Back in the Saddle

Posted on Sat Aug 16th, 2014 @ 12:29pm by Lieutenant Mira Jayna

856 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Deadly Diplomacy
Location: Shuttle

ON

Jayna fidgeted in her seat yet again. It had been a long trip and she'd already read through a week's worth of material. And now, she was so close to her final destination that she felt like a little kid again. Not that she would know what that felt like. Her childhood had been anything but normal. She and her twin sister had been raised in a Bajoran resistance cell and spend a good part of their early years hiding from or spying on Cardassians.

Her twin, Jayde, was back on Bajor. She'd taken some time off after her last assignment to help her missing fiancé's son heal after his father's disappearance. Jayna had gone with her. But now, Jayde was reassigned to DS9, a far more stable place to raise a child than a starship, and Jayna was on her way to the Calypso.

Even better -- and worse -- so were Remi LeBeau and Logan, the two people she'd briefly worked with on the Ares. She still wasn't sure how she felt about that. LeBeau was a narcissistic, self-indulgent and mean little man. Logan, on the other hand, seemed very nice. At least what little she'd seen of him was nice. Unfortunately, they came as a package deal. The bitter and the sweet. That thought made her laugh.

Two people across the aisle looked at her to see what she was laughing at. She gave them a bright smile and pulled out her PADD to go over the report on the Calypso for what seemed like the twentieth time.

Finally, the shuttle approached the starbase and she gathered her few supplies as she prepared to debark. Fortunately, she'd picked up a portable pattern buffer on one of her journeys and kept it safely in her bag. It made travel much easier when she didn't have to worry about where her gear was and if it made the shuttle transfer.

She was the first off the shuttle and through processing, which pleased her a great deal as she didn't like standing in lines. Now, what to do? Report to the Calypso or spend a few hours browsing through the promenade? She didn't have to be on the ship for another six hours, so she had the time.

A slow smile spread across her face. "Why not?" she said to herself. Who knows, she might find something.

She spent several hours going from shop to shop, looking for unusual items or quirky collectibles. Alas, most of what she found was routine. Clothing -- none of which suited her personal tastes, gifts for various and sundry occasions -- again, nothing that took her fancy, and restaurants. Lots of restaurants. She was about to give up and go to the Calypso when she found it. Back in a corner off a side corridor was a small shop that dealt in weapons. Real weapons, not the kind anyone could replicate. There was something a little too impersonal, a little too perfect, about a replicated weapon. She paused long enough to wipe the smile off her face and slipped inside.

The display of weapons was small but impressive. One wall was covered in guns of various types. The other was filled with blades. It was this that drew her attention. She loved a good blade. Knives and Dirks, especially. A Maquis blade drew her attention. She hadn't seen one of these in years. She carefully took it down and looked it over, testing the balance, weight and finish. It was in fine condition. But was it replicated? She opened a hidden compartment in the hilt and smelled it carefully. Then she ran her finger along the inside and put it to her lips.

"Don't do that!" the shopkeeper warned, but it was too late. He grabbed a hypospray from under the counter and ran to her side. "That was poison!"

She let him inject her with the hypospray, fully aware of what it was. "What will you sell it for?"

"One bar of gold-pressed latinum."

She looked at him incredulously. "You're kidding. It's not worth a quarter that much and you know it."

"But it's the genuine article. It's not a replica," he assured her.

"I'll give you two strips," she countered.

"That's ridiculous! It's worth three times that!" he argued.

"Not if I report that you sell poisoned weapons. Imagine what Starfleet will say about that?" she said quietly, her gaze cold and direct. She'd report him, and she wanted him to know it.

They stared at each other for several seconds before he looked way. "Three strips and you say nothing."

Jayna nodded. "It was a pleasure doing business with you." She rummaged in her bag and pulled out three strips of latinum and handed them to the shopkeeper.

When the transaction was complete and her package safely stored in a safe place, she gave him a bright smile. "Good day."

With a lighter step she headed for the Calypso. Now she was ready to report in.

OFF

Lieutenant JG Mira Jayna
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Calypso

 

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