Rustic and Rambunctious

Posted on Tue Jul 11, 2017 @ 8:22pm by Lieutenant JG Zander Devereaux

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Rustics & Rarities - Promenade
Timeline: MD 25 || 0900 hours

Zander Devereaux walked down the Promenade with a large metal tankard in his hands from which the aroma of a strong, dark coffee drifted. The short Engineer weaved his way through the civilian traffic, ignoring the hawkers in their shops for the most part until his trained eye caught a new shop among the familiar ones.

"Rustics and Rarities?" he said as he read the sign. With a shrug, he headed in to see what the new place offered.

Logan watched the other man enter the shop, and he emerged from an aisle between shelves. "Welcome to R&R! What can I interest you in?" He forcibly inserted himself between Zander and the approaching Ferengi.

Zander eyed the Ferengi and then looked at the human as the man stepped in front of him. "Just checkin' the place out," he said. "Whatcha got that's interesting enough to get my attention?"

Logan eyed the other man briefly, before turning and leading him down an aisle. "You look like a man who's good with tools. And tools are what I have. Everything from rare ones used by extinct peoples, to some tools found only in a select few starships around the universe. You want it I have it or can get it."

"Is that so?" Zander asked as he followed the man. "You got any Phase-Conjugate Graviton Emitters?"

Logan lead him over to where one was. "Last one for 3 months. These things ain't easy to get."

Zander took it and inspected it. "Damned shame it's for a Galaxy class," he said. "You can't find parts for Odyssey classes yet, but I can modify this for a project I'm working on. How much ya want for it?"

"Hmm..." Logan trailed off, looking over at the Ferengi that passed for an employee. "1000 credits and don't listen to a word the Ferengi tells you. He works for me and he tries to sell things at a mark up to pocket the extra money."

"A thousand?" Zander grumbled as he took a drink of his coffee. "I'll give you two hundred and fifty for it. It's used and I have to modify it." He looked at the Ferengi. "What about you...how much?"

Logan nodded at Zander's comment, "300?

"What?!" the Ferengi sputtered and stepped in front of Logan. He brought his wrists together in supplication. "Are you trying to drive us out of business?" He hissed while managing to grovel at the same time. "That is a one of a kind Galaxy class Phase-Conjugate Graviton Emitter which my friend here clearly told you is the last one we have for three months."

He paused, then added slyly. "You did say you needed it for a project, too." Another pause and he puffed up his chest. "Then you dare insult my lobes by offering a quarter of the price?! No! I won't have it and we won't sell it for less than two thousand credits now!"

Zander blinked, then laughed. "Is that how it's going to be? One goes low and one goes high?" He looked over the Ferengi at the shop owner. "Who is this huckster?"

"The Ferengi is my..." Logan searched for the right word "...investor...his name is Labar, and I think I agree with him."

"So you're going to go from an offer of three hundred up to his outrageous two thousand for something used?" Zander asked as he stepped closer.

Labar hissed and moved behind Logan, then shoved him forward. "You're the one who demanded to be the face, so face him!" he ordered while looking at Zander from one side. "You don't want to get on his bad side!"

Logan staggered forward, his hand resting on his Klingon knife he always had on him. "Are you gonna buy it? Like my colleague said, you said you need it for a project, that alone should be motivation enough to pay for it."

"Are you going to let this small eared back alley dealer tell you what to do?" Zander asked Logan, eliciting a howl of anger from Labar who insisted that his ears were perfectly sized. "Doesn't sound like your investor is going to help you stay in business long."

"It's not a decision I made lightly." Logan hissed, "fine. 300 and you can have it." He turned to Labar, "I own more than you. I have final say."

Labar moved back in front of Logan again. "Three hundred?! Our profits are going into a black hole! Throw it out, why don't you? I invested in someone with no lobes!" He threw his head back and wailed to the ceiling.

"Tell you what," Zander said. "I'll give you five hundred if you can get me a good coffee maker to go with it."

"You have a deal." Logan held his hand out for a shake.

"Where's the coffee maker?" Zander asked, not making a move to shake hands. "I'm not buying without seeing."

"Smart man." Logan said, disappearing down an aisle. A few minutes later he came out with a top of the line coffee maker. "Best I got."

Zander checked it out, then nodded in approval. "Ya got a deal," he said. "Let's get this checked out with emitter and I'll be on my way."

"Alright." Logan said as he drew up the exchange on a PADD, handing it to Zander for final approval and transfer of credits.

Zander pressed his thumb to it and checked it, then gave a nod. "Good doin' business with ya. I'll be back," he said as he got his items and headed out.