by Kathleen Speck
"Hey, switch on the vidscreen in the booth, okay?"
The Sulamid bartender caught the slip of latinum tossed his way in one hand, while the other three were mixing drinks. He pressed the button to deliver the requested service and continued to serve the customers sitting at the bar.
It was an older place; if you looked in the corners you could see the age. But the owner kept it clean and kept out the real riffraff. A customer could sit alone and not worry about being bothered, if attentions were not desired. The burly half-Klingon bouncer saw to that.
A dark slim hand switched the channels until the Federation news program came up. An elegant Vulcan woman, her dark hair swirled on top of her head to just reveal the pointed tips of her ears, was reading the news.
"...details on the peace treaty signed this morning between the Federation and the Cardassian Empire have been released. In a specious effort to appease the Cardassians, several star systems have been ceded to their control. Federation citizens on the affected planets will be given every assistance with their relocation plans. The following is a list of star systems which have been ceded to the Cardassians." A printed list of systems began to scroll up the screen, a bilious green color against the standard blue background.
"Son-of-a-bitch!" said the woman who'd tossed the currency to the bartender, anger contorting her normally-calm face.
"Come on, Kas, tell us what you really think," said one of the three men sitting with her in the booth. He was Human, with reddish-brown hair, in his early forties. He had a grin on his face, and twinkling gray eyes that seemed to notice everything.
"Shut up, Dave, it's not funny," she said, twisting on the seat to look at him.
"What's the matter, skipper? You're not from one of those planets, are you?" This man was thin, in his late twenties, with short blond hair and a small dark mole under his right eye.
"No, it's just a stupid agreement," Kas said, her breath coming faster as the list continued to scroll. She was surprised at the length of the list.
"Look, Kas, we ship freight between star systems. It doesn't matter who our customers are."
"Yes it does, Dave, don't you see? There are some people I just won't do business with, and the Cardies are the top five on the list," Kas said impatiently; she found his apparent lack of understanding very frustrating.
"Now, that's just plain bad business. Why limit possible customers just because of their politics?" Dave muttered, taking a long swallow of the drink in front of him.
"Stan, explain it to him, I don't have the energy. Besides, I need a refill."
The slim, dark-skinned woman slid out of the booth and took her empty glass to the bar. It was crowded and it took several moments for one of the bartenders to notice her standing there.
The heavyset, balding Human had sparkling blue eyes and a wide smile of greeting for her. "Captain Yates, I didn't know you were in port. When did you get in?" As he spoke he took her empty, dirty glass, putting it below the bar and replacing it with a clean one. "White wine, right?"
"You know me too well, Begolley. I'm gonna have to find a new place to hang out in," she laughed.
"Please, Captain, don't do that. You're the classiest thing in here. We need your patronage. Besides, you're the reason I got a loan from that weaseling Ferengi with all the money. He said you bring in a better-paying clientele, which means I'll have a higher profit margin."
Even as the two shared a laugh, Yates knew that Sean Begolley would never do business with a Ferengi, even if it meant closing his beloved bar. He'd beg on the streets for spare change from strangers before doing such a thing. "Begolley, you're the biggest liar this side of the Federation Council." She lifted her glass to him.
"Now, there you're right," he laughed.
Yates took a sip of the wine in her glass. "You do serve the good stuff. By the way, if anyone's looking to transport some cargo..." She discreetly slipped a strip of latinum in his hand.
"Don't worry, Captain. Potential customers'll be steered your way, and `them damn revenuers' will get the toe of my boot in their arses." He slipped the latinum in his pocket.
"You're a good man, Sean, and a good friend."
"Any time, Captain Yates, any time."
She walked back to her booth, where her crew were having a lively argument. Kas took a long swallow of her wine before even thinking of going back to the booth. She paused for a moment, wondering if she was up to dealing with this, but she gathered herself and sat down.
"Skipper, I was telling this Manorvian idiot that you can pick and choose what cargo you're gonna carry and still make enough profit for all of us." Stan was poking the very thin, orange-hued individual next to him.
"Captain, certain I am that profit will be ours, working with you," he protested.
"Don't worry, Kamb'am'pati, I never doubted you. Stan, quit picking on Kami. You know he's the best navigator I've ever found." Kasidy gathered her belongings. "Come on, drink up, boys. We're only staying in this port long enough to get a decent meal and pick up a shipment of medical supplies for Varengia II. Then we're back to the anonymity of deep space."
"Aw, Kas, why do you push us so hard? We haven't even had the chance to find Kami here a girlfriend," Dave mumbled over the rim of his glass as he tossed down the dregs of his drink.
"Dave, haven't you and Stan learned yet that Kamb'am'pati isn't even biologically compatible with Humans? Besides, he has a wife and kids back on his homeworld. Come on, let's get that cargo moving." She stood and started pulling on arms to get them out of the booth and headed toward the door.
"Skipper, you're a real slave-driver. I was hoping for some real shore leave this time." Stan was also finishing his drink.
"Falsely do they speak, Captain. A slave-driver you are not." Kamb'am'pati's large yellow teeth flashed in a smile that tried to light the entire room.
"Thanks, Kami. I can always count on you to stick up for me with these idiots." Kasidy stopped the waitress and gave her several slips of latinum, then herded her crew out of the bar.
Only one person took any notice of their leaving.
**********
"Okay, Kas, we're out in space, 36 hours ahead of schedule, I noticed by the way. Stan and Kami have turned in for the night. Now, are you gonna tell ol' Dave what's eatin' at you?" He stretched out his long legs and leaned back in his chair, crossing his booted feet at the ankles on the edge of a console.
"It's this stupid `peace treaty' between the Federation and the Cardies. The Feds were on their way to winning the war, but they had to give away star systems to make peace? It doesn't make any sense." She got up and walked across the bridge of her ship.
"We've done a lot of shipping with colonists on some of the planets they just gave to the Cardies. We can count them as long-gone customers now." She shook her head in regret.
"True, the Cardies probably won't do business with us." Dave didn't sound very upset about that situation.
"No `probably' about it, Dave. Their colonies only deal with authorized Cardassian merchants." She placed both hands on the console next to Dave's big feet and looked intently at him.
"But, Kas, we've taken business losses in the past before, and we've always bounced back. In fact, thanks to your great record, we've always come back stronger than ever." He watched as Kasidy began to pace back and forth across the small bridge.
"Thanks for the compliment, but I'm not really worried about the business. Like you said, we've come back before. I'm worried about the customers." She stopped pacing and stood in front of him, leaning on the armrests of his chair. "Did you know that some of the colonies on those planets have been in place for almost 150 years? How long do you have to live in a place before you're a resident, not a colonist?"
She turned away from Dave, her voice rising in anger at the situation. "And what gives the Federation the right to just give planets and star systems away to another empire? I was taught that those planets and star systems were members of the Federation."
"Well, yeah, I thought so..."
"Well, weren't we taught that Federation members are independent and all? How many times have our friends in Fleet complained about not being allowed to interfere in day-to-day activities on some member planet?"
"More than I can count," he snorted.
"Right. But now the Federation is just giving away systems without so much as asking if they mind?"
"Kas, take a second or two to breathe. That way you can complain some more in a few minutes." He watched her as she stared at him. It would not be easy calming Kasidy down when she was prepared to argue for several hours, and she had that look about her right now.
"Dave, you're an ass, you know that?" Fortunately for Dave, she laughed as she said it.
"You remind me of that fact on a regular, in fact almost daily, basis," Dave said, a wry expression on his face.
"Well, it's still true, in case you were wondering." Kasidy shook her head tiredly, knowing she would never get him to behave in any way approaching normalcy.
"So, what's really bugging you about all this, Kas?" Dave sat up and faced her so she couldn't avoid him.
She stepped away from the chair and treated him to a withering glare. "Dave, you have to be the densest man I have ever met. Haven't you been listening to anything I've said? I don't know, maybe it matters to me because ancestors of mine were yanked out of their homes and dragged off when they didn't want to go."
"But Kas, that all happened centuries in the past."
"Yes, and it happened again this morning. `I'm sorry, but we've decided to give the planet you and your family have lived on for a hundred years to beings we know to be brutal, untrustworthy scum. Pack your bags, one large and one small per person please, and leave all you've worked for behind. Or, you can stay, but we'll have abandoned you to the tender mercies of the Cardassians.' Yeah, that's all centuries in the past."
She sat tiredly in her chair, her back slumping and her head coming to a rest in her hand. Dave stood and walked behind her, his hands gently rubbing her shoulders. He slowly increased the pressure, knowing from past experience that it would do her some good to get rid of the tension. After a few minutes the rubbing had the desired effect and Kasidy began to relax. He continued for a few more minutes just to hear her moan softly with pleasure at the feeling.
"Listen, I agree, it's pretty shitty treatment for Federation citizens. Lord knows I don't value my Federation citizenship very highly, but there've been times it's been useful. But what can you do about it?"
"I don't know, Dave, I just don't know. But something this wrong should be fought."
**********
Shore leave is supposed to be fun, Kasidy mused, so why am I sitting in this dreary, dirty little bar instead of sitting on a beach somewhere? She snorted and took a cautious sip of her drink. Because this is where I make most of my business contacts these days, that's why. Since Cardassia became a player in this sector, business is really off. But, Lordy, I could use some sun and relaxation. I could pick up some food, head for a park, and just pretend to be a normal person for once. That would be very....
Her musings were disturbed by a tall man sliding into the booth on the seat across from her. He appeared to be a totally nondescript Human, one of hundreds she had met in the past or would meet in the future. His hair was sandy brown and thinning, his gray-blue eyes darting around the room nervously. Business often came her way through people just like this, but one hand still drifted to the small phaser she kept tucked into the waistband of her slacks. You didn't last long in this business if you weren't very careful.
"Kasidy Yates?" he asked softly.
She nodded once, but said nothing.
"My name is Danai. I'm told you have a fast ship and a crew that doesn't talk."
He sounded like a bad sci-fi movie, but Kasidy was willing to go along, for a little while at least. "The ship's fast enough and the crew only talks when I tell them to. What do you need?"
"I need some supplies delivered with no questions asked," he said, very quickly and very softly.
"Then you need another ship," she said, just as quickly. "I think I saw Loran Clement's ship at the space dock. He's the kind of ship's master you want." Kasidy moved quickly and stood up, but Danai put a hand on her arm. She half-pulled the phaser out of her slacks.
"Wait, please. I'm told you're an honest person, and that's really what I'm looking for."
Kasidy pushed the phaser back where it had been and moved one step back to the booth. "First, take your hand off my arm. Second, answer my questions, all of them, or I'm walking right now."
Danai removed his hand and motioned her back to the booth. "Yes, I'm sorry. Please sit back down. It's just that some of your questions might be difficult to answer."
"I don't really care how hard it is for you to answer my questions; you'd better do it quickly. Now, what's the cargo?" Kasidy asked brusquely.
"Mixed, mostly medical, some replacement parts." His gaze darted about the room, still very nervous.
"Is that all?" She knew that the answer was `no' just by watching his face.
"Well, um..." he mumbled, still looking around the room to make sure no one was watching or listening to them.
"I said, what else is in the cargo?" Kasidy's voice allowed no more nonsense.
He mumbled something she couldn't quite hear.
"What?" she asked again, her voice taking on tones of anger.
"A half-dozen photon torpedoes, all right?" he whispered.
Kasidy just shook her head. What kind of idiot was he, wanting to get her and her crew involved in something so obviously illegal? This was all she needed right now. Some bloody, private little war, and they wanted her and the Xhosa to play pack mules. How stupid did these idiots think she was? She might not be above a little smuggling, but that was just such an illegal cargo. "Where is all this stuff going?"
"You'd be rendezvousing with another ship at a prearranged point in space and transport the cargo to them," Danai said quickly, as if he didn't really want to answer.
"And just who are `they'?" she asked.
Danai looked around again, obviously worried about who might overhear their conversation. More than that: if he revealed all his knowledge, he would have no insurance. And in the game he was playing, that could be a fatal mistake.
"Look, Mister, I can walk any time I want. Plus, I have friends here who won't ask a single question if I ask them to shoot you where you sit." Kasidy knew it wasn't true, but from the way Danai paled, he obviously didn't. Taking advantage of his momentary fear, Kasidy pressed him again. "Now, talk fast. And no more lies."
He swallowed once, quickly looked around the room and came to a decision. "There's a group, they've taken to calling themselves Maquis. They're trying to organize an underground military movement in the DMZ against the Cardassians."
"So, now we finally get something that begins to sound like the truth," Kasidy said impatiently. "But why me? There's at least a dozen other ships I can think of who could carry this cargo for you, and who have more experience with avoiding both the Cardies and the Feds than I do."
"True, but they don't have your reputation for honesty. Nor do they have your reputation for passionate feelings on the subject of the treaty between the Federation and the Cardassian Empire."
All of Kasidy's alarms began to sound as he said that. "Just what do you mean by that last statement?" she asked defensively, her hand dropping back down to her phaser.
"Let's just say that you've been heard to argue on the side of the colonists." A slightly smug tone crept into Danai's voice.
"Listen, little man," she said, drawing her phaser and resting it on the table, slightly pointed in his direction, "I'm getting a little tired of your attitude and your insinuations. I don't want to hear any more of them, do you understand?" After he paled again and swallowed hard, he nodded once, very slowly. "Good. Next question: where would you want me to meet up with this other ship?"
He cautiously reached inside his jacket with only two fingers, pulling out a data padd and handing it to her. Then he sat quietly while she reviewed the information. The location was well inside the DMZ. She rapidly balanced the monetary costs and other potential risks against the opportunity to do something, however small, to help a cause she could believe in. She keyed in a figure and turned the padd so Danai could see it.
"This is what I'll expect to make the run for you," she said, quietly but firmly, expecting him to complain about the cost.
Surprise was evident on his face. "That's it? You'll do it? Just like that?" he asked, much louder than she would've liked.
She grabbed his hand to get his attention. "Keep your stupid voice down. Yes, I'll do it, but the price is non-negotiable." A part of her already regretted her decision, if this was any indication of Danai's ability to be circumspect. She would've been willing to haggle if he hadn't been so damned glad that she'd even take the job. He must have been turned down by several others.
"Talk or walk, Danai. I've got better and more important things to do." She put her phaser back in her waistband and started to slide out of the booth.
"Wait! No! The price--my people can meet the price. It'll be fine. Where can I reach you?" The desperation in his voice was evident.
"I'll either be on my ship or here. But I have other runs scheduled, so the cargo has to be on my ship in the next twelve hours." She picked up the padd and slid it into the bag resting on the bench next to her hip.
"Thank you, Captain Yates. You'll be helping a lot of deserving people. I'll be in touch soon, and we'll have the cargo delivered before your deadline, don't worry." He shook her hand and left the bar quickly, still nervously glancing around.
Kasidy made a disgusted face as she wiped Danai's sweat from her hands onto her slacks. She wasn't worried about their cargo; if they were late, they were out of luck. She hated dealing with newbies at smuggling, they never really knew what they were doing at first. Danai could've walked right into a trap set by either the Cardies or the Feds. He would take a great deal of learning if he was going to survive in this field.
She signaled the waitress to bring her another drink. When it arrived, she slowly sipped it, wondering about Danai and `his people.' She would make sure she received payment in advance from these people, at least until she knew more about them. People like them tended to get discovered and die painful deaths. But he had agreed to more than her normal fee. Now she had to let her crew know that they had an extra stop this run.
**********
"You agreed to what?" Stan stood up rapidly, glaring at Kasidy.
"You heard me," she said quietly, looking at her small crew, knowing that some of them probably wouldn't like her decision.
"Sit down, Stan. Let's hear Kas out before you start jumping on her with all four feet." Dave pulled Stan back down into his seat at the console.
"Four feet the pilot has? Curious information this is for me," Kamb'am'pati said in his typically soft voice. Kasidy felt the corners of her mouth quirk up. Trust Kami to see the humor in the most innocent of comments. She averted her head so no one would see her smile as she walked to the center of the small bridge.
"Kami, don't make this situation worse with your lame attempts at humor." Dave lightly hit their navigator's shoulder. He was trying to get things under control so Kas could tell them the rest of the info, and he didn't need Kami stirring Stan's emotions.
Raising her voice just a bit, Kasidy got their attention. "All right, guys, that's enough. I've accepted the job and I won't be changing my mind. If anyone wants no part of it, I'm prepared to settle up right here and now. You'll get your share of our profits to date and a letter of recommendation from me to any ship you apply to, no questions asked."
Kasidy waited, looking at each of them in turn. She knew she was asking a lot of them: to risk jail, or worse, if the Cardassians caught them in the wrong place at the wrong time. She tried to figure out what they were thinking. It wasn't easy; they were very different from her and from each other.
She had no concerns about Dave; he'd been shipping with her since before she'd gotten her master's license. They might spend half the night arguing, but come the light of day she knew he'd be standing at her side.
Kamb'am'pati wasn't much of a worry. But it was difficult to read his alien features. He sat calmly, his hands folded in his lap, watching Kasidy watch him. It was a bit unnerving, so she moved her glance to the remaining member of her crew.
Stan worried her. He'd only been with them a little over a standard year, and he'd always been argumentative. And he appeared to be a stickler for regulations, even though a lot of the runs she picked up weren't totally kosher. Stan would be the one who left, if anyone did.
So she waited, but no one said anything. The silence became oppressive, but conversely, Kasidy's hopes began to rise. "Okay then, it's settled. From now on, I don't want to hear any more complaints."
Kasidy walked to her command chair, picking up a data padd and handing it to Kamb'am'pati. "Kami, these are the coordinates where we'll meet the ship that's to be taking delivery. Plot the quickest, safest course. We need to avoid any patrols who might get too interested in our cargo."
"Yes, Captain." He stood and went to his duty station.
Then Kasidy turned to her pilot. "Stan, I don't need to tell you how important your skills will be to us on this part of the run. I'll be counting on you." She rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Aye, skipper."
"Dave, on the off chance that we do get boarded, try to come up with some way to hide or disguise those parts of the cargo that will be interesting to patrols, particularly Cardassian patrols."
"I'm on it, Kas." He swivelled and headed for the cargo bays.
Seeing her small crew working well together always gave her a good feeling. Seeing them work well in this kind of situation gave her hope that they'd actually succeed.
If that was to happen, there was much for Kasidy to attend to herself. Not the least of which was finding a way to cover her little side trip through the DMZ.
**********
"Okay, Stan, bring us out of warp. Dave, holler if you come across even a suspicious dust mote on the scanners. Kami, great nav job, smooth and easy, with no moves to attract anyone's attention."
They had arrived at the agreed-upon place at the agreed-upon time. Kasidy hoped the ship they were to meet arrived quickly. She didn't like sitting out here in the open like this; it left her feeling defenseless. She wasn't, of course, but the feeling was there nonetheless and she didn't like it one bit.
"Kas, long range scanners, a ship coming in fast. Wait, now she's dropping out of warp," Dave said, tension evident in his voice.
"Shields to max," she ordered calmly.
"Maximum shields are at," Kami offered.
"Weapons?" she asked of Dave.
"Phasers hot, torps ready if you want 'em," he replied, confidence ringing in his voice. Kasidy was obviously in control of things, and that was just how he liked it.
"Escape course already plotted, ready at your orders, skipper," Stan offered without being asked.
"They're squawking, Kas." Dave looked at her.
"Audio only?" Kasidy asked, a bit surprised.
"Actually, just visuals so far. The channel's open for sound, they're just not making any." Dave sounded confused now.
She waved at the screen, "Put 'em on." Kasidy's confidence was wavering a little, but she didn't allow it to show on her face or in her voice. She was willing to face anyone; she just hoped it was who she was supposed to meet.
The dark-haired man on the screen didn't smile. In fact, he didn't make any attempt at greeting. Instead he nodded to someone offscreen, and music filled their ears. Kasidy smiled; this was the signal she'd been told to expect. The music came from Earth, centuries ago, and was called "The Marseillaise." Stories claimed it had been used by another underground movement during Earth's Second World War. It had been very hard to find a copy so she could recognize it when she heard it.
She motioned for Dave to open an audio channel as well. "I'm Captain Kasidy Yates. I believe we have mutual friends in Paris?"
The man on the screen allowed his features to relax minutely. Kasidy thought to herself that he looked very handsome in the earth tones he wore, but dragged her mind back to the situation at hand. She waited for the counter-recognition signal.
"It's been years since I've been in the City of Lights, but it's possible we might have mutual friends," the man on the screen allowed.
"Well, unless you want to give me your mother's maiden name as further proof, I'm going to assume you're Chakotay, master of the Crazy Horse."
"Since my mother didn't have a traditional maiden name, that would be a good idea," he said, a small muscle twitching under the odd tattoo on his forehead. "When can you begin transporting our cargo?"
"The cargo's ready to be transported, Captain. We just need the specific coordinates for your storage holds."
"Transmitting that data now."
Kasidy turned to Dave. "Got it," he reported. "Dropping shields, beginning first transport load now."
Kasidy quietly got Kamb'am'pati's attention. Dave continued to verbally describe his actions, and she could hear a similar quiet voice echoing the arrivals on the Crazy Horse. "Kami, keep a sharp eye on the long-range scanners while Dave's busy. We don't need any surprises at this point." He nodded and moved to the scanners.
"Transporting last load now, Kas." Dave moved the transporter controls one last time.
"Load arrived. Thank you, Captain Yates. We really need these supplies," Chakotay said.
"Glad to be of service. Perhaps we'll meet again someday, under better circumstances." Kasidy took a long look at the man on the screen, wondering if she'd ever know his whole story. She remembered the flap in Fleet when he'd resigned his commission; her friends hadn't been able to stop talking about it. She doubted she'd ever find out.
"Perhaps. We should get moving. Cardassian patrols in this sector have been heavy lately, and sitting here could attract their attention." Chakotay sounded cautious, but that was probably how he stayed alive in this business. The incautious were caught very quickly and died very slowly.
"Thanks for the info, then. We'll keep our eyes open and our shields up. Steer clear of the Cardies. Xhosa out." She sent all her best wishes in her voice, hoping he would hear them, at least in his heart.
"Same to you. Crazy Horse out." The screen went blank. A moment later, the small ship accelerated, then made the jump to warp. Kasidy watched it fly for a heartbeat. It was such a small, lonely ship, and there were so many big, mean Cardassians out there.
"Okay, Stan, we've got places to go and cargo to deliver. Raise shields and let's get the hell out of here."
**********
Kasidy was in the open cargo hold, directing the station's cargo handlers. Not that she thought they'd do a bad job. She just didn't want some of her other cargo disturbed, and she didn't trust them not to snoop when they were supposed to be loading.
"Skipper, there's someone here to see you." Stan's voice echoed up the open cargo hatch.
"I'm busy. Can't you take care of whoever it is, Stan?" she asked.
"I think you'll like this one, Kas. The young man here looks like he might be interested in a job." She recognized a smile in Dave's voice as she headed down.
"Okay, Dave, I'm coming down already. You get your butt up here and make sure nothing gets broken."
Kasidy grabbed the bar and jumped out of the open hatch. She landed carefully, absorbing the energy from the drop with her knees. After a quick brush of her hands on the seat of her pants, she turned around.
She extended a hand to the young man, but had already dismissed him as a potential employee; he was just too young. Probably just trying to run away, she thought.
"Hello, I'm Kasidy Yates. What can I do for you?"
Taking her hand, he said enthusiastically, "Uh,
hello, Captain Yates. I'm Jake Sisko, and my dad's the commander of this
station. I'm honored to meet you."