Oceans DS9 - Part 1

Posted on 03 Jul 2015 @ 8:24pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal & Civilian Reva Madhava & Civilian Capim Jothy

1,377 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: M13-B: The Big Goodbye
Location: Deep Space Nine

[DS9 - Quark's]

"No... no Barbo that isn't good enough. For that price I could get three times the quantity from any other supplier, I will not be gouged by a monopolistic Ferengi-"

Capim was cut off by the shrivelled husk of a ferengi sitting across from him. The amounts were inflated, the quantity and quality suspect, Capim knew the price was easily a third of what Barbo offered. Time was the pressure Barbo needed to force Capim to accept the deal. Nobody else could fill the order in time, Barbo had removed the two other freight companies already by underbidding them, flooding market values for the items and destroying profit margins for competitors... in short everything you'd expect a Ferengi to do.

"It is no gouge, the prices have fluctuated ever since the turmoil in Romulus, the recent Klingon internal struggles-"

"-for which there are no market relations, The Bajoran Sector emboldens Archanis Sector, not the other way around-"

"The EFQ to Credit ratio has always favored the merchant, the cost of a penniless society I am afraid. Since the Bajoran Sector is not penniless, however-"

"Don't you dare Barbo, EFQ standard still applies, you can quote me in latinum all you like, I will not pay the conversion, I will not pay for expired perishables, and I will not pay this absurd price for substandard stock!"

Behind them, the wall panel at Quarks showed a variety of advertisements, a new one came on loudly, its display getting bright as the surrounding lights dimmed. A voice took them over, Reva had either gotten a professional voice actor or had found a diamond in the rough, it was a grand sound.

An emblem of the Ferengi Merchants Society with the Bajoran logo superimposed over it arose in grandeur in a field of stars.

***
"The Bajoran Merchants society is proud to present an exciting inauguration to the Federations bold new endeavor! A seventy year mission to the Gamma Quadrant, seeking new life, new worlds, new cultures, bringing the Federation into a new era of Pan-galactic cooperation and discovery!"

An image of the Achilles moves through the frame...

"Celebrate the Launch of the USS Achilles tomorrow at 1600, for one and all, with a spectacle to send our heroes off."

A graphic of the Bajoran system showed the course as the next part played.

"In honor of the brave, let us salute to the disembarking heroes with a race to the Wormhole! Contestants will begin in the Oort Field of Bajor, at Perikian outpost 4-Delta. From there a series of markers will outline the obstacles as they use orbits, and eddies, tricks and traps to round the Bajoran sun, and make the final stretch to the Wormhole. All said the race will take eight hours, to culminate in the wormhole itself as our heroes disembark."

-Finally the important part, Capim listened eagerly, the wording had to be precise here. The trek to the Gamma Terminus and back was the last leg, and where the most cheating would occur. Barbo actually twitched at the mention, schemes firing off in his mind of sabotage, payoffs, extortion...-

"There will be the usual on site gambling featured at Quark's! However on-board the Achilles herself, the Achilles Promenade will be open for spectators to witness the race in a holographic display over the glorious arboretum. Gamers may report to the Starlite Hoplite for wagers, and the Midnight Myrmidon awaits those eager for dance and drink. Wagers for the race will only be accepted through the Starlite Hoplite.

-A pile of latinum appeared appeared on screen over the graphic of racers weaving the course.-

"Grand prize will be One Thousand Bars of Gold Pressed Latinum, with a matching contribution made to benefit Hobus relief efforts and Cardassian re-repatriation efforts. This will be one crazy night, don't miss it.

A few famous faces, belonging to Atmospheric racers famed all over had already signed, there were four racers with actual career wins and serious talent amidst dozens of entrants likely to be left in the dust. Information in dot matrix relay standard conveyed a 50 latinum strip entrance fee, payable to Quark on Deep Space Nine. Easily half a dozen more ran to the bar, and of course for a modest five slip fee, they could reserve post while arranging a pilot.

See You There!"."


***

This got peoples attention as they talked about the spectacle to come, the chatter in the room doubled. Capim couldnt wait to repatriate Arran, all the delicious gossip and whispers he had heard would make a dozen side bets easy.

The ad ended with a musical fanfare and lighting around the alcoves returned to normal. Capim tried to look disinterested as he saw the burning lobes on Barbo's head. A Ferengi could taste profit in the air, and also deceit.

"One could make an opportunity from such a spectacle..." Barbo trailed the lead out there for Capim, one bullshitter in the act of bullshiting a bullshitter.

"Oh? you wanna make things interesting then?" Suddenly appearing interested sealed the trap for poor Barbo as he felt Capim falling into the trap he thought he was making. Barbo considered the next move carefully, but Capim needed this to go a precise certain way, he spoke over the sharp breath Barbo took to speak.

"Well Barbo, what say we make a bet for the stock. I'll pick a champion steed, and you can procure my demands as listed, at market prices, minus... twenty percent. Or I'll pay your asking price."

"Why aren't you aren't racing? Surely you want a piece of the grand prize?" Barbo couldn't believe he wasn't interested, it was suspicious...

"A thousand bars might be enough warrant my attention if it were attached to an interesting enough wager, what if we did race, private stakes for the grand prize? You win the race, I pay this price plus the thousand Grand doubling your prize, I beat you, you pay me the same, and I get the requisition at discount."

He held his breath at the moment of truth. He had forgotten to react to the prize as if it were a prize, a thousand bars was a write-off in his margins, Barbo may smell a rat...

Barbo couldn't accept the wager on a first offer. "Interesting, I counter with this... My racer wins the race and gets the prize, and you pay the full amount, plus our private wager. Your racer wins, you get Fifteen percent off, which is a small fortune already, and wager."

Capim pretended to think and popped a padd into his hand from out of nowhere. he made motions and typed a few sentences and pushed the padd to Barbo.

"Twenty percent off, if my racer beats yours. Full asking, no reduction if my racer loses, wager to beat you for the thousand grand prize." The grand prize was of course not the prize Capim was seeking. He'd make it back twice over in the savings alone, much less factoring the reduction by a fifth of the total cost.

The padd was a contract, with a very subtle clause written in Bajoran, a nuance of syntax would change the legal terms of the wager. Of course Barbo would eventually find out and try to shoot or fight his way out of paying... that was for later. Eagerly watching without showing he was doing so Capim waited for Barbo to throw the padd down in disgust. To his great joy, the Ferengi felt the superior in this circumstance and signed after a cursory read through.

"To the victor go the spoils Capim, I will see you at the Starlite Hoplite tomorrow then."

"Have my stock ready for transfer, we leave mere hours after the race ends." Capim looked away, dismissing the conversation and Barbo. Barbo chortled, the stocks in his cargo hold were barely sell-able goods, a loss was turning into a chance for great profit, something Barbo would pat himself on the back for, all of it part of the plan. Capim had already ordered the new supplies and expedited the shipment at considerable cost, Barbo would likely try and escape or flee, it was imperative Barbo be in the Starlite Hoplite for the race.


TBC

 

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