Dinner from the Ferengi, To Thank Our Starfleet Guests, Part 4

Posted on Thu Dec 28th, 2023 @ 6:21am by Captain Ryhl th'Zeles & Commander Chalan Kendri & Lieutenant Commander Johanna Lyngstad & Crewman Ki'ana

2,148 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Campor III Ferengi Settlement
Timeline: MD: C17 1930 Hours, After Part 3

Ryhl took his seat alongside Kendri and the two Ferengi.

"Now.. I don't want you two to hold back", Nez said playfully. "If there's one thing I know about the Federation types, its that food and drink are essential to your well being. Most of you are probably farther away from home now than we are from Fereginar. And Captain, your officers have already paid back the favor. If it wasn't for your science and medical teams, we'd be in a bad way."

"I can't express how proud I am of the crew's effort", Ryhl told Nez. "I know this is just the ship's first mission. But hey.. It hasn't been easy. How have your journeys been fairing Daimon? Do you get a chance to trade with any of the powers out in this region?"

"We do a fair amount of business here, yes," Kratagg responded. He wasn't eager to hand out a client list - that would be bad for business.

Ryhl sensed the Ferengi's defensiveness, slipping his upper lip over his teeth as he fought to restrain a smirk. "We'll be working this area for a bit. We really hope to work closely with the Lurians and the Lissepians. They're both neighbors to Ferengi territory, so I assume you work closely with them. Starfleet hasn't always sent many resources up this way. It seems like that will change."

Kratagg reached his hand up and made a gesture, and two servers appeared. One of them opened a bottle of wine. "Speaking of Lurians, Captain, you must try this." He turned to the server, "Our some glasses for our friends here."

Kratagg turned back to the Captain. "Please," he said through a toothy smile. "Let me know what you think of the wine."

Kendri took a sip, it was pleasantly smooth, yet not too sweet. She nodded in approval. "It's quite lovely. Thank you," she commented.

The cerulean man reached for the glass and drew it to his lips. His eyes closed as he let the liquid swirl on his tongue. "Is this Lurian wine? Wow! A very delicate taste." His antennae slowed their movements as he relaxed.

Nez spoke up. "Captain.. Commander. There's something I've been wanting to mention. If you'll be in this area, you'll need a guide. Whaddya say I tag along? I'd like to apply to move my storefront from Campor City to the civilian deck I've read so much about on the Columbia." Nez had done his research.

"You mentioned having a business license and ties to the Corps. We can verify your information and expedite your request if things check out." Ryhl didn't exactly trust the Ferengi. If he truly did have SFMC experience, it might make him a useful asset. Ryhl still wondered if the Ferengi had other motives.

"Commander, what do you think?" Nez's violet eyes met Kendri's. "I'd love to know I have your trust as well. I know us Ferengi have a different set of ethics. I only ask to be seen as an individual."

Kendri looked at Nez with a mild sense of amusement. The Columbia had hosted a few of the Ferengi colonists - who were here at the dinner - on the Columbia for a few days. She was certain they had exchanged information by now.

"Whatever the Captain decides," Kendri said. "I have no issues with you or your people. I just can't imagine that opening a storefront on a Starfleet ship would be that profitable."

"Commander, the key word is opportunity. It is a risky road, but Rule of Acquisition 62 says a riskier road brings more profit. Opportunity plus instinct equals profit. Rule of Acquisition number 9. The storefront would be simply a base of operations. What comes with it is a trading license and the ability to do business along the ship's path of travel." Nez's eyelids flutters and he placed his hand over his heart as if it were beating quickly. An excited expression crossed his face. "Mmmm.. It can be very profitable."

Nez had done his research on the Columbia. He read numerous articles about the ship's deep space mission and it's risky crossing of the Mutara Nebula.

"Sure, why not?" Ryhl raised his glass to the Ferengi. "I have faith the checks will verify what you've said. I mean.. I wouldn't rule out your help in the future." Ryhl smiled towards Kendri. "I try to surround myself with advisors. Besides Commander Chalan, I look to officers like Lieutenant Jorel in the Diplomatic Corps and Ensign Dramin in JAG for advice with negotiations. There may be nuances to Ferengi law which may prove useful in this part of the quadrant."

"Well this should bring some excitement to the crew," Kendri commented, smiling as she looked around the table. "Tomm and Johanna are playing Tongo after this, perhaps you'll join them? Could be a fun opportunity for us all to get to know one another."

"I've never played Tongo". Excitement began to build in Ryhl's voice. After a short laugh, he added, "It would be nice to get together and talk. More of that would be for the better."

"You know.." Nez scratched his chin while he paused in thought. His eyelids pulled tight into a happy squint. "Perhaps this game can become a weekly event on the Columbia. I could look into bringing a wheel aboard.. Just for display purposes, outside of our games of course."

"Just remember that you have a commerce license, Mister Nez. Not a gaming license."

He laughed in response, orange skin crinkling around his violet irises.

A Ferengi waiter approached Johanna. "How is everything?" The small man seemed to notice her reaction to the peppers. "Were they too much for you? Our research showed us that humans enjoyed spicy foods." Their research didn't seem to account for the cultural effect of the spicy food.

"Humans are a fairly non-homogenous lot," Johanna responded. "Many humans do enjoy spicy food. I am not one of them. This cold milk has helped. Any sort of meat and some sort of potato or noodle dish or rice would be fine for the next course."

The waiter sighed. "This is true. Forgive us for our assumptions." The small man bowed, embarrassed. "How about a turkey leg with brown rice and cornbread?" The waiter knew turkey had just been cooked after his co-worker pushed the dish out to Ki'ana so surprisingly fast.

Johanna gave the waiter her warmest smile. "That would be wonderful. With some turkey gravy as well please."

Ryhl turned to the Chief of Security. "So we often speak of sports here. Do you favor any sports Commander?"

“Baseball. Yes, sir. At one point in Earth’s history, particularly the 20th and 21st centuries, it was considered the National Pastime in the United States. A rich history, with dark periods, just like everything else. Still, it’s a game of athletic skill and strategy. If you’d like, I’d be happy to take you to a game in the Holodeck.”

"That would be great. It would make for a nice outing. I'd be so excited to see some of the games of the past." Ryhl looked off to the distance for a moment in thought. "We played baseball a few times at the Academy. It was so long ago now. A human named Elliot Wainwright taught me how to throw the ball. It's all in the finger placement yes? And the shifting of the body's weight? I could never pitch fast enough, but I could at least throw across the base paths back then. What teams do you like to watch on the holodeck?"

“Yes, sir. Grip on the ball, a combination of using your shoulder, elbow and wrist to throw. Much more difficult if you’re a pitcher. Your legs are involved to increase the velocity, along with the elbow and wrist. I was better at catching and throwing than hitting. You’d think that a security and weapons specialist like myself would have better hand/eye coordination, but I sadly do not. As far as teams I would want to see, I was always fascinated by the mid-20th century teams of the 1950s-60s. Dodgers-Yankees?”

"I've actually heard of the Yankees. It would be great to see what New York looked like back then. It would be such an adventure." Ryhl tried to remember the mechanics of throwing, Kobi's words sparking his memories.

Nez turned to Kendri. "I visualize my shop as a sort of café, where one can have a quick drink.. Browse trinkets from across the galaxy. And maybe connect as a community. Perhaps my shop could also run a few games for the crew. You know? Nothing major. Just for fun, at a very reasonable buy-in cost." Nez crossed his pinky toes at the last comment, a human custom he learned in the SFMC.

Ryhl looked to the Ferengi seemingly warm, but full of a little disbelief.

Kendri chuckled at the Ferengi. "We'll see what kind of space we can find for you."

"That's all I can ask", Nez said. An excitement began to build in his features. "I have so much to pack. I cannot wait to get started. I really feel this will be a great opportunity. Well.. I might as well celebrate with a drink myself." Nez bowed and closed his eyes before speeding off towards the bar.

"You think this is a good idea?" Kendri asked the Captain after Nex had scurried off. Her face still shoed faint signs of amusement.

Ryhl fought the urge to laugh. His eyes brightened, lips spreading wide as he spoke. "Probably not. But he is a former marine. I wonder what his angle is. It doesn't seem like it would be the most profitable route. I wouldn't be surprised if he weren't trying to make a name for himself among the Federation. We've all seen how franchising rights have worked out for Quark." Of course, DS9 was a much more profitable locale.

"So now we have tongo to look forward to." Ryhl looked from Kendri to Kobi. He knew they'd have to keep an eye on Nez, but Ryhl trusted security to monitor the residents of the civilian deck. "And I'm still thinking about baseball. I hope we can explore a little of the city after the game. Would you be up for an old stadium trip as well?" He knew the ops tempo was currently hectic, but it wouldn't always be so.

"Commander F'Rar is always saying that I need to get out more," Kendri chimed.

"I definitely need to as well. The Ops tempo has been hard on the crew. It's great that everyone has been supporting each other. I've been way too caught up in paperwork. It won't always be this way."

A waiter approached, "Would any early birds be interested in dessert?"

"I couldn't help but see that you have nacreena on the menu", Ryhl said excitedly. The frozen treat was an Andorian specialty. A sweat cream was frozen on top of a tart, crumbly crust. Roasted nuts were often embedded within. "I'll have a bowl of that."

While the senior officers ate, Ki'ana had been inhaling dish after dish - so much so that some of the Ferengi had begun to stare at her in bewilderment. How could something so skinny possibly eat that much? Well, who knows, really - perhaps it was a by-product of her people's high metabolism, or maybe every single dish on offer was to her tastes.

Kendri shook her head at the offer for dessert. "I'm afraid I've indulged myself too much already. I don't think I could eat another bite. It's all been wonderful though. Thank you," she said, always the diplomat.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself", the Ferengi replied as he looked warmly to Kendri. "It's been nice spending time with you and your crew. Hosting without selling has been.. Different. Yet, as I know many others have likely told you, your medical staff really helped us. Not only are we living.. Thriving! But its helped our markets recover in a big way. If this meal can help convey how much this means to us, then it's worth the cost."

The Ferengi were also planning to use the event as a tax write-off to offset the costs of losses during the spread of the nanovirus. Exaggerations of each cost would result in a higher tax refund than the actual cost of hosting the event. The grateful sentiment of the Ferengi was still heartfelt and true.

The officers continued to dine and relax as the Ferengi served and entertained them.

OFF:

Captain Ryhl th'Zeles 
Commanding Officer 
USS Columbia 

Commander Chalan Kendri 
First Officer 
USS Columbia 

Lt. Commander Johanna Lyngstad
Chief Science Officer 
USS Columbia 

Lt. Commander Kobi Tomm
Chief Security Officer 
USS Columbia 

Cadet Ki’ana 
Starfleet Academy Nursing Program 
USS Columbia

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