Chapter Text
"Dabo!"
Third time in fifteen minutes. That Benzite's cheating.
From his perch at the top of the stairs, Taubal can see almost directly down onto the dabo table. As the Benzite leans over to spin the wheel again, they clip a small something to its underside. A magnet, probably. Clever.
A Klingon steps up to the dabo table, blocking Taubal's view; he lets his gaze wander elsewhere. He drums his fingers on the table a moment, then reaches for a padd. Skimming through his inventory for the umpteenth time, the words barely register. He could recite them in his sleep by now. A shipment of Terran wheat flour; ten barrels of Rigelian silk-berries; 200 pounds of xetrite; one slab of ekkerine salt; five crates of disruptors, plus a dampening field generator just in case; one plasma intercooler; three deuterium cartridges and one antimatter injector, et cetera, et cetera...he'll be making quite a profit from this run, if his last supplier ever shows up.
Speaking of which...Taubal flags down a passing Ferengi waiter and asks for the time. It's 1500; that's twenty minutes behind schedule. He sighs in annoyance as the waiter bustles away. If she doesn't get here soon, he might just have to --
"What's a handsome male like you doing in a place like this?"
A young woman of indeterminate species sidles up to his table. Finally. Taubal smiles and stands up to meet her.
"Waiting for you. I started to think I would not see you." he puts an arm around her waist and draws her into a kiss, then rests their foreheads together briefly. "I missed you, Yadin."
"Mm. I should hope so." she snags another kiss and slips a padd into his free hand. He pulls away to read it.
ONE (1) CASE, DISRUPTOR RIFLES
FIVE HUNDRED (500) POUNDS, KEMOCITE
"Fourteen crates of stem-bolts, just like you ordered," Yadin says, just loud enough for passers-by to overhear. "I'm in Docking Bay 1, my crew is unloading them now."
Taubal gestures grandly to the door. "Let us go, then."
He and Yadin thread their way through the crowd and out to the Promenade. Yadin looks around.
"Nice place," she remarks. When Taubal nods but doesn't answer, she pries further: "I thought you had rejoined the Moot?" now Taubal gives her a sidelong look. A very chilly one.
"They decided again. They do not want me."
She raises her eyebrows. "You were--?"
"Mm."
"How long?"
"Permanently. I am not to contact them again."
They walk in silence for a few dozen steps. Then Yadin asks, "So now what?"
Taubal smirks. "I have plans."
The pair step into a turbolift. Yadin gives it their destination, and it whirs into motion. Taubal turns to her and lights a feathery kiss on her neck; she doesn't reciprocate, but she smiles. They step out of the turbolift a moment later, right into a gaggle of engineers, which they have to thread their way through with with lots of 'excuse me's and a few well-aimed elbows. Once through, they start to make a beeline for the docking bay. They're already late as it is.
As they approach the doors, Taubal suddenly lowers his crests so they lay almost flush with his cheekbones: a sign of deference. He puts on a slightly strained smile as well.
"Good afternoon, Constable," he calls out. Odo steps out from behind a pillar and nonchalantly puts himself between them and the docking bay. They can see Yadin's ship just past the doors.
"Good afternoon," Odo says mildly. He gestures behind him. "Does this ship belong to either of you?"
"It belongs to me, sir," Yadin takes a step forward. "The Arden."
"Hm. I don't recall seeing it on the schedule for today. Do you have documentation?" Odo's blue eyes bore into them.
"Yes, sir. I have the inventory here." Yadin smoothly produces a padd and hands it to Odo. Taubal bristles slightly, but there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Odo scans the padd with a thoughtful gaze. "It also contains the itinerary and flight plan," she adds.
Odo reads over the padd's contents twice, taking just long enough to make them both a little nervous. But at last he looks up, eyes them both, and hands it back. "Everything seems to be in order," he grumbles. He almost sounds disappointed. Yadin pockets the padd with a respectful nod.
"Good afternoon, constable."
"Hmm."
On to the docking bay. Taubal keeps his crests folded until they're well out of sight and earshot, and then shudders as though he's smelled something bad. Yadin elbows him and teases, "Since when do you show deference to anyone, captain?"
Taubal hunches his shoulders. "Since this station's security chief is an ur'ult," he hisses, spitting the word past his incisors. Yadin's eyes widen. She looks over her shoulder.
"A changeling? In the Alpha quadrant?" she whispers back. Taubal gives her a single nod. "Does he know?"
"No. And it will stay that way." with that, Taubal trots up the gangplank and disappears into the ship. Yadin stands for a moment in the middle of the bay, as though pondering. Then she shakes it off -- whatever it was -- and follows him.
Some hours later, the cargo is loaded, and Yadin is ready to leave. Ready, but not quite willing...she and Taubal are lingering in the docking bay, wrapped up in each other.
"Where are you going next?" Yadin murmurs.
"I don't know," Taubal shrugs. "I might stay here for a while."
Yadin smirks. "Thinking of settling?"
He frowns. "Of course not. I only stay for a short time."
"So what's caught your attention here?"
"I have found someone." he speaks slowly. "A doctor. He is...very interesting." he ends this sentence with a quick kiss and adds, "not as interesting as you, of course."
"Mm. Well, don't let yourself get too fascinated. I'd hate for you to forget about me." she leans in for a kiss of her own.
Taubal draws out the kiss and murmurs, "Never. He is interesting, that is all. And he might be useful."
Yadin pulls away and smiles. "I'll see you in a few months, then, loverboy."
"Goodbye, Yadin."
Taubal watches until the doors close and the gangplank retracts. Then he turns and wanders off to the adjacent bay, where his own ship is docked. He has work to do.
oOo