Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Surprising Surprises

Posted by Lazol (Chief Science Officer) in Surprising Surprises

Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Surprising Surprises
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(snip)
The next day say Lazol wake up, a headache that would make a Nausiccan blush between his lobes as he heard the faint clatter of latinum rings from around his neck. He reached down and clasped the pendant, holding it up as he looked at it, rolling it between his fingers “It’s almost the real one.” He said as he brought it closer to his eyes. His thoughts from the night prior were accurate. The engravings were too clean, the edges of the pendant too sharp to be the real one. He took a deep breath and let go of it, letting it fall to his chest before he tucked it into his shirt. He tapped the panel and said, “Lazol to Casela. We need to talk.” If there was one person on this ship he could get to find out who snuck this in, she was going to be it. Perhaps his past was catching up and if so, he needed to be ready.

Lazol, CSO

=^=DaiMon Lazol, my office is always available to you. I have time right now.=^= Casela was not meeting with the man anywhere that was his domain. She was aware of the fact it was the day after his birthday and the fact that a shipment had arrived as well. Time to see what was going on. This time the smell of beetle snuff was softer, and the tin was on the table within easy reach for him. She had several drinks ready for him to choose from. She changed her uniform, keeping that famine appearance she had created. At the chime she walked over and opened the door. “DaiMon please come in.” She waved him and took a seat on the couch in the same place she had before. “Drink?”
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

Lazol composed himself as he prepared an intricately wrapped package for the lovely counselor. A Reman blade surrounded in a snug fitting gunmetal blue metal case with intricate Reman script spelling out the rough translation of the counselor’s name in a gently crimson , the interior of the case that held the blade was form fit to the Jackal Knife in a cascade of black velvet that tightened around the blade itself, almost as though as it had landed on a pillow. He clasped the case shut and wrapped it in a plain paper before putting the package in a standard issue expanded science kit case before heading out. He was dressed well, his uniform pressed and ironed as he wore the pendant under it, the chain visible from the corners of his neck.

Entering the counselor’s office he sat down and nodded toward the snuff and asked, “May I counselor?” He reached towards and grabbed a couple good pinches as well as a glass of a lovely bright pink liquor with suspensions of blue and teal. Holding in his sneeze he took a sip and set the science kit down before pulling out a plain package and setting it down on the desk in a location that would make Casela have to lean forward to take it, bowing to him in the process. “Thank you for seeing me Counselor. We have much to discuss.”

Lazol, CSO

Casela nodded with a smile, “Of course. It is there for you. I never developed a taste for it. But I am happy to provide it to you. I told you I take care of those I deal with.”
Casela could play that game of respect with him, but she certainly would not be bowing. Instead she nodded politely. “My knife I assume DaiMon?” She held up a PaDD. “The information you requested. Would you like to read it or for me to tell you what I found out?” Casela was very careful and discreet to make sure her weapons were easily accessed. Lazol had worked, just as she had, to hid much of himself from prying eyes. And there was no telling how he would feel about what she did find out. There was more, but it would require more time to access it. “You said we needed to talk. What can I do for you?”
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

Lazol saw her refusal to bow forward to accept her item as he replied, “Of course Counselor, I hope that under the unassuming wrappings that you enjoy it. As for my information? I would like to read it over in due time however I have, shall we say, more pressing matters.” He would let her decide what to do with the PaDD when he took another sip of his drink and set it down carefully as he reached up to straighten his collar, flashing a glimpse of the twinkling chain in the lighting of the room when he said “Please tell me what the earliest records are of me my dear counselor as depending on the next words out of your lips I may need to take some more drastic actions than I was prepared to when I came on this ship.” This was not at all a threat towards Casela, and Lazol meant it not as a warning to her but as a signal that something far deeper was behind this.

Lazol, CSO

Casela placed the PaDD on the desk directly in front of her. “I shall open it when we are sure you are satisfied with your payment then.” She caught the glimpse of the chain and smiled mysteriously. Lazol wouldn’t know what had caught her eye only that she was appraising him. “Your earliest records are your date of birth 230812.05. Born to Torrog and Farepax. You lost your parents at a very young age as well as your sister, Itapak. You were left alone with no family. The reports indicate a warp core breach destroyed the ship.” Casela would be her new knife that it was an anomaly. She’d seen the report of what happened it that was NOT normal. Not that a breach was ever normal, but being Leviathan the crew was getting a feel for it, but this was a conversation in fact, not speculation. “You are extremely wealthy. Section 31 has very little interest in you. You appear to give away large amounts of money several times a year. This did cause some concern, they were concerned you might be funding enemies of the Federation. But finding no strange funding to any of them, they have dismissed that fact as not their concern. There are extensive stories over the years though of your ability to single handedly capture, contain, and study anomalies. And that you like to sell them when you are done.”

Lazol nodded and picked up the box, handing it to Casela with a sign of slight submission, this was after all much like his dealings with teh Captain and losing a pawn in a chess game never means you lose the match. The slight humbling of him handing the box would pass in time. He smiled as the record was exactly as he had written it. No mention of his brother and it was chalked up to a warp core breach. He sat back down and thought about how that large amount of money was going to a cause that only he would find value in he was sure, but he was happy to keep that a secret.

Casela was very good at this game. As Lazol leaned forward to offer the box, she in turn leaned forward to accept, neither giving more than the other. It was of course a very calculated move that Lazol should appreciate on several levels if she had read him correctly. Most importantly, Casela was making them equals. There were other things, that had taken more digging, but not enough to offer, and she was never one to give away all her secrets. She was sure what she had was what he wanted known, just as she had given a fake with just enough truth, file to ARU.

Lazol appreciated the subtle jockeying that made them equals, and he surely did understand that exactly what he wanted came true to his knowledge.

She picked up her water and sipped it slowly. Then leaning back comfortably in her chair, one brow raised, “Did you like your birthday gift, Lazol?”
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

This though was where he visibly tensed and cleared his throat, sipping at his drink a little more frequently before easing up as he pulled out the pendant and removed it, letting it hang between his fingers and shimmer in the light of the room before pulling it into his palm and fidgeting with it a little before putting it back on. He looked at the counselor, eyes squinted as he studied her intensely before saying, “It is one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me Counselor. It’s nearly the perfect recreation of what was destroyed in that breach so many years ago.” She must have seen his father wearing the pendant in the photos from the file, and she wouldn’t know that Lazol had removed it from his father’s body to keep as a memento. One that had been lost due to the need to survive, but one that was potentially still out there.

Lazol, CSO

Casela waved it away. “What I found on your family included many photos of your father. The necklace is distinctive and elegant. It was hard to miss, and because you wore no necklace, it was easy to determine it was lost when you lost your parents.” She’d lost her necklace, and Ryder had given her a new one. It could not be seen, not even the chain. She wore it secured against the neckline of her uniform. She had a horrible habit of touching the stones when thinking deeply, a habit that at that moment she turned into a small wave of her hand before she actually touched them through her shirt. “I understand all to well the significance of such things. And though it is not the original I do hope it brings you some solace.”

“It does indeed and I do appreciate the thought.” Lazol said as he cracked an ever so slight smile and looked down at it before looking back to the good counselor.

Casela didn’t miss the slight smile. She was starting to suspect that there was more to Lazol than what he portrayed. But then again wasn’t that the truth with everyone. Couldn’t just once someone be who they claimed to be. But the world, such as it was, didn’t operate that way. And to her benefit she was very good at working within that world, even if she didn’t always like how she had to do it.

She sat forward carefully, removing the paper from the package and examined the box carefully. It appeared she was examining the craftmanship of the box itself, when in fact, paranoid as ever, she was checking for traps and tricks. Her name in script a very nice touch. Though she preferred the inscription on the box that Ryder had incased her necklace in. “If the knife is as fine as the box, I will be more than satisfied.” She lifted the lid carefully and took in the Reman Jackal Knife. She inhaled appreciatevly at the beauty and skill craft that had created it. She ran practiced fingers over it and picked it up, but briefly to test the weight and replaced it. “I am exceptionally pleased.” And something she’d learned from Karra, a Ferengi politeness to say but never expected to be accepted by the seller. A compliment of a transaction well recieved, “For such a fine piece I must assume I owe you more latinum?”
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

He watched as the counselor checked over the box, although he wasn’t sure exactly that she was checking for traps he simply thought she was appreciate it. He watched her eyes dance over the the objects and he kept his thoughts to himself as she opened the box, the blade glistening in the light as she picked it up and weighed it, “I’m glad you’re pleased, it took a few favors to get a hold of the authentic article.” He watched her place it back as he said, “My dear counselor there is no more latinum required. Consider the quality of what you have received as a guarantee of what to expect and as a down payment for the future of our productive relationship.”

Lazol, CSO

Casela smiled, “I am most pleased with that arrangement. Are you equally satisfied with what I have given you?” She took the PaDD and walked over to the couch to sit with him. The PaDD placed on the small table within easy reach. Neither having to bow in order to reach it. The PaDD would contain other small details like his grades in school, the specifics of some of his early research, and then just the name and profit of the anomalies with dates. And of course his financials that S31 had examined. “Let me ask you Lazol, and I don’t really expect an answer, but why would you come here to study anomalies? You are already very successful.”
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

Lazol reached for the PaDD and perused the information when he looked up and said, “I am exceptionally pleased counselor”. He did not seem to be bothered by the counselor’s presence and he in fact felt almost a little comfortable with her being there. He looked at her and finished his drink and sat there in the silence for a few long seconds. “Counselor let me explain to you that I have my reasons. Right now those reasons are my own, but it should ease your mind ever so mildly to learn that the profits are of a secondary consideration, otherwise yes I would have stayed on The 92 and made sure to make as much money as possible. “

Lazol, CSO

Casela was not surprised by the cryptic answer. In fact she was not expecting any answer at all from him. “The 92? There are several paths to profit. A fitting name I think. Most scientist within the Ferengi Alliance don’t make much profit and are not seen for their brilliance. And as I’ve told you, I have a desire for the finer things and for power. What if I were to tell you we stumbled on, what I hope, would be a very profitable turn of events. But it would take someone, of your obvious skill to turn a profit,” of course here she is referring to his massive wealth, and the skill it would take to acquire it. “and make the idea work. And perhaps be even more profitable than your previous scientific ventures? But I am not a scientist so the accuracy of my statements are pure intellectual assumption.”
Lt Synthi-er, CNS