La Luna

Posted on Sat Oct 12th, 2024 @ 2:07pm by Senior Constable Kiki Marmalade & Chief Inspector Ji-eun Moon & Inspector Yelgrun

4,543 words; about a 23 minute read

Mission: Boys of Summer
Location: Rachel Garrett Memorial Stadium, Santiago Bay
Timeline: MD1, 1730

ON

"This guy had better be good," Chief Inspector Ji-eun Moon grumbled to herself as she reached into her bag of char-grilled steak crisps for another handful. "I'm missing the new episode of The Magic King's Lovely Hotel 1510, and if my sister finds out whether the rich guy or the old scholar killed the astronaut before I do, the whole show will be ruined."

In the artificial heat of the Sagan police vehicle, it was easy to become drowsy, especially when listening trying to keep an eye out for activity in an otherwise quiet street. Besides the steady stream of foot traffic around the concert venue, nothing had registered any interest or concern for several hours. The snack supplies were getting as low as the mood in the vehicle, and the last dregs of Brian's Beans had gone cold an hour ago. Distantly, the rumbling bass of the concert warming up reverberated through the car.

"I thought the lawyer killed him," Inspector Yelgrun mused disinterestedly, sipping the last of his strong coffee apparently unphased by the whole thing.

"No, the lawyer was bitten by zombies rescuing the dog from the alien warzone," Ji-eun ate her snacks but kept her eye on the street. "I think it was the rich old guy. It's always the rich old guy in these dramas. "

"Thanks, I wasn't up to that yet," Yelgrun replied flatly and sighed, disposing of his empty coffee in the car bin.

Ji-eun winced. "Sorry."

"It's alright, I actually enjoy knowing the end," Yelgrun said. "Saves me a lot of time. What happened to the doctor rescued by the 500 year old ghost nurse?"

"Got cloned and married the pop star." Ji-eun said before finishing the bag of chips.

"Cloning," Yelgrun smiled, "what will these dramas think of next?"

With half-eaten donut on her tactical vest and a coffee that had long gone cold threatening to tip out of her hand, Kiki opened one eye, roused from a light dose of forty winks by the conversation between her two superiors. She opened an eye, which darted between the two as they conversed, then she opened the other and rolled both. She piped up from the back, "Can you two knock it off?"

"Not keeping up with the latest dramas, Constable," joked Inspector Moon. "Maybe you'd like "Supreme Martial Artist and Part-Time Teacher Cho" or "Something is Very Wrong with the Neighbours at Number Twelve."

"Diary of a Haunted Realtor" is very entertaining," Yelgrun agreed, looking slowly around the street trying to stay awake.

"Sorry," Ji-eun relented. "Tonight was going to be sweet and sour pork night, now I have to wait another week. I was really looking forward to it. Hope we weren't disturbing your enjoyment of the concert."

"No, just my beauty sleep," Marmalade remarked. "I, uh, never cared for Smelton. Either of you work for him before he became a pop star?"

Ji-eun shook her head. "He was more my mother's era. They were at a party once; all she could talk about was him getting drunk on half a bottle and dancing on the tables. And to think he became a cop."

"He sounds over-qualified." Yelgrun quipped. "But no, I don't even know who he is, I was arrested not long after I was cloned. I'm technically only a few years old. Are there any bear claws left?"

"I'll have a look. Hey, Yelgrun, didn't Constable Dot say you were about the same age as a recruit?" Kiki asked, rummaging through the paper bag from Baker Street Bakers. "All out of claws too, sorry, Yelgrun. Can I offer you a donut?"

"That depends on the recruit," Yelgrun said sarcastically. "Is it chocolate glaze?"

"Yep, got one here. Lucky last," Kiki replied, passing it forward. "So I've never asked, Yelgrun, how does that work? For a Vorta... with all due respect to you, of course, sir."

"I allow myself one treat a day," Yelgrun said, taking the confection. "I have to be careful, since I can't be cloned anymore. It used to be the case, any injury, death, or simply imperfection, they'd make a new Yelgrun. I was more or less 'born' at this age, designed to be an effective diplomat. No parents, no childhood, no sweetheart."

"..."And no patience". I've heard," Ji-eun finished for him.

"Quite," Yelgrun replied with a smile. "Although, I have recently investigated shares in hypicat future, under the adivsement of an old friend. It's really diversifying my investment portfolio."

"Fascinating," Kiki smiled. She'd grown up around Starfleet veterans her entire life. The way that her mother spoke of the Changelings, Jem'Hadar and Vorta, particularly, made her wonder if humans really had surpassed their prejudice. Regardless, she had found Mister Yelgrun to be nothing but pleasant, if a little eccentric. "How is the concert going?"


||The Concert, concurrently||

Nothing excited the wider Sagan public than a late-day matinee from famed Santiago Bay native Smelton Jon, a former SBPD traffic officer turned pop star. With Smelton smashing away at the keys of a transparent aluminum piano and barking lyrics into the microphone, the air pulsated with an electric energy as thousands of eager fans gathered under the afternoon sky, drawn together by the promise of another unforgettable experience.

The stage towered before them, adorned with vibrant lights and colossal speakers that blasted music that transcended the boundaries of time, space and traffic law, where melodies would weave their way through hearts and souls, leaving an indelible mark on those fortunate enough to be present.

Until Paulie Beldam got on stage.

This was something that Sergeant Nguyen, a leather-faced veteran of the SBPD, was warned to keep an eye out for when he was assigned to command a small contingent of officers assisting with security. Weaving his way amongst the audience, he felt an odd shift in the energy of the attendees as they began to cheer on the elderly Beldam, who was waving a cowboy hat around as he fumbled his way onto the stage. Nguyen put through a call for backup.

Beldam grabbed the microphone from Smelton's piano, the popstar complicit in the sudden chaos for the moment. "Alright, everyone, heh-heh, I dedicate this one to Testy Dangle, owner of the Juicy Rooster down in the CBD. Go and grab a special edition leaky crank snack pack, do yourself a favour. Now, Smelton, I call this one Bang, Boom, Crash and Bang, do you know that one?"

Smelton Jon, who looked like he'd go out of his way to order a lemonade at a nightclub, smiled coyly, "Why, yes, Paulie, I wrote the music."

The popstar began to tickle the ivories in double four time, throwing out a tired three chord symphony. It pleased the audience though. The throng cheers and hummed along as if they'd been hypnotised.

"Boom, bang, crash and bang me, baby," Beldam sang. His free hand went for his belt buckle. "Boom, bang, crash and bang me."

The old man continued findling with his belt buckle, the crowd cheering him on, knowing what was coming next. The buckle came undone, a pistol dropping to the stage floor, followed by his strides and a--

"Moon!" Nguyen called down his compiece, "He's done it again!"

There was a visible upwelling of panic as members of the crowd saw the gun. Audience members retreated to exits as Smelton continued to play his piano. Meanwhile, Beldam bent over, trying to collect his gun with one hand and his trousers with the other as cheers turned to gasps and jeers. Nguyen was assaulted by the smell of sweat and fear as onlookers pushed past him and Beldam finally retrieved his gun.

"Come back, do yourself a favour!" The elderly Beldam decreed.

No sooner had Nguyen commed for backup than the TR vehicle was getting video of the disaster; Ji-eun's friend was there videoing the whole thing live.

"Michin nom," Ji-eun muttered to herself, in utter disbelief at the geriatric horror show forcing a view of his nethers at all and sundry. She hastily closed her phone and looked away in disgust.

"'Crazy bastard' indeed," Yelgrun concurred, averting his gaze. "And I thought the Ferengi were unpleasant when undressed."

=/\= "Gun! We've got a gun!" =/\= Came Nguyen's voice over the coms.

Kiki watched the crowd spilling out of the exits of the stadium. Tossing her food and beverage aside she clapped her hands together and rubbed them, "Showtime!"

Moon rolled her eyes and growled to herself. Someone needs to restrain this man in his home. And who keeps giving him a gun?

"If we get shot by this guy, we're making up a cooler story," Ji-eun checked her vest and weapon were secure, then threw open the car door. "Let's move."

"Humans," Yelgrun shook his head, grabbed his phaser, and joined them.

The three left the car in less of a hurry than they probably should've. They ducked and weaved through the tangled tidal wave of the panicking public, into the foyer of the stadium, where they could hear that Smelton was still on the piano and Paulie hadn't settled.

"Hey, Nguyen!" Kiki called, shouldering past a Bolian and their Gorn lover. She noticed the Sergeant, who normally looked fairly dogged, looked even more beyond it than usual. He leant against the doorframe and pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated and exhausted as the public continued to stream out.

"Hey, Kiki," Nguyen nodded, taking a less relaxed approach when his superiors approached. He gave the pair a nod, "Chief Inspector, Inspector. I've got T'ar'dk and Petersen down at the stage, they're ready to draw down on Beldam if he wants to kick off. Do me a favour and get them out of there, one of them is liable to get trigger happy, and I hear a rumour that pistol of Paulie's is loaded."

"Of course it is," Moon shook her head. "We need to get that thing away from him."

"And get his thing away from the civilians," Yelgrun said drily. "Has he at least put his trousers back on?"

A rambling, heavy-set drunken mess wearing trousers five sizes too small came stumbling out of the stadium. He was catcalling and cheering, almost falling over himself backwards as he roared, "Go on Paulie! Show us ya--" The man crashed into Nguyen, who simply glared at him. The drunken mess became about as small as a mouse when he saw the assembled officers, "Oh, hey, Santiago Bay's finest! Love ya work! See ya!"

"There's your answer, Inspector," Kiki remarked as the man scurried away. She recognised him as a local media 'personality', "Tosi. Figures he'd be here to make the situation worse."

"Get a media blanket on this mess," Ji-eun directed. "Although why anyone would want to see this is a mystery. We have to put a stop to this man before he scars anyone else, mentally or physically."

"Sometimes I miss the Jem'Hadar," Yelgrun sighed, checking his phaser.

Kiki retrieved her coms device to put a call through to the SBPD's communications department, who were masters of containing the media. Just as she pressed the call button, the dreaded moment came. A gunshot rang through the stadium.

"Ah, shit!" Nguyen grumbled, drawing his Glockerson and heading back in. The seasoned officer was curious why he hadn't heard follow up shots from his officers. That became immediately clear when he saw Paulie still dancing on stage to Smelton's music, smoking gun in hand and not much else on his person.

The Sergeant averted his gaze to see T'ar'dk and Petersen on the ground, both easily restrained by burly men with buzzcuts and dark clothes. The officers' weapons had been taken from them and tossed away, and each restraining strongman carried his own submachine gun.

"What the fuck is this?" Nguyen muttered under his breath. Having not been seen, he took cover behind a row of seats, clutching the grip of his pistol like a priest holding a crucifix. He tapped his comms toggle, "Moon, we've got company. At least five guys, armed with SMGs. They've restrained my officers."

Inspector Moon waved her team into formation with practiced discipline. How did such a simple event go so badly wrong? She'd have said Beldam had lost his marbles if there wasn't far too much evidence to the contrary.

"Stay in cover, we're taking positions," Ji-eun directed the Sergeant over comms, Glockerson in hand as they rushed discretely to firing vantages in the stadium. "We need to get those officers away from these thugs, and get Beldam off that damn stage."

Once Yelgrun had snuck down and taken cover behind some seats, he gave the order in his most commanding voice: "Terrorists, show yourselves. Throw down your weapons, release the officers, and we can resolve this peacefully."

Kiki watched on as Yelgrun's voice thundered through the arena. The stooges in Paulie's employ raised their weapons, they were silent, standing guard over the two officers. Meanwhile, Marmalade peaked her head over a seat as she observed what was occurring, simultaneously blowing through a text to a friend of hers in the SBPD's public relations team to employ their media embargo. She couldn't work out how Smelton was remaining so calm, and yes, he was still playing his piano as if the concert was still a going concern. Meanwhile, Paulie was still dancing on stage.

=/\= Chief Inspector, this is Constable Collins. Marksman team is in position in the stadium elevations. =/\=

=/\= Are the civilians safely out? =/\=

=/\= The last have left now. We've got a clear shot on the guys with the officers. Awaiting orders. =/\=

=/\= We'll give them one last warning, but be ready to take out the two gunmen first =/\=

"This is the Chief Inspector of Tactical Response," Ji-eun shouted from cover to the gunmen. One last attempt at diplomacy. "Surrender the officers and drop your weapons, or we will respond."

The goons stood their ground. As Paulie hung off the side of the piano and twerked like it was twenty-tens, even Smelton was starting to show signs of discontent. The discontent for everyone, though, reached fever pitch when one of Paulie's bodyguards pointed their weapon at T'ar'dk.

"Take the shot," Ji-eun gave the word as soon as she saw the gunman move to the officer.

Barely a moment later the pair of gunmen spun back, a shower of red arcing from their chests as they stumbled over the seats. The rapport of two shots echoed through the stadium. One squeezed off a few rounds from the rifle as he fell but it hit only concrete.

The hostaged officers, well-trained, took cover as the three remaining gunmen opened fire at the seating and took cover themselves.

"Yelgrun, get those officers out of here," Moon ordered the Vorta Inspector. "Constable, we'll cover him and move up when we can."

=/\= Collins, have you got a shot? =/\=

=/\= Negative. I'm relocating to get a better angle. =/\=

Kiki poked her head out of cover to check the situation again. She heard bullets whooshing overhead as she raised her Glockerson and provided covering fire for Yelgrun, who was heading into the heat of the battle. A single moment of reprieve was granted for the officers as the bandits reloaded, providing ample time for the team to advance a few rows and reload themselves before advancing their assault.

Good thing no-one taught these guys fire discipline. Ji-eun appreciated the reload time, firing a few shots to allow Yelgrun to rush forwards to the officers, scrambling away from the line of fire. Smelton had finally stopped playing and was cowering behind the piano as Paulie yelled and waved his revolver around, trousers still about his ankles.

"Marmalade, left!" Ji-eun signaled as she ducked down, then signalled she'd make a play for the stairs. With covering fire from the Constable, Inspector Moon dashed to the right to descend the stairs. From amid the stands, Yelgrun sent a phaser blast and destroyed the back of a chair one gunman was using for cover. Seeing her chance, Ji-eun quickly took aim and squeezed a few rounds at the opening.

She distinctly heard the impact of a bullet on plastic, but at least one shot found it's mark. The man yelped and spun away, tripping back as he tried to dash away from the desstroyed shelter. He didn't seem dead, but wasn't in a hurry to get up, or stop howling, though he was scarcely audible over Beldam's incoherent ramblings.

Kiki reloaded once again, having covered Moon as she moved to incapacitate a perp. She took cover again, hearing the unmistakable gunshots from a Glockerson ring out. Certain that the Chief Inspector had brought down one of the thugs, Kiki moved to assist Moon.

Marmalade went to move, but felt a cold shiver, she knew something wasn't right. From behind, she heard a click of reloading weapon.

"Don't move," a woman's voice said.

Kiki raised her Glock above her head to surrender, tapping her comms toggle in the hope that someone would notice the unusual call through and accompanied static. She tried to breathe, unsure if anyone could get her out of what was surely to come.

"Okay, I'm not going anywhere," Kiki said, faltering between breaths.

"Cops," the woman's voice cursed, taking the weapon roughly. "You're no better than Starfl-"

A single shot. The woman behind her stopped with a gasp.

Kiki dropped, her hand smacking the floor and sending her weapon bouncing behind her, and definitely beyond her reach.

The shooter Yelgrun had exposed barely hit the ground before Moon's comm crackled with random bursts of static. No message came, and while she was behind the chairs she had risked a glance around to check her team and saw a woman in body armour standing over Marmalade and taking her weapon.

There was no time to hesitate. In a flash Ji-eun leveled her gun at the assailant and fired once. She had aimed a little high to be sure and miss her teammate but her aim was true, the weeks worth of hours in the range paying off.

Once the woman was staggered, the TR Chief gave another short controlled burst to put the woman imperiling her teammate down for good. Kiki would be able to handle things from there, she trusted.

Kiki pried the SMG from the hands of the dying woman, who coughed and sputtered blood from her mouth as her bullet-riddled body began to shut down. The Senior Constable retrieved her own weapon and resisted the urge to execute the assailant, instead making sure she was safe to restrain the female goon and neutralise the threat of her weapon. Adrenaline leaving her system, Kiki unloaded the SMG, tossing the full magazine one way and the compact weapon in the other. Marmalade took a deep breath and checked her weapon before rejoining the action.

Moon barely had time to turn back to the stage before shots rang off the chairs at her side. She was exposed on the stairs and had to move fast, with only chairs to her left for cover. She saw Yelgrun was hurrying two huddled officers towards safety ahead, with two gunmen left at the front strafing carelessly at her position, and haphazardly after the Vorta. Yelgrun fired behind him to try and cover the retreat but the shot went far wide. One of the officers was clutching a shot in his arm.

"Top of the fucking pops!" Paulie Beldam shouted to the heavens, squeezing two rounds straight up into thin air. "I'm off my fucking rocks!"

Where did this guy get armed mercenaries like this? We have to put a stop to this, fast.

=/\= Yelgrun, if you can get a shot on Paulie, stun him on my count. =/\=

=/\= Standing by =/\= Yelgrun replied, strain in his voice.

=/\= Marmalade? You remember that really annoying part of the testing range as a cadet, with the two targets behind the car? =/\=

=/\= I remember preparing for it made me so anxious I was sick to the stomach. Makes you wish you had a partner, a second gun-- oh, I got ya! =/\=

Kiki got a bead on two perps popping out of cover. She raised her weapon, the sights aligned on the right hand shooter. Finger on the trigger, she waited for the call.

=/\= Right. On my move... now! =/\=

As one the pair stood, lining up their targets in a moment as the gunmen emerged from cover to resume fire. The gunmen were too slow.

Ji-eun sighted the man on the right, trying to alternate his fire between her vulnerable position on the stairs, and Yelgrun hunkered down with two unarmed officers. He saw her stand and turned, but she had already lined him up squarely. She fired three steady shots and the man, struck repeatedly, staggered back twice. His hand went to his chest and he dropped his rifle, crashing backwards into the side of the stage before falling flat on his face.

Kiki squeezed off two rounds, her target copping a depleted dilithium slug in the chest, followed by one in the throat. The thug was staggered by the surprise attack, allowing Kiki to jump another row and get a better angle, popping a pair of follow-up shots into Paulie's hired help.

=/\= Just like the simulations! =/\= Kiki exclaimed with just a little too much gusto.

Free to stand now, Ji-eun looked around; none of the gunmen were moving, Yelgrun and the officers had sustained no further injuries by the looks... but Paulie was still in play. He was lying on top of the piano, leaning down over the keys and drunkely pawing at them as he caterwauled, oblivious. His revolver was still balled in his fist.

"Woah-ho-ohh, listen to the music!" Beldam drawled off-key! "Woah-oh-uh, wait, where did the gunfire go? Men? Men?? Geploy the darrison! Dammit Mc'Neal, you promised me the best!""

'Ji-ral'... shit. Paulie, 'jugeullae', do you want to die?

Yelgrun, who had been too suppressed to neutralise Paulie earlier, took the opportunity now to stand as well. Aiming at the drunken, octegenarian former-pop-star floundering on the Yamaha-tron Series Z piano, Yelgrun fired a merciful phaser stun.

"Gah! Ukk! Fuck me sister!" Paulie Beldam, who had caught the stun blast full in the hip, flailed like a beached seal pup, before rolling off the piano bodily and onto the stage. "Cheesus, I'm being lectrocuted! Help me you useless galah c- cough, cough, cough!"

Ji-eun shook her head, checked her weapon, and went over to the stage.

"Inspector, rendezvous with Nguyen and get the officers to safety. Collins, if you have a shot on Beldam, hold it but keep him in sight. Marmalade, with me."

"On it," Kiki replied, keeping her weapon in-hand as she followed Ji-eun.

"Wait for me!" Smelton darted out from behind the piano as Beldam laid there beside it, drooling on the floor as he tried to stand but his limbs refused. The celebrity singer rushed after the Vorta as he was leaving.

Ji-eun and Marmalade ascended the side-stairs to the stage, weapons out but lowered as they approached the shaking Paulie Beldam, who seemed to have recovered enough of his senses to hoist his trousers back up. He was leaning back against the Yamaha-tron rubbing his forehead and mumbling incoherently. The revolver was still in his hand.

"That's enough Mr Beldam," Inspector Moon tried to get his attention as she and the Constable approached. "Drop your weapon, it's over."

"Urgh... That damn Irishman's been selling cheap shells on me," Beldam dribbled to himself. He looked up at the approaching officer's with tired eyes, his trembling hand trying to raise the pistol. "You haven't seen the last of me, pigs. Didduluh-didduluh-didduluh-didduluh."

Paulie Beldam moved to stand with lightning agility, springing away from the stage like a cat as he fired to cover his retreat, vanishing into the night like a bat while in his head he played the television theme from an archaic crime-fghting television serial.

Unfortunately, drunk as he was - and high on several different illicit substances - the phaser blast come-down was hitting him hard. All he could manage was lurching upwards a little, feeling suddenly nauseated, and basically just pointing his gun-hand towards the cops pathetically as he slumped back down and mumbled old tv themes.

"Hey!" Ji-eun barked at him, taking the revolver easily and pointing it towards the washed-up celebrity. "Saekki... bastard- understand me! What the hell were you thinking here? You put peoples lives at risk and for what? Asnwer me!"

Paulie, trembling and shivering, sputtered a number of protests and sobs as he tried to form words to get out of the situation. He tried scrambling away but was too sore, and the sight of Inspector Moon aiming his own revolver at him with Marmalade just behind, Glockerson at the ready...

And then a dark patch formed and spread on Paulie's trousers.

"Oh," Kiki gasped, seeing the wet spot grow like the city's crime rate.

"Aish," Ji-eun winced and looked away as Beldam tried in vain to cover his disgrace. "We're not gonna get anything out of him like this. We'll get some uniforms down here to take him in, we'll have to talk more tomorrow when he's sobered up."

"Want me to get a few officers down here to put him in the drunk tank?" Nguyen asked, having released his shaken officers, a couple of uniforms cautiously moving in to secure their colleagues. He looked over the weak form of Paulie Beldamn and then looked to the formidable TR Chief. "Inspector, the medics are asking if they can move in to treat T'ar'dk and Petersen and check out the perps."

"Definitely," Moon surveyed the stadium. "I think Peterson took a shot in the arm, he'll need treatment. Take this gun into evidence too, it belongs to Beldam. He didn't realise it when he wet himself, but it's empty now. Hopefully after a night in the tank he'll be more cooperative tomorrow."

"Sure thing," Nguyen said, stepping forward. He retrieved an evidence bag from his utility vest and placed the gun inside. When he left the TR team, he was radioing in clearance for the uniforms and medics to take over the scene.

Kiki looked out over their former battlefield. Being such a large space, with seating for 100,000 people, it was hard to notice where the carnage and trail of destruction had been. The Senior Contable shook her head, "How could a situation like this go so wrong?"

"Could be drugs, or alcohol," Ji-eun chewed it over, but couldn't make sense of his ramblings. She shook her head. "Something Beldam was shouting about. He mentioned a name, but I can't remember; there could be more to this. We'll see if he says anything coherent tomorrow."

The comm crackled again. "Liebowitz to Chief Inspector Moon, come in - are you still in the stadium area?"

"CI Moon," Ji-eun answered. "We are, what's happening?"

"Some idiots are robbing and vandalising the 'Hugh Denis', that French goods store next to the 'Brian Jones' at the Waterfront. They pulled a gun on the owners and blacked out partsw of the signs, now they spell out 'Huge Penis BJ by the beach'."

Moon sighed and rubbed her brow. "From a gunfight at the stadium to this... what a night."

"Time to rock and roll," Kiki winked.

OFF

 

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