<Farius Prime – Later that night>

Douglas Forrest and Sean McTaggart turned from the main sidewalk and headed down
a side street, away from the lights and crowds of the late night town. The side
street was filled with small stalls, most covered for the night but a few still
had merchants, trying to move their goods. At this hour none of the things for
sale would be all that legal, but a person had to make money any way they could.

The two men passed a small group of men engaged in a sale, one of them handing a
sizable stack of the currency, standard to this world, to another in exchange
for a vial of bright blue liquid. Another salesman made his way toward the two,
but thought better of it when he saw the cuts on McTaggart's face; some sense of
self-preservation outweighing any idea of making a profit.

"You feeling okay?" Forrest asked as he noticed a slight wince from McTaggart.
"I can do this part alone."

"I'll be alright," the injured McTaggart responded. "It's probably just a
bruised rib or two. I've had worse."

Forrest smiled as he realized that he was beginning to like his partner. Forrest
knew McTaggart had been sent along with him by Commander Carter to keep an eye
on him and make sure he stayed on the up and up. The Starfleet Intelligence
officer had to admit that all things considered Carter was right in not trusting
him. He was just glad he'd been "partnered" with someone who could handle
working outside the normal parameters.

Forrest was caught off guard when McTaggart suddenly stopped moving. He was also
a bit upset with himself for letting his mind drift. He'd been trained better
than this, plus certain implants in his head were supposed to keep him focused,
but for some reason they had failed. He would have to deal with that situation
at a later time, right now he had to stay alive.

A group of men, a mixture of species seen around the town, had blocked their
path. Behind him he could hear the sounds of others as they blocked that way as
well. All totaled about a dozen. After what he'd seen in the bar he was pretty
sure he and McTaggart would be able to take them. The thing that stopped him
from taking any action was the fact they all held disruptors. A few of the
weapons looked Klingon in origin, but mixed in the group were some of Romulan
design and a few Cardassian. The kind of weapons found on the black market.

Forrest was glad to see that his partner wasn't going to try anything stupid, as
McTaggart slowly lifted his hands away from his sides in a universal gesture of
surrender.

A Farian stepped through the group of men blocking the way, his dark hair was
well groomed and unlike his associates his clothes were spotless and very
expensive looking. The newcomers presence both emboldened the gang of men and
frightened them. This was man used to leading by fear.

"Raimus," Forrest stated both to inform McTaggart as well as to let the man know
he was known.

"It seems you know who I am," Raimus chuckled, but not really amused. "I
understand your name is Connelly? I knew a Connelly once but you look nothing
like him."

Forrest smiled back at the leader of the Orion Syndicate on Farius Prime and as
well as most of this sector of space.

"I guess you could say we're related. He said I should look you up if I was ever
in the neighborhood. He regrets not being able to visit you himself, something
involving repaying a debt."

The slim smile on Raimus' face disappeared immediately. His sense of humor gone
at the implied threat.

"I could simply have you killed," the criminal mastermind spoke. "There would be
no bodies to be found. Granted someone would eventually miss you, but even
Starfleet Intelligence would find itself at a loss to figure out who was
responsible. So, exactly, why should I stop from giving such an order."

"Because," began Forrest a conspiratorial smile crossing his lips. "I'm about to
make you the most influential man in the Orion Syndicate."