Shakedown Cruise Part 1

by Uncle Quark

The crew of a small Federation starship get an unusual new captain.

Shakedown Cruise

by

Barton Huskey

Prologue: Endings and beginnings

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Captain's Log, Stardate 2404.6

Beasley, Jonathan Argo

Final Entry.

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We are en route to Ligellia, transporting the Grand Conjoiner, an artifact that is going to be used in the upcoming royal wedding between the Ligellan crown prince and the Covalian crown princess.

The artifact doesn't seem to like our warp engines, so we are taking the local trade routes. As we approach some of the traditional places for pirate activity, the full crew is on alert. All six of us. I have Ensigns Franklin and Poe watching for suspicious vessels and T'Kral and Kofir ready for emergencies in the sickbay or engineering. Lieutenant Iijima and I are both at ready on the bridge.

The unification of these two planets is highly controversial, with hot tempers on both sides, so I believe that some sort of hostile activity is likely. The two planets are joined by Spoke 3 of The Wheel, but they are unusually far from their transfer points, so there will be a couple days of travel, which leaves plenty of time for hostilities.

I haven't told the crew, but this is going to be my final run. I have resigned my commission and bought a small parcel of land in Tahiti. I'm looking forward to building a grass hut. Here's hoping that this final mission leaves some fond memories to live on.

"I'm reading three ships ahead, Captain," said Ensign Franklin from the helm.

"Do they look hostile?" the captain asked her.

"They're holding position just off our course, hiding behind a small asteroid."

"That would be a yes. Ensign Poe, your assessment?"

The security officer looked up from his screen. "Energy signatures indicate that they are standard local merchant-class ships with moderate armament. We can take them."

Lieutenant Iijima, from her place in the first officer's chair, said calmly, "Hold course, Ensign Franklin. Shields up. Power to phasers."

"Aye aye," said the ensign. The barest moment later, she added, "They're moving to intercept."

"On screen," said the captain, calmly.

The screen flicked on to reveal two of the heavy, stone-hulled local ships taking up positions on either side of the Argo's flight path. A third ship moved between them on an intercept course. It bore signs of rough flying: several scars along its wings and a crunched-in panel on its nose.

Ensign Poe spoke up, "Incoming signal from the center ship. Audio only."

Lieutenant Iijima said, "Put it through."

A harsh, electronically disguised voice came over the intercom, "Federation ship, we will be taking your cargo. Lower your shields and prepare to be boarded."

Captain Beasley said, "I think that establishes their hostile intentions."

Iijima snapped, "Red Alert! Battle stations!"

"Target the engines on the lead ship," ordered the captain. "Fire phasers at 75 percent."

Two beams lashed out and struck the pirate ship. Its stone hull flickered with pink light as it dissipated the energy of the attack, but when the glow faded, there were two dark scores running down the hull and the ship's course wavered drunkenly.

"They've taken heavy damage," cheered Ensign Franklin.

The two remaining ships returned fire, but the rain of energy was easily absorbed by the Argo's shields.

"Attacks repelled," reported Ensign Poe. "Shields at 98 percent."

Suddenly a beep sounded on the security console and Ensign Poe blurted, "I'm reading a massive energy spike, Captain. Off the charts."

Lieutenant Iijima asked, "From where, Ensign?"

"From the asteroid."

The captain said, "Let's see it."

The screen changed to show a giant block of stone that had just begin to rotate, obviously under power, revealing a gaping hole running deep into its center.

"What's that tunnel?" wondered Ensign Franklin.

"It's a gun barrel," said Ensign Poe.

"I agree," said the captain.

They were right, but too late. A massive blast of energy burst from the opening and engulfed the Argo. The ship rocked from the impact and alarms sounded from every console on the bridge.

Ensign Poe read off, "Minor systems failures, shipwide. Shields at 15 percent."

"Ensign Franklin, evasive maneuvers," barked Captain Beasley. Ensign Poe, can you scan that asteroid?"

The helmswoman's fingers danced over her console and the Argo dodged the next round of incoming fire.

Ensign Poe said, "I'm not reading any energy now."

"I figured," replied Captain Beasley. "That thing is probably a one-shot wonder. Even so, we won't last long with shields this low. Engineering."

There was no response to his call.

After a second of silence, Lieutenant Iijima shouted, "Computer, what is the status of internal communications?"

"Communications systems offline."

The captain sighed, "That tears it. They suckered us good with that cannon ship. Three to one with no shields. Ensign Poe, do you remember your contingency orders?"

"Yes sir."

"Transfer weapons to me and go."

"Aye, Captain." The security officer pushed a few buttons on his console and ran to the door.

"Lieutenant Iijima, go with him. Initiate evacuation procedures. Get all hands to the emergency shuttle."

The lieutenant gulped. "Aye aye."

The captain turned to Ensign Franklin, "Wanda, it's down to you and me. Let's keep 'em busy for a few minutes."

"Yes sir."

"And let's see if we can't take a few of these bastards with us."

...

Ensign Poe stepped into the corridor.

Lieutenant Iijima followed as the door whooshed shut behind him. They turned opposite directions on the corridor and she asked, "What does the captain have you doing?"

The beefy ensign's honest face looked pained when he answered, "He told me to keep it secret."

"From me?"

"You'll have to ask him."

Iijima gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to round up the others. Do whatever it is you're doing and meet us at the shuttle."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"And, Lefty, try to be careful this time."

...

The captain barked, "Wanda, take us hard to starboard. We'll focus on that ship first."

"Aye aye. Starboard it is." Her fingers danced over her console and the ship executed a twisting leap that would have snapped all their necks if not for the inertial dampeners. Placing their target ship between themselves and the others, Franklin turned her nose to the target and finessed the thrusters to produce a graceful sideways slide along the side of their quarry.

The captain took the opportunity to place three full-powered phaser shots into the broad side of the pirate. The purple barrier crackled and was overwhelmed. Two gaping holes exploded in the hull of the enemy vessel. All the lights on the target ship went dead.

But Wanda's maneuver had lasted a hair too long and the last undamaged ship managed to target them with an energy cannon. The weakened shields fought to absorb the blast, but the Argo rocked violently under the attack. Ensign Franklin was thrown from her seat and the world went dark.

...

A violent tremor rocked the ship and threw Lieutenant Iijima to the floor. She shook her head to clear her spinning eyes, thinking that she had been struck blind until the emergency lights kicked in and magically restored her vision. She walked her hands up the wall until she reached her feet. Then, with one hand against the wall for safety, not for balance she told herself, Iijima ran the rest of the way to sickbay.

Doctor T'Kral was standing next to her operating table with a set of instruments ready on a tray beside her. She looked over Lieutenant Iijima from head to toe as she stepped through the door.

"I do not see any injury."

Another explosion rocked the ship, knocking them both off their feet. As they crawled slowly back up, the lieutenant said, "I'm not hurt. We're evacuating the ship."

"Very well. I will need my emergency supplies."

"Gather what you need. You have one minute."

T'Kral opened a storage bay and pulled out a bag. "This will suffice."

Iijima stepped into the doorway. "Good. Meet me at the shuttle. I'm going to engineering for Kofir.

...

In the dim red glow of the emergency lights, Wanda climbed back into her chair. The captain had bought a few seconds, holding the other ships back with wildly fired phaser bursts.

Checking her readouts, the helmswoman didn't she how she was going to get them out of this. Their one advantage was the dead pirate ship beneath them. With the shields down near zero, it was the only thing standing between the Argo and two sets of energy cannons.

But the pirates knew that too. The lead ship, the one with the scrunched-in nose, had apparently repaired the damage to its engines and rejoined its friend. The two of them were inching around from opposite directions, looking for a chance to pick off the Federation ship. Even as Wanda took her seat, one darted forward with a rapid blast of cannon fire. The ensign whisked her ship out of the way and the captain returned fire with the phasers.

Both shots missed but it was only a matter of time. "And we can't afford to make a single mistake," mused the helmswoman.

"Ensign," said the captain, "here are your new orders."

"Yes, sir?"

"Transfer your controls to me and join the others at the shuttle."

"But, sir!"

"Wanda, I have a plan, but I need to buy a few minutes for the shuttle to get away."

"Whatever it is, I can do it, sir."

"Get out of here, Ensign. That's an order."

Wanda gulped, "Yes, sir," and she headed for the door.

...

When Iijima reached engineering, Kofir was pounding on a panel with a giant wrench. The engineer seemed absorbed in some sort of a sing-song conversation with the ailing engines but looked up at the sound of the door, unsurprised to see her.

The bridge calls for power and the shields say no.

Can it be that it is time to go?

Iijima asked, "What rhymes with 'evacuation'?"

That's a good riddle.

There's really very little.

"Let's get to the shuttle."

When the door opened, Ensign Poe was outside, in his left hand, curled to his chest for safety, he carried a bulky, glowing stone carving.

Iijima nodded in understanding, "Mystery mission accomplished?"

"Yes, Lieutenant."

Another tremor, worse than any of the others, shook the ship and tumbled the three like dice in a cup.

"Shuttle. Hurry," barked Iijima.

The three officers raced down the corridor.

They were halfway there when the worst impact yet shook the ship. Several lights shorted out and a large panel directly over the engineer's head fell from the ceiling. With no hesitation, Ensign Poe threw his whole weight into Kofir's back. The engineer was thrown clear and the heavy panel that would have landed squarely on Kofir's head fell instead onto the ensign's legs, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there.

Iijima shouted, "Dammit, Lefty, I told you to be careful!" She ran to one end of the wreckage and struggled to move it.

"Kofir, get that end!"

Together, the two managed to drag the panel off their friend. Kofir put an arm under the young man's shoulders and lifted him to his feet, the ensign still clutching his stone prize.

The engineer whispered to the dazed young man,

My beloved home

Has betrayed my affection.

Let's abandon ship.

The three continued to the shuttle where the doctor waited in the open doorway. She took one look at the security officer being half carried by the engineer. In the tone of detached disapproval only possible for a Vulcan she asked, "Again?"

Iijima answered, "He saved Kofir's life."

The doctor replied, "That is consistent with his pattern." The doctor remained unmoved by Lefty's heroism, but she reached into her bag for supplies to treat his injury.

A moment later, the shuttle doors whooshed open and Ensign Franklin swept in. "Everyone here? Good."

Lieutenant Iijima asked, "Where's the captain?"

"He said he had to buy us a few minutes."

Iijima looked suspicious, "That doesn't sound good. See if we can get him on the shuttle's comm system."

The helmswoman wove her way through the awkwardly assembled crew to take her place in the vacant pilot's position. Lieutenant Iijima followed her and sat in the copilot's chair.

"Captain," said the lieutenant, "We're all waiting in the shuttle. When were you planning to join us?"

"Good, you're there," came the captain's voice over the ship's loudspeaker. "Launch the shuttle and I'll cover your escape."

"Not a chance. I'm going to have Kofir beam you here."

"You'll never get away without cover. I'm jamming the signal. And you won't have time to work around it. The shields will be gone in another minute. And I've activated the autodestruct. The Argo will be history in eight minutes."

Iijima cut the comm, "Take us out of here, Ensign, but don't go too far." She turned to Kofir, "I don't care what the captain said, work on that transporter.

Wanda detached the docking clamps and turned on power to the engines. "Ready for separation, Lieutenant."

Iijima turned back to the comm, "We're ready to separate. Lower the shields. And let us take you with us."

"Shields will drop in ten seconds. Get out of here, Mieko. That's an order."

Iijima shook her head in negation of the order, but turned to the helmswoman and said, "Commence separation."

The shuttle left its docking station and careened through the debris-strewn local space, spinning and dodging madly at maximum speed. Behind them, the captain set a covering barrage of phaser fire. The crewpeople craned their necks toward the ceiling as if they would be able to see an energy beam. None came. The shields danced with colors as they pushed off assorted flotsam, but there was no starburst from incoming fire. After a moment, the shields stopped sparkling and they realized that they were clear of the fire zone. On screen, the remaining two enemy vessels were still engaged with the Argo.

Wanda asked, "Proceed to the transfer point, Lieutenant?"

Iijima answered, "Not a chance. All stop." She turned to the engineer, "Let me know when you have that transport, Kofir."

Without looking up from the engineering console, Kofir answered,

I can break through, but he's raised the shields

Until he drops them, there is no deal.

The two pirate ships edged closer to the Argo. A good ways away, the mysterious fourth ship lurked, unmoving. From this angle they could see the design clearly. It was a model none of the crew had seen before, basically a big gun barrel with two small engines. Of course it had the same bulky stone hull as all the ships in this sector. This unknown vessel had delivered the death knell to the Argo, but now it floated, aimless and dark. Apparently spent.

Lieutenant Iijima had been studying the screen, all business, as usual. "Captain, the cargo bay doors are open!"

"Yes. I opened them."

"They'll be able to get into the ship!" shouted the lieutenant.

From the floor, the doctor spoke, "Very logical. With only one completely functional ship they can't chase us and board the Argo at the same time."

"Exactly, Doctor T'Kral. And the interior doors are sealed. They won't be able to get to any of our technology before the self-destruct goes off."

Iijima piped up, "But they'll get the artifact."

"Well, sort of," answered the captain. "Whatever that damn thing does, it's supposed to take all three parts to make it work. Now, the two capsules were way too big to escape with, but the keystone. . . . Lefty?"

Gritting his teeth against the doctor's ministrations, Ensign Poe said, "Got it." He reached behind his back and pulled out an intricately carved, lightly glowing stone figure in the form of a person with two heads. If you tied a string around it, you could wear it as an amulet. Albeit, a big, bulky, ugly amulet.

Wanda said, "I didn't even know there was a third piece."

The captain continued, "Hopefully they don't either. You need to be far, far away before they realize they've got themselves a couple of useless tons of stone. Go. Now." With those last words he darted the Argo out of the shelter of the dead ship and fired a burst of phaser shots on the crunched-nosed lead pirate.

The snubnosed vessel avoided the attack and returned fire with one burst from its energy cannon. The last vestige of the Argo's shields flared wanly, but the blast penetrated. The shuttle crew watched in horror as the bridge exploded in a ball of fire.

"No!" shouted Wanda.

"Life signs!" said Iijima. "Are there any life signs?"

Kofir studied the shuttle's readouts for a careful moment before answering,

There are none.

He is gone.

Now that the shields were down, one of the blocky, stone-age spaceships, the undamaged one, aimed a tractor beam into the cargo bay and extracted half of the Grand Conjoiner from the dying Argo. The shuttle crew watched helplessly as the giant stone chair, like an ancient king's throne was swallowed into her hold.

A warning beep sounded at Lieutenant Iijima's station and the view abruptly changed to show three more local ships, approaching fast.

Ensign Franklin said, "Incoming vessels from the direction of Spoke 1, Lieutenant. Do you think they're friends of these guys?"

"I doubt these guys have any friends. Stay alert."

In support of her words, the leader of the newcomers fired energy cannons on the offloading pirate. The stone hull of the pirate ship took on a purple glow, dissipating the energy blast, but an ugly black mark showed it had taken some damage. The pirate returned fire, doing similar damage to its attacker, but began to retreat, slowly, from the three newcomers. The leader pressed the attack, following the retreating vessel with weapons blazing. The second newcomer nosed toward the Argo's gaping cargo bay and the third took an aggressive position behind the leader.

"Get us out of here, Ensign; but slowly. I want to see how this comes out."

The two aggressors closed on the retreating pirate, firing a rapid volley of energy blasts. Black patches appeared where the beams struck and the purple corona developed some inefficient-looking yellow crackling around the scars.

In the cannon ship, the lights came on. The dead ship arose. It whirled around and fired a single burst into the leader of the newcomers. The purple flare was blinding, but was eclipsed immediately by yellow as the targeted ship exploded its guts into space.

The blast blew back to engulf the next ship in line. That ship wasn't destroyed, but was blown off its aggressive course, and seemed sluggish as it maneuvered into a more defensive posture. The cannon ship went dark again, and the pirate ship with its booty continued to retreat.

"That blast was about a quarter as powerful as the one they hit us with," said Wanda. "I guess it takes a while to recharge,"

The second throne floated on a tractor beam out of Argo's bay and into a waiting door on the newcomer's ship.

"We've just been scanned," reported Iijima. "I guess they've started to wonder about item number three. I think it's time for us to go, Ensign."

"Aye, sir." The shuttle leapt to full speed, pursued by both of the relatively undamaged pirate ships.

"We've got 'em, Lieutenant. They can't make up the lead we have."

The pursuers seemed to come to the same conclusion, and they veered off to rejoin what remained of their little fleets. There was no more firing. The surviving ships cautiously edged away from one another, each little fleet carrying one piece of the artifact.

"We'll soon be safe on Covalis," said the Lieutenant.

"Yeah, but without their Grand Conjoiner," answered Ensign Poe, despondently.

"Or the captain," said Wanda.

Behind them, the Argo died in a great golden explosion, as her crew and her killers fled in different directions.

From the floor, Ensign Poe muttered, "We'll be back and we'll get 'em, Captain."

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Captain's Log, Stardate 2404.9

Barton, Charles Starbase 2

[Excerpt]

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. . . The message from Star Fleet Command took me by surprise, but I can see that I should have known it all along. There were any number of clues in Lieutenant Commander Nog's behavior. He always plays things close to the vest, and I have always suspected that I'm usually happier not knowing what he's up to, but, clearly, I should have wondered about a few of his secrets. At least now I know why he was always so eager to take the shuttle runs to the asteroid outposts.

I have scheduled a meeting with the Lieutenant Commander at 0900 this morning. I'm going to lose a good supply officer today.

At 0859, to prepare for the briefing, Captain Barton ran through the message on his reader one more time, to refresh his irritation. His eyes and lips set into a hard mask as the door whisked open, and Lieutenant Commander Nog strode briskly into the office.

The crisply uniformed young Ferengi snapped to attention in front of his commanding officer's desk, stretching to his full 155 centimeters. "Lieutenant Commander Nog, reporting as ordered, sir."

Somehow, Nog's posture always seemed a little straighter than anyone else's and the lines of his uniform always looked just a little more crisp. Captain Barton lifted his eyes from the reader and looked over his officer for a moment without speaking. Strangers would be looking at him, soon. Judging him. Would they see this, as Barton always had, as the sign of pride in a fine, young officer, or would they see a hopped-up Ferengi putting on airs? And who was right? No way to know, until it happened.

The captain remembered the purpose of today's meeting and came to a stiff parade rest in front of the Lieutenant Commander. He directed a steely gaze down into his subordinate's eyes.

"Mister Nog, are you happy as a Star Fleet supply officer?"

Nog braced, surprise at the captain's tone plain on his face. If it were possible, he was standing even straighter. "Aye aye, sir. Of course, sir," he replied nervously.

"A big part of your life has been invested in it; am I correct?"

"You are correct, sir."

"You have been the supply chief on Starbase 2 for three years, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"In that time, I have given you no less than 5 commendations for excellence."

"Yes, sir."

"It was common knowledge among the crew at Starbase 6 that Commander Kural rubber-stamped anything you said for the last two years of your tour."

Despite the Captain's tone, Nog started to feel that this interview was in comfortable territory, "He seems to have learned a few things, sir. He's doing alright on his own now."

"You are talking about a superior officer, Mister Nog."

"Sorry, sir."

Barton continued, "You have also developed quite a reputation for playing fast and loose with regulations, have you not, Mister Nog?"

Nog shifted nervously from foot to foot, "I always stay within the regulations, sir."

"Really?'

"Scrupulously."

"So you can think of no breaches of protocol that you want to tell me about?"

Captain Barton imagined he could see the wheels spinning in the young lieutenant commander's head until he finally answered uncertainly, "No, sir?"

The captain waved his viewer, "I have here a message from Star Fleet Command. Someone there finally noticed a little discrepancy in their paperwork. Specifically, it was in the applications for deep space exploration ships. I believe you applied for all of those postings, Lieutenant Commander?

Nog winced. "Yes, sir. For the last three years."

"Interestingly, I was not aware of that fact until today. Are you aware that I am your commanding officer, Mister Nog?"

"Of course I am, sir."

"Oh, yes, of course you are. That was the discrepancy. I was listed as your commanding officer, but not as your recommending officer. Captain Kural hasn't been your commanding officer for three years, but the file hadn't been updated.

"Sir," Nog gulped, "I applied three years ago, sir. Before I had reported for duty here. I did have a valid recommendation from Captain Kural. I'm sorry you weren't informed. There was a notation in my personnel file."

"Yes, there was a note buried in there. I found it this morning. You didn't see any need to highlight it for my attention? Or to let me know you had applied? Or that you were applying again?"

"Chances were pretty remote that I'd be offered anything," Nog answered weakly. "I didn't want to worry you."

"But you did renew your application three times. And you did make sure your shuttle command time was updated each time. But not your recommending officer."

Nog gulped, "Yes, sir. The regulations allow for three renewals, sir. Next year I would have had to ask you."

"And that renewal policy doesn't require you to report changes in your assignment?"

"It's kind of a gray area, sir."

"So, one foot was planted just barely within regs, is that it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Balancing for all you're worth?"

"I hope so, sir. I certainly meant no disrespect, captain."

"We'll set aside the question of disrespect for the moment, Lieutenant Commander Nog. But it looks as if, sometime in the past three years, you should have worried me. Fleet Command has discovered this discrepancy, and now dealing with it has become my problem. By the way, I would happily have recommended you."

Nog gulped and said, "Umm, thank you, sir."

"As you know, Captain Barton continued, "you were not selected for any of the exploration ships launched in the last three years. So your actions are pretty much moot. And you can relax. There are no more launches scheduled in the immediate future."

Nog sagged a little.

"Starfleet's lawyers concur with you that your actions were probably legal. Unusual and underhanded, but legal. So Fleet Command leaves it up to me to discourage this sort of thing from happening again. "

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Command did have one suggestion. Would you like to hear it?"

"Of course, sir."

"They suggested hard labor, very far away. They recommend that I transfer you to a little ship that's going to a nowhere sector, to do local trade assistance and piracy prevention. If you were assigned to duty on a remote assignment like that, do you think you might have less opportunity to cause problems at the central office?"

"Umm, maybe, sir."

Captain Barton finally let loose the grin he had been suppressing, "As it happens, the only opening on that ship is for her new commanding officer. Star Fleet has decided the job calls for a real tightrope walker. And since you have demonstrated some talent in that area, they've decided that you'll do."

"Sir?"

"Congratulations, on your first command, Lieutenant Commander."

"Really, sir?"

"Really. The Argo, which was working that sector, was damaged in a pirate raid and she had to be destroyed. Her replacement will be arriving soon. Your new assignment is far away from Star Fleet, but only about sixteen hours from here. You will be in command of the former crew of the Argo, who will be arriving in their emergency shuttle, tomorrow. All hands except the captain will be staying on. Understood?

"Yes, sir. Is that all you needed, sir?"

"No, there is one more area where you are out of compliance with regulations, Lieutenant Commander."

"Sir?"

"By regulation, the captain of a Scout class vessel must be at least a full commander. Since Star Fleet Command specified a tightrope walker, I guess I'd better help you to keep your balance." He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a black collar pip.

The captain smiled as he attached the pip to Nog's collar, then he stepped back and gave a smart salute, which was smartly returned. "Congratulations, Commander. Now let's go show it off."

The door whisked open at their approach, to raucous music and a cloud of confetti. The supply crew, lined up at either side of the door, applauded their newest commander.

.

.

Chapter 1 Meetings

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Captain's Log, Stardate 2404.10

Nog Fortune

[Preliminary]

.

My new ship and my new crew should be arriving soon. It may be premature to make Captain's Logs, since neither one is here yet, but I want to record the work I have done already. I have read some histories of the Wheel and all of Captain Beasley's logs. Very dry reading until I have faces to go with the names. Now I have a chance to get some more personal information. A trade ship that does business on the Wheel is docked at the Starbase for refueling and refitting. A Klingon ship, the Ravenhawk. Maybe I can get some insights from her captain.

To Nog's surprise, the crowd at the station bar spilled out the door. He was intimately familiar with the docking schedule and didn't think there were that many visitors on board. Something was definitely happening inside, though. One disadvantage of his height, or lack thereof, was that he could not see over the heads of crowds.

He had learned, however, to use his stature to advantage in forcing his way through those crowds. Taller humans didn't even notice him until they had already moved away from his gentle nudge. He murmured a perfunctory stream of apologies, but he didn't stop moving.

Once he was in, it became apparent that the crowd was an illusion, caused by a party of maybe ten Klingons in the center of the bar. They had pulled together several tables and were perched there, bickering and quaffing drinks from large metal mugs. The rest of the patrons gave them a wide berth and squeezed into seats at the edges of the establishment. The more prudent ones had dragged their tables nearer to the door, all the better to beat a hasty exit. The Klingons were taking full advantage of the extra room, sprawled out around their tables, singing and waving their mugs in the air.

The captain was easy to spot in a place of honor at the head table.

Nog stepped through the invisible buffer of empty space and approached him. The drunken Klingons let him stand there a few moments, not seeming to notice him, so he cleared his throat and spoke. "You're drinking Romulan ale? You need to try the Blood of Victory."

The captain turned a lazy eye to him. "Bah," he scoffed. "In a Federation bar? I am not that daring."

His crew gave a hearty laugh and clanged their mugs together.

"Don't be so quick to judge," said Nog. "I got the recipe from my Uncle Quark and I procured the ingredients myself. Even the, um, unusual ones."

The Klingon captain sat up a little straighter and treated Nog to an appraising one-eyed stare, "The recipe from Quark's bar? That is very drinkable. The ones here are as good?"

"Maybe not quite as good. But the bartender here is pretty talented."

The captain nodded and made a gesture to the crewman to his right who jumped up and headed toward the bar.

"What do you want, little Ferengi, in exchange for this valuable information?"

"Captain Kharblek, My name is Commander Nog. I am going to be captain of a Federation ship in The Wheel sector. I understand you have flown there and I was hoping you might have some insights about the place."

For the first time, Kharblek focused both his eyes clearly on Nog. The young Ferengi began to suspect that he was not as drunk as he appeared.

"You are wanting information, but what kind?" The Klingon's eyes swept over Nog from head to toe. "A Ferengi, so you are a tradesman. But you wear the uniform of a warrior. You are a mystery." His crew laughed derisively.

"In other words," thought Nog, "you're wondering what I'm setting you up for." Out loud he replied, "A Klingon warrior who flies a merchant ship. Maybe I am not the only mystery here."

The assembled Klingons fell suddenly silent and glared balefully at Nog.

Kharblek's voice took on an ominous tone. "Does the Ferengi question the honor of my profession?"

Nog stood straighter. "Not at all," he answered clearly. "As a Ferengi, I am the first to say that trade is not for the faint of heart."

The tense silence continued as the Klingon crew sat on edge waiting to see which way their captain would jump.

The impasse was broken a moment later, when their crewmate returned to the table bearing a tray full of viscous, red drinks. Kharblek laughed heartily with a sudden inspiration. "Well, Ferengi warrior, perhaps you insult me, perhaps not. I know how I will decide." He grabbed a glass off the tray and tossed it back in a single gulp.

The Klingon's face twisted in a rictus of pain. He fell back in his chair, drew in a rasping breath and gasped, "Almost as good as Quark's! Ahh ha ha!"

The crew gave a shout and quickly emptied the tray of glasses.

The captain opened his arms expansively to Nog. Voice still a little raspy, he said, "Come, little warrior, join us. Drink. And I will tell you of The Wheel."

.

Captain's Log, Stardate 2404.11

Nog Fortune

.

The crew arrived today, by shuttle. They are holding services for their old captain tomorrow morning. Part of me feels like I should attend, but I think I will leave them to it. I have scheduled our first meeting/inspection on Observation Deck C shortly afterwards. I expect the transition to be most difficult with my first officer, so I'll be having a separate meeting with her, first.

Mieko stepped into the little office that Nog had reserved as a temporary base of operations. The Ferengi was seated at a neatly organized table, reading from a console. Something about him looked fresh and new, like he'd just come out of a replicator. Mieko looked for a moment but could not see any particular thing that produced that effect. Suddenly realizing she'd been staring, she snapped to attention and said, "Lieutenant Iijima Mieko, reporting for duty."

The Ferengi squawked, "Have a seat, Lieutenant."

Mieko felt herself a beat slow in obeying his order. His squeaky voice was so fixating that it took a second to refocus on what it had actually said. She was going to have to get over that. She hastened to a chair.

The little commander said, "I don't know what expectations you had, so I'll just state this up front. You were not promoted to command of the Fortune, because it is a bigger ship than the Argo and regulations require that she be captained by a full commander. Putting you in command would have meant skipping you over the rank of lieutenant commander. Nothing against you, but Star Fleet Command didn't think that was warranted."

There was another brief pause before she replied, "That's. . . alright, sir."

"Until this last incident, your tour was too quiet to earn you the attention you would need for promotion. I have studied your records and have concluded that you deserve to be promoted immediately to Lieutenant Commander. That way, if anything should happen to me, you would be the logical person to step into my shoes."

Again, it took an extra second before she processed his meaning. She stammered, "Thank you, sir."

"However, Command insists that before I officially recommend your promotion, I have to personally supervise you for at least a week. I tell you this so you'll know you are under observation, but I fully intend to give it to you. Just don't screw up. Understood?"

Pause. "Understood."

The captain stared at her as if to be sure she really did understand. Dammit, she had to focus. He was the one talking like a six year old with a sore throat; why did she feel like the slow one in this conversation? She sat up and looked him straight in the eye.

After a moment, he continued, "Now, brief me on the situation you left behind. In your opinion, Lieutenant, who were those pirates and why did they want the artifact you were carrying?"

Mieko shook her head and answered. "First, some background. Covalis and Ligellia have been in a mostly cold war for centuries."

"Yes," said Nog, "I've read the briefings."

Iijima continued, "Apparently that wasn't always the case. Historically, they used to get along. And, lately, the royal families have been trying to reunite them."

"I've read that. Covalis has a crown prince and Ligellia has a crown princess. Their parents have actually been planning to marry them off for the past fifteen years."

"Correct."

"And how does this artifact fit into the picture?"

"The Grand Conjoiner was supposedly used in prehistory to bind the two cultures together. The mythology around it says that it gave the leaders some kind of telepathic bond with the people. It was lost a few hundred years ago, when some religious group stole it, leaving behind a huge civil war. There's a prophecy that the Conjoiner would be rediscovered when the time was right to reunite the peoples."

"And it was just rediscovered?"

"Yes, Captain. In an asteroid field between the two planets."

"And is the time right?" Nog squeaked. He obviously thought it was a sarcastic drawl.

"Almost freakishly so. There's an anomaly known as the Vanished Ones' Torch. Once every three hundred years, it flares for about two weeks and is visible from both planets. It's seen as a good omen. The Conjoiner was discovered and the Torch was flaring just as the prince and princess were coming of age. The royal families decided this would be the perfect time for a wedding. As a favor, we were transporting the Conjoiner to the chosen site."

"And who is not wild about the idea of a royal wedding?"

"Both planets seem equally conflicted. Big speeches both pro and con, riots in the streets, brother fighting brother, you know the drill."

"But I'm guessing the Grand Conjoiner came along and changed all that. Now everyone is just wild for the happy couple."

Iijima chuckled grimly. "In a word, no. The whole thing has just taken on a religious feel. Arguments in cafes have escalated to knife fights. Religious fanatics on both sides have seen their churches grow exponentially. I think that's who our pirates were: zealots with spaceships."

"Covallian or Ligellan?"

"Probably one band of each, or they would have gotten together."

"And how would you go about finding them?"

"I wish I knew, Captain. I wish I knew."

That's enough for now, Lieutenant. It's time for me to meet the rest of the crew.

"I'll escort you, Captain."

"Thank you. There's just one more thing. When it's convenient you'll need to enter a credit of 5,000 Ligellian ducats into the ship's treasury log. You know that artifact of Ensign Poe's? I sold it to Kharblek, the captain of the Ravenhawk."

...

Observation Deck C was a cramped, little room with a big window. Six plastic chairs were bolted to the floor such that a small group of dedicated observers could sit with their faces practically pressed to the glass and look into the endless starry night outside. It was hard to imagine why they would want to. The stars were nice enough, but the view was marred in the lower left-hand corner by an outthrust arm of the station and an empty docking clamp. It was not the most popular room on the station for stargazing.

Milling aimlessly about in the miniscule space behind the chairs, T'Kral, Kofir, Wanda, and Lefty were not really aware of the view anyway. A little stiff and unconsciously careful in their dress uniforms, none was even looking at the window. The service for the captain, held in a much nicer, flower-bedecked observation room on the other side of the station, had been brief but heartfelt. Now, the crew felt they had nothing left to say to each other. They exchanged a few pleasantries, but mostly they were all lost in their own memories. When the door whooshed open, it didn't interrupt anything.

Lieutenant Iijima strode into the room and took a position next to the doorway. The crew knew her well and were all surprised to see that she was furious about something, but she said simply, "He's coming. Attention!"

They quickly formed a line with their backs against the chairs just as their new captain entered. Lieutenant Iijima spoke in a parade ground voice that boomed in the small room, "Commander Nog, allow me to present the crew of the Argo."

By now they had all heard he was a Ferengi, but they had not been able to imagine what that meant. He stood in the doorway for a moment, surveying them and they studied him right back.

The first thing they noticed was that he was small. Even standing next to Lieutenant Iijima, not a giant, herself, he looked almost like a doll. The unreal quality was carried further by his uniform. No one could point to any one feature that was different from theirs, but somehow he looked too perfect. Flashy. Together with the self-satisfied look on his face, the effect was of a freshly molded action toy.

The effect was ruined, somewhat, by the sight of his stained and crooked teeth when he opened his mouth to speak. It was spoiled even further when his voice came out in a tone that was somehow both whiny and rasping, "Thank you, Lieutenant. Introduce me."

Iijima stepped with the captain to the head of the line. "This is Lieutenant T'Kral, our ship's doctor."

In the same horrible, screechy voice, Nog said, "I understand you come to us directly from the Vulcan Science Academy."

"That is correct, sir," said the doctor.

"And you're doing medical research on the various peoples on the Wheel."

"Yes, sir."

"I've duplicated the medical and research equipment you had on the Argo and I've got a list of potential upgrades. You'll have to look it over and let me know what you'd like." He sounded youthful and conspiratorial when he said that, like a teenage boy plotting a prank.

"I will be pleased to." T'Kral responded.

They moved down the line. Iijima said, "Our chief engineer, Lieutenant Kofir."

"Ahh, yes, Kofir," said Nog, "I've never worked with an Ovidian."

The engineer responded,

I can't really claim to be angry

since I've never met a Ferengi.

Nog laughed, "I'm ahead of you there. I have met Ovidians before. My Uncle Quark's establishment catered to people from all over the galaxy. My gang of children were not very polite. When we encountered Ovidians we used to interrupt their rhymes."

That would certainly be disconcerting

You probably set some heads to hurting

The Ferengi chuckled, "My apologies to your entire species for a misspent childhood. Meanwhile, I may have specific, unrelated apologies to make to you. I have requisitioned upgrades to the new ship's sensors, shields, and weapons. I'm afraid your next two days will be extremely busy while you supervise the installation.

Kofir smiled,

My new captain is too kind.

The pleasure will be all mine.

Nog and Iijima moved down the line. Iijima gestured to the next officer waiting. "Ensign Wanda Franklin. She's our primary helmsman. A real hotshot pilot."

"Pleased to meet you, Ensign. Remind me to compare maneuvers with you sometime. My Uncle Quark is a smuggler. He taught me a few things you may not have seen." The Ferengi laughed quietly to himself at some favorite memory. It came out a high-pitched, wheezy cackle.

Ensign Franklin almost broke into hysterical giggles at the laugh, but she managed to hold it together and squeeze out a tight-lipped, "Yes, sir."

Iijima stepped quickly onward, bringing the captain with her. "Ensign Nathan Poe."

"Ah, yes, Ensign Poe. I have the paperwork for a commendation for you, but I have run into a small glitch delivering it. Because your heroism in rescuing Lieutenant Kofir occurred under Captain Beasley's command, I am having the commendation issued posthumously by him and attached to his final log. That is taking longer than expected. It should be done by the end of the day."

"Thank you, sir."

The Ferengi took a step back and addressed the whole crew, "Starting immediately after this briefing, you will have two days aboard this station before we head back to The Wheel sector. I plan to catch each of you for a brief meeting sometime before we get underway. It will be a busy two days. Especially for you, Lieutenant Kofir. I will have assignments for all of you before takeoff. In your spare time, I expect everyone to familiarize yourselves with the new ship. I don't want any confusion once we're underway, because our job is going to be tough enough without it."

Nog's attention was grabbed by something over the crew's heads. "Just in time," he croaked. "You may have been wondering why I had you meet in this horrible room." He pointed to the window. "If you turn around, you will see why."

The crew turned to look out the window. A starship buzzed the observation window on the way to the docking clamps. She was shiny and new and just a little bigger than the Argo. She was a newer design, with more of a diamond shape to her saucer and a jaunty angle to her nacelle struts.

The pilot turned her smartly and actuated the docking clamps. The ship floated there, pristine and white and full of promise.

"That is the Starship, Fortune, your new home."

The crew decided that Observation Deck C had the best view on the station.

The Ferengi called them back to attention and put on a look that he obviously thought looked sad, but to the assembled crew mostly looked smug. "I would like to give you a longer leave after the death of your captain, but we have a purpose that will not wait. With his last few orders aboard the Argo, Captain Beasley set a plan in motion. If we act quickly, we can complete it. Although your former captain is gone, our first priority will be to finish the mission he started. You are all dismissed."

...

.

First Officer's Log, Stardate 2404.11

Iijima, Mieko Fortune

.

Our new captain is a liar. A bad one. And a Ferengi. I didn't even know we had any Ferengi in Starfleet! I looked up his records, and he doesn't even have any real flight experience. He's been a supply officer for six years! I guess we'll see how much he knows about running a crew when the chips come down.

The door opened to her hail and Mieko strode into the commander's office. Nog glanced up from his console and his eyes widened slightly at her aggressive demeanor. She'd had an hour do digest his last pronouncement, and her first flash of indignation had been replaced by a hard, cold rage.

"Permission to speak freely, Commander?"

"Of course." replied the Ferengi blandly.

In the face of his calm, Mieko took a moment to decide how to formulate her anger. Finally, she settled on a question, "How could you tell the crew you were carrying out the captain's plan?"

"Because I am."

"By giving away the artifact he died to protect?"

"Precisely, Lieutenant."

The blatant falsity of that statement pushed Mieko back to a boiling rage. To contain it, she slipped into a clipped, military discipline. "If my captain would be so good as to explain his reasoning."

Nog answered with a question. "Why do you think Captain Beasley kept the artifact in the first place?"

Iijima answered readily, "To keep those bastard pirates from having it."

The commander shook his head. "You're thinking backwards. You don't build a trade empire by worrying about what you lost yesterday. Focus on what you can make today."

"Is that a Ferengi Rule of Acquisition?"

To himself, Nog thought, "Number 227," but he answered her with a wheezy chuckle, "People's eyes tend to glaze over when I recite the Rules of Acquisition. That's a quote from my Uncle Quark."

"And I suppose he has a trade empire?"

"A moderate one, yes," Nog replied. "Now think forward. What would your captain have planned to do with the artifact?"

Lieutenant Iijima considered for a moment and, despite herself, she began to see the outlines of a plan. "He would have used it as a lure to draw out the pirates who have the other pieces?"

"Good."

"So you sold it to the Klingon as bait in a trap?"

"Exactly."

"So is he your accomplice or your dupe?"

"I didn't exactly share my plan with him, but he's not an idiot."

Mieko's almond eyes narrowed in consideration, "That seems rather risky."

"Maybe. But if we're going to pull this off, we're going to have to be more than a little sneaky."

"If you say so, Captain."

The Ferengi stared at her for a moment, "Lieutenant, let me ask you a question. The last mission of the Argo has to be in your mind as rather a painful loss. Am I correct in thinking so?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Star Fleet is talking about it as if it were half a step above an accident. And your new captain is known for trading, not fighting. What does that say to you?"

Mieko didn't have to consider for long, "Star Fleet Command wants to sweep it under the rug."

Nog nodded, "They would certainly prefer that we move on to the next planet in the circuit and forget about the Argo. We should chalk it up as a loss, move on, and make damn sure we win the next one. This sector isn't important enough to risk major entanglements."

Iijima set her jaw and muttered, "I can understand that point of view."

"The interesting thing is, I don't think your Captain Beasley saw it that way. The destruction of the Argo was a terrible setback, but I believe he laid plans to overcome that setback and complete the mission. Would you like to do that, Lieutenant?"

"Of course, sir."

The Ferengi tapped the console he had been viewing. "I have just been reading our mission specifications. We are expected to 'use our best judgment to promote trade and maintain peace and stability in the sector.' Does that sound familiar?"

"Very much so, Captain."

"That gives us a certain amount of latitude. "My best judgment says that the best way to get peace and stability on these two planets, what are they called again?"

"Covalis and Ligellia."

"Thank you. The best way to get peace on Covalis and Ligellia is to recover the Grand Conjoiner and spank the pirates who took it from us. What do you think about that, Lieutenant Iijima?"

"I agree with the sentiment." She said, with just a hint of doubt.

"But?" Nog prompted.

"What about Star Fleet Command?"

"Good question. It's wise to consider the big picture and the long-term consequences. Command may not advocate this mission, but they haven't forbidden it and they will not be unhappy when it's done. It will be fine."

"As long as we're successful."

"True. If we don't succeed, I, as captain, will have some explaining to do. Are you in?"

Iijima thought for a moment. "You're the captain," she answered.

"Good," said Nog. He continued briskly, "For our first order of business, Fortune's new sensors should be up and running tomorrow morning. The Ravenhawk is scheduled to depart at 1200. It would be a good idea to know exactly where she was going. Especially if she makes any unscheduled stops."

"I'll put Ensign Poe on it."

"Excellent," said Nog. "Oh, speaking of Ensign Poe, "I have to ask. Everyone refers to him as Lefty, but he's not left handed."

Iijima replied, "That's right, you're not from Earth. It comes from an old joke. 'What do you call a klutz who juggles six knives with his right hand?'"

"Lefty. I get it. Is Ensign Poe a klutz?"

"No. That would be a bad trait in a security officer, wouldn't it? In Lefty's case, the joke would have to be, 'What do you call a fireman who bashes through burning walls with his right shoulder?'"

"That's not as funny. I had noticed that his injury reports tend to line up with commendations in his file."

Iijima said, carefully, "Ensign Poe is very brave. I wish he could learn to be more careful."

Commander Nog grinned that horrible, toothy grin. "They say pain can be a good teacher."

"Maybe," replied the lieutenant, "but it hasn't worked so far."

.

Captain's Log, Stardate 2404.11

Nog Fortune

.

That was more painful than I expected. In the past three years, I'd forgotten what it's like to deal with a fresh batch of Federation types. I swear, there are subliminal messages in the training manuals at Star Fleet Academy programming them all to think I'm an idiot. Oh, well, at least the old method still works. If they think I'm stupid, fine, have them teach me. And then get them to lead themselves to where I need them to be.

As Nog entered the engine room, he was greeted by a quiet crooning, punctuated by gentle metallic tapping sounds. He made his way carefully around a pile of spare parts and found Kofir, the source of the sounds. The engineer was lying under a power coupling humming along to the sound of the engines and making small adjustments with a little iron mallet.

"Are you getting her tuned up?" he asked.

The Ovidian answered absently,

This vessel's engines are quiet and deep,

Compared to the Argo's more rapid hum.

That's a good sign when she's nearly asleep;

It hints that there's much more power to come.

"How are the upgrades coming?"

For the sensors there wasn't a bit

Of trouble I had to defuse.

I found that I had practically done it

Once I decided which hammer to use.

The others required some hard-to-find tools,

That I had to beg or steal or borrow.

Nonetheless, they are still on the schedule.

I expect to be done by tomorrow.

"Good," said Nog, "because I wanted to ask you some questions about the technology in the Wheel sector."

I can tell you about its history;

How it works will remain a mystery.

"That'll have to do. Let's start with the basics. It's a legacy system?"

It is the classic legacy system;

The one they wrote the books about.

People using the tools and the wisdom,

Of a race whose time has run out.

"So the Vanished Ones went bye bye and left behind the Wheel Network. And the local spaceships and weapons systems. Those are also legacy?"

Anything you can find in the Wheel,

Will be legacy technology.

Their backbone is stone, rather than steel.

Science is called Archaeology.

Nog tssked. It sounded like a chicken clucking. "Don't discount archaeology, Lieutenant. I grew up with my Uncle Quark on Bejor. He always says that it is dangerous to ignore the Ancients. I think history bears him out.

...

The captain found Ensign Franklin on the bridge experimenting with her new console. She looked ecstatic.

"So, you like her?" he asked.

"The response time is fantastic," answered the ensign. "I hate to say it, but she could run rings around the Argo. I can't wait to cut loose from the station and really play with the engines."

"Will the extra power be a big help when we get there?"

The ensign considered for a moment. "You know, the impulse engines may not matter that much. The warp drives will, though."

Nog prompted, "So you don't do much flying in a single star system?"

"None of the planets are in the same system. Covalis and Ligellia are actually the closest together and they are three light years apart. But they are next to each other on the Wheel."

"A network of artificially created wormholes?"

"That's not what the scientists call them," The ensign answered, "but it's close enough. You go in over one planet and you come out over another."

"That's how all interplanetary travel is done there?"

"By the locals. We and a few other outsiders have warp drives. It gives us a big edge. Maybe that's why we got overconfident."

...

On his way to inspect the sickbay, Nog spotted Ensign Poe climbing into a Jeffries tube in the corridor just outside the bridge.

"What are you up to, Ensign?"

"Familiarizing myself with the ship, sir."

"Ah, yes, as security chief, you'd need to know all the nonstandard ways to get around, wouldn't you?"

"I think so. Would you care to come along?"

"Why not?" said the captain and followed his man into the tube.

The ensign forged ahead, confident, but confined, his broad shoulders brushing the edges of the conduit. Nog followed lightly, his small frame much more at ease in the confined space. They reached a branch and Poe stopped for a moment, remembering his route. Nog bit his tongue, having memorized the schematics days before. The young man chose the path to the left and they continued, circling around the bridge. Ensign Poe's shoulders rubbed against the repair access panels for most of the critical systems on the other side of the wall. Nog moved behind him much more freely.

"Do you often have to deal with boarders or stowaways?" the captain asked.

"Not often. When we're flying in local space, we're usually escorting another ship. We don't usually carry anything worth boarding us for."

"Don't the local governments sometimes ask you to transport things?"

"Then, we usually fly at warp speeds. The local bad guys can't catch us."

"But you weren't at warp on the last mission?"

"The artifact didn't seem to like the warp engines. It stopped glowing when the nacelles activated. We decided better safe than sorry."

"Glowing?"

"Yeah, it has a bright glow."

"I didn't notice your little piece glowing."

"It stopped when we got too far from the other pieces."

"Tell me about the pirates in the sector. How dangerous are they?"

"We usually assumed we could take on four of their ships to our one. Their hulls emit an energy field that is resistant to weapons, including phasers. They have energy weapons equivalent to low-powered phasers and engines that are equivalent to impulse drives. But we were bigger and badder than anything local. I wasn't worried."

"Until they sucker punched you."

"That cannon ship was new. Or newly discovered, I guess. We shouldn't have been surprised. Someone is always rediscovering something new on the Wheel."

The two officers completed their circuit of the bridge and reached the open hatch where they had begun. The ensign continued on, ready to try the right turn up ahead. Nog wished him luck in his journeys and crawled back into the corridor.

He brushed mostly imaginary dust off his uniform and headed down the corridor to sickbay.

...

He walked in and found the doctor cataloging materials in the storage bays along the wall.

"Are you finding things as you left them?" he asked.

"Metaphorically, yes," answered the Vulcan. "It is very similar to the sickbay on the Argo. The equipment is newer and the supplies are impeccably stocked."

"And the new equipment?"

"It has all arrived. It should be very useful in my research."

"Good. I'm glad. Now, I have a question. Medically speaking, what can you tell me about the Covalans and the Ligellians?"

"That's actually very simple. They are humanoid life forms, virtually identical to one another."

"Identical?"

"There are superficial cosmetic differences, but genetic scans indicate that they originate from the same species and diverged less than one thousand years ago."

"So, marrying the two races together. . ."

"Genetically speaking it is quite feasible. I cannot speak to the cultural issues."

Nog replied, "From what I've been reading, no one can."

...

The office door chimed.

"Come on in, Lieutenant."

"Reporting as ordered."

Nog put down the report he'd been reading. "Have a seat.

"Thank you, Captain."

"How are the upgrades going?"

"We're on schedule to be finished by 1200 tomorrow."

"Good. I've filed a flight plan. I'm anticipating the inevitable engineering delays and we'll be leaving at 1600."

"I'll inform the crew."

.

.

Chapter 2 The Approach

.

Captain's Log, Stardate 2404.13

Nog Fortune

.

The crew seems to think I am unaware of the attitude they have toward me and toward Ferengi in general. I thought everyone knew about Ferengi hearing. Apparently not.

I'm used to dealing with Federation scorn, but this is worse than usual. I know that part of the reason for that is that I am replacing their beloved captain. For the time being, I will just have to bite the bullet and give them plenty of time alone to work through it.

Lieutenant Iijima stood from her chair as Nog strode onto the bridge. "Welcome aboard, captain. The ship is yours."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Nog made a little ceremony of walking to the captain's chair and sitting down. "Are all crew aboard and accounted for?"

"Aye aye, Captain."

"Then let's disengage the docking clamps and get about our business."

At the helm, Ensign Franklin answered, "Yes, sir. Do we have a course, sir?"

"That all depends," drawled Nog. "Ensign Poe, I've asked you to keep track of the Klingon ship Ravenhawk on long-range sensors. Do you still have them?"

"Yes, sir, they're on course toward Ligellian space. But we won't have them for much longer."

"That's fine, we're going after them right now. How fast are they going?"

"Warp 2."

"Ensign Franklin, follow their course at Warp Factor 2.2."

Iijima interjected, "At that speed we won't catch them before they reach Ligellia."

"No, but we'll stay with them. We don't want to spook them too early."

Poe volunteered, "Unless they were specifically looking, they shouldn't even see us coming."

The commander answered, "Oh, Ensign, Kharblek knows we're coming. Or at least he knows we're up to something."

"Why would he be expecting us?" Ensign Poe asked.

Iijima replied, "Because we sold him our artifact."

Both ensigns stared at the captain, mouths open.

Nog smiled grimly at them, "I strongly suggest that we don't lose him."

"Yes sir."

"Carry on. I'll be inspecting engineering."

...

As the door whooshed shut behind the Ferengi, Ensign Franklin buried her face in her hands with an exasperated shriek, "I'm never going to make it!"

"Is this a delayed reaction from grief?" Lieutenant Iijima wondered. Voice heavy with concern, she asked, "What's the problem, Ensign?"

Wanda raised her head. Her eyes were tearing, but from the look on her face it was from holding in laughter. Unsuccessfully. Between strangled spasms, she choked out, "I just want to giggle every time he talks."

Lefty added, "If I hear one more Uncle Quark story. . . "

"Does he even have an Uncle?" asked Wanda, her face in her hands.

Iijima said, "I accessed him. Quark exists. Star Fleet's records on him are a few years old, but he was a bartender and petty criminal on Deep Space Nine. He does have a few files I couldn't get to because they were classified."

"But he's not some sort of criminal mastermind?"

"Not according to Star Fleet."

"All I know," said Wanda, "is, one day, the captain's going to give me an order and I'm just going to break down in uncontrollable laughter and I'll end up in the brig."

"Can I tell you a story," asked Mieko.

"Anything," Wanda answered.

"This is just a random thought, and not a suggestion of any kind."

"Understood," said Lefty.

"At the Academy, I had a professor I just couldn't stand. He was a total idiot, and he didn't know it. I couldn't stand to look at him, much less speak to him. I was on the verge of getting expelled when I had a sudden inspiration. I stopped thinking of him as my teacher and started to pretend that he was a small child named Commodore. Then, as long as I used that as his name, I could just talk to that child."

"How did that go?" asked Wanda.

"It kept me just this side of insubordination. When I was really annoyed, I'd use both his names."

Lefty was skeptical, "It actually worked?"

Mieko shrugged, "I graduated."

...

.

First Officer's Log, Stardate 2404.12

Iijima, Mieko Fortune

.

Fortune is beautiful. Now that I've worked with the new engines and sensors, and I have to say the captain has managed to procure us the best. Not that I'd expect any less from a Ferengi. When we were going over his lists, back at the station, I'm sure I saw his ears twitching.

There's activity up ahead and I've called the captain back to the bridge. We'll just see how well he commands a ship, upgrades or no upgrades.

Nog stepped onto the bridge, "Have we caught up to them already?"

"No, Captain," answered Iijima, "Not for another six hours."

Nog sat down carefully in the captain's chair, "Something's happening?"

Ensign Poe answered, "They dropped out of warp a few minutes ago and are proceeding at half impulse. And they've just met up with another ship. The two are moving together."

The captain shot to his feet, alarmed. "Already? Full power to sensors. I need to know everything you can tell me about that meeting!"

The security officer answered, "I'll get you what I can. They're awfully far away, even with these spiffy sensors you got us. The other ship is definitely from the Wheel, but it's small. It can hold maybe four people."

Iijima asked, "Is this your Klingon captain beginning to collect our artifacts for us?"

Nog replied, "I doubt it. I rather suspect he's going to sell the one he has. Just, hopefully, not quite yet."

Iijima gave an exasperated sigh, "Then what was the point of giving it to him?"

With a visible effort, Nog pulled his eyes from the viewscreen. He gestured for Poe to keep an eye on it and turned to Lieutenant Iijima with a teacherly look of infinite patience. "Who do you think would be in the market for one part of a Grand Conjoiner?"

From the security station, Ensign Poe put in, "Someone who already has the other parts."

"Or at least one of them," added Ensign Franklin.

"Are those people who would want to do business with us?" asked the captain.

"Not without energy cannons," answered Lefty. He then added, "I'm detecting transporters. Something was just beamed onto the Klingon craft."

Nog whirled back to the screen. "Are you sure it was onto the Ravenhawk, not off of it?"

"Positive, sir. Now the other craft is moving away."

Iijima asked thoughtfully, "Did they physically move anything off the ship?"

"I don't think so."

Nog sighed in relief, "Thank God. They still have it. That would have complicated things." He added under his breath, "I knew it was too soon to have set up a meet."

Iijima continued, "So we're counting on this Klingon to sell our thingamabob and then rat out his customer to us?

"Basically."

"And he's going to report back to us out of the goodness of his heart?"

"Of course not. That's why we're following him."

"This is awfully twisty."

"Not really. Compared to some of my Uncle Quark's schemes, this is painfully straightforward."

Iijima pressed her fingers to her temples, "I just note one thing that's awfully convenient. If any part of this falls through, you still have the 5,000 ducats."

"That money isn't for me. It goes into the ship fund for emergencies and shore leave and the like."

"Making us your partners in crime."

"Not my partners," answered Nog, "my subordinates. Keep that in mind."

"I'll mention it frequently at our trial," said the lieutenant.

Lefty looked up from his display. "Um, Captain," he said.

"Yes, Ensign."

"The Klingon ship. It just disappeared."

Nog smiled. "Ensign Franklin, coordinate with engineering to get us our top speed. I want to be at that exact spot as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

""I'll be in my ready room."

...

Wanda had to admit she liked the new engines. It was an impressively short time before she said, "This is the spot, Lieutenant."

Iijima had just opened here mouth to summon the captain to the bridge when she the door whooshed and he walked in.

"I heard the engines slowing. Are we there?"

"Yes, Captain."

Ensign Poe added, "I have no sign of the Ravenhawk on short or long-range scans."

Lieutenant Iijima said, "They can't have just disappeared."

Nog smiled a cryptic smile. "Ah, but that's just what they did. Ensign Poe, recalibrate the sensors to pick up tachyon emissions."

"A cloaking device?" Iijima exclaimed.

"I'm guessing an old one. Decommissioned."

"That's classified military technology. A civilian ship with one would be in serious breach of Klingon law."

"I think Kharblek thinks that laws are suggestions intended for other people."

"Remind you of anyone?" Iijima muttered.

"I think he and my Uncle Quark would get along famously."

"Infamously," muttered Iijima. As an afterthought, she added, "Captain."

Nog chose to ignore her. "Ensign Poe," he said, "take sensor readings and see if you can figure out the general direction they're going."

"Aye aye."

"And then, Ensign Franklin, I understand you are a bit of a daredevil pilot?"

"Sir?"

"Once Ensign Poe has given you a direction, I want you to find the dream spot for your next adventure flying vacation," Said the captain. "Look for the scariest, most hostile scrap of space you can find. That's where the deal will go down. Call me when we have a location."

As the door closed behind the captain, Lieutenant Iijima asked, "Can you find us a course, Lefty?"

"The particles have had some time to dissipate, but with a few comparative samples I can hopefully get us a general direction."

Ensign Franklin giggled, "Too bad my Uncle Quark's not here. He could stand on the hull and follow the ship by smell."

Poe asked, "He wouldn't mind the vacuum?"

"After fifteen minutes or so, he'd probably call for a sweater."

With a smile, Lieutenant Iijima called them back to work.

"Sorry Lieutenant," said Lefty. "OK, I have a course, give or take fifteen degrees in any direction. Wanda, I'm feeding you the data."

The pilot asked, "What exactly am I looking for, here?"

Iijima answered, "Somewhere along that flightpath, look for a place that discourages casual visitors. Probably with something you could hide behind while you waited for your illicit customer."

Wanda studied the charts for a few moments. Suddenly her perplexed frown became a satisfied smirk. "I think I've found just the place."

...

"Captain, we may have located them," said the intercom in Nog's ready room.

"I'll be right there, Lieutenant."

Nog stood up, straightened his uniform and swept onto the bridge. "What have we got, Lieutenant Iijima?"

"Ensign Franklin found a likely place. Ensign, give us your assessment."

"Well, uh, sir. It's an asteroid field with a bunch of uranium and other mildly radioactive materials. I think it would be a good place for a clandestine meeting. And Lefty confirms that we have elevated tachyon levels."

"Ensign Poe?"

"Yes, Captain. The background radiation makes it impossible to be sure, but I'm pretty sure the tachyon level is higher than it should be."

"So you all share the opinion that our Klingon friend is here and ready to do some business?"

Iijima answered for them all, "Yes, Captain. The radiation makes it easy to approach undetected and the asteroids provide good cover."

"Good. I agree. My Uncle Quark would love this spot. Ensign Franklin, have you ever used a tractor beam to coat your ship in space debris?"

"No, sir."

"It's a typical smugglers' ploy. Work with Ensign Poe. Keep the shields up until the last possible moment and you'll minimize the scratches to the hull."

"Yes, sir."

"Get it done and sneak us in there and hide us among the asteroids."

"Yes, sir."

Ensign Poe asked, "But then how do we find the Ravenhawk, sir?"

"We don't need to look for the Ravenhawk, Ensign. We just need to wait for the pirates. And they will be announcing themselves. Engineering, full power to sensors and power down the engines at Ensign Franklin's command. Ensign Franklin, pretend we're a rock."

...

Fifty-six minutes later, they found their prize. A beep sounded on Ensign Poe's console.

"I'm detecting engines, Captain."

"On screen."

The image of an asteroid appeared on the viewscreen. The glow of an engine's flare illuminated the rock and one set of projections moved slightly, revealing itself as a stone-hulled ship. A panel on the front of the ship was noticeably dented in.

"That's Snubnose," said Lefty.

"One of the pirates that took the Argo?" asked Nog.

Iijima answered, "The leader of the first party."

Nog let out a breath. "Then we are definitely in the right place."

"I'm detecting comm traffic. And more engines."

Light appeared behind a large asteroid and the Klingon vessel emerged from concealment."

"They're not cloaked," said Iijima.

Nog responded, "Why bother, when it's just as easy to hide?"

"There's definitely a two-way conversation going on between them," reported Ensign Poe. "And transporter activity!"

"Which way?" asked the captain.

"From the pirate to the Ravenhawk."

"Good," said Nog. "That should be the payment. Now a moment to count the money and . . ."

"Another transport. This time from the Ravenhawk."

"Transaction complete." said Nog, satisfied. "We are now officially following that pirate ship. "

Iijima asked, "How can you be certain they transferred the artifact?"

Nog replied, "Snubnose wanted it, Kharblek had it. They arranged a meet in the middle of nowhere. I'm satisfied."

The pirate ship turned away from the Klingons and headed out of the asteroid field.

"And the artifact slips through our fingers again," muttered Mieko under her breath.

"It hasn't slipped through our fingers, Lieutenant," snapped Nog. "It is leading us to our target." He locked eyes with his recalcitrant lieutenant.

"Pursuit course, Captain?" asked Wanda, nervously.

The captain allowed himself to be diverted. "Give it a second. We'll wait for the Klingons to leave and then it's like we were never here."

They watched as the Ravenhawk began to thread her way clear of the asteroids. Then a familiar tone sounded on the security console."

"I'm detecting more engines, sir. Three local ships.

On the screen, three stone vessels emerged from concealment and converged on the departing Klingon ship.

Ensign Franklin pointed to the viewscreen. "That guy on the left was with Snubnose when they took the Argo."

Nog muttered, "A double cross. These guys don't know how to make a deal."

"They are in attack formation. There's a lot of comm chatter. Ravenhawk isn't backing down."

"This isn't right," said Nog. "We got Kharblek into this. We may have to intervene. Power to phasers."

"Yes, sir."

The standoff ended suddenly when all three of the pirate vessels fired energy cannons upon the Ravenhawk. Her shields flared brightly under the attacks.

"That's our signal. Ensign Poe, target the nearest ships and fire at will."

The Fortune's phasers fired twice. Each shot hit a different ship, overwhelming its defensive flare and leaving blackened score marks on the hull. The pirate fleet froze, apparently baffled by the attack from nowhere. Lefty also finessed the tractor beam and sent Fortune's concealing cover of rock raining toward the pirates, adding immeasurably to the confusion.

Into the befuddlement, the Ravenhawk fired three disruptor blasts. The two damaged ships exploded outright and the third veered away, apparently out of control. The Klingons followed its course and dispatched the vessel with a fourth shot.

"Whoa," muttered Franklin.

"That was fast," said Iijima

"Klingons don't play," said Poe.

"Any survivors?" asked Iijima.

Lefty answered, "I'm not reading any life forms."

Nog shook his head. "I was a little concerned about how to deal with prisoners without tipping our hand." He swallowed. "I guess we don't have to worry. Ensign, hail the Ravenhawk."

A moment later, Kharblek's face appeared on the viewscreen. "Ahh, my little Ferengi warrior. What a surprise to see you so far off the beaten track."

"Looks like business can get a little rough out here," Nog replied.

The Klingon sniffed, "A few weasels who didn't understand the art of trade. Nothing we couldn't have handled."

Nog bowed to the image on his viewscreen. "Our assistance was unrequested. I hope it didn't cause offense."

"On the contrary, your intervention minimized the damage to my ship. You do not find me ungrateful."

"Are you sure you're a Klingon?" asked Nog.

"Ahh ha ha," laughed Kharblek. "If I had any less respect for your uncle, that would have been a very dangerous question. Or maybe I am just softhearted. Perhaps a Klingon trader is as much of a mystery as you surmised."

"I don't think there's much danger that you're going soft," said Nog. He continued, "You don't have to answer this, but I wonder if this difficulty was over that trinket I sold you."

"Are you having second thoughts over our deal, Ferengi?"

Nog waved his hands in negation. "Not at all. I was merely concerned. As I told you, trouble seems to follow that item."

"Yes, you did. But if that was the trouble, the profit was more than worthwhile."

"Then, my Klingon trader, I will leave you to your business. I wish you success in your ventures."

"Just a moment," said Kharblek. "A thought occurs. I have, I think, something that is inconvenient to me but might interest you."

"What might that that be?"

"I picked up, on the way here, a couple of hitchhikers. Come here, boy, and introduce yourself."

A young Covalan moved into view. He looked into the screen and said, "I am Davan, crown prince of Covalis. I am on a mission to deliver justice upon the bastards who stole The Grand Conjoiner."

Kharblek added, "His mission and my trade route no longer run together. If your paths are more congruent, it is a favor you would be doing me if you took him off my hands."

"As it happens," Nog replied, "I think our missions do run together. If Your Highness would like to transfer to our vessel, we would be pleased to conduct you."

"I will arrange the transport," said Kharblek. He gestured to a crewman who escorted the prince off the bridge.

Nog said, "If that's all, I suppose we can both be on our way."

The Klingon held up a finger. "One last little thing. But you are busy, I sense. I would not wish to waste your time."

"Oh please, Captain. I always find our chats profitable."

"I have noted that you are still interested in your artifact," said Kharblek, "and wondered if, perhaps, for a small fee, you might be interested in the code for the tracking device I placed on it?"

Check out Part II of the story

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