8
The Obsidian assumed standard orbit over Dulces VI. It was early evening aboard ship but it was mid-morning on the surface in Dragnet City where McMasters Refits was headquartered. The orbital works centered around the largest of the three moons. A civilian space station hung in orbit over Dulces but it was currently on the far side of the globe.
Dulces orbited a white dwarf star and even in the sixth orbital track in the system it was still an arid world. Primarily mountainous with high desert ranges it had no salt oceans. The planet was littered with fresh water lakes, some as large as the Caribbean on Earth.
The biosphere was filled with native life but no higher life forms had been present when Starfleet surveyed the world a hundred years ago. Colonization had begun within weeks of the announcement of first discovery. Settlers had come from all corners of the Federation.
The most recently arrived émigrés came from Cardassia. The deported and terrorized fleeing the Unionist grip of terror had come in droves. Over a million Cardassians had settled on Dulces and that created friction with older settlers who had relocated after the DMZ treaty had been established or had supported the Maquis cause.
This emigration wave was one of many reasons why McMasters had thrown his lot in with Macen. Dulces was a little too crowded and the government was a little too invested in protecting the Cardassian immigrants' rights so he thought he would leave. He thought about folding up shop as well but too many good people relied upon his business for employment so he wasn't shuttering the business in a fit of pique.
Macen contacted McMasters and made certain the engineer was in his offices. Macen and T'Kir moved to the transporter room. Radil and Daggit voiced their displeasure at being left behind.
"Are you basing this on security concerns?" Macen wondered.
"Not really." Radil admitted, "It just isn't fair that you two get to stretch your legs while we sit up here boring our butts off." Radil complained.
"Talk to Hannah and Celeste. They can help you commiserate." Macen joked.
That failed to elicit any laughs. Macen sighed, "We're still in the Federation, Jenrya. Albeit the frontier but it's still Federation space. Your presence just isn't required. I don't need Eric to think that we're invading his offices. He knows us so we should go alone."
"Maybe we should bring, Lees." T'Kir snickered.
Macen grinned, "I already asked. She turned me down cold."
"Too bad." T'Kir laughed.
"Have we settled who is going or not?" Telrik asked, "Because I have a coordinate lock outside of the office structure and time is of the essence."
"Why's that?" Macen wondered.
"To be blunt, Rhiann isn't Miss Grace. She inserted us into orbit with too much momentum to bleed off. We'll be out of transporter range in 31 minutes." Telrik said.
"Then we'd best be off." Macen stepped up to the transporter's pads. T'Kir followed. Telrik touched the screen controls and they dematerialized.
Irvin Gotz was walking along the sidewalk, minding his own business when an annular confinement beam formed up and shoved Gotz aside. He yelped and then watched as Macen and T'Kir solidified. He started to protest when he noted Macen's wry glance.
Gotz looked Macen over. The El-Aurian wore a brown bomber jacket, khaki pants, a grey Henley, and most noticeably, a Bajoran phaser strapped to his leg. Gotz looked over to T'Kir and he gaped.
The Vulcan was smiling. On top of that she wore a black leather duster and black leather pants. An Indigo zip front blouse topped off the outfit. T'Kir folded her coat back around her phaser and then her eyes sparked.
"Shoo!" she waved her hand at him. Gotz took off and ran down the street. The local constabulary would hear of this!
Macen gave her a reprimanding look, "You enjoyed that."
"An' y'didn't?" she snickered.
"C'mon, time's wasting." He ushered her into the office front and a secretary intercepted them. Seeing their weapons, he froze.
"Just let Eric know that Brin Macen and T'Kir are here to see him." Macen instructed.
The secretary stumbled away, still obviously distraught. He reached his desk and paged McMasters. It only took him a moment to emerge from the warrens of the executive offices.
"Brin! T'Kir! It's great to see you!" McMasters practically shouted across the reception area.
The secretary relaxed a bit as his boss led the two strangers to his personal office. He'd heard rumors that McMasters was a former Maquis. He'd also heard that his boss had spent ten years on a penal colony before suddenly relocating to Dulces. Whatever the truth was, he liked his job and he just hoped the two armed strangers didn't kill McMasters.
"Sorry about the maze." McMasters said as he led the couple through the warrens, "The architect wanted to 'preserve my privacy'. He didn't understand that clients like to talk with me personally whether I'm actually going to be involved in the project or not."
"I get the same with Outbound Ventures. That's why I hired a CEO." Macen replied.
"Yeah, I just finished breaking in the guy that's taking my place." McMasters admitted. He ushered them into an expansive office, "Let me grab my stuff and we can go."
"That's good. Our transport window is narrowing." Macen said.
"I have to ask, weren't you on a penal colony for murder?" McMasters asked.
"For two years. That's how long it took for them to discover the evidence was tainted. They just let us go." Macen explained.
"Then you're awfully damn lucky I was looking for a new challenge." McMasters grinned, "How's Lees, by the way?"
"Dreadin' your arrival." T'Kir snickered.
"Ah, the homes fires must not be burning so bright anymore. Gives a man hope that his spurs will still work." McMasters chuckled.
"That's what she's afraid of." T'Kir smirked.
"Let's worry about Lees when the time comes." Macen suggested, "For now, we need to leave."
Just then, a deafening explosion rocked the building.
In the front office, the street front façade suddenly detonated. As the smoke cleared and the rubble stopped falling from the roof, a dozen Klingons barreled through the gaping hole. They were dressed in armor, but not IDF armor. No House sigils could be found. These Klingons were renegades.
Point in fact they were a mercenary company. They were one of the best and they knew it. Being pitted against Outbound Ventures' flagship was the largest challenge that they had faced in quite some time. Having worked alongside Solarian Security Systems and finding them highly competent, the Klingon commander wished to pit his mettle against the commander and crew that almost leveled that proud corporation.
"You two, watch these PetoQ!" The squad leader barked as he gestured at the receptionists. That accounted for two of the mercs. The other ten ventured into the office maze. Stopping at each office, they rousted the occupants. Discovering that none of them matched Macen or T'Kir's ID visuals, they moved on to the next office.
McMasters dropped his bag as he heard the screams. Pulling a phaser free from the desk's frame, he said; "Well? Just don't stand there!"
"Stay behind us and stay out of the way." Macen instructed.
He and T'Kir pulled their phasers free. They triggered the door and Macen hustled out sideways with his phaser drawn in a two handed grip. T'Kir whipped her left hand around the opening and visually scanned the area. Her sensitive ears could hear the Klingon's approach.
Macen took the lead and T'Kir dropped back behind his shoulder. McMasters followed, watching in awe. Macen and T'Kir had made a formidable pair in the Maquis but he had the distinct impression that he had unleashed an engine of destruction.
"You two, scout ahead. Find us a way through this damnable mess." The squad leader ordered.
The two Klingons went around the nearby corner just in time for Macen and T'Kir to round the opposite corner. The firefight lasted for two seconds. The Klingons went down. Macen and T'Kir shuffled forward and grabbed the Klingons' weapons. Opening an office door, they threw the accoutrements into it. The startled office worker calmed down when McMasters shushed her.
The couple went around the next corner and shot the closest Klingons. Bottled up, they were getting hammered. The squad leader sounded the retreat in order to meet up with his reserve in the reception area. He's lost seven of his men counting the two scouts that had obviously failed.
Upon arrival, the squad leader found the Refit workers dead, "You fools! We could have used them as hostages."
The braver of the two killers retorted, "Hostages are for the weak."
The squad leader thought about killing his subordinate but he thought better of it. He might actually need the fool. Mmm…what kind of diversionary tactic can I use him in?
Macen came around the corner and T'Kir reached around but the Klingons were ready for them this time. McMasters herded his employees back further into the maze. He ran back as Macen ducked back around the corner and let T'Kir group her shots for a minute.
"Your receptionists are dead." Macen warned McMasters.
"That's it. Kill these frinxers." McMasters angrily demanded.
Macen gave him a dry response, "We've been doing that. Speaking of which, give me your phaser."
McMasters handed it over all the while wondering why Macen wanted it. Fiddling with the Starfleet surplus "dust buster" phaser, he sidled up next to T'Kir. She observed his actions and frowned.
"Oh hell. You're going to overload it." She accused.
"Yup." He acknowledged the truth behind her words.
"Damn it, Brin. You know I hate that." She protested.
"Can't be helped." Macen said nonchalantly.
The phaser began to whine as its prefire chamber began to overload. The whine intensified and Macen began counting down. T'Kir was occupying the Klingons this whole time. She was in obvious distress over the increasing noise and finally she turned to face him.
"Well? Throw the frinxing thing already!" she yelled.
"Cover me." He yelled back.
As she swept the target area with a lancing phaser beam, Macen threw the distressed phaser. He and T'Kir ran back deeper into the buildings alcoves. The phaser exploded with a cacophony that matched the initial explosion.
"Are you two all right?" McMasters inquired.
"I'm fine." T'Kir said testily. Looking at Macen she coldly announced, "I hate you."
"Someday you'll laugh about it." Macen countered.
"Yeah right." T'Kir huffed.
Macen's comm badge chirped and he frowned; "Now they call?"
Tapping the offending badge he said, "Macen here."
"We've got five minutes before that window closes. Are you sure you don't want to be transported back?" Telrik said.
McMasters darted off, carving a hole through his bewildered and frightened employees. Macen told Telrik to wait for a moment. McMasters returned with his large duffel and Macen smiled.
"Three to beam up." Macen instructed.
The fateful trio rematerialized in the Obsidian's transporter room. Macen slapped his comm badge, "Macen to Riker!"
"Riker here." Came the disembodied voice.
"Tom, break orbit and head for Ferenginar at maximum warp." Macen ordered.
"And why should I do that?" a relaxed and nonchalant Riker asked.
"Because we were attacked by Klingons, you ninny! Their ship has to be in orbit." Macen explained.
"Riker out." The connection was terminated.
"Captain! A Bird of Prey is decloaking off of our aft quarter." Jaycee reported from Tactical.
"Shields up! Rhiann, emergency breakaway. Set course for Ferenginar and proceed at maximum warp." Riker ordered.
The ship shuddered. Jaycee relayed the damage, "Shields at 87% and holding."
"Rhiann…" Riker growled. He was beginning to miss Grace's deft hand at the CONN.
The stars began to streak and Rhiann happily announced, "We're away and we're climbing to maximum warp."
"Parva to Riker." Came over the speakers.
"Riker here." He said.
"Why are you pushing my engines?" she angrily wanted to know.
Riker looked to Shannon Forger for help. She merely smirked and threw up her hands. Riker groaned and began to explain the situation, what he knew of it, to Parva.
T'Kir toggled the intercom. She'd asked for Kalista and the Deltan was quite happy to report to the transporter room. She breezed in with a bright smile.
"Hi, you must be Eric." She took his bag from him and appraised him at the same time. McMasters was a good six inches shorter than Macen. He had a weathered face with lots of character lines. His sharp blue eyes were lively and very engaging. His hair had been a dark brown but now was mostly gray. He was trim, compact, and moved like a cat. Kalista found him entirely yummy.
"If you'd follow me, I'll take you to your quarters." She walked abreast of him so she could engage him in conversation.
As the doors closed behind them, T'Kir and Telrik each unzipped their shirts. T'Kir wiped her brow, "Man, is she pourin' out the pheromones or what?"
"Deltans excrete more pheromones when they're aroused. Eric doesn't have a clue for what he's in for." Macen chuckled.
"It ain't fair that y'r immune." T'Kir pouted.
"Your charms are more than enough to do the trick for me." Macen lifted her chin.
A creamy jade flush came to her cheeks, "Y'r just sayin' that."
He drew her in for a decidedly aroused kiss. Telrik tried staring at the ceiling for a while. Finally, he cleared his throat. They both blushed at that point and departed the transporter room.
Telrik squirmed from his own pheromonal arousal. All of the females on the ship were decidedly squishy. He'd have to content himself to a third supper and call it good.