Ports in the Storm (Part IV of VI)

Posted on Sun Oct 28, 2018 @ 5:17am by Captain Maritza Soran & Civilian 'Arrival' Geral Lasuma

1,405 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Victory Conditions
Location: Lasuma's Ship
Timeline: MD 11 1800

Previously on

He chuckled. "That seems to be a universal constant. There is some group that will take something that shouldn't be a desert and make it into one."

"Or deep fry it." She agreed. She took another mouthful, enjoying the crunch of the nuts. "So, Mr. Lasuma, you know where I'd go, but what about you? You obviously can go anywhere you'd like, where do you choose to go?"

And Now the Continuation...

An honest question he thought sipping his wine. "It's a tossup really. I enjoy the warmth and serenity of an isolated beach. But if I had to decide I think I prefer the mountains. There is just something about majestic snowcapped peaks, the cool freshness and sounds of a mountain stream, the smells of the forest, and the warmth of a fire that calms the mind and soul.

"When I see a mountain range I always think back to those earlier times when people lived off the land and the struggles they choose to face. The day to day challenges they overcame, just to survive, makes the troubles of today seem minor indeed.

"I'm not sure. I think only having to worry about the next meal sounds like bliss. Never having to worry about who you hurt if your decision falls one way, versus who you hurt if it falls the other. Not having to worry about the enemies you make, or the friends you lose or the hopes and dreams and happiness you gamble with when you are responsible for a hundred thousand souls. Just one thing..." She sighed. "I need to do this, I wouldn't change it, but sometimes I just wish-” she broke off. Things were starting to get more personal than she felt she should share.

"That you could forget it all...just walk away?”

"I couldn't ever walk away." She replied. "Not of my own free will anyway, I don't think."

He hadn't thought that she would be one to chuck it all and walk away, but that even so his guess would have been the typical answer. "If not that than what would you wish?"

That someone else would make it all disappear, so she'd never have to say it was her that gave up, that someone would take charge and she could just do, without all the second guessing and balancing and having no choices but evils and lesser evils, and it would be okay, because she hadn't used free will and walked away.

And she'd walk over hot coals before she admitted that. So she said, "that it was just a little easier." She didn't care it was an obvious evasion, but the light headed feeling was warning her that she had already said too much, that she was losing the cold hard invulnerable front that had to be maintained at all time.

Wrinkling his chin the ancient words 'if it were easy everyone would do it' echoed in his ears. Though she didn't ask for easy...just easier. "Well since I have failed at keeping your mind off of work. There may be ways to lighten your load, but I don't want things to come out wrong so that can wait."

That was cryptic, and she wasn't sure she wanted to wait for anything that could help. But curiosity got the better of her. "Wait for what?"

He raised a hand to try and brush off the inquiry. "An appropriate setting. Please," motioning to their surroundings, "enjoy yourself."

She had to admit, she was. She served the mains, a selection of beautifully cooked meat and fish with fresh vegetables and sauces. "So why are you here, Mr. Lasuma?” Realizing it wasn't clear, she added, I mean, why leave Bajor versus staying?" She looked at him. He was old enough he'd remember the occupation; possibly a teenager or even a young man.

Setting his plate back down in front of him, he replied as he took a piece of dark bread. "Well there several things actually; there was a disciplinary issue with the former employee that had been running my shop here, the fact that I have always had a hands on approach with my companies when dealing with expansions, and to be honest Bajor has gotten a little boring. As such I found myself packing up and heading here."

"Bajor is boring?" She was surprised, and a forkful of meat stopped midway to her lips. "What do you class as exciting?"

He was about to take a bite himself so he gestured with an empty fork as he spoke. "Well look at what happened to Bajor. You had the Cardassian occupation and the resistance, then the was the end of that occupation, the partnership with the Federation, the discovery of the wormhole and the emissary, the loss of the Kia and the following drama, the constant back and forth with the provisional government, the attempted coup by the circle, the Cardassians sticking their noses in thing from time to time, the Klingon invasion of Cardassia, the Klingon-Federation war, the Dominion war, and of course all the various incidents on Deep Space 9. Through it all Lasuma Enterprises was born and grew to what it is today. Back in the beginning it was acquiring hard to find comfort or luxury items. Now, while we still do that, I have diversified into a wide variety of products and services from imports and antiques to transportation and colonial administration."

"So compared to living through a terrible but defining, moment of history and being at the gateway to the only known stable and predictable worm hole, paperwork and freight are exciting?" She didn't believe that, and she was now curious to know more. What was he unwilling to admit to her?

"It's not that at all. Things were just...well established. I guess you could say it's the routine that I wanted to get away from. Out here, while I still have the support of my businesses to rely on, it's all new. New station, new players, the unknown and potential for new markets.... Who knows what cultures are going to be encountered by the starship exploring that frontier, what histories will they have, what are their business practices, what difference or similarities, it's all new."


"Well, yes, we aren't short of novelty here." she admitted; "Especially when it comes to crises. Temporal anomaly's, terrorist takeovers, bombs, agitations, mutinies." She was talking about work again. She was beginning to wonder if she even could switch off.

Gesturing as he swallowed his latest bite. "See, all the action is here now."

Was that...? Was that a compliment? She wasn't sure. It could be taken that way. After all he'd engineered pretty much a perfect dinner. "You may find action tiring when it’s constant." Stars above knew that she did. Though she had to admit that pleasant surroundings and independent company was helping with that.

Nodding his head to one side them the other. "This is true...too much of anything can get tiresome. Unless there are means distract or gain some kind of reprieve." Snapping his fingers, and chuckling at the irony of the memory. "I met an officer, human, on DS9. Great guy, wry sense of humor, and worried about absolutely nothing." Picking up the wine as he spoke he gestured to her glass to see if she wanted another.

She stared for a moment, conflicted. She should say no, she wanted to say yes; drug induced oblivion seemed so tempting right now. After obvious hesitation she shook her head.

Returning the bottle to its place he continued, with his story, "I asked him how he did it. He told me that, '...sometimes ya just gotta say fuck it'.

She gave a small huff of scandalized disbelief, "Easy to say when you're not in charge of anything."

That almost made him spray his drink and he quickly pulled up his napkin as he coughed. "My dear...I have employees across Federation and non-Federation worlds doing a wide assortment of duties, a fleet of vessels transporting everything for passengers to freight. The only real differences between us it that you wear a uniform and all your responsibilities are focused in one location."


To Be Continued...

Commander Maritza Soran
Commanding Officer
Deep Space Five

Geral Lasuma
Owner Lasuma Enterprises

Sha'rae Astare
NPC - Valet for Geral Lasuma

 

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