Corsairs Always Pay Your Tab

[Cptn Swain 0]

The city of Erok Ain had once been a shimmering collection of tall skyscrapers and glittering buildings, a monument to the Ehtrol Republic. Then, the Dominion had come and the tall skyscrapers and glittering buildings were reduced to rubble. In their place, blocky, uninspired buildings rose uniformly. Purple-blue skies that had once been clear and free of pollution were now clouded with acid filled clouds. Erok Ain had turned from a center of art, culture, literature and music to an industrial center at the core of the Dominion’s ‘Sector 36.2.’ But as with many things, Sector 36.2 had waned in its importance to the Dominion as the resources in the area had begun to be depleted.

 

Deep below the toxic rain clouds, in the ruins of the old city, a bustling market stirred to life, and in the dark corners of small, ran-down pub, darkness festered.

 

“You’re late,” a shrill voice said as a cloaked figure sat down next to him. “You’re always late.”

 

The cloaked figure shrugged.

 

“If your information weren’t so useful I wouldn’t tolerate it.”

 

The man speaking glowered towards the cloaked figure seated to his right in the corner booth. The air was heavy and rank with the foul smells of fermented drinks, vomit, and sex. For his part, the vaguely reptilian could have cared less, because in all honesty, the other smells were less offensive than the smell of humanoids by themselves, if anything, the myriad of other scents helped camouflage it.

 

“Oh,” the slender, cloaked figure said. “Well, I’ll try and work on that, Vith.”

 

‘Vith’ frowned, well at least frowned as much as he could, given his anatomy. If he had to deal with humanoids, he would prefer that they at least pronounced his name correctly, but, he supposed, that was asking a lot from primates.

 

“I take it then,” the cloaked figure continued, “that my last tip for you was lucrative?”

 

“The freighter was exactly where you told us it would be,” Vith said. “And unprotected. Not only that, but the Jem’Hadar were nowhere to be found.”

 

“Oh good,” the figure said. “I’ll expect a rather handsome fee then.”

 

Vith’s tongue slid in and out of his mouth. “I am sure you do.”

 

“That was the deal,” the cloaked figure said, tensing just enough for Vith to notice. “I supply you and your little crew of misfits with information about shipping and where the Jem’Hadar patrols are going to be, and you provide me with a take from selling their goods on the market.”

 

“I know what the deal was,” Vith said, flicking his tongue in annoyance. “And it has been very lucrative, for all of us.”

 

“You’re using the past tense,” the cloaked figure said. “Is that just a verbal tick?”

 

“No,” Vith said. “And, honestly, I think we should continue this agreement.”

 

“Then, I expect my payment.”

 

“You would have your payment,” Vith said. “If there was any profit from the raid.”

 

“But you said...”

 

“I said there were no Jem’Hadar, and the freighter was where it was supposed to be.”

 

“Then what happened?”

 

“The Fed-era-ation,” Vith said, over pronouncing the name, “had a ship in the area that you did not tell us about.”

 

“The Federation? You mean those idiots from the otherside of the wormhole?”

 

“Yesssss,” Vith said. “They had a starship in the area, the Ekhskalihabr.”

 

The cloaked figure shook its head beneath the black cloth that obscured its face. “They’re becoming a nuisance.”

 

“You’ve had dealings with this Ekhskalihabr before?” Vith said, letting his curiosity get the better of him.

 

“Them in particular, no The Federation? Yes.” There was a tone of both annoyance and displeasure in the cloaked figure’s voice, and though it didn’t scare Vith, there was something unnerving about it. “Though I had rather hoped to avoid a direct confrontation with them as long as possible.

 

“I suppose it was inevitable that our dealings and theres would come into conflict sooner or later.”

 

“Perhaps we should send a message?”

 

A mirthless laugh escape from beneath the folds of cloth. “Oh Vith,” a now more clearly feminine voice emerged. “You are so wonderfully predictable.”

 

Vith cocked his head to the side, letting his tongue slither in and out of his mouth for several moments, as if tasting at the air. “What do you have in mind?”

 

“For the moment,” she said. “Nothing. If I understand correctly, you lost a number of ships in your little fight with them.”

 

Again Vith cocked his head. He hadn’t told her that. “Yesssss.”

 

“Then you need to regroup, and rebuild your forces. Stay under your rock or whatever your phrase your people use for hiding for now. I will let you know when I need you again.”

 

“When you need me?” Vith said more than a little annoyed.

 

“Yes,” she said. “When I need you. Do remember Vith, that it was I who sought you out and I who have helped your rise from petty thieves to feared pirates.”

 

The lizard shifted uncomfortably, but said little. “Very well. We will do as you suggest.”

 

Mollified, “Good boy. Now run along. I have another appointment.”

 

Curosity killed the lizard, but Vith had never been able to help himself. “May I ask where and with whom?”

 

To Vith’s surprise, the cloaked figure responded. “Oh, I have to go shake down those lazy miners from Alciest again. Just remember dear Vith, if you owe me money, you had best pay me or run to the farest, deepest corner of the universe, three galaxies over because I don’t take well to people stiffing a tab.”

 

Realizing exactly why she’d decided to be forthcoming for a change, Vith swallowed hard. “I always pay my debts...”

 

“Keep it that way.”