Rule 177: Know your enemies - and do business with them always.
„And you are certain? These artifacts are authentic?"
If his face hadn't been hidden under the refrigeration helm, Ghan had probably looked somewhat skeptical when he paced through the storage hall. He scanned some crates here and there, reviewed the readouts of his data padd and continued his way through the hall, just to stop again a few meters further and scan another crate.
„Very certain. At least about the items already here." Thren's approximation of a glance followed Ghan through the dimmed hall. „What is that supposed to mean? 'The items already here'?" Ghan stopped once more and turned around to Thren. „Another freighter is on the way", he explained. „And the survey hasn't been completed yet. It is possible that we find another chamber under the caves. Scanners indicate another room. Could be a natural rock formation." Ghan nodded; possible he now seemed thoughtful under his helm. „Alright, let's assume these artifacts are authentic..." He walked back, towards Thren. „Then this is the most profitable mining operation of all times." He reached the door where Thren waited for him with the inventory list. „That's out of the question", he agreed. „Even if only half of it really dates back to the foundation of the Klingon Empire, it will pay out."
Ghan grabbed the padd with the list and scrolled through the data. „I want Tohl to take a closer look at 'the items already here'", he told Thren. „I want to be absolutely certain. After all, there is some risk involved in these findings." He looked back up to Thren and returned the padd to him. „How do we turn Klingon spoils of war into latinum without starting a war with half the quadrant?"
Thren put the padd in the pocket inside his refrigeration suit. „I assume if we sell the wrong artifacts to the wrong customers, we could expect some trouble, yes", he agreed thoughtfully. „The blood of Kahless or whatever it is might be worth some trouble for the Klingons." „Not only that." Ghan opened the frost-covered door of the storage facility. „We've seen how much trouble the Bajorans are willing to go though during this so-called occupation." He stepped through the door, to the snow covered yard outside the building. „Call me once you hear back from Tohl."
Deep Space Nine, Promenade, Quark's
„Brunt, FCA."
With shameless annoyance in his eyes, Quark looked over to the entrance. His hope to suffer from hallucinations was disappointed. The liquidator of the Ferengi finance authority was real and it wouldn't work to wash him away with some Andorian ale. Quark tried it anyway. When he put the empty glass back on the counter, the uninvited guest was kind enough to step in and not stand in the way of paying customers any longer.
„What do you want here again?" Quark sighed. „I thought we already had the story about the 'newly required routine check' only two months ago." Brunt came closer to the bar and leaned over the counter, to Quark. „A visit much too short, if you ask me", he grinned. „Much too short to really get an insight into your activities." He took the bottle Quark had held in his hand and added: „Even for such insignificant activities." „They aren't that 'insignificant'!" Quark hissed. „Oh?" Brunt grinned again and pointed to the glasses behind Quark. „And you can't sue me for any of them", he replied, ignoring Brunt's gesture.
„I didn't plan to. As usual, you claim way too much importance." Brunt's glance almost cut holes into the glasses now. „Perfect! Then you can simply leave me peace, take care of your own business - and stay away from my bar and me." Quark still ignored the unspoken demand to put a glass on the counter. „It won't be that easy, I'm afraid." „Oh? How hard can it be? The station is big." Quark now reached for a glass, then produced a bottle from under the counter. „Not really that big." Brunt watched every move Quark made; anger glittering in his eyes as soon as he saw the glass being filled and then handed to Morn, who was sitting on a bar stool some steps away. „Not even the entire quadrant is big enough for the two of us", Quark told him. „But if you are not here to make me miserable for once, we could at least try to ignore each other and keep as much distance as possible."
Brunt's expression switched from angry to plain arrogant. „The quadrant is also not big enough for the nagus", he stated. „And that is why I came here, to the door of new business opportunities." Quark laughed, then took another glass from the board behind him and slammed it on the counter in front of Brunt. „The nagus sent you here to improve trade with the gamma quadrant? And you really believe that?" „What's so unbelievable about that?" Brunt gave him an hostile glance, then poured a drink into the glass. „The nagus wants to improve relationships with the gamma quadrant for quite a while now, and you failed him completely, save some minor contracts." „Oh, I totally believe that the nagus wants more profit from the other side of the wormhole", Quark grinned. „And I also believe that he sent you here. But not because of the contracts." He took the bottle from Brunt, who watched him slightly irritated. „The nagus sent you here just to not have you around him anymore." Brunt almost spit out his drink.
„Petty as usual", he hissed after a moment. „Maybe he sent me to show you what a capable man can achieve in the gamma quadrant." „Then why would he have sent you?" Quark turned away and began to mix a cocktail. „We'll see!" Brunt could hide his anger even less than Quark could hide his amusement about the anger. „Oh, I'm sure we will", he agreed. „Fortunately, you are already used to the failure of big plans." He reached for another bottle and continued the preperation of the cocktail. „I tell you something. If you make only ten bars of latinum out here, far from your cosy little office, you get a free drink from me."
Plun V-II, Breen Storage Facility
Supervisor's Office
„It would have been much easier if you had delivered dilithium as usual", inventory supervisor Tohl said when Ghan entered the office. „It was not easy to identify these artifacts without arising suspicion." „Then I can assume they are indeed authentic? And of some value?" Ghan walked over to the console Tohl was operating. „Some value? Well, that is one way to put it", he replied. „With the profits we can pay a battle fleet that makes the Klingon Empire shiver in fear." „If we find buyers." Ghan came closer to take a look at the display of the console. „Thot Bona wants me to take care of the sales, and honestly I have no idea what to do with all these artifacts. I supervise mining operations, not a museum." Tohl nodded and operated his console. „I'm no expert myself", he began, but Ghan interrupted. „I know that. But give me some advice nonetheless." Irritated, Tohl looked up from his work. „And I supervise a storage facility, no archaeology expedition. Don't expect any miracles from me." He deactivated the console and left his position. On the way to the door, he grabbed an identifcation card. „After you", he said, waiting at the door.
Storage Unit K17-1XR
The storage unit below the office was barely illuminated by some lonely ceiling lamps, and badly isolated, too. Dilithium was a grateful material for storage workers. Unlike ancient artifacts, it did not require any special treatment to protect it from the enviroment. Dilithium was happy with the large cubic metal crates that filled the hall. Now, on many of these crates sat purple, barely visible force fields in different heights and sizes, protecting the artifacts from the arctic temperatures on Plun V-II.
„I listed the inventory by origin", Tohl explained when he walked into the hall. „I couldn't figure out the exact age or market value." Ghan nodded. „When it comes to customers, I should consider who they are more than what they pay myself. I can't be too picky who I do business with, at least not before I don't have a battle fleet that makes the Klingon Empire shiver in fear."
Tohl entered the first corridor and stopped at a crate with a small force field, occupied by two metallic, moon-shaped items. Ghan followed him. „I can't tell you terribly much about these... things", Tohl said. „I know they are Andorian. My contacts to Federation worlds are limited and they are all no real experts either. Someone said these markings mean these items are some sort of ritual blades." „Hm." Ghan moved on to the neighboring force field on the next crate.
„Bajoran." Tohl scrolled on his padd, found the inventory designation and looked back up to Ghan. „I looked inside, but there isn't much to see. There are some letters on the outside, but I don't know what they say." „Hm", Ghan replied again. „Any idea what it is good for?" Tohl shrugged. „My contact on Cardassia called it an orb, and said it is quite valuable. But he didn't know what it does." „Great. How am I supposed to sell something if I don't even know what it is good for?" Ghan watched the object suspiciously; Tohl shrugged yet again. „My best guess? It is a lamp. If you open the front, light comes out, so..." „That is all?" Ghan stopped his visual inspection and turned back to Tohl. He nodded. „Not my fault. I didn't create it, I didn't dig it out." He walked over to the next crate and its force field. „And most of all, I don't have to sell it", he added.
Ghan followed him and bend down to the tiny item occupying this crate. „That is a Bajoran earring", Tohl informed him. „It is used to hang on an ear." „There you have it." Ghan lifted his head. „That is an artifact I like. Easy to identify, easy to sell."
