The Domino Gambit

 Episode Name:  The Domino Gambit

   Written By:  Fortunae

         Cast:  Domino, Heller, Kzeviv, Randal and Solok.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Fortunae

     Aired On:  Tue Aug 05 03:22:25 2003

     Stardate:  53411.8

Time: Mon Aug 04 20:21:09 2003

Stardate: 53411.1

In the twilight woods outside the Occan city of New Florida, five winks of light appear and stretch into brilliant particle motes accompanied by a whining sound, then vanish leaving behind three Humans, one Ferengi and one Centauran. The only female amongst them sweeps the area around their covert landing with her green highlighted Romulan disruptor pistol, her eyes hidden by the night vision sensor goggles that are firmly in place over them. She extracts her tricorder, Federation civilian manufacture and after making a few entries with the thumb of the hand holding it, two mat black cargo containers are likewise delivered to the site of the transport down.

She indicates the containers and then toward the Ferengi, the Toymaker who's cunning have created or collected the tools within the containers, before giving the Centauran another look of deliberate consideration. This isn't the first time she's done this of course, the first time was....

Two days ago, aboard the Boneyard, Domino's personal warp starship, with the course laid in and the heist team now gathered in the leather furniture appointed lounge aft of the galley, Domino addresses the rest of the group saying, "Okay, now that we are safely off the station I think it's time that Randy explain to everybody about his friend coming along... don't you think so Tiger?"

Randal has his arms crossed as he sits at one end of a couch, smirking slightly but perhaps looking faintly annoyed. "The answer is simple, really. If something goes wrong, we may have to defend ourselves. His eyes slide over to Solok, and then Heller, as he comments, "As far as I can see, I'm probably the only one with combat experience here, besides Kzeviv." And his then his gaze returns to Domino. "Of course, I don't really know what your specialty is, so maybe I'm wrong."

Heller looks up from his PADD (where he'd been staring semi-vacantly), giving Randal a pragmatic smile. "Sounds good to me." His smile continues back to Domino and terminates with a slight shrug.

. o O Heller thinks "Someone to take a bullet/photon for me. Damn right that sounds good."

Kzeviv sits quietly in a leather chair. He wears a neutral, faintly cynical expression on his face. As Randal speaks, he examines Heller and Solok, then the unfamiliar woman, yet he says nothing. He listens as Heller speaks, then looks to Solok for his response.

Domino says, "I see. Well nothing against Kzeviv here, " she says, smiling sweetly, "but my experience is that soldiers don't go out of their way to avoid combat like right proper boosters do, and then there is that whole thing about him being in Starfleet not to long ago."

Heller quirks an eyebrow at that, then swivels back to give Kzeviv a closer examination.

Solok's mouth is a thin line, and he says, "And if we are going to be going into a combat situation, I'd like to borrow a weapon. Even if I have no actual combat experience. As for him, who is he?"

Randal chuckles. "Well, I had a couple of comrades who used to be Starfleet, as well. Before the DMZ treaty, at any rate." He tilts his head. "Let me put it this way: I trust him at least as much as I trust you, Domino."

Kzeviv turns slowly to Domino. "I was a soldier in Starfleet, yes. At present, however, I am as much Starfleet as any of you. I left the laws and regulations behind with the badge."

Domino says, "Which is an unsual thing for a Starfleeter to do, Masquis sympathies aside... perhaps we'd all feel better if you explained why you left them? I know I would, and oddly enough that actually matters in this circumstance."

Domino smiles after wetting her lips for just a moment, her emerald eyes boring holes of interest into the Centauran, and she leans forward just a bit, perhaps deliberately leading with her cleavage, as she awaits the tale of this unplanned for passenger on her ship.

Kzeviv replies in the same neutral tone. "Compassionate discharge. I spent a year fighting behind the lines. When I arrived back on Earth, it was deemed that I was unfit to perform my duties. Most of that was due to my disillusionment with Starfleet which I made no attempt to hide."

Domino smiles again, this time in the, "oh yes please do go on and expand on this I insist" fashion.

Heller reclines a bit, listening, and also taking advantage of his new position to skim a glance over Domino's exposed booty.

Randal, for his part, sits around making a show of looking bored. The focus is off of him for now, and that's just as well.

Kzeviv replies briefly, "Starfleet had no use for me, and I had no use for it. I wasn't done fighting, so I joined up with an APC-registered company." He pauses for a few moments. "As for knowing when to avoid combat, I'm no fool. I understand that the emphasis on this operation will be discretion."

Domino looks to the Ferengi, "I can lend you a weapon, do you have any questions for our merry fifth?"

Solok thinks on all of this a little, and says, "I've still got a question. I've heard why we might bring him along, and why he's no longer with Starfleet. I haven't heard why exactly he's coming along."

Randal glances over at Solok and grins. "So you can use him as a body shield if shooting starts. Does that answer satisfy your question?" He laughs a little bit.

Domino says, "I must admit I am left wondering, and as much as I love wonder, what exactly made you unfit for Starfleet service but still fit for fighting... was it the uniforms? I can understand that of course, they are rather severe, I mean if you are going to go with black, go the full route with the black leather I say."

Kzeviv replies, "I spent a year behind enemy lines. The final three monhts of that year were spent in a Dominion prison camp."

Heller, still smiling at the black leather comment, quirks an eyebrow and interjects. "So, what you are saying is... the Dominion prison camp broke you? Left you emotionally-scarred? Too unstable, say, for Starfleet."

Domino says, "So it seems as if I am being difficult, yes, but that explanation right there does bring me another concern, that being how you are going to be feeling about the /what/ of what we are boosting here." She shoots an annoyed look at Randal, then cocks her her head back making her raven tresses slither across her shoulders, "This particularly has me a bit concerned when paired with the information that came to me that you were seen going into the Chief of Security's office on the station /after/ we had our tete a tete. You boys are secretly working for Starfleet are you, hoping to get us into the target area so you can /destroy/ our prize and leave us all at best with nothing and perhaps at worse in someone's custody? Hmmmm?""

Solok sighs slightly, and notes as an aside to Domino, "I only fix machines, just so you know. I don't fix broken people." He shrugs slightly, and says, "Besides, we should also talk shares. If he's damaged goods, no reason he should be getting a full share."

Randal rolls his eyes a bit. "The visit to station security was entirely separate matter. I don't generally work for Starfleet. For one thing, there's the whole ex-Maquis thing. Starfleet's not happy with people like me. And for another, the pay sucks. So, what motivation would I have for commiserating with Starfleet?" His tone is one of restrained annoyance.

. o O Randal thinks "Not that blame her for being paranoid, but really..."

Kzeviv looks over to Heller. "That would be the simplest conclusion. Ideals are a very flexible thing, as is personality. When I had physically recovered, Starfleet found that I was a very different person. As for my ability to perform, if you have any doubts, my file is on the APC registry.

Domino says, "I don't have any doubts perse, after all, Starfleet training is rather complete, isn't it? And someone who was once part of the vaunted rapid response teams, well, they get even /more/ training don't they? I guess it's that whole RRT RahRah Commando goes Gun for Hire joins slightly gray area job as a late entry that may threaten Starfleet interests recommended by the Pirate that reformed during the Dominion War who was seen speaking with the Starfleet Chief of Security after the job was set up thing that is making me, oh, I don't know, /unreasonably/ concerned about a Starfleet Intelligence backed double cross. But back to an earlier question of Randy's, my end? I'm a professional operator in a 24th century universe that frowns on such things and unlike Tiger here, I don't have a record, but as he can attest, I do have the skills. I guess we'll leave it at that, after all, we aren't doing anything illegal really and there is a fat payday, from Randy's share which will come our new friend's cut unless after the job we all agree he's earned a full cut of his own, and enough credits and other perks that spoiling this would not only be criminally stupid, it would also likely put us all on a Nausicaan Bounty List."

Heller, the aforementioned 'Tiger', eyes Kzeviv suspiciously, then his expression breaks into a friendly grin. "Just checking." He happily turns his attention back to Domino, winking. "Yes, something like that, darling D."

. o O Heller thinks "Everyone but _me_, of course."

Randal glowers a bit at the notion of a pay cut, apparantly, but the only thing he remarks on is, "Consider this, Domino: if Starfleet Intelligence did by some fantastic twist of fate catch interest on our little field trip here, do you really think they'd be so sloppy as to send someone along whose back story includes any apparant ties to Starfleet? And as for me... my picture's probably on Security's Suspect of the Month wall." He glances over to Solok. "He can attest to the fact that I was under investigation, specifically. Would I have had anything to hide if it was anything else?" That last question seems to be directed specifically to the Ferengi.

Domino smiles prettily at this, waiting for Solok to answer first, but clearly she has something to say back to Randal, oh yes.

Kzeviv slowly pans his view across the room, saying nothing.

Solok shrugs slightly, thumbing over towards Randal, "I can say that I'm pretty confident that in the event Randal here is trying to do one over on me, he'd be pretty hard pressed to do so effectively without getting in some trouble of his own."

Randal glances back to Domino, more or less satisfied with Solok's response.

Heller interjects, like he has a say. "Hey, this is a risky business. You take what you get, and you deal with it. If these guys are alright with you, D., they're alright with me."

Domino nods politely at Solok's statement before saying, "Of course you might think that if you forget that Randal has already left his Masquis friends once before, and he got himself a slice of the big old full amnesty presidential pie which is why he gets to walk around free... but to your point Randy, do you actually /read/ the news? Would S.I. be that clumsy? Well, according to the recent news yes. Team caught on Nausicaan, team caught on /Occa/ of all places and those cowboys wound up shot in the forehead from what I hear, and it wasn't like your friend's records were all public database available, or that it wouldn't be like S.I. to use the so obvious it can be the case ruse, after all they reserve the really /good/ tricks for the Foreign powers, not the independent operators. But hey, if you say he's clean and you say you're clean then we'll just play it like everything is cozy... and if it's not, well, I guess we'll see how the dice roll when we get to that craps table. Who's for dinner?"

Something Domino says makes Randal look pensive for a moment, but this clears up at around the word 'dinner.' "So, what are we having?"

. o O Randal is suspicious about something. But that something doesn't seem to be Domino, specifically.

Domino says, "I was told when I was young that capers always go better when founded on Pasta, so past it is...."

In the present... on the surface of Occa, Dominio tears her eyes away from the Centauran and then says, "the first case has weapons for you all, Romulan surplus disruptors are all I had on hand, sorry if that's not to your taste."

Kzeviv looks around, examining the area around the party.

Heller opens the case, takes a disruptor, and passes the case on.

"I prefer phasers, actually," Randal says quietly as he goes toward the indicated case. "Is it true what they say about these things not having stun settings?" That sounded a bit wry, so it may or may not have been a serious question.

Solok selects a phaser of his own, giving it a quick inspection as he makes sure the thing actually is functional. "Any weapon has a stun setting. Just shoot them in the leg. Repeat until they pass out."

Domino says, "Only some models, these models do have stun settings as they were confiscated models from foreign operations that were... hmmmm, liberated. The in empire models generally don't have stun but Romulans in Federation space seem to want to avoid the murder charge being added to the rest of their incarceration sentence if caught if possible."

Kzeviv looks at the weapon case and draws a disruptor. He examines it for a few moments.

Randal nods as he takes a weapon. "Not that'd forgoe the weapon even if not, but I'd just as soon not kill anyone here if that's not entirely necessary."

Heller examines the weapon too, meanwhile, curious but not exceptionally concerned, either way, by the conversation. After a bit of consideration, he adjusts the weapon setting to it's lowest apparent setting and clips it to his belt. "So." He looks at Domino. He gives her a sly grin. "What now?"

Kzeviv holsters the weapon and looks at Domino.

Solok sets his weapon to stun, being all confident and casual about the gesture. Maximum stun, no less. It's easy enough for a Ferengi to look cool about combat preparation. In preparation there aren't any people trying to shoot you. He tucks the weapon away into one of the many pockets in his clothing, and crosses his arms over his chest.

Domino says, "Okay... we're just over the rise from the cargo truck, we'll just carry the cases over there, load up, drive to the step off point if it's crowed we go to option two, if its not we go to the secret passage and recover the tanks. No problems... I'm getting alot of .. military activity, I guess when Starfleet came and boosted that Ambassador free from the Isolationists it really got Vhypist in a dither."

Heller glances obliquely at Domino. "What do you mean Starfleet boosted that Ambassador? I thought that he was 'set-free' after a long series of diplomatic..." Heller moves his hands around a bit. "...stuff."

"Sounds simple enough, except for that military activity," Randal states. He glances over at Heller, then back to Domino. He smirks. "Your girlfriend is quite the information monger, apparantly." He moves over to one of the cases, preparing to lift it up.

Domino says, "Pffft. You actually believe that? If he admits Starfleet rescues him, his position is screwed and he's booted off the planet, but if he claims he was in private talks.... what is Vhypist going to do, /deny/ it? And who else is going to come down to Occa and set him up with walkaround perks? The Romulans? The Klingons? The Nausicaans? Please, I noted a distinct lack of reported dead bodies piled up to the ceiling in increasing increments based on the order in my list. Starfleet probably rolled in, put everybody in the sleeplocker, walked the ambassador out, powered his butt and gave him a clean diaper and sent him back out to mouthpiece duty while they slinked off cloaked in their "Imminent Need" clause to protect them from their Prime Directive consciences. Anyway.. we can talk why we walk."

Domino makes this true by setting off with deliberate direction into the dark woods circling the campground beam down site.

Solok comments, "Perhaps it would be best if we changed the topic of conversation to something that wouldn't prompt Starfleet Intelligence to want to cause us further trouble if we're found out? For instance, this is horrible weather. Where's the rain?"

Kzeviv picks up a case and carries it as he follows Domino.

Heller grins at Solok, then picks up a case and follows along with Domino.

Solok doesn't make a move to help with the cases. Instead he just keeps walking along, letting someone else do the porting.

. o O Domino thinks "Oh Solok, it clearly wasn't an S.I. operation, if it had been the Ambassador would have gotten killed in a cross fire and they would have tripped over the suspects on the way out and been captured... Starfleet Intelligence school my eye, Starfleet Clown School is more like it."

Domino without looking back says as she slinks over the hill, she says, "If we're here until about 4 am local time, it should be raining according to meteorological, but I hope to be long gone before that. I'm concerned they may pick up the Boneyard, breen cloak or not, if they keep shifting thier military assets around like this.. if I'm reading the communications traffic off my decryption module correctly they even have their navy out to sea using grid penetration scanners to prevent notice... they may have seen our transport down so we need to pick up the pace." And with that, she picks up her pace, leading the way with her weapon and tricorder with equal facility.

Kzeviv keeps in step as he follows Domino silently.

"Oh, great," Randal says. "I knew things were bad on this planet from the news feeds, but I didn't think they were /that/ paranoid." He huffs a bit as he carries the large case. As the pace quickens, he falls a bit farther back in the group lineup, and at one point he almost trips over a fallen branch. He mutters under his breath, "Ugh... I /hate/ planets..."

Solok shrugs slightly as he walks along behind Randal. He's not quite so tired, given that he's not carrying any large, bulky items. "Don't hate planets. Hate /this/ planet."

Kzeviv remains silent as he walks.

Heller walks along, trying to keep up with Domino. "This planet isn't so bad. It's not Risa, but at least the women are the right size and shape."

Domino waves for them to get stop and get down as she hunkers down to a waddling walk and tips over the lip of hill... "Great. There's a Orogolian down there, think a bear with the personality of a wolverine... generally they avoid this area, they don't like people, except to eat. Something must be happening out in their normal deep woods stomping ground to be driving them toward the urban areas. Here is the drill... we have to cross this gorge, there is a foot path, but nobody talk and for the love of money, don't break wind or start getting all scared... both methane and fear scent attract them to prey." She then slips over the hill and starts into the gorge.

Kzeviv examines the creature from his position. He then directs his gaze to the rest of gorge, examining the path silently. He watches the creature with narrowed eyes for a few more moments, then falls in step behind Domino once again.

Solok sighs slightly, "You know, if you wanted me to not be frightened, you could have told me it had the personality of a puppy dog." But hey, he's trying. And maybe it won't be able to recognize Ferengi fear.

Heller eyes the orogolian tremulously, and his steps become much more careful as he says nothing and follows Domino.

Randal raises his eyebrows. He apparantly finds the description of the creature more humorous than fearful, for whatever reason, but wisely keeps his trap shut. He looks downward and to his side, regrettably. Probably toward the disruptor which he can't be wielding while carrying the crate. He begins following the others, being as quiet as he can.

GAME: Randal spends a courage point.

GAME: Heller spends a courage point.

GAME: Solok spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Kzeviv contests his Presence (Willpower) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Domino slinks, no more sashays really, and down the path she goes, carefully picking her steps aided by her night vision goggles no doubt. Down the path that winds and twists into the fern and rock covered sides of the gorge where generously proportioned everygreens grow up and out into the sky, past the rivlet stream and carefully rock to rock across it when she is forced to, then up quasi step path on the other slope and toward the level ground far above that will put them near their next objective point.

Randal continues to follow along with the others. He's looking around with wariness but manages to keep his cool. It has claws, he has a disrupter. At least, that's how Randal assures himself, at any rate.

Kzeviv follows behind Domino. He attempts to mirror her steps where possible, trying to follow in her path in order to avoid an unfortunate tumble into a river in the darkness or perhaps a bit too much clamor. If he is afraid of the beast, he doesn't show it, choosing instead to maintain his usual demeanor.

Heller gingerly walks the path, steps the stones, and takes the quasi-staircase to the next point. He also casts copious glances over his shoulder at regular intervals.

Solok takes the path reasonably slowly, taking the time to pick his way along so as not to accidentally go falling. And he sticks to a point somewhere in the middle of the group, all the while trying to convince himself that he's probably the least tasty in the group, and thus not likely to be eaten.

And soon the gorge and it's beast are left behind them, and after a less stressful walk they arrive at the camouflaged door that is no stranger to Domino and Heller, she nods to him, "After you Tiger, if you remember the access code... keep an ear open people, the military base on the former cloning site is just a few hundred meters over that hill, see the lights?"

Heller glances over at the lights, but quickly looks back to Domino, grinning winningly. He taps the side of his head and winks. "It's all in here", he says, and then he sallies up to the door. And enters the code... will it work?

Kzeviv turns his head and watches the glow of the base's lights for a few moments. As Heller passes him to approach the door, he watches the man attempt his code.

Randal peers at the crest of the indicated hill as he tries to rebalance the crate, which had been slipping slowly in his grip. "You better remember the code, Heller. My arms are getting real tired," He says, hushed and strained voice through clenched teeth. So far, the mission hasn't exactly been a field day to the fair for Randal.

. o O Randal thinks "The money will make this all worthwhile, the money will make this all worthwhile..."

Solok looks to Randal, shrugs, and heads over to lean up against the wall beside the door. "If not, we'll find a way. Or we'll figure something out."

<PROVE> Heller has the merit of Eidetic Memory at 3.

With a flourish, Heller tap-tap-taps in the code. Got it right the first time and everything. He looks back at his 'team', as the door graciously whooshes open. "A little faith, please." He grins and wiggles his eyebrows.

Domino says, "Okay, you in the hole first then Solok, don't go ahead exploring as we put all the booby traps back on our way out last time, then Tiger, then the cases, then Randal then me."

Randal carefully lowers the case to the ground near the entrance. "Are we going to be able to beam straight back to the ship after we package up our gifts?" He sounds rather disenchanted with doing too much more carrying. "Or is that too risky, you think?"

Kzeviv hrms. Without replying, he puts down his case near the entrance and examines the inside of the tunnel. Cautiously, he takes the first step inside, still examining it closely. He slowly takes a few more steps forward, leaving enough room for the others to enter.

Solok follows along, hands in his pocket. One of those hands is surreptitiously on the handle of his disruptor. He walks along quietly, just following along for the moment.

Heller grins at Randal before shifting his glance over to Domino. Let her answer that question. For now, he follows Solok, silently hoping, one can assume, that the booby-traps haven't been moved or otherwise tampered-with.

Domino says, "I have a vehicle stashed nearby to load the tanks onto, we drive further out from the city and beam them up from there, I anticipated a complication in light of all the agent activity on Occa lately so if we get far enough away from the city we should avoid their transporter scanning... It was safer to risk beaming closer as I didn't wank to hike too far, but to be honest all this heightened military activity is disconcerting but not enough to scrub the job..." Landing in the tunnel she pulls the hatch closed to hide it's existence for now... "Okay, Solok, start rigging up your auto-pull rig and putting it into the wall while we set up the fastcarts... then we'll move along and disable the booby traps again, should be no problem this ground once tread."

Randal hauls up one of the cases, lumbers it over to the door and passes it into the secret passage. "And how did I get stuck doing the grunt work, anyway? Would it have killed our budget to bring along a pair of anti-gravs?" He takes up the other crate, and carries it into the secret passage with him before setting it down and, stepping over it, claiming it as a seat.

<CONTEST> Solok contests his Material Engineering skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Solok heads back to begin unpacking cases to dig out tools and partially-constructed equipment. He starts setting them up in order, assembling pieces bit by bit, saying, "All right... I need a line of cable run to the other end. That means I need to not get killed running it there. Which means I need the traps disabled."

Kzeviv stands at the front of the line silently. He stands motionless for a few moments, gazing out across the length of the tunnel, watching it closely. He turns around and looks over in the direction of Domino and Heller.

Domino says, "Right, we can move forward and see to that now... do you need help or should we all move forward?"

Randal, having moved temporarily to allow Solok access to the cases, puts the lid back on the emptied case and sits down again. "Why don't you and 'Tiger' go ahead and take care of the traps, first of all." He smirks. "You're the ones that set them up, after all." The forest trek seems to have had an adverse effect on Randal's disposition, one might assume.

"I can handle this on my own," Solok notes, though he adds, "I wouldn't particularly mind if someone remained behind to guard against wandering... whatever you called those creatures. Otherwise, feel free to move along."

Domino leans against the wall, using the hand not bracing herself to scratch her nose with the tip of her disruptor. "If that is how you want to play it, it's fine by me, Randy."

Kzeviv glances back down the tunnel, then looks at the party. He watches Solok at work for a few moments, then watches the exchange between Heller, Randal, and Domino.

Heller looks back at Domino with a slightly-quirked grin, shrugs, and proceeds down the tunnel, scanning for energy signatures and disabling devices as he goes. He seems to have a knack for knowing where to scan, and the work goes quickly.

Domino says, "Alright then, we'll call you when it's clear..."

Domino follows after Heller, and soon the three are all alone.

As Heller and Domino make their way down the tunnel, Randal silently draws his disruptor and checks the setting. "Our friend Domino is a very well informed person, isn't she?" He says quietly after a moment.

Solok keeps working, tinker style, bolting strange piece to strange piece as he reassembles the goods, getting them ready to go. He just nods slightly, noting, "Mmmhmm."

Kzeviv looks over at Randal, as if expecting him to continue. He remains silent for the moment.

"I know I can trust you, Solok, on a professional level," Randal continues to say, "and I believe we can trust Kzeviv here. But Heller's a bit of a mystery to me, and Domino even more so." There's a pause. "Solok, there any way we can test our disruptors to make sure they are actually capable of firing, without going to the trouble of firing them? Or opening them up and taking out the useful bits to have a look?"

"Not for absolute certain," Solok says, though he then pulls out his disruptor and sets it down next to him. "Is there any particular reason why I shouldn't open it up and have a look, though?"

Randal shrugs. "I don't like the idea of being a weapon short, but if you could do it quickly, before they get back, it might be worth the effort. Just to be sure." He glances over at Kzeviv. "Also, it would probably be a good idea to... dictate some terms to Domino, before we beam back up to her ship. If she's going planning on killing us, or even stranding us, she won't risk until our usefulness is mostly used up on this rock."

Kzeviv says, ""If she is planning to kill us, how would you prevent it?""

Solok replies, "Using all available means at my disposal. Whether that would succeed or not is another question."

Kzeviv looks at Randal, expecting a response.

"Forget it. I get a better test, anyway," Randal says. "Just keep an ear out and warn me when they make their way back. As far as ensuring our safety, that's simple. We force her to beam one of us up to her ship first, when the time comes, to confirm that it's safe. Then we take the other two of us on board, then Heller and Domino, and then the tanks." He chuckles. "It reminds me of a riddle my mother once told me, about getting a sack of grain, a goose and a fox across a river, actually."

Solok nods back to Randal, saying, "We Ferengi have a similar riddle, used to teach children the value of escrow services."

Kzeviv looks down the hallway, then back at Randal. He hrms.

Kzeviv says, "If she is planning to kill us, she would do it at the right time, at the right place. She would look for an opportunity that we did not anticipate."

Randal nods. "Simple enough. One other question, Solok. How likely is a disruptor blast on low level stun going to be as far as setting off any local area scanners the Occans might have?" He lowers the setting his disruptor to minimum as he speaks.

<CONTEST> Solok contests his Systems Engineering (Security) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

Solok shakes his head to Randal, "I don't know... Occan security isn't my strong point." He pauses slightly, tilting his head, "But I hear footsteps."

Randal scowls a bit, and turns up the setting of his disruptor a few notches. He says, very quietly, "From up the passage and not outside, right?"

Heller appears at the entrance to the tunnel, in fact, soon after, emerges, and says to the group, "We're pretty much done. D is clearing up the rest, while I fetch you..." His eyes shift around the group, glossing over details, for the most part. "You guys ready?"

Randal stands up. "I'm set." He walks toward the passage. The disruptor is, incidentally, ready at his side.

Solok nods back to Heller and the others, "Ready." He tucks his disruptor back into his pocket, affixes the assembled machinery to the line, and then begins carrying the cable to string it along the tunnelway.

Kzeviv gives Heller a shallow nod. As Randal passes him, he falls in behind him.

Heller gives Kzeviv a warm grin and a ready wink. And down the tunnel they go...

And down and down they go, until the pass through the hidden secured hatch at the far end and into the ruin strewn subbasement under the much abused cloning facility where they find Domino waiting for them armed with a smile, "Glad you boys could make it," she says huskily and then leads them to the treasure.. two complete and undamaged Dominion Cloning tank systems. "With so much /man/power now we can shift them onto the cart one at a time, take them down to the entrance, send the cart back for the other one and then get them out of the exit with that cart lift you made and then it's off to the truck and out to the woods for our extraction then right toward the Nerendra sector for our UNA payday. Solok, take a look and see what we need to pad to be careful... see, a cakewalk."

Domino artfully stretches then, rolling her head on her neck as her back is arched and her sweater lifts just a fraction to show a slice of her smooth abdominal flesh, then she lowers her arms and crinkles her nose as she winks at the men who will put the man in man power apparently.

Kzeviv looks at Domino for a few moments with the same neutral expression, not reacting to the gesture. He looks over at the cloning tanks and examines them for a few moments before looking around at the rest of subbasement.

Randal watches Domino with a smirk, but the context of the previous conversation might suggest it isn't just so he can enjoy the show. He walks toward one of the tanks, making a point of passing Solok as he strides. He says something very briefly and very quietly as he passes the large Ferengi's lobes.

Randal whispers to Solok, "Eyes on her, if mine aren't."

The gesture is not lost on Mr. Heller. His eyes shift up, back to Domino's lovely face. He gives the sexy woman a grin and a wink. "As you wish", he says, as he walks over to the tanks, to do his manly duty.

<CONTEST> Solok (claiming advantage) contests his Systems Engineering skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Solok heads forward, getting down to a crouch as he looks over the machinery, studying it carefully. He says, "There are a few important, fragile systems. I don't think these things are designed to be so easily moved. Pad there, and there, and in between those two joists, and I think it'll be fine."

Domino says, "I trust your expertise Toymaker, that's why you're the Ferengi on the spot, if they break, we don't get paid or at least not as much, and I'm all about my fair piece of the cut on the UNA teat."

As Solok looks over the tank, Randal looks on at Domino. "It's a shame we couldn't have just beamed them right up to the ship. I suppose we still could. Although, we'd be stirring up a hornets' nest if the Occans noticed somebody beaming a not insubstantial mass out from under one of their military bases. I take it they don't even have a clue that this stuff is sitting down here?"

Kzeviv glances around carefully, examining the entrances to the subbasement, then turning his head toward Domino to hear her reply.

Domino says, "Starfleet said they blew up the facility, and they did, but the floor collapsed in the main cloning basement and broke several of the tanks down here in subbasement storage, but missed these two. They don't even know this part is down here because the Dominion built it and allowed them only limited access, we found the back way in on a tip and some luck and some skill. But if we tried beaming them out, if the rock and ruble and etc was not interference enough, the Occa military would be soon enough I'd be willing to bet and they'd likely call Starfleet and they'd send out the Doubting Thomas Paine in the Rear to do a quick board and sweep and say bad bad bad, Dominion tech is for us only and make off with the tanks without even a credit."

Solok echoes Domino's earlier comment, "Fair piece of the cut of the UNA teat?" He shakes his head slightly, "You have some strange expressions. But assuming I can get a little help with the lifting, we're pretty much ready to go, I think."

Kzeviv looks around the room, then approaches the first tank.

. o O Kzeviv thinks "They certainly did a poor demolitions job to have missed this entire room."

Randal chuckles. "Considering the general Ferengi attitude toward the fairer sex, I'm suprised you don't have a similar expression." He watches Kzeviv move over to the tank for a moment, then returns his gaze to Domino. "And what if they detect us when we beam out, even with our precautions?"

Domino says, "That's why I have the cloak and didn't burn any have you burn any Deutronium slush on the way out here, we kick in the after burners and they /probably/ won't even know we were here, still, why flirt with disaster?"

"Probably." That last comment from Randal sounded a bit cynical, but he doesn't elaborate any further, and remains otherwise quiet as the tanks are moved out through the tunnel.

And so... the first tank is loaded and carted down, then the next, and then the clever Ferengi's lift jack works to spec and they have the tanks on the surface. Domino leaves the crew with the tanks taking Kzeviv along with her to get the vehicle and within minutes they are back with the black cargo vehicle that facilitates and easy transition from the ground to it's interior for the artifacts. "Room for two up front besides me, two in the back, who's going up front? I don't really care so it need not devolve into another plotting meeting, who ever is riding up front, come with me now, the two in back, close up the door after you get in." Domino says, and then she heads back toward the cab.

Kzeviv steps inside the vehicle and takes a seat up front.

Heller hazards a glance towards Randal and Solok, grinning. "Either of you guys want to sit up front?"

Randal peers at the truck with some degree of suspicion. It has wheels! "I'll keep an eye on things in back. Solok, you should be back there, too, I think. In case we get pulled over, or something." He chuckles. "Unless you can come up with a decent excuse as to what a Ferengi is doing on Occa?"

Solok nods to Randal, saying, "I'll take the back." He peers at the car, saying, "Is this thing relying on an internal combustion engine? Is this an antique? It must be priceless." His knowledge of Occa is evidently not up to par.

Heller gives the twosome a fulsome grin, shrugs, and then climbs up, into the cab.

Soon, each in their place with two humans and one Centauran up front and one human and one Ferengi in back, Domino displays her skill with a gas engine truck and has them driving along in short order, further from the city and into the undeveloped wilds where they hope there will be less chance of them being picked up...

...and that is where things begin to go wrong...

...the truck pulls off the road and follows a logging or forestry trail for a bit, Domino checking a navigational map on her dashboard as they go along, chatting amiably with the two as they are almost out of the woods figuratively if not literally. Once they reach a natural clearing she pulls the truck to a stop and, with her night vision goggles propped up on her forehead stylishly, she works on her tricorder for a few moments before saying... "That should do it." She presses a button and in the back, the two cloning tanks vanish from solidity into twinkles of light and are gone.

In the cab, Domino says, "And now we take our ride and we are out of --" She doesn't finish the sentence as her door is pulled open quite suddenly and she finds herself looking down the barrel of a Romulan disruptor rifle oddly enough borne by a Romulan wearing a camouflaged uniform with enhanced shoulder pads and a rather unforgiving expression. The door on the other side has be pulled open just as suddenly with a matching rifle pointed into the cab if not a matching Romulan holding it.

In the arc of light created by the headlights a figure just out of clear view though the silouette is quite noticeable, then the flash of reflection off the boots.. and then a female figure of a Romulan is in plain view, a disruptor pistol held almost casually in her hand. The back door goes flying up and to Randal and Solok's eyes is a clear group of Romulan troops outnumbering them by a factor of four with rifles pointing in at them and the otherwise empty space they occupy.

Up front, Domino is yanked out of the cab and quickly relieved of her sidearm... likewise Heller, the Romulan just gestures for Kzeviv to get out and slowly. In the back Randal and Solok are encouraged at riflepoint to debark though not a word is spoken, and then directed to move forward to join thier compatriats in the headlights last gleaming on the ground before the female who observes them cooly. She walks casually before them saying toward Randal, "Captain Thorne, UNA Privateer and Merchantman captain. Solok of S419. You I don't know," she says of Kzeviv though it seems to concern her not. "You either." She pronounces in regards to Domino. "And Marcus Heller, Gr'raak'ta's catburgler and UNA Delegate to the Federation."

She crouches down before Heller, her bob cut flashing in the light as it shifts to match her motion. "I believe you recognize me, don't you mister Heller. And we both know you are a long way from UNA protection her on Occa... we're going to play a little game of Q & A. I'll ask you questions, you'll explain why you are here. One scream for yes, two screams for no. Don't worry about the impetus to scream, I've got just the tool for that." She rises to her feet and says in clipped Romulan, "Take them to the camp, remove the truck." The Tal Shaava move with immediate speed to fulfill her commands while relieving the captives of any remaining weaponry other than mind or foot or fist.

"Heller," Voidrai says with a laugh, "... and I thought I wasn't going to have any fun tonight."

She throws her head back and laughs.

--Fin--