Fringe Benefits

Posted on Tue 8th Jul, 2025 @ 9:49am by Commander Heriah Rex & Renato Solis

2,289 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: The Phoenix Gamble
Location: Conference Room SB109
Timeline: previously: https://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/2440

-Start-

Quinton wanted ever so badly to punch his Shipmaster in her stupid, combative face. She had already driven the XO and Captain of the Base to a restrained fury well before the negotiations began.

Fala was barely five feet tall but filled the room with her voice, "Starfleet outlined that we must assist, and we agreed to be compensated, so this whole conversation should be on the amounts involved, not our damages sustained. We lost our client! How do we compensate for the loss of future business?"

Quinton added in trying to soften the hardline approach of his partner, "Look we aren't asking for anything military grade, but Starfleet asks us to jump, we ask how high right? So, we saved the day no hesitation, and if we want to save it next time with no hesitation, this cant be a tug of war. We need to be made whole at least, and without cash it's hard to say what we can work out, but we deserve to get an "attaboy" at least for the losses and risk we took... by getting some work done."

"One at a time," Heriah said as she raised a hand. The others remained silent, apparently wanting to see how the station's new XO would handle this situation. "One at a time," she repeated herself and though Heriah wanted to add a 'please' to that, there came an explosive desire to leave that out. The explosive desire proved the victor. "Fala. You said this should be on the amount involved, not damages sustained. Only to announced to us that you lost a client. A client lost sounds like sustained damages to me. Trying to compensate you for the loss of future business is like trying to figure out a compensation to me for the future I will no longer have since becoming joined."

'a frutiful, happy, and meaningful future is what you gave up to be joined with me.'

Heriah ignored Rex's intrusive thought. "You are a Ferengi, are you not?" She did not wait for an answer to the obvious. "Do what Ferengi do best. Get your client back."

Fala blinked slowly trying to keep from shrieking. She turned to Quinton, "Is this Trill using my species as a justification for shirking contractual obligations? Some fuel and a hull patch won't pay the crew, or restock our phaser coils, forget the fact we aged our engines at max warp and over capacity tow-"

Quinton heard the steam valve whistle, Fala was white-hot with rage and he moved quickly to head her off, "Commander, what we are trying to be diplomatic about..." he pointed that word at Fala who seethed in a silent hiss.

"...Is that we have a duty to act, unlike other civilian freighters, we agreed to respond to distress calls when Starfleet signed that ship over. In turn we receive free repairs same as Starfleet would when we are acting in that stead. We saved three ships this week and towed them in, who likely would have perished. Your Thunderchild is still under repair, and we are doing the work to make up the gap. This just doesn't work as a business model though and we are seeking an answer from Starfleet on how to compensate for less tangible costs such as the loss of a client and a reputation for cutting cargo loose. Telling us to buck up and eat the cost is going to result in our venture failing and then we aren't out there at all. This isn't a negotiation either, we will continue to do what's right, but within our capability. So help us to know where our limits are, you tell me how much we can help."

'You're hearing this right? They want money. Tell them to buck up and eat the cost. They are a pitiful lot when all they care about is...'

Heriah brushed her hair over her ear, a gesture that came naturally to her as a means of hushing Rex's intrusive thoughts.

"Hull patches, replacements even, fuel, new phase coils, engine overhauls, shielding...all that and more is covered in the contract. You will continue to receive precisely what any and all Starfleet vessels receive." She paused briefly, letting that thought hang in the air. Or perhaps Rex wanted to see the pressure valve of a Ferengi reach its critical point. Heriah wanted nothing more than for this meeting to be over, to be away from these...'freeloaders'. She shook her head, throwing away that thought. Heriah then quickly thought of a quick and possible resolution to this. "I understand however, that your business venture does include an exchange of goods and funds. Hell, I don't even get paid for what I do, but you...you operate outside the confines of Starfleet contracted to Starfleet as aid. With your business venture, reputation is everything, but physical currency is oftentimes necessary. As you know, the Federation operates NOT on a currency-based foundation. However, the Federation does realize and accept that there are those who do. Both the Federation and Starfleet do deal with currency time and again and do possess stockpiles of various currencies for events and needs such as this. I know this will only add to the paperwork and I also understand that Ferengi are amazing logisticians." Heriah hoped that a little Ferengi flattery would help this negotiation.

"To that,"she continued, "I propose an amendment to this contract." She looked at the contract on her PADD and continued. "Full monetary compensation for crew payment and/or lost cargo. We will need to be provided with a full...and detailed...inventory of all cargo, complete with a full report of what was delivered, what was lost, damaged, stolen, etc. On each run, we will also need a full roster of your entire crew complement complete with which style of currency they generally liked to be paid in. I will see to it, personally," she added, "that said currency is delivered to 109 during deliveries, crew transfers, and general rounds. If you are unable to pay your crew after a run, we will make up the difference. Inventoried cargo will also need to be tagged with a locator beacon, does not have to be Starfleet, that will be activated should you need to dump your cargo in space. We will dispatch a ship for recovery of said cargo. Please make sure what they inventory, after retrieval, matches that of your inventory. Discrepancies will only hinder the recompense process. Should said cargo become lost or picked up by someone else, we will compensate. You will also be supplied with letters of Starfleet's gratitude, promise, and sorrow for your clients should they need to know that we will do what we can on our end to help you complete any business transactions. If all are in agreement, I further propose a backdate of this amendment so that we can provide said letter to your recently lost client in the hope that said client is not lost for good."

Heriah finished, what she felt was a marathon of a proposal, and sat back awaiting any response.

Quinton knew Fala would take any offer on round one as a starting point, he had worked with her for so long it was just in his brain. She smiled, without mirth. Softened since the moment of flattery in a mock coquettish manner, she waited for the commander to finish and let silence fall. The only sound was Quinton's heavy sigh.

He was stunned to hear, "I will find a way to make this work, it is a fair offer. I will need to counter once I have determined the loss of revenue from canceled contracts..."

Quinton knew she wasn't done but had no clue what to expect from her, and she didn't disappoint. Her anger and twee behavior had shifted into her shrewd nature, shedding the camouflage of a freeloading conniver.

"However there is a matter of efficiency in reducing all of our costs. Our repairs on those vessels required payment of specialists and hazard pay for the crew times three incidents. We have a lease on board for a Starfleet garrison which is currently unused. For the duration of the Thunderchild's absence from the theater we can continue our work to keep the lanes clear, and utilize the secure decks for an anti piracy task force.

Quinton felt sucker punched, she hadn't runthis past him. The last time Starfleet used their lease on board had crossed them with the Borg.

Fala continued, "We can dedicate our main shuttlebay to a fighting vehicle for this unit. Promoting this as a Starfleet action plan will restore our reputation, give legitimacy to our story in ways no letters could. Minimal changes would be needed to maintain the fighting vehicle, we have our own reserve craft the Tiburon in our auxiliary bay. With your offer accepted we can mitigate costs by employing this plan and not worry over putting our civilian crew in harms way."

The lease agreement for the secure decks was twice their monthly costs. Fala was working a miracle and he knew to trust her. Then she had to add, "Oh and Quinton, do we have the industrialist capacity, we nearly ran out from just those three..?"

She looked at him expectantly, and he played his part. "Yeah... we ahhh got creative in the repairs after a while, our pattern replicator doesn't do much outside of simple tools or food so our stores dropped quick. If we can factor in the costs of a parts fabricator, something to keep us in repair out in the field better that'd get us into zone for a military lease."

His blood ran cold as he internally screamed. "She was angling for the stupid replicator!

Heriah sat in silence for a moment. Of everyone, she wondered why it is she who was speaking the most. Of course, it was a test of the new commander to see how she would handle the situation. And now the ball as back in her court.

"I suggest we start with the proposal as I have laid it out. It is all well within my abilities to make happen and something Starfleet will readily agree to. It is a foundation that we can build upon; massage Starfleet into granting more over time." She looked at her PADD with a detailed request from Fala. "More money for these specialists of yours, when you have our Engineering crew, on top of added hazard pay, etc. is something above my power to grant. This will have to come from Starfleet." She leaned forward in her chair. "And Starfleet will hesitate. And when Starfleet hesitates, they may decide to put the brakes on the entire contract, cancelling the whole thing, thanking you for everything you have done and releasing you from further contractual obligations, removing any further assistance from this starbase." Heriah looked between Fala and Quinton. "Agree to my proposal and I will see about supplying you with an industrial replicator. It will stay on our hand receipt of course and its transfer to you will remain off the books. Our database here will, of course, maintain a constantly updating record of its frequency of use as well as what it is replicating. That is the standard operational user agreement."

Quinton stood up, "And a fine deal that is. We are setting a mold for others to follow as well. There are at least six ships in the merchant fleet now, two of them are Miranda Class, and serving with distinction. So these decisions, embolden and enable all of us. Any time Starfleet wants to use our services just call. We hope to appreciate this level of communication cooperation in the future as well, so I think this is a satisfactory point Fala yeah?"

Her tell was a slight sidereal head shake a horizontal bobbing he recognized as her poker face. She was thrilled, but outwardly, displayed disgust.

"After having such species-est comments I am pessimistically cautious of future negotiations. But if you are satisfied Quinton, I will have to be as well, for now."

As nobody in the room was happy, a fair bargain had been struck. Fala hated fair, but it was a much better bargaining position than before. With everyone having a seeming imperative to leave the room, it took only a moment to empty out. Fala tabulated the final figures, when she was done there was nobody there except her Captain. Once she was certain they were alone, she dropped the facade.

"Well done my Captain, my Captain. You looked genuinely worried, such a performance! You looked sick, turning green and all!"

Quinton had not been acting.

Fala whispered to herself, "They take over recovery costs, so we can cancel my team, fuel costs means open energy consumption and free usage o the industrial replicator, reducing supply costs, honestly we will come to port empty every time, coverage of our salary increases puts us well into the black, adding in the leased decks for their usage makes it so profitable to save vessels we should swap our charter to search and rescue..."

Quinton knew there were ears, "Fala, dont count your money at the table, let's go."

She agreed with this much at least, and gathered her things, resuming a dour grumpy expression.

Quinton marveled at her antics, and lead the way home. She complained the whole way but knowing the game now made him part of it too and he found himself genuinely laughing.

With a bolt of sudden realization he asked himself, Did they finally just become friends?>/b>

-END-

 

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