Star Trek Waystation: Prime Real Estate

by Ghiaman

The first episode of Star Trek Waystation. Vince tries to save the Rogue Star Orbital and his friends' jobs from a devious boss, dangerous pirates, and a herd of goats.

Star Trek: Waystation

Episode 1: Prime Real Estate

There were stars to be seen, but they were quite dim. All except for one, that is. There, surrounded by an inexplicable void hundreds of light years larger than normal distance between star systems, was what the Federation scientists classified as a Rogue Star. Officially it was referred to as celestial body A-340.552, but those scientists had only seen it through the imaging sensors of their observation arrays. They knew little about the celestial body, and that is how it mistakenly became classified as a rogue star.

A rogue star has a velocity contrary to the natural rotation of the galaxy. Celestial body A-340.552 moved in a sinister harmony with the rest of what the humans called the Milky Way. Maybe it was because the star lay outside the boundaries of the Federation, maybe it was because the war with the Dominion that had been raging when the rogue star had been observed, classified, and filed away. Whatever the reason, the first pair of eyes to see it unassisted by technology belonged to a Ferengi whose entire holdings were contained within a pathetic shuttle equipped with a faulty navigation system.

He could see stars, but they were dim, with the exception of the one standing in all its brilliance before him. And orbiting it, unnoticed by the Federation scientists, was a metallic object containing a renewable artificial oxygen environment, a power source compatible with alpha quadrant technology, and best of all: location, location, location.

-------------------------------

The shrill alarm yanked Vince into consciousness. He sat up quick and took a minute to get his bearings. He then pressed the control next to his bed and flopped back into his pillow. He really should have set it for an hour later, seven was too early. He closed his eyes.

Fifteen minutes later, the alarm went off again. This was getting tiresome. Vince hit the snooze again, but this time sleep escaped him and he lumbered out of bed. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes and ran his fingers threw his sort curls of black hair.

He walked over to his dresser and caught a view of himself in the mirror and slapped his paunch. He would have to do something about that, but not today. He opened the dresser, picked out a shirt, and pulled it on. He cursed under his breath when he realized he had no clean trousers.

He picked up the pair he has worn a day earlier off the floor and put them on. His comm. was still in his pocket. He set it next to him as he sat on the bed and laced up his shoes. The comm. automatically downloaded the latest figures and beeped when it was complete. Vince glanced at the screen, bracing himself for the bad news. Odd, he though. He added another sum to the tally and listed it as 'Other Sales'. Were these numbers right?

Vince kissed the comm. He had done it. Not on schedule and not on budget, but none of that mattered now. The Rogue Star Orbital was out of the red and into the black. Even someone as incompetent as his boss Gleb could appreciate that they had turned a profit. Vince was actually looking forward to the next subspace transmission from the fat little troll of a Ferengi.

"Orange Juice." He commanded the replicator as he slipped the PADD into his pocket. The device responded with an unpromising bleep. On any other day this would have deflated Vince's good humor, but not today, he had done it. He hit the replicator with his hand, and a glass finally materialized.

"Vince." A female voice called as he left his quarters.

Vince turned, but did not stop walking. "Jendi, looking beautiful, is it the hair? Did you do something different with the hair?"

Jendi's hair was tied up loosely with a strip of fabric, though some stray strands hung free, just enough to hide behind when she looked down. While not the most flattering hairdo, it did a fair job of displaying the dark brown markings of a Trill running down either side of her neck. The hair also somehow matched her frumpy rust orange jumpsuit. She self-consciously tucked some of the stray strands behind her ear, and tried to fight off a small smile. "Oh, uh, thank you. No, though, not really." She said as she matched Vince's long stride.

"I'm just messing with you, what do got today?" Vince asked, raising his glass of juice to his mouth.

The smile left her lips and she felt overwhelmingly plain again. "There have been reports coming in from all over the station that the replicators—"

"Lord that is foul!" Vince cried as he spewed juice out of his mouth. He gagged and spit on to the floor, then looked dubiously at his glass. "It's kinda brown. And that taste, that taste is… I dunno, you taste it." He offered the glass to Jendi.

"Chocolate." She said, gently pushing it away.

"That's it, chocolate and orange juice, how did you know? Did I get some on you?"

"For some reason the replicators are putting chocolate into everything. I've gotten two pages of complaints in the past hour." She held out a PADD. Vince failed to take it.

He pulled a comm. out of his pocket. "Banho, you there?"

"Veence?" The shrill voice of the Rogue Star Orbital's engineer replied. "Veence, is dat you?"

"Sure is Banho. Why does everything taste like chocolate?"

"OOOh… Weeell, Rizzo knows how much eeverybody likes dee shocolate, and she want to geeve eeverybody what dey like."

"Yeah, that's really cute how you made R-S-O into Rizzo, and you treat the station like it's a person, but I need an engineer, not a physiatrist, just get the food tasting like it should." Vince sighed and dropped his glass of chocolate orange juice into a trash disintegrator.

"These were a good idea." He said. "Remind me to give a raise to whoever thought of these if we ever make any money."

"They were my idea." Jendi replied.

"Well good news, then." Vince pulled the PADD out of his pocket and handed it to her. "We made money this month. So once Gleb pays us out of this hole of dept, we might be able to afford that raise."

Jendi took the PADD and scanned over the data. "This doesn't make sense."

"Let's go on down to the mall and see if Dell has anything that doesn't taste like chocolate." Vince snatched the PADD back.

"Oh, uh, that reminds me…. I have some bad news." Jendi said.

"We made money this month, even Gleb will be happy."

"Gleb… He sent a message, he's sort of on his way."

"Here?" Vince asked.

Jendi nodded. "Today."

"Today? The trip takes two weeks at high warp from the edge of the void. When did he leave?"

She shrugged. "The message didn't say, only that he would arrive today."

"You know what? I don't even care. I can't wait to tell that big eared Ferengi freak that I actually made money for him."

"That's not the bad news."

"It's not? There's something worse than Gleb coming?"

"Not exactly worse, I guess."

"Then it can wait until after breakfast. We're in the black, we should celebrate. Let's go down to the mall, I'll buy you breakfast. That kid of yours on solids yet? I'll spring for her too."

"Tama is six."

"Good, she won't eat that much." Vince liked good news. He stopped and sniffed the air. "Do you smell something?"

"Well, actually…"

Vince smelled again, inhaling more deeply. The aroma made him wince. He couldn't decide what was worse, the taste of chocolate orange juice or the wonderful new smell he had discovered. "It smells like rotting hair."

"Vince, I really should tell you..."

Vince walked through the door to the mall and came to a stop.

-------------------------------

"Mbahhhhh, mbaaaahhhh." The creature standing before him said. It was squat, stood on four legs, covered in thick hair, and had an absent minded look on its faced as it aimlessly chewed at nothing.

"Jendi honey, what's a goat doing in the mall?" Being met with an unexpected goat in the middle of the mall, his mall, on his station was a surprising turn of events to say the lease. However, that surprise was multiplied by what seemed to be roughly a hundred head of livestock.

"They're actually Rigellian sheep." Jendi said.

"Sure, but what are all these goats doing here?" Vince pushed through the herd. "Don't just stand there Jendi, do something!"

"Howdy Vince." A southern draw came from the door of R.S.O.'s only restaurant.

"Hey Dell." He said casually, ignoring the goats. "How are things?"

"Actually started off pretty good this morning." Dell didn't look like an exceeding tall man. The bulk of his build added enough width to his frame to destroy any perspective if you saw him standing alone. "Something about chocolate in the replicators, business really picked up seeing as I've got the only dinner around. That is of course until a goat took a dump on my floor. Now it's just Captain Jimmy, me, and the herd in here." Dell motioned to the bar behind him with his thumb.

"It might not have been the goats. Are you sure someone didn't drop one of your chicken fried steaks? Really, I think it's a common mistake."

"Easy there hoss, don't go knockin' the house special." Dell laughed.

"Vince have you ever been to Rigel?" The question came from a rather old, rather portly, rather balding man behind Dell. He was holding a beer and not at all off put off by the animal munching on the back of his pant leg.

"No Captain Jimmy, can't say that I have."

"They have the best lamb chops I have ever tasted, and a honey mead that could knock out a Klingon." Captain Jimmy paused and took a large swing from his stein. "There was a farmer I met who brewed his own mead, and insisted all negotiations be made in the village's bar."

Vince nodded and gave a half hearted smile. "And all very pertinent."

"Vince!" Jendi called.

"Sorry Captain, you'll have to tell me all about how you sat in a bar and drank on Rigel later. I just can't quite picture you doing that." Vince turned and pushed back through the herd towards Jendi. "Thank you Jendi."

"This is the, uh, owner." She said.

"You own the goats?" Vince asked the Tellarite standing next to Jendi.

"For you information, they are Rigellian sheep." The Tellarite said.

"I keep hearing that, but somehow that doesn't get them the hell out of the mall."

"You promised me a grazing area for my herd if I pulled into port here." The Tellarite said.

"Did I promise that?" Vince whispered to Jendi.

She nodded.

"I know I didn't promise the mall, why didn't you unexpectedly herd these things into a cargo bay?" Vince asked.

Jendi tugged on Vince's sleeve. "Bays two, three and four are decompressed, the contractors are in the middle of some work on the other docking pylons."

Vince rolled his eyes. "An entire year and only one of four pylons is operational."

"We could put them in cargo bay one, but I can't get it open." She suggested.

"No!" Vince snapped. "I mean, the contractors said that bay one is off limits too, they need it for, uh, equipment. They locked it, not me." He turned back to the Tellarite. "You're going to have to get these goats back on your ship."

"They are Rigellian sheep, and you promised me a grazing area." The Tellarite protested.

"There is no grass here! How can they graze?!" Vince hollered.

"The need to stretch their legs!" The Tellarite retorted.

"My shops are losing business, and I'm pretty sure I stepped in something that ruined these shoes, but maybe we can make a deal." Vince paused and turned to Jendi. "Has Banho fixed the replicators yet?"

Jendi was surprised at the question. "I don't know that, I've been here the whole time."

"Then go find out." Vince ordered, shooing her with a gesture. He waited until she was out of earshot before turning back to the Tellarite. "I'll refuel your tub, how's that?"

The Tellarite looked him over for a moment.

Vince leaded in close. "An entire pod of antimatter, high quality, Starfleet quality."

The Tellarite considered the offer for a minute. "Do it within the hour. I wish to get underway."

"Meet me at cargo bay one in twenty minutes with an anti-grav lift." Vince began to walk away. "And don't forget the goats." He called over his shoulder.

"Oh Vince." The words floated gently on the air.

"Miss Leelee." Vince answered, turning to a storefront door adorn in satin sheets. "Are the Goats hurting you're business too?"

Standing outside her business, Leelee looked like she was ready for bed, which really wasn't far from the truth. Her bald head was off putting to most humans, but not her attitude. Nor was the reputation Deltans had earned themselves through their indiscriminatingly friendly behavior. "Not really," She shrugged, "some of my clientele have actually asked if we had any farm animals. They're Rigellian Sheep, by the way."

"I keep hearing that. So your costumers get off on these things?" Vince pushed an overly interested goat away from his crotch.

"Some do, but I don't. That hair on their back legs has a habit of grabbing everything their body tries to expel." She grimaced a little at the thought of goat turds drying on the back of goat legs. "Their bodies just aren't put together very well."

"You know something about goats?" Vince asked.

"I know something about well put together bodies."

"I'll say." Vince looked up and down the Deltan's fit figure. "So business is still booming even with the goat situation?"

Leelee rolled her eyes. "Business has never been booming."

"What? You're able to practice your trade freely, outside of any legal jurisdiction."

"You must still have some of that Starfleet mentality left in you. Just because I can conduct business un-harassed doesn't mean everyone is buying my product. This isn't exactly a bustling station."

"I'm working on that part, give me a break. And trust me; there isn't an ounce of Starfleet left in this guy." Vince said pointing both his thumbs at his grinning face. His grin then dropped away as he began to walk away. "They made sure of that." He muttered to himself.

-------------------------------

"Like a strike?" Jendi was confused. Chucki had always been a good contractor, a bit slow, but then again Gleb refused to pay for a full construction crew.

"I don't approve of that union bull no more than our Ferengi employer. Probably why he hired me." Chucki explained. He was calm, but bristling of his hair gave any his agitation. Underneath the Troyian's pile of white hair the vestigial antennas of his Andorian ancestry involuntarily wiggled back and forth. "But I gots to draw the line when me and mine don't get paid."

Jendi looked down and away. She didn't know what to do. She kept books, and wrote schedules. People, well that was what Vince did. It was about all that Vince did. "Vince!"

Hearing his name caused him to pause in his stride and look for his adoring fan. "Jendi, hi. Just heading off to the cargo bay."

"Vince, I need you."

"That's very sweet, but I really think we should keep it professional. You're a great girl and all, but it's not me, it's you and all of that, and I really need to be getting to the cargo bay." Vince resumed his stride.

"Vince, Chucki won't work."

He stopped and looked at the contractor and his men. The workers that weren't hunkered on their tuckas were putting their tools away. "Chucki baby, why are you packing up shop? I know the job ain't done, you got another three pylons to finish. Is this some sort of union thing?"

"It's not a…" Chucki trailed off and sniffed the air. "Something smells like a bag of ass."

Vince wiped his shoe on the floor. "It's goat crap. Don't worry about it, its fine."

Chucki huffed in frustration. "I like you Vince, but I can't work for free. Payment stops, we go home, and that's the way of it."

"It's got to be a mistake. Listen, Gleb's on his way here. I'll talk to him." Vince smiled patted Chucki on the back. "We'll get this all sorted out."

Chucki shook his head. "I talked to the bank Vince. Gleb put the stop order in himself."

-------------------------------

"It doesn't make sense for Gleb to stop payment. What are we going to do?" Jendi asked, trying to keep up with Vince's relentless pace.

"I'm going to the cargo bay. And you can go up to docking control. The ship of the goats is getting ready to leave, and we're expecting incoming."

"I thought Chucki had locked his equipment in there. Why not just make him get it?"

"Because I locked it in there for him!" Vince snapped. "Jendi, I'm getting screwed here, and I don't need you questioning every damn thing I do! Now would you get to docking control?"

Jendi tucked her head and snuck away.

"And make sure Banho fixes the replicators." Vince hollered over his shoulder as he stormed on to the cargo bay.

-------------------------------

"You're late." The Tellarite snorted, his up turned snout releasing a small mist of mucus as he did. He was leaning against the door of cargo bay one.

"Well you look like a pig and smell like a goat." Vince typed an access code into a control panel. The Tellarite stumbled backwards as the doors he was leaning against parted.

"They are rigellian sheep!" He retorted, grabbing the handle of his anti-gravity cart and following Vince into the bay.

"Whatever shepherd, just get that anti-grav over here." The bay was had a large pile of whitish gray containers with the distinctive arrowhead and shield emblem of the Federation's Starfleet on them. Vince heaved up the most convenient of them and dropped it on the Tellarite's cart. "Been a pleasure, come again."

"I just might. A bag of fuel like this is not easy to come by." The Tellarite ran his hand across the Starfleet markings. "Where did you get this?"

"Vince," Jendi's voice came over the comm., "Vince, are you there? We're receiving a distress signal."

Vince usher the Tellarite out of the Cargo Bay. "I really do appreciate your business. I just don't appreciate your herd doing its business in the middle of my mall." He locked the bay doors behind them.

"Hopefully next time your station will be a bit more complete."

"I'll see what I can do, now if you'll excuse me." The Tellarite walked off as Vince pulled out his comm. "Jendi, what's shakin'?"

"It's an automated distress beacon. I think it's from an escape pod, but I can't be sure. It's a weird computer language; I've never seen it before."

Vince was surprised to hear that, if he was the mouth of this operation they had, Jendi was definitely the brain. But language was a secondary concern at the moment. "Did you call Dell?"

"He's got the only shuttle with a tractor beam." Jendi replied.

"Good girl, I'll meet you in the maintenance bay."

-------------------------------

The maintenance bay was the largest space on the Rogue Star Orbital. It wasn't supposed to be. Pylons two and four were supposed to house maintenance bays three times the size, of course pylons two and four were not complete. When Jendi entered, she felt smaller than she usually did. While it was the smallest maintenance bay in the station's design, it was still a massive room. It could hold a small ship, and was equipped with all the tools and gear needed to make repairs. Vince had her charge their costumers by the hour for its use.

The space was empty at the moment except for the tools, and the small but expensive shuttle that had taken up residence in one corner of the bay. Whatever the problem was, it didn't seemed to be getting fixed, but Captain Jimmy kept paying the bill at the end of every month. And as far as Vince was concerned, that was enough to put up with the random and rarely coherent stories Captain Jimmy felt compelled to share.

Jendi walked across the bay to a small freestanding control console on top of a pedestal next to the starboard bulkhead. She pressed a button and red lights started blinking in an elliptical ring on the wall. The lights were accompanied by a siren that gave off a muted wale with each blink. The long axis of the ellipse then parted and the maintenance bay door slowly opened.

"God this bay is huge." Vince said as he came into the far side of the bay. "Remind me we got this place next time someone brings goats."

"Oh, uh, I don't think anyone else is bringing goats for awhile. No one that has a reservation has, um, made any special request."

Vince waved off her explanation. "What's going on? What do we know? Are we rescuing someone's crown prince, getting a huge reward, and paying off all our debts?"

"The distress signal only gave the pod's coordinates. I don't know who's in it."

"Looks like we're about to find out." Vince pointed to the open bay doors.

Dells shuttle came into view as it made a left turn towards the opening. It had a long cylindrical hull that swept upwards at the bow and warp nacelles that on either side of the under belly. From the front they looked like feet.

"Here comes the banana boat." Vince said as Dell's shuttle passed through the bay's force field. Behind it, dragged by a rope of blue energy, was a diamond shaped container only slightly larger than a body.

"It looks like a coffin." Jendi said.

"Maybe, we have no idea how long that thing has been floating out there." Vince agreed. "It's like when you get a birthday present as a kid. Is it going to be that perfect toy, or some dead guy?"

"We never exchanged corpses at holidays on Trill."

The space banana settled onto the deck and Jendi hit the control to close the bay doors. The siren and lights began to pulse as the shuttles tractor beam lowered the escape pod down on the deck and then shut off.

"I ain't going to get a bill for being parked here am I?" Dell asked as he stepped out of his shuttle.

"We'll work something out." Vince replied.

Dell shot back an accusing glance.

"I'm kidding," Vince insisted, "I'm kidding, don't give me that look."

The three of them walked over to the escape pod. Jendi squatted down in front of a small control panel. She looked it over for a moment then turned to Vince. "I can open it."

Vince pinched his nose with his right hand then said, "Do it."

"Wait." Dell interrupted. "Just what are you doing Vince?"

"What if whoever is in there isn't living?" A very nasal response came. "I don't need to smell that."

Dell quickly pinched his own nose. "Ok, I'm ready."

Jendi turned back to the pad and pressed several controls. The top of the diamond parted and the middle and the escape pod opened to reveal what looked like a young man. The species was one they had never seen before. The young man squirmed a bit and both Dell and Vince let go of their noses.

Vince snarled his upper lip in disgust. "Holy crap, I should have left my nose pinched! This kid smells like a bar." He then turned to Dell. "What were you doing? Serving him drinks on your way back here?"

Dell sniffed the kid cautiously. "It's alcohol alright. And I think he pissed himself."

"Are you ok?" Jendi asked their stinky survivor.

Wide eyed the boy sat up and looked around the bay.

"What's your name?" Vince asked in slow exaggerated words.

The boy's wandering gaze directed itself towards Vince. For a moment it looked as if he might actually speak, the next moment it looked much more like he was vomiting on Vince's shoes. After coughing out the last of it, the boy raised his head again. "Something smells like shit."

"That would be you sonny." Dell said.

"Really?" The boy pulled the front of his shirt to his nose and inhaled deeply.

"Actually, it's me. I have goat crap on my shoe." Vince looked down at his soiled footwear. "And vomit." He added.

"Why would you want goat crap on your shoes?" The boy asked.

"It's all the rage in France." Vince shot back. "Now do you have a name?"

"Well yeah, why wouldn't I?" The boy seemed to marvel at the stupidity of the question.

"Well what is it son?" Dell chuckled.

"It's Acke." The boy replied. "What's France?"

"How did you get drunk in an escape pod?" Jendi asked.

"I'm not…" Acke started. "You're the one that… You can't decide, you can't decide that I'm drunk."

"Check the pod's water stores." Vince told Jendi.

"Vince, being a bartender I know a thing or two about alcohol, and water don't ferment." Dell said as Jendi found a tube to one of the water stores. She smelled the end, winced and nodded at Vince.

"Well I know a little about misbehaving on a ship." Vince said. "Some Captains of merchant vessels don't allow their crew to drink while underway. An innovative alcoholic will replace the bags of water in the escape pods with some sort of clear alcohol."

"Is that what lost your commission with Starfleet?" Dell asked.

"That was a complete misunderstanding." Vince sounded slightly uncomfortable. A beep came from his pocket and checked the readout on its small screen. "Looks like we got clients."

Jendi pulled out a PADD and looked it over. "No one is scheduled to dock now."

"Maybe Gleb's ship got in early, or maybe we're just lucky enough to have unexpected paying clients." Vince said. "Ok, Jendi get this vomit cleaned up. Dell, take this kid to your dinner and get him some water, the non-fermented kind."

"Vince, this kid can get water just as easy someplace where I'm not taking responsibility for him."

"Dell, he threw up when I asked him his name, how do you think he'll responded to chocolate H2O form the replicator? Help me out here pal." Vince patted Dell on the back and started out of the bay.

Dell sighed. "At least he didn't make fun of boat looking like a banana this time."

"He did," Jendi told him, "before you landed."

"Well, that's just Vince for you." Dell didn't let words hurt him.

Jendi shook her head. "No, it's not. It really does look like a banana. At least it's not yellow."

"Wait a minute! Where am I?" Acke piped up. "And just who the hell are you people?"

-------------------------------

He didn't like to admit it, but Vince himself was probably as much to blame for the Rogue Star Orbital being over cost as Chucki and his guys meeting unexpected construction slowdowns or Gleb's constant skimming off the top. One of the reasons was the comm. unit he held in his hand. It, and the one Jendi carried, was capable of a lot more than just intra-station communication, they could adjust the environmental controls, bill clients, even initiate the docking procedures. Not exactly the bargain basement comm. units that Gleb had authorized Vince to purchase, but it did make it possible to administrate and over see the construction of a space station with only three staff employees.

While Vince did contribute to the overall dept, he knew his expenditures, like the comm. units and more recently the antimatter, were the only way to make the investment viable. So, once the money was spent he didn't expect to see it again. That's why when it came sauntering back through the airlock from the ship that he had just cleared to dock, Vince was even more surprised than when he had found a herd of goats grazing around the mall.

"Jaster?" Vince ignored the other passengers that walked.

Jaster Horn dressed in the finest Triaxian silk suits. His shoes were handmade Romulan leather. A rare thing for a human considering the Federation's trade embargo against Romulus, but Jaster was not the sort that cared about Federation laws. He did not look like the typical visitor to the Rogue Star Orbital. A person seeing him from across the room would probably assume someone that well dressed was a successful and most likely respected business man. Seeing him up close the person would change their mind. Not because of his bald head or the roguish amount of stubble on his face, but because of the harshness in his eyes that stood in stark contrast to the charm in his voice. "Vincent, did you know you're taller in person?"

Mean eyes, bald heads, and stylish stubble didn't concern Vince at the moment, he didn't swing that way. "You know, I did know that, but why are you here?"

"Business." Jaster ran his hand along a grove in a nearby wall and checked his fingers for dust. "Is there anything to eat? I'm famished."

Vince started towards the mall. "I thought we were done, with the, uh, transaction."

Jaster chuckled to himself. "Vincent, you don't look happy to see me. Don't worry; I'm here on business, but not with you."

"Then who?"

"My clients tend to expect a certain degree of anonymity. You understand"

"Of course, it's just a long way to travel, even for a pirate like you."

"We're not pirates, we're the Orion Syndicate. We don't take ships by force…anymore. The profit margins are too thin. Extortion, blackmail, illegal goods, that's where the money is." The large double doors to the mall automatically opened in front of the two men. Jaster gave an audible sniff. "I thought that shit smell was just in the airlock, but it seems stronger here."

Vince sighed and looked at his feet. "It's my shoes."

Jaster looked as well. "Oy!" His hand went over his nose and mouth, "haven't you got another pair? If you don't, I know a man that could get you new ones at a price."

Vince led on pointing out the few shops that had been opened. There was the Outer Space Outfitters, the Subspace PayComm, the Rental Lockers, the Consumer Value Store, Leelee's cough business, and of course Dell's Bar and Grill.

Jaster looked at the high ceilings of the mall and the lighted signs of the storefronts and whistled. The station was far from complete, but what was finished was impressive for a privately owned station. "I see why you needed my assistance on that other matter; this place must be a fortune to power."

"Actually, this station is solar powered."

"No antimatter?"

Vince shook his head. "Banho, our engineer, says the core station emits some kind of field around the star that collects energy." He shrugged. "It works and it's free."

"I'm surprised you're not rolling in the latnum. Solar energy efficient enough to power a space station is a lucrative technology."

"It would be, if we knew how it worked. This station is built on top of an abandoned station my boss Gleb found."

Jaster smiled. "Quite a find for old Gleb."

-------------------------------

Captain Jimmy sat next to Acke at Dell's long mahogany bar when Vince and Jaster walked in. "Hey… hey..." Acke slurred his words as he half tapped, half rubbed Captain Jimmy on the shoulder. "Hey, I was on a Kuaning ship for three weeks, but then it exploded. That was a suck."

"Well that reminds me of a story." Captain Jimmy replied.

"Looks like we have a match made in heaven." Dell said to Vince, nodding towards the pair. "What can I do ya for?"

Jaster straightened the collar of his silk shirt as he noted Dell's faded jeans and leather boots. "I think I'm underdressed. Anything edible in here?"

"Chicken Fried Steak is the house special, best you can get this side of New Houston." Dell pulled out a menu and placed in front of Jaster's bar stool.

"Any meat not fried in another animal?" Jaster looked suspiciously at the paper menu.

"Dell, get him a pulled pork sandwich." Vince then turned back to Jaster. "It's safe."

"Vincent, I intend to put this food in my body. Describing it as safe isn't exacting setting my taste buds a tingle."

"It's good, you'll like it. But you might want a few extra napkins." Vince grabbed a small stack of napkins from just behind the bar. He unfolded the top one and tucked it into Jaster's collar.

Jaster looked at Vince in a stupefied awe. "What are you doing?"

"It's just such a nice shirt." Vince said.

Dell slid pulled pork sandwich, dripping with barbeque sauce in front of Jaster. "Bon appétit."

"This sandwich is leaking." Jaster said. "Am I supposed to eat this with gloves?"

From the other side of the bar there was gurgling grunt, a splashing sound, and Captain Jimmy telling a hunched and open mouthed Acke, "That reminds me of the time a very stubborn strand of gastroenteritis wreaked havoc on an Arkan outpost I happen to be stationed at. The decks of the facility…"

"Well I've lost my appetite." Jaster stood up and pulled the napkin out of his shirt. "Thanks though, be back for a pint later."

"Friend of yours?" Dell asked as Jaster walked off.

Vince sighed. "Business associate." He sat down on the stool Jaster had vacated and began to eat the pork sandwich.

"What kinda of business is a guy like that into?" Dell asked.

"None of yours." Vince said, a dollop of barbeque sauce dripping down the side of his mouth. "You know that puddle of vomit on your floor is driving away customers, you might want to look into that."

-------------------------------

"Surrender or walk the plank!" Pirates often acted brashly, so she didn't care if her victim knew her sword was just a dow she had found in the second pylon after Chucki and his workers had packed up, or that her hat was made of black paper and decorated with finger paint.

Banho put his hands up in the air. "Wot ees da plank?"

"It's like a bridge coming off a pirate ship." Tama explained. "But when you get to the other end there isn't anything there."

"Weel dats not a very good bridge."

"It's not supposed to be Banho. The pirates push you off the end into the sea!"

"I can't sweem, who can save me?" Banho asked.

"Well, sometimes a daring Swashbuckler will defeat the pirates, but usually only to save a girl."

"Den I do wat you say." Banho put his hands up, feigning surrender to the young girl.

"Then Rizzo is mine!" Tama yelled triumphantly. "Pirates weren't very smart, so you have to teach me how everything works."

"Ohkee. Wat do you want to know?"

"What does that one do Banho?" The little girl pointed at a dial on the large wall console.

"Weell Tama, dat one makes dee air good to breath. I turn it dis way and dee air has more oxygen, I turn it dat way and der is less." Banho and Tama were near the center of the R.S.O. in the core of the original orbital structure.

"And that one?" Tama pointed.

Banho looked at the switch she pointed to and furrowed his pale green brow. He pushed the stray, ratty strands of hair out of the way of his thick glasses and tucked them up under the wool cap he wore. "I dun know wat eet does."

He stepped closer to the switch and squinted. He felt it with his hand then flicked it into the opposite position. Stepping back and quickly, he looked from right to left across his control station noting no changes. Then with a loud click, the switch turned itself back to its original position.

"Banho," Tama said, "I don't think we should do that one again."

Banho slowly shook his head. "No, I dun tink dat switch wants to be turned."

The two stared a bit dumbfounded at the switch until the silence was broken by the klomp klomp of approaching footsteps. They turned to see Jendi, glaring at them from the end of the hall.

"Hi mama." Tama said timidly.

"I have been looking all over for you." Jendi scolded her daughter. "What did I tell you about not coming down here alone?"

"But Mr. Banho was here." Tama explained.

"Tama ees a Pirate now." Banho told her unamused mother.

Jendi gave a sideways glance at the engineer, then back at her daughter. "You can't just wander off like that honey. I need to know where you are."

"Mees Jendi, I make sure dat Tama ees safe, and Rizzo make sure dat we all are safe." Banho assured her.

"Have you fixed the replicators yet?" Jendi asked.

"Der ees nothing wrong with da replicators." He said.

"So they don't make everything taste like chocolate anymore?" Jendi felt like there was an echo in the room.

"Dey never deed. Rizzo makes da shocolate taste."

"What? Never mind, can you fix it? Can you make the food not taste like chocolate?"

Banho smiled and nodded. "I try."

"Good, come on Tama." She reached out her hand and led her daughter out of the core.

-------------------------------

Vince sighed again as he strolled through the mall. His belly was full, but he had a bad taste in his mouth from his meeting with Jaster. He didn't want Jaster's type of business happening on his station, but the R.S.O. was just the type of place Jaster's type of business liked to be done. Maybe Leelee was right, Vince's Starfleet mentality was dying hard.

A flop, flop, flop sound followed an almost human looking alien wearing sandals and an open floral shirt. "Vince," the man called with pursed lips, "just came from the replimat…"

Vince waved his hand at the remark. "I know, we're getting it fixed. When did you get in Carib?"

"Fifteen or twenty minutes ago. Thought my pal Vince would be there to greet me, but I guess not. I guess big shot station administrator doesn't have time for little ol Carib."

"I didn't see the Moldy Crow listed to come in today."

Carib smiled. "New ship, the Shining Beetle."

"The passenger liner? Moving up in the world. But you weren't listed as captain." Vince pulled out his PADD to check.

"Well, one of the passengers wanted this trip to be a little low key, you know? Off the radar, need to know. But, yeah, you know, the new ship does it all, passengers, freight. I might even take people out charter hunting for those space-born beasties I keep hearing about."

"You know how stupid that name is, right? What beetles do you know that shine?"

"I got the thing from an Orion, they have a thing for beetles I guess. It's painted on the side and all, so I went with it."

"It was Jaster, wasn't it?"

"Who?"

"The passenger that wanted to be off the radar. Bald? Well dressed?"

"Yeah, Jaster Horn, you know him? His guys have some great flammables, if you catch my meaning." Carib pinched his thumb and forefinger together and held them to his mouth.

"He brought guys?"

Carib nodded. "Yeah, bout ten or twelve, something like that. Why?"

Vince sighed. "Never mind. Say, how's that new ship doing on gas?" A beep from Vince's comm. unit interrupted the conversation. "Hold that thought Carib, we'll talk later."

Vince turned and answered the comm. "Tell me the replicators are fixed." Vince said into the unit.

"He's here." Jendi's voice came back. "He'll be docked in fifteen minutes."

-------------------------------

Vince docked Gleb's ship himself with his comm unit. As the sequenced and the doors opened Vince braced himself for the inevitable sound.

"Viiiince!" The sound coming out of the short Ferengi fell somewhere between a whine and a quack. What Gleb lacked in height he made up for in width. His skin pulled tight over the fat packed into any free space it could find. He waddled through the airlock and grabbed Vince by the wrist holding the comm. unit. "What's this? It looks expensive, did I pay for it?"

"Good to see you too Gleb. How's the wife?"

Gleb grunted and let go of Vince's wrist. He waddled past the human and started towards the mall. "She's on Fereginar. That reminds me, does that Deltan still work here? What was her name, Lee lee?"

"Sure, and if you've got the latnium, she's got the time. But before you go and console yourself over the separation from your spouse, could you tell me why you are here?"

"Well it's my station isn't it?" Gleb asked, stepping through the door to the mall. "I have to look after my investment."

"For half a year you've been looking after your investment from your mansion on Ferenginar. Why did you show up here today, unannounced?" Vince followed the uninterested Ferengi to the replimat café.

"For the past half a year you've been losing my money." Gleb said over his shoulder before turning his full attention to the food slot inform of him. "Give me a cheese omelet with ham and peppers." The food materialized and Gleb sat at the nearest table.

"Not anymore." Vince threw his PADD down inform of Gleb.

The Ferengi took up the PADD and sneered as he looked over the figures. "Well, it's about time. Or should I say past time? You're too late Vince. My investors have lost their patience and want their money back." Gleb punctuated the statement by stuffing a heaping forkful of omelet into his mouth.

"What does that mean?"

Gleb make another sound between a whine and a quack as spit out the omelet. "There's something wrong with the replicator." He picked up his napkin and began wiping his tongue of, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.

"Yeah, it adds chocolate to everything, we're looking into it."

"Too many glitches." Gleb said. "Too far over budget and too far over time, that's why I am selling this godforsaken station."

"Selling? To who? What about my job?"

"Who I am selling to is not your concern, and your job is not my concern, not anymore."

"That's why you didn't pay Chucki this month. So that's what you do? You squeezed a month of extra work out of us by keeping your mouth shut about this deal. Forgive me if I don't get all teary eyed at the end of our working relationship."

"You should thank me. No one else would hire you with your criminal record."

"Oh yeah? Well you know what?" Vince stood there nodding for a few moments hoping a truly scathing come back would pop into his mind. "That was a complete misunderstanding, because I didn't actually break any Federation laws. You see, they shouldn't have had jurisdiction, so there." It didn't

"Tell it to the unemployment line, I'm going to see that deltan."

-------------------------------

"What'll it be hoss?" Dell was carrying a bucket and mop back towards the Bar's store room. "Oh, and watch out for the wet spot on the floor. Little Mr. Sunshine over there can't seem to keep anything down."

"I don't care." Vince slumped down on a stool. "A shot of something strong and then a shot of something stronger."

"My head hurts soooo much." Acke groaned from the end of the bar.

"You drank like two gallons of moonshine in that escape pod, kid." Vince said. "What did you think was going to happen, you'd start farting beams of rainbow bunny rabbits?"

Acke looked up in surprise. "That was alcohol? But I'm too young to drink!"

"Really?" Vince asked in obviously forced astonishment. "Dell, did you hear that, this kid is too young to drink. He didn't realize the paint thinner like liquid he was consuming was making him drunk!"

"Well it did taste kinda bad at first, but later I really got to like it." Acke said.

"How old are you little man?" Dell asked, pouring 'something strong' into a shot glass.

"Fifteen yagrens." Acke replied. "That's three yagrens short of the legal drinking age."

Dell slid the shot in front of Vince. "What's a yagren?"

Vince shrugged. "Well I'm sorry kid. I don't know what to tell you. We're going to have to report you to the authorities for underage drinking." He kicked back the shot and pointed at the glass for another. "And destruction of personal property."

"What?!" Acke yelped. "What did I destroy?"

"You threw up on my shoes." Vince kicked back the second shot and pointed at the glass again.

"Oh no!" Acke said looking at the soiled footwear. "Is that where the funny smell is coming from? It doesn't smell like vomit. It's more like…"

"I know. I got some of that on them too. Not your fault on that count though, it was a goat. So I'll just hold you responsible for half the pair, deal? Where's my drink?" Vince rapped the shot glass on the bar.

"Vince, you better slow down. You're taking after Acke here." Dell put the bottle of 'something strong' back behind the bar.

"You don't think I need another? Let me check." Vince turned to Acke. "Are you fabulously wealthy and planning on rewarding me with untold riches?"

"No sir, I don't have anything. I was only an engineer's apprentice, but after my ship got attacked by that Kuan I'm not even that. I'm real sorry about your shoes."

Vince pushed the shot glass back towards Dell. "I need another."

"What's with you, Vince? It ain't like you to hit the bottle this early."

"Dell, we're in a space station orbiting the only object in an otherwise mass-less void. How can it be early? Or late? Just pour the shot."

"Sorry hoss, you got to give me a reason."

Vince sighed. "Gleb is selling the station."

Dell pulled the bottle back out and poured another shot. Vince reached for the glass, but Dell snatched it up and kicked it back himself.

"That better not go on my tab." Vince said. "I'm unemployed now."

"Got anything put away for a rainy day?" Dell asked.

"What? Are you seriously going to make me settle my tab right now? Way to kick a guy when he's down. That's mean man, that's just mean."

"We need to get the shop owners together." Dell said.

"Don't worry, I'll let them know." Vince put his down on the bar.

"No, I mean we have to get their money together. If we can out bid Gleb's buyer, this station could be ours."

The blank look that came across Vince's face made it look like his brain had shut off for just a second. Dell looked at the label of what he'd been pouring to make sure it was only alcohol.

"Dell, that idea is just plain..." Vince searched for the right word. "Brilliant! We could save my job!"

Dell rolled his eyes. "Your job?"

"All our jobs, and better than that." Vince looked over at Acke. "Kid, you said you knew about engineering? Fix my replicators and we'll drop the charges."

Dell shook his head.

"What?" Vince asked defensively. "Can't have the replicators on our station making everything taste like chocolate."

-------------------------------

Vince's good mood was returning. He entered docking control with a smile. "How much money have you saved up?"

Jendi's surprise at the question was outweighed by suspicion. "Why?"

"Well, you look like you save. You know, you're responsible, you have a little girl, I've never seen you wear anything other than those overalls…"

"Thanks." Jendi said sarcastically. "By the way, we've got five ships in route."

Vince smiled. Word of the station was getting out. "Good, when do they get here? Two weeks? Three?"

Jendi shook her head. "Today. But there is a passenger liner, Gleb's shuttle, and two cargo ships already docked. We don't have the space to accommodate five ships."

Vince's smile dropped. "Today? And they weren't scheduled?"

Jendi nodded.

"One of them has got to be the buyer." He pulled up the comm. log on a computer console and huffed when he saw nothing but five docking requests. "Or maybe it's all of them, putting in bids or something."

"Bids on what?"

"The station." Vince replied. "Gleb is selling it, that's why he's here, and that's why no one has gotten paid this month."

"He's selling the Rogue Star Orbital? What are we going to do?"

Vince looked at the console he was standing in front of, then back at Jendi. "We're going to set up a docking rotation. We can put some ships into an orbit around the station, start with Gleb's. Then let those five ships know they can dock, and we want payment in advance. Then let me know how much money you can put into our bid."

"That's why you wanted to know how much I have saved."

Vince nodded. "For the station. Get a hold of the shop owners and set up a meeting. I'm going to need all the cash I can get my hands on."

-------------------------------

"Can I heeelp yoou?" Banho adjusted the thick glasses that rested on his round nose so he could better see the newcomer.

"Uh, Vince said I should come here to meet you." Acke said. "I threw up on his shoes and he said he wouldn't tell the police if I helped fix the replicators."

"Weeell, I am Banho, and there is noting wrong wit da reeplikeetors." He gave Acke a toothy smile and moved the paper pirate hat Tama had made for him off the unoccupied chair.

"They don't put chocolate into everything?" Acke asked, taking the seat.

"No, Rizzo do dat."

"Oh." Acke tried to understand what he had just heard without success. "Who?"

"Rizzo, she ees all around us." Banho swept his arm around the space.

"The station." Acke realized after a moment. "Who built this place?"

Banho shrugged. "Rizzo doesn't say."

"There are no logs? No files in the data banks?"

"No dat I see." Banho's thick glasses slipped down the tip of his nose exposing his beady eyes. He used one finger to push them back into place and his pupils seemed to magically grow once covered by the thick lenses.

"How did you get the core station to feed power to conventional systems?"

"I put da lead on da surface of Rizzo an she find dem."

"Without any adapters or converters?" Acke had never heard of such technology and the questions kept pouring out of him. "What kind of voltage does it put out? How much current?"

"Whatever ees needed."

"Automatically?"

Banho smiled and nodded.

-------------------------------

"So why do we need you?" The question came from Mowen, the squat, single, angry man that owned the Consumer Value Store.

"The station needs an administrator." Vince hated Mowen. He was so… So anti-Vince really.

"You ask us for our moneys, so you can buy the station, so you can run it. Sounds like you come out on top." Mowen Scoffed.

"I'm the station administrator. The station needs to be administrated. I'm not going to be the owner, we all will. Equal shares. But we need too pool our money now. Gleb is selling this station. The buyers are on their way and we could all be out of a job."

"Why would the buyer force us off the station?" Pia owned the Outer Space Outfitters and was thinking a bit too practically for Vince's case.

"They'd have no reason too." Mowen shot back. "But they would fire the administrator that has made no money for a year."

"Okay, now that's not true. We did make money this month. The station turned a profit."

Mowen rolled his eyes. "And how much dept is there to pay off?"

"You know Mowen, you really need to work on being a more positive person. We're all here to discuss our future. Dell is providing us all with free drinks--"

"Free?" Dell almost yelped, pulling back the mojito he was serving to Pia.

"We'll talk about it. Just give her the drink Dell." Vince sensed he might be losing control of the situation.

"Vince is right." The statement hung in the air like a bad joke. Leelee stood from her table in the back of the restaurant. "This is our chance to take control of this station's fate, our fate."

"She's just afraid the next owner won't want a whore on the station." Mowen muttered.

"Come on now," Vince stepped in, "that's no way to talk about a woman to her face."

Leelee rolled her eyes and sat back down. "My knight in shining armor."

"How much money are we actually talking about here?" Dell asked. "I'm with you and Leelee, Vince, but how much money is this station worth?"

"One hundred and twenty thousand." Leelee said.

"In bars of Latnium?" Mowen cried.

Pia almost spit up her drink.

"In Alnitak Dollars." Leelee clarified.

"120 K in alnits sounds about right." Dell said from behind the bar.

"How did you come up with that figure?" Vince asked.

Leelee crossed her arms and drew in her legs. "Why don't you just call me a whore, Vince?"

"With Gleb?" Vince winced with an open mouth. "You might as well done one of those Rigellian Sheep."

"As long as they're paying." Leelee said coldly.

The awkward silence that followed was finally broken by Jendi's meek voice, "Six thousand." The room turned towards her.

"What was that, Honey?" Leelee asked.

"I have six thousand alnits in savings." Jendi said a little louder. "We'll need at least one hundred and fourteen thousand more."

Leelee nodded. "Me and my girls can get eighteen thousand together."

"Eighty-five hundred." Vince said. "And I might be able to squeeze a couple thousand out of the ships coming in today."

"If I can cancel the orders I made this morning, I'll have fourteen thousand." Pia offered.

"Twenty-seven." Dell said.

"Thousand?!" Vince exclaimed. "Exactly how much does Captain Jimmy drink here?"

"I've been putting it away for awhile, I'm good for it." Dell assured them.

They all turned to Mowen. "This is a stupid idea." He said. They all just stared at him. Mowen shifted uneasily in his seat. Finally, the staring became unbearable. "Thirteen thousand, but that is an investment, and expect a decent return."

"Right!" Vince rubbed his hands together, this might actually work. "Jendi, set up an account for our bid."

"But Vince, we're still over thirty thousand alnits short." Jendi said.

Vince dismissed the comment with a wave. "We'll need at least thirty-five thousand more to make sure we're not outbid, but let me handle it. This is what I do best."

-------------------------------

"Great bird of the galaxy, did Starfleet give this to you as a lovely parting gift?" Carib ran his hand across the canister of antimatter.

"Yeah, and next week they're sending a team of engineers to complete the other three pylons and a crate of latinum just to make my life a little easier. So are you interested?" In a bout of optimism Vince had borrowed Chucki's large antigrav unit. The shining Beetle did look like a thirsty ship. Hopefully it was down to its last sip.

"I sure am, Mr. Touchy. How much are you asking?"

"Seven hundred alnits." Vince held his breath waiting for a response, and hoped Crib didn't notice.

"Seven hundred? That's not exactly a fell off the back of a freighter deal…" Carib tapped a thoughtful finger on the side of one of the canisters.

"Buy two, and get your third free." Vince threw in.

"What kind of deal would I get for four?" Carib asked.

"The fourth will be another seven hundred, you could go up to six and two of them would be free." Vince said hopefully.

"Six would be a lot of alnits…" Carib tapped away for several excruciating seconds. He then slapped the canister with an open hand, "I'll take five."

Vince stared at Carib, boggled by his math. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I'm good for it." Carib said. "How much is it?"

"It's twenty-eight hundred alnits, but…" Vince trailed off.

"But what?"

Vince considered the math one more time, it wasn't like he was being dishonest and after all, "But the customer is always right." Vince smiled and put out his hand.

Carib took it and shook it vigorously. "It's a fair deal."

Vince nodded. "And then some."

-------------------------------

Vince felt good. Even better than he did in the when he found out the station was in the black. Now he would be partial owner of a profitable station. He strolled through the mall, happy to see Jendi and Tama at the replimat.

He walked up to one of the replicators and entered his administrator's code. "Orange Juice." He took the glass that materialized in the slot and sat down with Jendi and Tama.

"Hi Vince, um…" Jendi looked at his glass.

"Hey Jendi. Hi Tama, what do you have there?"

"Chocolate ice cream." The girl said in between spoonfuls.

"Dell's is packed," Jendi explained, "but you should know…"

"Packed with who?" Vince asked, raising his glass to his lips.

Jendi winced as Vince tipped the liquid into his mouth. And she covered her daughter as the liquid was spit back out. Thankfully Vince turned his head away and the splatter was minimal.

"I guess Banho hasn't worked the chocolate out of the replicators yet." Vince pulled a napkin out of the table dispenser and tried to wipe the taste out of his mouth.

"Let mommy get you a bowl without spit on it honey." Jendi picked Tama's ice cream and Vince's glass and took them to the disintegrator. "Can I get you anything Vince?"

"Chocolate malt, I guess. Not that my spare tire needs it." Vince padded his paunch, and wondered what a tire was and why you would need a spare. "So who is at Dell's?"

Tama reached across the table and tapped on Vince's arm. "There's pirates onboard Mr. Vince."

"Is that why you're wearing that paper hat?" Vince asked.

"Mr. Vince, you need to be a swashbuckler." Tama told him.

"I'm sorry Tama. I can't play pirates with you right now."

Jendi sat back down with the ice cream and the malt. "Those five ships arrived. Their crews beamed over and headed straight for Dell's."

"This deal is going down soon." Vince picked up his malt and stood to leave. "I've got to find Gleb."

Tama grabbed Vince's sleeve. "Watch out for pirates, Mr. Vince. Don't ask them for help, they only help themselves."

Vince suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "Right, well you enjoy your ice cream." He pulled Tama's little hand off his sleeve and remembered why he didn't really like kids.

-------------------------------

"Where are the large Q-tips?" Gleb snarled.

"Q-tips, isle three." Mowen called from his register. He had three different cameras trained on the station owner, so he didn't 'forget' to pay for anything.

"I'm looking at Q-tips, but these aren't even big enough to clean a child's ear." Gleb complained.

"Those good Q-tips. Your ears are too big!" Mowen hollered back.

"Hey Mowen, you wouldn't happen to have any large eared station owners in stock, would you?" Vince asked as he stepped into the Consumer Value Store.

"Isle three." Mowen sighed.

Vince looked up towards the ceiling where signs hung with the isle numbers and products they held. He also noted that the simple, economic build of the isles and shelves stood in contrast with the security sensor net worthy of Starfleet Command looking down from above the isle signs. Vince walked to the middle isle and found Gleb searching the shelves.

"On Ferenginar you can get Q-tips two centimeters around." Gleb grumbled.

"Rumor has it the station is being sold for one hundred and twenty alnits." Vince said quietly.

Gleb took a long sideways look at him. "That Deltan told you, didn't she? She gives great oo-max, but wouldn't go in the ear canal until I cleaned them out."

"Sounds like the two of you have lovely pillow talk."

"You don't want to waste any time talking, she charges by the hour."

"And I don't want to waste any of your time, so I'll get to it. I want to buy the station."

Gleb gave Vince another long incredulous stare. "You?"

Vince ignored the skepticism. "When can I enter my bid?"

"Bid?" Gleb asked. "There is no bid, the station is sold."

"It's done? When? To who?" Vince's voice began to carry.

"That's not your business. And it's not done, the deed still needs to be signed over, but the money is already in escrow."

"So that's why you're here, to transfer the deed. And the buyer probably demanded an inspection." Vince felt his options running out, but figured he could always gamble on greed. "One hundred and twenty five thousand."

"You don't have that sort of money."

"I have investors. Will it get me the station?"

Gleb turned back towards the shelf. He picked up a bag of cotton balls and a pair of tweezers before heading towards the register. "Five thousand alnits isn't very much to cancel a contract."

"But it would be your five thousand. I can't imagine you're being left with a Nagus's ransom after you pay off you loans and investors." Vince said in trail.

Gleb hesitated. "I'll let you know."

"When?" Vince insisted.

"Soon." Gleb said, paid for his goods, and left.

-------------------------------

Gleb would sell to him, Vince was sure the Ferengi would not give up promise of more profit. There was just one thing left to do, get the rest of the money. Quick.

Dell's was as busy as Jendi had said. The busiest Vince had ever seen it. There were easily over fifty people in the restaurant. For civilized space, fifty people would not be considered a crowd, and even here in Dell's there were still empty tables. But there was an air of financial success about the place. It almost made Vince believe that his fundraising plan was a legitimately good one. If not good, it was at least a convenient way to raise the money quickly. Legitimacy was another thing all together. Vince quickly pushed the thought out of his mind.

Even though there were still free tables, Vince understood why Jendi had opted to take Tama to the replimat. The current patrons were a loud, heavy smoking, heavy drinking bunch. Dell walked out from behind the bar with a tray of frothing pints. Some of his customers had actually become drunk enough to take the Bartender's recommendation on the chicken fried steak.

"Business seems to have picked up." Vince said as Dell passed by him after delivering the rounds.

"I had a few reservations about handing over twenty-seven large to you Vince, but if you can keep the station packed like this…" Dell looked at his customers with deep satisfaction.

"Just don't drive them away with the house special." Vince said, patting Dell on the back.

"Not a problem, most of these fellas have better taste than you." Dell shot back. "Oh, and did you hear Pia sold out of those shirts?"

"The ones that say 'I survived the void thanks to the Rouge Star Orbital'?"

"Yup, this crowd couldn't get enough of them." Dell smiled. "We're doing a good thing here, for all of us. You best win that bid."

"We'll know soon." Vince assured him.

"Well I've got business to attend to." Dell headed off to the bar to fill another round of the house brew.

"So do I." Vince said, and headed for the loudest table in the restaurant.

There were five men sitting around it, each with three cards either laying face down in front of them, or held in their hand, close to their bodies. The dealer flipped one card into the middle of the table, and the betting commenced. A burly green fellow called the blind. The second quickly folded. There was a check, a raise and the next card was laid down face up.

This time the green fellow checked, as well as the next man, while the last pushed a third of his stack of chips into the pot. The green fellow folded his hand and only two card players were left.

"So what do you think Vincent? One stick on the first flop, one on the second. With a duex and a ten it can't be a straight. Does Mister Fell have a flush with the three in his hand?"

"I would really love to give you advice Jaster, really. But I have no clue what you're playing."

"The game is threes and five, Vincent. We're playing with a three suit deck, coins, cups and sticks. Three cards for each player. Then there's a first flop, second flop, and the hope, which are all common cards for all player. At the end the best 5 card hand wins. We've flopped two sticks, do you think Mr. Fell has the flush, or is he bluffing?

"Or maybe he has a pair or three of a kind. I don't really know this game, so I really can't say"

"Not the way he's been betting, no Mr. Kell has it all or he has nothing at all." Jaster tapped his finger on the three cards laying face down on the table in front of him. Finally he called the bet.

The card was the nine of sticks. Mr. Kell raised the pot again. Without even taking a second glance at the cards, Jaster pushed the entirety of his chips into the pot. "All in, Mr. Kell. How say you?"

With a huff Mr. Kell folded.

"You had him beat the entire time." Vince was impressed.

"Maybe." Jaster replied, while he sorted out his chips. "Or maybe I just knew he didn't have the flush." Jaster finished stacking his chips up then looked at Vince. "Sit down Vincent, have a drink."

"There aren't any free seats." Vince gestured at the table.

"That's fine. Mr. Kell and Bandosh here were just going to get us all a round." The large green fellow, apparently called Bandosh, stood immediately with Jaster's words. Mr. Kell cursed under his breath.

"They don't have to, I'm fine, really." Vince looked meekly at the towering Bandosh.

"Of course they do." Jaster said. "They have to do whatever I tell them too." Mr. Kell stood and dragged his feet off to the bar with Bandosh in tow. "Sit Vincent." Jaster commanded. "Tell me what you need."

"Do I have to need something to talk to my old friend Jaster?"

The pirate stared at the station administrator. "Of course you do. I'm not the sort that has his clients making social calls. As a matter of fact most of my clients don't want anything to do with me. But if you aren't ready to make your proposal, allow me to make one."

"What's that?"

"Come work for me Vincent. I've seen what you've done with this station, and I could use a man of your talents."

"I'm sorry Jaster. I already have a job."

"Are you sure? I'm making this offer once. If you pass it up now, I will not ask again."

"I'm sure."

"Fair enough." Jaster sat back in his chair. Mr. Kell and Bandosh came back with pints of beer for the table and quickly distributed them. "Now say what you came here to say."

Mr. Kell took his seat, while Bandosh stood uncomfortably close behind Vince's chair. Vince decided to be direct. "I need to borrow thirty five thousand alnits."

"Now there's a number." Jaster said. "What for?"

"Does that matter?" Vince asked.

Jaster took a long sip from his beer and leaned in. "I have other clients than just yourself Vincent. They participate in all manner of business venture. I would not want to see one of my investments competing with another. I'm afraid full disclosure is a prerequisite for the loan."

Vince lifted the beer in front of him to his lips and took a gulp. And another. And one more. And he continued until he had drained the glass. Jaster was making him feeling very uncomfortable, and he hoped the alcohol would ease his mind. Unfortunately it only made him need to pee. Vince put the glass back on the table and looked at Jaster's cold eyes. "I'm going to buy this station. I need that money to do it."

Jaster chuckled. "Want to be your own boss, eh? Determine your own destiny."

"Something like that."

Jaster shook his head. "You should have taken my offer Vince."

"I've got my own plans."

"Obviously, but I won't help you with them."

"Why not?" Vince began to stand as he spoke, but a firm hand from Bandosh on his should pushed him back down into his seat.

"It's nothing personal Vincent." Jaster said coolly. "However, that particular investment would compete with another transaction."

Vince's mouth gapped and he pointed a finger at Jaster. "You're lending money to the person that's buying the station from Gleb."

Jaster rolled his eyes, "Vincent, I am the person buying the station from Gleb."

Vince blinked several times. "Why? This place is in the middle of nowhere, what would the Orion Pirates want with it? OUCH!" Bandosh smacked Vince in the back of the head.

"We are the Orion Syndicate, Vincent. Bandosh does not like being called a pirate. Now think about it. This station is under no one's political or legal jurisdiction. This is the perfect base to run our certain brand of operations from. There are no laws out here but our own. One day the Syndicate could even claim this empty territory as sovereign. Who would care? Who would complain? No one wants this space. And if just one galactic power recognized us, say the Ferengi, they can be bought easily enough, we would become a fully legitimate avenue for any illegitimate business."

"What about the shop owners?"

"That's not the kind of business I'm in Vincent. They'll have to go, except for maybe that Deltan and her girls. The boys seem to like them." Jaster smiled and Mr. Kell let out a disturbing chuckle.

"I brought antimatter from you," Vince said, "very illegal, Federation antimatter, and this is how you repay me? I brought that with my own savings to keep this station afloat."

"You're a good administrator Vincent, so I'll ignore your accusations and allow you something I don't allow many people, a second chance to accept my job offer."

"I don't want your job, Jaster. I'm going to buy this station with or without you."

Jaster's stare turned hard and cold. "Don't make an enemy of me Vincent. Things could get messy. Very messy."

Vince was finally allowed to leave. He tried not to seem like he was hurrying out of the bar, but he was sure Jaster Horn had an innate sense of all the cards he was holding. His prior good humor was gone, the situation, hopeless. If Jaster wanted the station, Jaster would get it. Unless for some reason Jaster Horn decided he didn't want the station.

-------------------------------

Vince crossed the mall in a hurry. He leaned over the rail to the replimat and spoke quickly and quietly to Jendi. "I need a list of everyone that came in on those five ships and station security logs since their arrival. Send it to my comm. unit. Then get the shop owners together, we need to meet in cargo bay one."

"Why? What's going on?" Jendi asked as Vince started to walk away.

"Just get it done. We don't have a lot of time." Vince called back.

"Problem?" Leelee asked as Vince stormed past.

He stopped and turned. "A setback, nothing to get your patties ruffled over."

"Lucky I'm not wearing any." Leelee smirked.

Vince's jaw dropped in disgust. "You know that's not very hygienic."

"Neither is this new batch of customers you brought in. Where did you find them?"

"Hey, it's not my fault." Vince shot back. "They just showed up." He turned and continued his march across the mall. He hoped he wasn't right. He hoped all these people where just unexpected customers.

-------------------------------

Vince was distracted. Lost in thoughts of how royally screwed the station was, and that he was probably in some manner, partially responsible for it. Turning a corner he nearly tripped over Banho, who was sitting on the floor peering into an open access panel.

"Please tell me you're fixing the replicators." Vince said.

Banho looked up at him and blinked twice from behind his think glasses. "Ders noting wrong wit dee repleecators."

"I just had my second mouth full of chocolate orange juice of the day and you're saying there is nothing wrong with them."

"Yees." Banho smiled, satisfied with the understanding.

Vince then look at the open access panel as some grunting noises came out of it. "There had better not be a goat in there."

Acke soon emerged, crawling on his stomach through the small space, pushing a small box with wires coming out of either end ahead of him. "He's right, the replicators are fine."

"What's that?" Vince pointed at the small box as Acke stood and dusted off the front of his clothes. "It looks expensive, put it back."

"Well, it's this machine, you put this end on one contact," Acke held up one of the wires, "and then you put this end on another, and then it tells you things."

"What sort of things?" Vince asked.

"Oh, all kinds of things."

"Does it tell you how to outsmart a pirate?"

"Oh, uh, no." Acke said confused. "It's more for voltages and current."

Vince nodded. "That's more practical."

"Yeah, um, for maintenance at least." Acke agreed. "Hey, do you have any other shoes?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, well good. I'd hate to think I ruined your only pair." Acke hesitated before adding, "Oh, uh, do you think you could wear the others? The other shoes."

Vince stared blankly at the kid.

"That pair still kinda smells."

"Sure thing." Vince slapped Acke's shoulder reassuringly. "So what's wrong with the replicators?"

"Nothing." Acke said. "It's the power source."

"You mean the old station?" Vince asked.

"Yeah, there's a weird power surge running to the replicator systems. It corrupts the matter stream and adds chocolate to everything that's replicated."

"Weird. Can you fix it?"

Acke nodded. "Banho is going to try to smooth the power source from the core, and if that doesn't work I think I can build filters to eliminate power transients from the system."

"Good work, kid. You feeling alright? You were in a bad way earlier."

"I have a pounding headache, but other than that I'm fine."

"Good, it's nice to see you off the sauce."

-------------------------------

"Why so glum, chum?" Carib swaggered up to Vince and patted him on the back. "Here's the bill, paid in full." Carib held out a heavy satchel.

"Thanks." Vince took the bag and kept walking.

"Not even counting it? Something must really have you down. It's all there, for the antimatter and the docking fee."

Vince stopped. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah, I got some passengers lined up back on the rim of civilization. Crazy guys, they race these tricked out shuttles. Not really legal in their system, or any others."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah, well, they needed a ship with a big enough cargo hold for their shuttles, and somebody with a little knowledge of the void. What can I say? I go where the work takes me."

"If you're leaving, that means Jaster is leaving."

"Actually no. Him and his guys only wanted one way. Said their friends were meeting them with some ships."

"Some ships?" Vince asked, knowing had heard it right the first time. "How many men did Jaster have with him?"

"Oh about a dozen."

"How many friends were they meeting?"

Carib shrugged.

"Thanks Carib. You better get going. You don't want to be late for your hot-rodders."

-------------------------------

Vince sighed as he unlocked cargo bay one. It was supposed to have saved the station, not drive him and his friends out of their home. His lonely steps echoed as the paced back and forth across the bay. Dell was the first to arrive.

"You're look like a little boy who lost his puppy." Dell said. "I guess Gleb didn't take our bid."

"Not quite." Vince stared at the deck and tried to wipe an oil stain away with the toe of his shoe. "You're customers tonight, were they all friends?"

"Of mine?" Dell asked.

"Of Jaster Horn, the guy I brought into the dinner earlier."

Dell nodded. "The bald guy in the fancy suit. They knew him. Wouldn't say they were his friends, more like, I don't know… employees."

"So they worked for him?"

"Shoot Vince, I can't say for sure, but he was definitely in charge."

They were interrupted by the sound of approaching steps. They looked up to see Jendi and the rest of the shop owners walk into cargo bay. They were hopeful. Vince thought he even detected a bit of a smile on Mowen's usually dower face. At the very least it wasn't as much of a frown as he usually wore. Vince sighed again. He had given them hope, time to take it away.

"So when do we get to see the deed?" Mowen rubbed his hands together greedily.

"Did he accept the offer?" Pia asked.

Vince looked at them and felt his voice failing him. "I didn't get the money." He choked out.

"What do you mean?" Leelee asked as the hopeful looks were replaced by confusion and anger.

"I didn't get the money." He repeated. "There's more." He walked over to the mound of cargo in the middle of the bay and pulled back the sheet. A silence hung in the air.

Mowen did everyone the service of breaking it. "What do you do to get this? Don't you know it is illegal?"

"That's Federation isn't it? That symbol on the side?" Pia pointed at the antimatter pods.

Leelee crossed here arms and glared at him.

"Vince, what in God's black space has a pile of antimatter got to do with all this?" Dell demanded.

"I knew Gleb was going to sell the station. He didn't tell me or anything like that, but I could see it in the books. This place was expensive to set up, and has lost money every month it's been in operation. A few months ago I got wind of an opportunity to change that. This antimatter was being sold… under market value so to speak--"

"Of course it was! It was stolen!" Mowen hollered.

"Please, don't interrupt. It's rude." Vince continued. "I have been selling a pod here and there to merchant captains as they pass through. And it worked, we made money this month."

"That's why the books didn't look right." Jendi thought aloud.

Vince nodded. "But it was too little, too late."

"That warms my heart and all," Dell said, "but I still don't see how this all connects."

"I brought the antimatter from a man named Jaster Horn. He works for the Orion Syndicate, and arrived on the station earlier today. I was sure I could get a loan from him, but it turns out he's Gleb's mysterious buyer."

"You led him here." Leelee stated flatly.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry."

"Sorry will not save the Consumer Value Store!" Mowen shouted. "You are a very bad man, Mr. Vince."

"Will Jaster Horn revoke our leases?" Pia asked.

"He said he might keep Leelee around, but I didn't get the impression money would be involved." Vince said.

"You criticize what I do, but what do your Federation morals say about selling out your friends for a pile of antimatter?" Leelee turned and stormed out of the bay.

"I was trying to save this station, can't you see that?" Vince called behind her.

"At least I was able to cancel those orders." Pia sighed as she and Mowen turned and walked away.

"He is very bad man, Pia." Mowen told her.

Jendi and Dell were the only ones that remained.

"Now what?" Dell asked.

"What do you mean?" Vince asked back.

"Now how do we get this Jaster character out of here?"

"We don't, Dell. We're done. He has five ships, and a shit load of pirates with him."

"You can't just give up." Jendi cried.

Vince was startled by her sudden outburst. "Why wouldn't I? Leelee, Pia, and Mowen seem to think it's the best course of action. The shop owners have voted."

"That's not my vote hoss."

"Or mine." Jendi piped up. "Vince, you were Starfleet. They don't lie down in front of Orion Pirates."

"No, they throw them in jail, just like they threw me in jail. I'm probably more like those pirates than I am any Starfleet Officer." Vince guessed that was probably why Jaster had offered him a job.

Dell pulled off his hat and fiddled with it thoughtfully with his hands while he tried to find his words. "Where do people like us go, Vince? Do you think people were throwing jobs at a single mom like Jendi here? Do you think Pia or Mowen came out here because they were tired of making so much money back in civilized space? Those two weren't running away from success. And what is there for you beyond this station? I don't know what you did and I don't care, but ask yourself where you're going to go. We've made a life here, it may not be much to look at, but it's ours."

"When do people like us fight, Dell? There's a reason we've all ended up here, we're running away from our problems. Now you're asking me to take a stand?"

"The rest of the universe has thrown us out. If we let ourselves get flushed out of the ass end of space, that's it."

"I don't mean to interrupt." The trio turned to see Captain Jimmy stumbling into the bay. "But I was wondering why the bar was closed."

"Not a good time Captain Jimmy." Vince said. The portly little man was now standing next to him.

"What smells like throw up and poo?" Captain Jimmy inhaled deeply looking for the smell, then said quietly to Vince, "I think it's you son. You might want to visit the shower." Then he continued to the group. "I'm reminded of a visit I had to the Arakan system. The facility I was in had a nasty strain of gastroenteritis run through it. Every deck smelled of throw up and poo. I don't need to tell you that the Arakans have a weaker immune system than most, so the whole place was quarantine for near a month before the illness had run its course for every crew member."

A small smirk crept across Vince's face as he listened to Captain Jimmy's story. "Quarantine?"

Dell smiled next. "You got that look in your eye, Vince."

"Open the bar, get Captain Jimmy a drink." Vince slapped the Captain on the back approvingly. "Jendi, you have some things to set up in docking control."

"What are you going to do?" Jendi asked.

"Change my shoes."

-------------------------------

"So who's sick?" Jendi asked as she prepped the station's systems from docking control.

"I am." Vince said. "Of finding myself in the middle of somebody else's get rich quick scheme."

"Is that what got you thrown in to jail?"

Vince shot Jendi a cold glance for half a second, before relenting. "That," he said, "was a complete misunderstanding."

Jendi immediately felt the chill of the fleeting glance. "I'm sorry."

Vince dismissed the apology with a wave. "It looks like most of Jaster's men are back on their ships."

Jendi looked at her own screen. "Yes, there are only eighteen of them still onboard."

"You know, you're right. It would be nice to have someone who is actually ill." Vince drummed his fingers on his console a couple of times, then snapped his fingers and stood up to leave. "Be ready on my signal. I'm going to go get our patient zero."

-------------------------------

"I think I'll have another." Captain Jimmy pushed the empty pint towards Dell.

"I somehow figured that." Dell had a frothy brew waiting.

"Have any of that cabaret left?" Leelee took a seat at the bar, and her girls took up the seats next to her.

"I might. Three?"

"I'll have rum and cola." Claron was a green skinned Orion who was once mistakenly accused of trying to rob a melon store.

"Malkor Vodka." Sara was a young nymph of a Bajoran with short black hair.

"Just the Vodka?" Dell asked as he placed the glass of wine in front of Leelee and began to mix the rum and cola.

"That and a glass." Sara gave Dell a mischievous smile.

"You're trouble little lady." Dell poured the drink.

"Only if you're on a fixed budget." Sara slung back the shot and gave Dell a wink.

Dell turned to Leelee, "Now I always saw things picking up at your shop round this time of day."

Leelee put a hand on each of her girls. "If this is our last night here, we'd rather spend it together. Not with some affection starved pirates. Unless, of course, Captain Jimmy decides he wants to waste his dollars on something other than your beer."

"A dollar is never wasted on a beer my lady." Captain Jimmy toasted his glass to her, "especially if it is a beer amongst friends."

"Ya know," Dell said, "this might not be our last night."

"Did Jaster Horn back out of the deal? I think not." Leelee took a generous sip of her wine.

Dell shook his head, "Nope. But I think Vince has a plan."

"Really?" Leelee looked suspiciously at the smirking cowboy.

"Dell!" Vince called excitedly, practically dragging Acke into the bar behind him. "You have to make the kid throw up again." Vince pushed Acke onto one of the bar stools.

"But why?" Acke asked.

Vince smacked the kid on the back of the head, "Shut up."

"Some plan." Leelee rolled her eyes.

"Is this part of the plan Vince?" Dell asked.

"Sure is. Now come on, get started." He slapped Captain Jimmy on the back. "Just like Arkan Station."

"I was on Arkan Station!" Captain Jimmy happily responded.

Dell lifted his hat up and scratched his head. "And how am I supposed to make him throw up?"

"Fill him with booze, it worked earlier today." Vince said. "And if it doesn't feed him one of those chicken fried steaks."

"Hey!" Dell shot back. "The grease and the alcohol don't mix well. The meal by itself is some good eatin'."

"Tell yourself what you have to." Vince leaned over quietly whispered his intentions to Dell. Dell nodded and opened up a bottle of 'something strong'.

"Go down where?" Acke asked Sara, who was running her hands through his hair and whispering into his ear.

"Get away from him. He's broke and about to get very sick." Vince said.

Leelee stood up. "Let's find a table, girls. I don't think I want to see this."

Acke turned back to Vince. "She was soft."

"Great kid, now drink."

-------------------------------

Vince found Gleb knocking on the closed door of Leelee's store front. He tried the knob again to no avail. "Odd time to be closed." Gleb huffed.

"Did you consider my offer?" Vince asked.

"No."

"Good, cause I don't have the money."

Gleb laughed, and began to waddle down the mall. "My lobes told me not to put much faith in you. Not after you drove this station into the ground."

"I drove this station into the ground? Was I the one skimming off the top while we could barely afford to pay the contactors? I'm the only reason this place didn't go belly up in the first two months and you know it."

"Feel better?" Gleb asked. "Now that you've had your tantrum, ask yourself if that matters. As soon as Jaster comes back from his ship, we'll sign the final paperwork and you and your feelings will not be my problem."

"You're sure Jaster is on his ship right now?" Vince stopped Gleb.

With some effort Gleb rotated his rotund body to face Vince. "Yes, now are you done annoying me? I plan to leave as soon as the papers are signed, and I still have to pack."

"No, not quite yet." Vince pulled out his comm. "Jendi, Jaster is on his ship, initiate the quarantine."

"Docking stations are locked down, the distress message is being broadcast, and the shield is coming online now." Jendi reported back through to comm.

"Quarantine!" Gleb yelled.

"I can see that you're angry, but this is for the greater good. I wouldn't want the station to be liable for spreading disease, no matter who the owner is." Vince patted the Ferengi on the head. "Now calm down, I'm sure it's not fatal."

-------------------------------

"Banho! Banho!" Tama burst into his engineering space.

Banho smiled as the little girl ran up to him. "Heelo Tama. Wots wrong?"

"Pirates are onboard Rizzo!"

"I tot you were dee Pirates."

"Not anymore. What are we going to do?"

"Weell I steel have your sword." Banho picked up the dow Tama had left earlier.

Tama shook his arm, trying to make him understand. "No, they're real pirates, with phasers!"

"I tink I liked playing pirates more." Banho frowned.

"Should we hide?" Tama asked.

"I tink not yet." Banho turned to his console and adjusted some of the controls. "We watch dem. If someone come, we know before dey come. OK?"

Tama leaned in to see the display. There was a floor plan of the completed sections of the station with small dots either standing still or moving seemingly at random. "Those are the people?"

Banho nodded, and smiled reassuringly.

"OK."

-------------------------------

Jendi had been watching the five ships that surrounded the Rouge Star Orbital from the three hundred and sixty degree widows in docking control. They were smaller than the bulk freighters they usually hosted, and more maneuverable. They were a flat, gunmetal gray, which was difficult to pick out against the black of the void, and as far as she could tell they had no markings on them at all.

On long range sensors, when they had first requested to pull in, they hadn't looked menacing at all. Just more ships to pay mooring fees, and take some time to visit the shops in the mall. Now that they were slowly circling the station, Jendi couldn't get the image of sharks swimming around a life raft out of her head. Especially with Tama playing pirate all day.

Then the inevitable happened. One of the ships, the largest of the five, put out a hail to the station. Jendi's heart started beating a little faster, and the butterflies in her stomach became to flap their wings a little more rapidly. She opened the channel. "This is Rouge Star Orbital docking control, go ahead."

On the screen in front of her a very displeased Jaster horn appeared. "Why are your shields up?"

"We've activated quarantine procedures." Jendi squeaked out, amazed she was able to get any words past the fear that was coursing through her body.

Jaster's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared, but he said nothing.

"You probably want to talk to Vince. I'll patch you down to him." Jendi quickly routed the transmission to Vince's comm., then leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief as the piercing eyes of the pirate disappeared from her screen.

-------------------------------

As planned, Vince was in Dell's Diner when the call came through. He always wondered when he would ever need the little folding legs on the back of his comm. unit. But it really made it easier to set it up on one of the bar stools, really make it a good shot, cinematic almost.

And, action!

"Quarantine?" Jaster's face appeared on the comm.'s small screen.

"Acke here has come down with what might be a case of gastroenteritis." Vince slapped Acke on the back.

Acke threw up. A lot.

Vince looked down at his shoes. "You know I just changed these."

"Sorry." Acke managed before heaving up more of his lunch.

Vince turned back to the comm. "We just have to be safe. Make sure no one else comes down with it."

"Do you really want to do this?" Jaster's face was as cold and hard as Vince had ever seen it.

"Jaster, this kid was floating in space for a long time. We don't know what happened to the crew of his ship, we only know that he hasn't stopped throwing up on my shoes since he got here. What if everyone on his ship died from this intestinal bug? I wouldn't be a very responsible administrator if I didn't take every precaution."

Jaster did not look convinced. "You're a very stupid man, Vincent."

Vince shrugged "I'm no Doctor."

"Neither am I. I'm an Orion Pirate, and you're on my station."

"From what I've hear, you haven't actually signed the contract yet. And what happened to Syndicate? You know, not taking ships or stations for that matter, by force?"

"I happen to be one fickle wanker." Jaster shut off the comm.

Shortly after the lights flickered and the station shuttered. The comm. unit wobbled and fell off the stool onto the floor.

"What was that Vince?" Leelee asked.

"He's shooting at us." Vince muttered. He hated it when people shot at him.

The station rocked again. This time there was a loud crack that left them all with the feeling something had just been hit, hard.

The comm. unit lit up again, this time is was a very frantic Jendi on the screen. "Vince, the shields are down.

The bar then became very bright. Vince felt an oddly familiar tingling sensation.

-------------------------------

The brightness and the tingling subsided. Vince found himself in a large empty room. Empty except for the rest of the station personnel.

"What just happened?" A confused Chucki shouted.

"We've been transported off the station." Vince hollered back.

"To where?" Dell asked.

"To my cargo hold."

The confused crowd turned to see a well dressed pirate smirking behind a force field.

"You can't do this Jaster!" Vince snapped. People locking him in a cargo bay always made him angry.

"Vincent, I have done it. And who's to stop me?" Jaster was enjoying himself. "You could get on subspace with Starfleet. Although this is not their territory, and I don't think they have a habit of running to the aid of disgraced lieutenant commanders. Or maybe the Ferengi Commerce Authority, but they will most likely side with the legal owner of the station. Me, as soon as Gleb retrieves his contract."

"Oh yeah? Well, even with that contract, you'll still be an asshole."

Jaster covered his heart with his hands. "Your words are like arrows." He smiled and laughed.

The door behind Jaster opened and Gleb waddled through. The Ferengi handed the Pirate a PADD. The Pirate signed it.

Meanwhile the shop owners and staff of the Rogue Star Orbital fretted. But one fretted most above all of them. Jendi tugged at Vince's sleeve. "Vince, I can't find Tama."

"Well, walk around a bit. This cargo hold isn't that big."

"I did Vince. She isn't here, no one's seen her. Her or Banho."

Vince looked at her. Jaster looked up from his contract and snatched up his comm. "Bandosh, Mr. Kell, Vincent still has people on the station."

"Not so Captain Horn, we searched every nook and cranny of the station." Mr. Kell came back.

"And what of the core?" Jaster spat his words and his eyes burned into Vince.

"It's not a welcoming place. We preferred to keep to the sections we'd be using."

"I'm not asking what you'd prefer to do, I'm telling. There are at least two people still aboard MY station. Deal with them."

"Aye Captain. Exactly how much dealing will be needed?"

"Whatever dealing gets it done quickest."

"Bandosh is smiling at that one Captain Horn. We'll be through in a few."

-------------------------------

"Banho, what does that one mean?" Tama pointed to a large red light that was blinking in time to a disconcerting buzz.

"I dun know Tama."

There was a loud click as a switch flipped itself into a new position.

"Banho, isn't that the switch that didn't want to be flipped?"

"Eet mus have changed eets mind."

"RSO doesn't feel happy Banho." The little girl crawled up into Banho's lap and hugged him for comfort.

"No, I dun tink she ees." Banho wished there was a lap for him to crawl into.

-------------------------------

Mr. Kell studied the entrance to the core of the station with Bandosh and the other men. It wasn't natural. Or maybe, it was too natural. It looked almost organic. Rounded, but uneven. There was a ruddy ting to the cream color of the passageways. It made him uncomfortable. "You go first Bandosh."

Bandosh laid his heavy gaze on Mr. Kell.

"Well you're better at lookin for people, ain't ya?"

Bandosh rolled his eyes and took the lead down the passage way.

-------------------------------

Jaster held up the PADD to the force filed. "Well there it is Vincent. Signed and notarized. A legal contract making me owner of the station. Now that I'm a legitimate businessman, I'll start acting like it. I'm cutting overhead. You're fired."

"Ooooo, very dramatic. I knew you were going to fire me. With the whole quarantine and stealing the station thing."

Acke threw up again.

"Are you OK?" Dell asked the boy.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Could you at least send us a mop?" Vince asked Jaster. "Maybe a vomit-free pair of shoes, size eleven?"

"Stop acting like the victim Vincent. You're the criminal. You have been obstructing the legal sale of station, financing your efforts with illegally acquired antimatter. This is your mess Vincent. You clean it up." Jaster turned and left. Gleb followed.

"Vince we have to help Tama!" Jendi pleaded.

"What's the plan hoss?" Dell joined Vince's side.

"Is there anything to drink?" Captain Jimmy asked.

-------------------------------

At Banho's engineering station more lights had begun to blink. Banho tried to flip the uncooperative switch to its original position, but it snapped back and refused to budge. Screens that never seemed to work before powered up, displaying images of the ships surrounding the RSO.

"What's happening Banho?" Tama yelled over the welling alarms and buzzers.

"I never see Rizzo do dis before Tama. She ees very upset at sumting."

To their left was a grunt, then the clang of feet running across metal decks. Bandosh had found them, and he was coming for them. Several meters behind Mr. Kell and his men were straining to keep up. "He's on 'em boys, don't let up."

"Tama, eets time to go." Banho started ushering the girl out of the room.

"But Banho, what about Rizzo?"

"Wat ever she ees doing she don't needs our help. Now please, do da running." He grabbed her by the hand and headed further into the core as fast as his stubby legs would allow.

-------------------------------

Vince threw his arms in the air and let them drop. "There is no drink, there is no plan, and Jendi, I'm sorry honey but Tama is on her own. At least she has Banho, which, you know, isn't worth much."

"We can't just give up!" Jendi screamed. "That's my little girl!"

"Aren't you Starfleet types famous for getting out of these no win scenarios?" Leelee asked.

"The Kobayashi Maru was an elective at Starfleet Academy, and I didn't take it. I never believed in volunteering for a no win scenario. Life is enough of one already." Vince sighed. "I guess that is why I'm not one of those Starfleet types anymore. Probably never was."

Dell put a sympathetic hand on Vince's shoulder. "You tried to stop a pirate from buying our home. That's something."

"And where did it get me? Get all of us? I'm not the hero you think I am Dell, so unless the great bird of the galaxy swoops in and whisks us away in its fiery talons, we're stuck here." Vince looked away from them and muttered to himself. "I should have just taken the job."

"Will somebody please make the room stop spinning?" Acke groaned from the window.

"It's not the ship son, it's your head." Dell told him.

"No, I think maybe it's both." Acke said pointing out the window.

Vince followed Acke's finger. He was pointing at the RSO. "It's not the room, it's the station." Vince said. "Why is the station spinning?"

-------------------------------

The station was spinning. As it did four tendrils reached out about its axis, careful to avoid the newly built structures on its surface. They formed four silver towers. Their tips glowed a blinding red, and then the energy spread around the station like a thin glowing shell.

-------------------------------

"What?" Jaster screamed at his the man reading the sensor console on the bridge of his ship. "How can they be raising shields? We disabled them."

-------------------------------

"Where are we going Banho?" Tama cried as Banho pulled her down the passage ways of the core.

"I dun know Tama. I've never been in dis part of Rizzo before." He followed the halls that presented themselves to him. The maze never seemed to end, but each turned he took seemed to slow the large green man pursuing him.

-------------------------------

Bandosh followed the slow fat man dragging the girl. They turned right at the corridor ahead of him, and he followed. Like before the new corridor opened to three before him. It was infuriating, but he was close enough to see the course they followed.

Behind Bandosh Mr. Kell and the other pirates followed the clank of Bandosh's heavy feet on the metal and the husky rasps of his hard breath.

At the next turn Bandosh followed his prey left. This time when he turned he saw new passage ways grow from nothing before him one to the left and one to the right, and the middle one his prey followed began to collapse. He leaped and rolled through the disappearing opening.

Mr. Kell led his team around the left turn. Around the turn was fork. Mr. Kell stopped and listened. No footsteps, no breathing, no sound. He looked from one and then to the other. "This way!" He finally hollered and led the pirates down the passage to the left.

-------------------------------

"There're balls of light coming from those towers." Dell said.

In Jaster's cargo hold all eyes of the RSO's shop owners and staff were glued to the light show their former home was providing. Vince's eyes went wide when the first light ball impacted the farthest of the pirate ships in a violent explosion. Then the RSO spat a ball of light off towards them.

"Down! Get Down!" Vince screamed as he dove for cover. "The damn station is shooting at us!"

-------------------------------

"Tell them to back off!" Jaster was furious.

"I can't Captain Horn, their communications are down." The comm. officer replied. "Every one of our ships' comms. are down."

The bridge shook as one of the RSO's light balls impacted.

"Retreat." Jaster ordered.

"Propulsion is down sir. As well as weapons, shields, transporters, everything but life support."

Jaster stood breathing heavy through his nose. "Have Gleb meet me in the cargo hold." He spat through gritted teeth.

-------------------------------

Mr. Kell stopped when he reached a junction with five passage ways. There was no sign on the engineer or the girl. There was no sign of Bandosh. And there was no sign as to which way was out.

"Mr. Kell, why have we stopped?" One of the pirates asked.

"Because we're lost asshole."

-------------------------------

Banho and Tama also came to an impass. It was a large circular room with bright white walls and no way out except the way they came in. And breathing heavily behind them was Bandosh.

"What do we do now Mr. Banho?" Tama asked.

"Stay behind me." Banho told her. "And shut your eyes very tightly." Banho shut his eyes as well.

-------------------------------

Gleb was already in the cargo hold when Jaster arrived.

"When were you going to tell me about the station's real defenses, Gleb?"

"I hadn't a clue about them. Would have demanded ten thousand more alnits if I had."

"Well you can join your friends while we sort this all out." Jaster shut the force field off and threw Gleb into the makeshift jail, before powering the field back on. "And if I don't get full use of my property I'm going to report you to the Ferengi Commerce Authority for breach of contract. Your business license will be revoked, your assets seized, your life destroyed."

"And what do you have to say Vincent?" Jaster asked. "You wouldn't happen to have a shed of knowledge about this unfortunate business, would you?"

Vince was face still down on the floor covering his head with his hands. He cautiously stood up. "I honestly don't know what's going on Jaster. You've already destroyed the second rate shields Gleb allowed us to install. You have men tromping around through the station's core. Whatever this is, it's coming from there. I don't like the station firing at the ship I'm on, even if I'm locked in a cell on that ship with a pile of vomit in the middle of the floor."

"Coming from the man who staged an illness to get rid of me? You more than anyone here know who I am Vincent. Lucky for you I have to oversee this ship's repair. I don't want to kill you until I have time to enjoy it properly."

"Well you deserve it; you've had a really tough day. It's not like you woke up thinking you'd saved your job and ended up locked in a cell with two of your favorite pairs of shoes ruined."

Jaster un-holstered the disruptor he kept hidden under the jacket of his Triaxian suit. Vince shut up. Then something unexpected happened. The cargo hold began to shimmer with and odd light. Vince felt a tingling sensation. And Jaster found himself alone with no one to shoot.

Bandosh slowed to a walk and grinned as he lumbered up to the puny engineer and the little girl. He pulled an Orion scatter gun out of its sheath strapped to his back. He primed the weapon with the pump action along the barrel. He stopped and assumed firing stance with stock butted up against his should and his eye line looking down the barrel.

The room was a bright one, so he hardly noticed the shimmering of light as he squinted one eye down the sight, deciding which part of the engineer's body to blow off of the fellow first. But he did notice when the scatter gun wrenched out of his hands by someone behind him.

Dell smacked Bandosh's surprised face with the butt of the gun, and then flipped it around so the pirate could feel what it was like to stare down a barrel. "Don't you know you're not supposed to point guns at people?"

Bandosh stumbled back seeing not only Dell, but Vince, Jendi, Gleb, and everyone else Jaster had locked in his cargo hold.

"Mama!" Tama squealed and ran into Jendi's arms.

"It looks like a transporter." Acke said, looking at the room. "But there's no console or controls."

"Banho, where the hell are we?" Vince asked.

"Deep en Rizzo, deeper dan I've ever been."

"And how do we get out?"

Banho shrugged. Then noticed a doorway off to his right that he was pretty sure hadn't been there a moment ago. Looking down the passageway, it revealed itself to be a straight shot to the Mall.

-------------------------------

Vince told Acke he would forget about the vomit and the shoes if the boy would give him the escape pod he traveled to the station in. He then directed Dell to pack Bandosh in it and launch it towards Jaster's ship. He returned the shop owner's money from their failed bid and purchased a new pair of shoes from Pia's Outer Space Outfitters. Then it was time to have a chat with an old friend.

-------------------------------

"You look proud of yourself." Jaster's face was displayed on the small desk screen Vince kept in his quarters.

"How's Bandosh? Did he make it back all right?" Vince allowed a small grin.

"He's none too pleased with you. He intends to cause you grievous bodily harm the next time your paths cross. You haven't by chance seen Mr. Kell and the rest of my boys, have you?"

"They never came out of the core, but Banho is keeping an eye out for them." Vince found the pirate's calm demeanor a little off-putting. "You know Jaster, you're being a lot more polite than I thought you would."

Now Jaster grinned. "It's this darn line of work. Everything is always so complicated, but eventually the proper course of action becomes inevitable. It's like a mighty weight has been lifted."

"You're going to kill me aren't you?"

"You can't keep that shield up forever Vincent."

"But I'll bet it can outlast the supplies and fuel you have on your ships." Vince replied. "Unless of course you want to buy some antimatter. I can get you some top quality stuff at a price."

"Touché." Jaster said. He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "You have no idea the world of trouble you've just entered. I won't let this go. I've lost a lot of real money."

"I have an idea. But this is the way things are now."

"This is how things are." Jaster agreed. "For now."

The transmission went dead, Jaster's ships began to pull away, and Vince got the odd feeling that this station he had manage to get for free came at a very high price.

-------------------------------

"They're gone." Jendi told Vince as we walked into docking control. She couldn't help but smile.

"Do you think they'll be back?" Acke asked as he helped Banho close up a panel.

"He will be. But it's at least two weeks out of the void, and then two more back in. We won't see him for a good while."

"When he does come back, the shields should hold a little better." Acke patted the machine he and Banho had been attending to.

"What about this energy field around us now?" Vince asked.

"Dats Rizzo. We dun know why she want to put eet up for us." Banho explained.

"We also don't know why or how the shield goes up. Or how the weapons are fired." Acke clarified.

"Oooh, I tink Rizzo leeks you Mister Vince. She choose you to make her safe. Make us safe too." Banho smiled.

"What happened to math?" Vince asked. "Aren't you engineers supposed to solve problems with math and science and rerouting power to the secondary whatchamacallit?"

Banho just continued to smile. Acke shrugged.

"Well, I hope you at least learned something from all of this Vince." Jendi said.

"I sure did. When you make deals with pirates, keep a professional distance. Make sure to use a middle man or courier."

Jendi rolled her eyes. "I was thinking something more along the lines of 'don't do business with pirates.'"

"I'm sorry honey, but that's just ignorant." Vince replied. "That antimatter got the RSO out of the red, and it will continue to do so. And Jaster's deal ended up delivering the station to us for free. Illegally and with a little Dues Ex Machine that I don't rightly understand, but free just that same."

"You seriously don't see any moral lesson you could take away from this ordeal?"

"Jendi, what morals did we appeal to? Jaster was right, we're the criminals. We stole this station. If there was one thing Starfleet taught me it's that, in the eyes of the law, a crime is a crime. No matter how noble your motives are."

"So you're saying that you weren't arrested for 'a complete misunderstanding'?"

"No, I'm saying this was also a complete misunderstanding. Trust me. I don't understand half of what just happened. If the RSO meant to save us or if it was a lucky accident. We made good without a lot of effort, so I won't question that. I just wish the replicators would stop putting chocolate into everything."

Without order the docking control replicator created a drink in a tall glass. Vince pulled it out of the slot and examined the beverage. The taste matched the color, orange. Today had had its ups and downs, but he was feeling pretty good about tomorrow.

There were stars to be seen, but they were quite dim. Except for one that seem a little brighter than it had the day before. And orbiting it, unnoticed by the Federation scientists, was a metallic object containing a good glass of orange juice, the best chicken fried steak this side of New Houston, and best of all: location, location, location.

THE END