Shades of Grey - Part 9

When he pressed, the warmth in Tiraa’s expression cooled considerably and she pursed her lips; she looked at him as if she were rethinking the entire plan for a moment. “Business is not something to be rushed, Captain. If you have somewhere else you need to be, by all means…”

He gave her a grin in response “So what business is it that you would like to discuss then?” At this point he decided to lean into a bit of charm taking the seat next to her and leaning forward a bit. “It’s obvious I’m not going anywhere, I don’t even know where I am. Which means I have all the time in the universe. So why not share it with you?” Zedd knew rushing overall wouldn’t be the way to go, he just wanted to see if he could at the very least get a commitment from her. “But just know if I’m going to stay here for a bit, a cot and a sonic shower would be preferred for overnight accommodations. I don’t need much.”

“You want me to work for you - whether the relationship is beneficial or not, I don’t work for free.” Tiraa prompted, completely ignoring his ask for lodgings if she was going to make him stay. At least he had it in him to be charming, but that opportunity had passed. “I would also expect any contract I provide to you would give me an additional percentage.”

“Of course. All crew gets a percentage of the profits. I’m thinking fifteen percent plus run of the ship and all support craft etc, are all yours as an option. No questions asked on my end either. You would be First Officer through and through, we can make sure you have private comms and additional security systems for your quarters just as I do for myself. As far as privacy, your quarters will be on deck two with mine and any future second officer.” Zedd remained in his current pose and almost gave her a wink but refrained.

Her eyes settled on him, considerably cooler now, and she was silent for several long seconds. “Is your intention to try to broker deals face to face yourself?”

“And how else would I broker them? Very few have respect for one that doesn’t do so in such a manner. That is the reason why you’re wanting to go with us and conduct business for the Syndicate, isn’t it? You could send anyone here but instead you yourself are going to make an appearance and handle it yourself. Because we both know the realities of the world we choose to live and operate in. It’s why you brought me here to speak to you. As the Ferengi say, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.” The man knew quoting the rules of acquisition wasn't going to be anything impressive, but everyone did have a mantra to follow and no matter how ridiculous some of them may have seemed to be, there was a modicum of truth no matter where you looked.

This man was a man of many words when fewer would certainly do, and that would not serve him well in life. Tiraa rested her chin in her hand, still simply looking into his eyes and not letting them stray. “Perhaps you shouldn’t be the one to broker them at all.”

“Then who is going to broker them?” The question was simple enough. Zedd sat back a little and waited to see what she had to say. It was apparent the woman had an idea on her mind.

“I would, of course. I have many connections, and I don’t have that many connections to simply let them sit there and be pretty. I use them.” She finished her drink and placed the cup down on the table. “It is a skill you may learn in time, but it takes practice… and somehow I feel you don’t exactly have enough time to master it.”

“Perhaps not. In that case then, you’ll broker the deals for the ship and crew. I’ll make sure things are running and get who we need hired. Your connections will be more than welcome and you get what you need, I get what I need, and we all get paid at the end of the day. I’ll continue to do my best to keep a low profile then at least as much as possible.” He reached up and scratched around the edges of his dataport before finishing off his own drink as well.