Hogo looked up from his coffee cup and over at the counselor. “Ugh. She is no telepath, Lieutenant. She is a Trill, and by the dots, on her, I would say a joined one. They are not telepaths, they are human life form that has joined with another creature, some sort of worm that burrows into their body and has had several lives. She may seem like a telepath but she is not.”

The lieutenant looked between the Captain and the counselor. “Is this true? what Hogo says.”

Counsellor Sia looked over at Hogo and locked eyes with him and then back at the lieutenant. “My symbiont is named Pruzax, I am his fifth host. So yes what he said is true.”

The Lieutenant looked at her then at the Ensign then back at the Captain. “Interesting. Though it doesn’t change anything Captain, you all will either be killed or taken as prisoners and your ship impounded. “

Kr’Antren looked at his number one and then at his coffee cup. “ Hmmmmm, you can think that if you wish. But I’m quite sure they are not expecting the Osiris and we are expecting them. So they will not find things so easily. Plus we are nowhere near the Imperiums borders so they would have no legal foot to stand on to conduct such an act. So they will need to ask themselves if this system is worth having the federation be a constant thorn in their side or would it be better to move on, preferably back into their borders.” 

“The Federation has no power here either, there are more here in the Delta Quadrant that you have not yet met and many who do not like the idea of another power-hungry organization trying to acquire more territory.”

Lieutenant Talibah put her PADD done and took a sip from her fresh cup of coffee. “Wow, you do have the wrong idea of what the federation is. I wonder who you get your information from, hmmmmmm.” As she looked over at Hogo.

Hogo looked up from his cup with a pastry halfway to his mouth dripping coffee from one end. “Don’t look at me, Lieutenant. It wasn’t me. Well at least not fully, I may have said a few things but nothing that nobody doesn’t know. Always sticking your noses where they are not wanted, disrupting perfectly legal profit-making businesses.”

Sia leaned into Kr’antrens ear and whispered something to him while watching the three Imperium members from the corner of her eye.

Kr’antren nodded. “Good point counselor.” He then leaned into number one‘s ear and whispered something to her, and she nodded and replied.

The three Devore started to look at each other and then back at the Osiris officers. “ What? What are you saying to each other?” the Lieutenant asked.

Lieutenant Talibah looked back at him. “ Oh, just that you and the crewman are useless to us. The one we want to talk to is the ensign here.” as she points to him with her coffee cup. “if it comes to it and the local government wants to do whatever they do with criminals here that we will happily give them you two as long as we get to take the Ensign here with us. I’m sure there would be some others who would love to talk to him.”

Kr’antren took a sip from his cup and motioned toward Hogo. “The real question is what do we do with you? You see technically as the Ferengi are members of the Federation you would fall under our jurisdiction to arrest and take them back to the alpha quadrant to face criminal charges and all that follows that. However, I’m sure your uncle when he gets here and we play back the recording of this interview is going to have some questions for you and your father. So do we turn you over to him and let him do with you as he pleases or do we ask him to let us take you with us? I’m starting to think it may be easier to just leave you here.” 

“What is this about, Captain? Why was I summoned here so early in the morning? I haven’t even had breakfast yet nor a chance to check on my overnight business reports.” An older-looking Ferengi dressed in a ferengi’ized version of the local clothing came into the bunkhouse followed by two of the Osiris security team that was sent to escort him to the bunkhouse.

Kr’antren stood and went to meet the governor as he entered. “Governor Rhazpaz, nice to finally meet you face to face. Captain Kr’antren of the Osiris. We have coffee and pastries here if that will do for your breakfast or I can ask one of my crew to go to the communal kitchen to see if they can get something else prepared for you.”

“Did you say coffee, captain? Is it real coffee or that replicator stuff you serve on your ships?”  

Kr’Antren chuckled. “ It’s the real stuff, governor.”

“Yes, yes, that will do just fine. Been awhile since I had real coffee” he started to look around the room and saw his nephew sitting at the table.” What is he doing here? And why is he in handcuffs? Do you know who that is?” as he walked over to the table and glared at everyone sitting there. “and who are they?” he pointed to the three Devore officers.

Lieutenant Talibah stood and grabbed a chair from another table. “Governor, it seems we have ourselves a predicament here that we hope you can help us with. Here please take my seat and I’ll explain. First, let me introduce myself, I’m Lieutenant Talibah the Executive Officer of the Osiris, we also have counselor Sia of the Osiris with us as well.”

Governor Rhazpaz glared at his nephew as he took the offered seat, Kr’antren placed a cup of coffee in front of the Governor along with a plate with a few pastries on it. “What has he done?”

“Governor, are you aware of the issues they have been having here at the compound with the Blood Dilithium being found around the site? Along with the reports that some have filed that they thought someone was in the forest watching the compound?” Lieutenant Talibah asked as she took a seat in the chair she had just pulled over and also slid her PADD and coffee to be in front of her.

“Yes, Yes, Despicable stuff. Why anyone would want to harm hard-working people is beyond me.” He said as he put cream and sugar into his cup and took a sip. “But what does that have to do with my nephew here.” pointing at him with the coffee cup as he took another sip.

Kr’antren took his seat and turned slightly to face the governor. “ Well governor, some more information has come to light after a recent visit and investigation of an asteroid that was brought to our attention by Governor Buoln’Drit.”

Rhazpaz took another sip of coffee. “ yes I’m aware he was having issues with his deliveries. It has put him considerably behind on his quota as per his contract. I may have to take a look into that myself, see if I need to take further actions against him for breach of contract.”

“Well governor, Once you read our report and hear what we have to say I don’t think you will be doing that. There are some outside variables “ he looked over at the three Devore sitting at the table “ that you are not aware of that had a hand in the problem. That’s why I decided to visit the compound and we decided to take action last night”

The governor looked at Kr’antren.”Please continue, as I’m sure there is more to it.”

“There is, governor. Let me ask a question first though, if I may?”

“Go ahead. I have nothing to hide, my business is all above board and perfectly legal.”

Kr’Antren raised an eyebrow at that and continued. “Have you had any reports over the last week give or take a few days of missing Ferengi from your workforce?”

The governor took another sip of coffee and a couple of bites from a pastry that he had chosen from the plate, as he thought about the answer to the question. “Yes, I do believe we have had reports of several staff members not reporting for their shifts.” he took another sip of coffee “ beneath my position to deal with matters such as this, being the governor and the head of a very profitable business enterprise makes me a very busy man. I’m sure as a captain of a starship you can understand.”

Kr’antren nodded. “ I do. Who did you give the task of investigating these missing individuals to?”

The governor took another sip of his coffee. “That’s easy I gave it to his father, as befitting his position.” he pointed at Hogo with the cup.

Kr’antren nodded at this information. “Let me guess you haven’t received anything back from him about it, have you?”

The governor put down his cup and sat back in the chair for a second before picking up the cup again. “ Now that you mention it, No I haven’t. Though it could be on my desk.”

“For some odd reason Governor, I doubt you will find anything about your missing people on your desk.” Kr’antren took a sip from his cup.

“So what does this all have to do with having me woke up at this ungodly hour and brought out here?”

Lieutenant Talibah placed her PADD in front of the governor. “I believe this may answer some of that question for you, governor.” she hit play on her PADD of the recorded conversation from earlier in the morning.

He listened to the recording and looked at Hogo with burning anger in his eyes. “Play it again Lieutenant, please.”

She hit play on the saved timestamp.

Halfway through the recording, he launched the coffee cup that was in his hand at Hogo hitting him square in the chest. “What have you done? you little shit. You have no idea what problems you and your father have caused.” 

Kr’antren put a hand on the governor, stopping him from launching himself over the table.

“We did what all Ferengi should do, followed the rules of acquisition, rule 34 to be exact. you are weak and do not have the business mind that father does and grandfather will hear about the profits we will bring to the family, and you will no longer be in charge of the business nor will you matter anymore as I’m sure grandfather will make sure you disappear.” Hogo replied as he sat straighter in the chair as a smirk crossed his face.

“You and your father know nothing you blubbering idiot, there are more rules than just that one. You have ruined months of negotiations and planning that I have been conducting to become the hub of trade for the entire sector.”

He looked over at Kr’Antren. “Do with him as you see fit, I do not want to see his face any longer. And you have my permission to enter my facility and arrest his backstabbing father. Do it before I return or he may not be alive for you to question.”

Kr’Antren looked over at the two security crewmen that escorted the Governor into the bunkhouse. “You two grab four to five more crew to take with you, preferably security and do as the Governor stated. Take the Oasis. Grab anything in his office that you think could have information on it concerning this issue. Take him to the Osiris and put him in the brig. We will deal with him when we return.”

The governor pulled out a PADD from his belt and typed something onto it. “Captain, this will give them the access they will require to do what needs to be done.” he handed the PADD to Kr’Antren.

Kr’Antren took the PADD and handed it to one of the security crew.

“Yes, sir.” the two security crew start to exit the room and call out for specific people to join them.

Lieutenant Talibah slid her PADD back in front of her and motioned to the security officer standing behind Hogo.” Petty Officer, you heard the governor. Please take Hogo here to the brig on the Osiris, make sure his father and he are in separate cells, and make sure that they can not talk to each other through the fields.”

The security officer helped Hogo stand up and reattached the handcuffs placing his arms behind him, he then tapped on his commbadge and said something as held onto one of Hogo’s arms. The two of them were enveloped in a white light several seconds later and transported back to the Osiris.

Kr’antren stood and went to get another cup of coffee for the Governor, placing it in front of him when he returned.

The governor thanked Kr’Antren and then looked at the Lieutenant. “The captain mentioned the asteroid, may I ask what was found?”

Lieutenant Talibah looked up at Kr’antren, who nodded in reply.“Well, governor quite a bit, and none of it was good. I have the report here if you would like to read it.” she typed something on her PADD and slid it over towards the Governor.

Governor looked down at it and then picked it up. “I’m guessing it has something to do with these three.” he pointed at the three Devore sitting at the table.

“Well maybe not them exactly, well maybe the one in the middle there,  but definitely with the Imperium. Looks like your brother was trying to set up some sort of business with them. I hope you have a strong stomach, Governor, some of that is not pretty.” As she picked up her coffee cup and pointed at the PADD.

The governor started to read the report, anger and disgust started to show on his face as he read. “Has anyone else seen this yet?” as he continued to read.

“No, governor. Just the command staff of the Osiris and of course those that were part of the team who went to the asteroid.”

Kr’Antren looked at the three Devore sitting in front of them. “To tell the truth, governor, we have been on the fence about just who to realise that too, besides Starfleet. On one hand depending on how things happened last night and today it would have been a key piece of evidence for your trial. Guess it should still be, but for your brother. On the other hand you would be seeing it just like you are now.”

The Governor nodded, “I understand, I would agree this should be used in my brother’s trial.” He started to watch the videos, and then looked over at the Devore sitting on the other side of the table. “You all are monsters, this is absolutely vile.”

The lieutenant looked at the governor and smirked. “I cannot see, nor have I seen what you are watching. But it doesn’t matter, whatever it is, I can guarantee it was done to protect the imperium and prove how evil telepaths are.”

The governor puts the PADD at the table and turned towards the captain. “Are those? My people, the ones that are missing?”

Kr’Antren nodded “ We assume that would be the case. If you have anything such as personnel files or pictures we could send them to the Osiris, they may help doctor M’Gok be able to identify them as she performs the autopsies. But yes, that was why I asked the question earlier.”

The governor picked the PADD backup and continued to watch the video feeds.