Hide and Seek - Part I
Posted on Wed Sep 30, 2026 @ 3:54am by Captain Ricardo (Rico) Montoya - CO USS Phoenix & Civilian Geral Lasuma & Civilian Dorian Torel & Civilian Sha'rae Astare & Civilian H'Miia & Commodore T'mpest Michaels
1,360 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Jubilee
Location: Various
On the lift ride back to the promenade, Lasuma confirmed with the station's computer that T'mpest wasn't on the station. Haines hadn't said as much but if he had said he didn't know where she was so it was a safe bet the computer didn't know either.
He pushed for answers but of course, as a civilian, he didn't have access. Well, there was ways around that.
When they arrived at the shop, he stopped in the entry, turning and putting a pair of fingers in the center of Dorian's chest. "Get Shar and H'Miia, don't use the comm."
It was still very early, so H'Miia was probably just getting to sleep after closing the Box last night. Sha'rae...well she was probably either getting ready if not already on her way. Regardless Dorian looked at him for a quick moment; he was on a mission and he knew there was no stopping him. He just hoped history was repeating itself. Nodding, "Got it."
He made his way through the shop and café. He pointed to, no one really, "Coffee."
A new trainee looked up having been the person in line with the man's gesture as he walked through the morning preparations.
Then a hand on his shoulder from behind. "I'll take care of it."
"Who was that?"
"THAT was Mr. Lasuma...and in a mood I've never seen." Leaving her trainee to continue his breakfast prep she went to the kitchen to get the boss's coffee. Everyone, well at those that had been around for a bit, knew what the morning order was and went about putting everything together.
Once in his office Lasuma activated his terminal rapping his knuckles on the desk as he waited for the damn thing to come online. Eventually the terminal was ready.
Sitting in his chair, he went to work. He reached out to a contact in the station’s security office, but he was off duty. All he knew is that he had been called in early and everyone was scrabbling. He almost snapped at the man but he closed the connection with a slap and sat back in his chair he began rubbing his finger over his lips.
Thinking to himself... ~The crowds coming and going for the comet would have been a perfect cover for a snatch and grab but he would have been either in the loop to allow it or informed that he or anyone in his circle was a target.
~The members of the V'Lashi had only just made contact. No...Though leaving him in her quarters after taking her would have sent a message, but they would have let him know that she was being held.
~The Cardassians?? No, they would have taken him as well.
His thoughts were interrupted by the chime to his office. Pulling his hand away. "Yes? Dorian?"
Through the door came a voice. "No, Mr. Lasuma. It's Sh'arana with your coffee."
"Ah yes, come in." As the door parted as a familiar face entered carrying a tray. Forcing a smile as he gestured to the side of his desk, "Just set it there."
"Yes, sir. Is there anything else?"
"Just send Sha'rae and Dorian up as soon as they arrive."
"Right away."
[Box of Delights]
Dorian had intercepted Sha'rae and together they were on the way to get H'Miia. He had expected to have to make a trip to Xae's old quarters but Sha'rae stopped him. Apparently she was sleeping in the box while the quarters were being refurbished.
Waiting on the main level a few minutes later the pair came down the stairs. "Why are you getting your place refurbished. Wasn't it cleaned before you moved in?"
"It was, but not enough", tapping her nose.
"Well let's get going."
Smoothing her fur and tying her hair back. "Do you know what's going on?"
Dorian looked from Sha'rae and back to H'Miia. "Not here."
[Lasuma's Office]
Stirring in some cream into his coffee, he glanced from his monitor to coffee tray. Under the tray there was a flyer for some of the comet festivities. Looking from it to his coffee a drop fell from the spoon sending ripples outward in the cup.
Staring at the diminishing ripples, he dropped the spoon and picked up the flyer.
The comet... Could the comet have something to do with her vanishing? He remembered T'mpest mentioning they themselves were wondering if the unique makeup of the comet would have any interactions with either the trans-dimensional nature of Pangaea or the portals.
Leaning back as he waited. He sipped his coffee and held it with both hands in front of him as he thought. He knew access to the surface was prohibited during the comets passage but...
His thoughts were interrupted as the trio entered his office but his gears where already turning and he set them to task. "Shar, call down to the bay and get the yacht ready for departure. H'Miia, I need you to look, covertly, into what Lt. Commander Haines and security is doing about T'mpest."
Sha'rae interjected. "What happened to T'mpest?"
"She's missing...one minute she was with me. The next she's nowhere to be found. She's not on the station."
"So, you are taking the yacht to go find her? Where is she?"
Lasuma huffed. "I don't know, but I have a hunch. Dorian, contact the three researchers we are sponsoring and get what information they have on the comet and the planet over the last...eight hours."
Nodding sharply, "On it."
Sha'rae stepped closer but before she could speak, Lasuma cut her off. "Shar...have them get the yacht ready."
While preparations were made Dorian returned with the summaries from the research had come in and there had been a strong wave around the same time she was supposed to have disappeared. According to the reports from the ships the station itself was missing. One reporting what was described as a war zone with debris everywhere and another reporting empty space...no planet, no station...nothing.
Standing, Lasuma contacted Shar on the Yacht. "Is everything ready?"
== Yes, we are just waiting on clearance... ==
"Good have the lift off and beam Dorian and myself over. I want to be leaving the bay before we finish materializing."
[Lasuma's yacht]
Sha'rae was on the command deck with the command crew listening to the instructions, the Captain shaking his head.
"We don't have clearance and he knows the station doesn't allow unauthorized transporters."
She agreed but had been rebuked once already today. Geral Lasuma knew, or at least she hoped he knew, what he was doing. "Do it."
[Station Operations]
Another ship tried to leave the station without getting authorization first. Phillips looked at Jericho and frowned. He keyed up a comm channel. "This is station operations. Unauthorized travel into the system is forbidden. Please return to the docking bay."
[Lasuma's Yacht]
The sleek yacht pierced the atmospheric forcefield as it sped away from the station. Lasuma came bounding up the stairs onto the command deck as the hail came in.
[Station Command]
"This is station operations. Unauthorized travel into the system is forbidden. Please return to the docking bay."
Jericho sat up straighter. "Someone just transported onto that yacht. It was too quick to intercept, but it came from...Lasuma's?" He swore. "That's his yacht, isn't it? What do we do? He's dating the commodore. She'll have our hide if we tractor him back."
Phillips shook his head. "I'm more afraid of Thibideaux. He doesn't get mad. He just...takes care of the situation. Let's see what they do next. Maybe they'll just come back."
"As long as we can use this to get a job with the man later," Jericho countered. "I mean, if the commodore doesn't pardon us, we'll either get demoted to ensign, work waste reclamation for the next ten years, or both."
(To be continued...)
Phillips and Jericho
Station Operations
Deep Space 5
Geral Lasuma
Owner - Lasuma Enterprises
Dorian Torel
Bodyguard/Henchman for Geral Lasuma
Sha'rae Astare
Exec Assistant Lasuma Enterprises
H'Miia
Manager Box of Delights
Operative for Geral Lasuma
Captain Ricardo (Rico) Montoya
CO USS Phoenix
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