Rear Admiral Eugenio Coren stood in front of the entrance to Oz, his head leaned back gawking at the extravagance of the sign over the door. Leaning to an aide. “That put him back a few credits.”
“The bricks are 24kt gold Sir. I checked.”
“Unbelievable. Well, lets see what the man is up to.”
The Admiral and his aide pushed past the line of patrons waiting to be let in. The hour was late and the crowd was heavy. Word of the new nightclub had spread fast and every shipmate and officer of the station off duty was trying to get in. The doorman nodded as soon as he saw the Admirals pips on his collar and passed the pair thru.
The floor under their feet down the narrow hallway was paved in gold bricks and after a short walk it opened into the space of the club. The lights were as low as safety permitted, the room was shoulder to shoulder with every type of Federation member represented it seemed.
Coren felt an unparallel since of elation in the room as the crowd danced and swayed to the music being drummed out from a trio on a tiny stage. Listening you would swear there were at least a dozen musicians playing. It took a few minutes but Coren finally found Marcus Dinn standing near a window, the night sky appearing dusted with hundreds of thousands of stars.
“Mr Dinn.” Coren said, clearing his throat.
Turning around Marcus smiled, as he motioned with a hand to Cassandra behind the bar he extended hand. “Admiral. So good of you to come by.”
Before he could answer Cassandra appeared and placed his favorite drink into his hand.
“You’re not on duty are you Admiral?”
Coren took a sip and then apprised Cassandra as she returned to the crowded bar. The costume she wore covering less than a few square of inches of perfect green skin.
“No. No. I just wanted to make sure everything was in order.”
“Well, as you can see, we’re off to a surprising start.”
“Yes.Yes I see that. Mr. Dinn, I’ll be frank with you. I’m not pleased being pushed into providing this space. I like to take a bit of time … find out about the people I have to deal with here on this base.”
“I’m so sorry Admiral. I don’t mean to impose. But I think, as you look around. Everything is in order.”
Coren gazed across the room and as hard as he tried he could not find a violation of any code on the station.
Stepping closer to Marcus he took a sip of his cocktail. “I tried to pull your jacket Mr. Dinn. From Star Fleet..”
“Did you now? And what did you find?”
“You know dam well what I found Mr. Dinn. Nothing. I’ve never seen a jacket with so many seals on it. And I have one of the highest security clearances in the sector.”
“Well, Admiral. Remember, you don’t work for Star Fleet any more I believe. They are being cordial with the Phoenix Defense League. But that familiarity will only go so far.”
“Their cordial enough for my purposes Mr. Dinn. And I don’t like a mystery.”
“I’ll try not to be a problem Admiral. You may find I can be somewhat helpful at times. This bar….. Wonderful place to collect information, a bar. And I will certainly pass along whatever might be of interest to you.”
Coren set down his empty glass. “You just be sure to let me be the judge of what may be interesting and what isn’t.”
Just then the doors to the holo suite opened and a striking Andorian woman with an escort on either side strolled out. Admiral Coren nearly fainted.
“Now see here Mr. Dinn. This….this is….”
Marcus cut him off. “Is what Admiral.. Tell me the Station code that is being broken. I’ll tell you which, not one. I’ve studied them from end to end. Now if you want this to be the gold mine you should want it to be you’ll look the other way if something like that offends you. But remember this. People with their guard down, tend to talk about a great many things they wouldn’t anywhere else.”
Coren grimaced. “At least have some courtesy robes around will you?”
Marcus smiled. “That I can do. Now if you will excuse me. I have to get back to surface and prepare for a concert.”
Marcus stepped behind the bar and Cassandra spoke into his ear. “Problems?”
“Give him another round on the house and I’m sure we’ll all be fine.”
“No problem.”
As she swung her hips out past the bar again Marcus could see even the Admiral was letting his guard down…just a bit.
**
Several decks down in a back cargo bay the Captain Alsonta of the cargo carrier Diana looked up as Marcus came in all business.
“I was getting worried.” he said.
“Coren held me up for a moment.”
“There a problem?” as the captain handed over a manifest.
Looking over the list of items Marcus shook his head. “Nope. You were able to get all ten thousand of the mini probes I see. Better than I had hoped for”
“Took some doing, but yea. What I don’t know is how the hell your going to deploy ten thousand probes into a civilian population and no one notice.”
“A distraction Captain. A very elaborate distraction.”
Off:
Marcus Dinn
Owner of Ricks and Oz
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
Rear Admiral Eugenio Coren
Governors Station Commanding Officer
