A Toss of a Coin Part II
Posted on Sat Mar 23rd, 2024 @ 6:07pm by Lieutenant Vincent 'Ghost' Zandrell & Lieutenant Loktor & Pepper
Edited on on Sun Apr 28th, 2024 @ 1:34am
1,355 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
The Sins of History
Location: The Sidebar Lounge - Deck 5 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD006 2200 hrs
Vincent looked immediately confused, and uncomfortable, as all of this came out of nowhere. "I'm sorry... what?" He held his hands up quickly and looked around. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You know... the weapons... for the thing?" Loktor questioned as he shrugged his shoulders. "Why else would you want to meet a Ferengi and insist on this ridiculous costume. You know my people like to wear gaudy suits to pretend like we have more latinum than we actually have. I feel... poor."
Vincent looked around quickly before immediately leaning in and whispering. "Did you hit your head or something?"
Loktor just winked back at him and whispered in return. "Wait... for it."
That conversation told Pepper everything she needed to know about both men. She was being played. She wasn't sure why the Ferengi recognized her, but he clearly had. There was only one response appropriate for that opening. She rolled a coin cross her fingers and then tossed it into Loktor's drink, landing with a perfect little splash. It wasn't latinum, but it was good enough.
Loktor was taken aback by the suddenly splash into his drink. "Aww... come on." He shouted slightly with a smirk. "You waisted a perfectly good Starduster, Pepper. Now you definitely owe me a new one." He moved the straw slightly, to ease the coin out of the thick substance, before placing it on a napkin. "Hope this thing isn't valuable." He said before tilting his head slightly, shouting passed Vincent to where Pepper was sitting at. "Well.. come on over. You might as well pull up a chair. You owe me a drink anyway."
Vincent looked behind him, finally noticing the woman at the other table, as well as the others in the lounge. He quickly looked back to Loktor and was even more confused. "Do you want to tell me what's going on or am I just supposed to guess at this point and draw my own conclusions?"
"All in good time, Vincent. Relax. Keep your Uniform on." Loktor replied with a smirk.
Pepper sighed. Did the Ferengi need to draw attention wherever he went? She picked up her drink and stood, but before going over to the table, she ordered a Shirley Temple. Then, with both drinks in hand, she went over to the table and set the other drink in front of Loktor. "Here you go. An appropriate drink for covert ops."
Then she sat down. "Your friend thinks he's funny," she said to Vincent.
"I am funny. You just haven't caught onto it yet." Loktor replied quickly, keeping to his smile, as he picked up the drink. He sniffed it suspiciously before taking a sip. "Mmm... I'll allow it." He said before gesturing to Pepper. "Vincent... meet Pepper, Private Investigator and someone who has a tendency of leaping before she looks." Loktor than gestured to Vincent and added. "Pepper meet Vincent Zandrell. Former Intelligence Officer until he killed the guy who killed his wife. Now, after some time in purgatory and a few favors from unnamed, and not just Ferengi sources, he got a second chance."
"That's pretty specific. Is she writing a book I am not aware of?" Vincent replied with a sigh.
"No... not that I am aware of anyway." Loktor replied, taking another sip of the Shirley Temple.
Vincent shook his head and extended it to Pepper. "Hi... Nice to meet you. At least I know he isn't just this annoying when it’s with me. It's with everyone."
She took his hand. She hadn't recognized Vincent or his name, but she had heard his story. Then again, it was the type of story bound to be spread by word of mouth, if nothing else. "Hi. He does know how to get attention. I wonder if he was neglected as a child? And no, I'm not writing a book. I just transferred here." Had she held on to his hand a second longer than she should have? She let go and picked up her drink. "I noticed your friend once. Does he make a habit of memorizing the name and occupation of everyone he works around?"
"Well, that's rude." Loktor replied. "I'll have you know I got the same attention as every other Ferengi child. Which, naturally, shifted depending on what you had and how much you or your family was earning at the time." He leaned back in his seat and smiled again before looking over to Pepper. "And... you're not as subtle as you think you are. I spotted you were ease-dropping the moment I saw you. You need to work on that."
Vincent sighed as he looked over to Pepper. "To answer your question: Yes, he does have a habit of doing that, but it’s something that came in handy with his job." He looked over to Loktor and smiled in an almost gracious manner. "I've come to rely on it and him for quite some time now."
Loktor lifted his drink and nodded his head before saying. "Go on... you know you want to."
Vincent smiled in returned and gestured toward Loktor. "May I present to you, Loktor. Sometimes known as Loktor Jones because he enjoys using an energy whip.
"It belongs in a museum!" Loktor shouted as he looked up from his drink and laughed.
Vincent laughed, but also held his hand out at him, asking him to keep it down. "Loktor is, as you surmised, an Intelligence Officer whose specialty was Covert Ops. He may not be as subtle here, but in the field, he is an entirely different Ferengi."
"One of the most hated amongst my kind, Thank you." Loktor added, holding up his drink. "All because my profit doesn't come in things, but in people and trusts formed."
"I promise you, as annoying as he is, you'll get to like him. Maybe even depend on him." Vincent added, looking to Pepper with a smile.
"Especially, if you need a greedy Ferengi. People seemed to think that's my only role in life. Like, because I am a Ferengi, I am typecast as a greedy one." Loktor took another sip of his drink. "It's the lobes. I swear it’s got to be the lobes."
Vincent chuckled softly. "Loktor is not your traditional Ferengi. He's given more to charity than anyone else I've even known. My own mother, who is a Betazoid socialite, hasn't given as much as he does. He may have big ears and nose, but I promise you, his heart is bigger."
"Hey." Loktor replied quickly. "Leave my nose out of this. It’s been through enough" He then chuckled, ending it in a subtle smile.
"I think Loktor Durante might be more appropriate," she said dryly. "For the rest, I'll take your word for it." She recognized a fellow telepath in Vincent, but didn't know he was from Betazed until he mentioned his mother. She had no idea where her own parents were from but often wondered if they were the couple that had been killed shortly before she was found or if her parents just abandoned her. But she'd come to accept that she would likely never know for sure. "What will you be doing on the Artemis?" she asked to change the conversation.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Vincent 'Ghost' Zandrell
Tactical Officer, USS Artemis
Executive Officer, Emergency Services Unit
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Loktor
Criminal Investigations Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Pepper
Private Investigator, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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