Setting a thief to catch a Chief

Posted on Tue Mar 15th, 2022 @ 11:01am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Finchley Kerr

Mission: *CD*
Location: DS9.
Timeline: Current.

Joran returned to his office after meeting Tolan. He needed a way to set the trap, but how he wondered?

It occured to him that he would need a way to bring Kira to somewhere that she wouldn't normally go, and there, there the situation could be remedied.

Taking the Security PADD he'd been handed by Kira, he made his way back into her office. He was slightly startled to see her sitting behind her desk, he hadn't heard her coming in.

"Oh, uh, Sir, sorry, I hadn't realised you'd returned" he stammered.

Kira looked up with a question in her eyes, he seemed nervous. " I just had to drop some things off then got distracted by reports " She commented as she dismissed the cautionary twist of her gut. " What can I do for you?"

"I have the report here for you from my meeting with the Prominade vendors and shop keepers on your behalf" he replied, handing over the PADD to her.

Nerys accepted the padd, flicking open the report and skimming through it to get the highlights. "It doesn't look like they were very happy with things" She admitted, mentally chastising herself for not addressing the situation sooner.

"As you can see, they're more than a little disgruntled at the new Security measures, they say it's driving business away from the Prominade. They understand that the situation with the explosion has caused things to be tightened up, but they firmly believe the Prominade is hardly a place that deserves to be, in their eye's almost locked down" Joran answered.

" Despite what they may think, they'd agree that a lockdown would be a suitable measure if one of their shops got blown up rather than just an explosion on a freighter..." Kira grumbled to herself before turning her attention back to Joran. " Is there anything else you gleaned from your meetings?

"They feel that they need to speak to you face to face Sir, speaking to a subordinate of yours doesn't cut it with them" Joran replied "If I may ask Captain, what do you want to do?"

" Of course they do" The Captain sat back in her chair, rubbing the nose ridges that promised a killer tension headache later in the day. " Have a look at my schedule and organise a meeting with them at Quarks in the next few days, and work out some strategies that may appease them whilst keeping security at the foremost" A tired sigh escaped her lips.

"Absolutely Sir" Joran answered "though if I may make a suggestion, Quarks is a little open, and please forgive the pun, there could be to many listening ears if you see what I mean.

He quickly brought a schematic of the Prominade and the surrounding area on a second PADD he had with him.

"If I can find a suitable date and time for everyone, we could try and make the meeting a little later in the day, and perhaps the schoolroom area may be a little more private and discerning for everyone?"

" It would have the space" Kira agreed as she mused over the prospect of dealing with dozens of cranky shopkeepers. It had to be done though. " Organise something and I'll be there"

"Just give me a minute please Sir" Joran said, and went back to his office. A minute later he re-appeared with the scheduling PADD in his hand.

"I had asked the shopkeepers when would be most suitable for them to meet with you and they'd said anytime after the Prominade closed for business as they all shut around the same time" Joran said "now, looking at your schedule Sir, it looks like your free the day after tomorrow. Would you be willing to talk to them then?" he asked.

Something in Kira's gut twigged and she paused for an instant. It made sense to meet with the shopkeepers are they closed their business, and she couldn't put her finger of why something seed 'up'. Promising herself caution she couldn't reject the meeting that she had already put off half a dozen times.
"Sure, book it in my calendar and I'll be there" she agreed, taking a peek at her already busy calendar. Tomorrow was going to be busy.

"Certainly Sir" Joran replied, adding the meeting with the shopkeepers into the Captain's scheduling. He looked at his CO and added "Forgive me saying this Sir, for we don't know each other all that well, but if I may observe, you seem a little apprehensive regarding having to do this. If you wish, I can change the meeting venue back to Quarks like you originally suggested in the first place rather than the schoolroom I mentioned?"

Kira sighed and rubbed the ridges on her nose, leaning back in the chair and closing her eyes for a minute. " It's not apprehension, well not entirely" She admitted before opening her eyes and regarding Joran again. " I just don't know how Sisko managed to do everything and still keep sane"

"I recall Vedek Ch'Oran once saying that each of us copes according to those burdens we cherish...in other words, if we hold onto our burdens for the sake of say, spite or revenge, we don't cope, but if we unburden ourselves more, we cope better. Perhaps The Emissary found a way to unburden himself frequently?" Joran asked.

" I don't know, he spoke with the Prophets frequently, I'm sure they provided him with much guidance" Kira mused as she looked at her calendar for tomorrow again. There wasn't any wriggle room and everything on there was now at a critical stage. "We'll get there, it's gotta ease up sooner or later" She mused to herself.

"Indeed Captain" Joran replied "how do you wish the shopkeeper meeting to proceed then Sir?" he asked Kira.

"Have everyone write down their grievances and submit them prior then meet in the school at 2100 hours. If you could collate their responses and group them I'll have time to come up with some ideas as to how to appease them." Kira replied as she reclined back in her chair.

"Very good Sir, I'll see to this at once and get the collated questions back to you ASAP" Joran replied "In the meantime Captain, I'd like to also organise some extra security for the meeting. I know shopkeepers are quite possibly the last people you think could cause trouble, but believe me, they're very disgruntled to say the least, and I'd feel better knowing that if anything did kick off, we'd have people there to 'keep the peace' as it were."

"Of course, use whatever resources you need to keep things safe for everyone, although we don't want the shopkeepers to think we are standing over them. Enough to get the job done, not overkill" Kira explained, wishing she hadn't put the meeting off so many times already and had just addressed the issues.

"Aye Sir, it'll just be about three or four of us, I'll get everything set up for the meeting now" Joran replied assuredly.

[Two days later, Schoolroom just off the Prominade]

Joran waited on Kira turning up. This was going to be a delicate situation, and the timing was going to be tight. He looked over at Tolan, stood by the teachers desk, then at the two other security officers, one at either end of the room.

Joran looked at the timer he had, it was nearing the end of the work day, would Kira show up before the meeting began or not?

The reminder flashed on Kira's workstation as she tried to finish the report for Starfleet Command on the civil unrest on Bajor that seemed to be echoed on the Station. She forced her mind to focus on completing the task at hand and getting it off her already way too full plate of things to do before heading down to the schoolroom- she would be a few minutes late but hoped the shopkeepers would be too agitated.

Tolan approached Joran and said "You said she'd be here before the shopkeepers arrived Joran, where is she?

"I don't know" Joran answered, "The Captain normally arrives early for her meetings so she can centre and prepare herself, this isn't like her. Give me a moment" he finished.

He opened up his communicator and said "Joran to the Captain, Sir, you're meeting with the shopkeepers is due to begin shortly, is everything all right, do you need me to delay or reschedule the meeting?"

The sound of jogging boots on the floor could be heard as Kira finally arrived just as Joran had finished making the comm call. "Sorry, I got held up" she apologized, looking around with a confused expression.

“That’s no problem Sir” Joran replied “I thought you would be busy so just wanted to ask.”

He looked over and gestured towards the teachers desk, saying “I hope you don’t mind Sir, but I took the liberty to make some notes on a PADD for you, in preparation of some questions I feel you’ll be asked. If you’d care to look them over, I can get any further information you require.”

"Thanks" Kira extended a hand and accepted the pads, moving slowly away so she could concentrate on the notes written on the pads.

As the two moved off, Tolan fell in behind. Quietly taking his phaser out, he moved behind Kira, raised his arm and brought the butt down across the back of her head.

Kira heard the movement before she felt the impact, the knot in her gut coming to fruition that reminding her mind that it was once again right. She had no time to block and deflect the blow.

“You two” he said, calling to the other security guards in the room “remove her COMM badge, leave it here and carry out the plan. The Bulkhead is already open, take her out through there and make for the lower pylon where the old Argaliam freighter is. Once there, take her to the hold, tie her up and hide her. One of you stay and guard the hold, the other prepare the ship for departure. The flight plan has been logged already. We’ll meet you there shortly.”

He watched as the Captain was dragged away. A few minutes later, the Prominade shopkeepers arrived and Joran met them.

“I’m afraid the Captain has been called in for a meeting with Admiral Rose” Joran told them “She gives her apologies and hopes to reschedule for two days time.”

A number of the shopkeepers grumbled and left in disgust. The rest just shook their heads and headed off. Once the schoolroom was clear, Joran and Tolan left by the bulkhead to meet up with their other kidnappers.

TBC