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In Progress CYOA: Star Trek: Dukat

Non-Edgy Gamer

Grand Dragon
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Strap Yourselves In
Star Trek: Dukat

-----------------------

Chapters:
Prelude
Meetings Part 1
Meetings Part 2
The Specter of War
Mistakes Were Made
The Hand of Friendship
The Plot Thickens
Crossroads
Trust

Meta info:
Character Sheet
Bajor

-----------------------

Prelude


Stardate 23085.84 - the year is 2346 by the Earth calendar...

FHC1XM8.png


Legate Kell stares at you from across his desk. A bitter expression on his face.

You've never been able to tell exactly what he thinks of you, other than that he generally dislikes everything about you. He seemed to take particular pleasure in the fact that you were no longer a legate (the equivalent of an admiral, a Gul ranking below that) yourself and makes sure to order to around far more than you think is polite, given your former status as colleagues.

All of this makes what he says next quite surprising...

"Gul Dukat..." he takes a deep breath. "Let me get straight to the point: I loathe you."

"Hardly a startling revelation, sir," You say with a smirk.
"Shut up and listen, I'm not finished yet..." (Sigh) "Regardless of my better judgement, Central Command is assigning you to command the Terok Nor orbital ore processing station and to oversee the occupation of Bajor as the new Prefect."

You say "That's...quite unexpected, sir..."
"I know it is!" he snaps, "But, we need as many skilled men as possible to oversee the huge operation of running a station and keeping an entire planet under control. Now, more than ever, the Cardassian Union needs...*you*."

-----

It takes you a week to make your preparations. You say goodbye to your wife and children. They take the news of your departure a lot better than you'd expected. Of course, given how much you've been away from home in the course of your career, they're hardly bothered by it anymore.

The Cardassian warship that transports you to the station is state of the art. You find yourself missing your old command where you had been assigned, a much older vessel, but none the less powerful in its day.

It takes four days to reach the station. You spend most of that time reading up on everything you can about the station and the Bajorans who you will be overseeing. (You've never actually visited the station, or Bajor before. Indeed, it was another officer who conducted the initial assault and capture of Bajor, long before you joined the military. Although, you've read the reports and seen the images).

Bajor's fleet is no longer a threat. Most of their token forces were captured or destroyed during the invasion. The remainder of the ships that weren't destroyed retreated and joined the countless bands of pirates and mercenaries that plagued the borders of the Union. Even if they did want to wage war again, they lack the means to do so.

The Bajorans themselves are a whole other matter. The Union occupation of the planet has been strict, but far from unbearable for them. They've been through a rough few years since their 'liberation'. Martial law is in effect, and a few Bajorans have protested this with small acts of civil disobedience at first, and it wasn't until several dozen people were killed in the town of Telnor that Central Command properly cracked down. The 'Telnor Incident', as it has come to be known, saw the indiscriminate killing of men and women, children and the elderly. All in the name of justice.

Of course, this did nothing to calm the situation. In the years since the incident, there have been a few small scale uprisings. These have been put down bloodily, but the Union has managed to hold on to the planet.

Now, however, the Bajorans have changed their tactics. It's less mass protests and more targeted sabotage. Several energy pipelines have been destroyed, as well as some power transfer stations. Assassinations have even been carried out, including that of your predecessor Gul Lavek, who was Prefect of Bajor and serving aboard Terok Nor at the time of his death. Indeed, this is one of the main reasons you've been sent here. Your superiors have noted your success at keeping order on the frontlines, and feel that your talents would be better served keeping a lid on the Bajorans.

Or at least, that's what they've told you. Maybe Legate Kell just wants you dead...

"Gul Irall to Gul Dukat."
You're pulled out of your thoughts by another announcement over the comms.
"Speaking," you answer.
"We're on approach to the station. Helm will be docking us in shortly."

You say "Excellent. I'm on my way to the bridge."

You stand up from your desk and leave your quarters. You walk through the halls of the ship and board a turbolift, heading to the bridge. Within a couple of minutes you arrive, and take a seat next to Gul Irall.

ZclSpyl.png


You reach the station at last. It looks just like you imagined it: a huge, metal, ring, with support beams and docking ports protruding from it. As the ship docks with the station, you stand from your chair and make your way towards the exit. The doors open with a pneumatic hiss, and you walk out into the docking bay.

The bay is filled with a handful of Cardassian soldiers, and a few dozen Bajorans working to unload supply crates from the ship. At the moment, they all stop and stare at you. You stare back for a moment, before Irall walks up beside you.
"At ease," he says to the workers. They slowly go back to work.

"You ever seen a Bajoran before, Dukat? They're ugly, aren't they? I heard somewhere that they used to be a similar species to us, but hundreds of years of farm life have taken their toll. You can see the callouses on their hands from working the fields. And their weird noses. Repulsive."

You look at the Bajorans working and spot a young woman. She can't be any older than you. She's tall, with long brown hair and a slim figure. There is a scar that runs vertically over her left eye, but it only makes her more attractive. And her nose...

You say "I don't know. I find the ridges on their noses rather distinguishing."
"Oh?" Irall asks, looking at the woman, then back to you. "I suppose they do have a certain feline quality. Like a sabrecat, or a snow leopard. Do you like the look of her?"
"She's... fine," you answer.
"I get it. Not five minutes on the job and you're already looking to sample the local cuisine. Well, I'm sure you'll get your fill of them now that you're Prefect here. Heh."
You don't answer, instead your attention turns to the Cardassian woman who just entered the docking bay. She looks to be of a higher rank than the typical soldiers under your command.
"Ah, this must be the Glinn assigned to assist you. I'll leave you to it, then," Irall says, walking back up the cargo ramp to his ship.
(A Glinn ranks just under a Gul, your rank.)

You walk up to the woman, and she stands at attention.
"Prefect, I am Glinn Ralta Jirrar. I have been assigned to your command for the duration of this operation."
You nod to her.
"A pleasure to meet you, Glinn."
"Please, call me Ral, sir." she says. "The Cardassian High Command believed that a female operative would be able to better relate to the Bajorans' religious community, however, that's proven unfounded. I was unable to keep the previous Prefect alive."

You look at the woman, trying to take her in. She is shorter than you, but taller than the average Bajorans. Her face is rather slim, with a pointed chin. Her skin is a grayish color, not as ridged as the average Cardassian, but still not as smooth as a human's. Her most striking feature, however, are her eyes. They're large and brown, possessing a certain warmth to them that you don't see in many Cardassian women.

"I was told you were an intelligence officer."
"I am," she says, puzzled by your remark.
"No, I mean what branch? You know, Interior, Defense, State Security... we have so many these days..."
"I'm not with the Obsidian Order, if that's what you're asking, sir. I was simply trained in military intelligence."
"Oh. But you still work for State security, don't you?"
"No, I work for the military. You are my only superior for this assignment, sir. Why, is something wrong?"
You think back to your last experience with an intelligence officer. You were hesitant to work with one again so soon.

You say "Never mind that. I'm sure it's fine. Please, show me to my office. I assume it's been cleaned up since the last Prefect was..."
"... murdered. Yes, sir." she says and the two of you leave the docking bay and head to a turbolift.
"If you'd like, I can tell you all the various theories that the military has come up with for how the terrorists were able to place the bomb in his office."

You say "Have the Bajorans responsible been apprehended?"
"No, sir, but per standard policy, we are preparing to execute one hundred civilians as retribution."
You stop walking and level your gaze at Ral.
"What?" she asks, confused by your expression.
"One hundred?" you say, making sure you heard her correctly.
"Yes, sir."

Executions:
A.
Don't execute or punish civilians. Only the guilty should be punished.
B. Perhaps it's shocking, but it's necessary to maintain order. You tell her to proceed with the executions.
C. 100 isn't enough! (Feel free to suggest a number.)
D. Some lesser punishment for the civilians, since the culprits haven't been found. Order must be maintained, but not with brutality.

Investigation:
A.
Make the investigation into the former Prefect's death Ral's top priority.
B. Let Ral handle it as she sees fit. You have other priories you'd like her to focus on at the moment.

Feel free to drop any other input for how you'd like to see this CYOA or this choice go.
 
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Non-Edgy Gamer

Grand Dragon
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This will be a bit different from the previous LPs I've done using aidungeon. And yes, I will be using it to generate most of the text out of laziness and my own lack of writing skill, but I will also write some of it myself and take more of a hands-on approach to throwing challenges and keeping the story on-track by acting effectively as a DM.

So there will be an actual plot this time, or at least, I have a goal for this LP beyond "I wonder if how quickly these morons can get themselves killed." I really want to see how the Codex would have handled the occupation of Bajor. What you would have done in Dukat's shoes. Will you have more success than he did or get forever framed as Gray Hitler just as he was in the series?

Also, my Star Trek lore knowledge consists mainly of what I can remember of the show and what I can find on wikipedia, so if I get something wrong, let me know, but I will probably piss all over the books and a half dozen fanfics in the process of this. Story and fun takes precedence over accuracy, especially regarding expanded universe stuff.

edit: and for non-Trek fans, this is the guy you are playing:
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Dukat
The series basically took him from being a sociopathic jerk and probable war criminal, to rapey Space Hitler and finally made him actual Space Satan, but you don't have to be like that if you don't want to be.

edit: not a lot of interest, it seems. I'll give it a few days.
the other good thing about running this off aid is that if none of you respond, I can just play it myself. granted, some mormon might spy on me as I do questionable things with Quark's dabo girls, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice for science. :M
 
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baud

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RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I helped put crap in Monomyth
I know even less things about Star Trek than you, but this seem interesting

D. Some lesser punishment for the civilians, since the culprits haven't been found. Order must be maintained, but not with brutality.

I don't think executing hostages is a sound strategy, but apparently it's culturally expected to do so, going by Ral's reaction. Half-measure might get half-results, but we have to play both sides: going too hard on Balorians will make them resist even harder, but looking to soft to Cardassian would be just as bad.

A. Make the investigation into the former Prefect's death Ral's top priority.
 

tsuke

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B. Pick the harshest option first so that when we negotiate in the future we can get benefits for negotiating up to neutral.


B. Ultimately who cares who killed the other guy. Id rather build up my defenses so it doesnt happen to me.
 

ERYFKRAD

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Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
B. Ultimately who cares who killed the other guy. Id rather build up my defenses so it doesnt happen to me
If the dude is likely to try again, you could preempt him provided you knew his identity.
 

CappenVarra

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DB

killing spice miners is unprofitable, let them eat 16-hour shifts instead: daily beatings will continue until loyalty improves

we care about the spice, not detective work: any murderers that introduce themselves will spare us the investigation, and we can kill them without wasting time right?

the warp spice must flow to power our cloaking fields - and that's what this is all about, innit guv?

:popcorn:
 

Non-Edgy Gamer

Grand Dragon
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Looks like 1D is winning. The second choice is tied, but I'd like to move forward so I don't lose momentum, so I'm going to try to make a middle of the road choice of some kind rather than roll for it.
 

tsuke

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B. Ultimately who cares who killed the other guy. Id rather build up my defenses so it doesnt happen to me
If the dude is likely to try again, you could preempt him provided you knew his identity.
Ultimately any number of people could kill us. Whats one specific assasin more or less.

Id rather shock the population first and let them know its possible they can get someone worse if they get rid of me (like im worse than the previous guy) and work on general defenses.
 

hello friend

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I'm on an actual spaceship. No joke.
D. Institute a harsh, but temporary tax with a defined end date applying to all citizens, along with the declaration that the tax will be repeated if new attacks happen. Considering how impoverished and oppressed the citizenry seems, hopefully we'll both demonstrate our lenience by opting not to do the customary executions while undermining public support for terrorism.

B.
 

Non-Edgy Gamer

Grand Dragon
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Meetings

0e3g25d.png

(Pictured: Ops Center)

You say "Have you already detained these civilians?"
"No, sir. We only recently received orders to prepare for this measure. I believe they are to be taken from their homes in the middle of the night."

You say "You will do no such thing. On my authority as Prefect of Bajor, we will not execute innocent people for a crime they didn't commit."
Ral arches an eyebrow. "I understand your feelings on this matter, sir, but I must respectfully disagree."
"On what grounds?"
Ral chews her lip for a moment. This was clearly a topic she wanted to approach very cautiously.
"I believe that it is a mistake to show weakness when dealing with terrorists. I'm sure you've heard the phrase 'making peace with the enemy is the same as declaring yourself their friend'."

You say "A wise sentiment. Rest assured though, it's not my intention to let the Bajorans off without any consequences for this."
"What did you have in mind?" Ral asks, her face displaying nothing but respect. You realize that she is genuinely interested in your opinion.
"We will announce that the military is preparing to execute one hundred Bajorans as retribution. And then...we will announce a pardon."
"A pardon?"
"Yes. We will say that we have decided to be merciful this one time and that the hundred civilians will not be executed, but instead we will levy a small tax on the entire populace of Bajor for 1 year, with a portion of the funds to be sent to the former Prefect's family. Failure to pay the tax will result in one year of hard labor instead."
"That...that's..." Ral starts to say, but can't find the words.
"A bit underhanded?" you supply. "Perhaps. But I also believe it is necessary. It's not good to let people think they can get away with harming you, but then again letting the innocent suffer isn't good either and that's the alternative."
Ral thinks for a few moments. "If you believe that this is the right decision, sir, then I will obey your orders."
"Thank you Ral. I can already see that you'll serve me well."
The two of you continue to the turbolift talking about the situation on Terok Nor.

Within a few minutes, you arrive at the station's Operation Center, where you are introduced to the command staff there. You also learn what few resources you have to work with. Your people are mostly security and military, and while they are already fairly well trained, you'll need to make use of Bajoran labor to help run the place properly. For example, bakers, cooks, cleaners, and the like are almost exclusively Bajoran laborers brought up from the planet below. And of course, the ore processing plant is staffed exclusively by Bajorans.
With most of the work being done by aliens, the Cardassian personnel here might be tempted to slack off. You've heard your predecessor here allowed a lot of the staff to become complacent and lazy, but you won't allow such behavior.

After the briefing is through, Ral shows you to your office. A small room with a glass door overlooking the Ops Center.
As you walk up the stairs, you admire the subtle authority of a design that forces those serving under you to look up to see your office. A Cardassian concept through and through.
Inside the office, there is a desk, two chairs, a computer console, and a small couch and chair in the corner for casual conversations.

"I had your personal belonging transferred to your quarters in the habitat ring." Ral explains. "I assume this will do?"
"I suppose," you say, walking over to the replicator and pressing the order button. "Kanar."
The computer accepts your order, and within a few moments an earthenware mug filled with the Cardassian spirit appears.
You pick it up and have a sip. It's not terrible. You're going to have a bit of time to kill, so you decide to have a seat and enjoy your drink.

"Replicated kanar, sir? There's actually a very good bar on the station's promenade owned by a young Ferengi named Quark," Ral says. "I can have him bring you some real kanar, if you wish?"
"No, this will do for now." you say.
You pause, thinking for a moment.
"So...where was the bomb? How the hell did someone sneak a bomb on board? I thought that station security would have scanned everyone that came on board."
Ral opens her mouth to answer when she is interrupted by the door opening behind her.
"Ah, I believe this is whom you should be asking, Gul." she says. "Allow me to introduce our head of station security: Glinn Caavan Madred."
Ral steps to the side as a tall, thin man wearing a black uniform with enters. The insignia on his uniform indeed marks him as a Glinn, the rank equal to Ral's own. He carries an electronic notepad in one hand.
He salutes you and you stand, setting your drink on the table.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Gul Dukat, your new commanding officer." you say. "You are the one in charge of security here?" you ask.
"I am Head of Station Security, yes, sir..." Madred says.

You say "So perhaps you'd care to explain how it is that the previous Prefect was assassinated with a bomb in this very office?"
"Apologies, sir. I assumed you were already up to speed on the details of the incident."
"Indulge me." you say.
"...Of course. As you know, the former Prefect, one Gul Lavek, was killed by an explosion in his office while he was working. We think the bomb was placed somewhere behind his desk, where he would have been sitting when it went off. We're still investigating whether someone came into the room or the bomb was placed via some kind of transporter or drone. We're looking into known terrorists, all Bajorans on the station, as well as Cardassians who might have had a motive to kill the Prefect and cross-referencing those with the ability to breach security and place a bomb in the room. We've found no promising leads at this time."
"I see..." you say.
"We're also investigating the sabotage of the station's power generator that seemed to coincide with the incident, and I've increased regular patrols to prevent any further incidents from occurring."

You say "So, it sounds like this was a planned and coordinated assassination."
"Exactly, sir." Madred says, nodding.

You say "Madred, I want you to make finding leads on this a top priority, as well as take whatever precautions you can to prevent another such occurrence. Network with Ral as necessary."
"As you wish, sir." Madred nods.
You raise your glass of kanar, and take a drink.
"Now, tell me all about the security situation here on Terok Nor."
Over the next few minutes, Madred goes into great detail about the security situation on Terok Nor. You quickly learn that a great deal of smuggling is going on, from both inside and outside the station. The black market here is rampant, and criminal activity seems almost encouraged. It's not unheard of, but it may pose a risk.
Also, there seems to be a great deal of tension between the Cardassian security forces on the station and the Bajorans workers living on the station, with several violent clashes having occurred recently. You make a note to yourself that you should try to diffuse the situation as much as possible.
"Anything else, Captain?" Madred asks, as you finish writing down a few notes.
"That'll be all," you say.
"Very well, sir."
He and Ral both leave your office.
You drink the rest of your kanar and sit back in your chair. You have a lot of work on your hands, but for the first time since you departed Cardassia for this station, you feel like you have some semblance of control over your life.

AChq3TL.png

I will try to finish part 2 in a bit and get you some more choices, the result of your previous choice will either come in that update or later.
 
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Non-Edgy Gamer

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D. Institute a harsh, but temporary tax with a defined end date applying to all citizens, along with the declaration that the tax will be repeated if new attacks happen. Considering how impoverished and oppressed the citizenry seems, hopefully we'll both demonstrate our lenience by opting not to do the customary executions while undermining public support for terrorism.

B.
Looks like we think alike on D. I had already wrote that in the update when I refreshed the page.

Also, I didn't see your vote on 2b in time, but as I said, I took a middle of the road option that will hopefully allow you to have your cake and eat it in this case.
 

Non-Edgy Gamer

Grand Dragon
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Stardate 23121.58
(February 14, 2346)

thingspast2.jpg


It's been two days since taking over command of the station, and establishing yourself as Prefect of Bajor.
One of your first acts as Prefect was to give a speech in which you mentioned the assassination of your predecessor and your decision not to execute civilians in retribution, but instead to implement an additional penalty tax on every Bajoran citizen.

While your decision not to execute anyone no doubt brought relief to many, enforcing this tax has been difficult, however, as the Bajorans seem to be resistant to paying the tax, claiming that this tax is another way to subjugate them. The penalty of one year hard labor for refusing to pay the tax, has not made the tax any more welcome and the Bajorans have even gone so far as to try and attack your officers when they go to collect the money. Such incidents were, of course, met with harsh reprisals from the soldiers themselves.

This has resulted in a lot of tension between your officers and the Bajorans, and the need for more security is paramount. You are still unsure of how to deal with this matter, but for now, the tax has generated an additional revenue stream for the station - a portion of which you send to the former Prefect's wife and family back home. You've also made it known that any Bajorans reporting tax dodging will be honored and rewarded, but so far, such reports seem to be very limited, despite calculations that Bajorans are indeed trying to avoid the tax.

-----

Madred is still working on finding leads on which terrorists were involved in the assassination of your predecessor, but for now he's been able to determine the exact nature of the explosive and how it was placed in the commander's office. Apparently the explosive was a common Cardassian mining explosive, likely smuggled up from the surface of Bajor. It was placed in the office's upper ventilation unit, designed to direct a blast downward and toward the Gul's back as he sat at his desk, the terrorists clearly knew what they were doing. There are signs that the office was accessed using the maintenance conduits and that the security system was disabled when the station's power generator was sabotaged.

How the bomb was smuggled aboard the station, who placed it and where they are now are all still mysteries unfortunately. You suspect that the person who planned and and carried out the assassination is long gone by now, having escaped aboard a vessel shortly after the explosion, but there's no way to know for certain yet.

-----

You walk along the station's Promenade, a wide pathway that circles the station's inner-section where a few shops and businesses operate. There is also a fenced off section where Bajoran laborers are kept between shifts at the ore processor or wait to be assigned a job elsewhere on the station. The laborers all look up as you pass, most of them trying to seem invisible, but a few defiantly stare back at you. There are also Cardassian soldiers patrolling the the area and keeping the rabble in line, a few of which salute you as you pass by.

Your bodyguard for the day, a young Cardassian trooper by the name of Zaar Endal, is constantly at your side.
"The Bajorans look at you like they want to kill you," he says. It's not a question, but a statement of fact.
"They'll get over it." you say dismissively, not looking at him.
"They're still angry about what happened to their shrine, you know."
You stop and turn to look at him.
"What do you mean?" you ask.
"The Bajorans, they're still angry about what the army did to their shrine," he says, "The one atop the mountain where they used to worship..."

You say "I hadn't been made aware of that. Was it a recent occurrence?"
"Two years ago. The army claimed it was a weapons cache, but..." he trails off, not wishing to criticize the army.

You say "I see. Did the previous Prefect make a habit of targeting Bajor's shrines and temples?"
"I'm not sure, sir. I'm just a trooper. But I think I heard about other incidents."
You stop and think for a moment. The Bajorans are always so busy revolting or worshipping that they hardly ever do anything productive with their time.
You'll have to speak with Ral later about this.
Regardless, you continue walking and surveying the area until you finally come to your destination, the Ferengi-owned bar Ral told you about: Quark's.

The place is filled with the unpleasant, cloying scent alcoholic breath and the noise of gambling games. You see a display of kanar bottles on the wall behind the bar, each containing a different color or shade, probably costing more than the average soldier's monthly wage.

U1dCxJE.png


"Welcome, welcome! Please, come in and make yourself at home!" a cheerful, Ferengi says, coming out from behind the bar to greet you. "My name is Quark. Quark's Bar. Quark's Bar...get it?" He laughs at his own perceived wit as he guides you to a seat at the bar.
"Greetings. I'm Gul Dukat, Prefect of Bajor and commander of this station." you say, sitting down.
"Lovely place you have here," you say. "A bit loud from the gambling tables, but lively nonetheless."
Your Ferengi host chuckles in response.
"I like to think so," he responds. "Can I interest you in a game of tongo? The competition's pretty fierce today, so you'd probably do well to sit in."
"Thank you, but I don't play tongo." you say.
"Or perhaps you'd like to try your hand at dabo? You could probably win the jackpot, with a little luck on your side." he says motioning toward a table spinning a wheel in the back. It's covered in lights and making little noises as a scantily clad female attendant turns it for the patrons.
"Or maybe you'd like to try your luck with one of our lovely barmaids? They're always more...accommodating after they've had a few drinks in them. Bajoran girls really know how to have a good time." he says, motioning toward a few other proactively dressed women sitting with some of the patrons on either side of the bar.
"And if that doesn't suit you...there's always the holodecks on the second level. I have a program for every fantasy imaginable. Though I must say, the Breen program I just got is a bit...unusual. But then again, what do you expect from a species with three stomachs, eh?" he says, laughing crudely.

You say "A glass of kanar will be fine for now."
You lean back against the bar as Quark brings you a small glass of the strong alcoholic beverage.
"So, what brings you to my humble establishment, Prefect?" he asks. "You know that I'd be happy to bring anything you'd like to your office or your quarters."
"I'm looking into claims of a black market here on the station." you say. "You wouldn't know anything about that would you, Quark?"
The Ferenghi laughs. "Me? Not at all, Prefect. I pride myself on running a clean operation here. None of my people would dream of doing anything illegal here on your station."
You study him for a moment. He certainly seems relaxed enough, but you don't buy it. You've heard that the Ferengi are a greedy and conniving people, and that they almost always get nervous when you start asking questions about their businesses, no matter how innocent they may be.

You say "Of course, but surely you must hear things."
Quark chuckles as he wipes a spot off the counter. "Heard things? Such as?"

You say "Such as who might have smuggled a bomb on board the station last month? The bomb that was used to kill the previous Prefect..."
Quark's ears twitch slightly as he looks up from the counter. "Ah, yes. A terrible thing, that. Terrible."
"Did you hear about this, then?" you ask in return. Quark studies your face for a moment, then nods.
"Perhaps. Would there be a reward if I did?"
"Ten strips of gold-pressed latinum should do." you say, taking the strips out of your pocket and placing them on the bar.
He opens his mouth to start to haggle for more, but something in your eyes tells him it wouldn't be a good idea and he takes the latinum.
"Yes, I believe this will be fine," he says, slipping the strips into his pocket. "I'm no expert, Prefect, but I think there are a lot of ways one can get goods or even people on and off the station, but...explosives would set off the alarms for sure. So I really doubt the...uh...'black market' was involved. Someone would either need security access to disable the station's sensors, or else you would need to smuggle them on board using something to camouflage them and that technology is too expensive for the Bajoran resistance, in my humble estimation of course..."

You say "Interesting. And you don't know which of these methods was used to smuggle the device aboard? Or who received them?"
Quark shakes his head. "I'm sorry, no. That I do not know. If I did, I would have informed your security officer when he asked me."
You stare at him for a moment, but you're not detecting any dishonesty in his bearing; he seems to be telling you the truth. You may just have to look elsewhere for an answer.
"Hmm. Well, thank you for your time." you say, drinking a some of the kanar and setting the glass down on the bar before standing up to leave.

Madred had informed you that Quark had been helpful in the past, apparently the previous Prefect allowed him to operate a black market to bring in exotic goods and services without running afoul of military regulations. He also was allowed to smuggle food goods and medicines to the laborers to keep their morale up and prevent them from getting more radical.
You're about to make your way to the door when Quark calls you back.
"One more thing, if I can say something."
"Speak."
"The Bajorans never did like the idea of my presence here."
You frown. "So?"
"Well, I was just thinking, if they knew I was an informant..."
"You'd be a dead man." You finish for him.
He gulps, and nods.
"Exactly." he says. "So I was thinking, perhaps you could provide some sort of regular compensation."
"What kind of compensation?"
"Oh, don't look at me like that, Prefect. It doesn't have to be latinum, not unless you want it to be, that is. We're friends after all. You could simply waive the station maintenance fees for my bar and in exchange, I can make sure you're kept informed the moment I hear anything you might be interested in."
You mull this over for a moment.

A. You agree to give him free maintenance.
B. You tell him you'll take a percentage off of his maintenance fees.
C. You tell him to get stuffed, and that if you find out he's heard about something and didn't tell you, you'll have *him* pay for it. Dearly.
D. You simply refuse.

Also, about the black market:
A. You allow the black market to continue.
B. You tell Quark the black market is over and you have Madred crack down on it.
C. You allow the black market to continue and subtly ask Quark to get you something. (Suggest something, if you want. Nothing dangerous. If this wins, you will get a list of goods available and I will see about including your request.)

Before you leave Quark's bar you:
A. Walk over to the dabo table and gamble.
B. Play tongo with the handful of patrons and Ferengi staff. They'll teach you, right?
C. Chat with the prettiest barmaid you can find. Sure, you're married, but your wife isn't here, is she?
D. Try out a holosuite. Ask Quark to pick an interesting program for you (or suggest one yourself).
E. This is all a waste of time. You just leave.
 
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ERYFKRAD

Barbarian
Patron
Joined
Sep 25, 2012
Messages
28,368
Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
XAE.
I'm not keen on giving him any waiver but we could just say no and move.
 

tsuke

Educated
Joined
May 29, 2018
Messages
116
A. This allows us to have a paper trail of his betrayal as well in case we need to sell him for something in the future.

C. I dont know enough about the setting to ask for something specific but we damn better well get paid (not monetary but useful items) if they stay.

C. I dont think were popular enough to get anything from A and B. Having a girl on the side would be an additional pawn in the future. Id imagine were staying in a room with her and people probably would not like her much if they knew that so we can hold that against her if needed.
 

Non-Edgy Gamer

Grand Dragon
Patron
Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Nov 6, 2020
Messages
14,946
Strap Yourselves In
I dont know enough about the setting to ask for something specific
If you haven't seen Star Trek: Deep Space Nine before, I highly recommend it.

This LP takes place decades before the show starts and will have a completely different perspective and tone, of course, but it's still a sci fi classic.

edit: btw, I should point out that just because there is established lore, it doesn't mean that you will have to follow it. You can definitely change the future with your decisions here.
 
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oscar

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
8,038
Location
NZ
AAC
AAE


Never trust a Ferengi but him and his bar serves a very useful function.
 
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baud

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 11, 2016
Messages
3,992
Location
Septentrion
RPG Wokedex Strap Yourselves In Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I helped put crap in Monomyth
B. You tell him you'll take a percentage off of his maintenance fees.
A. You allow the black market to continue.
E. This is all a waste of time. You just leave.
 

oscar

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
8,038
Location
NZ
I'm tempted to flop to E for the last option too. Sends more of a "You need me more than I need you" message.
 

CappenVarra

phase-based phantasmist
Patron
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Messages
2,912
Location
Ardamai
CBE

the only good feargus is a dead feargus

about time someone got this operation in order
 

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