Posted by Civilian Thyr Th’arialat (Resident) in Curiosity Killed the Cat (But Satisfaction Brought it Back) (Tag Thyr)

Posted by Civilian Jezem (Upstanding Citizen) in Curiosity Killed the Cat (But Satisfaction Brought it Back) (Tag Thyr)

Posted by Civilian Thyr Th’arialat (Resident) in Curiosity Killed the Cat (But Satisfaction Brought it Back) (Tag Thyr)
Posted by… suppressed (22) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
Jezem looked to Shivan, “If he arranged to for his supplies to be waiting for him wherever he went then whatever we’re looking for is in the sector, there has to be a paper trail somewhere, maybe on that handheld device but I’ll need some time to crack it.”

Jezem

“Then take the time and do it. I can hang onto the knife and protect the ridiculous cat.” Shivan said, holding the idols high above his head. Jezem would know from their pirating days Shivan didn’t lose things he was hanging onto. That knife wasn’t going anywhere unless it was from Shivan’s cold dead hands. “I’ve never heard of Robert Wooley or Tractor Beam.” Shivan was thinking. He was killed by someone he knew… “They shot him and didn’t loot the bag off him? Why not?”

~ Thyr

“They could have killed him for some other reason. Alternatively they killed him but were disrupted before they could search him, or took what they thought was the key, leaving everything else behind.” Jezem pocked the personal device somewhere somehow on his person. It was like a magic trick given his scanty clothes. He smirked, “I’m sure you’ll be a good host for your guest. I’ll take my leave then since the tools I need are back at my house. Call me if anything or anyone shows up.” Jezem left, laughing to himself because these two were about to make each other so miserable and that was incredibly funny to him.

M’rahja, just now realizing that she’s been dumped onto the stupid one whined, “Ugh, why do I have to stay here with you in your loser shop?”

Jezem

“I’m the ‘snot-blue idiot muscle’, remember?” Shivan growled at her. “If they come after you, I can protect you.” He turned the sign to ‘Come in, We’re OPEN!’ and unlocked the doors. “Can I trust you to stay put or am I going to have to handcuff you to something in the workshop?”

~ Thyr

Her ears flicked with annoyance, “You touch me and I claw your eyes out. What a weird thing to say to a girl. I may be an illegal drug smuggler but I’m still a minor and anything you do just looks bad on you.”

“I’m not suggesting anything weird, just keeping you from doing something stupid. You get killed, Jezem’ll blame me.” Shivan said, glaring at her.

She turned on her paw, tail following in a dramatic swish. M’rahja stayed in the shop but she did not stay still. She touched and picked up everything and asked at least five questions about every item. Climbed up every shelf or display case and crouched to smugly stare down at him. All in all, she acted like an Earth cat.

M’rahja Ko (Jezem)

As long as she didn’t break anything or injure anyone, he didn’t care about her picking up and touching things. It was when she started climbing the shelves that he got annoyed. “Get off that! I can’t afford to replace that!” He’d shout, throwing something like a pen or shoe at her. The day went by quickly, and he closed up the shop for the night.

Shivan led her upstairs into his flat. He wiggled the doorknob, then unlocked he door and let her in. He closed the door behind them, adjusting the handle slightly as he closed the door. He took a good look around the place, checked the only other exit (all buildings were required to have two exits on different sides of the building), then returned to the main room, “Don’t touch anything you don’t have to. Help yourself to the fridge, watch whatever you want on the TV.”

M’rahja was already in the fridge and holding a trinket Shivan had left laying about. She peeked out from around the door, munching on a bit of meat she pulled from one of the boxes of leftovers, “This stuff is good! Where’d you buy it? Can’t believe he can afford food this good.”

The fridge was full of leftovers from Jezem’s, some replicated food, some Andorian drinks, and some Andorian ale. The TV, if M’rahja turned it on, would turn on to one of Jezem’s soaps. Shivan seemed unwilling to leave her alone for most of the evening, staying in the same room as her.

After making a hefty bowl of food she threw herself on the couch, bouncing slightly with the force of her landing. M’rahja made a face when the soaps came on first and quickly switched around until landing upon an incomprehensible show featuring many young adults or older teens speaking in mystifying slang and making references to events that had M’rahja snickering along with. The show was flashy and loud and entirely unbecoming to anyone with more mature sensibilities. M’rahja watched it for hours.

When it was getting late, he went to bed. “You can sleep on the sofa.” He said and he gave her a blanket and a pillow. Then he went to his room. Before he went to sleep, there was more checking of doors and windows and various places around the unit, then he seemed to settle in on what looked like new bedding.

~ Thyr

“Shouldn’t you be offering your guest the bed?” She sighed but ultimately accepted the blanket and rolled up in the swath of fabric until she became a comfortable bundle. She was asleep near instantly, settling in with a content chirp and relaxed. Quiet settled over the home for the next three hours. The door that lead to the outside trembled as a set of picks unlocked it from the outside. Slowly, the handle turned and the door pressed in. One man, Klingon, dressed in dark but casual clothes peered through the gab. Two other Klingons in similar clothes stood behind him.

“No.” Shivan replied simply. His poor man’s security mechanisms only worked when he was in bed. They were meant to protect him after all. Three hours later, Shivan was awake as soon as the door was being picked. He slept lightly, paranoid about this exact scenario. His hand quietly gripped the handle of a weapon under his pillow as the door crept open.

When nothing inside the house moved they quietly stepped inside. The three fanned out, bladed weapons in hand and gazes searching. On the couch, M’rahja breathed the even, deep breaths of sleep but she was keenly aware of the intruders. One entered the living area where she slept and upon spying her began his careful approach. As he raised his blade to plunge into her side the caitian rolled off the couch, unraveling herself from the blanket and bit the man in his thigh. The klingon roared with pain and M’rahja twisted away as he tried to cut her with his blade.

M’rahja Ko (Jezem)

Shivan was out in the main room before they made their move on M’rahja. He watched as she dodged the blade and bit her attacker. He looked around the rest of the room. He’d heard three people enter and he would not be taken by surprise. “M’rahja! There’s a knife under the couch. Use it!” He said, raising his own blade to one of the other Klingons.

~ Thyr

“‘kay! Watch your flank!” M’rahja called out while twisting away from a wild swing of a knife before dropping to her back to reach under the couch while keeping an eye upon her opponent. Once her fingers wrapped around the hilt she delivered a powerful and swift kick to her attacker’s knees. The Klingon barely stumbled but it gave her the room to maneuver away and jump back to her feet. The Klingon roared and began his attack.

Meanwhile, the other two Klingons came up on Shivan’s flanks and baring their own knives. The taller of the two, with wild and ratty hair, immediately began an aggressive assault. Coming at Shivan with rapid swings at varying heights. The smaller of the two held back, watching carefully where Shivan stepped and moved. He seemed to be waiting for his moment to dart in and strike Shivan from behind.

M’rahja taunted her attacker into attacking, and darted behind to pounce on his back. “Bleed scumbag!” She screamed as she stabbed and cut wherever she could reach while clinging to the man with the sharp claws on her hands and feet. Klingons may be revered warriors but they sucked at reaching behind themselves with all that bulk and heavy clothes.

M’rahja Ko (Jezem)

Two Klingons at once. Not good. Shiva have the one behind him a mighty kick to the chest, aiming to unbalance him. Then he watched the other one, the tall one swinging the knife. He placed his just right to block the wild and aggressive swinging, defending himself from the assault.

~ Thyr

Shivan’s foot caught the smaller Klingon off-guard and the man tumbled back, knocking into the wall. The taller one growled insults in Klingon before making a lunge for Shivan’s flank, “Andorian scum,” he taunted, “you die tonight!”

“You’re not the first to threaten me, nor the most impressive.” Shivan said, defending himself from the attack once again.

“Idiot says what?” M’rahja shouted from somewhere behind the taller Klingon.

“What?” The Klingon snarled, half turning from Shivan to address the new threat at his flank. M’rahja raised a decorative vase high up, a feral grin on her face as she brought it down on the back of the Klingon’s head. Temporarily stunning the man with blunt force trauma to the softer part of the skull.

M’rahja Ko (Jezem)

“Secure him so Jezem can question him,” Shivan ordered M’rahja, turning to face the Klingon he’d kicked. “Let’s see if you’ve got anything better than your pals!”

~ Thyr

“You’re not my boss!” M’rahja growled while using her blanket to secure the Klingon’s arms behind his back. She wacked him on the back of the head with another blunt object just for good measure. And because it was funny. Hee hee, silly Klingon knocked out by a couple household decorations. So much for being a big tough warrior. Couldn’t even do a night ambush right against a single man and teenage girl.

“I’m your damn boss so long as you’re under my protection, got it?” Shivan growled, shaking his head. Was all this even worth it? His loyalty to Jezem kept him fighting.

The second Klingon pushed off from the wall to charge at Shivan head on. He lacked the coordinated attacks of his larger counterpart but he was no less aggressive. However, he left himself open in multiple ways. Creating gaps where Shivan could get in hits and still have the time and space to dodge counter attacks.

M’rahja Ko (Jezem)

These guys were a joke! Shivan was large enough blocking was typically better than dodging but in this case he found it easy to step to the side and swing in an opening in the Klingon’s defense, hoping to wound the arm he held his weapon with, then hop back out of the way. He was almost impressed with himself, it was almost like Jezem. Jezem would most certainly call him a big stupid oaf, but… Oh, forget it. Shivan scowled at himself and refocused on the Klingon.

~ Thyr

The Klingon took multiple swipes of Shivan’s blade. Despite being smaller he moved with the grace and weight of someone much heavier. The man bled from cuts all over and his swings gradually became slower and sluggish until he’s knocked out by Shivan’s last attack. M’rahja watched him fall from the sidelines and smirked, “Guess these Klingons can’t afford proper assassins. Bet they’re some losers from a lesser Great House that brought dishonor upon the Empire” She mocked in a deep and weirdly accented voice, “So now they’re trying to make their break into criminal life but they suck at that too.”

She swiftly tied up the bleeding Klingon in another blanket and stepped back to admire her work, “I guess you weren’t too bad. Shame you didn’t have a gun, you look more like a gun guy than a knife guy.”

M’rahja Ko (Jezem)

Shivan gave her a look. “I literally own a knife shop.” He did like guns, too. But he also liked knives. He just liked weapons in general. He picked up his comm device and dialed it in for Jezem. =/\= “Jezem. Jezem, we’ve been attacked. Three Klingons are gift wrapped on my living room floor for you.” =/\=

~ Thyr

M’rhaja shrugged, “Whatever you say,” Then bee-lined for the refrigerator to make herself a late-night snack. It wasn’t like they’d be going back to sleep after this anyways. She kept an eye on their prisoners while chomping down on Shivan’s better food.

Jezem answered quickly because he anticipated something like this. =^=So they were tracking the cat with the dealer’s things. I’m on my way with a jammer and proper bindings for your friends. Don’t do anything stupid but start questioning them if you can.=^= Jezem disconnected the call.

M’rahja spoke up, “Think they were tracking that knife-key thing? I looked all over that stuff but I couldn’t find any kind of bugs or trackers. Oh, maybe it was their weapons? Don’t Klingons use a particular kind of material for their weapons? Or something, I’ve heard a lot of things but you can’t always trust everything you hear, you know?”

Jezem

“Klingons do use a specific material for their weapons but it’s more likely they’re tracking the key. They won’t get it. I still have it.” Shivan told her. “Keep an eye on the prisoners. Jezem will be here soon.” Jezem had said Shivan could start questioning them, but he wasn’t. He’d wait for Jezem.

~ Thyr

She stuck her tongue out at him, “Stop bossing me around. You’re only ‘in charge of me’ when we’re in danger. No more danger no more orders.” The Klingons stirred on the floor. And bled on the floor. Not her apartment not her problem. She hoped Thyr knew how to clean up blood because Klingon blood had a nasty smell to it once it sits long enough.

Jezem arrived several minutes later with the promised jammer and stronger bindings for the Klingons. He tossed them to M’rahja, “Rebind them. I don’t want to have to kill them.” M’rahja wrinkled her nose but otherwise did as she was told. Jezem approached Shivan, “That dealer paid for good encryption on that device.” Thus far he hadn’t been able to break past it but he’ll break it by morning. “Grab that smaller one and bring him over here, we’ll start with him.”

Jezem

Shivan grabbed the smaller one and handed him to Jezem. “We aren’t killing them? Jezem, they know where I live! I thought we were trying not to get Sh- I mean, Thyr, killed?” He shot a side eye at M’rahja. Why did that dumb cat have to be here?

~ Thyr

“We’re not criminals anymore, we can’t solve all our problems with murder and violence,” Jezem said. It would be better for the Klingons to live. Which meant Hank had his work cut out for him but Jezem knew the man would be up to the task. Before then, he wanted to see if he could get these three gents to talk. He interrogated each Klingon one by one and it went about as well as he expected. None of them willing to discuss their organization but Jezem was able to pull some things from them. Just before dawn he knocked the last one out with a hypospray concoction.

“If we don’t kill them who’s to say they won’t tell someone about us?” Shivan argued. “They don’t know my name but my pursuers are more than capable of putting two and two together.”

Jezem waved off Shivan’s concerns. These Klingons didn’t know him from the next Andorian. Still, perhaps there was something he could do to help Shivan feel better. There were any number of substances capable of erasing memories. Jezem would have to sacrifice some of his personal stock of fun powders. Substances he would have to pay far too much money and jump through a stupid amount of hoops to replace. . . No, it was worth it if anything to keep Shivan from having a panic attack. Between him and Hank these Klingons will be lucky to know what their names were much less what happened over the past 48 hours.

“So it seems their leaders are getting desperate for the key. I wonder if they’ve found the stash but are unable to access it. All we need now is the location and I’d bet money that we’ll find it once we break the encryption on the PaDD.” Jezem sent out a message to Hank, telling him the location of Shivan’s apartment and instructions on clearing out their Klingon guests. They’ll take a nice one-way trip out of the sector and no (important) laws will be broken. “We’ll use Argam’s ship. Take the cat to the spaceport and wait for me there.”

“Fine.” Shivan said grouchily.

“I have a name,” M’rahja glowered from across the room.

Jezem

“Come on, cat.” Shivan said, looking at M’rahja, intending to annoy her.

~ Thyr

The fur along M’rahja’s face, neck and shoulders stood on end as he eyes narrowed. Once outside she hissed, “You’re only acting catty because your boss told you to shut up and not worry your big dumb head over things you can’t understand.” The moment she no longer needed these two clowns she’s gone. Goodbye old geezers, maybe leave crime to the new generation. She wasn’t afraid of getting her claws a little bloody.

While Shivan and M’rahja would make their way to the spaceport, Jezem returned to his home to pick up the finally decrypted PaDD and a few odds and ends. Among them a signal jammer to stop whatever tracking signal the Klingons were using to find the key. Their little band of vigilantes (ugh, that word put a foul taste in Jezem’s mouth) will need the element of surprise if they really want to screw these not-so-organized criminal try-hards. He arrived at the port only several minutes after the other two and used his access codes to open the ship hatch.

Argam’s personal ship was essentially a luxury yacht. The layout and interiors designed for high-end comfort and a classy display of wealth. Underneath its vanity and lux was a powerful ship capable of holding its own should the need arise. Jezem took up the pilot’s seat and motioned for the other two to take up the co-pilot and tactical stations. “Let’s go, the sooner we get this over with the better.”

They sailed through the local sector, encountering nothing but open space. On long-range sensors they passed by traders and private transport vessels. Jezem remained in the captain’s seat but urged the other two to make use of the ship’s space and relax before they arrived at their destination. M’rahja didn’t need to be told twice and slunk off to see what interesting things she could find or get into.

Shivan remained on the ship’s bridge with Jezem. He couldn’t imagine going somewhere else while Jezem was on the bridge.

At warp 6 they arrived at a private space station orbiting a gas giant within three hours. Jezem brought the station up on the view screen and called the other two back into the bridge. “This is Tramok Ful, a trade hub built to take advantage of that gas giant over there. However, trade dried up after the original Klingon owners sucked the giant dry. Now what’s left is basically useless and if they take that then the whole planet will destabilize and the station will drift off into space. The new Klingon owners installed clubs and gambling halls and now the whole place is squeaking by with the money brought in by small-time criminal gangs and enterprises.”

Jezem used the scanner to create a crew map of the station. He pointed to a converted warehouse nestled in one of the lower levels, “This is the location I found in Robert’s data PaDD. This is where we’ll find the lock that goes to our key. Let’s go claim it for ourselves and crush those Klingon’s criminal ambitions.”

Jezem (and M’rahja)

Shivan patted a phaser against his side. “Let’s go get us a payout.” It was something he used to say on Pavlajia before a job. “What all’s between us and that warehouse?”

~ Thyr

Jezem smirked. He’d been waiting for Shivan to say that, though he hadn’t expected the rush of nostalgia those words sent through him. “Dirty streets lined with no good thugs and every color of cheat and scammer. Lots of drunk and disorderly klingons going from one cheap bar to the next. Nothing we can’t handle. Once we’re in the warehouse we find the safe and get out of here.”

He looked over at M’rahja, “You’re staying here on the ship.” And cut her off when she let out an indignant hiss, ready to protest, “We need someone to stay here and support us from the ship. That means staying in contact with us, keeping an eye on the scans and beam us out in an emergency.” He stared the caitian down until she grudgingly agreed. That taken care of Jezem jerked his head towards the airlock. “Alright, let’s go.”

They docked the ship at the lowest platform they could get. Their target only five levels below them. The public map and their scans revealed a simple path to their target. A mix of lifts, short walks and only two flights of stairs. Jezem clipped a comms device to a chest strap and tossed a second and third to Shivan and M’rahja. Outside the space port was as Jezem described. Dirty walkways lined with shoddy and shaddy pop-up sales stalls and gambling displays. Though the population skewed heavily towards klingon there were a decent number of humans, orions, andorians and other races common to this part of the galaxy. Jezem scowled at the filth, “This. . . this I don’t miss. Disgusting.”

Shivan grinned. “Diva.” He said, as though the word were an insult. He clipped the comm to his belt next to his phaser.

They walked past a man relieving himself on a wall. Jezem took the lead and set a quick pace to their first lift, “Ugh I’m going to need a bath the moment we leave this dump.”

Jezem (and M’rahja)

Shivan’s smirk turned to outright chuckles and he shook his head. “Let’s just focus on the job.” He said as he passed the nasty man without a second look. Not that long ago, Shivan had spent a lot of time in places like this.

~ Thyr

The lift was crowded and smelled and would randomly shake or suddenly drop a foot before breaking and continuing on at a steady pace. With the lift they were able to descend three of the five levels they needed to cross. Once back on the open ‘streets’ scammers tried to jump into their path and shove their dirty hands or faces into Jezem and Shivan’s personal space. Jezem punished anyone who got to close sharp nails and kept his gaze resolutely forward. Eventually sending the signal that he was no easy mark and best left alone.

Shivan had choice words and a fist ready for anyone who dared come too close too.

People slept on the stairs leading down to the next level. Jezem eyed the huddled forms, not trusting a single one to be actually sleeping. “You’re not going to tell that counselor about this little. . . side trip of ours, are you?” Jezem could hear the lecture now. The counselor didn’t need to know a damn thing about their lives.

Jezem

“Of course not.” Shivan replied, not letting slip the counselor already knew. He’d seen Séan before they left. Shivan had an eye on everyone around him at all times. None of these people were likely to actually be sleeping, and a part of his mind whispered to him, warning him to look out for anyone from the Syndicate, as unlikely as their presence here was.

~ Thyr

“Good. There’s no need for him to know about every little thing you do.” The counselor could end up sticking his nose into the wrong business and end up in more trouble than he bargained for. Far too cocksure and unfearful that one. Jezem kicked aside the arm of a prone humanoid, ignoring their shout of pain. Maybe they shouldn’t leave their arm out on the steps. They traversed the two flights with no trouble and their destination was only a short walk from there.

As they came closer Jezem noted a change in the shops and businesses. Gone were the gambling halls and weapon shops. Replaced by stalls selling street drugs and aphrodisiacs and brothels. Prostitutes took the place of scammers and thieves, calling to passerby’s with seductive looks and promises of a good time. A uneasy feeling began to well in Jezem, a sense that the mission was about to take an unexpected and unwelcome turn.

It did not take long for this gut feeling to be proven right. “You have got to be kidding me,” He said. Their warehouse a sleezy club venue. Not just any club either, a couple’s only venue. Jezem unleashed a torrent of vitriolic swears and curses.

Jezem

Shivan laughed so hard his ribs hurt. “Ready to go, darling?” He asked, his tone mocking. This was going to hurt Jezem so much more than Shivan and that was hilarious.

~ Thyr

Jezem whirled on Shivan, digging a sharp-nailed finger into the other’s chest, “Don’t you darling me, sweetums. Ugh, the things I do for you and you have the nerve to laugh at me? Come on. I hope your acting skills have gotten better.” Jezem stalked towards the end of the line, behind all the other kissy-faced couples. Sisters guide him through this bullcrap.

Jezem