A Toss of a Coin Part V
Posted on Sat Jun 8th, 2024 @ 8:42pm by Lieutenant Vincent 'Ghost' Zandrell & Lieutenant Loktor & Pepper
Edited on on Sun Jun 9th, 2024 @ 6:11pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
The Sins of History
Location: Side Bar Lounge - Deck 5 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD007 0100 hrs
"I didn't know what she was up to. All I knew was someone was following me and I needed to know if this person." He motioned to Pepper. "Her... would do something to compromised my mission. One split, no matter how small, could mean that Mokar is burned and no longer usable. Which, in the long run, puts me at a disadvantage because Mokar is tied to this face." He said as he waved his hand around his face. "This beautiful and uncompromised face."
"Let’s not oversell it." Vincent countered.
"Point being... I needed to find out who she was. To not only protect me, but her as well. I'm dealing with some bad people here and if she is caught by one of them, following me around, they could grab her and interrogate her. Want to find out who she is and what she knows. More importantly, why she was following me, which could either bring suspicion on me and, in turn, for them to put me in a position to deal with her to show I am who I say I am." He looked over to Pepper and smiled a bit before turning back to Vincent. "And... I don't kill. That's why I prefer my energy whip. It's a tool to stun and not kill. I trained enough with it so I wouldn't have to resort to killing. It's not just because Marauder Mo used it, although it’s part of that, it’s because it’s not a killing weapon."
Vincent nodded his head, looking to Pepper with an almost See what I mean look on his face, before turning back to Loktor. "And the mission."
"Went fine... for the most part. Had a few hiccups when some Ferengi showed up, but all and all, I got what I needed and Intel had enough to move in on a few without destroying the chain. Just shake them up a little bit, while still, keeping me in the fold." Loktor replied with a smirk. "Win.. Win really. I got further into the circle and was able to lock down some trade routes we didn't know about."
"And you did it all with an ugly and hell coat." Vincent added with a smirk.
"I did indeed." Loktor replied with a smile before they both chuckled.
By this time, Pepper was chuckling along with them. "That is quite a story. Just be grateful I wasn't actually looking for you or I would have ruined it. I just thought you looked disreputable. But I was right that you were up to no good." It was on purpose, yes, but she had correctly read the persona he was portraying. She felt a camaraderie with them, too--or was it because of Vincent--that she hadn't felt in a long while. At the same time, she knew they'd both be going their separate ways and wanted to savor the moment before she was on her own again.
"That sounds like a challenge." Loktor replied with a smile.
"Its... not a challenge." Vincent replied. "Not even a little bit."
"It sounded like a challenge." Loktor countered.
"No, it wasn't."
"Kinda."
"No."
"Not even a little..."
"Nowhere close." Vincent interrupted, smirking a bit as he gave Pepper a wink, before looking back to Loktor. "You need to check those big ears of yours."
Loktor gave Vincent a stern look before smiling back. He turned to Pepper and gave her a shrug as he said. "I would love the challenge. Just to be clear."
She flashed Vincent a smile before turning to Loktor. "I don't challenge anyone unless I know all the rules first. And maybe get some backup." Well, she didn't generally get backup, but she did want to know the rules, and what sort of challenge they were talking about. From the sound of it, it was just as likely to be something she should walk away from. But she still had to ask.
Loktor raised a brow, a grin across his face, as he leaned back in his chair. "Alright... I'll tell you what. Whenever you feel like you want the challenge, let me know. I'll setup something in a holodeck and we can see how much you can piece together what happened. Maybe it will be something made up. Maybe it will be something I have dealt with before. We'll see. How about that?"
"Why is it that I can see you setting up something that only you could figure out?" she asked. "I'm good, but I'm no miracle worker."
Loktor laughed slightly. "You can relax, Pepper. I won't put you through the whole thing, just something simple. You look at a crime scene, go through the evidence available, and determine what happened." He waved his hand slightly. "I won't leave anything out, so don't think I am going to rig it in my favor. You'll see everything and be given everything I got when I came across the scene. You just use your keen powers of observation by figuring out what happened." He smirked slightly before adding. "Unless that's too much for you?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the clarification. I'll consider it." Pepper generally walked away from any challenges to prove her capability, and she didn't want to challenge the Ferengi to anything. "It was a pleasure meeting you both. And clearing up flawed perceptions." The second was to Loktor.
Loktor shrugged slightly. He gave a big of a smile to Vincent before standing up. "Well... busy day tomorrow... so I might as well get moving. He reached into his inner pocket a pulled out a few strips of Latinum. "You two crazy kids don't do anything I wouldn't do." Loktor said as he placed the strips down on the table and then leaned closer to whisper. "And.. if you do.. don't get caught. See you around, Pepper." He added a slight chuckled before walking off.
Vincent smirked, looking down at the strips, before he looked back over to Loktor who was walking away. "That's a very generous type for a Ferengi." He shouted, looking over to Pepper with a wink, before turning back to Loktor. "You sure you want to leave that much for one drink?"
"Don't worry... I'll leave more next time." Loktor replied without turning around as he walked out the door with a laugh.
Vincent shook his head and looked over to Pepper with a smile. "I know it might be hard for you to believe, but he gets better. Just give him some time and, please understand, a lot of the stuff he says and does is all in fun. Like that challenge thing. I picked up on some apprehension from you. Which is understandable. You think he was testing your skills, which one could think that's what it was for. For Loktor, it's less about enjoying the interaction and providing a teachable moment." He chuckled slightly. "Coming from him, it could mean anything, but I think it’s more because... he doesn't always have a chance to tell people his story. To open up to them. Show them the real Loktor. He spent a lot of his career having to play roles and tell lies that..." He hesitated a bit before continuing. "He doesn't always get a chance to just be honest and show people he's not some Ferengi who weaseled his way into a uniform. He earned it like everyone else."
"I don't doubt he earned it," Pepper assured him. She looked at the door. "And, to be honest, I'm more used to being challenged than helped." That was more honesty than she normally expressed--especially to strangers. She turned her focus back to Vincent. "I guess his honesty is rubbing off. When you see him again, tell him he's better than good. I was certain he was who he pretended to be." She wasn't sure if she'd see either of them again, or if she'd be busy working. She wanted to, but they both had different responsibilities and Vincent had his family.
She looked at Vincent for another moment, trying not to let him pick up what she was feeling. "It was nice to meet you both."
"Likewise." Vincent replied, adding a bit of a smile, before saying. "Hopefully, we run into each other again sometimes. Not... work related, of course."
"I'd like that." More than she'd let him know. There was something about Vincent that appealed to her, in spite of how carefully he kept himself shielded. She'd even enjoy working with him...as long as they were both on the same side. But she'd left that former part of her life behind. She met his gaze again and smiled, then walked out of the lounge, leaving a coin behind.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Vincent 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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