[Cheyenne/Artim] "Switching Tracks"
Jeremy Reynolds
"Switching Tracks"
Cheyenne, Bounty Hunter
Lieutenant Artim Shivar, Mirian In the Crate.
* * * * *
I M/V DarkStar. En Route to Elstat's Domain...
Cheyenne stepped out of her quarter's bathroom clad in her jumpsuit after undergoing the reversion to her original self and a much needed shower. Ah, it felt good to be Orion again. She pulled on her boots, strapped on her utility belt and holster and then walked down the hallway towards the brig.
A few hours ago, she'd met up with her ship hidden in a deep space asteroid field. She promptly beamed herself and her package over to the DarkStar then turned the guns of her ship on the shuttle, firing until the shuttle was nothing more than particles now being strew about. With the final piece of the puzzle gone, Cheyenne cloaked the ship and made off for the rendezvous point that Elstat had set for her. Once underway and far from the point where she blew up the shuttlecraft, she sent a message ahead to Elstat as to when he could expect her.
After that, it was a series of injections to discard her disguise and a nice long bath to luxuriate in. Now that that was over with, she had to deal with Artim. This'll be interesting, she thought as she entered the brig where the single crate occupied one of the four holding cells. Cheyenne was sure that the Mirian was beyond pissed by this point. She knew that she would be. She walked over to the Brig's control panel and crossed her arms. "Well, I suppose that you're ready to come out now." she said simply. "Promise to be good and I'll open the crate for you to get out and stretch." she called out to the box. She checked the board to make sure that the weapon inhibitor in the brig was set to Federation Weapons, which will ensure that Artim's phaser, if the guy was indeed packing like his dossier suggested, would be nothing more than a fancy paperweight
Artim was indeed packing but this wasn't the time for that. There might be later but right now he didn't sense an opportunity. Right now his captor held all the advantages. Position, circumstances, total control of the situation. Would be difficult to surprise her at this moment and that might be the only advantage he could gain at this point. There would be a time but for now it was best to play along like a docile little captive. Not that she'd buy it but it was worth a shot.
"I'll be good, I promise." He said from in the box. "Even though it's kinda cozy in here I could do for a stretch.
Cheyenne smirked, but pulled her disruptror pistol regardless before punching in the commands for the crate to open. The top of the crate popped open slightly as the magnetic holds released. "Toss the phaser out." she ordered. "Along with the tricorder and commbadge."
That said something, this bounty hunter was competent enough to know he was likely to be carrying a weapon. He did on a routine basis for the last century. And she knew combadges contained all sorts of electronics that could be used to overload forcefields and the like. Seeing no real alternative he threw the items out of the crate as directed.
When the items were laying on the brig floor, Cheyenne dropped the protective forcefield. Without hesitation she pointed her disruptor at the Starfleet Items and fired, reducing the items to slag. If there was one constant in the universe it was that Starfleeters were nothing if not resourceful and she didn't want to give one with a few centuries worth of experience any kind of an edge. "Now allow me to be perfectly clear, Mr. Shivar." she said, raising the forcefield back up. "I'm doing this as a professional courtesy. Do anything to disrupt my ship or to disrupt my contract and it's back into your comfy crate. Get me?"
He nodded as he climbed out of the crate. For the first time he got a good look at his green skinned captor. It was hardly suprising that Elstat would send another Orion after him though looking at her she probably wasn't totally Orion. Didn't really matter in the long run anyway. Looking her square in the eyes he said,
"I have no intention of disrupting your contract dear. Now that someone has managed to catch me, and let me compliment your cleverness again, might as well go see Elstat. Though I wonder what he told you about why he wanted me, or what you might have found out on your own."
Cheyenne arched a wary eyebrow at the compliment. She'd never heard the Mirian compliment anyone and she'd heard it from him twice in one day. She mentally shrugged it off. "To quote your own Tennison: 'Their's was not to reason why.'." Cheyenne said, holstering the Disruptor. "Elstat didn't go into specifics but rumor has it across the syndicate that you turned evidence over to the Federation that resulted in his capture and arrest. That in of itself is enough to bring you back to Orion Space, you should know that."
"So I guess those who told the rumors left out the part that I only sold out Elstat because he sold me out to the Fleeters first. They probably also left out the part that the Syndicate actually sanctioned my doing so and transferred a sizable portion of his assets to me when I was released." Artim pulled himself up and plopped down on the brig bench. "They were somewhat disappointed that I gave up smuggling for acting but they understood why I'd want to go straight. I still occasionally got asked to take a low risk courirer gig here and there but for whatever reasons they let me slip into legitimate business."
Cheyenne's face tightened up at that bit of information. She hated being used like that. "Jeeves..." she said simply.
"Would you like me to verify with Elstat, Mistress?" The AI replied.
"No!" Cheyenne snapped. "I programmed you with more sense than that." She said. "Contact the spymasters. They've always been good to me." She said, never taking her eyes off of Artim.
It didn't take long for the response to come back. "The information is correct." Jeeves reported.
Cheyenne's jaw clenched even harder and the muscles there tensed. A respone that quickly meant that the spymasters were paying attention to how this all panned out as it would effect Orion Politics all over. Either way, Cheyenne was caught in quite the predicitament. On one hand, she had a contract to fufill. On the other, her contract was null and void since this technically wasn't a legal grab. So what to do was the question hanging there once again.
Then it hit her. "Jeeves, tell the spymasters that my contract is void, however, contact Elstat and let him know that we'll be ontime." she said. "Make sure the spymasters know. They're smart enough to catch on."
"You've piqued my interest." Artim crossed his arms and waited.
"Wait for it." Cheyenne told the Mirian, holding up a finger.
A moment later, Jeeves piped up. "Contract offered for the elimination of Elstat. Do you accept, Mistress?"
She smiled at Artim. "Well?" she asked. "I take it that your endgame is something along these lines?"
Artim smirked a bit. "Ensuring Elstat is no longer with the living was something that was on my to do list. Of course the Fleet types generally don't like their people killing people who even deserve it in cold blood. Of course I don't think I need to worry about that now."
"Personally, I really don't care what your Fleet thinks." Cheyenne said coldly.
"Never said I agreed with them but I kinda like my job." Despite his captor's apparent change of heart he noticed he was still in the cell. Thus, he had to ask, "So, are we on the same team now?"
Cheyenne thought it over. "Jeeves, accept the contract." she said while she punched in a few commands to lower the force field. "Alright then, let's talk shop." Cheyenne said, beckoning Artim to follow her. She led the way up to the bridge where she lounged in the pilot/command chair and motioned for Artim to take a seat wherever he wanted to. "I imagine that you have questions for me." she said, looking over at him.
Artim plopped down at what was probably the gunner's station and looked the woman over himself. "A few I suppose. What do I call you, where'd you get the AI because I like him, and where's the head on this boat?"
She pointed to a door to the starboard side of the bridge, opposite the door to her personal quarters where the Captain's Office would be on a Bird of Prey. "Right through there if you need it. As far as what you call me. You can call me Cheyenne." she said. She wasn't about to let Artim know all of her secrets so she'd keep him guessing on where she got Jeeves at.
"Great Cheyenne, I'll keep that in mind. Now, your turn. I'm sure you're curious about me and there might even be some things you don't know about me."
Artim got a strained look on his face for a second before answering "This will probably come as a bit of a shock knowing me but I quite honestly don't know why Elstat sold me out. It's a question I've been trying to figure out the answer too for almost fifty years and has perplexed me even more than how Klingons get off eating live nematodes without getting infections. That's part of why I would just rather be delivered to Elstat at this point. I need to ask him to his face. "