Personal Log | Kitaru Hirano | “The Final Score - Part 1”

Posted on Sun Oct 5th, 2014 @ 7:51pm by Lieutenant Kitaru Hirano

1,135 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Are You Touched?
Location: San Francisco, Earth
Timeline: September 2010

Kitaru was sat in a small dive bar just south of Starfleet Academy's main campus. It was out of the way enough to be discrete but close enough to one of the major central hubs of Starfleet to slip under the radar. It made it the perfect kind of spot for people like him; forgotten. He took a quick glance around the room from his perch at the far end of the bar. It was spot he had specifically selected for a very good reason; back to the wall, eyesight of the entire place and the exit. Special Forces training had paid off.

Two senior locals entered the bar nodding to the gruff, balding and overweight gentleman who was standing behind it cleaning out a glass on a dirty dishcloth. Kitaru watched as they occupied a booth and took out a holo-projector.

'Setting up a game' Kitaru said to himself.

Analysing every second; waiting. He turned his attention back to the bartender and owner of this particular establishment. He had moved on to preparing the two newcomers their order.

'Must be regulars if he didn’t need their order' the internal narration continued.

Shifting heavily on one side the bartender shuffled from behind the bar and took two cloudy pitchers of something to the table where the old men were playing holo-tridimensional chess. Kitaru watched, the bartender appeared to be limping. Former injury? Recent? Maybe he served and this is where he wound up. Life was cruel like that. He took a sip of his own drink and grimaced. Watered down, clearly this place - like its owner - was on its last leg.

The door opened once again allowing a glimmer of the outside light to disturb the shadows of the dingy bar. It wasn’t the contact. The corner of Kitatru's mouth twitched ever so slightly as he checked his chronometer. The man he was supposed to meet was now five minutes late. This always set him on edge wondering if perhaps the next contract was a little greyer in morality than the usual. Still if the latinum was right…

His thought process trailed off as the new visitor had wound her way to the dilapidated bar stool next to Kitaru. She was tall, dark haired, dark eyes, dark complexion. Beautiful, but Kitaru imagined from the look in her eyes, deadly if pushed.

"Mr Hirano I presume" she said with a subtle eloquence. Her outfit also didn’t fit the environment, she was dressed well; of significant wealth perhaps. Or maybe it was a ruse, a con. Either way, Kitaru was guarded and had lowered his hand under the table to rest on the Bajoran phaser strapped to his hip.

"I have been called many things" he replied knowing full well already this meeting was not by chance so lying would have been pointless.

"You had quite the exceptional Starfleet record from what my employer informs me; although he is concerned about the large portion of it that simply does not exist for public record. He needs assurances that you are legitimate and not some form of undercover operative for Security or Intelligence" she spoke with a matter-of-fact tone that for a man in Kitaru's line of work was refreshing.

"I left Starfleet due to… irreconcilable differences. That and the call of latinum was too great for any man to resist. If you want a CV I suggest you check the Starfleet Security and numerous member and non-member files regarding The Ghost" he stated matching her matter-of-fact tone.

She smiled slightly "my employer has checked these which is why we approached you. You appear very good at what you do, but my employer has learnt never to trust a common thief"

"Miss I do not know you, or your employer and yet I agreed to meet you in this unconventional circumstances. I am not some kid off the street looking for a quick bar here and there, I am a consummate professional who has returned the stolen property of countless people with care, discretion and skill. For the right fee of course. I am, not only an expert in the items themselves but highly skilled at recovery" he said allowing himself to take a portion of the bait offered.

The woman smiled again and relaxed slightly. "Congratulations Mr Hirano, you passed the test" she said pulling out a small device. I was monitoring forty-seven different factors about you during our conversation to ensure you were truthful. This device was designed especially by the Obsidian Order and cannot be deceived. Kitaru scowled slightly at the device, memories of his encounters with the Cardassians imprinted on his mind.

"I am… aware… of such… devices" he said restraining his emotion. "Now, about your employer".

"He wishes to remain nameless, however, he is a promeninent member in the Klingon High Council and this PADD will confirm his credentials in one of the Great Houses without naming him specifically" she said pulling out a PADD and sliding it along the worn and decrepit bar. Kitaru picked it up with interest and browsed, he would need to run his own checks before accepting the job.

"And the item?"

"A family heirloom stolen by a worthless rival house. A blade of great importance to the Great House mentioned on the PADD and to their future standing within the Empire"

"And where is it?"

"Securely guarded in the fortress of the thieving snivelling family that took it. They reside in a rural farmland area on the Klingon homeworld, with their own security garrison"

"I see"

"If it helps you, tomorrow evening they are having a celebration of the death of the first-born son, he died in combat"

Kitaru nodded, the woman seemed bored by the details and yet at the same time increasingly emotional about the situation. She was more than just a messenger somehow.

"You'll have it in forty-eight hours" Kitaru said rising from the stool.

"And your fee?"

"200 bars"

"That's gone up from your last assignment I understand"

"That is because the stakes are so much higher - take it or leave it, but I am the best"

"You have a deal Mr Hirano. Don’t let my employer down"

Leaving her with the last word Kitaru headed outside into the bright sunlight and crisp fresh air of San Francsico. Sighing, he tapped a hidden device inside his jacked and within moments had transported to his ship and departed Sol.

The ship itself was nothing special on the outside, a standard freighter of Terran design from one of the outlaying mining colonies. It had, however, had some significant albeit illegal modifications giving it that extra bite required for Kitaru's line of work.

"Computer, lay in a course for Qo'noS… maximum warp"

=/\=

Kitaru Hirano

 

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