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" Regroup "
(Previous Post was Dawn's "Making New Friends")
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Setting: YUDARA Asteroid Field, Planetoid, Trade Center, Tavern
Stardate: 63073.2050
 
The young woman and the imposing Oltharian followed Vellanor into the tavern and immediately realised that they had stepped into a new world of trouble… not because they had been surrounded and outnumbered by a dozen of scruffy looking aliens, but rather because another team had already been there. Normally Rikar would have been happy to see both Doctor Summers and Lt. Cmdr. Maya, but in this particular instance the ANUBIS' CO figured that having a Vorta and a Founder in the same room had not been such a good idea… especially considering that the Founder had in fact been a Shillian.
 
"You?" the leader of the gang that had brought the shapeshifter and Rutian here called out in astonishment. "What are you doing here?
 
"Plans have changed," the Vorta announced, sounding as unimpressed as could be. "That bounty hunter is getting too close for comfort."
 
"Grex! That stumbling mountain of fur? I wouldn't be concerned with that walking carpet," the leader said as he laughed out loud. "He couldn't find his way to scratch himself if he was neck-deep in a pool of Tarkalian mites."
 
"You truly have a repulsing way with words," the Vorta stated in disgust as she shifted her attention away from the alien to discover that two outsiders had been also present in the room with them. "You sorry excuse for a worm," Vellanor exclaimed as she began to make her way to the sitting shapeshifter and Rutian. "You are lucky that there are no Jem'Hadars here to follow my instructions or I would have your hide replace the curtains of this stink hole."
 
"Well…" the CMO gulped as she leaned in closer to the Shillian while never taking her eyes from the rapidly approaching Vorta, "at least we know that there are no Jem'Hadar present on this asteroid."
 
Maya braced herself as the distance between her and the Vorta rapidly vanished, the CSciO not at all certain as to what was about to happen.
 
"You honour us with your presence Founder," the Vorta offered as she stopped about a meter away from the sitting shapeshifter and displayed her reverence through a long, deep bow. Maya allowed a faint sigh of relief to escape from her lips although the Shillian knew that this had not meant by any means that they had been out of the proverbial woods . "I was not aware that there was another here on this forsaken asteroid."
 
"An other?" The CMO whispered in shock only loud enough for the woman sitting with her to hear… the idea that there had been an actual Founder here in the trade center had sent a chill down Doctor Summer's spine.
 
"It is best not to inform everyone of our whereabouts or of our intents," Maya explained hoping that her words would be sufficient to end the Vorta's queries before they actually began.
 
"The Founders are wise in all things," Vellanor stated as she once again bowed with the utmost respect to the being she considered to be nothing short of a god.
 
"Who are those people who have brought here?" The Shillian demanded, trying as best as she could to play her part in this little Intel gathering adventure of theirs.
 
"They are no one of importance," the Vorta quickly reassured. "They have offered their knowledge and skill as engineers in exchange for a simple component they require for their own vessel."
 
"There is nothing simple about a transphasic power regulator with a sub harmonic coupling," the red-skinned Jorelian captain stated as she took only a single step towards the sitting shapeshifter before being intercepted by two armed aliens.
 
"Indeed," Maya said and added a faint grin to display interest which she hoped would leave the Vorta to understand that these people were now under the protection of this Founder. "Sit," the Shillian instructed the pair of undercover Starfleet Officers. "Let us discuss this matter in more details… and in private," the CSciO added as she shot a quick glare in the Vorta's direction.
 
With a snap of her fingers Vellanor instructed the gathered gang to bring in two more chairs to the table and allowed the Jorelian woman and Oltharian giant to approach unchallenged.
 
"Will you be requiring anything more Founder?" the Vorta inquired with yet another deep bow of respect.
 
"No," Maya replied as she waved the woman away. "That will be all Vorta."
 
The servant of the Founders blinked a couple of times with surprise before bowing once more, "The name is Vellanor, Founder and I remain at your devoted service."
 
"That might have been a mistake," the young woman whispered as she took one of the chairs that had been brought and sat next to the shapeshifter.
 
"How's that?" The Rutian dressed woman queried, echoing the whispered tone of their CO.
 
"Vortas are a genetically engineered race of clones," the red-skinned woman explained. "There are few *models* at any given time and I am pretty certain that all Founders know them by name."
 
Even through her makeup it had been easy to see that the Shillian had suddenly felt worried as she glanced at the Vorta who in turn had shot an inquisitive look in the Founder's direction.
 
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Sabrina Jones (sabrina_sweet@hotmail.com)
Captain Sabrina Rikar
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
 

"We are Grey, we stand between the Candle and the Star, between the Darkness and the Light"
-Entilza Delenn, Babylon 5