"DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Part 1"

Theme

Planet Nuevis III, Stardate 88163.1 (circa 2411)...

Kobr walked the floor of the seedy club he had come to know as home, his bulky physique and green skin casting a formidable presence amongst the patrons who knew him as the head bouncer of the club. Of course, those who knew him properly were more familiar with him as a senior lieutenant to Dalir - the notorious arms dealer who used t

his venue as a mere front for his operations. But even they did not really know him; in truth only one person on the entire planet knew who really was, and that was Princess - one of the club's most popular dancers.

Kobr watched her with an affectionate smile as he circled the room while Princess performed, he was always overly protective of her her above all other dancers at the venue and would cautiously observe the patrons around the stage, ready to pounce should any get too close. Then he saw it; she blew him a kiss. It was unmistakable, and he knew exactly what it meant...

Starfleet Intelligence had been investigating the theft of an extremely valuable heirloom belonging to the royal family of Nuevis IV; a matched pair of extremely rare Terellian diamonds. They had been intended as a gift of matrimony to the princess of Nuevis II in a bond which would see centuries of civil war between the neighbouring worlds come to an end. Now, their newest recruit fresh from the Academy - one Mischa Leveson-Scott - has spent months following the trail to the lair of this seedy arms dealer with the aid of Kobr - a KDF operative who had long been surgically altered to appear Orion so as to infiltrate the same organization.

With Kobr's aid, Mischa had been able to assume the alias of 'Princess', a gogo dancer working the tables at the public venue which fronted the operation, the situation had spiraled beyond control now however as hostilities in the system peaked; and before the team was able to track the missing diamonds. SFI viewed this as an unacceptable increase in risk for such an inexperienced operative, and had given Mischa the order to pull out - so now Kobr knew why she blew him that kiss; they had to talk with urgency.

"Kobr, you're nuts! You can't remain on this case without support"

Kobr frowns and folds his arms defiantly, "Star-fleet may run and cower at the first sign of danger, but Kobr does not! I am sorry to lose you from my side Princess; you are more honourable than your organization deserves."

Mischa sighs shaking her head, "If there was a way I could stay and support you I would do so in a heartbeat. Here, at least take this." she says handing him her weapon, "I know you don't like using energy weapons, but please; if nothing else then for my peace of mind" she smiles encouragingly.

He begrudingly takes the offered phaser, viewing it with contempt but looking down at the small framed human with respect and admiration, "Qapla' Princess"

"Qapla' Kobr" She replies with a sad smile before exiting the bar for the last time, an air of sadness and disappointment hanging over her like a black cloud. Not only had they failed in their mission to recover the diamonds before war broke out, but her partner had resigned himself to remaining on the mission alone.

As the young operative conducted her saddened farewell with her surgically altered friend and handed him her weapon, they remained blissfully unaware of prying eyes in the rafters high above them. Their actions had not gone unnoticed...