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"Acquisition"
Previous post – Hanali's "Trolling"
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Setting: MASQUERADE DREAMS, Promenade Deck
Stardate: 30152.1310

As Sonja and Ya'Han walked away from the annoying Ferengi, the two women suspected that this had not been the end of it.  If anything else, Bruk had certainly appeared to be the highly annoying and persistent type, bent on a new acquisition.

As they made their way through the crowd with no particular destination, just to get away from the Ferengi and into a more public area, Sonja looked sideways at Ya'Han and noted that the Chief of Security seemed far more at ease than before.  This likely due to the fact that she had opened up to the rest of the crew and revealed her most personal secret, the one about who she had been before joining Starfleet.

"I am glad that you shared your past with us," the redhead stated in a whispered voice. "You look far more at ease and lets face it, in our line of work secrets are never a good thing to have from each other.  They have a nasty habit of coming back to bite you in the rear... like that nasty Ferengi."

"So am I," Ya'Han admitted.  "Still, it will be nice to get off this ship and away from that Ferengi."

"Speaking of which," Sonja said with a sigh as she noted the return of Bruk along their new chosen travel path. Quietly speaking to her travel companion, the redhead nodded in the direction of the Ferengi, "He's back, but I don't think he spotted us yet.  Stubborn little thing ain't he?"

"How are we going to get rid of him now?" Ya'Han asked with an exasperated sigh as the two women looked around in search of a way of escape.

"Seems far too soon to have us deal with him again," Sonja admitted in a less than pleased manner. After a few seconds and evasive maneuvers the Engineer continued, "Alright, I might have a plan if he manages to intercept us," the redhead noted with a slightly evil grin.  "It is unfortunate that there are no airlocks nearby."

Ya'Han laughed as the two women made their way through the crowd, once again trying to put as much distance between them and the Ferengi merchant.

=/\= Sonja, you know that using an airlock is not an option, =/\= the voice of their CO was heard over the subdermal communication network.

=/\= He's right you know, =/\= Eve quickly added. =/\= The paper work that we would have to file is just not worth it. =/\=

"Okay, okay," Sonja half sighed. "Party poopers all of you. You guys can't take a joke, sheesh.  Then again, I guess I may not have been kidding all that much, still you guys could cut me some slack."

Out of sheer curiosity Ya'Han jumped in with a question.  "So, what is or was your plan? You know, the one that does not include an airlock."

"Not a plan really," Sonja admitted with a smile, "more like a long list of ideas.  It all depends on what our little toad friend decides to do.  Seat of our pants sort of situation."  The redhead's words left her travel companion speechless as she found herself unable to make sense of the saying, especially given that both of them had been wearing dresses.

As they rounded the next corner, the two undercover officers came face-to-face with Bruk who had apparently discovered some sort of shortcut to get him ahead of the two ladies.

"It seems to be fate that I would run into you once again," the Ferengi grinned showing the full range of his pointed teeth.  "It seems that the fortune of the Grand Nagus is smiling upon me today."

Sonja once again took a step forward placing herself in front of Ya'Han to defend her ward and squarely confront the Ferengi.  "I don't see why the Nagus would smile on anyone with such tiny little ears."

The Ferengi instantly became upset at the insult hurled his way.  "You 'Umans' understand nothing of our culture and what is valued.  As a member of the Ferengi Alliance, the women of NYLA IV on the other hand understand us and their own value much more," Bruk stated, his attention solely focused on Ya'Han as if Sonja had not even been there.  "So I am certain that you will appreciate this little token of my deepest and sincerest admiration," the Ferengi added as he handed a single flower which appeared to change color every few seconds.

Not wanting Ya'han to be drawn in by the Ferengi's tricks, the redhead intercepted the gift with a single swift move causing something to fall from within the flower.  Being who she was, Ya'Han instinctively nabbed the small glimmering item before it could reach the floor, and to her surprised found that she had caught some sort of precious stone.

"I am sure that you will recognize it," the Ferengi grinned, proud that his plan had worked despite the interference of the Human female.  "A pure Byzatium crystal, a truly rare and precious item such as yourself."

Sonja smacked the back of Ya'Han's opened palm causing the precious stone to jump from the woman's hand and with another swift gesture the redhead Engineer batted the stone back towards the Ferengi who, lacking the skill and speed shown by both women, found himself scrambling to recover the precious gem from the floor.

"She does not need your children's trinkets," Sonja spat as the Feneri who was now on all fours before them.  "Unlike your rule number 98, not every woman has a price," the Engineer said rather pleased with herself for having used one of the Rules of Acquisitions against the Ferengi."

"You have no right to quote or defile the Rules of Acquisition," Bruk huffed indignantly as he managed to retrieve the previous stone from the deck's floor.  "Every man *does* have a price, and she will be mine, like it or not."

"Well," Sonja smirked, "she is already *mine*, and if you have not yet noticed, I am a woman and neither one of us has a price, especially not for the likes of *you*."

=/\= Sounds like Sonja has that little Ferengi on the ropes, =/\= Eve giggled wishing that she had been there to see the entire scene, but more specifically the expression on the Ferengi's face.

=/\= Ya'Han, =/\= Shar'El added, =/\= I can see you both from where I am and think it would be best for you to follow along with Sonja.  She has that Ferengi on the verge of losing both of his lobes. =/\=

=/\= If Sonja has a plan and Shar'El supports it, =/\= Erik said, adding his two cents worth to the ongoing situation, =/\= go with it. That said though, Sonja, be careful.  Let's not start an interstellar incident. =/\=

As the two women made to depart, leaving the Ferengi still sputtering, Bruk tried one last effort.  "Nylaan females were never meant to be with the 'Umans'. You will be happier with someone like me who actually understands you and your culture."

"What part of my having said that she is mine did you not understand?" Sonja spat as she turned on her heels to face the Ferengi.  "We are all too well aware of how you Ferengis treat your women," the redhead said as she took hold of Ya'Han waist and pulled her in as close as physically possible.  "As I said, she is *mine*," Sonja reiterated in a whispered venomous tone, glaring at the Ferengi the entire time.  Before Bruk could counter, or Ya'Han question where this was going, Sonja took a solid hold of her shipmate's chin before licking the woman's exposed skin; from her collarbone all the way to her temple, circling the edge of her ear in the process.

Ya'Han held her breath for several seconds as she tried her best to make sense of what had just happened, forcing herself to remember the words recently spoken to her by their CO how had instructed the Chief of Security to simply 'go with it.'

"Now leave us be before I report you as the stowaway that you obviously are," the redhead added with a sneer as she looked him up and down.  "You do not have the latinum to be in our presence," Sonja continued as she took Ya'Han away, catching the grinning smirk of Shar'El in the distance.

=/\= What happened? =/\= Jayson asked, not having been there to see the event unfold.

=/\= You wouldn't believe me if I told you, =/\= Shar'El chuckled, herself not entirely certain of what she had witnessed.  =/\= Let's just say that I know a few cultures in which what happened would have seen as either a full out declaration of war or a royal betrothal. =/\=

=/\= A WHAT? =/\=

"No worries Captain," Sonja said as the two women continued to put as much distance between themselves and the stunned and gapping Ferengi, "I did not start a war, well at least I don't think that I did."

=/\= I truly hope that you did not, =/\= Erik offered sounding somewhat reluctant.

"By the way Ya'Han, what kind of makeup do you wear?  That stuff tastes *nasty*."

=/\= TASTE? TASTE! WHAT... =/\= Jayson exclaimed, now more than ever curious as to what had transpired between the two undercover Starfleet officers and the Ferengi.

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Lorraine Paquette

Lieutenant JG Sonja Paquette
Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501