolians, making for the escalators to the second floor.
"I'll explain to him that you're someone that I met on my
travels... he'll probably have heard of you."
=/\= What, exactly, is it that he does? =/\= David asked as if
somewhere in his mind assessing the likeliness of Matt having heard of the bounty hunter.
Susan was about to shrug, but caught herself in time, "I don't
know, but I think that he's some kind of mercenary... or pirate. And I think that he and Sol were associates. In fact, I'm starting to wonder whether there
is a Sol at all or if she's a made up identity."
=/\= An alias? =/\=
"Yeah" Susan was about to step onto an escalator when a hand
caught hers, stopping her. Her first thought was that it was David, but he was
standing on the other side of her. The hand pulled her around to face
its body and she saw that she was right about being intercepted by Matt.
He smiled, "Change of plans." He glanced up to the second level where
Serenna was engaged in conversation with a Dralian, "That Vulcan has
had her eye on you..."
As Susan's heart was sinking, David cut in, "She's harmless. A
commodities' trader who goes by the name of T'Pring."
Matt eyed the imposing figure of the ANUBIS's CEO. He had to tilt his
head backwards slightly to look David in the eyes, but didn't seem in the
least bit intimidated, "And you are..?"
David stuck out his hand, "Kreedar Brell"
The reaction from Matt was totally amazing and totally unexpected. He
went completely white and his grip on Sol's arm tightened. His voice
portrayed none of this horror as he asked, "Kreedar Brell?" as if making sure
he'd heard right, "*the* Kreedar Brell?"
It took Susan no time at all to realize what was going on. Matt
probably had a price on his head. Kreedar Brell was the last person that someone with a price on their head would want to run into. As if to confirm this, he looked to Sol for confirmation. Susan nodded and reached up to scratched behind her ear, activating the link she had with David.
"Play along" she said to him before returning her full
attention to Matt.
"I'm sorry, Matt." She said, "He saw me while I was having breakfast
and recognized me." She paused, making sure that Matt thought this was
plausible before plunging on, "He said that he'd let me go if I told him what I was doing here and led him to you."
The look of betrayal in Matt's eyes was amazing. David did damage
control quickly, "The lady exaggerates. I simply assumed that if she was here
then I'd find you here too..." he was obviously bearing in mind what Susan
had told him about them working together, "and I supposed that if you two
had come out of hiding... there must be something big going on."
Matt's eyes were ice as he glared at Brell. His fists were clenched -
one of them around Susan's wrist. "And you want in?" he asked.
David shrugged, "Depends... would the bounty be better than if I turned
you two in?"
Susan could tell that David was an experienced Intel officer. He'd
been with Matt for only a few seconds and already he'd found out more than
Susan had.
Matt and David glared at eachother. Each one challenging the other.
Finally, Matt backed down. He smiled slyly and said, "Well... if you put it that way. Yeah. There is 'something big' going down and I'm guessing you'll get a whole lot more out of it than if you took home a couple of modest
swashbucklers."
"By that you mean 'pirates'?" David asked for clarity's sake.
Matt's smile was frozen in place, "Call us what you will. We're still
not worth more than... say... a Starfleet captain?"
David's eyes were sparkling. Though Susan knew that this was because
his goal of being hired by Matt was accomplished, it appeared as if they
were sparkling with delight at Matt's suggestion.
"I'm listening." David said in the deep, threatening voice of Brell.
Matt shook his head, "Not here." He glanced at the busy casino floor
around them. "I have a meeting place reserved."
David's eyes narrowed in suspicion that Susan wished he didn't linger
on because Matt was still gripping her wrist so tightly that it felt it
was about to fall off.
"How many will be attending this 'meeting'?"
"You're afraid I may set up an ambush?"
David inclined his head. Susan had to hand it to him, he thought of
everything.
Matt actually chuckled at this, "One of our associates will be meeting
us in the Beta Conference Room on Level three in half an hour. We'll see you
there."
Matt began to walk away, pulling Susan behind, but David stuck out one
large hand and grabbed him before he took more than two steps, spinning him
around. Smoothly, he disconnected Matt's grip on Susan.
"The girl stays with me." He sounded like thunder. He smiled tightly
and inclined his head, "insurance."
Matt nodded understanding. Susan had a horrible feeling that she
wouldn't be considered big enough collateral to keep Matt from bolting.
Nevertheless, she felt much safer in the hands of the ANUBIS's CEO than with the pirate-turned-renegade, Matt.
--------------- 2005 post #190
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
