If you have never had dinner with a Bzzit Khakt, trust me and count yourself fortunate. The moist amphibian was almost un-intelligible as he wolfed down enormous wads of shaka, a blue moss like plant that didn’t smell much better than Tracklerca did. I had thought that the Federation supplied these creatures with a special deodorant, but then, we weren’t in Federation space were we.
“So, what brings out so far from home?” I asked, trying to be polite.
His huge eyes blinked and tilled his head. I just wish he had finished swallowing before he tried to answer.
“I am here for study Mr. Stone. My Rauctugus, my home city, approved a two year leave. Quite rare really.”
“Tracklerca is a Medical Doctor.” Avonia smiled.
“Among other things.” he looked at her, and I’d swear there was more than just friendship there.
“Other things?” I pushed.
Plopping another helping of Shaka in that huge mouth he nodded. “I have a nack for seeing things.” he blinked several times. “Comes in handy.”
“So.. How did you meet Ms. Ice?”
“Ava? Oh I’ve known Ava since before I left Althoes. “That was nine…nine standard years ago.”
“We don’t need to talk about that.” Ava? Said looking around the restaurant. Ava. I liked that.
Tracklerca picked up on her hesitation and changed the subject. “So this man you are looking for. I can assume he is ….dangerous?”
“Killed a woman at the colony.”
“Oh dear.” he put his fork down.
“Well, it was in self defense. The woman was trying to kill him at the time.”
“Hum. Shame they couldn’t just kill each other and problem solved.” the Bzzit Khakt were extreme pacifist. I mean your talking about a creature that loves to eat Moss. “So you want to arrest him and take him back to the colony?”
“That would be nice. But not critical. I want to know why the woman wanted to kill him in the first place. And why was he at the colony.”
Tracklerca put his fork now, thankfully, So the man..comes to the colony. He is intercepted by this woman, who tries to kill him. ….Obviously she was trying to stop him from completing his task, whatever that was.”
“And she failed, really badly.” Ava agreed.
“So why was he there? To kill someone, to disrupt something?” the lizard asked.
“Or steal something. Isn’t the Academy working on refinements to the Romulan Singularity Drive.?” I asked.
“And the cloaking device.” Ava agreed.
“Maybe it was a simple espionage mission.”
“Someone found out he was there and tried to take him out.”
Tracklerca cleaned his plate and leaned back. “We’ll we won’t know for sure until we find him and make him talk.”
“Any suggestions were we start?” I asked.
The lizard paid the check and stood up. “Lower decks, there are a couple of cargo holds that would be very good places to hide until his transport arrives.”
He looked at the phaser strapped to my leg. “I trust you know how to use that?”
“I can handle my self.”
“Hump… Just make sure you don’t shoot me!”
