Orion Mafia Mama

[Crash Calestorm 0]

The following Cale plot log takes place immediately after the events in the log Cat and Mouse and during the events of the 10.17.11 Comanche Creek Sim…

 

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“The best diplomat I know is a fully-activated phaser bank." Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott, TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon" (1967)

 

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The Kzinti was dragging her across a hard surface, one big paw clamped under her armpit. She didn’t have her weapon…reflexes kicked in and she struggled, going into a standard defensive move. The male feline snarled and roughly shoved her forward.

 

Perched on a cargo container, a lone figure observed the fight with amusement; switching the Romulan-made sniper rifle she held from stun to full ballistic mode, Litasha began to sight down on the disguised Starfleet captain. Normally, she’d knife the ‘Fleeter in the back, but she didn’t feel like getting her hands bloody today as she had just had a manicure that morning.

 

Just as the green skinned woman got a lock with the weapon, a stun pellet impacted her squarely on the side of her head and the Black Kris leader went down, rolling off the container and hitting the floor with a thud. The rifle clattered down beside her.

 

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The retort of a plasma stun rifle echoed across the cargo area, and Serval figured that something was up when his opponent didn’t drop dead. Little things like that usually tipped him off, you know? Scanning the warehouse expanse with keen feline eyes, he spotted Mareena emerging from one of the secondary access offices; she held a sniper rifle.

 

“Well, well well…I didn’t expect to see you, Mistress Mareena.”

 

Crash took advantage of the distraction and scrambled away from the Kzinti. With a snarl, he again went after the errant Starfleet office, but a barked command from the elder Orion stopped him. “Captain Serval! Stand down!”

 

Honor-Scar and JoNs had arrived on scene and taken cover behind a couple of storage crates. One had a phaser sighted down on Mareena while the other kept Serval in her crosshairs. Calestorm signaled the two Caits with a hand gesture to hold position and hold fire.

 

Flicking her gaze to the captain, the woman said, “The disguises are very good, but only you and your crew could be so bold. Welcome to the Maze, Captain Calestorm.”

 

Crash bared her teeth. “Forgive me for not returning the pleasantries…Miss Mareena is it?”

 

The Kzinti spared a glance at his downed employer, and then turned his attention back to the elder Orion woman. “You orders Mistress?”

 

She smirked at the felinoid tiger’s change of priority. “Well now, is there no accounting for loyalty Captain Serval?”

 

He puffed out a snarl of laughter. “You’re the one pointing the Big Gun. Lead, I follow.”

 

The woman’s gaze again went to Calestorm. “The Captain and her two Caitian pets will be leaving. We will allow her to leave.”

 

Like hell…“Now wait just a damn minute!”

 

“Captain, this is not your concern. I offer you an exit, and I suggest you take it. No harm, no foul.”

 

“No…no harm? Are you serious? This is damn well my concern. Do you have any idea the internal and external issues that she has caused the Starfleet with her border hopping? She was directly responsible for providing weapons to a primitive culture, just to name one incident. Litasha is and will be held accountable.”

 

“I assure you, I do agree with you on that point. Litasha will be dealt with. Just not by you.”

 

Crash’s voice was hoarse, but held sarcasm. “Slap on the wrist?”

 

“Trust me, it will not be that pleasant for her.”

 

The captain bit back her next comment…the expression on the older female’s face gave her pause. There was something there, a something you did not want to mess with. She remained silent, trusting her instincts.

 

Mareena spoke into the silence. “Litasha is my youngest. She’s the most headstrong of my children. Her sire indulged her and her whims, perhaps a bit too much.”

 

Crash raised an eyebrow. “So your brat rises to power in the Black Kris faction, and we get to deal with her?”

 

“No, Captain Calestorm. I get to deal with her.”

 

“…you do realize that she’s been carrying on a guerrilla campaign against the Federation Border Patrol for months now?”

 

“I’m aware of her activities, and those activities were not properly sanctioned by our financial backers, shall we say. The fact is you can’t stop me from taking her, and I think you know it. Oh, and I brought friends.”

 

A half dozen pin points of light danced on Cale’s chest on cue; she glanced down at the red dots and just sighed.

 

Big Mama rolled with the conversation, setting her terms as she walked over to the prone form of her daughter. “The Maze is yours to do with as you please, though I assume Starfleet finds the hunting games as deplorable as I do. The Audacious and Blood Prince will be impounded, or destroyed, I really don’t care which. You will find several of her lieutenants and senior crew already subdued in the lower level offices and on board the ships thanks to some of my operatives. I also do not care about Morohtar. I get my daughter, as well as the clearance for the Blood Price to leave the Nova sector. It is as simple as that.”

 

“…you used this covert op to come in through the back door, didn’t you?

 

“More like the trap door, my Dear Captain. Let’s just say your timing was perfect and provided my daughter with a credible distraction, and I appreciate that.”

 

This all wasn’t exactly by the book, dealing with an Orion Mafia Mother via negotiation as she apparently reasserted her full control over the Black Kris organization in the process. Then again, what about this mission had been on the level? The enemy of my enemy is my Mafia Friend?

 

With a strength that belied her age, Mareena threw her hellion daughter across a shoulder. The new (or is that reinstated?) leader of the Black Kris Cartel quickly departed without another comment, unconscious daughter and mercenary bodyguard in tow.

 

A squad of Nova AC SWAT entered through an access corridor located on the opposite side of the warehouse. The two Caits came out from their cover, watching the incoming planetary officers warily. Commander JoNs holstered her weapon and maintained a protective position nearby, waiting to intercept the squad leader while Ensign Honor-Scar went towards the captain and stood at parade rest beside her captain.

 

Crash rolled her neck and then glanced down at the shorter feline. “I could have taken that big Kzinti,” a pause, “…but remind me never to do that again.”

 

The young feline flipped an ear back and allowed a gentle smirk to show on her muzzle. “Aye Sir.”