The docking area had been converted to a ceremony hall. Banners from the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Ferengi Alliance and the Darlec Union decorated the pristine walls of the large room. Hundreds of chairs stood empty, facing the dais where the various members of the summit would soon sit. I picked Drozana Station as the location of this historic summit, because the place meant so much to me. It was here that I redeemed myself after sinking so low, and feeling as if all hope were lost.
It had been years since I'd lived here and served under my best friend Breck. He was always a fair employer, and I had never forgotten what he had done for me. Breck had done very well for himself in the years since we first came to Drozana together, he was now the Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance, taking over when Rom retired from the post. A reward for what he had done with Drozana Station after Belan's accident.
I had not done too badly for myself as well. After I left Drozana Station I had doubled my efforts to liberate Darlec Prime from Imperial control. After reaching a diplomatic resolution with Klingon Chancellor J'mpok, the Darlec Union was formed, the first real democracy in the history of my people. It wasn't long before we had opened diplomatic channels with the Federation.
This summit would form a lasting people between the Federation and the Empire, and I was fortunate to be a part of the process. A process that had taken a lot of time and effort, but in the end, was fair to all parties involved.
I saw J'mpok and Aennik Okeg, the first Saurian to hold the office of Federation, walking with each other towards my position on the dais. The two had smiles on their faces, and it was clear that not only had the two reached a compromise on their long standing factional disputes, but had really formed a friendship. I felt pride being the person who had brought them together, and of course I was also proud that I had help draft the agreement they would sign to end all conflict between their people. As they both reached my location they took their seats on either side of me, "Chancellor, Mister President, greetings," I said.
"Nonsense! Call me J'mpok, my friend!" J'mpok demanded.
"Very well, J'mpok," I replied with a smile.
"SuD do you know where Nagus Breck is, the ceremony is set to begin soon?" Okeg asked.
"I am sure he will be along shortly, Aennik. He is as excited to be hosting this summit as I am to moderate it, he would not miss this," I replied. In fact Breck had put a lot of effort into completely retro-fitting Drozana for the summit. It was a completely different place than I had remembered it, clean and safe, it had become the crown jewel of the Ferengi Alliance, and an example for all modern space stations.
"Ah! There he is now!" J'mpok shouted.
Breck walked towards us, carrying the staff of the Grand Nagus, dressed in the finest Ferengi fashions, a sense of pride painted across his face. His many attendants following behind him, no doubt seeing to any last minute needs Breck had before the ceremony began. He made his way up on the dais, and shook the hands of the President and then, the Chancellor. I reached my hand out towards him, "Breck, my best friend, it is great to see you here," I said.
"SuD!" Breck shouted.
"Breck!" I responded, my hand still outreached toward him.
"SuD! Answer me!" Breck demanded.
I looked at him with a puzzled look.
"SuD, I need you right now!" Breck asserted loudly.
"I am here my friend," I chuckled.
"SuD! My toilet is clogged, get up here and fix it!" Breck screamed.
J'mpok and Okeg looked at each other in confusion, a look I shared with them.
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"Wake up and fix my toilet!" Breck's voice shouted over the comm system.
"Yes!" I shouted as my eyes opened. I rolled off the bed, still fully clothed from when I had collapsed on it a few hours earlier. I had been so tired I hadn't even bothered to unpack, let alone undress. I hadn't even uncovered the bed, just fell upon it in a heap.
"I'm waiting!" Breck exclaimed over the comm.
"Yes Breck, I am on my way now," I said as I shuffled towards the door, half awake.
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After unclogging Breck's toilet, I found my way to the bar hall. I wasn't sure exactly what time it was, and I didn't really care much, I was going to treat it as if it were morning. I walked up to the main bar and ordered a coffee from the bartender, giving him the slip of Latinum, Breck had given me for my breakfast replicator rations.
As I found myself a quiet place to sit, I looked around the room. The bar was surrounded by several large tables, one of them seemed to be the Starflee' table, as it was occupied of various young Starfleet officers, all enjoying their drinks, talking to each other and seeming to have a good time. Another table, across the room seemed to be designated as the KDF table, with a number of Klingon warriors drinking bottles of Bloodwine, and being rather loud and boisterous. The third large table seemed to be a place for those who served the Empire, but were not Klingon. It had an assortment of Gorn, Nausicaan and Lethian men sitting at it, as an Orion female danced for them seductively.
The room echoed with the sounds of the people, glasses clinking on metal tables, laughter, and Ferengi 'mood music' which seemed to be on an endless loop. It was an overwhelming cacophony, and I knew it would take a while to adjust to it. On my prior visits, I had often taken medication to dull my senses, it was something most Darleci diplomats had access to, but I was no longer in possession of any, and I knew I would not have access to it any longer. I figured it the Ferengi could handle the sound, I would also soon adapt to it as well.
Breck found his way to my location as I was finishing the cup of coffee that would most likely serve as my only meal of the day, "I wanted to thank you for handling that," He said.
I nodded to Breck, "It's fine,"
Breck pulled a small pouch out of his jacket pocket and handed it to me, "For your trouble,"
I opened the bag to see it held about a dozen slips of Latinum. I looked up towards Breck, "I thank you,"
"I'm not completely unreasonable, you know?" Breck replied.
"You're quite generous," I stated with a smile.
Breck looked around with a look of concern, "Are you trying to ruin me? Never say those words again!"
"I am sorry," I assured him.
"It's simple! If you're broke, you're hungry, if you're hungry you're weak and desperate. If you're weak your work will suffer. If you're desperate, you might try and break our contract, making me look like a fool!" Breck explained.
"I understand," I said through a chuckle.
"Good! Just as long as you get it, I'm not generous, it's just good business to keep you fed," Breck said.
I slipped the pouch into the pocket of my vest. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a Klingon making his way towards us. I felt a sense of panic, If this man knew who I was, it might spell doom for me.
"Andorian!" The Klingon shouted. I felt waves of relief wash over me, I would live a while longer. Perhaps looking like my cousin Andorians would mean I could work among the Klingons unnoticed.
"He's Darleci," Breck stated. My relief was gone, replaced again with feelings of dread.
The Klingon eyed me up and down for a moment, then moved his hand towards his D'k tahg, "SuD Ma'Qos?" The Klingon asked Breck.
"Yeah, why?" Breck asked.
I knew I was about to die, perhaps it was for the best, since it would mean I would not have to wonder when it would happen. Also it meant that I wouldn't have to unclog Breck's toilet again, or be woken in the middle of my sleep for any other menial tasks, Breck came up with.
"J'mpok will be pleased when I deliver your head to the Great Hall!" The Klingon said as grasped the handle of his blade.
"Now wait just a minute, this guy works for me! If you're going to kill him, you're going to have to pay me for his contract," Breck asserted taking a step back from me.
The Klingon bellowed with laughter and removed his hand from his D'k tahg. Breck nervously laughed along with him, eying me and then the Klingon again.
"Seriously though, SuD owes me a substantial amount, so if you want him, I'll have to be paid," Breck said, while taking yet another step back.
Finally the Klingon's laughter subsided and he stood up on a chair near me, "Attention warriors!"
Everyone turned to give the Klingon their attention.
The Klingon pointed down towards me, as I looked up at him, "This here is SuD Ma'Qos of Darlec Prime, the traitor SuD Ma'Qos! The Monster of Marplec, SuD Ma'Qos! An enemy of the Empire, and he is not to be harmed!"
I couldn't help but feel puzzled by the contradiction in his orders to the other KDF warriors.
"This is SuD Ma'Qos of Darlec Prime, slave to a Ferengi petaQ! Let the High Leader live with his shame on this station, if he leaves it, kill him!" The Klingon ordered.
The Klingon walked away laughing, as I slumped into my chair. I looked around to see most of the people in the room still with their eyes locked on me. Breck took a seat next to me, "That was awkward,"
"Yes, yes it was," I said quietly.
"High Leader?" Breck asked with a look of potential profit in his eyes.
"No, he was just mocking my family," I said.
"Too bad," Breck said.
"I want to thank you for saving my life, Breck," I stated plainly.
"Nonsense, SuD, I would've let him have you if the price was right. I was just protecting my investment, nothing more," Breck asserted.
"Either way, thank you," I said.
"Don't mention it, really, between that and calling me generous, you're going to destroy my reputation, I don't need it," Breck said.
"Very well," I assured him.
"Go get me a snail juice, extra shells!" Breck barked.
I got right up and walked over to the bar, after I paid for the drink out of my own meager profits, I brought it back to Breck. I watched in disgust as he slowly enjoyed the drink. I could smell it as if I were drinking it myself, and I nearly got ill from it. I decided to abandon the area and see about cleaning my quarters, and trying to read something. I knew Breck would soon have me start work adapting the stories I read into viable holo-stories, so that he could sell them across the quadrants. I knew that I would see something from all that work, and I hoped it would be more than a few day's meal rations.
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I inserted a single slip of Latinum into the replicator, "Make your selection, now,"
"Coffee hot and sweet. Andorian tubers fried. Two slices of toast white with butter. A whole lime!" I shouted as quickly as I could.
The Replicator produced the food I had requested, and I looked at it with a slight sense of pride, that I had discovered a way to defect the Ferengi greed machine. Now if I could only figure out how to remove the Latinum slot mechanism without destroying the whole thing.