“That’s not stolen tech,”  Krov spoke first after they opened the bag to inspect what they had retrieved by force.  It was a long attachment with fiber wiring on both ends, dark displays, and a look all its own.

Hagasi stood over the piece, his wizened eyes searching each inch of the unit, “The Klingon is correct.  Halfway.”  He pointed at various elements, “It is an adapted and synthesized version of stolen tech.”  He motioned to Sinai, “Find me…volume two off the shelf.”  She rolled her eyes, loped over to his mobile library, and scanned the spines until she located the book and tossed it his way.  The Ferengi flipped through the pages, muttering as he went.  Moments later, he put the book on the unit, “I think we’re looking at a few things. One is something a dead friend tried to use last year.  Patra had a device designed to crack a planet.”

Hasara grumbled, “He tipped the scale on bad with a big fat thumb, Hag.”

“Then it is good he is dead.  That technology was supposed to be dissembled and destroyed by the Romulans.  According to my records, it was disassembled.  Just not destroyed. Parts of it found their way back to Starfleet lockups, and others vanished into the ether.” He pointed at the device, “Whatever this is based on came from the parts the Feds had.  Sarge and our mystery leader are ahead of where we thought they were. They stole the devices.  And they’re working to refine them into something…bigger?  Better?”  He flipped through a few more pages, “We’re going to have to expand our search.”  He closed the book and held it close to his chest, “Hasara, you’re going to have to find a way to warn the squadron.  We’re not looking for the rusty parts at auction.  We’re looking for the shiny upgrades.”

The Cardassian fought the urge to repeat his grumbling. The market was full of stolen merchandise, and he was confident the others would find it. However, he was concerned that his loosely organized and chaotic team would struggle with these new developments. “We’re due back to Sarge.  Let’s drop it off, get our next assignment, and get to our hideout.  We can update Pantuso from there.”

“Shit.”  Captain Alexandra Pantuso’s face filled the screen in their hideout on a backwater moon.  She was in her ready room with Commander Charlie Hargraves just in frame.  “We’re working on a colonial upgrade and support operation a few days from you.  Nothing so far indicates Syndicate operating here…but it’s early days.”

Hasara sat back in the chair in the roughly carved oval shape they’d hastily constructed.  The equipment was top of the line, and the encryption they were using had come from Baron Nine on the Douglas, using existing Starfleet systems while layering it with unending layers of complexity.  “I think we stumbled into this – whatever Sarge and his boss are up to – it’s just a piece of the mission puzzle.  We haven’t ruled out Changeling involvement this far out.”  He watched as his last sentence caught her attention.

“I wish you were wrong, Hasara…but we’ve been tracking some of the stories out here – I’m starting to wonder if our mystery Orion is more than he appears.  That or he’s not the head of the table.”

He replied, wondering aloud, “Or there’s more than one table…or several tables.  There’s a lot of money out here and a lot of merchandise. Everybody wants a piece of the action…and not everyone’s content to play by the rules.”  He told her the brief story of what happened on the small Regula Station.

“Those idiots could be useful in the future.”  She paused and leaned back as Hargaves asked a question.

The XO and Diplomatic Officer asked, “Would you have killed them, Hasara?”

The Cardassian smiled thinly, “The only death we deal in is a death deserved.  Keeping me and my own alive is my prime directive.” He tapped at the console, “Sarge gave us another mission – we’re to pick up a person this time.  We don’t have the why, and we’re not supposed to ask.”

Charlie glanced at his CO and then back to the screen, “Are you going to?”

Hasara chuckled, “Not if I value my life and this operation.  I think we’ve proved ourselves competent enough to keep someone alive for Sarge.  We’ll figure out who he is in the old-fashioned way – small talk.”

Hargraves did not chuckle as he warned, “Keep Sinai from being alone with him.  I don’t trust her.”

“She doesn’t trust you either, Commander Hargraves.  I’ll keep the peace – one way or another.  I’ll update you when I know more.”  He closed the channel, facing his team, who had been lounging just off camera, “We’ve got a lot to prove.  Let’s go get our man.”

Sinai stood, a quiet smile tracing her lips, “I never said I didn’t trust him, to be fair.  I just don’t like his face.  The rest of him…I could find a way to love.”

The Cardassian groaned, “The less of that I hear, the better.”