3rd POV
Freeman: Captain's log, stardate 58036.4: the Cerritos is en route to Frylon IV to investigate the reported sighting of a mugato, a dangerous creature not indigenous to this planet.
Ransom: Poisonous, carnivorous,
strength of ten men. Huh, sounds like my ex.
Freeman: I can't believe we pulled another animal control op, as if there weren't more important jobs for us to do.
Shaxs: The bio-electrical signatures on Frylon has made it difficult to pinpoint life signs, but with boots on the ground, we'll find her.
Meanwhile at the bar, we see Boimler and Rutherford are playing some kind of board game
Rutherford: Let's see, hmm, hmm, hmm... What about... a ten percent gratuity on a biannual basis?
Boimler: Hmm, worth considering...
Mariner: What up?!
Boimler & Rutherford: Ah!
Mariner: Wow, flinch much? Hey, work later. Let's hit the phaser range. I need moving targets.
YN: This isn't work, we're playing Diplomath.
Rutherford: And, we're at a crucial point in the negotiation. (Smiles.) We're both about to lose!
Mariner: Why is that good?
Boimler: If both sides are equally unsatisfied with the negotiation, you can close the deal! (To Rutherford.) Ready for final offers?
They both made their moves to seal the deal from negotiations.
Boimler: Eh, I don't like it.
Rutherford: I guess I can live with that.
Both: That's a compromise!
Mariner: Oh, boy. I'd say you guys should take up a less-embarrassing hobby, but it might be too late.
Mariner leaves while the bartender looks at her suspicious until Rutherford and Boimler speak to him.
Rutherford: Honus! Can we get two more?
Boimler: Yeah, maybe with some pain reliever mixed in?
Honus: Ah, yeah. Not surprised you fellas need a drink after talkin' with that powder keg friend of yours.
Rutherford: (Confused.) Huh? You talking about Mariner?
Honus: If'n that's her real name. Haven't you boys ever wondered how she's able to kick so much ass and get away with whatever she wants?
Boimler: Uh, 'cause her mom's the captain and she practices kicking a lot?
Rutherford: Usually on us.
Honus: Workin' the bar, I hear a lot of inside information. Your friend is a specially trained secret agent for Starfleet black ops.
Boimler: Pfft! Yeah, right, okay, man.
Boimler: Hahaha! Shut up, Honus!
Honus: I'm telling you, they made her into a killing machine. The perfect weapon.
Boimler: We spend all of our time with Mariner. Pretty sure we'd know if she
was "the perfect weapon." Most of the time she's napping.
Honus: Of course she does. Captain's daughter, friends with the softest guys on the ship; it's the perfect cover. Haven't you ever noticed that she seems to know every fightin' style?
Rutherford: She is a master of Anbo-jyutsu...
Boimler: Look, we may be soft, but we're not gullible.
Honus: Just watch out.
Honus: When her back's against the wall, that's when the training kicks in. She's programmed to protect herself at all costs. All costs...
Boimler: Okay, buddy, you heard wrong.
Honus: I bet they didn't believe the rumors on the Atlantis either, until it was too late and they were all...
Manager: Honor, could you get back to work?! Billups is still waiting on his peach daiquiri.
Honus: Ah, keep your pips on, Billups.
Boimler: That guy's so full of it.
Rutherford: Yeah, right? As if Starfleet would ever hide a black ops agent on one of their own ships.
Boimler: Yeah. I mean, Starfleet Intelligence does it. And Tuvok did it when he infiltrated the Maquis. And there were a ton during the Dominion war. But on the Cerritos? Yeah, right.
Rutherford then notice Mariner is playing with the knife where she's sitting alone on the table.
Rutherford: Yeah, right...
Meanwhile we see Tendi minding her own business until the alarm goes off. Getting her attention to see the patient is having troubles.
Tendi: Oh! Looks like we have a spike in the subcortical.-
She was suddenly pushed away by another medic who beat her to the patient.
Medic: Let's move, people! I need cc's of desalinated paviatic fluid.
Nurse: On it.
Tendi: Uh, technically, that's my patient.
Medic: Clear the area!
Tendi: (Mutters.) That's fine. I...
???: Hey, Tendi.
Tendi turn to see YN who just enter the room.
Tendi: Hey, YN. What are you doing here?
YN: Just came here for a check up. Plus wanted to see how you doing.
Tendi: Aw, that's nice. Not much for me though. Just doing my best and all.-
T'ana: Ensign Tendi, my office.
Tendi: In a minute. (To YN.) Sorry, maybe we'll talk later.
Suddenly YN received assignments from his pad and checks it before speaking to Tendi.
YN: (Sigh.) Great. I'm off to join a team on a mission about mugato stuff.
Tendi: Oh. Careful. They can be brutal and poisonous.
YN: Relax, if I can survive the explosion. I can survive the giant crazy wild ape with horns. Wish me luck.
Tendi nods and smile before YN left the room to meet up with a team including Rutherford, Mariner, and Boimler to the transportation beams.
Freeman: [Shaxs, our sensors indicate a storm moving in. You've got less than minutes before we lose comms.]
Shaxs: Copy that, Captain. You all got the briefing. No weapons. These mugutus are endangered, and their genitals are sensitive to phaser fire.
The transportation beam them to the surface where the team arrive in a forest where thunder is rumbling.
Shaxs: All right, fan out. This is where we detected a gumato life sign.
The team spread out to search for any trace of mugatos until YN spotted something.
YN: Found something!
Everyone join YN and they see a large blue dung as Shaxs inspect it closer.
Shaxs: Ah, what have we here? (Sniffs deeply.) Mugato dung.
Shaxs took a small sample and.....taste the excrement of the creature.
Shaxs: Fresh. Tangy.
Shaxs tracks the creature while some of the team tries to hold their puke to themselves as they follow Shaxs.
(YN next to Boimler.)
Rutherford: She doesn't seem dangerous. I think we're being silly billies.
Boimler: Even if Mariner was black ops, which she is not, that bartender said she'd only flip out if her back was against the wall. This is just one random mugato, we're fine.
YN: Uh, was there something that I missed while I was gone?
Boimler and Rutherford look at each other and nods before they speak to him.
Rutherford: Okay, we'll tell but don't tell Mariner.
YN: Why?
They both whisper and told him rumors about Mariner being a black ops and dangerous. Meanwhile Shaxs continues to track the creature until he found another blue dung.
Mariner: Yo, it's pretty clear we're going in the right direction. You don't have to-
It was too late as Shaxs did it again.
Shaxs: Mm-hmm.
YN: (Whispers.) Wait, so you guys are telling me that Mariner is a living secret spy weapon?
Boimler: (Whispers.) Yeah.
YN: (Whispers.) That's just stupid.
Rutherford: (Whispers.) Nuh uh. We've checked her log. Its true and it says it all.
YN: (Scoffs and whispers.) I'll believe it when I see it.
Soon they finally arrive to their destination and see a group of Ferengi captured dozen of mugatos in the cage as a buyer is collecting horns from the sellers.
Shaxs: (Glares.) Ferengi.
Mariner: They're harvesting these animals.
YN: Poacher Ferengis.
Boimler: (Comms.) Boimler to Cerritos.
Suddenly there was no response until Rutherford spotted a tower.
Rutherford: Look, they've got a signal dampener. It's jamming this whole area.
Mariner: Looks like we're on our own.
Shaxs: (Grin.) Just how I like it, backs against the wall.
Rutherford: I think we should retreat and-
Shaxs: Let's move.
YN: Wait, we need to come up with a plan.
Shaxs and Mariner ignores and goes straight down before the rest joins up.
YN: (Sigh.) I hate it when this happens.
YN was the last to join before one of the ferengi spotted the group.
Ferengi: Starfleet!
The ferengi was about to use his electric whip until Shaxs knocks him out.
Shaxs: Ferengi poachers, you are violating the conservation laws of Federation space.
Ferengi leader: Oh, this is Federation space? I didn't know that. Did you know that?
The buyer: Oh, thank the maker you're here. I was being attacked by these-
Shaxs: You were purchasing illegal horns. Stand down and prepare to be searched.
Ferengi leader: Hey, no need for all this. We're licensed businessmen.
Shaxs: Oh, really? You have a permit?
Ferengi leader: Yes, a permit to whip you!
He pulls out his electric whip and tries to strike at shaxs who quickly dodge. However, the whip accidentally hits the control before the alarm triggered and released all the mugatos in cage and roars.
Mariner: Mugato stampede!
Shaxs: Take cover!
All of the mugatos are rampaging the whole are while everyone runs and the buyer just bailed with his shuttle.
YN: Down you fools!
YN tackled Rutherford and Boimler before the mugato would ram in front of them.
Boimler: What do we do?!
Rutherford: I don't know! Where's Shaxs?!
Shaxs: No!
Three of them saw and witnessed Mariner pin Shaxs and stabs him to the chest before sucking the blood out of him violently.
YN: Oh sh-t! She's a vampire!
Boimler: It's real. She's going to kill us!
Mariner walk towards them and YNs priority is to protect his friends.
YN: Run!
They run to the exit while Mariner chase after them and they spotted mugatos beyond the deep forest.
Rutherford: But there's mugatos out there!
Boimler: Yeah, but she's in here!
They didn't stop running to the deep forest, despite that there's mugatos in the forest. Once they lost her, they catch their breath but decided to keep moving to ensure the ferengi won't find them or worst, Mariner.
Boimler: We need to get out of range of their signal dampeners, put some distance between us and Mariner, and contact the ship.
YN: And warn them about everything that's going on.
Rutherford: Was she eating Shaxs?
YN: Nuh uh, she was sucking his blood. Vampires do that.
Boimler: Uh, don't they burn in daylight?
YN: Was there every any daylight back in the ship?
Rutherford: Fair point.
YN: Either way, the line is clear. Zero tolerance for any vampires.
Boimler: Wow, you really hate vampire that much?
YN: They suck peoples blood without remorse.
Rutherford: That's freakin' crazy, man, that's just-
Suddenly a mugato landed in front of them and roar.
YN: Run again!
They both yells and the mugato was about to strike until YN caught both of the hands with his own and both try to overpower another.
Until YN throws the mugato at the tree.
YN POV
Dam that thing is tougher as it looks. I was then interrupt and notice the mugato gets back up and let to say, this guy was mad. I looks around and sees a log before deciding to use it against the creature. But I struggled to move it completely. With all my strength, I finally held long enough to swing and hit right to the mugatos head.
Knocking him out cold before I sat against the tree to catch my breath until I realize my friends are missing.
YN: Rutherford and Boimler!
I grab a strong wooden stick and get back up to look for my friends before any other mugatos find them or worst, Mariner. Luckily I manage to find their tracks and judging by the footprints, it seems that they were running until they ran into someone else. Definitely not a starfleet footprints since all of our shoes are the same. So it must be a biologist studying the creatures since I found his headless corpse up ahead. Maybe he has something I can use to-
???: There you are!
YN: Ah!
Out of instinct, I immediately swing the stick and knock someone out until I realize that I knock Mariner out cold.
YN: Oh sh-t!
I poke her with the stick to see if she's playing dead but she was totally out cold. I quickly drop the stick and look around, hoping no one saw that.
YN: Uh....Oh no, uh, a mugato threw a rock at her and it knock her out before it ran away.....yeah...the mugato did it...totally not my fault....yeah....
I was just standing in the middle of the forest as it was completely silent.
YN: This is awkward...
I sigh and drag her by the arms somewhere away from the area.
Time skip to morning, 3rd POV
Mariner woke up, but couldn't move because her ankles and hands were tied up.
Mariner: What the-
???: Finally you're awake!
Mariner sees YN who was carving his wood with his knife to make a spear.
Mariner: Hey, what's going on? Untie me!
YN: Not until I know I can completely trust you.
Mariner: What are you talking about!?
YN: Oh don't fool me. You're a vampire!
Mariner: What!?
YN: Rutherford, Boimler, and I saw you suck the blood out of Shaxs. Back there at the compound.
Mariner: Shaxs was stung by a mugato! I had to suck the venom out!
YN: Well, I did left you on the sunlight a few hours and use water to reflect you and there was nothing. So you're good. But what about you being some kind if black ops spy? Huh?
Mariner: Wait, wait, wait. Did you find out that I'm a black ops secret agent?
YN: Actually, Boimler and Rutherford fill me in about it.
Mariner: I am not a spy!
YN: Lies!
Mariner: No, its true! Because I started that rumor.
YN: (Blank stare.) ....you what?
Mariner: I started that rumor!
YN: Why the hell would you start that dam rumor!?
Mariner: Because it keeps jerks away from me. But I can't believe you guys would ever believe that.
YN: To be fair, have you ever thought it'd reach to us or at least confess the truth?
Mariner: Good point.
YN cuts the ropes and helps her up.
YN: Okay, so we got mugatos on the loose, handful of ferengis looking for us and keeping us hostage, and we can't contact the Cerritos due to the tower jamming the signal.
Mariner: All right, then we go down there and kick some butt!-
YN: No, you go find Rutherford and Boimler.
Mariner: What? Why?
YN: Because you're gonna have to tell them the truth.
Mariner: Okay, so what are you gonna do?
YN: Head down there and take out their jamming communications to call reinforcements while you three to come up with a backup plan should mine fail.
Mariner: That does sound fair.
YN: Good, then lets get to it.
They both nod and split up.
YN POV
Oh thank god she's not a vampire or at least a black ops spy. Now that's been settled, its time to get to work. I decided to take off my starfleet shirt since the color will expose me easily until I suddenly hear a vehicle coming. I quickly look around and see the puddle of mud.
So out of quick thinking, I immediately take a deep breath and jump in to hide from the ferengi. I needed to calm my heart in order to last longer with my breath until I heard the vehicle is gone. I only gave another minute before merging out of the mud and catch my breath while wiping the mud out of my face.
YN: Man, I thought they'd never leave.
However, I realized that my uniform is gone including the badge, but it doesn't mean the plan has changed. I'll just have to figure out the alternative.
Time skip
It didn't took long before I came back to the ferengi poaching are, luckily they didn't spotted me thanks to the mud for camouflage. I also manage to make my way over the electrical fences with the tree and sneak my way to the and head straight to the tower, of course with knocking a few ferengis to receive their access cards. All I needed to do is to contact the Cerritos with the tower and luckily I learn a thing or two with Rutherford fixing stuff. I get right to it and cut of the jamming communications before contacting the Cerritos.
YN: YN to Cerritos. If you can hear me, we found the situation of the mugato. The ferengi are harvesting the creatures. I repeat, ferengi are harvesting the creatures.-
???: Well, well, well. What do we have here?
Now that definitely sounded like a ferengi. Guess its time to use negotiation on ferengi once again as I turn and face him.
Ferengi: So, any other of your starfleet pals around?
YN: Sorry, but its gonna have to cost you.
Ferengi: A cost to whip you!
He pulls out a electric whip.
YN: I just took out a mugato withing 5 minutes. I only need five seconds to take you down. So how bout we make this simple, hell, it'll be way easy for you if you agreed.
Ferengi: And what's that?
YN: Take me to your leader and my friends, and then we can negotiate from there.
Ferengi: Wait, seriously?
YN: Would you rather have broken bones?
Ferengi: Nope.
YN: Wise.
3rd POV
The ferengi took YN to where the rest of the starfleet team where YN notice Mariner is captured and having a conversation with a ferengi.
Mariner: You know you guys can just replicate stuff, right? Like the-the stuff you buy with latinum, you could just replicate. You guys are dumb.
Ferengi leader: If we're so dumb, then how did we capture you, human?
Mariner: You guys are what, some creepy throwback Last Outpost style Ferengi? You ever heard of Quark?
Ferengi leader: Of course I've heard of Quark!
YN: Sup guys.
Mariner: Wow, you got captured.
YN: More like negotiations.
Ferengi leader: (Laugh.) And what is it that you have something to negotiate.
YN: Oh no, I don't have anything to negotiate.
Just then, Rutherford and Boimler who just enter with Rutherford holding something.
Ferengi leader: Starfleet!
YN: Ah, the Negotiators.
Rutherford: Hey, Ferengi! We've got a little somethin' for ya!
Boimler: May we present...
Rutherford then activate the device to show them a holographic of the plan.
Boimler: A cost/benefit analysis for greater long-term profits.
YN leans against the cage Shaxs and Mariner are in while Rutherford speaks after putting the device down.
Rutherford: What if I told you you could
earn 150% more latinum with live mugatos rather than dead ones?
The ferengi was about to use the whip until the leader stops him.
ferengi leader: Stay your whip. What do you propose?
Boimler and Rutherford begin to explain that instead of having dead mugato, they should have a live one to make a park for people to visit while selling tickets, merchandise, and a gift shops. While that was happening, Shaxs woke up from the venom he had.
Shaxs: Oh, Mariner, wh-what's happening?
Mariner: Those two beautiful, nerdy men are negotiating us to safety using the power of math.
YN: Figured they'd come up with a plan like this.
Mariner: How'd you know by the way?
YN: Its ferengis we're talking about. Best way to overcome against them is to use your brain rather than use your fists.
After the ferengi had a short chatter. The leader speaks.
Ferengi leader: It is a more time-consuming effort than our current operation, but I can't argue with the profit margin. Though I don't love releasing captives.
Rutherford: Well, technically we really should be apprehending you for attacking members of Starfleet, sooo...
Boimler: If we're both unhappy, that means we've reached...
Four of them: A compromise!
YN: So now that we've settled in a peaceful way, we should be heading back to Cerritos to report that everything is all fight.
Ferengi leader: Very well, release them.
The ferengi release the starfleet team and said their goodbye before they were beam back to the Cerritos where some head to the medical room with Shaxs among them.
T'ana: Mugutu venom can have latent effects, so I'll need to check on you later. In your quarters.~ (Purring.) I just got my physical. I could heal you all night.
YN and Tendi awkwardly watching them having a conversation while Tendi broken arm is recovering due to her activities.
(YN sitting next to Tendi.)
YN: Soo...that'll be awkward.
Tendi: Yeah.
YN: So how you feeling now?
Tendi: Better. Now that my arms recovered.
YN: Sweet.-
They were then interrupt by an alarm and Tendi notice its coming from another patient as the other medic walk towards the patient.
Medic: Okay, people! It's go time!-
Tendi immediately jumps off and without wasting time to push the ensign away.
Tendi: No, I've got this! Gimme 20cc's of space, all right?!
YN: Right on!
T'ana: Now that's confidence. You really showed me something today, kid.
Tendi: Thank you, Doctor.
T'ana: But this isn't your patient, so get the f-ck out of our way.
Tendi: Yes, Doctor.
Tendi leaves and joins YN.
YN: Heard what you did while we were gone. Gotta say, that was pretty awesome.
Tendi: Not as awesome as you taking on a mugato by yourself.
YN: Honestly, I'm just glad we got out easily. Thanks to Rutherford and Boimler.
Tendi: Speaking of which, we should probably check you up.
YN: Say no more.
Tendi grabs her triquarter and scans around YN.
YN: Anything new?
Tendi: Not exactly. But it looks like your body adapted against the mugato venom.
YN: Well, it did left some few scratches on me while I was heading to the tower.
Tendi: Huh, this is interesting.
YN: What?
Tendi: It seems like the venom its actually doing the opposite. Enhance senses and strength up to than normal humans.
YN: No way. How?
Tendi looks around to see no one eavesdropping to over hear before she speaks.
Tendi: (Whispers.) I look at the lists of logs of every species but nothing related to yours or anything that adapts stronger with any venom. Its like it doesn't exist.
YN: (Whispers.) That's odd. Shouldn't starfleet have something?
Tendi: I don't know. But we'll figure it out. We're starfleet. Its what we do.
YN: Thanks Tendi. Come on, lets go meet up with our friends. Heard they're playing some kind of weird game. Mariners probably getting a headache.
Tendi: (Chuckles.) That's Mariner. Talk about dumb spy lab rumor.
YN: I know right? Who among us would actually be created in the lab?
They leave the room and head to the bar with their friends as the Cerritos goes to warp.
That's the last chapter for this month. Gonna jump back to Tales of Arcadia//Malereader next month.
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All in all. Thank you guys for reading and I'm glad you all are enjoying the stories and I'll see you guys on the next chapter. Adios! :D